As Qi Xiaowei stepped off the vehicle, the group of "militia soldiers" on board also disembarked, lined up neatly, and stood behind Qi Xiaowei, each holding an assault rifle.

"Wow!" Qian Dong feigned surprise, subtly retreating behind the guards, and teased, "Old Qi, your rank isn't high, but your entourage is quite impressive!"

"Safety comes first when you're out and about, especially during this sensitive time," Qi Xiaowei said calmly.

"Yes, it's right to be careful." Qian Dong nodded. "But Lao Qi, do you think it's appropriate to bring weapons if we want to enter the Fragrant Palace?"

"If we don't bring weapons, wouldn't we become a toothless tiger?" Qi Xiaowei retorted.

"Haha~!" Qian Dong laughed loudly, "Old Qi, I'm not trying to be mean, but I think you've been living in the countryside for too long. You? A tiger? Don't you even know where you are? This is the Fragrant Palace, the most heavily guarded place in Haidu right now. With your few guns, you're nothing!"

"Oh my god, I can't take it anymore, I'm dying of laughter. Haha~! Old Qi, you're such a clown." Qian Dong's unrestrained laughter echoed in the open space, attracting curious or amused glances from the surrounding guards.

Faced with Qian Dong's ridicule, Qi Xiaowei was not angry; in his heart, there was only regret.

Why did his good brother, the one who was seriously injured while saving him, become like this?

Can power really change a person's nature? A complex emotion flashed in Qi Xiaowei's eyes, a mixture of disappointment at Qian Dong's change and nostalgia for their past pure friendship.

"Alright, Lao Qi, let your men stay outside. Don't be so nervous about meeting your old boss." Qian Dong patted Qi Xiaowei on the shoulder. "Of course, with your meager resources, what's the point of being nervous? Haha!"

"Hehe, Director Qian is right," Qi Xiaowei forced a smile and agreed.

Then he said to the eight "militia fighters" behind him, "Leave the guns outside."

"Uh...you're still taking them in?" Qian Dong asked, puzzled. "The guns are already off, what's the point of taking them in? Just for show?"

"Hehe, maybe." Qi Xiaowei remained noncommittal.

"Whatever you want." Qian Dong shrugged, looking indifferent.

After the guards inspected Qi Xiaowei and his group and removed all their weapons, they entered the Fragrant Palace smoothly under Qian Dong's guidance.

Inside the Shang Palace, the ground is cleaned every day, and not a single snowflake can be seen.

Even the green plants have been replaced with artificial green plants made of environmentally friendly materials. They are lush and vibrant, giving people the feeling of returning to a pre-apocalyptic world, which is completely different from the outside world.

Villas modeled after classic buildings from various countries are scattered throughout the vast area of ​​the Shang Palace, each exuding a unique charm and luxury.

"See that house over there? That used to be the residence of XXX, a very famous and wealthy man in our Great Xia. It is said that it cost 1.3 billion yuan to buy it back then."

"That building was bought by the vice president of a well-known foreign company."

"And that other building, guess who used to live there? Hehe, the famous movie star XXX, you wouldn't believe it, would you? It was a gift from some big shot."

…………

Qian Dong chattered on and on to Qi Xiaowei about the villas inside the Fragrant Palace and the glorious or secret stories behind them.

Qi Xiaowei, however, was not interested in the conversation and only offered a perfunctory reply.

Finally, Qi Xiaowei couldn't help but sigh, "These rich people are really lucky. They can still live in such an environment in the apocalypse. They're really benefiting from the luck of certain people."

"Haha~!" Qian Dong laughed loudly, "Old Qi, what are you thinking? Those people were driven away by the commander a long time ago."

"What?" Qi Xiaowei frowned.

"With natural disasters raging, the commander is working tirelessly day and night for Haidu. Many rioters not only fail to understand him, but also constantly seek opportunities to assassinate him. Tell me, compared to his safety, what do those so-called rich people amount to?" Qian Dong said in a deep voice.

Upon hearing this, Qi Xiaowei felt a complex mix of emotions.

Perhaps Qian Dong didn't become evil by nature, but was simply too influenced by Zhou Xuemin and the distorted survival rules of the post-apocalyptic environment.

This is what made his personality somewhat extreme, even somewhat distorted.

If he had corrected him in time and used love to influence him, perhaps he could have helped Qian Dong see the error of his ways.

"Qian Dong, my good brother, you saved my life back then. Now, seeing you being deceived by that bastard Zhou Xueming and led astray, I will do everything I can to pull you out of this abyss!" Qi Xiaowei secretly vowed.

But Qi Xiaowei firmly believes that everyone has a kindness and justice that has not been completely eroded in their heart, and Qian Dong is no exception.

He decided to have an in-depth conversation with Qian Dong at the appropriate time to help him rediscover his original innocence and beliefs.

"Old Qi, the commander's residence is just ahead. Wait for me here while I go and inform the commander. I think he will be very happy if he knows you've arrived." Qian Dong's voice interrupted Qi Xiaowei's thoughts, pointing to a manor that resembled a palace ahead.

Qi Xiaowei nodded silently.

Watching Qian Dong's departing figure, Qi Xiaowei felt a bitter taste in his mouth: "It seems that Qian Dong doesn't know that Zhou Xuemin and I were already irreconcilable enemies back then. When I was forced to leave Haidu, Zhou Xuemin was one of the behind-the-scenes manipulators."

“Deputy Commander Qi, this place is heavily guarded, with countless visible and hidden guards. If a conflict breaks out later, I'm afraid we won't be able to protect you,” a “militiaman” said to Qi Xiaowei with a solemn expression.

This person is named Wu Sen. He served in the army and was a Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) coach before the apocalypse. He has extremely high military and physical skills and is the captain of the "militia" squad that accompanied Qi Xiaowei on this trip.

Hearing Wu Sen's concerns, Qi Xiaowei waved his hand: "It's alright, they won't dare to make a move."

He never actually expected these few "militia" fighters under his command to protect him.

Just kidding. This is the stronghold of the most powerful person in Haidu right now. Let alone eight unarmed "militiamen", even 80, 800 or even thousands of fully armed "militiamen" could not cause any trouble here.

His insistence on bringing them in was actually for their protection.

He was confident that Zhou Xuemin would not dare to lay a hand on him or his "militia fighters," and that leaving these "militia fighters" outside would put them in danger.