Chapter 42 Welcome everyone

Shanran slept curled up in a ball last night, but today she really wanted to stretch out, so she lay down on the bench.

Kunwu Yecheng's eyes followed Shanran's movements until he saw her lying on the bench with her eyes lowered.

His eyes held a hint of melancholy.

Except for Maxim, the rest of the Kunwu team slept in the car.

I've slept in all sorts of difficult places during missions before, so sleeping in the vehicle is nothing.

The next day, the convoy officially entered Zone 5.

The district chiefs of Districts 1 and 2 are locals, and they are at odds with the executive director.

The district chiefs of Districts 3 and 4 are from the Second Continent and are in cahoots with the CEO.

The district chief of District 5 was also from the Second Continent, but he didn't go anywhere because he was gone.

Not long after the monster arrived, he tried to leave District 5, but was stopped on the road and that was the end of him.

Before the apocalypse, the district chiefs of the five districts were sent here. One aspect was managing the five districts, but the main task was to keep an eye on the landfill and ensure its proper operation so that it could smoothly receive the garbage from the other two continents.

After the apocalypse, this place was even more neglected.

Before coming, Shan Ran conducted a detailed investigation into the current situation of District 5.

Unlike District 4, which has many bases of varying sizes and numerous gangs, where small-scale skirmishes are commonplace.

There are only three official bases in Zone 5, all of which are large. Apart from these three bases, the others are run by individuals or small teams consisting of family or friends.

One of the base leaders was Zach's old friend, named Douglas, who was also Zach's source of this information. Before the apocalypse, Douglas was one of the managers of the junkyard. After the apocalypse, he used the area around the junkyard as his base, gathered a group of companions, and established the base.

The other base was originally the largest underground gang in District 5, and it thrived even more after the apocalypse.

Another base was completely rebuilt after the apocalypse. The core members all had legitimate jobs before the apocalypse, so the overall quality of the base was relatively higher and the composition of the personnel was simpler.

Not long after entering Zone 5, Sophia contacted Douglas's host.

The meeting place was on the side of the road next to an old residential area.

The other party hadn't arrived yet, but a group of four cars were parked on the side of the road.

It's drizzling today, and the weather is gloomy. Since the sudden drop in temperature during the days of strong winds, the weather has gradually returned to normal.

Those with superpowers have enhanced physical abilities, are better able to adapt to different weather conditions, and are more likely to survive in extreme weather.

The emergence of superpowers is more like a protective mechanism activated by the world in response to external invasion. The world needs to evolve, and humans, as the external manifestation of the world, will also evolve along with it.

It was late spring and early summer, and the group was dressed in thin, long-sleeved, fitted combat uniforms.

On a rainy day, the air smells thick and damp.

A gust of wind blew by, scattering the scraps of paper on the ground.

The old-style residential buildings along the road are mostly five or six stories high, without elevators. In the past, the security in the five districts was generally poor, so almost every household installed security grilles.

While waiting, some people from Sofia's group got out of the car to get some fresh air or walk around. The Kunwu team was strictly disciplined; they were only allowed to get out of the car and leave the team when they were in groups of three or more.

Shan Ran sat in the car, opened the window, and habitually looked around at her surroundings.

Suddenly, she felt a gaze upon her.

Following her senses, Shanran looked up and saw someone standing by the window on the third floor of a house along the road, watching her.

He was a boy who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old. His hair was a bit long and messy, covering half of his face. He was staring at Shan Ran with curiosity.

Kunwu Yecheng, who was sitting to the side, noticed Shanran's movements and looked in the direction she was looking up.

However, before Kunwu Yecheng could even see what the little boy looked like, the other party suddenly turned and ran away.

“Besides the three major bases here, there are quite a few people scattered around outside. Some of them do not meet the base’s recruitment rules, while others do not want to be bound by them.”

Compared to other areas, District 5 will exhibit a more ruthless survival-of-the-fittest mentality in the apocalypse.

Shan Ran looked away without saying anything.

Just then, the sounds of fierce fighting and cursing suddenly came from the distant residential area.

A member of Sofia's team just entered the residential area through a narrow passage on the side of the road; judging from the voice, it should be him.

Worried that something might happen, a few people stayed behind to watch the car while the others quickly got out and went over.

Kunwu Yecheng simply teleported away, disappearing from his spot in an instant. Before leaving, he told Shanran to be careful.

When Shan Ran arrived, he saw a member of Sofia's team named Zhan Hongbo pinning a little boy to the ground while cursing him.

"You want to die? You tried to steal my stuff, you're asking for it!"

The little boy below struggled violently, swearing even more vulgarly.

Soon, Kunwu Yecheng walked over, carrying a child in each hand. Compared to his tall and muscular physique, the two little boys looked like toys, and their struggles were negligible to the man.

The three little boys were thrown to the ground together.

Zhan Hongbo spat and said unwillingly, "There were still two or three left, and they got away."

He came over to smoke, but because there were girls like Tong Lu in the car, he was afraid the smell would bother them, so he squeezed into the residential area through a narrow passage.

None of the boys had any special abilities, but they were quick-witted. One of them used a feint, and the others managed to steal Zhan Hongbo's cigarettes.

The three children trembled, their expressions contorted with rage and resentment.

Shan Ran did not see the person who had been by the third-floor window.

One of them stood in front of the other two, shouting, "I didn't hurt you, so what's wrong with taking a pack of cigarettes? You bunch of adults are bullying us kids, have you no shame?"

Chu Liuxing chuckled softly from the side, "A child? You're an adult now, aren't you? What are you pretending to be a child for?"

The boy in front of him paused for a moment, a hint of fear in his eyes.

"And the one behind you is an adult woman, but she looks like a little boy because she is too thin due to long-term malnutrition."

The person behind them looked up, their eyes peeking out from their disheveled hair, filled with fear and helplessness.

Shan Ran frowned; she couldn't tell the ages of these people at all.

Chu Liuxing brushed his bangs aside and said smugly, "Our team has seen all sorts of people and has unique ways of judging people."

Upon hearing that the other person was an adult, Zhan Hongbo slapped the boy on the head without hesitation.

"You brat, you've actually come of age. Now I can beat you up without worry."

Still not satisfied, he slapped it a couple more times.

But since the other party was just an ordinary person, Zhan Hongbo didn't dare to use excessive force.

"Tell your companion to return the cigarettes, and I won't hold it against you."

Tong Lu, who had come over to watch the commotion, tilted her head and asked innocently, "Brother Hongbo, you've just come of age, why do you call yourself grandpa?"

Zhan Hongbo stopped what he was doing. He hadn't expected Tong Lu to come over. He couldn't believe that she had seen him being so rude and foul-mouthed. He was immediately flustered and his cheeks turned red.

"I...I..."

After a long silence, Kunwu Yecheng said, "These should be ordinary scavengers. We don't know the current situation around us. Don't cause trouble, let them go."

Scavengers are people who live outside the base and the team. They usually don't have any special abilities, and no organization wants them, so they scavenge for a living.

Sofia stepped forward, gesturing for Jamesonbo to let go. "You went off to smoke so far without permission, and I haven't even settled the score with you yet! Don't forget why we came here, come back!"

In this day and age, cigarettes are more precious than ordinary food! He had a hard time getting this from someone else!

Although Zhan Hongbo was unwilling, he knew he couldn't get the pack of cigarettes back. He returned to the captain's side with a sullen face, and before leaving, he didn't forget to curse at the three people on the ground, "Get out of here, don't let me see you again."

The three were very pragmatic; without saying another word, they scrambled away.

After this incident, no one got off the bus, and soon the people sent by Douglas arrived.

The man who arrived was named Ford, a middle-aged, balding, overweight man, and one of Zach's old friends.

He was sitting in a jeep, with three armed men in the car.

After meeting Sofia, Ford made a video call with Zach on the spot.

After confirming that there were no problems, he explained, "Unfortunately, our boss is discussing matters with the leader of the Fire Cloud Base these past two days and is temporarily unavailable. He asked me to arrange accommodation for you all. Please follow our vehicle."

The leader of the Fire Cloud Base used to be the head of an underground gang, and most of the people inside now are former gang members.

Sophia nodded. She had worked under Zack for a long time and had heard of Ford and Douglas, knowing they were old friends of her boss.

The rain gradually intensified, and the five vehicles drove through the rain. They encountered several packs of monsters, but the other three people in the Ford acted swiftly and quickly cleared the road.

Sofia and the others did not need to get off the bus.

Shan Ran silently assessed the other party's level, and then thought even more highly of this base built against the garbage dump.

Those who can break through such a harsh environment are no ordinary people.

Kunwu Yecheng kept observing his surroundings and memorizing the route he was taking.

It was still quite far, and the route was a bit winding, but after winding around for a while, we arrived at the foot of a mountain.

The car went up the mountain, reached the top, and stopped in front of a manor.

The manor gates opened, and vehicles entered one by one, driving for a distance in the courtyard before arriving at the underground parking lot.

After getting off the car, a row of people dressed as servants were already waiting at the elevator entrance.

After the two teams got out of the car, they didn't rush inside, but instead looked at Ford, who had gotten out of the car before them.

Ford, patting his large belly, said with a smile, "Ladies and gentlemen, this place was specially prepared by Mr. Douglas to welcome you. Our boss and Mr. Zack have been friends for many years. Although he couldn't come in person, he will definitely treat you with the highest honors. Moreover, this operation is the first time our two sides have cooperated. There will be many more collaborations in the future. Please allow me to welcome you with the highest honors of a host."