The gatekeeper glanced at Ye Nianzhen again, but he couldn't discern any ruthless and decisive aura from her delicate and fair face.
The middle-aged soldier coughed lightly and waved for someone to open the side door: "Drive the car in, then get out and check it one by one."
Ye Nianzhen nodded and gestured to Mingyuan in the car.
The RV, equipped with high-tech weaponry and intelligent control systems, smoothly and automatically drove into the door.
The soldiers, armed and on high alert, frowned in disapproval upon seeing this display of force.
This type of vehicle is multifunctional and expensive, making it unsuitable for everyday exploration.
Their base did have the technology to build it, but not the time.
Or rather, room for maneuver?
In the apocalypse, survival is the biggest challenge. Any enjoyment or entertainment beyond that is disrespectful to every life that is being lost every second.
Now, in their minds, Ye Nianzhen and the others, although they had shed their country bumpkin image, were now labeled as pleasure-seeking.
Ye Nianzhen didn't care about any of that.
She told the team members to get out of the car. After Lei Lang carried A Ji down, Ming Yuan was the last to carry the scout's body down.
He nodded politely to the gatekeeper, indicating, "This must be someone from your base. Please contact his family for him."
A soldier stepped forward and lifted the sheet to confirm that this was a member of the patrol team.
At their base, ordinary people can also join the defense or exploration through their efforts.
The soldier looked up and asked Mingyuan, "Where are the others in his team?"
Mingyuan: "Unfortunately, we did not see any survivors other than him."
The soldier was somewhat suspicious: "How can you prove that you didn't kill him?"
Ye Nianzhen was speechless: "Then what was the purpose of our unnecessary actions?"
The soldier, perhaps having read too many detective novels, said, "To gain our trust!"
The atmosphere was already somewhat unstable, and to make matters worse, there were troublemakers and psychologically twisted individuals in the team.
Lei Lang: "I always said that people get boring when they get together."
Yeh Nien-jen: Isn't a half-human, half-wolf human?
Mu Guang: "Is your trust... worth that much?"
Yeh Nien-jen: Shut up, you guys.
*
Unexpectedly, the first crisis I encountered upon arriving at the northern base was failing to manage my problematic teammates.
Seeing that the two sides were on the verge of conflict, the middle-aged man guarding the gate tried to smooth things over.
"Alright, let's proceed with the routine checks."
Ye Nianzhen also shot them two sharp glances, signaling them to behave themselves.
Thunder Wolf shrugged and stepped back.
Mu Guang made a face and revealed a triumphant smile.
Ignoring him, Ye Nianzhen was the first to step forward for the examination.
After confirming that there are no wounds on the body and no dangerous items being carried, you are allowed to proceed.
Mingyuan, Mingyuan, and Qin Qiu also passed in turn.
When it was Thunder Wolf's turn, the inspectors expressed curiosity about his wolf ears and tail.
"I've heard that in the far north, beneath the snow-capped mountains, there are tribes of beastmen."
"But this is the first time I've ever seen it."
Too lazy to explain further, Lei Lang tacitly accepted the other party's misunderstanding.
His tail twitched slightly in annoyance at the intense gaze he was being stared at, but thankfully the other party immediately nodded and said, "That's fine."
When it was Mu Guang's turn last, he gave the troublemaking soldier a provocative smile.
After he was allowed to pass, the soldier suddenly felt a chill on his ear.
A clump of hair was neatly cut off and fell to the ground, causing a slight stinging sensation on the skin of my neck.
He subconsciously reached out and touched it, bringing out a hand full of warm blood.
The soldier was startled and quickly covered his wound with his clothes. When he looked up, he could only see Mu Guangzhui's back at the back of the column.
The man, with his kind face and slender build, had his hands behind his back, his fingertips moving slowly.
It seemed like he was humming a song.
*
After entering the base, Ye Nianzhen put away the RV.
Ignoring the surprised looks of those around them, the group headed to the management office under the escort of soldiers.
While it was called an escort, it carried a stronger connotation of surveillance.
This is understandable; Ye Nianzhen and the others suddenly appeared and immediately started talking about forming an alliance.
There were also a few people in the team who were clearly not easy to deal with. They had trekked all the way here unscathed and looked no disheveled at all.
They have no firearms, but they own a luxurious, high-tech RV.
To outsiders, it was truly eerie in every way.
They bypassed a defensive fortification and gained complete access to the northern base.
Built along the river and backed by a dam, this location ensures a supply of clean water.
The surrounding land is divided into six functional zones, with the central zone as the center.
The management office we are heading to is located on the edge of Zone 1, and requires passing through the residential area and the canteen of Zone 6.
Some enticing aromas wafted into the air, drawing the attention of several foodies in the group.
In the distance, I could see warm smoke rising from the buildings that exuded a sense of everyday life.
The roadside stalls, though not many in variety, were quite creative.
Mingyuan slurped his saliva without any attempt to hide it, casting a longing look at Ye Nianzhen.
Ye Nianzhen was also a little hungry. When she turned around to ask her teammates for their opinions, she saw that Lei Lang's eyes were also shining.
Noticing Ye Nianzhen's gaze, he turned his eyes away from the food.
He twitched his furry ears as if to cover up his actions.
Ye Nianzhen saw through it but didn't say anything. She turned to the young soldier beside her and asked, "How do you earn contribution points here?"
The young soldier gestured forward with his chin: "Look, we're almost at the management office."
"If you register as a resident of the base, you will be automatically provided with the minimum housing configuration and one hundred contribution points."
"Enough to ensure a comfortable life for a period of time."
Ye Nianzhen shook his head: "We won't join, we'll only form an alliance."
If they join the Northern Base now, and later want to break away and establish "Sprout," it would be like using the Northern Base as a springboard.
She doesn't really approve of this behavior.
The young soldier was also at the city gate at the time and overheard Ye Nianzhen's conversation with the gatekeeper.
Seeing that she still insisted on her own explanation, he couldn't help but smile helplessly.
"If you don't join, you'll have to earn it from scratch yourself. You can do it by taking on tasks or doing odd jobs."
Ye Nianzhen has a delicate and refined appearance, with a subtle and almost imperceptible air of heroism between her brows.
Due to long-term malnutrition, he was thin and looked frail in the tight-fitting combat suit.
She looked like a young girl who was inexperienced in the ways of the world and had just left the base to gain experience.
The young soldiers acknowledged her ambition, but didn't think she could succeed.
Upon reaching the management office gate, he patted Ye Nianzhen on the shoulder, offering words of encouragement as if she were a girl next door.
"May all your wishes come true."
Ye Nianzhen turned around and gave a genuine smile: "Thank you!"
The young soldier was stunned for a moment, and only came to his senses when he was the only one left at the door.
Inside the gate, Mu Guang, at the very end of the line, let out a soft sneer.
I don't know what emotion they're expressing.
*
Upon entering the management office, there is a receptionist at the front desk.
The appearance of Ye Nianzhen and his group caught the attention of this mature woman.
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