4. Blackstone Base
The inner trading area of Blackstone Base was like a compressed microcosm of the apocalypse, filled with suffocating noise and chaos. The air was filled with a pungent smell - the sweet and greasy smell of sweat, cheap tobacco, rotting food, and untreated wounds mixed together to form a unique and nauseating odor.
The layout of the trading area revealed a stark class divide. The central area was occupied by those with special abilities, their stalls neatly arranged and displaying a coveted array of goods: gleaming weapons, golden bullets, vacuum-packed food, and even a few bottles of liquor with intact labels, gleaming alluringly in the dim light. Most of the stall owners were well-dressed and carried an air of haughtiness, the weapons strapped to their waists a testament to their status and strength.
On the edge of the trading area, a different scene unfolded. Ordinary people huddled in a cramped space, rags spread before them, upon which lay a few insignificant belongings: a few rusted cans, half-worn clothing, small handmade tools. Their eyes were dull, their voices faint, as if they could be swallowed up by the clamor of the center at any moment. When a patrolling guard passed by, they unconsciously hunched over, as if afraid to draw attention.
The four members of Lei Qing's team moved cautiously through the crowded crowd. Lei Qing walked in front, his steps steady and alert, his tall frame carving a path through the crowd. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle, constantly scanning the surroundings, his right hand always pressed on the holster at his waist.
"The fuel is at the stall in front." Lei Qing whispered, pointing to a simple stall made of several oil drums.
Mu Lin followed closely beside him, his light blue hair gleaming in the dim light of the trading area. His posture appeared relaxed, but in reality, every muscle in his body was on alert. His eyes narrowed slightly, keenly capturing every subtle movement around him—a sudden halt in footsteps, a malicious glance, or someone's unnatural finger movements.
Ah Yan stood guard over Su Lin, like a cheetah ready to pounce. His short, fiery red hair stood on end, and his golden eyes gleamed with danger. Whenever someone approached or gave him a too-direct look, he would bar his teeth in a menacing expression, his fingertips flickering with faint sparks.
Su Lin kept his head down, ensconced within the protective circle formed by his teammates. Dressed in a simple white shirt and dark trousers, he stood out in this filthy environment. Even so, his delicate features and unique demeanor still attracted numerous glances. Those glances, like clinging tentacles, made him feel uneasy. He involuntarily scooted closer to A Yan, practically pressing against his back.
"Don't be afraid." A Yan noticed his uneasiness and whispered with a rare gentleness in his voice, "We are here."
Lei Qing stopped in front of a stall. The owner was a bald, fleshy man with hideous tattoos covering his arms. On the stall were several oil drums and a pile of auto parts.
"How do I change the fuel?" Lei Qing asked straight to the point.
The large man looked them over, his gaze sweeping across the four of them before finally settling on Su Lin. A flicker of surprise flashed in his eyes. "It depends on what you offer in exchange," he said slowly, a meaningful smile on his face.
Lei Qing took out several carefully maintained rare parts from his backpack and placed them on the stall. "These."
The big man picked up the parts, examined them carefully, and nodded. "Good condition. A tank of fuel and two boxes of ammunition."
"It's too expensive." Lei Qing said calmly, "Half a tank of fuel and a box of ammunition."
As the two sides bargained, a sudden commotion erupted at the entrance to the trading area. As if parted by invisible hands, the crowd automatically moved to the sides, clearing a path. Whispers spread among the crowd, tinged with unmistakable fear and awe.
"It's Xiao... Why is he here..."
"Get out of the way..."
"What day is it today? I can actually meet him in person..."
A tall man, flanked by a group of his men, slowly walked into the trading area. He wore a well-tailored black leather jacket, the collar slightly open, revealing his muscular chest. His face was handsome yet dangerously fierce, and a small scar above his left eyebrow added a touch of ferocity. Most striking were his eyes—their deep brown pupils gleamed with a cynical glint, as if everything in the world were his plaything.
Xiao's pace was unhurried, and wherever he passed, people lowered their heads, not daring to look him in the eye. Even the usually arrogant and arrogant vendors with special abilities subsided and greeted him respectfully.
His eyes casually scanned the trading area, as if he were inspecting his own territory. As his gaze passed over Lei Qing's team, it suddenly stopped on Su Lin, who was trying to hide behind A Yan, but still showing a hint of his silhouette.
At that moment, an undisguised predatory glint shone in Owl's eyes. It was the excitement of a hunter discovering a rare prey, the enthusiasm of a collector beholding a peerless treasure. His smile deepened, becoming more meaningful, and he turned, heading straight towards the team.
A heavy feeling of oppression instantly enveloped the surroundings, and even the air seemed to freeze.
Lei Qing immediately noticed something was wrong and stopped the transaction. He turned around and completely blocked Su Lin behind him. His muscles tensed instantly, and he was like a fully drawn bow.
Mu Lin and A Yan also immediately moved closer, forming a tight defensive formation with Su Lin in the center. A Yan's fingertips were already blazing with flames, and Mu Lin's body temperature began to drop noticeably.
Xiao stopped a few steps away from them, completely ignoring their defensive posture. His eyes swept with interest over Lei Qing's cold face, A Yan's ferocious expression, and Mu Lin's seemingly gentle but actually icy eyes. Finally, he tried to penetrate the crowd again and landed on the figure that amazed him.
"A new face." Xiao spoke, his voice slow and hoarse, yet filled with unquestionable strength. "You're quite capable." His gaze roamed over the four people, finally stopping at Lei Qing. "Well, are you interested in working for me? It's much better than living out in the open."
Although he was speaking to the whole team, his eyes were always clearly focused on the protected Su Lin.
"Thank you for your kindness." Lei Qing's voice was as cold as ice. "We'll leave after we've replenished our supplies."
Xiao raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsurprised. He chuckled softly, his gaze once again trying to avoid Lei Qing. "Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" His tone was frivolous. "The Blackrock Base may not be large, but it has everything you need..." He paused deliberately, his gaze blazing in Su Lin's direction. "Especially, talents like you, and..." He deliberately dragged out his words, "beauties."
He pronounced the last two words particularly clearly, with a sickening familiarity.
At this moment, a thin man with a fawning face behind Xiao, probably wanting to show off, actually took two steps forward with a playful smile, and stretched out his hand to try to go around A Yan and pull Su Lin's arm: "That's right, little beauty, our boss invites you..."
Before he could finish his words, they turned into a shrill scream.
A Yan moved with lightning speed, not waiting for anyone to react. He grabbed the outstretched hand and twisted it back against the wall! The crisp crack of bone was particularly piercing in the suddenly quiet trading area. At the same time, A Yan's fingertips on his other hand suddenly ignited a cluster of blazing flames, the orange-red flames almost singeing the man's face.
"Where the hell are you putting your hands?" Ah Yan's voice was low and dangerous, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. "Do you want to be turned into a roasted pig?!"
"Yan." Lei Qing growled, stopping A Yan from potentially taking another drastic action. But he also took a half step forward, standing side by side with A Yan. His icy gaze, like a literal blade, pierced Xiao: "Keep your dog under control."
Mu Lin didn't say anything, but the aura around him suddenly turned icy cold, and tiny ice crystals condensed in the air, silently expressing his position. The temperature in the trading area dropped noticeably, and several nearby onlookers shuddered unconsciously.
Xiao looked at his subordinates who were howling in pain while holding their severed hands, and then looked at the three men in front of him who had instantly entered combat mode with astonishing momentum. Instead of anger, there was a glint of stronger interest and amusement in his eyes.
He ignored his screaming men and instead clapped his hands, as if enjoying a good show. "Interesting." His eyes moved between the three of them. "Really... they're protecting them well."
His gaze once again tried to penetrate the wall of people, and he took a deep look at Su Lin, who was firmly protected at the end. His eyes were like the tongue of a venomous snake, full of greed that was determined to win.
"I hope you guys have fun at Blackrock Base..." Xiao smiled meaningfully. "I hope you guys have fun at Blackrock Base."
He didn't bother to argue any further, and turned away with a group of unfriendly-looking men. The man with the severed hand was also dragged away by his companions, leaving a glaring trail of blood on the ground.
The trading area fell into an eerie silence. Everyone subconsciously moved away from Lei Qing's team, as if they were carrying some kind of plague. The vendors who had previously been bargaining with Lei Qing had already hidden behind their stalls, not daring to even glance at them.
The expressions of the four team members were extremely ugly.
"Damn it!" Ah Yan cursed, his fists clenched so hard that they made a crackling sound, the flames at his fingertips still dancing restlessly, "I really should just burn that bastard to ashes!"
Mu Lin gently pressed his shoulder, urging him to calm down. "We're being targeted." His voice lost its usual gentleness, leaving only a solemn tone. "That Xiao...he's no ordinary man."
Lei Qing's eyes were so dark they could drip water. "Transaction canceled," he said decisively. "Go back immediately and prepare to leave."
He knew trouble was brewing. The Owl's ambitions were more dangerous than any horde of zombies. This danger came not from a mindless, bloodthirsty beast, but from a powerful, unpredictable hunter.
Su Lin stood behind the solid backs of his teammates, his heart pounding violently because of the scene just now. He could clearly feel the undisguised desire and threat in Xiao's eyes. That gaze was like a physical touch, giving him a chill.
But at the same time, he could also feel the protective wall built by the three men before him. Lei Qing's broad back, A Yan's flaming hands, the ice crystals condensing around Mu Lin's body—all of this silently declared one fact: they would never let anyone hurt him.
"I'm sorry..." Su Lin said softly, "It's all because of me..."
"What nonsense!" A Yan interrupted him immediately, turning around, the anger in his eyes still not completely subsided, "It's that bastard's problem! What does it have to do with you!"
Mu Lin also looked at him gently: "This is not your fault, Su Lin. In this world, beauty itself is not a sin."
Lei Qing didn't look back, but his voice was firm and steady: "We are a team."
These five simple words carried a tremendous weight. Su Lin felt a pang in his nose and quickly lowered his head to hide his emotions.
The four of them quickly packed up their belongings and left the trading area amidst the crowd's fearful and sympathetic gazes. Wherever they passed, people automatically made way for them, as if they were some dangerous source of infection.
As I left the trading area, the sky outside had darkened without me noticing. Thick, dark clouds hung low, as if ready to crush this steel fortress at any moment. The wind picked up, picking up dust from the ground and hitting my face painfully.
The sky over the Black Stone Base seemed to become even darker.
On the way back to their temporary residence, everyone was silent. A Yan remained tense, glancing back from time to time to make sure no one was following him. Mu Lin's brow remained furrowed, clearly lost in thought. Lei Qing's pace was even more hurried than usual, his knuckles white from the strain of gripping his weapon.
Su Lin followed the three of them, feeling the heavy silence. He knew that their originally planned short stay might be over sooner rather than later. Blackstone Base was no longer a safe resupply point, but a potential prison.
Just as they were about to reach their residence, Lei Qing suddenly stopped and signaled for everyone to take cover. The four of them quickly hid in the shadows of a building.
Not far away, several men in base uniforms were wandering around their temporary residence, glancing at the door from time to time.
"Sure enough..." Mu Lin said softly, "They are already monitoring us."
Anger flared up in A Yan's eyes again: "Do you want me to go..."
"No," Lei Qing decisively rejected. "Starting a conflict now will only make the situation worse."
He observed the watchers carefully, his mind racing. Breaking in was clearly unwise, but staying here was even more dangerous. They needed a new plan, one that would allow them to safely leave Blackrock Base.
Su Lin looked at his teammates' solemn faces, his heart filled with guilt and unease. He knew that this crisis was entirely his fault. If only he hadn't been so conspicuous, if only he could have hidden himself better...
"Don't think too much." As if seeing through his thoughts, Mu Lin said softly, "We will definitely leave here safely."
Lei Qing took one last look at the watchers and made a decision: "Let's find somewhere else to stay. We'll talk after dark."
The four of them quietly evacuated their location and merged into the intricate alleyways of the base.
In the tallest building at the center of the base, Xiao stood before a floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the entire base. He toyed with an exquisite lighter in his hand, the metal casing gleaming coldly under the light.
"Have you found out their background?" he asked without turning his head.
Behind him, a man in black replied respectfully, "Not yet, Boss. They seem to have appeared suddenly, and there's no record of them before."
A playful smile played on Xiao's lips. "Interesting...especially that beauty." A glint of determination flashed in his eyes. "Send someone to keep a close eye on them. I want to know their every move."
"Yes, Boss."
After the man in black left, Xiao continued to stand by the window, his gaze fixed on a certain direction of the base. Raindrops began to hit the glass, streaking water streaks on the window.
"Soon..." he whispered to himself, "we'll meet again."
Outside the window, the rain finally poured down, as if to thoroughly wash away the entire Black Stone Base. But everyone knew that some dirt could not be washed away even by the heaviest rain.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
