Chapter 1252: with translation of chapter title

Nobody! The guards are lax!!

Pretending to be trading supplies, Zhao Mei gazed greedily at the distant huge metal warehouse.

Even from half a kilometer away, she could feel the abundant spiritual energy inside.

"Blue gear! It must be blue‑rank equipment!!"

Looking like a man on the outside, she couldn't stop trembling with excitement, wishing she could rush over and loot everything.

Watching batch after batch of first‑level Awakened Ones changing gear in front of the warehouse, her envy was so intense she wished she could tear those soldiers apart.

It's hard to imagine just how wealthy Long An has become.

To outsiders this place might seem like a paradise of prosperity, but to her it's nothing but extreme luxury and waste!

All supplies should be prioritized for someone as strong as her!

These low‑level trash—how can their gear be better than hers!

Look at every blade of grass and tree here—this place rivals the prosperity before the apocalypse! Those beautiful residential areas and parks—how can they enjoy safety and a good life here while I'm stuck out in the wild like a rat!?

I'm a second‑level peak!

Noticing Zhao Mei's manic madness, the young man in a suit beside her frowned, hesitated a moment, but said nothing.

Zhao Mei's current mindset is exactly the same as when he first entered Long An.

He has joined a safe zone before, but compared to Long An, the outside safe zones are nothing more than slums versus paradise.

Everyone who enters here goes crazy and can't help comparing it to the outside world.

And the most mysterious inner city, it's said, is even better than life before the apocalypse.

The entire interior consists solely of Awakened Ones and researchers, each enjoying treatment comparable to that of a leader in the outside world. Aside from being unable to enslave others, the benefits are extravagantly good.

Twenty‑four‑hour hot water, electricity, fresh fruits and vegetables, and regulations covering the whole area.

Each is a pleasure that outsiders can only dream of.

That's precisely why he is so eager to join the inner city.

If Zhao Mei hadn't persuaded him, and considering the freedom issue, he really wouldn't intend to offend Long An.

And...

Old Duck's eyes flashed with a strange hue as he gazed vaguely at Zhao Mei's thick fingertip, where a silver ring sat.

Space equipment!

"Alright, let's move on the granary first."

"I've talked with their supply team before; supposedly Long An somehow cultivated a huge amount of spirit‑energy grain."

"Those things are stored there; are you sure you can carry them away?"

"With this batch of food, we could field an army without a problem!"

Noticing the youth glance at the ring on his own hand, Zhao Mei snorted coldly, a flicker of pride flashing in her eyes:

"Don't worry, this thing can hold far more than you imagine!"

"Otherwise, how could I dare to rob another convoy?"

"After we succeed, we'll sign an agreement—what's yours, I won't shortchange!"

Hearing Zhao Mei's boastful tone, Old Duck felt a pang of envy and didn't say anything more.

He knew how Zhao Mei came by the ring on her hand.

That ring was snatched by Zhao Mei from a petty thug! That hooligan was arrogant to death, and after getting the ring he always loved to show off his space ring to others.

After being tricked by Zhao Mei into joining forces, this ring became her trophy!

Just thinking about it fills him with regret.

That hooligan he also knows! In fact, both he and Zhao Mei know that hooligan! Before the apocalypse, the three of them hung out on Fengming Road—he was Duck Head, Zhao Mei was Chicken Head, and that hooligan was the venue's enforcer.

After the apocalypse broke out, he led a group of young women to escape to Liaowang Jiang, Zhao Mei fled to Huanjiang, and that hooligan got lucky—supposedly he obtained a space ring from the bar at 91 Fengming Road, and from then on he brought his recruited lackeys, was tricked by Zhao Mei into coming to Huanjiang.

That ring rightfully belonged to him!

Such a heaven‑defying divine artifact, placed in the hands of that stupid woman, is nothing but waste!

Afterward he didn't avoid going to Fengming Road to see if there were still any good things there, but for some reason, whenever he got close, he felt an intense unease.

As an Awakened One, trusting his sixth sense, he didn't dare get any closer...

"Stand still!"

"Put down your supplies; later the credit points will be deposited directly into your cards!"

In front of the granary, forty fully armed soldiers warily watched the approaching Zhao Mei and her companion, instinctively raising their hands to intercept.

Only at the second‑level initial stage could he faintly sense the suppressed power within their bodies.

Although no accident had ever occurred, according to regulation he still instinctively blocked them.

"Come on, Major Ge, have a smoke."

"This time we're delivering spirit‑energy fruit."

"You know, this stuff is getting harder to find, and its spirit‑energy fades over time."

"We mean nothing else; we just want to see the settlement and feel at ease."

Somewhat simple‑minded, he smiled; Zhao Mei dropped her earlier arrogance, respectfully took out a cigarette and slipped it into the soldier's hand without a word.

In the apocalypse, cigarettes are hard currency.

As Chicken Head, she knows all too well the ways of these people.

He furrowed his brows.

The guard glanced instinctively at the metal box behind the few people, not knowing which piece it had been torn from, a small cooler.

Regarding these Awakened Ones who come to trade, he can also understand their fear that Long An might short‑change them.

Do not cross the red line, otherwise you will be killed without question!

Don't worry, we Long An would never take such a small advantage when doing things! If you discover anything wrong, you can directly report it to the Supervisory Bureau.

His expression eased slightly; the squad leader in charge of guarding waved his hand and had no intention of making things difficult for them.

As long as you don't approach the warning line, it complies with the regulations.

However, just as he lowered his head to look at the cigarette in his hand, hesitating whether to return it, a sudden violence struck from behind.

Just as he reached the edge of the red line, Zhao Mei, who had been wearing a simple smile, suddenly changed expression, actually pulling a huge axe out of thin air and sweeping it sideways at the nearby soldiers.

Attack!!

In an instant, a bone‑crunching sound that made one's teeth ache rang out suddenly.