Chapter 861: Encountering the Convoy

The young man spoke, his expression somewhat agitated, as if he had locked horns with the middle-aged man.

"Don't talk about those little girls! Even if it's me, as soon as some big shot takes a liking to me, I, Wang Kun, won't waste words—I'll clean myself up and rush over right away!"

"This damn world! Outside is hell! We can't even get enough to eat!"

"Just yesterday! In our convoy, a mother and child were sliced in half by a mutant! That corpse was still warm, damn it!"

"Didn't any blood splash onto your face?!"

The middle-aged man heard that, froze for a moment, and fell into a brief silence.

What the ragged-clothed youth said was true; he couldn't refute it.

No one thought of avenging the mother and child who died horribly yesterday; people were just relieved it wasn't them.

A single first-level high-tier mutant is enough to make them lose courage at the mere news.

Therefore, the ragged youth's words truly came from the heart.

In the Safe Zone, safety is guaranteed, not to mention that one can passively strengthen one's abilities.

As long as one stays long enough, even ordinary people can be strengthened into Awakened Ones.

Moreover, in the top-tier, rare rule-governed places, powerful Awakened Ones occupy them, and it's said one can even gain a bit of psychic experience each day.

That is, how enviable and jealous it makes one feel..

Adequate food, safety, strengthened strength.

With those three combined, the Safe Zone is indeed the refuge every survivor longs for.

But what pains him is..

Hearing these factual words, he couldn't help but think of his own daughter.

He also has a daughter, about the same age as Huang Xia.

After the Apocalypse, in an extremely short time, people seemed to have already turned selling themselves into something utterly ordinary, even taking pride in it.

Speaking of it, it truly feels absurd and heartbreaking. He constantly fears facing this fact, fears that after his death his daughter will also have to face this cruel reality.

Living is really too hard.

"Enough."

As before, the long‑blade man stopped the argument.

He carefully sheathed his long blade and sighed:

"Our gathering place isn't very safe, and we don't get enough to eat."

"But saving one is still one."

"Wang Kun, you shouldn't keep saying those things."

"Yes, being noticed by a big shot can get you into the Safe Zone, but how many can actually make it out alive?"

He gave a cold chuckle.

The long‑blade man gave a meaningful look at the convoy behind him:

"Haven't you heard the saying? The stronger the Awakened One, the more perverse their play."

"How long do you think an ordinary person could last in their hands? I've seen it more than once—some poor souls get played to pieces and thrown out."

"We may not be great people, but at least we're not beasts!"

"If you run into a powerful Awakened One... you'd better not think you can hold out..."

The single‑blade man gave Wang Kun, whose face had turned ashen, a deep‑meaning glance, patted his shoulder, and said nothing more.

In this chaotic world, human life is worth the least.

Especially when you choose to become a toy.

His face twitched; after hearing the long‑blade man's words, Wang Kun's mind conjured an image of someone holding a winnowing basket, giving it a light shake, and shapeless lumps of meat spilling out.

After a long silence, he let out a deep sigh.

"If only I could be a bit stronger..."

He looked at the crowd, opened the chat channel, and envied the IDs that could exchange information within the channel:

"You say these people still have the energy to chat."

Half heartache, half envy.

Especially when he saw those two characters that constantly flashed in the channel, his eyes filled with longing.

"Some people live like legends, others like ants; they don't even have the qualification to join in and talk."

"Beep!! Beep!!"

Suddenly, a piercing horn blast startled him awake.

He saw that in the last vehicle of the convoy, a blue minivan urgently honked its horn, warning the Awakened Ones ahead.

Several people hurriedly stood up and strained to look backward.

At a glance, everyone's faces suddenly relaxed.

It wasn't a mutant.

It was a black off‑road vehicle speeding up from somewhere behind the convoy.

Other survivors? Seeing that the black off‑road vehicle wasn't following the convoy, they exchanged glances.

"A small team or just a lone person?"

Gripping his long blade with both hands, the long‑blade man in the squad stared fixedly at the accelerating off‑road vehicle, his expression cautious:

"Be careful—I sense the aura of an Awakened One."

"I don't know the rank, but it's definitely not much weaker than me."

Perception is blurry.

Under psychic shielding, he could only vaguely feel that whoever sat in the vehicle was certainly not an ordinary person.

As soon as the words fell, the accelerating off‑road vehicle rolled over the last loaf of bread.

The machine gun on the front of the vehicle instantly swiveled its barrel to aim, and the Awakened Ones in the convoy all poked their heads out, some nervously gripping their weapons.

A faint spiritual energy enveloped them, ready to strike at any moment.

In the wilderness, it's all too common for survivors to turn on each other and fight.

Not knowing the other party's intentions, they instinctively chose to be wary.

Whoosh—

Sheet after sheet of metal plating was pulled down from inside the vehicle windows; the ordinary people in the convoy carefully peered through the metal slats, observing the off‑road vehicle.

With children, or perhaps elders, inside, the vehicle instantly fell silent.

But as soon as they saw the off‑road vehicle clearly, the same thought flashed through everyone's mind.

This vehicle, it's so new…

On top of the truck, the single‑blade man's eyes flickered.

With an Awakened One's eyesight, he could already see the scene inside the off‑road vehicle.

Through the front windshield, inside sat three men and one woman, all relaxed and calm, completely unlike their tense demeanor.

They didn't look hostile, nor like a slave‑hunting gang or band of ruffians.

But the heavy machine gun cradled in Zhang Tie's arms still gave him a hint of unease.

For a weak Awakened One, a single machine gun often decides the outcome of a battle.

At least, he couldn't withstand a hail of bullets.

"Friends on the road!"

In doubtful unease, the middle‑aged man with the single blade took a deep breath and shouted loudly:

"Are you heading back to the Safe Zone?"

A cautious probe.

Judging by their direction, it's highly likely they, too, are preparing to return to the Safe Zone.

Of course, whether they're entering the Safe Zone or heading back to the gathering point is unknown.

Moreover, the middle‑aged man fixed his gaze on the most dangerous bald thug; as for the two in the back seat, he couldn't see them clearly.

Just as his words fell, the off‑road vehicle's window rolled down.

"Captain Lin, these people seem to be from the Yingshan Safe Zone?"

Ignoring the anxious middle‑aged man, Zhang Tie casually asked Lin An, gesturing whether they should stop the other party and ask a few questions.

But at the moment when all the windows were fully rolled down,

the people in the convoy, upon seeing the four inside the vehicle, suddenly flashed a look of surprise.

It wasn't that they recognized Lin An or any other team member.

but rather…

They were too clean!

"Holy shit!"

"Did you see the people inside the vehicle?!"

"How are they dressed so cleanly?!"

His pupils constricted; the convoy leader stared blankly at Lin An and the others, whose attire looked "spotless," as if witnessing something unbelievable.

After the apocalypse, water resources are precious.

They couldn't even think of bathing; being able to wipe their faces once a week was already a luxury.

But those inside the vehicle were spotless from head to toe, like humans before the apocalypse.

No, they were even cleaner than they had been before the apocalypse.

Several female survivors even stared blankly at Lin An and Mo Ling in his arms.

Their skin looks great… their clothes look brand new… as if they change them every day…

Full of vitality and energy, the two seated in the rear of the vehicle seemed, in their eyes, to be about to glow.

Instinctively, the whole convoy couldn't help but lower their heads to glance at their own beggar‑like attire; in that instant, they felt only bitterness in their hearts.