Chapter 869: Ramshackle

The city wall, over seven meters high, had its joints filled with cement.

At a glance, it looked like a fence gnawed by dogs.

In the damaged crenellations, exposed rebar could barely be seen.

Uneven in height, it was less a defensive line and more like movable blocks made of a mix of steel plates and cement.

Many Awakened Ones could only stand on the scaffolding behind the wall, observing the surroundings through the firing ports.

Unlike Zhang Tie's surprise, Lin An was not surprised by the situation in Yingshan Safe Zone.

Not every safe zone is called Long An.

Nor do all safe zones have the construction capability of Long'an Base.

For most safe zones, there are only a few types of psionic buildings, and their enhancement of Awakened Ones within the area is extremely limited.

To imagine building a massive wall like Long An's without the help of a base vehicle is nothing short of daydreaming.

As for the most important rule lands and the core nodes,

All the rule lands in Yingshan Safe Zone combined are only the size of a single room, and they have been completely divided among a few high-level officials.

At a glance, the entire safe zone looks like a puddle of white mud casually piled up in a mountain hollow.

As for the core node, it is simply placed inside the safe zone's sole building.

"What can this godforsaken place possibly keep out against zombies?"

"When the corpse tide comes, not everyone outside is cannon fodder, and they can't even run away?"

Xiong Hanzi looked disdainfully at the scrap copper and iron littering the city, feeling that this place was less a safe zone and more just a gathering of people living together.

Sewage overflowed, feces and garbage covered the ground, and a stench that reached the heavens drifted throughout the valley.

The outer city was a slum built from various cars, tents, and metal boxes.

Without planning or any so-called zoning, people lived together in chaos like livestock in a pigpen.

Within the outer city area, a few recreational vehicles occasionally counted as "luxury housing."

The safe zone's defensive facilities probably consisted only of Awakened Ones and a handful of homemade cannons.

Even the Wangjiang Military Region, which Zhang Tie once considered poorly built, now looks quite pleasing in retrospect.

Listening to Zhang Tie's complaints, many convoy survivors looked utterly bewildered.

"What's the problem? Aren't all safe zones like this?"

"Isn't Yingshan Safe Zone good enough?"

In the wilderness, one might at any time encounter mutant beasts or wandering corpse hordes.

In the cities, survival is even more difficult.

For them, having a garrison to defend the city and a place surrounded by walls is the safest spot in this apocalypse.

Being able to join Yingshan Safe Zone would be a great luxury for them.

Seeing the people behind him not quite agreeing with him, Zhang Tie's expression turned somewhat strange.

I really don't know what these guys would feel like if they were to go to Long An.

Even if not, their eyes could practically pop out.

If Long An's outer city dared to become this chaotic, letting survivors build arbitrarily without even laying out basic defenses,

the Awakened One in charge of the outer city could probably squeeze out feces.

This rundown place even made Mo Ling wrinkle her nose in disgust at the stench.

"Captain Chu, you need to be careful.."

"I feel something's off about the city entrance; the other side might have an ambush.."

His face showed worry, his heart pounding with fear.

The middle-aged captain of the convoy gripped his equipment tightly, feeling his calves tremble.

In his peripheral vision, he kept glancing sideways at the calm Lin An, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

The courage of this mysterious group is truly immense..

The convoy slowed gradually, but its direction remained unchanged; Lin An even had no intention of hiding the captured Corpse Hunting Team members in the rear.

As the distance drew nearer, the safe zone's convoy survivors noticed and curiously watched the convoy appearing in the night.

Some ordinary people unaware of what had happened eagerly held baskets or pushed handcarts, hoping to sell their homemade trinkets to the convoy.

These convoys that go out and return tend to be more generous with their spending upon coming back.

Some small trinkets dug out of the ruins might be exchanged for a bit of rations.

Meanwhile, girls with clean faces wearing sexy short skirts would dash to the roadside, ready to promote themselves at any moment.

Watching the scene before him,

amid the noisy chaos, Zhang Tie couldn't help but feel a bit dazed.

This scene truly resembled an amoeba world.

Aside from lacking psionic energy, the two human worlds were like copies from the same mold, as if humanity's fate would ultimately be this way.

Moments later.

The crowd suddenly stirred.

Many keen-eyed Awakened Ones were about to step forward to strike up a conversation, or perhaps trade with the convoy.

But upon seeing the black shadow bound into a bundle, their hearts jolted sharply.

Those few faces were all too familiar to them.

Weren't these the Awakened Ones from the Corpse Hunting Team!?

Looking closely, they even saw many dents on the armored vehicle following behind the convoy.

Obviously, they had encountered a major battle.

This isn't the usual convoy returning to the Safe Zone; these people... they've captured the Corpse Hunter Squad!?

Shocked, uneasy.

The Corpse Hunter Squad is an official organization that no one in the Yingshan Safe Zone dares to provoke; any of its members, placed among the Survivors, are high-and-mighty big shots.

But now, they're trussed up like dead dogs, many with their limbs broken and crushed.

This miserable sight truly left them speechless for a long while.

Someone attacked the Corpse Hunter Squad's people, then openly captured them and marched into the city!?

Realizing how crazy this convoy was, a large number of lone Awakened Ones scattered in a panic, looking at this ordinary convoy as if they'd seen a ghost.

And the beef jerky man who had previously analyzed things solemnly now suddenly realized something and took off running.

The Awakened Ones troop that the Safe Zone had just summoned wasn't here to welcome them at all.

They're here to kill!

Someone's come knocking on the door!

Both sides were stunned.

The Awakened Ones army lying in ambush behind the Safe Zone's Rear glanced awkwardly at the nearby outer city district gradually descending into chaos.

The crowd was noisy; a large number of at‑a‑loss Survivors, swept up by the crowd, also began to flee.

No way—after the Apocalypse, any stir can provoke people's panic.

At this moment, Xiao Tianming's face suddenly darkened.

Although I didn't think they'd really come right up to the city walls, at least we ought to let them get a bit closer.

Without effective control, the whole Yingshan Safe Zone acted like a rabble, all its moves laid bare to the Survivors outside,

Damn it, what's the point of hiding in ambush!?

"Deng-"

"Kaqa"

Weapons loaded, thousands of Awakened Ones appeared on the city walls, beams of handheld searchlights instantly locking onto the vehicle's front.

In the suddenly blazing searchlight, the burly man standing at the vehicle's front was illuminated.

"Stop right there! Hand over the Corpse Hunter Squad!"

"Resisters die!"

A fierce shout!

Unable to wait any longer, Xiao Tianming, leading a large force of Awakened Ones charging out from the city, looked ahead with killing intent.

He summoned four Second‑Level peak experts as aides, over 300 Second‑Level elite assault troops.

As long as the opponent isn't Third Level, he's confident he can kill them!

The distance closed rapidly; in Xiao Tianming's eyes, another figure suddenly appeared on the vehicle's front.

As if frozen in place, he hadn't expected so many people to surround them.