The vast expanse of land was barren, riddled with potholes, and the "Old Task Force's" jeep bounced across it like a boat at sea.

"I don't want to die in failure and loneliness
"I don't want to live underground forever
"The material deception
"Hasty ants
"People without culture don't feel sad..." (Note 1)

In the song playing from the small speaker, Shang Jianyao, sitting in the center of the back row, had one arm around Genaeva's iron bicep and the other on Long Yuehong's shoulder, swaying his body from side to side to the rhythm.

Long Yuehong looked disgusted, trying to break free, but due to the limited space, he couldn't escape the clutches.

Jiang Baimian, who hadn't driven in a long time and was itching for it, glanced at the "navigator," confirmed that the current direction was correct, and then said "Heh" and said to Shang Jianyao:

"You've been really into this song lately, playing it all the time."

"Yeah." Shang Jianyao readily admitted, and then, while swaying his body, he exclaimed, "But its lyrics and title don't match. I think it's better to change it to 'People without ideals don't feel sad' to better suit our team's situation. Yes, that's it. I'll sing it myself later and record it!"

Jiang Baimian clicked her tongue and chuckled:

"Having a lot of fun, huh?"

"Of course. After one dangerous mission after another, I'm increasingly feeling like I need to seize the moment and be happy, and try to satisfy myself as much as possible." The words of who-knew-which Shang Jianyao even took on a philosophical meaning.

The "navigator," Bai Chen, nodded:

"Most wilderness wanderers have similar thoughts."

So, they either indulge their bodies or modify their vehicles, venting their emotions wantonly.

Long Yuehong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately didn't.

Shang Jianyao then withdrew his hand from Long Yuehong's shoulder and patted his own thigh, saying:

"I've discovered that after changing that song like that, it's very suitable for the Salvation Army's current situation!

"Don't they all say they've fallen and lost their original ideals?"

Jiang Baimian's expression froze, and she quickly reminded him:

"When passing through the Salvation Army's sphere of influence, don't provoke them.

"Our only goal is to quietly and smoothly reach Icefield City."

Perhaps fearing that Shang Jianyao didn't take it seriously enough, she added:

"That 'Assassin' from before hasn't died yet, and the 'Doctor' behind her probably won't let us off either. We have to keep a low profile and try not to expose our whereabouts."

Shang Jianyao revealed a thoughtful expression:

"If we eliminate the 'Doctor,' this 'darkness' lackey, the 'Nightmare's' claw, is there any hope of regaining Audick's lost sanity?"

Inside the jeep, no one spoke for a moment, only the rock music echoed.

They all knew that after so long, the possibility of Audick returning to normal was very slim.

And more importantly, the "Old Task Force" combined was no match for the "Doctor," even if he hadn't completely returned from the 'New World' and his body was still lying in the Eighth Research Institute.

This realization made Jiang Baimian, who was familiar with Audick, feel a pang of sadness, and Long Yuehong and Bai Chen also felt a little like rabbits mourning the death of a fox.

Audick had a perfectly good family, but overnight it was nearly shattered, and only thought implants could maintain it.

After a few seconds, the honest Genaeva answered Shang Jianyao's question:

"I don't think there's much hope."

Jiang Baimian, who was driving, wanted to raise her hand to cover her face.

Genaeva continued:

"To avoid similar tragedies from happening again and again, we must truly and thoroughly dispel the 'Nightmare' and drive away the 'Darkness'."

Shang Jianyao abruptly turned his body and looked at Genaeva:

"Old Ge, you can actually say something like that!

"You've grown."

*clap clap clap*, Shang Jianyao applauded with satisfaction.

His sadness from just now seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Long Yuehong didn't ask him why he could switch his emotions so quickly, knowing there was only one answer:

"Illusions everywhere, why take it seriously?"

"My level of humanization should have increased a bit," Genaeva readily accepted Shang Jianyao's praise.

At this time, Jiang Baimian remembered something:

"Hey, didn't you say before that you wanted to return to the first day and find the owner of room '522' on the cruise ship as soon as possible?

"It's been so many days, and there's still no progress?"

Shang Jianyao's expression suddenly became heavy, and he slowly said:

"Forgot."

"..." Jiang Baimian knew she shouldn't argue with a mental patient. "Then try it tonight."

After speaking, she glanced at the sunset burning a fiery red in the sky and asked:

"Bai, how much longer until the settlement you mentioned?"

After receiving a new batch of funds, collecting the corresponding items, and replenishing canned biscuits and other foods, the "Old Task Force" left First City and embarked on a road to the northeast.

At this time, they had entered the Crimson Wilderness, which was the only way to reach the border of First City and enter the Salvation Army's territory.

The crimson color of the Crimson Wilderness does not refer to the color of the soil here. It comes from the many wars that broke out here during the Chaotic Era, causing a large number of casualties.

——This wilderness is rich in minerals and has little arable land, both of which are prone to conflict.

Before First City expanded its sphere of influence and became dominant, the large and small forces on the Crimson Wilderness really used blood to dye valuable pieces of land red.

Bai Chen distinguished the terrain ahead:

"We'll be there in another half hour."

This area can barely be considered the area surrounding First City and hasn't gone deep into the wilderness. Bai Chen had been here before and knew where a settlement belonging to First City was located.

It was relatively lively because there were many relic hunters coming and going.

When the sun descended to the horizon, that settlement appeared before Long Yuehong and the others.

In the Old World, this was a shopping plaza located in the distant suburbs. Nowadays, the items inside had long been moved away, but the spacious parking lot and the cluster of buildings forming several shorter streets had been preserved, becoming a settlement for wilderness wanderers.

The buildings were not high, only two or three stories. Those closer to the core area were all residences, and those on the outer side had been transformed into bunkers, forming a fairly solid defense line.

Because this place connected various ruins deep in the Crimson Wilderness, a large number of mines, and First City, and was an important commercial hub, the vast parking lot was filled with a large number of various modified vehicles.

And the blank areas without vehicles became places for relic hunters to communicate and even trade with each other.

The residents of the settlement would occasionally come out to peddle their collected valuable items, wanting to exchange them for light beer and food.

——This area is heavily polluted, and even the groundwater cannot be consumed for a long time. Compared to clean water, brewed light beer is more suitable for long-distance transportation.

With so many relic hunters here, the arrival of the "Old Task Force" was like a stone falling into the sea, not causing any waves.

Moreover, many hunter teams here had robot companions, so Genaeva was not conspicuous at all, only proving that Jiang Baimian and others were not to be trifled with.

"There's excitement over there!" As soon as Shang Jianyao got out of the car, he excitedly pointed into the distance.

It was a blank area with a bonfire in the middle, surrounded by many people. Some were flirting with members of the opposite sex, some were selling small items at stalls, some seemed to be merchants, shuttling between relic hunters, wanting to buy their risky gains at cheap prices, and some were gathered together, drinking light beer and laughing loudly.

Jiang Baimian didn't try to stop Shang Jianyao, but instead smiled:

"Let's go, let's go take a look and listen. Maybe we can gather useful information and trade for some unique food."

Shang Jianyao couldn't wait to take a step forward, taking the lead.

Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and the others followed closely behind.

They had just arrived at the bonfire area when the crowd there suddenly fell silent, as if someone had pressed the mute button.

Taking advantage of her height, Jiang Baimian discovered that several people had walked out of the settlement.

The leader was nearly 1.8 meters tall, wearing a black trench coat, his black hair all slicked back, his face relatively thin, with sharp features.

The beard on his chin extended to his ears, and his eyes were brown-gray.

After a brief silence, someone among the relic hunters by the bonfire laughed loudly:

"Davis, I heard you encountered some tough guys this time and almost didn't make it back?"

The middle-aged man with the black trench coat and goatee, who was called Davis, glanced at the relic hunter who spoke and laughed:

"They were indeed very tough, a full two Advanced Heartless.

"However, we still came back, unlike you, who don't even dare to go to Ruin No. 9!"

Ruin No. 9 is the most famous ruin in the Crimson Wilderness. To this day, there are still many places that have not been explored by relic hunters, and there are many hidden dangers. After the official organization of First City organized several expeditions and took some things away, it seemed to lose interest in that place and let it be.

Two Advanced Heartless? Hearing Davis's answer, the relic hunters gasped.

Two Advanced Heartless... Long Yuehong actually felt a sense of numbness.

In the past, no matter where he was, encountering two Advanced Heartless would have been a big deal for him, worthy of excitement and sweating.

But now, after experiencing the events of Ruin 13 in the Wastelands, Long Yuehong felt a bit disdainful when looking at others:

Is that it?

Moreover, Swamp Ruin No. 1, where they had once been, might be even more terrifying than Wastelands Ruin No. 13 when you think about it, after all, Wu Meng was sealed, but Xiao Chong had freedom of movement.

If Shang Jianyao hadn't successfully made friends at the time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

While Long Yuehong's thoughts were fluctuating, Shang Jianyao stared fixedly at Davis, seemingly thinking about why so many people liked to wear trench coats and whether he should get one too.

Note 1: Quote from "People without Ideals Don't Feel Sad" by New Pants.