"Hyena" Lin Li's off-road vehicle didn't slow down until it turned back into the street where the "City Intelligence Network Control Center" was located, when the driver dared to steal a glance at his boss beside him.

That one look made his heart sink instantly, a chill running down his spine.

Lin Li had slumped in the passenger seat at some point, his gray-green beret stained red, a foul odor and the smell of blood spreading.

"Boss..." The driver subconsciously slowed down and called out.

Lin Li didn't respond at all.

It was only then that the driver finally confirmed something:

The previously high-spirited boss who had wiped out a subhuman settlement while chatting and laughing was really dead.

He had been sniped while dealing with a seemingly harmless four-person team.

Moreover, his own team had lost at least six people, with nearly half of the core members gone.

This made the driver very apprehensive. He gripped the steering wheel while swallowing a mouthful of saliva into his parched throat.

It wasn't until a sprinkler truck playing melodious music passed by that he shuddered and woke up:

"Anyway, the harvest this time is enough. As long as I can shake off the pursuit of that four-person team, I can leave this city ruin tomorrow morning.

"By then, although the boss, armored vehicle, heavy machine gun, and several members will be lost, there will still be at least three cars, six or seven people, a single-soldier rocket launcher, and enough guns with sufficient firepower.

"After selling the items harvested this time and adding five or six skilled wasteland wanderers, it will be a lean and mean team again.

"Although it certainly can't compare to before, it's still enough to bully the weak on the Ashlands."

Thinking of this, the driver's expression gradually softened, even with a hint of a smile.

As long as he could seize the opportunity later and establish his authority, he might even become the next boss!

If Lin Li could do it, why couldn't he?

The driver's heart, which had been frozen by the boss's death, began to burn rapidly.

He turned the steering wheel and drove towards where the other members were.

...

The military-green armored vehicle rumbled heavily through the streets, heading towards the intersection.

Long Yuehong used the heavy machine gun emplacement and the bulletproof window on the door to look at the buildings on the side, idly counting how many glass windows reflected the lights.

He didn't dare stick his head out, afraid of having his skull blown off by a sudden bullet, just like the previous bandit members.

"There, look there, there's a 'Heartless'..." Long Yuehong suddenly said, pointing to the air.

Jiang Baimian followed his gaze and saw a figure sitting on a cement pole supporting the power lines like an ape, holding tools and diligently repairing the equipment.

It was a male, wearing dark-colored clothes, with a black pistol he had picked up from somewhere tucked into his waist.

"Was he one of those who attacked us before?" Jiang Baimian withdrew her gaze and said casually.

She was referring to the attack they encountered on the way to the "City Intelligence Network Control Center" with Qiao Chu.

"Not sure." Bai Chen shook her head. "At that time, there were too many 'Heartless'."

"Yeah, how can you remember the features of so many 'Heartless' in such an emergency?" Long Yuehong echoed.

"Forget it, forget it." Jiang Baimian looked up at the air again. "He really looks like a skilled worker."

As soon as she finished speaking, a large vehicle drove from the intersection ahead.

The car was very large, painted a conspicuous red color, with a total of six tires, and looked very sturdy.

It drove along the road, which was mostly blocked by abandoned vehicles, towards the armored vehicle.

"What to do?" Long Yuehong looked a little nervous.

This was a scene he had never encountered before.

"What else can we do? You don't want to crash into it, do you?" Jiang Baimian glanced at him. "Although the armored vehicle isn't afraid of this kind of situation, if it breaks any parts and can't be driven, we'll have to walk again, which is too dangerous."

Before Jiang Baimian could give instructions, Shang Jianyao took the initiative to make a maneuver, turning the armored vehicle into an alley to the front and to the side, giving way.

"Oh, so sensible?" Jiang Baimian asked amusingly. "I thought you would take the initiative to meet it and compare who is tougher."

Shang Jianyao said without turning his head:

"It's not worthy."

"..." Jiang Baimian was speechless.

Just as she was about to find another topic, the red truck had already driven over and headed into the distance.

Inside the vehicle's driver's seat, a male "Heartless" wearing thick green clothes and a yellow helmet sat there, gripping the steering wheel with a dull but very focused expression.

Frankly speaking, if it weren't for preconceived notions, Jiang Baimian wouldn't even be sure that the other party was definitely a "Heartless."

Lights scattered from all directions, plunging the four members of the "Old Task Force" into silence.

The armored vehicle backed onto the previous road, and "people" came and went around it from time to time, making it seem very lively.

Jiang Baimian suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure.

It was a blonde, blue-eyed woman wearing a gray-blue robe.

Galuolan!

The Galuolan they had encountered in the wilderness!

"That Daoist..." Jiang Baimian whispered and signaled Shang Jianyao to stop the car.

She immediately opened the door and called out to Galuolan:

"Daoist!"

Galuolan, who was strolling along the road, turned her head, and when she saw it was them, she smiled:

"Fate has brought us together again."

"Have you discovered anything?" Jiang Baimian didn't waste time and went straight to the point.

Galuolan nodded:

"You should leave as soon as possible."

"Why?" Jiang Baimian pressed.

Galuolan looked up at the sky:

"There is an aura left behind by a Ruling Star here."

An aura left behind by a Ruling Star... Jiang Baimian and the others repeated this sentence in their hearts at the same time, and associated it with the various anomalies of this city ruin.

"Which Ruling Star?" After a few seconds, Shang Jianyao leaned to the side, blocking the doorway with his body.

Galuolan sighed:

"Zhuang Sheng."

She then began to chant in a low voice:

"Blessing of Infinite Celestial Worth."

"Why are you so sure?" Jiang Baimian quickly asked again.

The blonde, blue-eyed Galuolan shook her head:

"You should leave before dawn."

She didn't say anything more and walked forward.

Jiang Baimian watched the Daoist's back for a few seconds and pushed Shang Jianyao back into the driver's seat.

"Drive, back to the Jeep. Leave this city ruin before dawn," she said and closed the car door.

The armored vehicle continued to move forward in the world of light created by the street lights and building windows, returning towards the tunnel.

Along the way, they saw a man mechanically repairing a car, a woman constantly using a spatula on an empty pot, children walking back and forth on the road doing nothing, and "Heartless" doing all kinds of things.

There weren't too many of them, bathed in either yellowish or pale lights, like silhouettes from the past, from the old world.

When another large vehicle drove by, pushing many abandoned vehicles to the side of the road, Jiang Baimian sighed silently and said with a smile:

"I finally understand why the middle of the road is still relatively empty, allowing vehicles to pass."

"There might not be that many to begin with." Bai Chen gazed for a while and said, "If the earliest 'Heartless' could also be like this now, they would definitely drive their cars away and park them in a suitable place..."

As they spoke, the armored vehicle returned to the street where they had started.

Signs with the words "Foot Massage", "Supermarket", "Barbecue", "Hot Pot", and "Convenience" were clearly displayed under the light.

The brownish-yellow stone archway at the entrance of the residential area reflected golden light, adding a bit of dignity to the remaining characters "Yang" and "Yuan".

Inside the seven or eight buildings, multiple windows emitted different lights, dispelling some of the darkness.

Returning to this familiar place and seeing such a scene, Jiang Baimian and the others suddenly felt a little warmth and peace.

"Turn in," Jiang Baimian slowly withdrew her gaze and instructed.

Shang Jianyao followed suit, turning the armored vehicle through the gate and into the area.

Because many of the roads were narrow, he randomly found a place near the Jeep to park the armored vehicle.

"Are we guarding here tonight?" Long Yuehong felt that the armored vehicle gave him a great sense of security.

Jiang Baimian smiled and said:

"If it were somewhere else, this would definitely be the right choice.

"But in this city ruin, there are many 'Higher Heartless' and powerful mutated creatures. Their abilities are quite strange, and we can be affected if we're not careful. It's hard to defend against this by simply keeping watch at night.

"And such an armored vehicle is too conspicuous and can easily become the target of hunters.

"At that time, the armored vehicle will not only be unable to protect us, but will become a steel cage that restricts us."

Long Yuehong was startled and quickly asked:

"What should we do?"

Jiang Baimian pointed to the building they had climbed earlier:

"Go there and find a room without any 'Heartless' to hide in.

"When keeping watch at night, assign one person to monitor the Jeep and armored vehicle. If any creatures approach, shoot immediately.

"In short, use the Jeep and armored vehicle as bait."

Long Yuehong opened his mouth, wanting to praise the team leader, but realized it wasn't a good thing to say.

"Team Leader, he wants to say you're insidious." Shang Jianyao offered help.

"I, I didn't!" Long Yuehong vehemently denied.

Jiang Baimian chuckled and said:

"Insidious is better than stupid.

"Also, you should praise me for being clever and wise, understand?"

As they spoke, they got out of the armored vehicle and took out many cans, biscuits, and energy bars from the Jeep's trunk, packing them into their respective tactical backpacks.

This way, if they really encountered a powerful enemy, they wouldn't have to worry about grenades destroying their food.

After checking the surrounding situation, the group of four re-entered Unit 1 of the first building.

In the bright light, they immediately saw a "Heartless."

The "Heartless" was in his prime, wearing a mess of clothes.

His hair was messy and dirty, but not too long, not yet reaching his shoulders.

At this time, the "Heartless" had just opened the door of a silver-black elevator and was holding onto the safety rope with tools.

He raised his head, looked at Jiang Baimian and the others with cloudy eyes, and then quietly retracted his gaze, looking downwards.

"He's maintaining, repairing the elevator?" Long Yuehong blurted out after a few seconds of silence.

Jiang Baimian "Mm"ed:

"Should be."

At this moment, Shang Jianyao suddenly spoke:

"I've seen him.

"When I was on watch before, I watched him come over here..."

He paused and added:

"Like a beast."

ps: Asking for recommendations on Monday~ By the way, there will also be a micro-short story released in cooperation with Tencent In these two days, something like a few hundred words.