Chapter 120 - S City Secure Base
Edited by Ruru
S City secure base was constructed at the north of S City, located a certain distance away from it.
S City was a large city that didn’t lose to B City. Pre-apocalypse, it had a large population and had very expensive housing. From the start, the real estate company had constructed a lot of housing in the northern village, and the current S City secure base was located at such a place.
It was near a high speed railway station. Before the apocalypse, one could reach S City in about ten minutes by the railway train, and people began building several houses near the station. As a result, some neighbourhoods only had a few houses sold, while others even had the apartments sold out. No one had lived in these houses yet when the apocalypse arrived...
S City leaders finally did a careful sweep and ultimately determined the range of the secure base had to be somewhere that had many houses with few signs of habitation. From the beginning, they spent tremendous manpower to preserve the subway and high speed rail, and even transported a lot of supplies there.
Then, a large-scale secure base, whose population did not belong to that of B City secure base, was slowly established.
At the very start of the apocalypse, because the garrisons here were fewer in numbers, the country had transported many ammunition here from all around. S City secure base had supported themselves by relying on these ammunition, and had now declared independence.
Nie Yi looked at the distant, towering city walls from afar and felt very foreign.
He should be feeling unfamiliar with S City secure base. Despite having lived in S City in his last life, S City secure base hadn’t even been established yet when he had left. As for later...
In his last life, S City secure base couldn’t hold on any longer due to the large numbers of zombies surrounding them. It was also at this time that Yao Mengzi’s lover’s ability nucleus broke to save her, and Yao Mengzi’s temperament had greatly changed.
Later, S City secure base regrouped and Yao Mengzi became the leader. She began standing out conspicuously and also did many things in order to save her lover, such as engaging in business transactions with W County secure base. She treated her lover very well. At that time, many people were very envious of Yao Mengzi’s lover, and felt that they would wholeheartedly love such a woman if she was theirs.
It was unknown what happened to Yao Mengzi’s lover in this life... Nie Yi had no impression of that person at all. However, he once asked Yu Xuguang what he was called and what ability he had, but even Yu Xuguang did not know... It was said that after that person’s ability was destroyed, everyone was used to calling him ‘Yao Mengzi’s lover’ or ‘the one Yao Mengzi likes’.
The vicinity of S City secure base was like B City secure base. There was a very large area that had been completely cleared of zombies, and those who wanted to enter S City secure base also had to go through an inspection. However, the inspection here seemed a little different from B City.
Nie Yi and the rest followed behind Shi Kun, pretending to be members of his team. Yu Xuguang was even called by Shi Kun to his side.
Shi Kun was the son of a small-scale secure base’s leader near S City, and came to S City secure base to take a powerful oracle, as well as shadow guards. Of course, he also came to S City secure base to deliver many supplies.
And before that, they had to line up to register to enter S City secure base.
The supplies they had brought along had already been checked. At the same time, a man dressed in blue worker clothes and a black hat came to them. “Are you from Puzhen secure base?”
“Yes!” Shi Kun immediately said. Puzhen was an industrial centre and gathered many factories and workers from other parts of the country. Don’t judge its administrative level by the name ‘zhen’; its population was actually extremely large.
And this secure base relied on a patch of land within that had many factory buildings to establish a secure base.
Such small secure bases normally would have a hard time surviving in the apocalypse. However, these months, S City secure base had close connections with the various small secure bases around it, and even gave them a powder that would prevent zombies from sensing human scent and detour when scattered around the secure base. In the end, they unexpectedly managed to make these small secure bases survive.
It was also because of this that these small secure bases were extremely grateful towards S City secure base and Yao Mengzi.
At this moment, Shi Kun was very respectful to even the staff worker. “What do we have to do?”
“You should first line up for the inspection, then I’ll bring you to find a place to settle down. During the following period, I will be your team’s guide,” the staff member said.
Shi Kun lined up according to that person’s request and also brought back a few empty identity plates, asking the team members to write their name and age on it.
“When the oracle comes to our secure base, we’ll definitely be even safer! Xiao Jiu, do you want to settle down at our place?” After filling in his identity plates, Shi Kun spoke to Yu Xuguang.
Their secure base was relatively small, so they were only able to take an oracle now, but it would definitely get better from now on.
“We’ll see,” Yu Xuguang said, then glared at Shi Kun. “The queue has moved forward; hurry up and line up!”
Shi Kun felt happy all over from being glared at by the tall beauty he was fancying and soon began focusing on queueing up. Then, he wormed his way into being friends with the gatekeeper and even that guide.
They were queueing at a special entrance. Along with them were a few people from small secure bases that were similar to Puzhen secure base, as well as a few that were relatively further away. They had all come to take an oracle.
These people were extremely reverent towards S City secure base, but weren’t as fanatic as those few small secure bases near S City secure base, probably due to them not yet having their own oracle...
Qi Jingchen kept close to Nie Yi in a bashful manner, not even saying a word, but his spiritual strength always surveying his surroundings. As he expected, aside from having some skills, those oracles should be in charge of brainwashing the surrounding secure base’s people and spreading the religion.
They did not get much information from inquiries, but it wasn’t that unsubstantial either. Presently, Yao Mengzi formed a Dark God Cult, and she was the dark god’s emissary of the secular world, the saintess. Her subordinates were largely oracles, then were those shadow guards...
Dark God Cult’s creed was very comprehensive and extremely fitting for the apocalypse, so much that as early as a few months ago, there was already a Dark Bible being printed, then handed over to certain people to use for preaching. Looking at this, perhaps this Dark God Cult simply wasn’t Yao Mengzi’s idea from this life, but an idea she had already formed since her last life.
Thinking of this, Qi Jingchen glanced at Yu Xuguang. When Yu Xuguang first learnt this, his complexion was rather ugly... In their last life, Yao Mengzi instigated people to kill him, the dark lord, while also researching darkness energy. It was quite amazing.
Just as Qi Jingchen was thinking of this, it was his turn for an inspection.
In B City secure base, an inspection was for checking whether there were any zombies in the crowd. This place was different, however, as they were inspecting for abilities.
Not only that, Nie Yi, Qi Jingchen, and Yu Xuguang’s photos were unexpectedly plastered at the back... They were listed as wanted!
Of course, the wanted list didn’t just consist of them. There were also a few other people, such as a few major figures of B City secure base, and also Qi An, Xiaomao, and others.
They had disguised themselves and looked completely different from their appearances on the photos, so what they should worry the most right now wasn’t being arrested as a criminal, but their ability inspection.
Upon ascertaining that it was the ability that would be inspected, panic flickered in Yu Xuguang’s eyes. Fortunately, he concealed it quickly. The four people with him were also looking at Nie Yi and Qi Jingchen worriedly.
The four of them weren’t on the wanted list at all and their abilities were also normal, so they absolutely would be fine, but Nie Yi and Qi Jingchen... One was a dual ability user, and the other was a light ability user. What would they do if it was discovered?
These people did their best to keep up an expression like everyone around them, but Qi Jingchen’s spiritual strength could sense their heartbeat quickening and their muscles tightening.
Being used to examine the ability at S City secure base was something similar to a forehead temperature scanner during the pre-apocalypse. Upon aiming it at the person’s head, it would illustrate that person’s ability.
Shi Kun very quickly passed with his men. Yu Xuguang and the other four people from B City also did not attract those people’s attention. Then, it was Nie Yi’s turn.
Nie Yi was a dual ability user; if this was to be scanned... Yu Xuguang and his men’s heartbeats quickened another level.
Nie Yi originally was very tall and robust, but he stooped a little during the inspection and appeared unremarkable. He first handed the identity plates to the inspector, then that person used the forehead temperature scanner- no, ability detector on his forehead for a moment, then said, “Cheng Qinian, water ability user.”
Nie Yi took the stamped identity plate with ‘Cheng Qinian’ written on the name column and ‘water’ on the ability column, then it was Qi Jingchen’s turn.
“Dad...” Qi Jingchen grasped Nie Yi’s hand, appearing scared.
That person then aimed it at Qi Jingchen’s forehead. “Cheng Yi, water ability user.”
Nie Yi took Qi Jingchen’s identity plate as well, then came to Shi Kun’s side.
“Your son is unexpectedly a water ability user too ah...” Shi Kun looked at Qi Jingchen in surprise. He never saw this person use an ability before ne!
“His ability is very weak, so he doesn’t really use it,” Nie Yi said.
Shi Kun nodded and didn’t pry any deeper. There weren’t many water ability users that could create ice now, and most of them didn’t have much offensive power, so he didn’t really care.
However, S City secure base had said that water ability users were very useful. Bringing two back also wasn’t much. In any case, he believed that, even though he was a little short, it was definitely better than an old man who had a child from a previous marriage.
He was this self-confident! Shi Kun stuck his chest out and walked to Yu Xuguang’s side, but his height only reached Yu Xuguang’s lips.
When Shi Kun saw this result, he said nothing, but Yu Xuguang was already stupefied. What was going on here? Why would Qi Jingchen become a water ability user? Wasn’t he a light ability user?
Yu Xuguang stared at Qi Jingchen blankly until there was a familiar prickling pain on his leg, where he instantly withdrew his gaze—He unexpectedly forgot that Qi Jingchen couldn’t be arbitrarily stared at again...
Their team soon followed the guide into S City secure base, then saw many shadow guards standing on either side with rather abnormal complexions.
These shadow guards were standing straight and looked nothing like a living person. They stared closely at every person who entered the city, as if they would pounce over at any moment. The dark energy here was also very strong... Qi Jingchen withdrew the light aura on him all the more carefully, then stuck closely to Nie Yi, grasping his hand and looking frightened.
Of course, he did this mainly to use Nie Yi’s water ability to thoroughly conceal his light ability.
Previously Nie Yi was only inspected to have a water ability because his two ability nuclei had already turned into one. Moreover, he could use his water ability to wrap around his fire ability, making his ability nucleus look like a water ability on the surface.
As for why he was scanned as having a water ability, it was related to their increasingly intimate relationship.
After he awakened to a light ability, the two of them became even closer. Nie Yi’s ability could even enter his body unimpeded!
Just now, Nie Yi was able to send along some of his water ability into his body through their held hands, wrapping around the outside of his ability nucleus, which was why the people inspecting thought he was a water ability user.
Now, they were walking together more so to thoroughly conceal the light aura on his body.
“Are there any suspicious people in this group?” Just as Qi Jingchen and the others entered, they saw a person in black robes walking over and asking the guide, his gaze even sweeping across their bodies.
“No,” the guide said.
“What ability does this person have?” The black-robed person said, pointing at Qi Jingchen.
“A water ability user,” the guide said.
Hearing that Qi Jingchen was a water ability user, the black robed man finally no longer spoke. He received information that suspicious people had appeared nearby recently, and these days, their inspection for entering the city became stricter. However, they did not discover any useful information.
“The people of B City secure base are too hateful, always suppressing us lower secure bases!” Shi Kun suddenly said. “Did you guys see the wanted posters stuck outside? Those are all people from B City secure base; it’s said that they even attacked the saintess!”
Yu Xuguang was a little unhappy upon hearing Shi Kun’s words; since when did B City secure base suppress the lower secure bases? THey had always been doing their best to allocate various supplies to secure bases!
However, he couldn’t say this and no one would believe it, so he could only endure.
Leaving the heavily guarded entrance, they reached the inside of S City secure base.
B City secure base could be said to have been managed neatly and orderly. Qi Jingchen had always thought that that secure base had the best management, but unexpectedly, S City secure base’s management was even better.
Everyone here was quiet, and there was rarely a person loudly speaking. Not only this, they also rarely displayed gloominess and lacked vitality.
Originally, Qi Jingchen was still a little astonished by this, but soon he understood the whole story behind it.
Religion was truly very suitable to manage civilians during special periods!
Just as he was thinking of this, Qi Jingchen saw a group of people suddenly kneeling on the ground by the streets. “May the dark god bless and protect us! Certain victory!” After saying that, they said a paragraph loudly before leaving S City secure base together, with a few shadow guards behind them.
“What is this?” Yu Xuguang quietly asked.
“I don’t know either,” Shi Kun said. Then, he asked the guide, “What are those people doing?”
The guide gave Shi Kun a disdainful look then said, “They’re doing the prayer to leave the city. As long as you sincerely pray before leaving the city, the dark god will protect them and make them become stronger, have no fear outside, and some people can even not fear zombies.”
The guide’s eyes were feverish when he spoke. Hearing this, Shi Kun was also a little excited. “Really?”
“Of course. But as long as you aren’t sincere, then it’s useless,” the guide said.
Shi Kun then questioned closely about the concrete details. At this time, the guide was unwilling to continue speaking and merely said, “When you guys have an oracle, you will naturally understand many things. You don’t need to ask me.”
Hearing such a response from the guide, Shi Kun was a little disappointed, but also looking forward to the oracle even more.
Qi Jingchen, however, felt that it was a bit laughable.
People’s potential were endless, and sometimes, the aftermath of the battle truly was even dependent on the combatants’ mental state.
Think about it: there were two people, and one of them felt certain of victory and was impassioned with fighting spirit. The other one however, was extremely pessimistic and felt that they would definitely lose... If the two of them were evenly matched, who would be the final victor in the fight?
Once these people believed that the dark god truly existed and believed that they would obtain the dark god’s blessing, they would be fearless and their strength naturally would get stronger...
Of course, even if they get stronger, it didn’t necessarily mean they would win. If they lost or simply died outside... This naturally was because they were not sincere when they prayed.
This was a common routine used by many religions or even simply fortune-telling swindlers in the streets. However, it had to be admitted that it was really useful.
The apocalypse could not be explained by science. After the apocalypse arrived, even the most resolute materialistic people probably were no longer as resolute. In such a situation, a belief system so comprehensive it could even fit many situations of the apocalypse naturally was able to obtain the masses’ approval in a short time.
Qi Jingchen sighed. As a result, upon raising his head, he unexpectedly saw something that made him full of disgust.