All the omissions raised have been answered in the section related to the work. I hope everyone will take a look to clear up any confusion. Finally, I wish everyone happy reading, a relaxed mood, good vibes for all, Haodi is truly good.

...

Hearing the sound, Ye Chen and the others paused for a moment, then turned their heads. In the dimly lit passage, a team of eight people was approaching rapidly, their steps hurried as if they were rushing somewhere important.

"What are you looking at? Our boss told you to stand aside. Good dogs don't block the road!" A thin man stepped out, carrying a fire axe. Several scars marred his body, already scabbed over, lending him an air of grim authority.

Blocking the road?

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, surveying the surroundings. Though the passage wasn't wide, it certainly wasn't narrow; the people behind them could easily pass by the side.

Bai Long crossed his arms, a lazy smile playing on his lips. "That's your boss, not ours. Why should I obey your boss?"

The thin man choked on his retort. Just then, a powerfully built, muscular man, nearly six feet three inches tall, strode forward. A handgun hung at his waist, and he carried a fire axe in his hand, his face obscured by a thick, dark beard. He barked, his voice rough, "Blind fool! Dare to block my path? Believe it or not, I'll slaughter you!"

Post-Slaughter Syndrome!

Ye Chen recognized it instantly. This man, too, suffered from mild Post-Slaughter Syndrome—irritable temper, brimming with murderous intent. People like this often erupted over trivial matters, craving to kill and thirsting for blood.

After all, in the old society, no one was this ill-mannered; everyone adopted the mindset of avoiding trouble whenever possible.

"Slaughter me?" Bai Long's smile widened. "If I recall correctly, private killing is strictly forbidden within the base city, resulting in severe penalties."

The bearded brute assumed he was scared and sneered. "That's right, you can't kill here. But once you're outside, I'll wait outside the city gates to kill you! So, be sensible now, and get out of the way, you worthless trash!"

Bai Long turned his head to Yue Heng beside him. "He's insulting me."

Yue Heng nodded. "Indeed, he called you trash."

Bai Long continued, "And he said we were blocking his way."

"Correct," Yue Heng confirmed.

"Then..." Bai Long looked toward Ye Chen. "Since he claims we're blocking the way, not blocking it now would be letting him down."

Ye Chen nodded slightly. The group chuckled, having developed an almost telepathic understanding over two months of shared killing. They dispersed, lining up in a straight 'I' shape, effectively blocking over half the passage.

"Let's go!" Ye Chen, standing in the middle, turned and walked toward the passage exit, completely ignoring the bearded man.

The group moved forward in a straight line, leaving the bearded brute staring in stunned disbelief, which quickly boiled over into raging fury. "Damn it, we weren't blocking the road before, but now you've gone and blocked it for real!!" With that, he lunged, chasing after them.

The stragglers following behind, seeing the escalating tension between Ye Chen's group and the bearded man's crew, wisely hung back, maintaining a safe distance while observing.

"Brat, are you tired of living?!" The bearded man and his subordinates caught up behind Ye Chen's group, roaring menacingly.

"A little," Ye Chen replied casually, not breaking stride.

The bearded man's face flushed crimson, his body trembling slightly, savage light flickering in his eyes—the same look he probably reserved for the zombies he’d slain. "In that case, I'll grant your wish!"

"Boss, killing is prohibited inside the base city," the thin youth cautioned nervously.

The bearded man backhanded him furiously. "Damn it, useless piece of garbage, shut your mouth! Who cares about your damned base city rules!" The thin youth, half his face swollen from the blow, felt both anger and helplessness. This pig-head, all brawn and no brains, I swear his IQ is below zero. What rotten luck I have!

"You want to kill us?" Ye Chen turned back, his tone utterly flat.

"What, are you scared? If you’re scared, kneel down and appease my anger!" the bearded man snarled, his features contorted.

Ye Chen's expression remained cold. "I just hope you do it quickly."

"You!!" The bearded man glared, utterly enraged. A common brute daring to challenge an emperor with a blade—all thoughts of base city regulations vanished. He roared, bringing the fire axe down in a vicious arc toward Ye Chen's head.

The swift swing of the axe whipped the very air, creating a gust. Observers nearby gasped in shock, those watching from a distance flinched, too terrified to cry out.

But the expected sickening crunch of a skull splitting never came. The razor-sharp fire axe was caught between two slender fingers.

Gently caught.

Those two fingers held the weapon as easily as one might hold a chopstick.

"Is this how you intend to kill me?" Ye Chen twisted his fingers, effortlessly wrenching the axe away. He grasped the handle, swung it casually, and in the horrified eyes of the bearded man, the blade swept past his neck.

Shhhhk!

A head tumbled onto the ground like a rubber ball, a geyser of blood erupting from the severed neck.

"Ah..." The six or seven subordinates of the bearded man—men and women alike—screamed. It wasn't fear of the gore that struck them, but sheer terror at Ye Chen's power.

"The captain was so strong, able to lift 500 grams, able to cleave zombies head-on, yet he was killed in one instant."

"Who is this person? He’s too strong."

"Someone this powerful should already be a squad leader in the army."

Hearing their horrified murmurs, Ye Chen glanced at them coolly. "I won't kill you this time. Don't let me see you again."

The remaining few were overjoyed, nodding repeatedly.

Their team was merely a collection of individuals brought together by necessity. They felt no grief for the bearded man's demise; there was no real bond between them, only shared acquaintance.

Ye Chen tossed the fire axe aside like refuse and continued walking.

He could justify killing the bearded man as self-defense, but killing the rest would be initiating an attack, inviting the base city's rules to come down on him. While he didn't fear retribution, there was no need to escalate things right at the start. He intended to exploit the base city's market potential later for significant profit.

Besides, these people were like ants to him, posing little threat. Any intelligent person would know that offending a powerful individual over someone already dead was deeply irrational.

Unless there was a profound connection between them.

But judging by their reaction—only terror at the sight of the bearded man's death—their fear was solely for their own fate!

They emerged from the passage onto a wide green field.

A man in professional attire walked toward them. He glanced at Ye Chen’s group and stated calmly, "I am your training officer. We will proceed to the aptitude test shortly. I hope you all pass."

At that moment, an assistant approached and whispered something in his ear. The training officer’s brow furrowed. He looked at Ye Chen and snapped coldly, "Don't you know the base city regulations? No injuries are permitted inside the city!"

Ye Chen casually replied, "I didn't injure anyone."

"You still dare argue!" the officer roared in anger.

Ye Chen stated blandly, "I just accidentally killed one person. It was purely self-defense."

The training officer nearly spat blood, glaring at Ye Chen. "Who can prove it was self-defense?"

"They all can..." Ye Chen pointed toward the thin man and the others. The officer’s swift knowledge of the killing likely meant surveillance cameras were installed in the passage. However, the dim light meant the cameras couldn't capture clear detail, only confirm that a death had occurred.

The establishment of a base city necessitated a power station. While they couldn't build a new one, they could designate an existing power station location and encompass it within the city limits.

Electricity was needed everywhere.

Power usage was extremely conservative.

High-drain utilities like elevators were shut down, but low-draw, essential equipment like surveillance monitors remained active, intended to detect if any contestants had planted hazardous materials in the passages.

Seeing Ye Chen point, the thin man and the others stiffened, then forced bitter smiles. "Yes, that man attacked him first, and he killed him accidentally while defending himself."

By this point, they had completely distanced themselves from the bearded man. They had no choice. Even if Ye Chen were arrested for murder, he still had five companions who could easily take revenge on them. Submission was the only option.

The training officer frowned, scrutinizing Ye Chen for a moment before stating mildly, "Very well, proceed to the test."

With witnesses, there was little he could do. Killing was forbidden in the base city, but self-defense was another matter.

The group was led to the grassy area at the center of the stadium, where various exercise equipment was laid out.

"The test is simple," the training officer announced loudly to the crowd. "First item: One hundred push-ups in three minutes! Second item: Fifty sit-ups in two minutes! Third item: Lift a twenty-five-gram stone over your head!"

It was indeed simple—tasks achievable by any reasonably fit ordinary person.