There will be an update at 12 o'clock; for those still around then, please help cast some recommendation votes to help climb the ranks. …… “What is the mission?” Ye Chen asked.

Bai Long shook his head. “I’m not entirely clear on the specifics, but it seems people from the Detective Division discovered a location where some individuals are besieged, so they dispatched the Military Division for a rescue.” Ye Chen nodded.

“Where is the assembly point?” “The central plaza of the sector.” “You all go ahead; I’ll be there shortly.” Ye Chen spoke, his figure flickering as he turned into a gust of light wind, vanishing as if he had dissolved into thin air. “Huh?

Did someone just pass through here?” In another bedroom, the young man named Qing He walked out, his face etched with surprise. Bai Long and the others glanced at him, uniformly shaking their heads.

…… East of Military Camp No. 108, on the first floor of a building.

Ye Chen arrived here. The door wasn't locked, and he walked in.

Above it, lettering read: Commerce Department Sales Point! The room was extremely spartan, containing two desks, each equipped with two computers.

Two men, appearing quite robust, sat before them, scrutinizing something on their screens. Upon seeing Ye Chen enter, one of the men looked up, assessed him, paying particular attention to the stripe on his chest.

Seeing it was just a single bar, his expression grew noticeably indifferent. He didn't stand, merely saying casually, “What would you like to purchase?” Ye Chen walked to the desk, his tone matching theirs.

“How many military merits per Type 64 pistol?” The one he had been issued was no longer usable. He needed to purchase two more for the upcoming mission.

Although they weren't of great utility, Ye Chen did not intend to expose the full extent of his capabilities, lest he draw too much attention; every move was under constant surveillance. Hearing Ye Chen’s question, the man’s expression became more dismissive.

He drawled, “200 military merits each. How many are you buying?” Hearing the price, Ye Chen frowned slightly.

200 military merits was equivalent to 2000g of base material, enough to elevate an unenhanced commoner to the strength of more than ten people. He paused for a moment.

“Give me two.” “Oh?” The man looked at him with slight surprise. For someone at the Soldier rank, 400 military merits was not a small sum, but he said nothing.

He tapped a few keys on the keyboard and then stated, “Show me your military identification.” Ye Chen casually pulled it out and handed it over. The man glanced at it, typed in the name according to the ID, searched, and pulled up Ye Chen’s file information.

Upon seeing it, he was instantly startled: “3660 military merits? With such high merits, you could certainly become a Captain-level figure next month stably.” Ye Chen frowned.

“Could you hurry up?” The man looked at him again, the contempt in his eyes vanishing entirely. As long as Ye Chen didn't die on a mission, with these merits, he would definitely reach the Captain level.

A Captain's position was already nearly on par with theirs. “One moment!” The man stepped into an adjacent room and returned moments later, holding two standard pistols, which he handed to Ye Chen.

He then pulled a receipt from a drawer. “Please sign here.” Ye Chen scribbled his name.

The man collected the data, then made a few more keystrokes, deducting 400 military merits from Ye Chen’s account. Since there was documentary evidence, there was no risk of fraudulent embezzlement; discovery of such an act was punishable by death!

The current base city infrastructure was still incomplete, but localized networks were connected, operated by many specialized elites, allowing for local area network communication. This is why the man could look up Ye Chen’s data so quickly.

Ye Chen took the pistols and turned to leave, swiftly heading towards the sector’s central plaza. He immediately saw many people already gathered there, listening to the Captain’s speech about necessary precautions.

Ye Chen walked over. The young Captain spotted Ye Chen immediately and frowned slightly.

“Considering this is your first time failing to meet the deadline, don't be late again next time.” Ye Chen nodded, saying nothing. The young Captain then addressed the group.

“This time, our primary objective is to rescue the individuals besieged in the Flat Building. Secondly, I hope everyone pays close attention to safety; once we leave the base city, obey commands, and do not act independently.” Everyone nodded in unison.

The young Captain waved his hand. “Alright, prepare to depart.” With that, he took the lead, walking out of the sector toward a large truck parked outside.

Such large vehicles were inconvenient to drive within the sector because the roads were too narrow, unless in an emergency—like the time when Captain Zhang rushed in to apprehend Ye Chen and the others to save time. The group of 20, tucking their pistols into the leather armor around their waists, climbed onto the back of the large truck.

“Long, you drive,” the young Captain commanded. His name was Mu Baifeng.

A powerfully built man nodded in response, got into the driver’s seat, and started the engine. With a "vroom," the large truck pulled away from the base city, Ye Chen and the others sitting in the truck bed.

Ye Chen swayed with the jolting motion of the truck, a feeling intensely familiar. He recalled his previous life, where he, just like these people, accepted personal missions daily, fighting monsters all day and taking on city guard duties at night, worked to the point of exhaustion.

Only business and fatigue could allow him to forget the loneliness of being alone. Before long, the truck left the city walls, heading out into the surrounding desolate ruins under the envious gazes of newly arrived survivors.

Near the base city, there were practically no monsters; they had all been annihilated by the military teams entering and exiting the city, leaving only a very small remnant. Mu Baifeng took out a map, marked with a red dot indicating the mission objective, situated about five thousand meters from the base city.

On the dilapidated streets, high-rises had crumbled into ruins; there was no human sound, only an atmosphere steeped in silence, secrecy, and gloom. The entire city lacked any semblance of life, heavy and stagnant; only the sound of the truck tires crushing gravel on the ground broke the quiet.

The people in the truck rocked with the motion, all falling into silence, their expressions blank. In truth, every deployment was a negotiation with death.

Having experienced so much, most of them had lost their families and were alone; only a small minority still had relatives nearby to talk to or sit with when feeling isolated. A suffocating atmosphere pervaded the truck.

Ye Chen remained silent; he was long accustomed to this dead quiet, merely gripping the cold pistol in his hand, lost in thought. Yue Heng sat by the edge of the truck, yawning listlessly as he watched the buildings retreat past the windows.

Mo Feng, like Ye Chen, sat in a corner, perpetually silent. Bai Long watched Zhuge Fan beside him and laughed, “Guess for me—will this trip be a success or a failure?” He held up a one-Yuan coin.

Zhuge Fan looked surprised. “You still have one of these things?” Bai Long grinned broadly.

“Picked it up casually, just for fun. If you guess right, it’s smooth sailing; if you guess wrong, it’s danger.

Watch closely.” With that, he flicked his finger and tossed the coin high into the air. The previously silent people around them all looked up at the man.

Although they secretly scorned the rather foolish game, in that tense moment, they still wanted to see the outcome, much like how most people know fortune-tellers are frauds but still go for a reading for amusement. “I guess… heads!” Zhuge Fan contemplated for a moment.

Bai Long slowly opened his palm… Heads! “Looks like everything will go smoothly,” Bai Long laughed heartily.

A hint of smiles appeared on the faces of those nearby. Although it was just a game, it had significantly eased the tension, making them feel much lighter.

“Once the mission is successfully completed, we absolutely must return to the base city for a huge feast!” Bai Long declared. Everyone laughed along.

A young man chimed in, “When we get back, I’ll treat you all to the Red Chamber Club; their girls are the prettiest, and the prices are cheap.” “Sounds good!” “This mission will definitely succeed. These damned monsters, I’ll shoot every last one I see.” Conversations and laughter erupted around them.

A burly man looked at Bai Long and asked in a deep voice, “Little brother, can you guess if I’ll ever manage to get a wife in this life?” Everyone paused for a beat, then burst into uproarious laughter. “Ah Shu, I’ll introduce you to a girl when we return.” “Ah Shu, don’t listen to him; the ones he introduces are never any good.” “Tch, in this day and age, where are the pure ones?

Having a worn-out shoe to wear would be good enough, just like how these women complain about men not being faithful, but they aren’t exactly pristine themselves.” “You can’t say that; there are still some top-quality ones out there.” Bai Long smiled faintly. “Fine, which side do you want to bet on?” The burly man pondered.

“Heads, I guess!” Bai Long gave a sly grin and flicked the coin into the air. “Roar—” Just then, a piercing roar echoed from the distance.

Two zombie dogs, leading a large pack of zombies, charged toward them. Everyone quickly turned their attention…