I need 5,000 recommendation tickets to get onto the charts. I'll be posting four updates today; just do your best, and whether we reach the goal is up to fate (∩_∩) ... Beneath the brilliant blue sky, twenty-odd large trucks followed the guidance of the Sun Corona, rumbling down the devastated streets and heading toward the distance. Buildings on both sides were shattered ruins, barely standing, and traffic was severely snarled. They frequently had to stop to shove wrecked cars out of the road, where the occasional corpse, ripped violently in half, lay on the pavement.
Ye Chen leaned back against the icy guardrail, his body swaying with the jolting of the trucks. He looked up at the white clouds drifting above, his gaze distant and lost. Beside him, Xu Tianguo and the other two men sat huddled near the truck, staring out at the desolate, barren streets and crumbling structures. Their expressions were tinged with melancholy. The once vibrant neon lights, the towering, magnificent buildings, the bustling, prosperous world—all had been reduced to rubble. A brilliant civilization had simply fallen silent.
Looking back through history, how many once-glorious dynasties eventually became ruins, buried beneath the sand and earth, only to be eclipsed by the rise of the next? Since antiquity, how many prodigious talents and unique figures, once dazzling in their prime, eventually turned to dust?
“General Ye.”
A young man, holding the rank of regiment commander, approached, regarding Ye Chen with deep respect. “My subordinates are planning a gathering once we return, and all the captains are invited. Will you attend?”
Ye Chen drew his gaze down from the sky, glanced at the young man, and shook his head slightly. “No, you all go ahead and enjoy yourselves. You’ll be more relaxed without me around.”
The so-called gatherings were nothing more than drinking, feasting, and playing with women. After every perilous mission, these soldiers would indulge themselves thoroughly. Drinking was a way to numb the mind, to forget the sorrow of lost loved ones; seeking women was a way to experience pleasure, a reminder of how corrupt they had become, driving their spirits further down—and only by sinking lower could they continue to survive...
Behind the sound of laughter at the party lay an emptiness, a profound, lonely sorrow.
The young man shot him a look of regret, nodded once, and then turned away, rejoining the other commanders chatting nearby.
Ye Chen rested against the rail, narrowing his eyes, savoring this moment of quietude. A gentle breeze washed over his skin and stirred his hair; it felt incredibly comforting. Listening to the laughter and chatter around him, feeling that sliver of warmth amidst the desolation, his thoughts drifted back to his previous life...
“Wang Long, Xue Dashan, Sun Yun...”
These names surfaced in Ye Chen’s mind. In his past life, after joining the army, these three had been his bunkmates. Every day, they hunted monsters in the wilderness together, earning military merit.
They looked for women together...
They bullied people together...
And there was one time when the three of them accidentally spied on a General's wife bathing. They fled in panicked disarray, running until they collapsed from exhaustion, only to sit on the ground afterward, exchange a look, and burst into loud laughter...
But during a mission, they encountered a powerful monster. After exhausting all their ammunition, they sacrificed themselves one by one to cover Ye Chen’s escape.
Even as they were torn apart by the monster’s claws, the smiles remained fixed on their faces...
Ye Chen would never forget it as long as he lived!
That was brotherhood!
Friends who would step forward in the face of death! They were also the very first friends Ye Chen had made in this harsh world—a group of hot-blooded youths who would challenge a superior out of anger, who could shout their dreams to the heavens together, who could walk down the street laughing like fools, unafraid of the scornful glances from passersby.
The brutality of the apocalypse had failed to erase their core character.
Thinking of this, a tear slipped down Ye Chen’s cheek before he even realized it. He opened his eyes, the grief flashing away. He stood up, looking out at the distant, ruined towers and the wretched streets. He spread his arms wide, letting the wind blow freely across him, feeling as though he could soar into the sky!
The dormant passion within him surged forth, and the long-lost sense of profound emotion welled up. Though he had experienced much in the apocalypse and had since learned never to trust anyone, how could he forget those comrades with whom he had fought side-by-side, or the echoes of their laughter ringing in his ears?
He wanted to shout to the entire world.
Perhaps it was a sudden impulse, but Ye Chen had never craved power so intensely. Since his rebirth, his singular goal had been to protect his sister, ensuring he never lost her again. Fundamentally, he was a coward, terrified of loneliness and emptiness!
Yet, at this moment, a different thought took root. He would fiercely cling to those beautiful memories and feelings that had faded from his mind. Some people or experiences, once lost, could never be regained...
To not lose them wasn't just about protecting them; it was about making them strong, too!
To strive together!
To laugh together!
Xu Tianguo and the other two watched Ye Chen standing on the truck with his arms outstretched. They were momentarily stunned, suddenly feeling as if the ground beneath his feet wasn't the vehicle, but the very pinnacle of the world!
...
The large trucks drove on. Occasionally, they encountered and eliminated a few zombies. Under Ye Chen’s leadership, they met no truly powerful monsters and arrived safely at the Base City.
“Whoosh...” The sound of the exhaust pipes echoed. Many people nearby, with sallow faces and exhausted expressions, who had come to seek refuge, hastily cleared the path, daring not to obstruct the way.
After entering the city, Ye Chen noticed a dilapidated, crude shop by the roadside, above which hung a few characters: Food! A thought stirred in his mind. It had been so long since he had visited his sister; today was a good chance to buy some provisions and see her. He jumped down from the truck and headed toward the shop.
Stepping inside, a pungent, metallic smell of blood assaulted him. There were several wooden tables inside. The owner was a large man wearing an apron, with various cut pieces of meat displayed on the counter.
Ye Chen frowned, his expression darkening rapidly. He turned and left the shop, returning to the truck.
Seeing him return empty-handed, Xu Tianguo asked in surprise, “Couldn’t find anything?”
Ye Chen shook his head. “That shop is operating without a business license. They are selling human flesh.”
Xu Tianguo shivered uncontrollably, goosebumps rising all over his body.
Most shops in the Base City possessed a new business license issued by the Commerce Department. Only with a license was trade permitted by the Base City; unauthorized vending violated city regulations.
As soon as Ye Chen walked in, he recognized the scent in the air—it was the smell of human flesh. If monster blood was on the hides, there would usually be a faint residual monster odor—pigs carried a hint of dung, sheep a hint of musk—since hides could never be washed completely clean.
“Aren’t you going to deal with it?” Xu Tianguo looked at Ye Chen.
“The Base City enforcement officers will be here soon to clean this place out.” Ye Chen said coldly. He turned and called a few soldiers to help him load several hundred pounds of supplies onto his residence. Then, he told Xu Tianguo and the others, “Get out of the vehicle with me.”
Xu Tianguo understood that Ye Chen had business to attend to and asked no further questions, following him out.
“General Ye, where are you going?” a regiment commander asked curiously.
Ye Chen waved his hand. “You all head back to the barracks first.”
“Oh.” The commander saw Ye Chen wouldn't elaborate and didn't press the matter. The twenty-odd trucks formed a formidable convoy and headed toward the military compound.
After they left, Ye Chen led Xu Tianguo and the others to an office building, where they rented a three-bedroom, one-living-room apartment. The female clerk was startled when she saw the “General’s Order” pinned to Ye Chen’s chest, promptly applying a 30% discount to the rent, costing only seven or eight hundred military merits.
Once inside the apartment, Ye Chen quickly checked the premises for surveillance cameras before settling down on the sofa. He told Xu Tianguo and the other man, “You two will live here from now on. If you need anything, come to me. I will also visit often.”
Huang Tianci nodded. “We owe you a great deal this time; otherwise, we’d still be wandering outside.”
Ye Chen waved it off casually. “No need for thanks. I only ask that in the future, you dedicate yourselves completely to helping me carry out my tasks.”
“Don’t worry, I will do my utmost!” Huang Tianci assured him.
Ye Chen nodded. “I will draft a list shortly. Your mission will be to find the people on that list as best you can. Afterward, I will purchase some businesses for you to manage.”
Xu Tianguo considered this for a moment, then nodded firmly. “I will strive to complete it!”
After briefly outlining the tasks, Ye Chen wrote down the names of major figures who had appeared in the Chinese server during his previous life. Although he had forgotten some, he still remembered the majority.
If even a small fraction of these people could be gathered, they could form an incredibly potent force with terrifying future potential!
“Wang Long, Xue Dashan, Sun Yun... you must try your absolute hardest to find these three!” Ye Chen said with gravity.
Xu Tianguo blinked, glanced at the three names, and then nodded slowly. “I’ll do my best.”
With all instructions given, Ye Chen stood up and left.
Dusk was falling, and stars began to appear in the sky. The Base City was shrouded in darkness; there were no lights. The power stations established so far were only enough to supply the Information Department and other essential services. Anyone else who wanted electricity could purchase it, but the rates were exorbitant, far beyond the means of ordinary people.
After dark, most people retired early. After 10 PM, movement on the streets was prohibited within the Base City.
It was still early, and Ye Chen strolled leisurely down the street. Many people were returning from battles in the wilderness, chatting and laughing about their day’s haul, or discussing which women were prettiest, or how some celebrity from the past was now working as a server in some tower, and so on...
“Ye Chen!”
Suddenly, a crisp voice called out from behind him.
Ye Chen turned to look.
The night wind blew in, caressing his face.
Amidst the throng of people on the busy street, a tall, slender girl, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and a baseball cap, her long, shapely legs emphasized by denim shorts, waved her hand toward him.