Ma Hongbo's unexpected enthusiasm was infectious, and Qiao found himself unable to refuse. He turned to glance at Su Chen, only to see that even the usually silent Su Chen had risen to his feet. "I suppose we can go and take a look," he said.
Su Chen's gaze was fixed on the two slender ghost bodies lying nearby, their lifeless forms a stark reminder of the danger that lurked in their surroundings.
The spot where they had come to a halt was not far from the elongated ghost they had just slain—an opportunity for scavenging valuable resources.
However, for now, Su Chen had to follow Ma Hongbo's lead.
Yet, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of surprise when he discovered that the "baby" Ma Hongbo intended to show them was, in fact, a woman. Given the circumstances, such behavior seemed out of place.
A few cars up ahead, the survivors were segregated by gender, with some cars filled solely with female survivors.
Ma Hongbo led Su Chen and the others to board one of the cars, pushing them forward while announcing, "These two are new talents from our backup support team!"
The women inside the car stirred and rose to their feet.
"The backup support team may rank lower in terms of combat power, but they receive a designated resource allocation and enjoy a status far above that of ordinary survivors. They become the targets of countless desperate survivors in terrible conditions, willing to do anything to win their favor and avoid being bullied by others," Ma Hongbo explained, a wretched smile playing across his face. "You can take your pick of a beautiful woman and make her yours. Provide her with some supplies, and she'll do anything for you. No need to worry about being harassed by other survivors, hehehe..."
Among the female survivors, some recoiled with fear and resistance, while others sneered at the situation, but refrained from taking action. They simply positioned themselves at a safe distance. However, many of them rushed forward, surrounding Su Chen and Qiao, vying for their attention, some even baring their bodies in an attempt to entice them.
Yet, Su Chen could discern that many of these women were driven to such actions out of desperation.
Nonetheless, they were the fortunate ones. Men had no such opportunities.
As Su Chen observed the scene unfolding before him, his thoughts began to wander. What if the mannequins in the clothing store were transformed? Could they become some form of puppet? What if magic could turn them into inflatable dolls? Could they be utilized as substitutes for soldiers?
In the midst of his musings, a timid and petite girl squeezed her way to the front, her head lowered and her face flushed. "Brother, I can take care of myself... and I'm skilled in other ways too..."
While Su Chen's mind was preoccupied with thoughts of the two lanky ghosts, he muttered to himself before taking the girl's hand and addressing Ma Hongbo directly. "I'll find my own place. You can carry on..."
These women hadn't had the opportunity to bathe in ages. Su Chen's interest was far from genuine.
The girl's face turned as red as an apple, a tinge of disappointment evident, though she dare not resist being pulled out of the car by Su Chen.
Ma Hongbo and Qiao exchanged glances. Qiao was genuinely taken aback, but Ma Hongbo gave a thumbs up. "You, Brother Su, are quite the smooth talker..."
As the girl stepped out of the car, her heart raced with anticipation. She glanced at Su Chen's profile, reassuring herself that despite his tattered attire and the stench that clung to him, he was a talent. Yes, this was a fortunate turn of events... a stroke of luck...
After stepping out of the car, Su Chen released the woman's hand and spoke firmly, "Wait here and then return. You can tell others that you belong to me, but when things get real, I won't be responsible for you."
The woman was taken aback, unsure of the reason behind his words.
But Su Chen had already disappeared, blending into the chaotic surroundings.
The military maintained their vigilance, patrolling the area, while some survivors caused trouble. Su Chen hoped the military wouldn't delay any longer and set off as soon as possible. The number of survivors far outnumbered the military, and many of them acted recklessly and blindly, contributing to the overall chaos and causing significant disruption to the military's operations.
Su Chen smoothly slipped away, making his way to the corner of the street where the two slender ghost bodies lay, about ten meters behind the convoy. The energy emitted by the bodies had already dissipated considerably, leaving only about one and a half energy units.
Swiftly, Su Chen collected the energy units and swiftly retraced his steps, rejoining the long and disorderly convoy.
However, at that very moment, a barrage of gunfire erupted directly ahead of the convoy.
The military vehicles resounded with urgent commands, "We are under attack by a large number of monsters! Get back in the cars immediately, and all units prepare for combat!"
It turned out that the monsters hadn't backed down. The previously chaotic and frenzied survivors hurriedly scrambled back to their cars. The military deployed some of them around the convoy, while reinforcements surged forward.
Su Chen's backup support team was also mobilized, including the eight "weaker" talents that he and Qiao Zheng had encountered upon disembarking the car. They were now being sent to the front lines.
Ma Hongbo glanced at the hurriedly returning Su Chen, assuming that he had stopped along the way to deal with some matters. He offered a comforting word, "Brother Su, don't worry. There will be opportunities in the future."
Through Qiao Zheng, Ma Hongbo had learned Su Chen's name.
Utilizing his extensive network, Ma Hongbo swiftly led the backup support team forward, maintaining a brisk pace.
However, their services as the backup support team were not yet required. Four black-scaled monsters launched an attack on the convoy, converging from different directions on the street and closing in rapidly. Yet, they were met with a fierce counterattack from the military's heavy firepower. Two of the monsters were blown back, blood spraying through the air, while the other two relied on their astonishing speed to evade, only to be confronted by infantry units that had been prepared in advance.
The female special forces joined forces with the sharp knife group's talents, encircling the two slain black-scaled monsters with a formation consisting of five fighters and one talent.
As Su Chen approached one of the black scale monsters, which had been suppressed by relentless firepower within a ten-meter radius, he extended his hand and turned his palm towards the creature. In an instant, the monster's movements began to slow down, as if its internal organs were being crushed. It convulsed and bled profusely.
Recognizing the abnormal behavior of the black scale monster, the military ceased their firepower, allowing the talented individual to continue exerting their power. For about thirty seconds, the monster coughed up blood until its life finally expired.
The military personnel displayed their expertise, ensuring minimal casualties and swiftly concluding the battle. In the blink of an eye, only one black scale monster remained, writhing in its final moments.
Smoke engulfed the streets as auxiliary troops scrambled to clear the battlefield and verify the deaths of the monsters.
Witnessing this, Ma Hongbo let out a sigh of relief. "It seems we didn't need to intervene. This is truly..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed that Su Chen, the peculiar and enigmatic talent, slipped away quietly, venturing out on his own. Su Chen positioned himself at the periphery, while everyone's attention remained fixated on the battlefield. Ma Hongbo, ever vigilant as the team leader, observed this keenly, although others may not have noticed.
What is he planning to do?
Ma Hongbo's mouth twitched, assuming Su Chen intended to escape or return to his own business. He refrained from calling out to him immediately to avoid drawing further attention. However, he soon realized his assumption was incorrect.
Su Chen didn't run towards the rear of the convoy at all. Instead, under the cover of thick smoke and the soldiers engaged in battlefield cleanup, he darted towards the nearest slain black scale monster's corpse.
Is he planning to scavenge it?
Successfully hunting black scale monsters would earn talented individuals valuable supplies, yet everyone could clearly see who had delivered the killing blow. What purpose would there be in claiming the corpse?
Then, an even more astonishing sight unfolded before Ma Hongbo's eyes. Su Chen swiftly approached the black scale monster's lifeless body, quietly touched it, and then embarked on a wide circle towards the second monster.
Su Chen's speed remained astonishing, nearing that of world-class sprint champions.
In that moment, Ma Hongbo couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. Surviving in these desperate times certainly required exceptional running ability, but he couldn't fathom Su Chen's motives...
Within the haze of smoke, the other black scale monster had not yet met its demise. It desperately sought refuge in a nearby building, evading the relentless blows. This spectacle captured the attention of most onlookers. Meanwhile, Su Chen moved swiftly, displaying remarkable agility as he effortlessly circumvented obstacles and hazards. With fluid and nimble movements, he rapidly advanced along the chaotic street corners.
What on earth was he doing?
Is he attempting a parkour course?
A parkour route amidst a hail of bullets?