But now another crisis loomed over those unprepared individuals once again. That was the issue of food!
Food became scarce, and the prices skyrocketed, forcing these desperate people to resort to becoming marauders! They began plundering others' food!
Although the government had distributed some food, it was just a drop in the bucket. So these unfortunate people turned into perpetrators, even forming small gangs and factions!
Perhaps some of these small gangs and factions could grow into formidable forces in the future; anything was possible!
Among them, one group gradually grew in the outskirts of Shanghu, quietly gaining power while others remained oblivious. Their influence expanded day by day...
The leader of this group was a figure with formidable martial prowess, known as...
Northeastern Tiger!
This powerful figure was said to be capable of tearing apart enemies with his bare hands and dodging conventional firearms with astonishing speed!
He also had a mentor-like friend or partner, none other than a super-strong individual who once caused a sensation in China, known as 'Addict Lord'!
With these two super-strong individuals in the group, it became exceptionally powerful. Moreover, they possessed top-notch weapons and equipment among the nearby factions!
After all, Addict Lord's methods were renowned throughout China, making it easy for him to acquire weapons even in such times.
Hence, the fighting prowess and membership of this group changed almost daily. By the time government authorities took notice, the strength of this group was no longer something to be trifled with!
And today, it was time for Northeastern Tiger to clash with another large faction!
One side controlled nearly one-tenth of the outskirts of Shanghu, while the other controlled nearly one-fifth. These areas were home to refugees from other regions, overlooked by the government but coveted by these factions!
Today marked fifteen days since the red light struck the capital of the United States, Washington!
Half a month had passed, and the rules of the game seemed to have changed!
For China, the government and the military remained the most powerful forces on the surface. Despite the efforts of other factions, they couldn't yet rival the government. However, the military and government now tacitly acknowledged the emergence of these large factions!
However, there were constraints!
They wouldn't attack these self-contained factions directly, but they required compliance. They couldn't engage in excessively destructive activities; otherwise, they would face military suppression!
What the government needed was their assistance in managing the scarce population. If possible, they should help restore some production and livelihoods. After all, the situation hadn't deteriorated to the point where production and livelihoods were impossible. Many cities had fallen into chaos, but governance was still feasible, and the government was preoccupied with preparing for the upcoming war against the metallic creatures. They didn't have the time to deal with the actions of refugees. Therefore, they needed a proxy, someone willing to comply with the government's directives, which everyone preferred to see!
So these compliant factions were the best option!
But there were policies at the top and countermeasures at the bottom. Today was the day when two factions clashed!
Northeastern Tiger wore a faint smile among his group.
This young man had experienced ups and downs. His factory had been destroyed by the metallic creatures and other powerful individuals, nearly costing him his life.
But now, this man had risen again!
That day, he had ingested a dose of the Black Origin Liquid, which, according to his family's ancestral manual, had a one-in-thousands chance of turning him into an extremely powerful individual!
The 'Tyrant' that once ranked in the top three globally among the world's strong was said to have become so powerful after consuming this substance.
At that time, Northeastern Tiger was on the brink of death, so he didn't care about the high mortality rate. Unexpectedly, he succeeded!
With a success rate of one in thousands, he managed to transform into a 'monster,' becoming another 'monster' after Zhang Tianjiang! And this monster appeared in this turbulent era!
So he showed off his skills!
Even the Addict Lord hadn't anticipated his growth rate.
He was another version of a monster! Or rather, a monster among humans!
And today, the two sides' forces met at a designated location.
One side had over a hundred people, while the other had over three hundred. Unlike meetings between factions in peaceful times, both sides were armed to the teeth!
"Northeastern Tiger, Northeasterners should go back to your Northeast. What makes you think you're something here in our Shanghu?" A man from the group of over three hundred people sneered at the group with just over a hundred people, showing disdain.
This man was the leader of the other faction, a local who had a thorough understanding of Shanghu, hence why he had gathered so many formidable subordinates!
Among the over a hundred people on the other side, there was a tall man with a rough appearance and a touch of arrogance on his face.
As a new 'monster,' he didn't have many opponents in this world.
As long as he improved his combat experience, his strength would reach the peak among human beings!
So he looked down on the others here, even in the midst of being surrounded by a large army, he didn't show any particular concern!
After all, he had the strongest bodyguard, lurking and ready to strike in the darkness of the night!
Though his numbers were few, he wasn't afraid!
"Why waste so much breath? I, Northeastern Tiger, haven't encountered many challengers in this Shanghu. Show me what you've got now, haha!" Northeastern Tiger laughed arrogantly.
His words naturally made the other side's expression ugly, and before long, gunshots rang out!
Bang! Bang! Bang!!! —
The sounds of battle continued throughout the night.
There were even sounds of grenades and rockets among them!
This duel was no different from battles involving small armies!
And as the night passed and dawn arrived, the outcome of the battle had been decided!
The other faction retreated in defeat, while Northeastern Tiger, the outsider, emerged victorious!
With this, Northeastern Tiger had laid a solid foundation in the outskirts of Shanghu, to the point where even the bigshots in Shanghu had to weigh their options before taking action against him!
"It's said that there are two decent killers in Shanghu. Send someone over tomorrow to recruit them. Our current strength still needs individuals with significant personal power. Otherwise, we won't be able to pose a threat to those big shots. The pressure I alone exert is still insufficient!" Addict Lord said lightly beside the victorious Northeastern Tiger, then his figure disappeared into the darkness!
"Are there really such killers in Shanghu? I didn't know about this news. It seems that Senior Addict Lord's sources of information are more extensive than mine." Northeastern Tiger looked at the place where Addict Lord disappeared, feeling that even as a 'monster,' he still couldn't handle someone like him at this stage.
"You two, go to Shanghu and find those two so-called killers. See if they have any weaknesses." Northeastern Tiger made perhaps the most mistaken decision since becoming a 'monster'!
Shanghu was in turmoil.
And chaos reigned in other parts of the world!
Time passed.
Finally, when the day arrived, eighteen days after the red light struck Washington...
In a village not far from Shanghu.
The humans in this mountain village had long since fled. Although there were sporadic refugees who arrived here temporarily, none of them considered this place their home!
What these passersby didn't know was that the most attractive safety feature in Shanghu, the giant mosquito monster, was now undergoing its transformation in the outskirts of this small village, in a dense forest less than a few hundred meters away!
Today marked the eighteenth day of the transformation!
The waiting time had never been this long before!
But it seemed that this transformation had reached its final stage!