"Someone's shooting!"
"My God, are we going to have a war here?"
"Let me in, Old Li! Let me hide inside!"
Below, the survivors waiting in line outside the wall for registration were immediately thrown into panic. The crowd began to surge toward the gates in a chaotic rush.
"Calm down! Don't be afraid! Quiet down!"
Li Jie, however, remained calm and composed. She stepped forward, calling out loudly, "Everyone stay calm! Whatever is happening outside is between the soldiers and the enemy; it has nothing to do with us. Higher-ups will handle it!"
"Trust the military! Trust our armed forces! Everyone be quiet and keep your lines, no panic!"
"The more critical the disaster, the more we must remain orderly, without causing trouble for the organization!"
Li Jie's words immediately soothed the crowd, mostly due to her firm stance as she blocked the entrances to the wall with the girls. Without any way to rush inside, the survivors were forced to suppress their fear and waited silently in the dark. The line registration sped up in the growing sound of distant gunfire.
Yi Bai scanned the crowd below and noticed Chen Qiuren—who had seemingly just woken up—leaning against the wall near the boarding gate, idly playing with a small knife in his hand. He must have been sent by Jiang Xiaoci to act as a temporary muscle for Li Jie.
The survivors willing to register were mostly honest, hardworking people with traditional values of endurance and diligence. They were generally cooperative, making it unlikely for any large-scale disturbances to arise.
"The ones causing trouble are probably fighting with Lin Yue's team," Yi Bai muttered, settling back on the couch and activating his skill to connect with Lin Yue's perspective.
Once connected, Yi Bai saw nothing but darkness, but he could hear Lin Yue's steady breathing, occasionally punctuated by the sound of her rifle shifting. Lin Yue was currently hidden in a corner of the corridor, flanked by Li Yang below, creating a crossfire angle against the enemy in the fifth floor of the seventh building.
Yi Bai scrutinized, noticing that the door to the apartment they were targeting was not made of wood but appeared to have been altered in some way.
"Had they fortified the shelter... and with firearms?" Yi Bai muttered, analyzing the situation silently, careful not to distract Lin Yue in the midst of the fight. He trusted her—this encounter didn't seem like a significant threat for Lin Yue. She had infinite ammunition for her rifle and had leveled up, plus she had two teammates with her.
Judging by the gunfire, Yi Bai estimated the enemy had only a few handguns—no rifles or grenades, no major weapons.
"Seems like there's more than one survivor in that apartment," Yi Bai mused. "Children and elderly don't typically have much fighting capability, so there must be more survivors inside, perhaps other shelter members who banded together."
"Hmm... did they form a group to survive, or did they capture survivors from other shelters?"
Yi Bai pondered, recalling that he had seen similar recruitment messages in the city's chat channel—some shelters had been calling for survivors with weaker abilities or in need of supplies to leave and join their ranks. Better to leave a failing shelter and band together, increasing their odds of survival in the post-apocalyptic world.
He could hear Li Yang's calm voice echoing from below.
"Those inside, stop resisting! Surrender your weapons—your only chance is to submit!"
"You'll be treated leniently if you cooperate; otherwise, we will shoot on sight!"
Li Yang's words sounded confident, but the survivors inside weren't listening. Instead, they responded with gunfire and a man's mocking voice.
"You think you're all that just because you're soldiers? Don't make me laugh! I know the real army's been taken by the aliens!"
"You're nothing more than a bunch of wannabe soldiers. Just because you have guns doesn't mean you're special. Don't think wearing a uniform makes you better than anyone!"
"I know what you guys are up to. It's that guy from Building 6, right? Trying to take over the neighborhood? Well, I won't let that happen!"
"Let him come to me personally if he wants to talk! Otherwise, no one's getting through this door. If anyone dares come, I'll kill them!"
The man inside was boisterous, full of confidence. Yi Bai figured his ability wasn't too shabby—probably another person with a special talent.
Based on his confidence, this guy might have already taken control of the entire unit, though a bit slowly—he hadn't expected Yi Bai to start clearing the area.
Yi Bai could sense the defiance in his tone, much like a warlord refusing to bow down. If you have the power and weapons, it's natural to claim authority.
"It's the same old story... a leader who refuses to submit," Yi Bai murmured, recognizing that this was exactly the kind of mentality the survivors would adopt when empowered by firearms.
"Last warning!" Li Yang barked coldly. "Surrender now, or we will shoot!"
"Fuck you! Come in if you dare!" the man inside retorted with arrogance. "You've only got two people and two guns! We've got seven people and four guns! I'll kill all of you!"
"Let's see if you've got the guts to come in here, or if you're all talk. I'm the boss now, not that guy from Building 6!"
"Shit, this guy's too cocky!" Li Yang muttered, brows furrowing. He felt the urge to charge in, confident he could break the door. With him and Lin Yue, both battle-hardened, they could likely overpower the enemy.
"Don't act rashly!" Lin Yue's cold voice came through from below. "Liu Rui hasn't shot. That's his signal."
"With his skill, he should have aimed by now, but he hasn't fired, so there's something off in there," she continued, keeping her cool. "We need to wait for backup."
Yi Bai recognized the situation. If Liu Rui wasn't firing, then it meant there was something dangerous inside. They had to be cautious.
"It's too risky to force it," Lin Yue's voice was sharp and authoritative. She had already strategized and gave a signal for patience.
Yi Bai realized Lin Yue was in a difficult position—neither able to advance nor retreat without risking attack from more survivors hidden in the nearby buildings. The current stalemate was risky.
"I need to send someone to help her," Yi Bai concluded. The enemy in the apartment was clearly tough, possibly with special abilities, and their stubbornness would make it hard to subdue them without reinforcements.
At that moment, Yi Bai noticed Jiang Xiaoci standing at the door, a calm expression on her face.
"Xiaoci, you're just in time!" Yi Bai spoke quickly. "Send someone to help Lin Yue. She's encountered an enemy I suspect might have a special talent."
"Sir, I came to report exactly that." Jiang Xiaoci spoke softly, lowering her gaze. "The other soldiers haven't returned yet, but I've sent Chen Qiuren."
"Qiuren?" Yi Bai frowned. "He's got just a gun—this is too risky. Why didn't you have him gather the others instead?"
"Sir, Qiuren insisted he could handle it."
Yi Bai raised an eyebrow. "Handle it? He's a poison expert. What's he going to do without poison?"
"Sir, he said he still has a little bit left."
Jiang Xiaoci opened her hands, a helpless smile on her lips. "He said it was just enough for Lin Yue."
"Just enough?" Yi Bai's eyes widened. "That lunatic! Is he trying to fool me again? I don't believe he's got any left!"
"Sir..." Jiang Xiaoci hesitated, then said with a bitter smile, "He wanted me to tell you—he says if you call him a liar, just tell you that he's really not lying this time."
"He's an honest man. He's a top employee."
"Also, this is considered overtime work," Jiang Xiaoci added, lowering her gaze.
Yi Bai stared at her for a moment, speechless, before sighing.