Hearing the sound, Ye Chen and his group paused for a moment, then turned to look. In the dimly lit corridor, a group of eight people was approaching swiftly, their steps quick as if they were rushing somewhere.
"Why are you looking? Our leader told you to step aside. A good dog doesn't block the way," a lean man said as he stepped forward. He was holding a fire axe, his body marked with several scars that had healed into rugged, battle-worn reminders.
Block the way?
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, surveying the surroundings. The corridor, though not spacious, was by no means narrow. The people behind could easily pass by if they chose to.
Bai Long crossed his arms and, with a smile, said, "That's your leader, not ours. Why should I listen to your leader?"
The lean man faltered for a moment, and then a massive figure, towering at nearly two meters with bulging muscles, stepped forward. His face was covered in a thick black beard, and a handgun hung from his waist. He brandished the fire axe, growling in a rough voice, "You dare block my way? Do you believe I won't kill you?"
The Aftereffects of Slaughter
Ye Chen immediately recognized the man had slight post-traumatic effects from killing—his temper was volatile, his heart filled with rancor. Such people often lashed out over trivial matters, driven by a thirst for blood.
After all, in the past society, no one would have been so rude. People tended to avoid trouble whenever possible.
"Kill me?" Bai Long's smile only widened, "If I remember correctly, it's illegal to kill in the base city. If you do, you'll be severely punished."
The black-bearded man, thinking Bai Long was frightened, sneered and said, "That's right, you can't kill here. But once you leave, I'll wait for you at the city gates and finish you off. So, get out of my way, you worthless piece of trash."
Bai Long tilted his head to look at Yue Heng and said, "He's insulting me."
Yue Heng nodded. "Indeed, he called you worthless."
Bai Long said, "He also said we're blocking his way."
"Exactly," Yue Heng affirmed.
"Then..." Bai Long turned to Ye Chen, "Since he says we're blocking the road, it would be rude not to, right?"
Ye Chen nodded slightly, and the group shared a knowing smile. After two months of battles, they had become highly synchronized. They spread out in a formation, standing in a line that blocked most of the corridor.
"Let's go," Ye Chen stood in the middle and turned, walking toward the exit, ignoring the black-bearded man entirely.
The group formed a straight line, advancing confidently. The black-bearded man stood there, stunned for a moment, before his face twisted in fury. "Damn, we weren't blocking the way, and now you really are!" With a roar, he swung his axe and charged toward them.
The other scattered members who had followed from behind noticed the growing tension between Ye Chen's group and the black-bearded man. They wisely hung back, maintaining a safe distance and watching from afar.
"You little bastards, you're asking for death!" the black-bearded man shouted angrily from behind, his voice full of menace.
"Maybe," Ye Chen said casually, his stride never faltering.
The black-bearded man's face flushed crimson with rage. His body trembled slightly, his eyes glinting with malice, like a predator preparing to strike. "Since you're asking for it, I'll make sure you get it."
"Boss, you can't kill in the base city," the lean youth said, concerned.
The black-bearded man slapped him across the face, snarling, "Shut up, useless! I don't care about this damned base city!" The slap left the youth's face swollen, and he felt a mix of anger and helplessness. "This fool has a big chest but a tiny brain. How can someone be this dumb? Damn it, I'm so unlucky."
"You're going to kill us?" Ye Chen turned his head, his tone indifferent.
"Scared? If you are, kneel down and beg me to spare you!" the black-bearded man growled, his eyes filled with savage glee.
Ye Chen's voice was cold. "I just hope you'll do it quickly."
"You..." The black-bearded man glared at him, his anger surging. He no longer cared about the rules. With a furious roar, he swung his fire axe toward Ye Chen's head.
The axe moved with lightning speed, cutting through the air with a whistle that sent a shiver down everyone's spine. Those who were watching from a distance gasped in shock, too frightened to make a sound.
But the expected sound of a skull splitting never came. The razor-sharp fire axe was effortlessly stopped, held between two slender fingers.
Lightly, as though picking up a chopstick.
"Is this how you plan to kill me?" Ye Chen twisted his fingers, easily pulling the axe from the man's grip. He then casually gripped the handle and swung it, his motion effortless, slicing cleanly through the black-bearded man's neck.
"Thud."
The head fell to the ground like a kicked ball, blood gushing from the severed neck.
"Ah..." The remaining six or seven members, both men and women, screamed in terror. It wasn't the bloodshed that scared them; it was Ye Chen's overwhelming power.
"Our captain was so strong! He could lift 500kg, and even kill zombies with one strike. I never thought he'd be killed in a single move like this."
"Who the hell is this person? He's too powerful."
"A person this strong should have been leading the military by now."
As they heard their frightened murmurs, Ye Chen cast a cold glance at them and said, "I'll spare you this time. But don't let me see you again."
The group, relieved, hurriedly nodded in agreement.
For them, their team's bond was purely utilitarian. They had no emotional attachment to the black-bearded man, and his death didn't warrant any regret. After all, they were strangers, bound only by mutual need.
Ye Chen casually discarded the fire axe as if it were trash and continued walking.
He had killed the black-bearded man in self-defense. But killing the others, even if they provoked him, would violate the rules of the base city. Though he wasn't afraid of punishment, it was unnecessary to escalate matters at the start. He still hoped to profit from the city's market expansion in the future.
Besides, these people were insignificant to him, like ants—hardly a threat. Any wise person would understand that provoking someone stronger over a dead man was highly imprudent.
Unless, of course, there was a deep emotional connection.
But judging by the looks on their faces, their only fear was for their own lives after witnessing the black-bearded man's death.
The group exited the corridor, stepping into a large grassy field.
A man in professional attire approached them, briefly glancing at Ye Chen and the others before speaking indifferently, "I'm your instructor. You'll be undergoing a test now. I hope you all pass."
Just then, an assistant walked up and whispered something in the instructor's ear. Immediately, the instructor furrowed his brows and glanced at Ye Chen, his tone turning cold. "Don't you know the rules of the base city? You're not allowed to harm anyone here."
Ye Chen casually replied, "I didn't harm anyone."
"You're still lying!" the instructor snapped angrily.
Ye Chen responded flatly, "I simply killed someone by accident. It was purely self-defense."
The instructor almost spat blood, glaring at Ye Chen. "Who can prove it was self-defense?"
"They can..." Ye Chen pointed to the lean man and his companions. The instructor had likely learned of the incident quickly due to cameras in the corridor, though the poor lighting made it difficult to see the details, only confirming that someone had died.
In any case, when establishing a base city, an essential feature would be a power station. Though rebuilding one was unfeasible, a nearby functioning station could be incorporated into the city.
After all, electricity was essential.
However, it was used sparingly. Power-hungry devices like elevators were shut down, while surveillance equipment, which had a small power draw and was crucial for security, remained operational.
When the assistant confirmed the situation, the lean man and the others, still processing what had happened, nodded reluctantly. "Yes, it was that man who attacked first. Ye Chen acted in self-defense and accidentally killed him."
At this point, they quickly distanced themselves from the black-bearded man, realizing the only way to survive was to submit.
The instructor, seeing the evidence, had no choice but to relent. In the base city, murder was forbidden, but self-defense was another matter.
He sighed and waved them off. "Fine, go ahead with your test."
The group was led to the center of a sports field, surrounded by various fitness equipment.
"The test is simple," the instructor announced loudly. "First, do 100 push-ups in three minutes. Second, do 50 sit-ups in two minutes. Third, lift a 25kg stone over your head."
Indeed, these tasks were easy enough for an average, fit person to complete.