translator: xiin
editors: apricot & juurensha

Wu Guoan bitterly recalled memories of the past, “… Later, when we arrived at the communal lodgings, Yang Wenhao took us in. Don't blame him, Brother Sa. He was very regretful, and it was hard on him. He always wanted to apologize to you. He said he was wrong. Wenjie died, Aunt Fang died, Fang Cong scratched w.a.n.g Qi, w.a.n.g Qi grabbed Big Wu, and many brothers became zombies. Brother Sa… Little Hao, Little Hao was only eight years old and was eaten alive by w.a.n.g Qi…"

Wu Guoan's voice was choked with sobs, bursting into tears as he spoke. They all said that men did not shed tears lightly; at this time, he had probably reached the peak of his heartache. The suffering he had repressed for so long all came rus.h.i.+ng out after seeing Xiao Sa again. It was as though he had found an outlet, and all the fears and hesitations he had felt ever since the apocalypse began tumbled out. 

Facing this, Xiao Sa was silent. He couldn't describe what he felt in his heart. He felt a little moved and yet also a little distanced, as though things were as they should be. He only knew one thing – it wasn't hard to imagine what happened to his old group after they split; the people there had all been supporting their families and bringing along extra burdens. Even if they had enough supplies, their final result was as expected.

Bai Jing didn't have as many thoughts about it. His thoughts and heart had always been petty, and he wouldn't forget the aggression those people had shown when Xiao Sa left. Although he didn't light up with joy at their misfortune, he couldn't help thinking maliciously that those people ultimately got what they deserved. 

They didn't make any stops during the journey and arrived in K City in the afternoon. There were many people in line at the entrance. Since they were with the Cheetah Mercenary Corps, Xiao Sa and Bai Jing were barely interrogated, and after checking that their bodies were free of wounds, they successfully entered the inner section of the base. 

Like most bases, K City's base was divided into two sections, the inner city and outer city. There were four zones in the inner city, namely the residential zone, the ability user zone, the mercenary zone, and the management zone that belonged to those who ran the base. Bai Jing easily found a decent place to stay by trading away a box of instant noodles and turned down Li Xun's invitation. After setting up a time to meet the next day, they parted ways with Li Xun and the others. Of course, Wu Guoan was d.a.m.ned shameless and followed them instead.

Having a little guy around wasn't bad. He helped out and worked hard, tidying up the room and dealing with any troublesome diplomatic affairs. Bai Jing was very satisfied with this and even showed Wu Guoan a rare happy expression. After being on the road for a few days, he could finally relax his mind a little and recover properly for a while.

Wu Guoan was flattered and became more efficient in his work. He didn't know much about Bai Jing, but regardless of whether it was what he had heard from others, or what he'd seen with his own eyes, it was enough for him to understand Bai Jing's actions and arrogance. If other people acted the way he did, Wu Guoan would definitely say that the other party was too idle and wanted to shorten their lives, but if it was Bai Jing, Wu Guoan could swear to heaven that other than deep awe and fear, he didn't feel anything else at all. When faced with Xiao Sa, Wu Guoan could still rely on their old relations.h.i.+p, but he intuitively believed that he could never afford to face the consequences of offending Bai Jing.

This was the difference between a genuine little man and a big husband!

After tidying up the room and leaving Wu Guoan to guard the door, Bai Jing was in high spirits and pulled Xiao Sa away with him to stroll through the base.

Generally speaking, Xiao Sa would always go along with any of Bai Jing's requests. Of course, this time was no exception. Although what Xiao Sa really wanted to do was engage in some good physical and mental activities in their room, it was still early right now, and they still had the rest of the evening.

Xiao Sa's heart was full of twists and turns as he indulgently smiled at Bai Jing. It didn't show on his face at all, but on the inside, he was wracking his brains on how to arrange tonight's activities so that Little Jing would allow himself to be eaten. 

After leaving their room, Bai Jing s.h.i.+vered, suddenly feeling a little chilled. Looking around, he felt that he was just paranoid. Based on his and Xiao Sa's strength alone, he didn't believe that people would provoke those who were far above them in strength. However, what he didn't know was that it was really impossible to guard against the wolf by his side… 

K City Base's market was near the outskirts of the base. It wasn't far from the outer city and attracted a large variety of people who traded goods in an array of ways. The two of them wandered around then went to the Missions Hall.

It wasn't too late at this time,  around 6PM, and the sky hadn't yet turned dark. There weren't many people in the Missions Hall. Apart from the staff, there were only a few scattered people left. They looked a bit awkward and dusty and appeared to be there to hand in their completed tasks.

Upon discovering new faces, mercenaries would first observe the situation, but the eyes of the Mission Hall staff  brightened. There weren't many people left with ruddy faces and decent clothing during the end of the world, unless they were powerful or had powerful backers. However, no matter what kind of person they were, they were still people that most couldn't afford to provoke. The current times weren't like how they were prior to the apocalypse, where any casual person with some small background would be able to eat and dress well without any worries.

“h.e.l.lo, two sirs. Are you new to K City Base?” The staff greeted them warmly. Compared to the two people who had come over to hand in a mission, he expected these two to issue one. Supplies were now more and more difficult to come by. 

Xiao Sa nodded once when he heard the question, looking carelessly around the hall and finally focusing his attention on the mercenary ranking list on the left wall of the hall. Unexpectedly, the Cheetah Mercenary Corps was the second largest mercenary regiment in the K City Base; he and Xiao Jing had good judgement. 

Bai Jing smiled widely and blended into the background as he looked curiously at the other mercenaries, secretly a.s.sessing their strength and calculating whether or not they could be pulled to act together. He had decided that they needed to build up a strong team on the way to the Capital. He had been unable to get his revenge in his last life, but if anyone dared to plot against him in this life, they needed to understand that he would undergo a baptism in blood.

The problem was… would the Zhou Family let him go? Bai Jing sneered. In fact, he knew very clearly that unless the sun began to rise from the west, it was impossible for the Zhou Family not to look for trouble with him. However the him of today was no longer the same ignorant wretch from his previous life.

“What can I do for you?” The staff member continued his efforts and did not complain about Xiao Sa's slight. Rather, he became more enthusiastic. n.o.body who had been able to survive up until now lacked vision or judgement.

“We are going to the Capital." Xiao Sa spoke calmly. He didn't mind putting down some bait. 

The staff member's eyes brightened then dimmed again, hiding the gloom in his gaze. He spoke with a hint of regret, "Brother, you're probably unaware that the Capital is now under martial law. People can leave, but they can't get in. Otherwise, why would we stay and pa.s.s our days here? Everyone knows that the military defences of the Capital are the best." 

“He's right. A lot of people have been expelled from the capital. The military used force to completely deter them, and rioters have been killed for no reason at all.” One of the mercenaries suddenly interjected, his voice calm and strong, quietly focusing his stare on them after speaking.

Xiao Sa raised his brows and didn't answer. Today, he had only come to test out the waters and had no intention of revealing his cards. He asked instead, "Which mercenary regiment do you belong to?"

“We are from the Raging Fire Mercenary Corps. I am Zou Lei, an ice ability user.” Zou Lei's reply was gentle and courteous, but his tone held obvious self-satisfaction.

Xiao Sa's eyes flashed with a trace of surprise. It turned out that he was from the top mercenary regiment in K City. He indeed had the right to be proud. He calmly spoke again, "I'm Xiao Sa, and he's Bai Jing." 

Zou Lei was somewhat dissatisfied with Xiao Sa's overly insincere introduction, but if they had been too honest, he wouldn't have respected them either. He laughed and asked, "You guys have people in the Capital?"

Xiao Sa's lips curved up. When coupled with his stern face, it appeared a bit mysterious. He patted Zou Lei on the shoulder, then walked straight past him to the mercenary registration counter and chatted with the staff member there. Regarding the rest, some words were better left unsaid. If the Raging Fire Mercenary Corps had the strength, they would be able to obtain information about them very quickly. He believed that by the time he stepped out of this door, the news that someone wanted to go to the Capital would definitely spread throughout K City Base. All he needed to do now was wait.

It had to be said that he had picked a good time today, coming in just as the scavenging teams returned to hand in their tasks. After glancing around at everyone in the hall, Xiao Sa nodded his head, very satisfied with the results.

They didn't remain for long. They had achieved their purpose, so the two of them wandered around outside again and gained a basic understanding of the situation here. They still needed to fight a hard fight tonight. 

What they didn't know was that after they left, various factions rushed back to their bases and discussed in a flurry; were these two new faces genuine prodigal sons? Or were they fat sheep? Or were they a new force that was worth trusting? They would first need to take a look before discussing any further.

Tonight was bound to be a sleepless night…