72 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

In a state of newfound silence, Liu Zi was completely taken aback by what she had just witnessed. She never anticipated that the women would exhibit such remarkable combat skills. It seemed even their squad's martial arts champion would be no match for these two formidable women. As for why the soldiers at the base's entrance didn't intervene, it was because they had encountered such situations too often. Whenever they stepped in to stop thugs from bullying women and children, the troublemakers would often laugh it off and escape consequences. Yet within the base, women, Omegas, and children would still end up as victims. As soldiers, there were strict rules prohibiting them from getting involved, but self-defense was another matter altogether. So when those thugs faced a beating, the soldiers simply pretended not to see it. Nevertheless, fearing that dead bodies might attract zombies due to decay, a few soldiers stepped in to handle the corpses. Two soldiers approached Chen Wan's group to inquire symbolically about what had just happened. Chen Wan, maintaining a composed demeanor, replied, "These men attempted to assault us, so we had no choice but to defend ourselves. You've witnessed what transpired; we successfully protected ourselves." One soldier nodded, acknowledging their defensive act. "The base doesn't encourage fighting, but self-defense is allowed. All right, nothing more to see, continue queuing." "Thank you," Chen Wan said with a casual nod of gratitude. After the exchange, an eerie silence descended once again over the queue, with even the most audacious men fearful that their comments might land them in the same predicament as those defeated earlier. Chen Wan observed everything coldly. Despite their attempt to keep a low profile, if some insisted on courting disaster, she wouldn't stop them. Sometimes, retreating only encouraged others to press further. Chen Wan resolved not to lay low anymore. Given their powerful skillset, keeping a low profile was never an option. It was better to be overt and make it clear to everyone: if you don’t want trouble, don’t invite it. True enough, once they had taken action, the world around them fell silent. Those who had been gossiping also held their tongues. Chen Wan believed that as long as the objective was achieved, the method didn’t matter. Moreover, she was genuinely angered. If they were ordinary individuals, what would have been their fate? The answer was all too clear. The recent incident had instilled a somber mood in the line. People began quietly queuing for their turn to enter a room adjacent to the base gate for a body and luggage inspection. Behind Chen Wan, many people continued lining up. Shortly after, a small squad of four people approached. Comprising two alphas and two betas, these individuals believed themselves to be quite formidable. The leader, a Fatty, frequently glanced toward Chen Wan and her companions. "Hey, those gals look quite something. Too bad two of them are alphas. Should we go say hi?" Fatty asked his comrades. "Sure, they seem lonely enough, probably don’t have anyone with them," a tall, thin man immediately replied. In front of them, a Cowboy overheard and kindly turned around to advise them, "I suggest you don't approach. A whole group just died after doing that, and the bloodstains on the ground haven’t even dried." "Who the hell cares about your opinion? Do you like those women too?" Fatty narrowed his eyes at the Cowboy, seemingly ready for a fight. "If you don’t believe me, just go ahead. Why do you think the line is so quiet? Because people died earlier," Cowboy added before turning away, ignoring the men behind him. "I don’t buy it. Let’s check it out," Fatty said, nodding to his companions and casually sauntering toward Chen Wan and her team. Many took notice of the situation, their eyes filled with dread and pity as they looked at Fatty. He, bewildered by their gazes, caught sight of Chen Wan’s shirt, which still bore traces of yet-to-dry blood. Feeling uneasy upon meeting Chen Wan's calm eyes, Fatty swallowed hard and quickly returned to his group. "What happened, Fatty? You didn’t even say a word, why back so soon?" one of his teammates questioned. "Those women are off somehow, especially the one leading. Her shirt has blood on it, and her eyes are really scary. Seriously, why hasn’t anyone else tried to chat them up? There’s got to be something wrong," Fatty analyzed, prompting his teammates, who were no fools, to settle down. Chen Wan, however, was growing impatient. If these men were so shameless as to taunt and chat up women publicly, what would happen when no one was watching? Her fists clenched involuntarily, and despite Fatty having already retreated, her anger did not subside. She had even considered marching over to deal with Fatty. Ultimately, she restrained herself. The atmosphere in the queue grew heavy from the earlier event. Yet, the women and Omegas felt a tad more secure due to Chen Wan’s actions, while the male alphas and betas exercised more restraint. For good reason: no one wanted to face annihilation like those men did, rendered unable to rise by the mere response of a few women. After about an hour of waiting, it was finally Chen Wan’s group's turn. They handed over their four backpacks, along with the six from the defeated men, for inspection. A soldier, around the age of twenty, addressed them, "Each of you, go into the room for a check. After passing, exit through the safe door. If you fail, there will be a notification. Unqualified individuals aren’t permitted entry into the base. Also, after passing, don’t use the doors marked 'A' or 'B.' Use the unmarked door." Chen Wan nodded and was the first to enter. Inside, a massive machine awaited, designed to scan individuals standing in a designated spot. The process was brief, lasting mere seconds, after which a mechanical voice announced, "Checkup complete. Please proceed through the safe entrance." Following the instructions, Chen Wan exited the room to find a series of tents, within which soldiers sat. One of them inquired, "Are you five including the child together?" "Yes, we are," Chen Wan confirmed. "Alright, your vehicle has been confiscated by the base, converting into 50 points. The six machetes have also been collected, converting into 30 points. Here are eight tickets, each worth 10 points. They function as currency within the base. One point can exchange for a loaf of bread at a shop. If you need smaller denominations, you can exchange them at conversion points or here." The soldier gave additional advice, seeing as Chen Wan's group were all women. Chen Wan nodded and requested, "Could you please convert all 30 points into ones? It will be easier to use. Thank you." Surprised by the gratitude, the soldier obliged and exchanged the points. Noticing a child in their group, she lowered her voice and advised, "Keep your points safe. Be cautious and wary of those who approach to offer goodwill." Then, without missing a beat, the soldier returned to their duties, as if the conversation hadn't happened. Chen Wan gathered the tickets, expressing her gratitude once more, and waited for Jiang Yan Xin and the others. Jiang Yan Xin was second to emerge, cradling her child, followed by Qin Ke, and lastly Yi Yi. Fortunately, as Yi Yi had speculated, the machine didn't detect her true condition. Soldiers conducting the inspection raised their concerns, "There are prohibited items in your bags. Hand over all pocket knives." Glancing at the bags, Chen Wan noticed they weren’t her original pack, but those belonging to the incapacitated men. After much effort, they managed to retrieve the daggers. Among the contents of the bag she carried were a variety of items, including men's clothes, food, liquor, cigarettes, and a lighter. Without closely examining them, she handed over the pocket knives and zipped up her backpack. Each woman in the team—Chen Wan, Qin Ke, and Yi Yi—strapped on three backpacks, while Jiang Yan Xin, occupied with her child, carried one. Passing by the first points conversion tent, they approached the second tent, where a soldier gave Chen Wan a cardboard card, stating, "This is your allocated accommodation: Tent 1267 in Area D. Head to that area to find your place." Having taken a glance at the card, Chen Wan understood it likely signified a less desirable area within the base, potentially the most chaotic. Once they emerged from the security check area, Chen Wan and her group immediately drew attention. Their striking appearances, coupled with Jiang Yan Xin carrying a seemingly defenseless baby, and backpacks full of supplies made them instant targets. Several groups fixed their sights on them, oblivious to the earlier events outside, and acted without restraint. Several unsavory men whistled at them, their mocking voices echoing loudly. Of course, the scene attracted onlookers eager for drama. "Hey, pretty ladies, our rule here is newcomers pay a protection fee. Hand over half your points, and big brother here will look out for you." Er Hu, infamous in Zone D as a major thug, preyed on newcomers straight out of the security checks. His modus operandi was exploiting the defenselessness of those too scared to oppose him, hoping to bed the attractive women and male Omegas among them. Many girls and male Omegas, intimidated by the gang surrounding them, succumbed out of fear, some even ending up with Er Hu. Unfortunately, this was just a common phenomenon within the base. In A and B Zones, the situation was considerably better, thanks to restricted access maintained by the checkpoint guards who kept ordinary folks from Zones C and D out. Residents of these zones were so-called elite individuals—people wielding core technologies, political figures, or wealthy merchants with vast resources. Access to reside there was limited to influential figures spanning all sectors. Accommodations ranged from apartment suites to even presidential suites for the truly significant, affording a lifestyle more luxurious than pre-apocalypse days. In contrast, C and D Zones served as quarters for the common people. The wide-open entrances to these areas were unguarded, resulting in rampant chaos. The conditions in Zone C were slightly better, housing 20 residents per tent. Zone D, at the bottom of the hierarchy, crammed up to 30 individuals in a tent not much larger, which often led to violent altercations over sleeping space. With deaths amidst these fights considered commonplace, the soldiers initially attempted interventions. However, as their duties multiplied, they redirected their protection efforts increasingly towards safeguarding A and B Zone residents. As long as the residents of C and D Zones weren't getting killed by zombies, internal brawls or harassment incidents fell beyond the soldiers' scope to address. The primary focus was on defending Zones A and B, repelling nearby zombies, managing external supply runs, and transporting survivors from other regions. These duties exhausted the soldiers' resources entirely. Following orders, their priority was the safety of Zones A and B residents. C and D Zones were mere afterthoughts for containment, with few willing to intervene in the dire conditions they endured.