73 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan and her group were assigned to the dirtiest and most chaotic Section D. Encountering street thugs like the ones in front of them was an everyday occurrence. Some survivors even handed over all their points to people like Er Hu just to get inside, only to find that living in such conditions was worse than death, subjected to endless extortion from various bullies. This was precisely why Liu Zi had kindly warned Chen Wan against entering the base. Already in a foul mood, Chen Wan fixed a cold gaze on Er Hu, chuckled lightly, and threw all her backpacks onto the ground. Seeing that Chen Wan was not inclined to comply, Er Hu laughed out loud and turned to his gang, "Damn, she's got some fire. I like that." "Bro, she's an Alpha," one of his lackeys reminded him. "All the better. Your brother here has had his share of female Alphas. Besides, conquering one's own kind is more exhilarating. It's all the same to me. Seems like these girls need a lesson, or else we'd be embarrassed at the gate, wouldn't we?" Er Hu couldn't stop laughing, and the eight or nine guys with him laughed along, blocking the way for everyone else exiting security behind Chen Wan's group. "Don't worry, we're collecting protection fees team by team. Once we're done with these ladies, it's your turn. Just wait," Er Hu said, baring yellowed teeth, likely from a lack of toothpaste, making Chen Wan even more disgusted. While Er Hu was still shouting orders and showing off, blocking others behind, Chen Wan was already on the move. With a loud "bang," Er Hu was sent flying by her kick—a literal airborne flight of nearly ten meters, landing hard on the ground. It wasn't clear if he had broken bones or suffered internal injuries, but he coughed up blood and couldn't even get up. The previously noisy crowd fell silent instantly. Everything had happened so fast that many people couldn't comprehend it. Qin Ke, seeing Chen Wan take action, joined in by flipping a male Alpha over her shoulder, locking his neck in a tight grip until he ceased struggling within seconds. Er Hu's remaining seven comrades panicked. They usually relied on their numbers to intimidate with wooden sticks, as carrying regulated weapons was forbidden in the base. The security in Sections C and D was already poor, and knives would only worsen things. The seven men rushed Chen Wan and her team, but Qin Ke dodged one man's attack and, after a few running strides, jumped and slammed her elbow into the man's jaw. As he reeled in pain, her fists rained down like a storm on his face, leaving him bloodied. In the end, he couldn't even hold onto his stick. Qin Ke picked it up and delivered a decisive blow to his head. Chen Wan, on the other hand, had already kicked two more men away and was now engaged with the remaining three. But it was less a fight and more of a massacre. Chen Wan, holding back by using only her strength boost without full power, easily overpowered them. She used only seventy to eighty percent of her strength while entirely suppressing her speed. A man in beach shorts swung a stick down on Chen Wan, who caught his wrist. With a slight exertion, a "crack" echoed—the man's wrist bent at a strange angle, and he dropped the stick, clutching his broken wrist in anguish. Chen Wan snatched the stick, dodged a blow from a man in a black shirt, and swung, hitting the beach shorts guy's face with enough force that his features collapsed, leaving him unconscious on the ground. When she turned to face the black-shirted man, he saw his comrades fall one by one and fled. Chen Wan gave chase, hitting him on the back of the head with the stick, leaving him with no strength to escape. Meanwhile, Qin Ke subdued the last standing opponent with a stick to his throat until he stopped moving. In less than ten minutes, the tide had turned. Apart from those who had queued with Chen Wan, everyone else was stunned. Solving the thug problem right at the base's entrance was unheard of, and even distant soldiers took notice. "Those two women are incredible. We'd struggle against them," one soldier whispered to his companion. "Indeed. I've long disliked Er Hu—bullying others, and now he's met his match. Deserved it. Were it not for my uniform, I'd have dealt with him myself," another soldier replied. Chen Wan discarded her makeshift weapon and wiped away the blood splattered on her face, looking at the nine defeated thugs without a change in expression. She coldly scanned the onlookers, announcing, "Anyone else want to die today? I'm in no mood to solve this in waves." The remaining thugs had complained about Er Hu grabbing the prime target first, but now, none dared to speak. Attempting to extort now would just be akin to preparing their own funerals. Chen Wan's piercing gaze swept the surroundings, landing on a skinny man with red hair. Terrified, he dropped to his knees before her, losing all pride. "Sister, I didn't say a word. Spare me, please spare me. I beg you, don't kill me. Here, take this," Hong Mao pleaded, pulling a stack of points vouchers from his pocket and laying them before her, almost in tears. Having seen Chen Wan's skills firsthand, and knowing her partner's formidable nature, he realized they were out of their league. Chen Wan sneered, "Such cowardice. I just want to know how to get to Tent 1267 in Section D." "Ah? I know the way. Sister, I'll guide you myself," Hong Mao sighed in relief, wiping cold sweat from his brow. His burly companions dared not utter a word. Chen Wan shot him a cold look, "Then move. Do I need to invite you?" "No, no need. Sisters, follow me," Hong Mao hurried to lead the way, though his eyes lingered on the points he'd laid down. Sensing her lack of interest, he dared not pick them up, lest he provoke her further. Hong Mao gestured to a nearby comrade, who nodded understandingly, while hurriedly leading Chen Wan and her group through a labyrinth of tents. Those recognizing Hong Mao quickly stepped aside, some obsequiously greeting them. "Pobo, quite the haul today. Where’d you find these ladies, especially an Omega?" a man smoking a cigarette greeted them, unaware of the recent events at the base entrance. Hong Mao, whose real name was Sun Bo, kicked the man's leg, fearing immediate retribution. Raising his hand, he slapped the cigarette man hard. "Blind fool, watch your mouth. After what's happened to Er Hu, don't include me in your death wish." Startled, the man apologized profusely, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Madam. I was unaware. Truly a misunderstanding, won't happen again." Chen Wan paid him no heed, merely fixing a cold look on Hong Mao. "Are you done? When do we leave?" Sweat broke out on Hong Mao’s face. "We'll go now, right now." His respectful demeanor shocked the smoking man. After roughly fifteen minutes, Hong Mao finally led them to Tent 1267 in Section D. Chen Wan pondered for a moment before asking, "What happens if someone goes into heat in this mixed environment?" "Sister, each section has dedicated rooms for those going into heat. If someone is nearing or suddenly enters their heat, they can go to the nearest isolation point for their heat period. Since many people come here in teams and prefer not to be separated, the base initially split tents by gender. But people didn't listen and swapped around as they pleased, so they eventually stopped segregating by gender," Hong Mao explained respectfully, as if Chen Wan were really his older sister. Chen Wan nodded, understanding that in such an environment, people would naturally want to stick together with their own, rather than be separated. As they talked, Hong Mao led Chen Wan and her group to the entrance of Tent 1267 in Section D. The tent flap was lifted, and the odor from the adjacent tents was nearly overwhelming for Chen Wan. With thirty people crammed into a tent in the heat of summer, the smell was predictably stifling.