After a whole night’s rest, Su Mo still made two large pots of porridge to fill the soldiers’ bellies before they set off.
No one mentioned Lu Chen’s upgrade, and Li Qian didn’t say anything extra, just saw him take a car out of the Space and fill it with fuel.
Ling Ye’s clothes were still damp, Su Niang took him by the hand along with his semi-dry clothes and got on the car, and Li Qian chuckled at the sight of his bare legs.
The clothes Su Mo lent to Ling Ye were several sizes too big, hanging loosely and covering his whole little bottom, the red cardigan on him added a touch of feminine softness to his little face.
"Looks pretty suitable," Su Mo surveyed him up and down.
Jianxiong turned around from the driver’s seat and said in a gruff voice, "Looks like a little girl."
Ling Ye bristled at his comment, "That’s nonsense!"
Su Niang tried to smooth things over, "That’s right, don’t listen to your Uncle Xiong talking nonsense, Ye Zi is a real man."
Su Mo was in high spirits as she settled into the trunk with Lu Chen.
When Zhao Changsheng got in the car, she was hanging her head, her face etched with sorrow.
Su Mo really felt helpless about her; some things she had to work through on her own.
Past Yan City, they were getting close to City B, and there were more and more pedestrians on the road, quite a few walking in twos and threes.
Aside from the stinking bodies of zombies lying on the ground, not a single living one was seen, as if the whole area had been thoroughly cleaned out.
Rong Bai and Li Chuan found vehicles for themselves along the way, to which Lu Chen added fuel, and Su Mo charged Li Chuan five Level 3 Spider Crystal Stones.
The rest of the main force followed behind at a jog.
She was quite satisfied with this transaction, saving up a bit more for her companions, for what’s the harm in strengthening one’s own power?
People became more numerous, and as they approached City B, they slowed down their vehicles.
All the regular convoys and superpower users following them departed; for those folks, City B represented the start of a new life away from here.
There were still cars waiting to enter the city ahead.
"There are too many people," Jianxiong stuck his head out to look at the long line ahead and then retracted it to complain, "At this rate, we might not even get in before dark."
They couldn’t even find the gate, with people all around them.
Su Mo and the others were in the car without opening the windows, most of the pedestrians outside disheveled and grubby, having suffered considerably on their way here.
"Let’s not be anxious, we’ve arrived anyway," she leaned back in the trunk and said, her heart feeling a trace of nervousness at the thought of meeting Lu Chen’s parents.
Since they were slowly moving forward, they couldn’t stop to eat, so Lu Chen took out some biscuits to tide everyone over.
It was night before they entered the city, but Su Mo caught sight of the towering walls, nearly a hundred meters high, soaring into the clouds, grand and majestic.
She couldn’t help but climb to the front and looked up, "How did they build such an immense wall in such a short time?"
Li Qian leaned forward and looked up at the wall, his voice gentle, "Advanced Earth Element Superpower Users."
Su Mo remembered the girl who had raised earthen walls in the prison and was instantly astounded, "Their speed is indeed astonishing."
A mercenary from Li Chuan’s vehicle disembarked and ran past their car toward the front.
Lu Chen noticed his movements, his lips barely parting, "We won’t have to wait much longer."
When the mercenary ran ahead, he encountered soldiers patrolling outside and, after stating his name, used one of their radios.
Lu Youwei was in a mansion at the center of the base when he received his subordinate’s report, his hand trembled, spilling hot tea onto his pants.
"Lu Li is with Lu Chen?"
"He’s not dead?" Lu Youwei lowered his gaze, suddenly flung his teacup, which shattered on the floor, and said darkly, "We can’t keep this a secret. Go tell Jiang Hai to bring them back to me."
After the subordinate left, the young nanny standing beside him hurriedly cleaned up and left as well.
Sure enough, after receiving a Level 1 order, the external patrol soldiers immediately gathered their troops and forged a path from the base entrance towards Lu Chen and his team’s location.
Everyone else was pushed to the side.
Zhao Xiweng, who was about to join the queue, stumbled and was pushed aside, but luckily Ai Yang helped her, and around them was a murmur of low voices.
"What kind of VIP is entering the city that they need such a grand display?"
"Whatever it is, it’s not something we can afford to provoke."
Mo Yan looked at the annoyed woman beside him and frowned, "Just bear with it, we’ll be inside soon."
Zhao Xiweng nodded, suppressing the discomfort in her heart.
Lu Chen was right, a group of soldiers wielding firearms was rushing towards them.
At their forefront, a young man with an extraordinary presence stood in front of the vehicle, looking serious, "Everyone out of the car."
As soon as he finished speaking, the soldiers surrounding them raised their guns and aimed at them.
A row of dark gun barrels pointed at them, and even Jianxiong, not the brightest, could see what this meant: "They’re trying to put us in our place."
Lu Chen squeezed Su Mo’s hand and looked down at her, "Scared?"
"What do you think?" Su Mo sent him a smile, her eyes carrying a hint of murderous intent.
"Let’s go." Lu Chen opened the trunk, and the group got out of the car.
Li Chuan calmly got out of the car, and when the young soldier who blocked their way first saw him, he buried the disdain in his eyes and saluted him, "Lu Li, I am Chief of Staff Chang sent to escort you."
Li Chuan’s stride halted, and his expression darkened, "Call me Li Chuan."
Chang Sheng didn’t take his threat seriously and turned his gaze towards Lu Chen, with a hint of provocation in his eyes as he stepped forward to greet him.
As he spoke, a crushing aura surged towards Lu Chen.
The man stood there, straight as a rod, not shifting an inch, his expression icy as his gaze locked with Chang Sheng.
"You’re quite impolite," Su Mo said with a smile next to him.
The feeling of being watched by a hunter sent shivers down Chang Sheng’s spine. He cast a glance at Su Mo, lowered his head, retracted his superpower, and his eyes became compliant and respectful, "My apologies for the disrespect earlier. Please, follow me."
"My soldiers?" Rong Bai asked with a stern face, looking serious at Chang Sheng.
Realizing his status, Chang Sheng immediately replied, "Naturally, you’re in charge."
Once confirmed, they got into the car and proceeded unimpeded, with Rong Bai’s soldiers running in formation to keep up.
Those who had been following Rong Bai all along wanted to join them but were stopped.
"What’s going on? I’m with them."
"We’re his people too."
The soldiers guarding the rear aimed their guns directly at them, and this group no longer dared to speak.
They reached the wall smoothly in their vehicles.
A gate wide enough for about ten meters opened below, leading to the inner city, where five medical personnel were stationed. Each held a registration form, and there was a device for scanning the body next to each of them.