Nan Yue and the others were already in the SUV. They had rested for five days, and the tunnel behind them had stabilized. They had already met with the researchers sent from within the city state.
This place would be left to them for further research and reinforcement.
For Nan Yue and her team, it was time to enter the next pollution zone.
"Safe travels, Nan Yue."
"I'll be waiting for your return."
Nan Yue and her team drove into the pollution zone in the morning. Normally, there was no concept of time in a pollution zone, but now that the Sharp Blade researchers had moved in, they had not only stabilized the tunnel but also brought accurate timekeeping.
Nan Yue and her team bid farewell to the researchers they had grown somewhat familiar with. She asked Jiang Haoyu once more if he wanted to stay behind, and after receiving a negative answer, the New World Squad's first team set off on their journey together.
The five researchers stood at the end of the tunnel, watching as the massive SUV disappeared into the darkness.
"Do you think... they'll make it back?"
"They definitely will. This is the first squad, and Nan Yue managed to jump into the Top 10 in just half a year. She's no ordinary person."
"I know, but I always feel like we're being a bit despicable, piling all the burdens onto them."
"...They are the ones holding the torches high. All we can do is guard the rear. Once the tunnel stability test passes today, the infrastructure group can move in. This place will be the final retreat for everyone once we go to war with the Federation."
...
No one in Nan Yue's group heard the words behind them. The moment they left the tunnel, they were swallowed by darkness. Just like when they first left the city state, they lost their sense of direction and time.
After driving forward for about half an hour, Gu Xiang Kai spoke up to complain, "I can't see a thing. I don't even know if we're driving in circles. Why haven't we entered the pollution zone yet?"
Nan Yue was in the passenger seat. She couldn't see Gu Xiang Kai either, but she could feel the car moving. Even with the overhead lights on, the visibility was extremely limited.
"The previous pollution zone was cleared out to be quite large, so we probably have to drive a bit further."
As soon as she finished speaking, their field of vision suddenly opened up. While it wasn't exactly bright, they could at least see the people next to them.
Nan Yue glanced around; everyone was present, so she began to survey this pollution world.
This was a... Nan Yue frowned. It could barely be called a residential complex.
It was closer to an urban village, with the distance between buildings being ridiculously narrow. If you pushed open a window, you could practically crawl into the neighbor's house across the way.
The exterior walls of the buildings were a dismal gray, marked by deep, aged water stains that had seeped into the walls from years of wind and rain.
They trailed down in long streaks, looking like the tears of an old building.
She wasn't sure what architectural style it was, but the residential buildings in front of them didn't have indoor stairs; instead, they were equipped with external iron staircases.
The iron stairs connected the five-story old buildings. The rust-covered steps didn't look safe at all; Nan Yue could already imagine the groans the stairs would make when stepped on.
The buildings here were decorated with colorful neon signs. Even though it wasn't late at night yet, the lights were constantly on. However, because they were so old, no matter what color the tubes were, they all emitted a faded, whitish glow.
"Sister Min's Barbershop"
"Wu's Clinic"
"Sister Deng's Wontons"
One by one, the eerie, flickering neon signs emitted a faint buzzing sound. Some characters flickered twice before going dark, forming unfamiliar and strange symbols.
At the base of the building was a circle painted in white, with red characters faintly visible inside.
Demolition.
"Are you... also here to rent a room?"
Nan Yue turned around. Behind them was a boy carrying a backpack and dragging a suitcase, looking them over.
The boy's clothes were simple, and his hands were somewhat rough, clearly a child from a poor family.
He was dragging a suitcase with only three wheels and a caved-in side. Seeing Nan Yue looking at him, he clutched his jacket a bit awkwardly.
"Yes. Are you here to rent a room too?"
The boy looked at the group. He probably felt that their clothing was out of place in this dilapidated urban village, so his words were a bit hesitant.
"Yes... I saw in the newspaper that the rent here is cheap."
Nan Yue nodded. "Let's go together."
She looked at the boy. "Do you need help?"
The boy's face flushed, and he said loudly, "No, thank you."
"The rent might be cheap, but this location is quite remote," Nan Yue said as she walked beside the boy.
The boy smiled at her words. "I just arrived in the city. Only the rent here is affordable. Besides, my job is right next door, so it's not that far."
"On the other hand, why would people like you come here?"
One could tell at a glance that the boy hadn't had much contact with the outside world. His eyes were clear and innocent, and he was very trusting of these strangers.
Nan Yue smiled. "I'll tell you later."
She didn't know if this world had given them any identities yet, so a reckless answer might ruin things.
The boy didn't doubt her. Holding onto the idea of being kind to others while working away from home, he proactively introduced himself, "My name is Shi Xiaojie."
"Let's go up first. I'm worried the good rooms will be gone."
Nan Yue forced a wry smile. "The conditions might be poor, but I suppose there's still a difference between the good and bad ones."
Shi Xiaojie nodded and quickened his pace, completely unaware that none of the people beside him had given their names.
The group exchanged looks. Everything was unclear right now. They might not even be here to rent rooms, but following him to take a look was a good idea.
Nan Yue and the others now had backpacks on them. They weren't heavy for their physical strength, but there were definitely things inside. It just wasn't convenient to look through them right now.
Jiang Haoyu, however, was quite clever. Walking at the very back, he swung his bag to his front and quietly rummaged through it.
There wasn't much in his bag—a few sets of clothes and toiletries. What caught his attention was an ID card and a newspaper, both tucked inside a thick notebook.
Jiang Haoyu pulled out the notebook and took a look. The newspaper inside was wrinkled and had a rental advertisement circled in red ink. The address was on the second floor of this place: Xuanhe Court.
The tiny advertisement in the newspaper was no larger than a fingernail, with dense text that forced Jiang Haoyu to squint.
"7 vacant rooms, 120 yuan a month, short-term rentals available."
He pulled out the ID card. He had thought it was a personal ID, but to his surprise, it was a press card.
The ID didn't look like a cheap toy card made by himself; it was a legitimate document with an official seal.
Mingmu News Studio.
His name and photo were on the ID. The name was his original name, and his position was trainee reporter.
Jiang Haoyu tucked the ID back into his bag, nudged Zhu Xi Ning who was shielding his movements, and whispered a few words to her.
Zhu Xi Ning had also found a phone in her trouser pocket and was currently examining it.
Rate on N.U.
