Although Jiang Huai had already sensed the unusual nature of the other group, his attitude made him realize even more deeply the true strength of these individuals.
He felt a sense of relief now.
Fortunately, he hadn't acted rashly earlier.
Otherwise, the situation could have escalated in unpredictable ways.
"Brother Jiang Huai, are you exaggerating their strength? In my opinion, they're just average," Wang Qingdong said dismissively, leaning back in the passenger seat.
"Just average? And yet you got beaten so badly! Don't you have any self-awareness?!" Wang Dahai roared, nearly bursting Wang Qingdong's eardrums.
Wang Dahai continued to berate his son with a mix of frustration and disappointment. "If only you'd put more effort into learning martial arts and shooting! But no, you just waste your time chasing women or hanging out with your worthless friends at bars. Your brain is probably already mush!"
Wang Qingdong: !!
Look who you're talking about!
Before you criticize me, why don't you take a good look at yourself!
Of course, he dared not speak these words aloud.
His father's fists were not to be taken lightly.
They might be even more brutal than the beating he had just received.
He pursed his lips and remained silent.
The convoy moved swiftly forward.
As the sky began to darken, they finally caught sight of a large military training camp nestled at the foot of a mountain.
The camp was vast, surrounded by earthen walls reinforced with metal.
A deep trench had been dug outside the walls.
Beyond the trench, a barbed wire fence had been erected.
The barbed wire was studded with sharp spikes, many of which were stained with dried blood.
Some spikes even had remnants of decaying flesh from zombies.
On the tall walls, guards patrolled at regular intervals.
Even along the barbed wire, sentries kept a watchful eye.
These guards stood tall and alert, their expressions serious, showing no signs of laxity.
The disciplined and solemn atmosphere made it clear that these were well-trained professionals, not just random civilians pressed into service.
Seeing the familiar base gate, Yun Xiaoxiao's eyes flickered with a subtle emotion.
This was the place where she had spent the most time in her previous life.
Those five years here were the most stable and peaceful she had known.
It was here that she learned to read and write, and where she trained with Lu Chen in various killing techniques.
However, this place had also brought her much unhappiness.
The zombie siege, for instance, had shattered her peaceful existence.
Lu Chen's death, the destruction of the base, and the tragic demise of many friends...
Noticing Yun Xiaoxiao's unease, Lu Chen frowned.
He suddenly recalled that Yun Xiaoxiao had once mentioned the place where she died in her previous life...
He glanced up at the base gate in the distance.
It seemed to be the Western Base!
He now understood the source of her emotional turmoil.
"It's all in the past," he comforted her.
Yun Xiaoxiao nodded. "Yes, it's all in the past."
Ling Jing, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow.
His gaze shifted between Yun Xiaoxiao and Lu Chen, his eyes filled with scrutiny and curiosity.
There must be some secret between these two that others were unaware of.
The convoy came to a halt at the base gate.
A man in a military coat, holding a rifle, approached the barbed wire fence.
He asked Yun Xiaoxiao and the others about their identities, his expression serious.
Upon learning that they were guests from major bases, he quickly stepped aside to inform the base using a walkie-talkie.
Soon, the gate opened.
A military jeep emerged from within.
The vehicle drove through the gate, crossed the bridge over the trench, and stopped in front of the barbed wire fence.
A man in a green military coat stepped out.
"Hello, I'm Hao Ren from the Western Base."
"Hao Ren? Ha! That's good, at least not a bad guy," Nie Yizhou chuckled quietly from the back.
Xiao Feng, standing next to him, gave him a look of disdain.
"Can you be serious for once?"
"How am I not being serious? Tell me, what part of me isn't?" Nie Yizhou retorted.
"I can't be bothered to argue with you. It's a waste of breath," Xiao Feng rolled his eyes.
"You think I care to talk to you? Your temper stinks like rotten eggs."
Xiao Feng: !!
If not for the inappropriate setting, the two would have surely engaged in a "friendly" sparring match.
"Please follow me inside. The meeting will begin tomorrow, so for now, I'll take you to your accommodations to rest," Hao Ren said humbly.
Of course, before entering, they had to go through the routine check to ensure the safety of the base's inhabitants.
After confirming that everything was in order, they were allowed to proceed.
Everyone got back into their vehicles and followed Hao Ren into the base.
Inside the base, in addition to the original barracks, several new buildings had been constructed.
Unlike the earthen structures, these were brick buildings similar to the barracks.
The base had expanded far beyond the original military training camp, covering a much wider area.
Survivors within the base lived in an orderly manner.
Some were washing clothes, others were making small crafts, chopping wood, cooking, running, practicing martial arts, or training with crossbows and other weapons...
The survivors' lives were well-organized.
Almost everyone had a task to fulfill.
Even the children participated, running and undergoing basic training.
Yun Xiaoxiao's gaze fell on a few children running on the playground.
She raised an eyebrow.
She recognized them; they were the ones who had ostracized her back then.
However, she had never taken them seriously.
Ostracizing her? As long as she didn't care, it didn't matter.
In fact, it was she who looked down on them.
After all, in the face of absolute strength, everything else was insignificant.
In her previous life, as a member of the base, she had to follow the rules and train alongside the other children.
Lu Chen, in order to obtain more supplies, often had to go on missions and couldn't always be by her side.
So, most of her time was spent training on the playground or practicing on her own.
Only when Lu Chen returned would he give her additional training.
However, she had a high level of comprehension and a strong learning ability.
Lu Chen usually only had to teach her once or twice for her to grasp the essence.
The rest was up to her to explore, train, and practice.
As a result, whenever these people tried to cause trouble for her, they would end up crying after being beaten by her.
Over time, they stopped bothering her.
Of course, they also ostracized her even more.
The past, like fleeting clouds, passed before Yun Xiaoxiao's eyes.
Although there had been some minor conflicts with these people in her previous life, now they seemed trivial.
After all, the images of their tragic deaths still lingered in her mind.
Seeing these familiar faces alive and well brought a sense of relief to Yun Xiaoxiao's heart.
Soon, they passed through the training area and arrived at a five-story white building.
"Your rooms are upstairs. Please follow me," Hao Ren said, leading Yun Xiaoxiao and the others into the building.
After showing them to their rooms, he added, "Please take some time to rest. We've prepared dinner for you, and someone will notify you shortly and guide you to the dining area."
