Twenty-five minutes later, the various teams successfully arrived at their destination.

  If the H City Survivor Base could be described as prosperous, then the I City Survivor Base would be its polar opposite—crude and desolate.

  There was a wall surrounding the base, but it was nowhere near as tall or sturdy as H City's. It wasn’t even made of stone but rather a dull yellow material, likely constructed by Earth-type ability users.

  A checkpoint was set up at the entrance. As soon as the staff heard that people from the three major bases had arrived, they immediately opened the gates.

  The gatekeepers couldn’t contain their emotions and were visibly moved, some even on the verge of tears, their excitement palpable.

  "This way, please, this way."

  "Thank you so much! Truly, we can’t thank you enough for coming to support us!"

  "Your resting area is in the city center. Please follow us. The mayor will personally meet with you later."

  The staff led them forward, where a row of buses was arranged to transport the combat teams. However, the area behind the walls was immediately eye-catching—utter chaos. The survivors were living in appalling conditions.

  Tents?

  The combat teams couldn’t help but glance repeatedly at the tent area, feeling that the situation here was beyond miserable. It was as if the three major bases had already stepped into a new era, while I City was still stuck in the harsh early days of the apocalypse.

  The person assigned to host the 3A Special Operations Team was a young woman, likely in her early twenties. She seemed nervous the entire way.

  It was the 3A team’s first time in I City. With the apocalypse only two months in and the country so vast, it was impossible for them to have been everywhere. The same went for other teams.

  Wang Weihu, unable to hold back his thoughts as he looked at the tent area, asked, "Why are people living like this? Isn’t there enough space inside the city for everyone?"

  The staff member, whose codename was Xiaolu, seemed to choke up at his question. "There are over 200,000 people here. How could there possibly be enough room? When the apocalypse hit, the hidden social hierarchy from before became blatantly visible. The wealthy live in the city center, while the poor can only huddle in tents on the outskirts."

  To live well in the apocalypse, you either had to be extremely rich and powerful before it began or become an ability user afterward.

  For ordinary people with nothing, life was the most humble existence imaginable. They were already giving everything they had just to survive. No matter how hard it was, at least they were still alive.

  Bai Shu asked, "How is your area divided? What’s the food supply like? How many meals a day do people get?"

  Xiaolu seemed eager to answer but clammed up as soon as she noticed nearby patrolling staff.

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  The members of the 3A team exchanged glances, all coming to the same conclusion—this base was likely a mess.

  After all, the central headquarters couldn’t control every single base. And humans being what they were, where there were good people, there were always bad ones. The apocalypse was a global reset, a complete reshuffling of the deck.

  Some would always try to profit from the chaos or even crown themselves as kings of their own little mountains.

  What was even more concerning was that the entrance to this base didn’t display the core values of the apocalypse headquarters—the declaration that no human would be left behind.

  On top of that, the staff here wanted to move the combat teams’ vehicles to another location for parking. Naturally, no one was willing to comply. Unless they were back at their own base, all resources and vehicles were kept in their personal space cards.

  Given how poor the facilities were at the I City base and the unknown nature of its leadership, it was impossible to trust these people.

  Qin Luo lowered his voice and said to the team, "This I City base feels off."

  Bai Shu and the others nodded in agreement.

  Qin Luo turned to look for Xu Duoduo and saw her curiously glancing around. He reached out and pulled her closer, holding her hand as a precaution.

  Xu Duoduo didn’t resist. By now, she was completely immune to Qin "Big Dog" Luo’s physical contact. After all, back in her early zombie days, he had carried her around like a doll. She had long since gotten used to it.

  That said, this base truly felt strange. The people’s lifeless expressions were unsettling.

  Even a zombie like her furrowed her brows in disapproval.

  The staff members were enthusiastic yet seemed restrained in some way. Still, they treated the combat teams with the utmost respect, leading them to the most luxurious building in the base. The closer they got to the city center, the more prosperous the surroundings became.

  The disparity was staggering.

  The combat teams were even given individual rooms in the lavishly decorated building. Each member of the 3A team was assigned their own room.

  Qin Luo immediately felt something was off. They claimed there wasn’t enough housing, yet they were giving every combat team member a separate room? That was beyond ridiculous.

  "Just give us a suite," Qin Luo said, knocking on the reception desk. His tone startled the staff member, who was visibly flustered.

  Some of the other combat team members were excited about the accommodations, while others also found it odd.

  Hearing Qin Luo’s request, the captains of the Cheetah Team and White Dove Team chimed in, "We’ll take a single large room for our teams as well. As long as there’s a place to lie down, we’re good."

  Having done missions in all sorts of conditions, they could sleep anywhere—even standing against a wall. In an unfamiliar place, no one wanted to be separated from their teammates.

  The receptionist, a heavily made-up woman in a uniform skirt, looked troubled. "Sir, our superiors specifically instructed us to provide the best service to all you warriors. To ensure a comfortable rest, we’ve arranged for everyone to have their own room."

  Qin Luo, unimpressed, replied coldly, "No need. Our team isn’t used to being separated."

  His icy demeanor was intimidating, making the receptionist visibly uneasy.

  The more difficult she found it to accommodate their request, the more suspicious Qin Luo became.

  Meanwhile, the Golden Eagle Team had already checked in and was chatting flirtatiously with another receptionist. Jin Chuanqiong, overhearing the commotion at the 3A team’s desk, couldn’t help but mock them. "What’s wrong, 3A? Got addicted to suffering? The leaders here are showing you kindness, and you’re not even grateful?"

  The Golden Eagle Team members each held a black-and-gold room card, looking smug and self-satisfied.

  Chen Xiaofei rolled his eyes. "Small-minded fools. Keep flaunting. You won’t even know what hit you when the time comes."

  Qin Luo, uninterested in sparring verbally with Jin Chuanqiong, quickly secured the suite he wanted. It had two bedrooms and a living room. The men would share the space, while Xu Duoduo, the only girl, got her own room.

  "Let’s go, Xiaofei. Don’t waste time with them," Qin Luo said, his mind preoccupied with other concerns.

  The Cheetah and White Dove Teams followed suit, insisting on staying together. The receptionists were nearly in tears but eventually handed over the requested room cards.

  The elevator in the building was spacious and luxurious, with red carpeting and a pleasant fragrance.

  Even so, Wang Weihu felt uneasy. "Something’s really off about this base. The leadership here must be crooked."

  The unsettling vibe was palpable.

  Qin Luo, of course, had noticed as well. "We’ll observe the situation later."

  Bai Shu reminded everyone to stay vigilant. "Once we’re in the room, I’ll check for anything suspicious."

  His enhanced vision ability allowed him to see things invisible to the naked eye, like hidden cameras.

  Chen Xiaofei grumbled, "What’s up with I City? So annoying."

  They would rather fight mutated marine creatures than play political games with corrupt officials. The strangeness of I City was undeniable—it was far from simple.

  Even Xu Duoduo didn’t like it here.