The 3A Special Operations Team's assigned room was on the twenty-third floor. The view was decent, and the room itself was quite luxurious.

  As soon as they entered, they were greeted by a massive floor-to-ceiling window that showcased a stunning night view.

  “Damn, they made this place so fancy, yet they don’t even bother with the tent area at the city gates?” Chen Xiaofei blurted out as soon as he walked in.

  Qin Luo inserted the room card and turned on the lights, instantly illuminating the space. “This place feels… off.”

  Bai Shu did a quick sweep of the room, meticulously checking every corner before confirming, “No surveillance cameras or listening devices. It’s safe.”

  Wang Weihu glanced around at the room’s furnishings and couldn’t help but sigh. “Looks like they spent all the money on this.”

  The leadership at I City Base was truly puzzling. Unlike the other three major bases, which prioritized the welfare of ordinary survivors—providing them with basic food and supplies while channeling resources like weapons and ability-enhancing materials to ability users or even mutants—this base seemed to operate on a completely different logic.

  The other bases emphasized coexistence, striving to restore a semblance of normalcy for everyone. But here?

  It wasn’t that the infrastructure couldn’t keep up with the larger bases; it was the sheer absurdity of their priorities that made everything feel chaotic and disorganized.

  Even the staff members seemed timid, often looking like they had something to say but were too afraid to speak. It was obvious that the base leader had silenced them.

  Xu Duoduo wandered around, marveling at the luxurious accommodations. The living room alone was enormous—spacious enough for their entire group to sleep comfortably.

  Qin Luo checked out one of the smaller rooms and found it well-equipped. “Xu Duoduo, come here. Go take a shower and stay in this room tonight. Don’t lock the door, and call us if anything happens.”

  It was always better to stay cautious in unfamiliar territory.

  “Okay!” Xu Duoduo nodded obediently and headed to her designated room.

  Meanwhile, Wang Weihu and the others started peeling off their outer layers. Though the room had heating, the bitter cold outside meant the indoor temperature wasn’t particularly high either. They didn’t strip down too much.

  “The temperature here isn’t as extreme as it was on the road, but it’s still below freezing. How are the people at the city gates supposed to survive? There seem to be plenty of empty buildings in the city center,” Wang Weihu muttered.

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  Bai Shu, busy writing a report, adjusted his glasses and replied, “How else? The base is clearly making them tough it out. Doesn’t this place scream *class hierarchy* to you? The haves live like kings, and the have-nots are left to fend for themselves.”

  The apocalypse had only added a new layer to this hierarchy: abilities.

  Those with abilities could rise to power, while ordinary people were reduced to cannon fodder.

  Chen Xiaofei seemed to grasp the situation. “Holy crap, it’s like the base leader wants to be a tyrant. They’re not following any of the headquarters’ rules, are they?”

  Bai Shu corrected him, “Not exactly. They’re following the rules on the surface but ignoring them in practice. They’ve accepted survivors, but they’re not doing much to ensure their survival.”

  Qin Luo walked over and plopped onto the sofa. “If it weren’t for those sea creatures coming ashore, the base leader probably wouldn’t even bother contacting headquarters.”

  After all, once headquarters sent people to investigate, it would be hard to hide the fact that the leader was essentially running his own little kingdom here.

  Bai Shu had already dug up some information. “The mayor here is named Wu Dahai. He’s just an ordinary person, but his bodyguard is a third-tier fire ability user. Apparently, the bodyguard was injured recently while rescuing someone and is currently hospitalized.”

  It was basic intel, nothing more.

  Qin Luo and the others took the information with a grain of salt. After all, people lied all the time.

  The night outside seemed eerily quiet. Before long, there was a knock at the door. It was their assigned guide, Xiao Lu.

  Chen Xiaofei pulled her inside without hesitation. “Don’t be scared. We just need to ask you a few questions.”

  Xiao Lu, trembling with fear, pointed to the collar of her uniform, signaling that she was wearing a listening device.

  Bai Shu approached her and extended his hand. Xiao Lu, terrified, turned off the device before handing it over to him.

  But the next moment, she burst into tears. “If this gets damaged, they’ll drag me to the interrogation room. I’ll die a horrible death.”

  The listening device couldn’t be turned off for too long. A brief interruption could be blamed on a signal issue, but anything longer would raise suspicion.

  Hearing this, Bai Shu quickly handed the device back to her. “Then let’s communicate in writing.”

  Xiao Lu, realizing they weren’t going to get her in trouble, nodded gratefully. She reattached the device and spoke in a cheerful tone, “Thank you for understanding! I’ll do my best to assist you!”

  Her expression was sorrowful, but her tone was unnaturally bright and bubbly. To an outsider, she might have seemed like a lively, cheerful guide thrilled to be doing her job.

  Chen Xiaofei immediately played along. “Wow, thank you for the warm welcome! Come on in!”

  Bai Shu and Qin Luo exchanged a glance. Qin Luo tilted his head, signaling for everyone to gather on the sofa.

  Xu Duoduo, fresh out of the shower, happened to overhear Xiao Lu’s earlier plea. She wandered over, her expression serious as she sat cross-legged on the carpet in front of the sofa, looking like she was ready to hear a full confession of the base leader’s crimes.

  Her righteous demeanor was almost comical. Qin Luo couldn’t help but tease her, “You’re really planning to let me dry your hair for you, aren’t you?”

  Despite his words, he grabbed a towel and sat behind her on the sofa, gently drying her hair.

  Xiao Lu, still nervous, glanced around before continuing her scripted lines. “Our esteemed mayor is hosting a banquet tonight to thank you for your support. There are plenty of elegant dresses and accessories available for you to choose from. Please, don’t hold back.”

  Chen Xiaofei, ever the actor, feigned excitement. “No way, really? Your base is this extravagant? Let me see! Holy crap, these luxury watches and accessories are all for us? We can just take them?”

  Xiao Lu kept up the act. “Yes, and there will also be luxury cars to escort you and beautiful companions to entertain you.”

  Bai Shu handed Xiao Lu a tablet, suggesting they use it to communicate silently. She looked at him gratefully before quickly writing:

  **[I City is desperate for ability users. They’re trying to lure you in with indulgence and luxury, hoping you’ll stay and work for them. Many others have already defected.]**

  **[The sea creatures outside are indeed a serious threat, but they tend to quiet down at night. As long as you don’t leave the base, it’s relatively safe at night.]**