Chapter 127: The Best Pass

Chapter 127: The Best Passport

Luo Bing noticed Xia Zheng’s dazed expression, which made him look as if he had just woken from a nightmare. She immediately approached him, asking with concern, "What’s wrong?"

"I..." Xia Zheng did not answer immediately. His mind seemed still immersed in that profound, mysterious realm, while he remained curious about the demonic voice he had heard—who could it have been?

Perhaps noticing how haggard he had become from the exhaustion of the past few days, Luo Bing made a bold move. She stepped toward him, opened her arms, and embraced him, his face burying directly into her chest.

"Do you feel any better?" Luo Bing asked in an uncharacteristically gentle voice.

"Mmh... it’s just... a bit addictive," Xia Zheng joked.

Luo Bing seemed to tighten her hold on him, a reaction that appeared to be her way of dealing with shyness. Xia Zheng endured it for about ten minutes, feeling a mix of pain and pleasure.

After they separated, there was no awkwardness between them. They were both adults; a simple hug was not enough to make their hearts race uncontrollably. However, Xia Zheng could still sense that this was likely the first time Luo Bing had embraced a stranger, as her body remained quite tense.

"Luo Bing, what is your view of this world?" Xia Zheng suddenly asked, his curiosity piqued.

She looked at him, puzzled, but seeing he was not joking, she thought for a moment and replied, "Before I underwent genetic modification, the world to me was just the Federation. After becoming a genetic warrior, I began to feel that this world is vastly different from the one ordinary people perceive. I’ve always been curious about where our power as genetic warriors actually comes from—is it our own human potential, or some unknown power in the universe? But after seeing your power, I feel that the world you perceive is again vastly different from mine. Perhaps everyone has their own world, but as for the true essence of reality, I fear no one can truly know."

Xia Zheng ruminated on her words. While they seemed somewhat equivocal, they were the plain truth. Everyone’s perception of the world changes as they themselves change, but while the ultimate truth of the world’s nature may remain unknown, it undoubtedly exists.

"Why did you think to ask this?" Luo Bing asked, confused.

Xia Zheng smiled and said, "Just some troubles during my cultivation. You must have had similar experiences."

Luo Bing nodded and then turned to other matters, primarily how they should handle the current crisis now that they were barred from entering the city and unable to contact the military command.

A few days ago, Luo Bing would not have asked Xia Zheng about such things. Previously, military decisions were mostly made by the Star-Class warriors and the generals. But since Xia Zheng had successfully led everyone to secure a large amount of resources, his prestige and influence within the army had risen rapidly; he had effectively become one of the decision-makers.

This was exactly what Xia Zheng wanted. He intended to control this army to achieve a goal deep within his heart.

"Currently, only Sector Wei-8, where Xue Chengli is stationed, still has an open access point. We must make our breakthrough there. The Eternal District must have encountered a grave danger, forcing them to prioritize self-preservation and cut off contact with the outside. However, I estimate this won't last long. As long as General Song is alive, he will certainly find a way to contact us. Luo Bing, if we eliminate Xue Chengli, how much certainty is there that we can control the situation within the military?" Xia Zheng asked after some deliberation.

Luo Bing thought for a moment and said, "Colonel Cairns is far superior to him in terms of prestige, seniority, and capability; he could easily replace him. However, Xue Chengli is surely acting with impunity right now, and he likely has quite a few core followers. Unfortunately, the most critical issue is that we cannot get in. The city's energy wall is extremely powerful. If they activate full-scale alert protocols, we have no way of breaking through."

"We don't need to break through; you and I just need to blend in," Xia Zheng said, standing up. He set aside his cultivation for the moment, deciding to resolve the immediate problem first.

Luo Bing asked, "But under what pretext?"

"Don't forget, our greatest advantage right now is resources, and Eternal Night City is a city heavily dependent on resource supplies. Take food, for instance; if the satellite cities and other production areas stop supplying it, the residents will be starving within a week. It’s been over ten days since the infection crisis broke out; there must be a severe shortage of supplies inside, especially for the military. Therefore, I think we should use food, medicine, and fuel as our leverage to make the people inside contact us. Xue Chengli hasn't been in his position long; he can't possibly control everyone under him. As long as we openly spread the word, the morale inside will definitely falter." The more Xia Zheng spoke, the more confident he became, and he felt satisfied with his decision to collect large amounts of resources over the past few days—it had unintentionally done him a huge favor.

Luo Bing quickly called over several companions and officers like Cairns to hold an impromptu meeting and presented Xia Zheng's proposal.

However, the proposal was not met with universal approval. Several officers found it hard to accept giving away the vital resources they had risked their lives to seize. Even Sam and Alfred were not entirely on board, as Xia Zheng’s proposal was based only on speculation.

Fortunately, several high-ranking officers led by Cairns strongly supported the plan, and Luo Bing naturally backed it as well, leaving the other Star-Class warriors with no choice. Soon, about a ton of various supplies was piled up beneath the city wall, and Xia Zheng had some inflammatory messages written and broadcasted to the guards on the ramparts.

Xue Chengli was furious. He brought a group of officers to the wall, shouting for them to destroy the supplies, but he was met with opposition from many of his subordinates. The argument that the resources might be tampered with—poisoned, for instance—held no water, as Xia Zheng would gain nothing and lose everything by doing so.

In the end, with Xue Chengli storming off in a huff, the ton of supplies was hoisted up to the ramparts, along with the contact information and communication devices. The ploy proved effective; it sowed internal discord for Xue Chengli, proving that his methods were not yet refined enough to control the defensive garrison in such a short time.

That night, Cairns and his group made contact with the guards inside. The situation in the outer city was even more dire than they had imagined.

They had originally assumed there were one million infected, but that number had surged to several million. Out of a total outer city population of around ten million, nearly one-third of the residents had been infected by the Blood Clan.

Consequently, resources inside were desperately scarce. Even though Xue Chengli knew he needed to win people over, he could only secure the loyalty of his own inner circle, leaving the others to fend for themselves. This was exactly why Xia Zheng’s strategy of sowing division had succeeded.

Cairns reached an agreement with the defecting officers inside. Luo Bing and the others were even more impressed by Xia Zheng, which further elevated his influence.

Around 4:30 AM, a fierce battle broke out among the guards on the ramparts. The energy shield was temporarily deactivated for a few minutes. While the window was brief, it was enough for Xia Zheng, Luo Bing, and the military elite to storm into the city.

The outcome was almost a foregone conclusion. With the powerful support of Xia Zheng, Luo Bing, and the others, the ten thousand elite soldiers led by Cairns completely seized control of the city walls. Xue Chengli and about a hundred of his inner circle and personal guards were ruthlessly executed. The remaining soldiers did not hesitate for long, choosing to surrender, and were reorganized into the new army.

Sector Wei-8 was effectively in the hands of Cairns, Luo Bing, and Xia Zheng. Now, they could begin to consider absorbing the scattered troops from the other eleven sectors and integrating the entire outer city.