Barrett Walk arrived at the bank of the Yellow River. The river was no longer turbulent, but clear and transparent, resembling a primitive forest with lush trees on both sides. This place had been deserted for just a dozen years, yet the trees, which had been exposed to radiation year-round, still retained a glimpse of vitality in the cold.
Facing the downstream not far away, Barrett didn't know where he would be swept to. But as he listened to the increasingly urgent footsteps behind him, suddenly the little flower cat returned. Barrett had thought it had run away after seeing the wilderness, but it turned out that it didn't run away, and even brought back a little mouse. Barrett looked at it with a smile and said, "I don't know if you understand me, but I know you're afraid of water, so I won't force you to run with me. I'll come back to find you after I recover. If you haven't run away, that is." After speaking, Barrett exerted all his strength and leaped into the treacherous waters, disappearing instantly. However, the little flower cat resolutely followed Barrett, jumping down with its small paws tightly gripping Barrett's thigh and piercing into his flesh.
Barrett was awakened by bone-chilling cold, covered in a layer of straw. Looking at the pile of firewood beside him, he attempted to move towards it but found himself unable to exert any strength. He couldn't even move his stiff neck, let alone his hands. Suddenly, voices were heard not far away.
"Oh no! This time is really messed up. Fighting for territory with the higher-ups, I thought we could find some good corpses and sell their organs, but who would have thought we'd pick up a drug addict ghost. He doesn't even have any clothes on, and he's so thin that it's just skin and bones. Who knows what condition his organs are in!"
"Well, you're the one who picked him up. If it were me, I would have kicked him into the river."
Gradually, the two men approached Barrett. With the dim light from the fire, Barrett saw their contrasting figures – one tall and one short, one fat and one thin.
"Hey! Look, this drug addict has actually woken up. I thought he would die!" The short, chubby man squatted next to Barrett, calling the attention of the tall, skinny man.
"Wow! This guy's body is as cold as ice, but he's still not dead. His luck is really something!" The tall, skinny man touched Barrett's body, remarking on his skeletal frame. "Not many people can survive with such a strong body."
"Not many people with strong bodies survive these days," the short, chubby man retorted. He found Barrett to be nothing but a burden after picking him up. Turning to the tall, skinny man, he said, "Cousin! Let's just call it a night and go back!"
"Don't you want to buy a smartphone? Don't you want to go online? Don't you want to become someone like me?" The tall, skinny man slapped the back of the short, chubby man's head, saying angrily. He had good eyesight and, seeing the approaching lights in the distance, exclaimed in panic, "Run! The all-powerful city management brigade is coming!"
Sighing, the short, chubby man turned back and hoisted Barrett onto his shoulder. Grunting, he ran, paying no heed to the increasingly urgent footsteps behind them, along with the barking of dogs.
Finally, the two men ran into a nearby grove, and the footsteps dared not approach any further. Even the dogs wanted to chase after them, but were held back. They laughed triumphantly, but a roar from the depths of the grove immediately silenced their laughter, instilling fear in them. They shrank their necks and ran along the edge of the grove towards the city.
"Whew! I'm exhausted." The two men squeezed through a stretch of wire fence. The city of Waijing was so vast and expansive that the Federation did not have enough military force to guard every section. Therefore, fortresses were only built in some strategic areas, and some places were open plains. As long as humans traveled, they wouldn't encounter any alarm lines, so they couldn't stop human traffic. However, there were still occasional extraterrestrial beings or other wild beasts that broke in and caused damage, but they were in the minority and could not cause any harm to the Federation.
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The short and stout man rudely threw Barrett Walker to the ground, lifted his short sleeves to fan himself, and looked at the nearby low-lying settlement. The houses here were even more chaotic and inferior than the capsule apartments in the slums. These were the people who had moved from the 16th-David satellite city, only able to build their own houses on the periphery. This place was still a distance away from the capital city, and over time, the good people moved away, leaving behind more and more problems, becoming a major sore. However, their fierceness also counted as border people, blocking many alien monsters from entering the city, ensuring the safety of the capital city and gaining the approval of the federation for their existence.
"How was it? Didn't catch any big fish today?" Four-Eyed Toad, with golden hair and one deep blue eye and one light brown eye, didn't look handsome at all. He walked up carrying a steel pipe and relaxed when he saw the two men, asking, "What's the news?"
"Forget about it, we ran into that group of dog-raisers and even got into a fight with an opium ghost," the tall, thin man said irritably, giving Barrett Walker a kick. Tonight, he suspected that it was because of Barrett Walker's bad luck.
"No gains today, you guys are really unlucky," the Four-Eyed Toad laughed heartily.
"I'm laughing at your mother! Brothers, let's take back this territory," the leader said, wearing torn shorts, and with a body covered in hair, he grabbed a bamboo pole and charged forward. The thin and weak Four-Eyed Toad was knocked to the ground, and a group of people with various appearances rushed over.
These were the border people of the capital city, rough and tough. If alien monsters or wild beasts ran in, they had to be beaten to a pulp, and then their meat could be used to make soup! That's why the federation entrusted them with the security of this area, with no worries.
"Don't fight! We are not from the Scholarly Help, we are just passing through," but after they united, they established strict rules, not allowing anyone from the major factions to be attacked. Of course, if you caused trouble on your own, that was another matter. They had to ensure the flow of people in and out of this border area, as they also needed to make a living!
"It's really not the Scholarly Help! Bill, why are you back so early today!" a thug from the Lupine Gang recognized the two brothers from the Scholarly Help, and asked with a big laugh.
"Ah! Don't mention it, it's getting harder and harder to make a living these days," the tall, thin man said, feeling dissatisfied.
"Then join our Lupine Gang! Drive out all the people from the Scholarly Help, and I will be the boss!" These people knew what business the two brothers were in, although they also had days like this. But being able to be salvaged and continue to live was a kind of happiness, much better than being devoured by wild beasts or alien monsters in the wilderness! They were clear on this, so they tacitly agreed and mutually benefited!
"Forget it, we don't have the guts for that!" Both men shook their heads almost simultaneously. They didn't want their bodies to be pulled out of the river, how tragic that would be.
"Tch! Can't appreciate the good things, watch me go conquer a vast territory!" The man disdainfully waved his hand and followed the rest of the troops, ready to sweep through this area tonight.
Although Barrett Walker had no sensation at this time, he was still awake. He had originally thought he would be handed over to the urban management by these two, and could imagine what his fate would be like. But he didn't expect these two to be quite loyal, taking this burden and running away, and everything he saw and heard along the way was truly incredible!
He was genuinely curious about this area that made people turn pale with fright. Perhaps this would be a good place for him to recuperate and evade the federation's search!
Barrett Walker was brought by these two to a small and narrow house, pitch black with nothing inside. This place was completely like the dwelling of prehistoric people, but it was much more spacious than his own capsule apartment. The houses here should be self-built! As long as you had the ability, you could build as big as you wanted!
Barrett Walker was thrown on the ground, and the short and stout man draped a tattered quilt over him, saying, "The things here were all given to us by people before they died. We don't want anything from the dead. If you can survive, we won't begrudge you a meal."
After their conversation, the two departed once more. Barrett Walker could only imagine where they were headed. Despite his body being pushed to the brink and his spirit exhausted, the cries of violence in the district kept him awake throughout the night.