The wave of infections took away far more than just the population; it also drained the intangible energy and spirit from this land.

The whole Buffer Zone felt as though it had been squeezed dry of all life by an invisible hand. The air was filled with an indescribable deathly stillness and desolation. Even the wind carried a heavy, oppressive scent.

Cheng Ye made his way from the Central Inspection Station, occasionally stopping to observe.

The faces of the passing crowds were generally expressionless, showing only a numb weariness. Occasionally, a few individuals had a gleam in their eyes, easily identifiable as those who had mingled their way out of the shantytowns, choosing their targets for when night fell.

Only those migrants with backpacks, or those squatting by the roadside to trade supplies before their departure, wore expressions of slight anticipation and smiles.

To them, Happiness City was merely a station in their life journey, soon to head to the next, so they wouldn't be tainted by the dwindling morale here.

If Jiang Chuan had always stayed in the Buffer Zone, he wouldn't have been so moved by these changes.

After all, he had lived here for nearly twenty years, aging from a naïve sixteen-year-old to nearly forty. He was long accustomed to the constant ebb and flow.

Yet, having just followed Ding Yishan into the Inner City, witnessing firsthand its vibrant singing and dancing, and well-ordered harmony, upon returning to this bleak Buffer Zone, the sense of disconnect pressed on his chest like a dull knife grinding down, making him somewhat flustered.

"Hey buddy, are you also planning to leave? Want some solid Nutrient Paste?"

Seeing Jiang Chuan standing still, a bearded scavenger approached with a bag.

Opening the bag, it contained some boiled gel-solidified balls of Nutrient Paste, gray and unappetizing to the look.

"If you leave now, the liquid ones will spoil in a few days. Mine have loads of preservatives and can last for a month without problems."

The scavenger patted his chest, sounding somewhat proud, "Don't worry, at most you might get a mild fever, but it won't kill you!"

"No, I don't eat that."

Jiang Chuan shook his head and continued walking towards Zone B-7.

Yet the scavenger was persistent, following with his bag while continuing to chatter.

Meanwhile, several other scavengers, who had been selling to others by the roadside, also stepped up their pace and surrounded him, one after another.

"Brother, need anti-inflammatory or painkillers? Don't underestimate our homemade stuff, its effects are no less than the originals you get at medical facilities!"

"9mm bullets, two for one Happiness Coin, selling cheap, better to stock up just in case!"

"How about a tent? You definitely need one, don't you? Without a place to shelter from wind and rain outside the city, you'll catch a cold from the next rain, and then you'll cry to the heavens and earth to no avail!"

"If nothing else, get some insect repellent? Without it while traversing the Wilderness, you won't be able to sleep at night because of the bugs!"

The more Jiang Chuan tried to evade, the more scavengers surrounded him, their chatter weaving a net around him, making each step increasingly challenging.

"Get lost!"

Driven to impatience, he stopped abruptly, and growled low,

However, surprisingly, the scavengers glanced at each other and burst into laughter.

"Hey, what, you think you can take us on?"

"Come on, take a swing at my head, see if you can kill me with one punch?"

"Carrying so much money and not buying some stuff, you expect us to live on air?"

The clamor, mixed with the scent of sweat and dust, tightened the scavengers' circle, their eyes growing increasingly fierce.

In times like these, no one easily let go upon spotting a fat sheep.

Money?

Jiang Chuan instinctively touched his pants pocket, indeed filled with Happiness Coins.

As a station manager's assistant, his unique status allowed him to simply swipe his badge wherever he went. It had been years since he considered money.

These Happiness Coins were borrowed from a guard when he left the Inspection Station, meant to pave his way with money once inside Zone B-7, to quickly uncover what exactly Cheng Ye had done.

Unexpectedly, even before stepping into Zone B-7 territory, these sharp-eyed scavengers targeted him first.

"Aren't you selling something rather than robbing?"

Jiang Chuan's gaze turned cold, "These are trash even migrants won't buy but you're forcing them on me?"

"Calling it trash, huh? You can't speak properly, brat!"

On having their sore spot poked, the scavengers' faces twisted into malicious grins, with someone already clenching a fist, about to rush forward.

Yet just as Jiang Chuan was ready to make a move, a rough voice suddenly shouted from behind the crowd:

"Damn it, you want to die, selling here in our B-7? Are you tired of living?"

Everyone turned to see five burly men approaching briskly, each with a fierce look and an intimidating demeanor.

In an instant, the previously cocky scavengers turned pale, their bravado evaporating like a punctured balloon, leaving them meek and docile.

"Boss Huang, we're still in B-5, really didn't dare step into your B-7."

"Scram! Dare to argue with me?" Boss Huang stepped forward, a spray of spittle hitting the speaker in the face, "Linger around here again, and I'll cut off all your paws!"

It takes a dastard to keep a dastard in line.

With Boss Huang's roar, the scavengers glanced at each other, none daring to speak up, lowering their heads in defeat while hastily picking up their scraps and retreating.

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