CHAPTER 1617: CHAPTER 1611: THE SAME UNDERSTANDING?

Not long after Brother Shi opened the video, Ghost Head and Crooked Neck had already been drawn in, watching the information conveyed in the video.

"If we go in now, no one will even notice us."

"But this... sigh... is there any point in going back?"

"Did my wife and kids manage to escape too?" Crooked Neck murmured with a hint of hope, his eyes scanning every person shown in the video, trying to find any features resembling his wife and children. Unfortunately, he found nothing. His eyes reflected worry. Although the people in the Dangerous Sanctuary City could leave for other safer survivor bases or shelter cities, the chaos of the sanctuary was laid bare before them. He feared his wife and children might encounter the same dangers as those unfortunate souls.

"They should’ve escaped by now, right?"

"No, I have to go back and check, just in case..."

"Ah—ah, wait..."

Seeing Crooked Neck harbor thoughts of returning to the sanctuary, Ghost Head quickly intervened.

"No way! With your lack of combat skills, what if you encounter those people in there? They won’t care who you’re looking for. Let’s prioritize getting to Bai Ling’s base first. Don’t forget, we have a huge sum of money on hand! By then we can hire several Mercenary Groups to help search for them!"

"But..."

"No ’buts’! If you go back and something happens, you’re just throwing your life away!"

Crooked Neck hesitated, his face still uncertain. Seeing this, Ghost Head didn’t give him a chance to speak further, grabbed him, and started walking outside while calling to Brother Shi and Yong, "You two hurry up! Get in the car, let’s head out quickly."

Yong silently followed without saying a word, while Brother Shi picked up his weapon, checked his pocket to confirm he still had Yajin, and promptly followed.

Compared to the remnants of the evening sunset, the early morning sunlight felt distinctively harsher. As they stepped outside, they instinctively raised their hands to block the glare, simultaneously feeling a warmth they hadn’t experienced in a long while.

After a night’s rest and recovery, the injuries they sustained the previous day had improved a bit. Though they still limped while walking, the severity had lessened. Crooked Neck climbed into the car first, naturally taking the driver’s seat while urging the others, "Hurry up! Get in!"

"Don’t rush it!"

Once everyone boarded the car within half a minute, Crooked Neck started the vehicle, the engine sputtering and roaring as it moved forward. This sedan, unlike their previously used monster truck, had been left exposed to the elements for at least half a year, leading to some inevitable component aging. The noise it produced while driving was harsh and loud—so noticeable that they had no choice but to abandon the idea of passing through certain cities on their way to Bai Ling Base. This sort of noise was enough to attract hordes of zombies chasing them all the way!

"Hey, Brother Shi, which direction are we heading?"

As soon as they got in, Ghost Head asked Brother Shi, who took out his phone and opened the navigation app. He first eliminated routes passing through populated areas, particularly those with high populations before the Apocalypse. Finally, he identified a relatively shorter route.

"We’ll have to head towards Qingqin."

"How far is it?"

"About 130 kilometers."

"Damn..."

Everyone felt a wave of frustration. They had already driven for nearly half a day yesterday. Under normal circumstances, the journey from the Dangerous Sanctuary City to Bai Ling Base would only take about 180 to 190 kilometers. Considering the distance they covered yesterday, they should have already traveled 70 to 80 kilometers. But now it seemed half of yesterday’s effort had gone to waste.

"Stop complaining and let’s get moving."

"Crooked Neck, drive faster. If there aren’t any incidents on the way, we might arrive by noon." Brother Shi’s words lifted Crooked Neck’s spirits a little. He pressed down the accelerator bit by bit, gradually increasing the car’s speed, but the noise from the vehicle grew louder along the way.

The journey was monotonous. Brother Shi noticed that his phone still had 36% battery left. After hesitating for a moment, he started scrolling through some entertainment apps. Watching one or two videos wouldn’t drain too much battery...

[Last night at 11:02 PM, the corpse tide resistance operation in the Second District of the Dangerous Sanctuary City officially failed. The corpse tide successfully breached the anti-zombie wall and continued advancing toward the city. At 5:43 AM today, the Dangerous Sanctuary City dispatched remnants of two major military groups, Linhan and Deep Winter, to set up defenses in the Third District defensive line. However, according to internal sources, the fall of the Second District Defensive Line has dealt a heavy blow to the Dangerous Sanctuary City, and there is no information available regarding whether Lin City’s Third District defensive line can withstand the attack from the demonic zombie tide.]

[Chen Jiaowen, the general commander of the Ice Corps from the Dangerous Sanctuary City, stated that the city had already tacitly abandoned the Third District defensive line. The reason was insufficient investment in the Third District, and the fortifications were still incomplete. Moving forward, Dangerous Sanctuary City will concentrate all resources on strengthening the defenses in the Main City, enhancing both the anti-zombie wall and the light-energy defense shield.]

[It is now 7:11 AM, and the chaos in the Dangerous Sanctuary City is evident. Large numbers of residents are preparing to flee to safer locations, seeking shelter elsewhere. This scene is heart-wrenching. However, we do not have the right to judge human actions at such a time; no one can face death with composure. Of course, there are also moments that deeply move us. Look at this large paper in my hand—a list of soldier names. These soldiers headed to the Second District defensive line yesterday, fully aware of their inevitability of death, yet they marched forward without hesitation. Their names are all written here—a total of 14,618 individuals, ranging from Level 8 warriors to ordinary citizens. Tragically... none of them survived...]

The reporter in the video fell silent for a moment. Bloodstains were scattered across the street where he stood, evidence of numerous tragedies that had unfolded. Panicked people occasionally rushed past him, and armed thugs approached him but quickly turned away after nearing a certain distance. It was evident that this reporter wasn’t as simple as he appeared.

The street wasn’t crowded; the people present were either fleeing or scavenging for resources. Amidst the chaos, there was a peculiar scene. Not far from the reporter was a pile of items—clothes, accessories, photos, and various other things stacked into a small hill. Among them, many of the valuables and expensive-looking items stood out. Some people eyed the pile with greed as they passed but refrained from taking anything, seemingly realizing something. Ultimately, they only glanced at it casually and walked away as if they’d seen nothing at all.

Each person reacted in the same way, sharing an unspoken understanding that certain things should not be touched.

As Brother Shi watched the video, he was struck by an inexplicable stiffness in his expression. For a moment, it was unclear whether he had noticed something unusual.