Chapter 440 93: 100-Mile Pursuit

One day later.

As the red sun rose, illuminating the horizon, solemn-faced soldiers of the City Guard Army stood on duty on both sides of the city gates beneath the tall, grayish-black walls.

Soon, a switch was activated.

CLACK!

CLACK!!

CLACK!!!

The crisp, mechanical sounds echoed continuously. Steel cables and gears hoisted the alloy gates, which were over ten meters tall, revealing a straight road leading to the outside world.

CLATTER!

A boiling clamor of voices immediately arose. The buffer zone, filled with concrete shacks, was densely packed with people.

Neon signs—[Hide Recycling Station], [Ah Qiang Prosthetic Clinic], [Pink Hair Salon]—flickered among the buildings, decorating the dimly lit concrete roads on both sides.

Looking along the street, many figures in worn-out clothes had risen early. Some were pulling up the rolling metal doors of their concrete shacks to open for business, while others staked out empty spots by the roadside to set up stalls and hawk their wares. Amidst the noisy din, most people had matted hair and weather-beaten faces. They frequently glanced toward the city gates, watching with faces full of anticipation as the barricades were raised, their eyes revealing a deep yearning for the citizenship of the inner city ring.

Meeting their envious gazes...

VROOM VROOM VROOM!!

The roar of engines echoed from within the tunnel of the high walls. Fleet after fleet of black off-road vehicles and camouflaged jeeps drove out of the city ring. These were the Wilderness Hunters and corporate security personnel who had been waiting near the gates. They drove straight through the gates and past the concrete shacks of the buffer zone, charging feverishly toward the sandy wasteland.

"The Beast Tide retreated recently, leaving many Mutant Beast corpses buried in the wilderness.

"Because of this, quite a few people are heading out to try their luck right now. Even a good number of scavengers from the buffer zone are taking the risk," the slightly chubby Caucasian man in the driver's seat of a moving camouflaged jeep said. He spoke while pulling out an exit permit, easily passing the City Guard Army's inspection as they drove out of the city gates.

The man in the suit sitting in the passenger seat had a cold, hard face. He listened to the driver's explanation while staring at the straight road ahead, seemingly gazing at the sandy wilderness at its very end.

"Besides, I heard some packs of Mutant Beasts are still hiding nearby and haven't been completely cleared out by the City Guard Army.

"That's why the outposts at the temporary frontlines are strictly controlled. Not just anyone can get approval to pass through..." Hel said truthfully, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

Despite being an Exploration Level powerhouse, he had no complaints about acting as a driver. Instead, he offered with utmost dedication, "If you truly intend to venture deep into the wilderness, sir, you might as well let me tag along.

"My current mission isn't too pressing. I can completely wait until your business is finished. If anything happens during that time, we'd also be able to look out for each other..."

"That won't be necessary." The suited man in the passenger seat spoke coldly, rejecting the gesture of goodwill. "You only need to drop me off past the outpost."

He offered no further explanation. Hel looked embarrassed at the rejection, but he tactfully refrained from asking more questions. In reality, he didn't have any mission at all. It was just that the Director from headquarters planned to visit Red Maple and had specifically ordered him to stick close to this man. As he pondered, various thoughts flashed through his mind. He tried to come up with a suitable excuse to accompany the man deep into the wilderness, lest the Director arrive and blame him for incompetence.

CRASH!

Suddenly, the sound of a collision rang out from the road ahead in the buffer zone. Vehicles had scraped against each other, nearly injuring the pedestrians standing under the concrete shacks on either side.

His thoughts interrupted, Hel looked over. It was obvious that one of the parties involved in the collision held a high status, as they were escorted by several black off-road vehicles. Most of their men wore specialized dark combat uniforms and carried loaded guns. The unique corporate logo allowed people to recognize their identity at a glance.

"The Xu family?" Hel was slightly surprised.

Sitting beside him, Lu Chao, whose face was disguised, also flashed a look and casually glanced over. "This Xu family... didn't they use to be quite close to the Tan family?"

"That's right, sir." Hel snapped back to reality. Although he didn't know why Lu Chao was interested in this, he still answered truthfully, "Because of that connection, the Xu family was heavily implicated. They've already been stripped of all their shares in the Jinggang Chamber of Commerce.

"Even some of the companies and enterprises under their name were affected... However, the City Lord's Mansion seems to have investigated thoroughly. The Xu family was unaware of the Rebel's collusion with the warlords. So, although they took a massive beating in the aftermath, they barely managed to survive.

"It's just a pity about the Patriarch of the Xu family. His injuries are apparently too severe; I'm afraid it'll be difficult for him to ever wake up."

"Is that so," Lu Chao said, his face calm and devoid of any extra emotion.

Hel took the initiative to keep the conversation going. Smiling and nodding, he said, "Actually, speaking of which, that old fox of the Tan family is truly quite insidious and cunning.

"Who knows how many factions across Red Maple City were implicated by the Tan family. Yet, in the end, that old fox didn't get caught."

He checked Lu Chao's expression. Seeing no signs of displeasure, he continued in a low voice, "The night before the Superpower Bureau intercepted and killed the Rebel, he seemed to have anticipated it and quietly fled with some core family members.

"Along the way, they even split into several teams and engaged in a massive battle with the people from the City Lord's Mansion..."

As he spoke, the camouflaged jeep drove out of the buffer zone and arrived at the temporary frontline of the City Guard Army. Barbed wire and steel plates were driven into the ground, isolating the area into a military camp. Numerous armored vehicles and tanks were parked inside. Soldiers of the City Guard Army in camouflage uniforms bustled about, and helicopters landed occasionally. In the direction leading to the wilderness, over a dozen outposts stood watch. Fully armed soldiers of the City Guard Army took turns standing guard, while spiked barricades blocked off the road.

"Some say he defected to the Rebel, becoming a high-ranking member of Al-Qaeda.

"Others say he went to the wilderness, wanting to become a new warlord..." Hel continued as he drove through the outpost.

Lu Chao fell silent upon hearing this, a cold glint flashing through his eyes.

Hel's intelligence was indeed correct.