Chapter 106 - 91: Jiang City

Chapter 106: Chapter 91: Jiang City

After leaving the Sixth Forward Base, the off-road vehicle traveled down the road leading to Jiang City’s core district. The road was a roughly repaired highway from the old world. Though cracks and patches were still visible, it was far smoother than the bumpy trails of the wilderness.

As the vehicle drove on, the scenery on either side of the road began to change, creating an extremely odd, almost dreamlike illusion for Xu Mo.

The ruins, wild grass, and dangerous unknowns were gone. In their place were vast stretches of reclaimed farmland. The furrows were neat and orderly, crisscrossed by paths. In some fields, tender green seedlings had already sprouted, swaying gently in the breeze like a small, green tapestry.

In the fields, Xu Mo saw many people hard at work. Some were raising and swinging hoes, others were bent over, tending to crops. He could even occasionally spot a few tractors or small cultivators belching black smoke and making PUTT-PUTT-PUTT sounds as they struggled to till the soil. Sunlight spilled across this vibrant land, glinting off the laborers’ bronze skin and sweat, composing a long-forgotten and hopeful tableau.

This scene was too "normal," too "peaceful." It stood in stark contrast to the ruins, slaughter, mutated beasts, and floods of the Eternal Night that Xu Mo had experienced since his arrival.

For a fleeting moment, Xu Mo almost thought he had stepped on the gas and driven straight back to the orderly, bygone era of peaceful hearth and home. The scene before him made his grip on the steering wheel unconsciously loosen. He felt his own taut nerves begin to unwind slightly amid the idyllic scenery.

The voice from the car radio, however, mercilessly shattered his illusion.

"This is Jiang City Radio with the latest bulletin: According to data from the meteorological department and frontline observation posts, river levels have been fluctuating recently. An increased concentration of unknown, active microbial colonies has also been detected in the water. We once again remind all units and individuals working near water to remain highly vigilant, strictly adhere to the ’Waterfront Safety Operations Mandate,’ and wear proper protective gear. Should you discover any abnormal discoloration or foam in the water, or encounter highly aggressive and abnormally shaped aquatic creatures, you are to evacuate immediately and report to the nearest patrol team without delay..."

"District Three will officially begin its school term next Monday. We are now recruiting teachers with foundational education knowledge city-wide. Compensation is excellent. For details, please inquire at the Education Division of the Inner City Administrative Hall..."

"The Hunter’s Guild has issued a Code Orange Alert: The ’Black Falcon’ squad, which was exploring the ’Abandoned No. 7 Research Institute,’ has been confirmed out of contact for over 48 hours. This area has been temporarily designated as a high-risk zone. It is not recommended that any private teams venture there at this time. The Guild has requested that Jiang City intervene and investigate..."

The broadcast’s content was a mixture of crisis warnings unique to the apocalypse, efforts to rebuild civilization, and a hint of nostalgia for the past.

This stream of information was a needle that popped the idyllic illusion before him. It was a reminder that this was still the apocalypse—this was simply a relatively safe zone, one that humanity had established with blood and fire upon the wasteland.

The tranquility he was witnessing hadn’t appeared from thin air. It was built upon the foundation of Jiang City’s formidable military power and tight organization, and on the sacrifices of countless people who fought and bled in the outlying forward bases and hazardous zones.

With this complex, indescribable feeling in his heart, Xu Mo drove the off-road vehicle onward, following the sparse flow of traffic. The road grew wider and flatter, and the roadside farms became even more orderly. He could even see seedling nurseries and large greenhouses fenced in with barbed wire and guarded by soldiers.

「In the afternoon.」

When the off-road vehicle crested another gentle slope and the view suddenly opened up, even with Xu Mo’s current hardened mindset, he couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath and instinctively slam on the brakes.

In the distance, at the edge of the horizon, a behemoth lay prone.

It could no longer be called a "wall." It was more like a continuous mountain range of metal and concrete, stretching from the earth to the very sky!

The wall was a cold, grayish-black. He estimated its height to be well over forty meters, as if it split the very sky in two. The sloped angle of its face bespoke a stark, military-grade defensive design, its surface pockmarked with firing slits of all sizes, observation ports, and jutting weapon platforms. The sheer length was even more astounding. As far as Xu Mo could see to his left and right, there was no end in sight. It was as if this colossal wall encircled the entire core of Old Jiang City, exuding an insurmountable, suffocating presence.

And that was just the main wall.

Beyond the wall, in a vast expanse stretching for several kilometers, lay a dizzying, layered array of defensive fortifications:

Countless pillboxes, both visible and concealed, dotted the landscape like mushrooms after a rain. They were interconnected by a labyrinth of communication trenches, creating overlapping fields of fire. Massive gun barrels jutted from permanent fortifications, their muzzles aimed grimly at the horizon.

Main battle tanks, self-propelled howitzers, and multiple-launch rocket systems, all painted in camouflage, stood like steel behemoths in their designated positions, ready for battle at a moment’s notice. ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

What truly startled Xu Mo was the forest of anti-aircraft emplacements. Anti-air machine gun nests, twin-barreled cannons pointing like sharp swords toward the heavens, and short-range surface-to-air missile launchers combined to form a layered air defense network covering everything from low to high altitudes. Such firepower was enough to shred any mutated flying creature or hostile aircraft that dared to approach.