Chapter 5, Convening

However, when the man jumped away and landed again, his massive body completely lost its strength, falling backward with a thud. His vacant eyes still retained a trace of anger, but the flame of life had completely vanished from them. There were no marks or wounds on his entire body, only the surgical knife embedded in the center of his forehead could explain what had happened in that moment.

Indeed

The heavy door closed behind Ferren, simultaneously isolating the noisy sounds from outside. Ferren removed the wide-brimmed hat from his head, smiled, and looked up ahead. Judging by the luxurious and clean decor, this was clearly a VIP room. Besides Ferren, there were already quite a few people present, most of whom he recognized, while a small number were unfamiliar faces. Nevertheless, Ferren could still guess the identities of these individuals.

Amidst the cacophony reminiscent of a bustling market, Fei Lun silently ascended the stairs to the second floor. He paid no attention to the unfortunate souls in the trading hall, the vast majority of whom would not return alive. The mercenary groups that recruited new members often sent these novices to the front lines to serve as meat shields, euphemistically termed "trial training," and only those who survived would have the opportunity to join the mercenary group. Of course, before that, he had to ensure his own safety, avoiding being crippled by the monsters in front of him or the bullets behind him; otherwise, he would have no chance of seeing the sun rise the next day.

As for those announcements regarding collaborative operations, they are more like a tacit understanding of mutual deception between the two parties. Perhaps they can unite against the monsters, but once the objective is achieved, it is not uncommon for former allies to turn against each other. After all, the rewards are limited; the fewer the participants, the more abundant the spoils and rewards will be.

Oh... that patient, I certainly remember him. Although I treated him, he was already in a critical condition, so I had to choose to put him to death. Is there a problem with that

Ultimately, the barrier of Zone 9 withstood the onslaught of the storm, as the terrifying tempest, resembling a colossal beast, was defeated in its confrontation with the barrier, retreating and vanishing. Once the storm subsided, everything returned to its original tranquility. The people hiding in Zone 9 also began to take action, bustling back and forth, preparing weapons, food, ammunition, and all supplies that could be utilized. The trading hall, which was usually rather quiet, was now filled with the sounds of people. Each time the storm receded, numerous mutated species and energy-absorbing monsters would appear in the areas affected by the storm. To ensure the safety of the gathering place, each faction controlling the area would commission mercenaries and hunters to scour and eliminate these monsters, on one hand to ensure the roads to the outside world remained open, and on the other hand, they needed to obtain energy chips from these monsters to replenish the network energy lost due to the activation of the shield. Only those who made outstanding contributions to the gathering place would be eligible to gain permanent residency here. There was even the possibility of advancing further, joining the mid-level ranks of the gathering place's factions, becoming one of them. This was a rather enticing option for those mercenaries, hunters, and warriors who were adrift without a fixed abode.

We, Blackstone Group, hope that everyone can join our urban development program

The storm lasted for two days before gradually subsiding

Upon witnessing this scene, the newcomers all changed their expressions, for this man was a powerful figure with level 5 authority. Moreover, he was also the leader of a mercenary group. Yet now, he lay here, transformed into a cold corpse. How could that young man so casually kill him? Did he not understand what this meant?

Upon hearing the man's inquiry, Ferren maintained his smile and nodded slightly, while observing the man in front of him. However, upon hearing Ferren's response, the man suddenly tensed his muscles, then grabbed Ferren by the collar, pulling him up and glaring at him fiercely

What the hell are you talking about

It seems that you also need treatment

Hey, we plan to clear the zombie horde in the West District. Is anyone joining us?

At the very moment the man heard these words, he suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of terror erupting from within his body. This was the instinct of a battle-hardened warrior, warning him that the shadow of death was drawing near. As a warrior, he immediately leaped backward with great speed, simultaneously tensing all the muscles in his body, as his strength began to flow rapidly, coalesce, to ensure a devastating and earth-shattering lethal strike

In response to the old man's words, Ferren did not reply. However, the old man clearly did not care whether Ferren answered the question; he gently waved his hand, and soon someone entered the room and quickly dragged the man's body out. Then, the door closed once again

I do not know who you are referring to, sir

In the face of death, all are equal, but this is by no means an empty statement

You are still the same as ever, "Doctor"

Upon hearing Ferren's response, the man became increasingly enraged, clenching his fists and raising them forcefully. However, witnessing this scene, Ferren did not struggle; on the contrary, he merely wore a resigned smile and shook his head slightly.

Even when grabbed by the collar, Feren remained unresponsive, while the black cat beside him arched its body, glaring at the man who dared to be disrespectful to its master, emitting a low growl filled with menace. As for the people behind, some displayed an attitude of indifference, while others revealed expressions of amusement. Those who knew Feren looked at the man before them with eyes that seemed to see a dead person.

Oh, little cutie, you are here too. Would you like to come to sister's place for some candy

Standing before the crowd, the old man cleared his throat, then he raised his head and gazed at the people seated or standing in front of him

So you killed my brother

At this point, the old man paused for a moment before continuing to speak

Upon hearing the call of the "Queen," the black cat peeked out from beside Feren, glanced at her, and then quickly retreated. Observing the black cat's reaction, the "Queen" shrugged her shoulders, and just as she was about to say something further, suddenly, a bear-like man stood up and strode over to Feren, looking down at him from a height.

Two days ago, at the bar, I said, I will make you remember with my fists

The man paid no attention to the gazes directed at him; he clenched his fist, which was as large as a sand pot, and the veins on it began to tremble involuntarily. Yet, upon witnessing this scene, the smile on Ferren's face remained unchanged in the slightest

Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to be here. I believe you may have already noticed that everyone present possesses a certain level of strength in Zone 9. In fact, the reason we have gathered you all here is quite simple.

Are you the doctor

In response to the woman's greeting, Feren smiled and bowed to her. Upon hearing Feren's reply, the woman clearly seemed quite pleased; she smiled, waved her hand, and then threw a flirtatious glance at the black cat beside Feren.

Creak ... ...

Hey, I really didn't expect that they would bring you in as well. It seems that the old men have indeed encountered a tricky problem this time, "Doctor"

As the air in the room fell into silence once more, the door opened again, and an elderly man in a suit appeared before everyone. He first glanced at the body of the man lying on the ground, and then turned his gaze towards Ferren, who stood quietly beside him, smiling and silent.

No one raised any objections to the actions of the elderly man, for the frail-looking elder standing before them was the executive director of the Blackstone Group, which controlled the entire Ninth District enclave—put simply, he was the king here

Hello, Your Majesty, the Queen

A woman sitting on the sofa waved her hand at Ferren in boredom. She appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with her hair dyed in various colors. Her relatively attractive face was densely adorned with lip rings, nose rings, and earrings. Even on the sides of her eyelids, two metal rings hung down, making her entire face resemble a metal product exhibition, enough to make any person with a phobia of clusters faint on the spot

Upon the appearance of Ferren, nearly everyone present changed their expression. Those who knew Ferren mostly wore serious looks, while the strangers who had never seen Ferren before displayed expressions of confusion. It was evident that they were unaware of the background of this young man before them

It is precisely for this reason that the trading hall at this moment can be described as bustling with voices. This place was once the center of commodity trade before the disaster, but now it has lost its original function. Nevertheless, even so, people have found another use for it.

Guns! Cannons! Grenades! As long as you can afford it, we have all the weapons you could possibly need! If you require, we can even procure tanks and howitzers for you! Limited quantities available, purchase quickly!

This is the end of the world, order still exists, it just depends on how you choose to understand it

Even those seemingly harmless arms dealers are not to be underestimated. They can certainly procure everything you desire, including howitzers, armored vehicles, and tanks. However, you will never be able to ascertain what tricks they have played behind the scenes. Perhaps when you proudly drive out in your armored vehicle, that unfortunate vehicle will "accidentally" break down somewhere, or when you intend to use the tank to fire at the monsters across from you, it might "accidentally" come into contact with the ubiquitous high-voltage electricity, turning into a pile of charred remains. At that moment, those arms dealers will uphold the spirit of "environmental protection" and recycle these weaponized vehicles for reuse.

Alright, since everyone has arrived, I will not waste any more words

Those who are qualified to appear here are among the few strong individuals within Zone 9, thus making it easy to speculate about the identities of those strangers

On the contrary, those familiar with Fei Lun merely cast a glance at the corpse before disinterestedly averting their gaze. They had long anticipated that the fool would meet such an end. A leader of a mercenary group? A level 5 authority dog? What does that even amount to?

The Redbeard Mercenary Corps is recruiting! As long as you can prove yourself, you will be able to join the Redbeard Mercenary Corps, and at that time, you will have your own home here! Hurry and sign up!