The Merciless Wind-Chasing Youth

"Chen Dafu, you don't have a thirst for blood?"

The survivors who followed the team exchanged surprised glances, their expressions full of disbelief.

The stories of Chen Dafu's violent temper were famous in both Jinling and Xinchang. Everyone knew that he held the unique privilege of taking lives, and that his short temper often led to violent outbursts, with no one daring to cross him.

While everyone had their doubts, none of them dared to voice them.

Chen Dafu continued scolding them: "Don't you remember what the commander said? The people must come first! Every action should consider the interests of the people!"

"Are we really going to barge in like this? Do the people of Dantu even have a chance to survive? We all know what kind of strength we have, don't we?"

"We came here to seek justice and catch criminals! Even if necessary, we cannot disrupt the civilians. We must be fair, both in dealing with the matter and with the people. We can't just go around causing chaos."

Chen Dafu's words not only left the survivors stunned, but even Mike, who had been observing from the shadows, was taken aback.

"This kid... he cares so much about Jinling's image after all this time?"

Mike was somewhat surprised. He had fully expected to let Chen Dafu go wild, perhaps even stepping in at the crucial moment to rein him in. Yet, here the kid was, showing some sense. He'd been swaggering in Xinchang and Jinling, but now in Dantu, he was taking a more cautious approach.

"Looks like Xiao Ci was right. Sometimes this kid is just pretending to be clueless."

"He knows when to act and what to do."

Mike narrowed his eyes, continuing to observe.

After his scolding, Chen Dafu pointed at one of them. "You, go notify Dantu, tell them what we're here for. Let the survivors there know the reason for our visit!"

"Me?"

The man raised his finger to his nose, surprised. "Captain Chen, should I just say it in the chat channel?"

"What else? Is there a more convenient way?"

"Captain Chen... what if they don't acknowledge us or refuse to hand over the killer?"

"Then we'll show them some muscle."

Chen Dafu rubbed his nose, speaking indifferently: "If it really comes to that, then we fight! The truth is always forged in battle!"

"Understood."

The survivor nodded, opening the chat channel to Dantu, composing his words before sending the message.

The people Chen Dafu brought with him were handpicked from Xinchang. Their combat skills weren't necessarily impressive, but each one was quick-witted, handling small tasks without needing Chen Dafu's input.

The survivor, Big Wang, typed rapidly: "Attention, Dantu! This is a survivor from Xinchang, following Captain Chen of Xinchang! We're just outside the city (to the southwest). Please have the official commanders from Dantu get in touch with us! If there are no commanders, please have the disaster management officials contact us!"

The survivor kept repeating the message in the chat, aiming to grab the attention of the locals.

His wording was quite proper, stating their purpose clearly without displaying any hostility.

Chen Dafu was satisfied with his handling of the situation, though he was a bit confused. "What kind of ridiculous name is that? 'Big Wang Wang Wang'? What were you thinking?"

The survivor, Big Wang, scratched his head awkwardly and explained in a low voice, "Captain Chen, my last name is Wang... and I have a dog at home, so I just named myself that, it's nothing serious."

Chen Dafu let out a chuckle. "If people don't know you, they'll think your dog is called 'Big Wang'."

Big Wang responded sheepishly, "Actually, my dog is called Big Wang."

Chen Dafu was momentarily stunned.

Meanwhile, in Dantu's chat, messages began flooding in. Normally, late at night, there wasn't much conversation, but with Big Wang's repeated messages, many of the local night owls were awakened.

"Who's this? A prank? Someone pretending to be a local?"

"Who's spreading rumors? Stay quiet, or I'll report you to the commanders!"

"'Big Wang Wang Wang,' huh? Let's see who you are, causing a ruckus at this hour."

"Hold on! I don't recognize this guy. He's not on the leaderboards or anything."

"Wait... he's actually from Xinchang! I used my abilities to check his info. This guy's from Xinchang, but how the hell did he make it through this fog?"

As more and more Dantu survivors commented, some of the ones with special abilities verified Big Wang's identity. The news spread rapidly, waking up even more survivors, who quickly jumped out of bed to gossip.

"Wake up, honey! There's someone from out of town!"

"Coming here in the middle of the night? Is Big Wang trying to start trouble? Is this a night raid?"

"Night raid? He already explained everything. If it was a raid, why would he be chatting about it first? Somebody call the commander, it's time to get to work!"

"@Ruthless Wind-Chasing Youth, Commander! Wake up! The guests are here!"

The chat channel in Dantu was chaotic, with no signs of any order or official personnel—just a mass of ordinary citizens.

Chen Dafu furrowed his brow, while Big Wang, watching the conversation unfold, couldn't help but comment, "Is Dantu's chat really this informal? It feels more like a gaming chatroom from peacetime."

One of the Xinchang survivors added, "The name of Dantu's commander is pretty childish. Did they really put a young kid in charge? He's probably still wet behind the ears."

Mike, who couldn't see the Dantu chat but could gather the general situation from their words, muttered to himself.

"Seems like Dantu's commander is competent. He's managed to keep the city's atmosphere so relaxed."

Mike mused, the thought making sense. In a world where the end of times loomed, it was strange that the people of Dantu were so carefree.

Only a strong leader could maintain that calm. Mike wasn't surprised. He knew that hidden talents existed everywhere. Dantu had a powerful leader, and he didn't find that shocking.

He silently waited, observing the army to gauge the changes in Dantu's situation.

"Hey, Captain Chen, we got a reply!"

Big Wang alerted him. Chen Dafu glanced at the chat channel.

Ruthless Wind-Chasing Youth: "Ah, you're finally here, huh? Who knocks at this hour, it's so annoying!... Well then, Big Wang, right? Welcome to Dantu, visitors from Xinchang!"

"Though it's a bit late, Dantu is all about hospitality! I've already sent people to the southwest to find you. I'll get up and arrange food and drinks for everyone. You'll have a pleasant Dantu experience!"

"A pleasant Dantu experience?" The survivors outside the city exchanged puzzled glances.

The commander's tone was so casual, it was bizarre. Under normal circumstances, such a greeting would be fine, but this was the third apocalyptic crisis, with fog blanketing the earth—how could Dantu's commander not be curious about what they were up to?

"He didn't even ask any questions, just sent people to meet us."

Big Wang lowered his voice, "Captain, do you think it's a trap? They probably have something up their sleeve. They're not worried about us."

"You think I'm afraid of him?"

Chen Dafu raised an eyebrow, remaining silent. His demeanor suggested he was content to stand there and wait.

This was far from the night raid or ambush scenario everyone had imagined.

Chen Dafu's silence left Big Wang unsure of how to respond, while Ruthless Wind-Chasing Youth continued: "Big Wang! Big Wang! Are you still there? Why aren't you replying? Are you stuck in a dungeon?"

"I'm here..."

Big Wang helplessly responded, then gently reminded, "You can call me 'Big Wang,' but can you stop calling me 'Wang Wang'?"

"Alright, Wang Wang, whatever you say."

"..."

Big Wang rolled his eyes. He couldn't understand why the commander seemed so childishly playful. Could it be that he was really just a naïve kid?

After a moment's thought, Big Wang typed: "Aren't you curious how we got to Dantu? Aren't you wondering what we're here for?"

Ruthless Wind-Chasing Youth replied: "How did you get here? What for?"

Zero Frame immediately asked bluntly.

Big Wang was taken aback, unsure how to respond. It seemed like the conversation was going completely off-script.

"Forget it, it doesn't matter. We're all Chinese, we wouldn't harm each other."

Ruthless Wind-Chasing Youth didn't press any further, but continued shouting: "We're almost there! My people are close! Hey hey hey, they're here, look ahead!"

Chen Dafu turned his attention to the message and then looked ahead.

At the city's tollgate, a group of people were descending. They were carrying pure white umbrellas, strolling towards Chen Dafu's group in clusters.

Chen Dafu squinted, his sharp eyes piercing the thick fog. He clearly saw the group of young people, some male, some female, dressed in casual clothes, laughing and joking with one another. There were about several dozen of them.

Their umbrellas appeared unusual. The umbrella surface, spokes, and handles were all pure white, emitting a subtle, warm glow. It gave off a comforting feeling.

Despite the serene appearance, Big Wang and the others instinctively took a few steps back, hiding behind Chen Dafu.

This was eerie!

A group of young people, laughing and holding white umbrellas, emerging from the fog in the middle of the night—who wouldn't feel a chill down their spine?

"Are you all from Xinchang?"

The young people approached, eyeing Chen Dafu and his massive team with amusement.

"Wow, there are so many of you!"

The leader of the group smiled brightly, almost gleeful. "The commander is in trouble now. With so many people, he's sure to run out of food for you all."

He didn't seem the least bit concerned that Chen Dafu's fully armored soldiers would pose any threat to Dantu.

Chen Dafu glanced back at his troops. Five thousand soldiers, led by Chongshan, stood in complete silence, all in heavy armor, holding large shields and armed with thick blades. The sheer presence of the soldiers radiated a palpable sense of deadly intent and battle readiness.

Yet, the people of Dantu weren't fazed in the least? Not a single hint of wariness or fear?

Chen Dafu raised an eyebrow, saying nothing, as he silently observed the young group in front of him.

Dantu, it seemed, was no peaceful place.