As Ye Feng and his companions drove on, they discovered that ahead, indeed, were clusters of intact concrete buildings, which they surmised to be the settlements of the human survivors they had encountered on the road.
The settlement was surrounded by a natural barrier formed by stacked giant stones.
"Those giant stones must have formed by chance during the great earthquake," Xue Yun explained, seemingly noticing Ye Feng's confusion.
"I must say, the people living here when the great cataclysm struck were quite lucky," she added after a pause.
"This place is indeed good, but whether the people inside are lucky is hard to say... I doubt many of the people living here now are original residents!" Ye Feng replied with a slight smile.
He knew firsthand how cruel the world of the long night was: "The innocent are guilty for possessing wealth"... the law of the jungle... This kind of advantageous location would surely become a target of contention for many factions, and the fate of the people inside...
"This..."
Ye Feng's nonchalant words sent a shiver down Xue Yun's spine.
"Whoa, little brother, that's a great car you've got there!"
"Yeah, not only is it so new, but it's also a rare fuel-powered vehicle!"
"Buddy, where did you get your gasoline?"
...
At this moment, a somewhat noisy commotion erupted from beside Ye Feng.
As Ye Feng approached, many passing survivors noticed his group and immediately gathered around, discussing them noisily.
Neither Ye Feng, Xue Yun, nor Xiao Xiao paid any attention to the crowd and continued driving forward.
"We even deliberately made the car look old and smeared it with a lot of mud, and they can still recognize it," Xiao Xiao grumbled softly after they had moved a distance away.
"Xiao Xiao, this car is a well-known brand, and its design is probably rare even in the old world. It's normal for them to find it novel, but we don't need to worry too much," Xue Yun replied. "Because the most eye-catching thing isn't us! Look over there!"
Saying that, Xue Yun pointed in a certain direction.
"Good heavens, a military Hummer!"
Ye Feng followed Xue Yun's gaze and was immediately surprised. He had considered hiding his BMW K1600GT three-wheeled motorcycle somewhere outside the settlement earlier, but that carried too much risk.
After all, many people from this settlement went out exploring every day, and they explored quite far. If someone stumbled upon his car and drove it away, he would suffer a great loss. Moreover, as Ye Feng drove along, he noticed clear tire tracks on the road, belonging to SUVs, pickup trucks, and more than one of them. Therefore, Ye Feng had driven his car directly to the settlement.
"Quick, look, there's a military Hummer!"
"Holy cow, is that for real?"
"Is a big shot coming to our Stone City?"
...
Xue Yun's judgment was accurate. In a short while, the onlookers who had been marveling at Ye Feng's BMW K1600GT three-wheeled motorcycle shifted their attention.
...
Just like the county towns Ye Feng had visited before, entering here also required an entry fee. The three of them paid a total of one coarse grain bun, and the guards at the city gate let them pass. Of course, Ye Feng also paid an additional two electro-coins, so the guards would help watch his BMW K1600GT motorcycle.
"Hey, little brother, you're not from around here, are you?" As soon as Ye Feng parked his BMW K1600GT three-wheeled motorcycle alongside the military Hummer, SUVs, and pickup trucks, as directed by the guards, a thin middle-aged man who was smoking approached him.
"Hmm?" The smell of smoke from the man made Ye Feng frown.
"Ahem~" The thin middle-aged man was clearly skilled at reading people and quickly extinguished his cigarette, carefully pocketing the remaining half.
"Hello, little brother. My name is Xie, and people call me Teacher Xie. I'm the go-to person in Stone City. How about I be your guide?" "Two steamed buns a day is all I ask!" The thin middle-aged man introduced himself to Ye Feng with great familiarity. Xie did not greet Xue Yun or Xiao Xiao, because through his brief observation, he clearly understood that Ye Feng was the leader of the three.
"Xie... what a name..." Ye Feng was somewhat speechless, then shook his head and replied, "Oh, no need." A guide? He wasn't here for sightseeing! With that, Ye Feng, Xue Yun, and Xiao Xiao headed towards the inner city of Stone City.
"Don't go, little brother. When you're new to Stone City, if you have any problems, just mention my name, and it will surely..."
"It'll solve nothing!" Before Xie could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a young man standing not far away.
"Old Xie, are you at the city gate again trying to con outsiders for food and drinks?"
"Hahaha~"
...
There were many people next to the young man, and they all gave Old Xie the middle finger. However, Xie remained expressionless, showing no reaction, clearly accustomed to this.
"Little brother, how about this? I'll still be your guide, for free. Just provide me with meals!" Xie clearly hadn't given up and quickly caught up with Ye Feng, who had already walked some distance. His actions were well thought out! Firstly, Ye Feng's clothing had no patches. He was a rare owner of a vehicle, and he paid the entry fee with something as luxurious as bread. Secondly, Ye Feng even possessed electro-coins, which were almost exclusively held by evolved individuals... Thus, Xie was determined to latch onto this wealthy newcomer, Ye Feng.
Ye Feng ignored Xie and continued to walk forward. On his right side stood a very thin woman, with a face that could be considered somewhat delicate, about 20 years old. Her eyes were vacant, and her expression was filled with bewilderment.
"Give her a steamed bun, and she'll let you do whatever you want!" Xie's voice rang out.
"Impossible~" Ye Feng blurted out almost instinctively.
"This..." Ye Feng's instinctive reply left Xie speechless, unable to utter the words he had prepared. He had thought of many scenarios where he could make money, such as Ye Feng saying the woman was too unattractive, too young, flat-chested, or that he simply didn't like women and preferred men, or was even uninterested in humans... As a seasoned veteran who had been in Stone City for decades, Xie had ways to deal with all of these. But he never expected Ye Feng to say "impossible." Xue Yun, walking alongside Ye Feng, looked at him with surprise, while Xiao Xiao's face turned red.
"Little brother, this... this is the truth~"
"Give her a bread, or a piece of chocolate, and she'll leave with you directly. You can do whatever you want!" Xie did not give up easily. Seeing Ye Feng's silence, he continued to make awkward conversation. This time, Ye Feng did not reply. His heart felt heavy. Although he had known that human nature had collapsed in this post-apocalyptic world, experiencing it firsthand and witnessing it with his own eyes had a profound impact on Ye Feng...
"Stop following me!" Ye Feng glared at Xie and then walked forward quickly. Xue Yun and Xiao Xiao followed closely. This time, Xie did not follow but watched the direction Ye Feng's group was heading from afar.
...