In a sense, Fu Jin was right.
Whether he really knew anyone important was another matter, but at least he had some genuine connections at the gate. Driving his battered car as it belched black smoke, he smiled ingratiatingly at everyone and wound his way through freight lanes, security lanes, grain transport lanes... every route imaginable, and some that weren't.
Otherwise, with a queue that long, they would have had to wait at least another three days.
A few hours later, the city gate finally came into view.
Only up close could they truly appreciate the fortress's grandeur. Looking up, they couldn't even see where it ended. The steel gate seemed to pierce the clouds, dividing the inside and outside into two different worlds.
Inside lay Paradise, the last surviving light of human civilization.
Outside...
One look at the people in their ragged clothes said it all.
Here at the gate, Fu Jin's connections no longer carried enough weight. The guards stationed here were all soldiers armed with loaded guns, their dark muzzles pointed brazenly at the crowd. It seemed... no, there was no need to say "seemed." At the slightest sign of anything unusual, they would open fire without hesitation.
And they wouldn't care how much blood flowed, or how many innocents were caught in it.
Seeing that Zhou You still looked as carefree as ever, Fu Jin leaned close and whispered a warning.
"Brother Zhou, I know you're strong, but please don't cause trouble here. Anyone who makes it into the army is a second-class citizen, or about to become one. In Paradise, a single difference in rank puts you worlds apart... Whatever they say, just treat it as a dog barking and humor them, all right?"
Zhou You seemed lost in his own world. Hearing this, he