The Holy Gun Mayor

Seeing Shen Feng frown, Firefly's face lit up in realization. She shouted to the surroundings:

"Everyone, come out! He isn't a savage; he's the one who saved my life!"

As soon as she finished speaking, rustling came from the surrounding ruins, and figures poked their heads out from behind broken walls and rubble.

There were both men and women among them. Their clothes were just as tattered, woven from tree bark, plastic, and all kinds of miscellaneous junk, though they were fairly clean.

Although some of them had obvious disabilities and mutations, with bent waists or hunched backs, they did not display any especially grotesque mutant traits.

Moreover, every one of them had a young face, ranging from ten to thirty years old. There was hardly a single middle-aged person among them.

Seven or eight men holding iron rods and iron blades surrounded him, watching Shen Feng warily as though they might swarm him and fight him to the death at any moment.

A burly man with a scar on his face stepped forward and said with a frown:

"Firefly, it was already generous enough for us to accept an outsider like you, yet you dared bring someone else into town! What if he's one of those wasteland bandits?"

A gaunt man with a gloomy face immediately added:

"Exactly. Do you want those wasteland bandits to slaughter our town!?"

Firefly hurriedly said:

"Don't worry, everyone. Shen Feng isn't a wasteland bandit. He even saved me from them."

Then she whispered to Shen Feng, "Don't worry. Everyone here is a good person who doesn't eat people."

As she spoke, she held out her bound hands to Shen Feng, signaling for him to untie her.

Shen Feng was speechless.

Since when had the bar for being a good person become this low?

He could naturally tell that the people of this so-called Nameless Town were hardly approachable, kindly neighbors.

He untied the rope around Firefly's hands, clenched his right fist, and his muscles swiftly bulged. The back of his hand turned to stone, and then he threw a punch that blasted a deep crater into the brick wall beside him!

Then he turned and stared expressionlessly at Scar, the leader. "I mean no harm."

Yet a warning, murderous glint flashed through his eyes.

He did not believe there were any truly good men or women in this apocalyptic world. The quickest method might be to kill someone and establish his authority!

Scar's men could not help showing looks of shock. This man was incredibly strong, practically like a savage.

The townspeople watching from around them shrank back as well, seemingly imagining what would happen if that punch landed on their own heads.

Scar did not retreat. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and waved a hand, signaling his men to surround Shen Feng.

"Who are you? What are you doing in town? What's in that bag? Did you rob it from somewhere?"

Great strength was nothing special. He was still empty-handed.

The blades in their hands were the real deal. Even a savage would bleed if stabbed.

The bag on the other man's back was practically brand-new. He had most likely just found it in some ruins, and there had to be good stuff inside!

Scar greedily licked his lips.

Firefly anxiously waved her hands. "It's a misunderstanding, it must be a misunderstanding! He really is a good person. He even gave me delicious food to eat. He isn't a wasteland bandit!"

Then she abruptly turned around, her expression turning cold. She pulled a small knife from inside her clothes, gripped it tightly, and whispered into Shen Feng's ear:

"The mayor isn't here. That bastard Scar looks like he wants to rob us. Let's kill him."

Shen Feng nodded without changing expression, controlling the muscles across his body as they slowly writhed, hardening his skin bit by bit. He casually took off his backpack, pulled out an unopened pack of Taishan cigarettes, and said:

"As for what's in the bag... there are cigarettes."

At those words, everyone present gasped sharply. Even Firefly's eyes widened as she stared at the pack in Shen Feng's hand, utterly stunned.

"Cigarettes! He has cigarettes!"

"Oh my God, a whole pack of cigarettes! H-how much is that worth!?"

"I've never seen cigarettes in my life. Are those really the legendary cigarettes? Let me see!"

"They're sacred relics from before the apocalypse, priceless treasures! I heard that in some powerful tribes, one cigarette can be traded for five slaves!"

"..."

Shen Feng was somewhat surprised to see everyone value a pack of cigarettes so highly.

His earlier guess had been right. Industrial products like cigarettes really were hard currency in the wasteland.

Scar swallowed, his eyes full of greed. "What else?"

This outsider had so many good things. He must have struck it rich!

Shen Feng smiled faintly. "There's also a bottle of liquor. Come take a look."

As he spoke, he reached into the bag and gripped the handle of the tungsten-steel dagger.

Hearing that there was even legendary liquor, Scar's breathing quickened. He immediately strode over, waving at his men around him.

He had already made up his mind. No matter where this kid came from, he would rob him!

Thud! A heavy object struck the ground with a dull sound, and Scar, who had only taken two steps, immediately stopped.

Everyone around him showed fearful expressions as well and looked toward the source of the sound.

A middle-aged man who looked to be in his fifties emerged from in front of a relatively intact house. His face was covered in wrinkles, his hair was streaked with gray, yet he carried an imposing air without even needing to show anger.

He held a double-barreled hunting rifle in his hand, its long barrel planted on the ground and reflecting a dark gleam under the sunlight.

"It's the mayor!" Firefly cried softly. Her expression immediately relaxed considerably as she quietly introduced him to Shen Feng.

"He's the oldest elder in town. He's already thirty-five years old. He protects order, and the thing in his hand is the legendary Holy Gun. They say he brought it back from an expedition into Death Forest when he was young. He can kill someone just by pointing it at them!"

The mayor asked in a deep voice, "Scar, what's going on?"

Scar looked somewhat flustered. "Mayor, it's like this... this... outsider... his origins are unknown. I was... I was checking... to see whether he was... um... a wasteland bandit..."

"Would a wasteland bandit carry so many treasures?"

"N-no..."

The mayor nodded. "Then he isn't a wasteland bandit. Everyone, disperse. Our territory welcomes all who obey the rules."

"Yes..." Scar immediately waved his hand and left dejectedly with his men.

The mayor gave Shen Feng a slight nod and a warning look, then turned and returned to the room behind him.

Shen Feng inwardly sighed in regret and released the dagger's handle.

However, he also felt a trace of relief.

The humans of the apocalyptic wasteland had not completely turned into beasts that fought only to survive. They still retained civilization and order.

Firefly said:

"Now that the mayor has spoken, no one will make things difficult for you, Shen Feng. Want me to show you around Nameless Town? This is one of the largest towns around. There are over five hundred people here!"

Shen Feng said:

"Take me to the store first. I want to sell some things."

A few minutes later, they arrived at a building that looked like a scrap collection yard.

All around them were various discarded steel components and relics of pre-apocalyptic civilization. Rows of dried meat of unknown origin hung from the ceiling, along with some hides, furs, and strips of plastic.

This was Nameless Town's store.

The shopkeeper had already seen Shen Feng earlier. When he saw Shen Feng enter his shop now, his face broke into a wide smile.

He had heard with his own ears that this man possessed legendary cigarettes and liquor!

Shen Feng opened the pack of cigarettes, took one out, held it beneath his nose, and inhaled its scent. Then he said to the eager-looking shopkeeper:

"I want to trade for some things... and some information."