"They're gone!"
Inside the command vehicle, red dots representing the convoy rapidly disappeared into the sandstorm on the radar screen; even from the monotonous screen, the risks were palpable.
Why would they do that?
"Couldn't you just move aside?"
What forced them to cross this sandstorm?
Wang Lei was completely baffled; he even wondered if some monster was chasing them from behind the convoy.
However, no unidentified targets could be detected from the radar readings.
Boom!
A bolt of lightning struck, merging with the sandstorm to create a magnificent and fantastical light that illuminated the entire space.
Zhang Tianyuan walked to the window and noticed that the lightning was becoming increasingly dense, like giant water snakes twisting their waists, dancing with the tornado.
"To dare to force your way through in this weather, that's truly commendable courage!"
Based on his intuition, Wang Lei gave the unidentified convoy a positive assessment.
"Judging from the radar results, most of the vehicles in that convoy were small cars. Given their size and weight, it would be almost entirely a matter of luck for them to get through this storm safely."
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Lei tapped several disappearing red dots.
"These cars are falling apart..."
Zhang Tianyuan stood by the window, and he could already see the steel being swept into the air, along with what appeared to be several figures waving their arms and legs as well.
This scene felt somewhat familiar to him...
The radar showed one red dot disappearing after another, indicating that the convoy that had just rushed into the sandstorm had suffered heavy losses.
But they had no room for regret.
A fierce sandstorm will carry them along until they run out of energy.
In this process, whether it's the car or the person, survival may depend entirely on luck...
Of course, if you have the protagonist's halo, that works too.
Zhang Tianyuan recalled the main characters in the movie who didn't take car accidents seriously at all, and wondered if the refugees on this wasteland continent had undergone some kind of benign mutation due to nuclear radiation, thus achieving an effect similar to enhanced physical functions?
Half an hour later, Wang Lei asked, "President, the sandstorm has subsided a bit. Shall we go take a look?"
"Forget it," Zhang Tianyuan said, standing by the window, gazing out in a daze. "If we follow them now, all we'll do is collect their corpses; it's pointless. Let's continue with our plan and traverse this desert."
"Based on the satellite intelligence we've gathered before, there are still quite a few traces of human activity in this desert."
Zhang Tianyuan slapped several photos on the table, showing distinct building clusters in parts of the desert, with starlight visible even at night.
These are all traces of recent human activity.
Although this desert is harsh, the various resources hidden underground have managed to support a considerable population.
As they travel, the chances of encountering refugees are quite high.
Didn't you see they just encountered a convoy?
Wang Lei had no objection to this; he also knew that following the past would only result in a pile of dismembered limbs.
Collecting someone else's body is a very humane thing to do.
But to be honest, this kind of thing has no practical meaning for them, and it's meaningless even for those whose bodies are being collected.
Aside from those who are simply bored and have nothing better to do, who among these refugees, who could die at any moment, cares whether anyone will claim their body after they die?
In this environment, collecting the bodies of the deceased is not a way to comfort the victims, but rather a way to appease the bystanders.
Besides, Wang Lei and his group had already collected enough corpses in the Day After Tomorrow Spacetime, and were now completely numb to it.
Furthermore, given that Wang Lei and his companions were born into Wandering Spacetime, and considering the attitude towards death within that Wandering Spacetime...
So they should do something meaningful sooner rather than later.
The sandstorm had moved to other areas, Mutual Aid Society's convoy, braving the gradually weakening sandstorm, had completely left the area affected by it.
What met my eyes was still a scene of withered yellow.
The hardened earth was still covered in yellow sand, with no water or life in sight. The air was thick with heat and distorted, and every now and then two desert lizards could be seen crawling out from the shade under a large rock.
The convoy continued forward, and the barren yellow landscape still seemed endless. Instead, it gave way to a series of mountain ranges and canyons.
These places, too, are utterly desolate, and have cut the once flat land into several pieces.
But it was from here that the convoy discovered traces of a road.
There are obvious tire tracks on the ground, and judging from the appearance, they were only recently left.
A vehicle just passed by.
"Could it be that same convoy from earlier?"
"Possibly."
Zhang Tianyuan also got out of the car and watched the discussion among the people present.
"Judging from the scene, the types of vehicles that just passed by were quite diverse..."
"Situation detected!"
The drone scout reports the situation.
"At the 12 o'clock position, a large number of wrecked vehicles and... a pile of corpses were discovered."
"A corpse?" Zhang Tianyuan and Wang Lei stepped forward.
Images transmitted from the drone show numerous vehicles emitting smoke and various discarded parts on the road ahead.
Some of these vehicles were still burning, while others were simply burned down to their metal frames.
There were also many twisted and mangled corpses around, making the scene quite bloody.
Zhang Tianyuan looked at a car wrapped up like a hedgehog at the scene, but it seemed strangely familiar. He touched his chin and then remembered.
Isn't this the kind of tribal vehicle that appeared in the movie?!
It's the tribe of extras that appears at the very beginning of the movie, when Furiosa is driving away and tries to stop her.
If I remember correctly, it should be called the Vulture Tribe, which has a very wasteland feel to it. It immediately reminded President Zhang of the simple ecological cycle of vultures eating people and people eating vultures in the Interstellar Spacetime.
However, if you put it that way...
Zhang Tianyuan turned around and looked back.
The sandstorms are no longer visible here.
The convoy that just rushed into the sandstorm—was that Immortan Joe's team?
"Let the drone continue to take off and map out the general terrain around us," Zhang Tianyuan said to Wang Lei.
Wang Lei nodded, signaling a drone operator to execute the instructions.
But before the topographic map could be generated, someone else immediately reported it.
"A convoy is approaching us five kilometers away!"
"Friend or foe?"
"Uh... they look menacing, but their strength doesn't seem to match their aura..."
As they spoke, the operator shared footage from the drone.
Amidst the endless yellow sand, a convoy was approaching them. First came Volkswagen Beetles covered in spiked armor, looking like iron hedgehogs; then came bulldozers with two large chainsaws attached; and next came trucks with excavators welded to their cargo beds...
In short...
That's quite creative.
Looking at their people, they were all wrapped up like mummies, but judging from their animated gestures, they seemed to be in high spirits.
Although it remains a mystery whether the enemy's combat strength can actually reach level five, Wang Lei still withdrew everyone.
Everyone stayed in their cars, quietly waiting for the convoy to arrive, with only drones hovering overhead to observe.
Zhang Tianyuan was also observing the convoy.
This convoy was likely sent by the Vulture Tribe to provide support, or perhaps to collect the bodies.
Just now, the female protagonist Furiosa, was escaping with several of Immortan Joe's women when the Vulture Tribe tried to plunder them, but they were easily defeated.
With a suicide squad and supplies of explosives, gasoline, and water, Immortan Joe is undoubtedly the strongest in the area.
Many tribes even survived only by trading with him.
As soon as the new convoy crossed the mountains, lookouts spotted the Mutual Aid Society's convoy, and the entire convoy quickly surrounded it.
Several motorcycles, acting as the vanguard, were the fastest. Once they got close, they circled around an armored vehicle, examining it with curious eyes.
The drivers above are all from the post-wasteland generation, and they have never seen a vehicle like this in their lives.
Buzz~~
One of the motorcycles floored the throttle, brandishing an iron bar, trying to get closer to test the weight of the armor.
Behind them, the hedgehog-like vehicles, chainsaw bulldozers, and truck-mounted excavators slowly approached, attempting to use brute force to destroy these strange armored vehicles.
Their tribe's style involves using a large number of modified engineering vehicles to obtain more horsepower and stronger armor than other vehicles, thereby defeating their opponents in vehicle collisions.
"Whoosh~~~~ The grandfathers from the Vulture Tribe are here!"
"Get down here and lick my toes!"
"My brother can break through these metal shells with just one poke—they can't protect you!" xS12
The insults came in from outside.
Everyone inside the car was speechless.
It's like seeing some primitive island savages babbling and trying to charge at a tank...
These young people, born in the wasteland era, still enjoy some of the lingering effects of modern civilization, but they have become disconnected from truly modern people.
Without Wang Lei issuing any commands, the surrounding area
Armed drones have already taken off from the roof of the vehicle.
These drones have a very simple structure, equipped with drone-specific machine guns and grenade launchers for easy firepower.
Pfft!
A tongue of fire shot out from the drone.
The nearby hill exploded with a loud bang, and loose dust cascaded down, forming a landslide.
For a fleeting moment, the numerous illegally modified vehicles seemed to pause, and in that brief instant, the drivers contemplated their entire lives before quickly making the same choice!
Turn around!
Although they are barbaric, they know the difference between the strong and the weak. If they don't turn back now, they might have to turn back next!
The motorcycles that had just been circling the armored vehicle like flies quickly changed direction, desperately trying to escape.
Just then...
Pfft!
Two tongues of fire shot out almost simultaneously.
The explosions occurred simultaneously at both ends of the road, and the cars at the very front were nearly blown away by the blast wave.
Da da da~~~
The machine gun in the air also made its presence known, with bullets quickly plunging into the ground, leaving only a row of bullet holes.
"I... I surrender!"
The first man gave a French military salute and got off his motorcycle.
Then came the second, the third...
Before long, everyone tactfully demonstrated the French military salute they had just learned.
At this point, the soldiers wearing exoskeletons finally got off the vehicle and took over the scene.
These people's understanding of the French military salute is not comprehensive enough; they only know the first move, raising both hands high, and haven't studied the rest of the moves.
But it's okay.
Many of the members of the Wandering Spacetime Mutual Aid Society's convoy also came from Europe and America, and were veterans there. Having experienced years of suppression, they had long since mastered this unique skill through observation.
Soon, the people of the Vulture Tribe learned the two moves: "Prostrating" and "hands clasped behind their backs."
From President Zhang's perspective, it looked as if more than thirty tightly wrapped mummies had suddenly appeared on the scorching mud road, all neatly arranged by the roadside.
The surrounding desert is quite fitting.
It's a pity there's no pyramid.
"Who just said his brother could break through the armor in one shot?"
A burly man wearing sunglasses stood in front of the mummies, speaking English with a British accent.
The mummies were silent for a moment before someone said, "It's Barry! Barry Allen!"
Soon, a teenager was dragged up.
Facing the soldiers with full exoskeletons, Barry Allen shrank back and stammered, "I... I have a brother... brother... his name is Bruce, I mean, you know, he's very strong, so I guess he could destroy your armor in one hit."
"This... this is really just a guess."
Barry Allen chuckled, glancing at his younger brother.
Then his brother Bruce was also taken away.
Bruce was completely dumbfounded. He touched his shrunken belly and the two ribs that bulged out of his chest from his thinness, unable to comprehend how his brother could have the nerve to say such a thing...
If you were grabbing food, you could share some with me!
But it was too late. Before Bruce could react, a stick was shoved into his hand.
Then a voice came to my ear:
"Go ahead, puncture the armor, we look forward to your performance."
Bruce, under his brother's watchful eye, had no choice but to approach an armored vehicle, grit his teeth, and charge forward with all his might!
Thump!
A crisp sound.
Not a single mark was left on the armor.
Bruce turned around shakily, only to find that none of the soldiers paid him any attention; only his troublesome brother was still winking at him, telling him not to stop.
Bruce had no choice but to charge again, stabbing the steel plate repeatedly...
The other members of the Vulture Tribe watched this scene without daring to utter a sound. They all lowered their heads and pressed themselves against the ground, listening to the sound of Bruce crashing into the armor while enjoying the scorching sun.
Zhang Tianyuan and Wang Lei watched this scene from a short distance away.
Connor and the delegation sent by Ski were also nearby, sweating profusely from the sweltering heat.
"Mr. Chairman, is our next step to ensure these people's livelihoods?"
"They look like barbarians, and they just tried to attack us..."
"They don't look like good people, nor do they look like people who need help."
Zhang Tianyuan glanced at the two representatives.
"I completely agree with your views. Now, I'd like to trouble you two to transform these people into good people."