Song Jie stared blankly at Qin Xun.
In Qin Xun's eyes, she saw a shadow of Brother Shui.
Old Crab was right. Qin Xun and Brother Shui really were alike!
Song Jie scooped up a handful of dirt and held it out to Qin Xun. "Eat this, and you'll be one of us!"
"Is this an initiation ceremony?" Qin Xun didn't really want to eat it.
"That's right. If you want to join us, you have to eat a mouthful of dirt!"
"Could I be an exception and skip it?"
"Didn't you just say you didn't want special treatment? If you won't eat it, then behave yourself and accept our protection. Stay out of our business!"
Qin Xun took the dirt Song Jie held out. After a moment's hesitation, he stuffed the whole handful into his mouth!
"Hahahaha..." Song Jie laughed. "All right, you're one of us now!"
"I've never heard of such a strange initiation ceremony." Qin Xun's face twisted, his mouth full of dirt.
Song Jie's smile was beautiful. "Our ceremony doesn't require you to eat dirt. We just have to play a trick on everyone who joins!"
"Ptooey! Ptooey! Ptooey!" Hearing that, Qin Xun hurriedly spat out every bit of dirt in his mouth.
Song Jie patted Qin Xun on the shoulder. "Once everyone's safe, we'll find a chance to celebrate for you!"
"Can I go into the city with you now?"
Song Jie lowered her head and thought for a moment. "All right. You and Glasses can go into the city and scout things out. I'll keep an eye on what's happening at the gate and come to your aid immediately if anything happens!"
"Okay!"
Qin Xun glanced at the sleeping Qin Ling.
It was as though two personalities had appeared inside him.
One told him to be selfish, stay behind in safety, eke out a living with Qin Ling, and raise her.
The other told him he couldn't turn his back on the people who had saved his life. Otherwise, even if he lived, it wouldn't sit right with him.
Qin Xun felt a little relieved.
He was relieved that he still had that second personality.
"Please take good care of my sister."
"She's not just your family. She's mine too." Song Jie smiled faintly.
After they came out of the cave, Glasses walked beside Qin Xun with a smile. "Well? Wasn't that initiation ceremony fun?"
"What did they do to you when you joined?"
Glasses fell into recollection. "It was one afternoon, on a farm. There was a really wild cow there, and they said that if I wanted to join, I had to kiss its butt three times. They said everyone had gone through it."
Qin Xun stared for a moment, then looked at Glasses. "That cow must have been even more traumatized than you!"
Glasses sighed. In his mind, he saw that afternoon beneath the setting sun, when he had chased the cow around, madly kissing its butt like he was in heat.
"I'd rather eat dirt!"
The two emerged from the woods and followed the road toward the city gate.
It was early morning, and many people were entering the city.
There were caravans of seven or eight trucks lined up in a row, and whole families, young and old, whose feet had been rubbed raw and bloody.
They crouched some distance away and watched for a while.
Qin Xun zipped his jacket all the way up, covering the lower half of his face.
Glasses took off his glasses too, then pulled a small case from his pocket. Inside was a pair of contact lenses.
After putting them in, he mussed his hair, then copied Qin Xun and zipped his jacket all the way up, covering the lower half of his face.
Even so, neither of them swaggered through the city gate. Instead, they went around behind a caravan of trucks waiting in line.
When no one was looking, they climbed into the bed of the last truck.
From watching earlier, Qin Xun had noticed that the Guard Team didn't inspect these caravans closely as long as they were paid enough.
They simply took a cursory look and waved them through.
As for whether the caravan this truck belonged to might be thoroughly searched for failing to pay enough, there was little need to worry.
Caravans had to pay if they wanted to enter the city!
Otherwise, those Guard Team members would "follow the law" and unload every last item from the trucks for inspection. They could keep inspecting until nightfall.
On the other hand, inspections for people leaving the city were very strict now. Everyone had to show their face and submit to a full-body search. Even paying wouldn't get them out of it.
The two hid beneath a piece of cloth.
Two minutes later, someone lifted the waterproof tarp over the truck bed, took a look, and closed it again.
Then the truck moved, entering the city along with the caravan's trucks ahead.
After the truck entered the city, a black pickup drove up along the road.
A Guard Team member raised a hand, signaling it to stop.
As soon as the pickup stopped, the surrounding Guard Team members all turned to look.
The two women in the pickup were simply too beautiful!
The woman in the passenger seat wore a black sweater and an earring, and had an indescribable allure.
The woman in the back had an unbelievably good figure. Her face was like a lotus rising from the water, her eyes like autumn pools. Any glance she cast made their hearts flutter with desire.
The Guard Team generally wouldn't let beauties like these go.
If they couldn't eat the meat, they'd at least take some tofu!
A sleazy man with a bulbous nose slung his gun behind his back and walked over to the passenger side, his gaze roaming up and down Chen Qiao's figure. "Hey, beauty, where are you from?"
"We came from Zone 102. We're heading to Zone 91 and stopped here to get some supplies." Chen Qiao glanced at the dozens of heavily armed Guard Team members at the city gate. "Why is security so tight? Did something happen?"
"Hey, our Zone 96 Guard Team is formidable. What could possibly happen? There are so many of us because security's always been this tight. We have to protect the residents, after all."
Chen Qiao knew the rules too. She took out a thousand magic coins and offered them to the man. "We're just going into the city to buy a few things. We'll be out again soon."
"What's the money for? We're here checking people entering and leaving the city according to regulations. The higher-ups have expressly forbidden us from taking bribes!" As the man pushed the money back, he took the opportunity to stroke Chen Qiao's hand.
"Then can we go in?" Chen Qiao asked with a smile.
"I don't think so. For the safety of the zone, we'll have to search you first, just in case you're carrying anything dangerous inside."
Chen Qiao knew exactly what the man had in mind. "Do we look like bad people to you?"
"Women as pretty as you are usually very bad, so we have even more reason to follow the rules. It can't be helped. As Guard Team members, we have to ensure the residents' safety at all times!"
"Big brother, please let us in. We really aren't carrying anything dangerous." Sisi leaned against the rear window, blinking her big, bright eyes.
At the sound of her sweet voice, the hearts of the Guard Team members were ready to melt!
"No, we have to search you!"
There was no way the bulbous-nosed man would pass up an opportunity like this.
It wasn't every day he came across such beautiful women.
"Look, you're sweating. Let me wipe it off for you first." Sisi pulled out a handkerchief and reached out.
"Hahahaha, all right!" Grinning, the man walked over to Sisi.
"Fuck, Gouzi, you lucky bastard!" a Guard Team member teased, his face full of envy.
"Big brother, we really don't have anything dangerous on us. Please let us in." Sisi wiped the man's face with her handkerchief.
The man gazed at Sisi in a daze, his heart ready to leap out of his chest. "Okay, okay, I'll let you in!"
"Thanks! I'll treat you to a meal when I get the chance." Sisi withdrew her hand with a smile.
As the pickup drove inside, more than a dozen Guard Team members gathered around the dazed man.
"Damn it, Gouzi, you really are a bastard! You had your fun and didn't spare a thought for the rest of us!"
"Yeah, you left the rest of us itching for a taste!"
The man shook his head and came back to his senses.
Even he didn't know what had possessed him to let them in.
"Damn, she was so fucking seductive, she had me under her spell!"
The man stared at the black pickup as it drove into the city, wishing he were a nobleman with power. He'd send someone to drag that slut straight into his bed and make sure she couldn't get out of it for three days and three nights!
"Fuck, when they come back out, I'm going to have some fun too!" A young man who was blind in one eye spat, unable to contain his eagerness.