Chapter 78: Chapter 78: The First Meeting of the Camp Squad and the Rescue Squad

Lin Qi frowned deeply. The scene inside the Golden Impression was a stomach-churning sight.

It was a bathhouse, and judging by its architecture, not an entirely legitimate one. It even had a "second floor."

For that very reason, a large group of young female survivors had taken refuge inside.

They had managed to survive the apocalypse by taking advantage of the building’s unique and secluded design.

By pre-apocalypse standards, they wouldn’t have been considered good people.

But after the apocalypse began, freed from the constraints of the law, a group of middle-aged men from an archery club occupied the place.

As former regulars, they knew the layout well. They cleared out the Zombies inside and found the "second floor."

For the women, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing at first. After all, in the apocalypse, they needed the protection that came with brute force.

The problem was, there were perverts in the group...

Lin Qi averted his gaze. The scene inside was deeply unsettling—more shocking than some of the filthiest places in the Cyber World, and even somewhat bloody.

’Even in the Cyber World, laws are needed to restrain human behavior. If humans lose all sense of decency, they no longer deserve to be called human.’

He shifted his Spiritual Vision, sweeping it in a new direction until he found the Mo University Camp squad heading for this location.

The squad was moving quickly and was about to reach the military vehicle.

Lin Qi used the signal generator in his Exoskeleton to broadcast a message on a public frequency.

The squad carried portable radios, an order from Wang Ziru.

The signal from the broadcasting equipment Lin Qi had set up in the Club Activity Building could, despite heavy interference, just barely cover the entire Mo University campus.

In an emergency, Wang Ziru would use the broadcast to contact all squads in the field.

Lin Qi’s voice came over the radio: "This is Lin Qi. Ahead, turn left and enter the salon. Official rescue personnel are inside. Help them clear out the Golden Impression. I’ll cover you."

Lin Qi couldn’t stand to watch such inhumane acts.

But Lin Qi didn’t want to reveal too much about himself to the official rescue team, so he delegated the task to the camp’s squad.

"The big shot is watching from nearby?"

"Holy shit, the big shot is a badass."

Thanks to Wang Ziru’s propaganda, Lin Qi had a larger-than-life image in the camp—practically a cult of personality.

Lin Qi’s voice was like a shot of adrenaline, and the four squad members’ expressions grew serious.

"Maintain formation. Prepare to make contact with the official rescue team."

The squad leader, Cheng Huai, gave the order.

The other three members—Li Fu, Du Lv, and Liu Wei—immediately grew solemn, falling into the formation they had honed over the past few days as they advanced steadily.

Arriving at the designated location, Cheng Huai found the salon’s glass door locked from the inside with a U-lock.

"Liu Wei. Chain-Saw Dagger. Break the lock."

The four were equipped not only with Electromagnetic Firearms but also with multi-functional Exoskeletons. Their gear included a chain-saw weapon—the same model found on Lin Qi’s M-Class Mecha—designed to handle complex environments.

With the other three providing cover, Liu Wei retrieved the Chain-Saw Dagger from his Exoskeleton.

The chain-saw spun at high speed, yet it was surprisingly quiet.

Working through the gap in the glass doors, he cut through the U-lock in just five seconds.

The noise attracted the attention of the rescue team members inside.

The two able-bodied members, Yun Ming and Jiang Zhenlong, immediately raised their guns and aimed at the doorway.

"I am Cheng Huai, a survivor from Modu University! I’m a sophomore from the School of Equine Studies and a Party member! Warriors inside, please don’t be alarmed! Don’t shoot!"

"We’re here to help! We’re not hostiles! I repeat, we are not hostiles!"

A wall still separated the two groups, but Cheng Huai had immediately announced his identity to prevent them from panicking.

Yun Ming and Jiang Zhenlong were baffled.

’Modu University?’

’School of Equine Studies?’

’A Party member?’

’A college student?’

These words instantly dissolved most of their hostility. The last two keywords in particular—"School of Equine Studies" and "Party member"—were like a ray of light in the darkness of the apocalypse.

But the two didn’t lower their guard completely.

After all, the squad’s intentions were a mystery. ’How did they know we were here?’

And how did they know who they were?

Yun Ming and Jiang Zhenlong exchanged a look, then glanced at the wounded Old Xu.

Jiang Zhenlong made a decision. "You watch Old Xu. I’ll go make contact."

With that, Jiang Zhenlong grabbed his weapon and stepped out of the room.

The moment he saw them, Jiang Zhenlong’s hair stood on end, and a shiver ran down his spine.

The sight of the four college students was deeply jarring.

Each of them held an object that was clearly a firearm, and their bodies were covered head to toe in steel Exoskeleton armor.

They were dressed like soldiers from the future.

Jiang Zhenlong quickly raised his weapon again, aiming it at Cheng Huai. "You have guns! Who the hell are you?!"

Jiang Zhenlong’s voice was loud—a warning for Yun Ming and Old Xu to remain on guard.

Cheng Huai had expected this reaction and felt a bit resigned.

"We’re survivors from Modu University. We’ve established a Survivor Camp on campus."

"Our gear was built by students from our camp’s Mechanical College. We don’t have gunpowder or anything like it. These are Electromagnetic Kinetic Energy Weapons."

"Technically, we’re illegally manufacturing firearms, but with the apocalypse here, it’s a case of necessity defense at worst." 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"And if you really want to press the issue, we have surviving law professors in our camp, too."

Cheng Huai explained the guns first, then once again stressed his credentials.

College students!

Naive, but not malicious!

Plus, they had the university’s backing; their professors and faculty weren’t all dead.

A look of profound shock was plastered on Jiang Zhenlong’s face.

’Modu University survivors?’

’A Survivor Camp?’

’Producing Electromagnetic Weapons?’

’What the hell is all this?’

’Are they messing with me?’

"Since when was our school that capable? I’ve only been in the army for two years! I was supposed to go back to Mo University to resume my studies this year!"

Jiang Zhenlong was still finding it hard to believe.

Until Cheng Huai, with some difficulty, pulled something from a crevice in his Exoskeleton... his student ID card.

In the apocalypse, no one would be idle enough to forge a student ID card.

"They’re really Mo University students?"

Jiang Zhenlong’s voice was still loud, meant for the two in the other room. He was telling them to stand down.

Cheng Huai spoke again. "Bro, can we talk? Our camp’s mission was to make contact with you. Then we just got new orders to help you clear out the Golden Impression. Speaking of which, where is the Golden Impression? What’s going on?"

Cheng Huai’s question revealed his complete cluelessness.

Liu Wei whispered from the side, "You don’t know the Golden Impression? It’s a famous brothel nearby. I used to go there a lot."

Cheng Huai raised an eyebrow.

Li Fu and Du Lv instantly shot Liu Wei a look of contempt.

’No wonder he can’t find a girlfriend and only has an ex,’ they thought. ’So this is the kind of hobby he has.’

’But it’s just a brothel. What’s there to clear out?’

Cheng Huai turned his gaze to Jiang Zhenlong, waiting for him to speak.