Chapter 43

Want to Give It a Try?

As the new convoy entered the city, onlookers from the upper floors of nearby buildings whistled and jeered. To an outsider, it might seem like a warm welcome. But those from Sunshine Base, already aware of Paradise’s true nature from Hu Xuan, knew better—they were being treated like walking points.

Thinking about the hefty toll they’d soon have to pay, it was easy to imagine how they must look in the eyes of the people here—just vehicles full of points ready to be extracted.

But as frightening as bandits were, zombies were even worse!

Bracing themselves to be thoroughly drained, the people in the vehicles tried their best to stay calm and not appear too nervous.

Paradise Base looked more impressive than they had expected. Unlike the other bases that reused pre-apocalypse buildings, the houses here were newly constructed. They were low, mostly two-story buildings, with some single-story ones scattered around. The upper floors typically had balconies, where those whistling at the convoy were gathered. The architecture and materials were different from what they were used to—everything looked fresh and new.

“This is definitely made from modern materials. They must’ve either scavenged it or stolen it. Controlling this checkpoint gives them access to both sides,” Chen Shan commented as he noticed some of the younger group members staring at the buildings outside.

“They say the new materials are lightweight, durable, warm in winter, and cool in summer. They can be used to build things really quickly. Honestly, this place might even be more advanced than our own base,” Chen Shan added with a smirk.

Just then, their vehicles came to a stop.

Juan was no longer driving—Da Xiong, the original driver, was now behind the wheel, sitting with the other young men in the vehicle. They had even extinguished the fire in the truck bed to avoid attracting attention.

The convoy had halted on a small street lined with two-story buildings. As soon as they stopped, the doors along both sides of the street opened. People rushed out to set up makeshift stalls, selling all kinds of goods. Some weren’t even selling anything—they just dragged out hoses, claiming to run car washes!

“Get out—now,” Hu Xuan’s voice suddenly came through the walkie-talkie in Chen Shan’s pocket, breaking the group’s confusion.

The walkie-talkie had been given to Chen Shan by Hu Xuan earlier. As part of the deal they made to buy passage through Paradise, Hu Xuan would be the lead negotiator. However, he couldn’t do it alone—he needed a few others to accompany him.

“Look tough. It’d be best if you can haggle,” Hu Xuan had instructed them.

And that’s how Chen Shan, who was big, intimidating, and known for his haggling skills, got chosen.

“Stay seated and behave yourselves. Don’t go buying their stuff, and don’t be curious and look outside. But, if they really go overboard, don’t be a pushover either,” Chen Shan instructed, ready to teleport to the front of the train car and leave that way.

He didn’t plan on leaving through the rear, as it would either expose his abilities outright or require him to open the rear door, potentially revealing the occupants of this car—perceived by others as ‘the old, weak, and young.’ Although they weren’t truly weak, they weren’t eager to prove it now.

After speaking, he scanned the group in the car: the doctor, Ah Hai and other teenagers, the old man with the chickens, Juan, and finally Pade.

The doctor, a good man;

Ah Hai and his group, good kids, though not suited for this situation;

The old man with the chickens, a tough character, though this isn’t the time for that;

Juan… all good, but not very talkative;

Pade…

Chen Shan’s gaze settled on Pade’s face last.

“I’m counting on you,” he told Pade, then teleported away, neat and swift.

“Huh?” Pade pointed to himself, looking forward only to see Chen Shan already sprinting off the train. He settled back into his seat.

“I’m quite expensive, you know… I was just going to say that,” he remarked to Juan, seated beside him.

“You… are expensive?” Ah Hai asked seriously from nearby.

Pade: … In reality, he hadn’t ever actually been paid.

That’s precisely why he found it hard to say. His previous assignments had been expensive, but the money always went to that woman.

But…

He’d handled various tasks: missions to kill, jobs to hunt monsters… Yet this was the first time he’d taken on something as simple as guarding people in a train car.

“Feels a bit novel, but I don’t dislike it,” he said to Juan.

“Then enjoy your journey.” Juan raised his gaze briefly, saying only that, before looking out the window.

That was a message to Pade—and to himself.

Just like Pade, everything here was new to him. Though his body was gone, he still saw his arrival in this world as a new journey and experienced it wholeheartedly.

Travelers exploring this world—that was how Juan and Pade felt at the moment.

But others in the car were far from relaxed.

Ah Hai and the others were tense, not daring to even glance outside, keeping their breathing barely audible, fearing they might attract attention.

In other cars, people were similarly tense or simply intent on avoiding trouble. The entire convoy was quiet.

But this silence annoyed the eager “vendors” outside.

“Hey, guests! Come take a look! We’re being so friendly; won’t you come show some appreciation?”

“Got enough supplies? I’m telling you, it’s never enough! Listen to me, stock up! See anything you need on my stall?”

These ‘vendors’—bandits at heart—smiled while tapping on the train cars, but their faces remained fierce. Some didn’t even bother smiling and started banging on the windows instead!

As for their goods? Nothing but scraps they’d stolen, things so worthless they didn’t bother tossing them out, now displayed as ‘merchandise.’ Some didn’t even bother with products, like the ‘car wash’ vendor who brandished a water hose. When ignored, he began spraying the cars with high-pressure water—he likely had water-based powers, as the spray was powerful enough to crack the glass.

This forced some people out of their cars, who were then pressured into ‘browsing’ by the vendors.

The car holding Juan and Pade was sprayed too, being close to the ‘car wash.’ Fortunately, Chen Shan and Da Xiong had kept the vehicle well-maintained, so its windows were still intact.

While Da Xiong and Damon were thinking of what to do next, Pade casually opened the back door and stepped out.

“Hey! Your water gun is spraying my car—it’s almost peeling the paint! How are you going to compensate me?” Pade confronted the ‘car wash owner,’ eyebrow raised.

Though he was significantly shorter, Pade stood tall before the towering ‘car wash vendor.’

Lifting his head, he looked up at the man with a smile.

In the sunlight, most of the scars on his face had faded, leaving his young, fair face with only faint marks from past injuries, which the doctor said would fade further with a bit more sun.

Like the bandits, Pade’s smile was only on his lips. His pale-brown eyes, like glass beads, held no warmth. In fact, they were utterly emotionless, as if the man was looking at a rock or an ant, not even seeing him as a person.

The ‘car wash owner’ felt a chill, and then he met another gaze.

It was Juan.

He’d opened the car window fully and was leaning his arm on the sill, looking at the man.

If Pade’s gaze was that of a killer, accustomed to death and seeing people like grass, Juan’s gaze was that of a beast.

Unfazed, powerful, perhaps even a little curious.

The man lowered his water gun and, with an apologetic look, said, “I swear that scratch was already there.”

“Oh? I didn’t notice that. I just polished the car yesterday, and the paint was fine,” Pade replied, lying with a straight face.

The man remarked, “You’re even more of a bandit than I am.”

Pade raised an eyebrow, giving him a deep look, as if he wasn’t planning to pursue the matter any further. But then—

“Hey! Bran, why are you being so timid? If our little guest isn’t satisfied, make sure he is! Let me take a look at what he’s got in his little truck and see if there’s anything missing that he can buy from us—” A mocking voice came from behind. Pade turned around to see a burly, rough-looking man approaching his small truck with another man in tow.

Pade had jumped straight down from the truck without closing the door, so the back compartment was only half-closed.

The big man grinned and swung open the half-shut door. His eyes widened as he looked inside. “Wow! What do we have here? Chickens! And more than one!”

Then, he reached in to grab one of the chickens…

A gunshot rang out with a “bang,” hitting his hand, though it didn’t penetrate.

The wound on his palm quickly healed before their eyes. The man glanced at his hand, then at the old man inside the truck holding a gun and staring coldly back at him. After a moment, he laughed. “Looks like you’re in need of a good gun. How long have you had that one? Pre-apocalypse, I’d guess? Should I call it an antique?”

He gestured to his companion, who took a long gun from his back and aimed it at the old man in the truck.

“This is the latest model out there. It can hit seven people at once. And how many people do you have in that truck?” the man said as he leveled the gun.

“Well, you better decide carefully who to shoot first. The ones you miss will make sure you don’t get a second chance,” the doctor replied, raising his hand.

Inside the truck, everyone’s gaze was fixed on the man.

The situation had reached a standstill.

The standoff was suddenly broken when flowers started blooming all over the truck.

From the body, the roof, the hood, and the back, bright red komi flowers sprang up, each with sharp, metal-like petals. They snapped aggressively, as if ready to bite, stretching their stems toward anyone nearby.

No one had ever seen such fierce flowers before! And no one doubted their bite strength. Just moments before, a flower close to the gun’s barrel had chomped down and shattered it with a sharp “bang.”

The man holding the gun quickly backed up a few steps, then glanced warily at Pade, as did his companion.

Seeing all eyes on him, Pade clapped his hands. “Chickens? I’m not selling you those. But I do have something else for you.”

He waved his hand, summoning a bunch of Julian grass and igniting it with a lighter, showing the bandits how easily it burned.

After the demonstration, he pointed to the Julian grass on the ground, smiling brightly at the bandits. “So, how about it? It’s pretty cold here, right? What do you guys usually burn to keep warm? Gathering firewood every day must be a hassle for busy bandits like yourselves. Why not buy some grass?”

He then glanced at the man whose arm had been shot earlier, smiling at him. “Is your wound fully healed? If not, we can offer medical services here too. Don’t worry; as long as it’s not through the neck or head, our doctor can fix you up anywhere you’ve been injured.”

“Of course, that service comes with a fee,” he added with a sly grin.

“Care to try?” Pade said, giving the man a dangerously amused look.