H City was indeed vast; even with an unobstructed journey from its outskirts to Dream City, it would take over half an hour by car.
Upon reaching the gates of Dream City, the two commercial vehicles slowly came to a halt.
Ahead, the road was blocked by a row of wooden fences, behind which seven or eight armed men were clearly visible.
Zuo Feng's first impression of these men was that they were all hooligans, completely disorderly, even setting up two mahjong tables, shouting and making constant noise.
Zuo Feng frowned, signaling everyone to remain vigilant.
He got out of the car, walked towards the fence, and said calmly, "Gentlemen, excuse us."
The men behind the fence stopped their joking. One man with a scarred face squinted at Zuo Feng, a cigarette dangling from his lips, and said carelessly, "Excuse you? Do you think this is your front door? If you want to pass, pay the toll first!"
The others burst into laughter, their mahjong tiles clattering loudly.
Zuo Feng smiled. Lu Zhuoyan had told him that there were no fixed powers here; most of those blocking the road were small groups of stragglers and disbanded soldiers, specializing in extorting newcomers. To deal with them, one only needed to display strength.
Zuo Feng's eyes turned cold. A Space Shield instantly appeared. With a flick of his hand, the Space Shield shattered the fence, sending fragments flying.
The scarred man's face drastically changed. The laughter of the others ceased abruptly, and they immediately ran forward, bowing and smiling apologetically, "Brother, a misunderstanding! We'll clear the way immediately, please proceed!"
The men behind the fence quickly moved the obstacles. There were many who set up checkpoints here, and the only reason it was their turn was that the previous people had all died. These people knew very well who they could provoke and who they could not.
As soon as Zuo Feng revealed his identity as a Mutant, they understood that this person absolutely could not be offended.
The commercial vehicles passed through smoothly and entered Dream City.
Upon entering Dream City, a scene of intertwined prosperity and decay met their eyes: towering buildings, yet mottled and dilapidated. Along both sides of the road, countless people dressed like refugees were sprawled, their eyes vacant, their clothes tattered. They squatted or sat, as if they had lost all hope.
There were also many women, not bad-looking, standing by the roadside, completely disregarding the men beside them, preening and soliciting passing vehicles.
The group silently watched all of this, complex emotions welling up inside them. The vehicles slowed down and gradually stopped; they needed to find a guide.
Soon after the vehicles had stopped, there was a gentle knock on the car door. A seductive woman leaned her head through the open car window and asked with a smile,
"Brother, do you need to relax? My service here is thorough; I can do anything, guaranteed to satisfy, and it only costs one packet of instant noodles a day, oh."
As the woman spoke, she carelessly pulled open her collar, revealing a large expanse of skin, completely unconcerned that there were several beautiful girls sitting in the car.
The girls remained expressionless. Zuo Feng smiled, "How long have you been here?"
The woman was momentarily stunned, then smiled, "I was here before the apocalypse, Brother. I can do any position, Brother, would you like to try?"
There was a hint of flattery in the woman's words.
Zuo Feng smiled and shook his head, opening the car door, "This business is out of the question, but I can discuss something else with you. Get in..."
The woman leaped into the car without hesitation, her eyes filled with anticipation.
As for the well-dressed, beautiful girls in the car, she didn't even spare them a second glance, only staring intently at Zuo Feng, intentionally or unintentionally further opening her clothes to reveal more skin, attempting to attract Zuo Feng's attention.
The woman wasn't worried about what Zuo Feng might do to her. It was a sad truth that in Dream City, bottom-dwellers like her were like ants; no one would care if they died. Her life was worthless, and if there was even a glimmer of opportunity, she would seize it with all her might.
Zuo Feng, however, merely glanced at her indifferently and said, "You've been here all this time, so you must be very clear about the distribution of powers here, right? Can you tell us in detail? We're new here and need to understand some basic information."
A glint flashed in the woman's eyes. She quickly reined in her seductive manner, and her tone became serious:
"Brother, you've certainly asked the right person. I've been here since Dream City was established. Whatever you want to know, I can tell you."
The reason Zuo Feng chose her was precisely because of her experience in Dream City before the apocalypse. Moreover, women who did her kind of business often had much more up-to-date gossip and information than ordinary people.
At this moment, Da Bai Tu leaned against Zuo Feng, linking her arm with his, and handed the woman a packet of instant noodles, saying with a smile, "First, take us to find a place to stay. The more low-key, the better. We don't want to attract attention."
The woman took the instant noodles, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes: she had encountered a big client. A packet of instant noodles right off the bat, so generous.
She quickly covered her collar and carefully tucked the instant noodles into her chest, afraid of damaging the precious food.
She said respectfully, "If you want to be low-key, then where I live would be quite suitable. It's a middle-to-low-income residential area, with nothing much to offer, so naturally, no powers will pay attention to it.
It's just that the living environment is a bit poor. I wonder if you can adapt?"
Zuo Feng nodded slightly, saying calmly, "A poor environment is fine, as long as it's safe."
The woman immediately began to give directions. The vehicles drove towards the slum, and the dilapidated scenery along the way was heartbreaking. Amidst the broken walls and ruins, wanderers were everywhere, their clothes tattered, their eyes vacant.
The woman skillfully guided the vehicles through narrow alleys, eventually stopping in an area filled with neatly arranged container homes and simple wooden shacks.
The woman quickly got out of the car and led the vehicles to a container home near the edge, saying, "This is it. I live next door. This house is currently vacant, and the owner is willing to rent it out. You can move in as long as the rent is suitable."
Zuo Feng and his group got out of the car. Although they were well-dressed, they didn't seem to attract much attention from the people around them, who seemed accustomed to such sights—except for the beauty of the girls, of course.
Zuo Feng looked around. These container homes were used as temporary dormitories on construction sites before the apocalypse, and he wondered how there were so many here.
The one in front of them was an extended and widened version, quite spacious enough for Zuo Feng and the girls to live in.
He nodded in satisfaction, "This will do. How much is the rent?"
The woman pondered for a moment, then replied, "If you want to rent, I can immediately help you arrange a meeting with the owner. It won't be more than five packets of instant noodles a month."
"Alright, you help me arrange it."
Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in the woman's eyes. She had a selfish motive for bringing Zuo Feng here. With these big bosses living next door to her, even a little bit that leaked from their fingernails would be more than she could earn working hard for several days outside.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go find her now!"
The woman no longer hesitated, quickly darting into the depths of the container homes, her figure disappearing around the corner.
Zuo Feng watched her leave, then turned to Da Bai Tu and the others, whispering, "The conditions are a bit tough, but it's indeed safe and secluded here. Since we're new and haven't figured out the situation yet, we'll stay here for now."
The girls all nodded in agreement. They had discussed it before coming: being low-key was the main priority, and safety was paramount when they were new to a place.