RNP Page 70
Page 70
Several soldiers, dressed in heavy winter clothing and with weathered faces, stepped forward with guns in hand and indifferent expressions.
"Stop the car! Submit for inspection!"
Emma Grace did not get out of the car. Before she could even speak, the armed captain of the Thor Corporation following behind Su Hui sent her the special pass and Emma's personal identification information.
The soldiers at the checkpoint instantly changed their indifferent expressions after seeing the information that popped up on the screen.
Immediately, a soldier who appeared to be a squad leader strode over to the communication equipment, picked up the microphone, and his tone became noticeably more respectful.
"Miss Grace, please wait a moment. We are verifying your identity."
A moment later, the squad leader spoke again, his voice now carrying a hint of humility.
"Identity confirmed, Miss Grace. Please direct your convoy to the dedicated lane."
The cumbersome inspection process was instantly simplified, and the soldiers respectfully stepped aside, quickly allowing passage.
This treatment stands in a ridiculous contrast to the ordinary survivors who shiver in the cold wind, waiting for an indefinite trial.
Su Hui watched without saying anything more.
After the roadblocks were quickly removed and the entrance passage was cleared to a spacious area.
The modified Hummer started moving first, followed closely by Emma's command vehicle. The entire convoy slowly drove into the so-called "dedicated lane" under the watchful eyes of the soldiers.
The convoy passed through heavy metal gates and entered a dark passageway.
On both sides of the passage, there were still high walls, but the light was even dimmer. When the view suddenly opened up, the sight before one's eyes made one's heart sink.
The interior of the massive encrypted network arena has been completely transformed into a crowded steel jungle.
The venue that once hosted grand events is now divided into countless areas of varying sizes, densely packed with tents of all shapes and sizes, makeshift shacks, and even more people huddled in corners.
The air was filled with an indescribable mixture of smells—sweat, excrement, rotten food, disinfectant, and a faint hint of blood and decay.
The cacophony of voices, like the incessant buzzing of bees, echoed beneath the massive dome of the stadium, making one's eardrums ache.
The class differences here are almost starkly displayed.
Everywhere was a filthy mixture of black snow and mud, emitting a nauseating stench.
Inside and outside these tents, almost everyone had numb eyes. In such cold weather, with temperatures nearly -20 degrees Celsius, they only had thin clothes, and some didn't even have tents and could only huddle around iron barrels to warm themselves by the fire.
It looks almost like a refugee camp, or even a garbage dump!
It's even worse than a slum.
Su Hui frowned at the sight, but fortunately the Hummer was moving very fast and the conditions seemed to improve slightly as they went further in.
A relatively tidy tent area has emerged, barely able to maintain a semblance of normal life.
Although the people here are still struggling, at least they are relatively clean, and there is a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
Further into the core area, closer to the stadium, lies a more heavily guarded and significantly more well-equipped zone, which could perhaps be called the elite zone.
It was separated from the ordinary area by high barbed wire fences, and the entrance was heavily guarded, making it impossible for ordinary people to get close.
From the outermost filthy and stinking slums, to the slightly cleaner and more orderly ordinary survivor area, and then to the elite area they are now entering, which is heavily guarded and relatively well-equipped.
The treatment was drastically different, as if they were from two completely different worlds, yet they were forcibly crammed into the same space.
"Tsk, in this apocalypse, they've become even more adept at playing this class-based trick."
Harley sat in the car, looking out at the bizarre and dazzling world, a sneer of undisguised sarcasm playing on her lips. "Ha! Free America~"
Tina's face was equally grim, her brows furrowed. Even this gentle girl couldn't help but sigh at the sight of the survivors' miserable state.
Mary's kind heart made it impossible for her to ignore the plight of the slums. Her face turned slightly pale, her lips were pressed tightly together, and her eyes were filled with pity and sorrow.
"This is normal. In the apocalypse, those without value will be eliminated."
Emma Grace seemed to have taken all of this for granted, and as if thinking of herself, her expression turned cold.
Under her guidance, the convoy did not linger on the outskirts, but went straight through the checkpoints and headed towards the elite area at the heart of the shelter.
As one of the three major corporations in Los Angeles, Raytheon naturally had its own dedicated premises within the official shelter.
This is a building that bypasses the stadium and belongs to the supporting facilities of the area; you can even see some simple heating equipment in operation.
Emma led Su Hui and his group directly to this elite area. (The rest of the text appears to be nonsensical and unrelated to the initial statement.)
Raytheon's headquarters occupies one of the best locations, with several prefabricated buildings arranged in a staggered pattern, and the company logo displayed at the entrance.
Upon entering one of the buildings, the interior facilities were truly impressive.
The clean and tidy corridors, the private rooms, and even the simple common rest area—compared to the hell outside, this place is simply paradise.
There were already people waiting here to welcome Emma back.
After everyone got out of the car, Emma quickly assigned her capable and trusted female secretary, a woman named Linda, who wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a meticulous expression, to settle Su Hui, Harley, Tina and Mary.
"Mr. Su Hui, ladies, please rest here for a while."
“There is a private communicator in the room. You can contact me or Linda directly if you need anything.”
Emma's tone carried a hint of deliberate flattery, but more than that, it was one of urgency.
"I need to take care of some company business immediately, as well as... the things you asked me to do."
She was referring to technical data and material clues about the [small fusion nuclear reactor] and the [deep groundwater treatment system].
Su Hui nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
Upon seeing Su Hui nod, Emma hurriedly left, clearly eager to deal with the internal crisis within the company.
Secretary Linda was equally professional, quickly arranging separate rooms for Su Hui, Harley, Tina, and Mary.
The room was small but clean and warm, with a separate bed, brand new toiletries and clean change of clothes, and even hot food and water.
“Mr. Su Hui, please feel free to call me if you need anything.”
Linda respectfully withdrew and considerately closed the door.
Harley stretched and plopped down on the soft bed, letting out a comfortable groan.
"Honey, this place is so much better than those rat burrows outside."
Su Hui did not answer directly. He walked to the window and looked out at the crowded people in other areas of the shelter, his eyes deep.
“Emma has her things to do, and we have things we need to know.”
He turned to Harley, Tina, and Mary. “Put on your cloaks, let’s go for a walk and find out the real situation of this shelter.”
Harley immediately became interested, her eyes sparkling.
Tina nodded seriously, indicating her agreement.
Although Mary was still shaken by the plight of the slums outside, she knew that Su Hui's decision made sense, and obediently agreed.
Soon, all three girls covered themselves completely with their large cloaks.
The hood of the cloak was pulled down low, almost covering most of his face, leaving only his chin and lips exposed.
This was to avoid unnecessary trouble, since all three women were outstanding in both figure and temperament.
With the communication device left by Emma, Su Hui and Harley left the Thor Corporation's headquarters.
Su Hui's goal was clear: he needed to see for himself what this largest safe zone in Los Angeles was really like.
Especially those areas that are deliberately isolated by the elite class.
After passing through several guarded checkpoints, they returned to the area where ordinary survivors and the poor mingled.
The ground here was covered in black snow, trampled into an even muddier mess by countless footprints, and emanated a nauseating stench.
In the corners, one can occasionally see abandoned corpses, left uncollected and to rot in the cold.
Inside the makeshift tent, all sorts of sordid transactions were taking place.
A groan escaped from the scantily clad woman, her eyes vacant and lifeless, as she traded her body for a bite of food or a piece of warm clothing.
Human dignity is trampled to pieces here, leaving only the most primitive survival instinct.
The gangs, vaguely visible and filled with malicious intent, are like tumors occupying different areas, dividing up their own "territory" and maintaining a distorted order through violence and fear.
The crowd was extremely dense, shoulder to shoulder, and everyone was vigilant and wary, afraid of being targeted by others.
Even though Su Hui and the others had concealed themselves with cloaks, Harley, Tina, and Mary's outstanding temperament and the glimpses of their delicate chins still attracted many ill-intentioned glances.
These gazes were greedy and filthy, slithering over them like venomous snakes.
"Hey, Asian kid! Spit!"
A rough, hoarse voice rang out.
Several burly Black men with scars or tattoos on their faces, leading a group of Black men, swaggered towards Su Hui and his group.
Their hands were in their pockets, or they were holding sticks, their eyes fierce.
"F*** you! You actually brought so many gorgeous girls with you!"
The bald man leading the group grinned, his gaze brazenly sweeping over the three women hidden by their cloaks.
"I saw that you came from inside. You'd better be smart and either give me food or leave your woman behind. You have to leave something behind."
A group of men with gloomy eyes immediately surrounded him. These guys were clearly all black and looked at Su Hui as if they had spotted a fat sheep.
Among them were some of his men who pulled out pistols from their pockets and pointed them at Su Hui.
Clearly, they've got Su Hui cornered.
Su Hui stopped and stood in front of the three women, calmly looking at the bald, black man in front of him.
His gaze swept over the group of people without the slightest ripple.
Ok,
Since they're so proactive, let's choose them.
The thought flashed through his mind, and Su Hui took action.
"Snapped!"
A crisp sound rang out in the noisy environment.
The bald, black-faced leader's hideous face was still frozen in time as he was sent flying, spinning as if he had been hit by a speeding truck.
He traced an arc in the air, crashed heavily to the ground, spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with his teeth, and immediately passed out.
The sudden turn of events left the henchmen who rushed up completely dumbfounded.
They stood frozen in place, staring at the unconscious bald black man lying on the ground. The ferocity on their faces turned to shock and anger, and one of them raised his pistol to aim at Su Hui and pull the trigger.
In such an apocalyptic situation, they were completely like desperados.
"You're asking for it! How dare you lay a hand on my honey!"
Harley sneered, and with a flick of her hand beneath her cloak, the "Goodnight" baseball bat whistled down towards the man in front of her!
With a 'thud,' the black man holding the gun fell to the ground and died!
Following closely behind, Tina and Mary also moved.
Tina's movements were swift and elegant. The two sisters moved extremely fast, and their enhanced physical abilities were far superior to those of the black men. With the added protection of their clothing and energy gauntlets, they could practically kill one with a single punch.
The group of guys surrounding Su Hui and his three companions were cleared out in the blink of an eye.
The whole process took less than ten seconds.
The once snarling and ferocious desperados were now all lying on the ground, some groaning in pain, others unconscious.
The crowd fell silent instantly. Everyone stared at the four people with wide eyes in terror, not daring to linger any longer, and quickly scattered and crawled into the tent.
They never expected that these seemingly unremarkable people would be so powerful and ruthless.
Ignoring the horrified stares around him, Su Hui walked over to one of his underlings who was lying on the ground, not yet fully unconscious.
He grabbed the other person by the collar and lifted him up like a chick.
“Take me to your leader.”
Su Hui's voice was deep and cold, carrying an undeniable air of authority.
The henchman, meeting Su Hui's icy gaze and glancing at the bald, black man's miserable state on the ground, trembled with fear.
"Okay, okay...I'll take you there!"
He answered in a trembling voice, a damp warmth emanating from his crotch.