The group circled to the north. Since this was the rear of the camp, they gradually became bolder, moving closer and closer to the back of the camp, finally stopping behind a large tree about 50 meters from the wall.
"Let's stop here for now, there's no more cover ahead," Old He said, tossing his Grappling Hook toward a relatively thick branch overhead.
"Old He and I will go up first to observe," Su Muying said. She tossed her backpack onto the ground, put force into her footing on the rope, and quickly climbed above the branch.
Wang Zhi watched from below. Su Muying didn't seem satisfied with that height; she climbed up further before taking out the binoculars and looking inside the wall.
"What's the situation?" Wang Zhi asked urgently when the two came back down.
Su Muying and Old He exchanged a look, indicating it was difficult to describe, and gestured for Wang Zhi to go up and see for himself.
Wang Zhi looked at them in confusion, dropped his backpack, and quickly climbed to the position Su Muying had just occupied, peering into the camp.
Wang Zhi was the first to spot the person on the Watchtower; it was a middle-aged man, and in his hands, he didn't have the firearm Wang Zhi had expected, only a simple homemade iron rod.
On the ground, three men and one woman were patrolling the perimeter of the camp, all carrying various simple melee weapons.
Many tents were pitched near the north side to shelter the survivors, and there was a structure at the base of the wall. Wang Zhi could not see inside, as it was a blind spot for them.
Judging by the few survivors on patrol, they were clad in rags and poorly equipped, suggesting they lacked firearms. They didn't seem like members of N Organization, but Wang Zhi could not rule out that this was merely a deception tactic.
Wang Zhi climbed down from the tree and instructed everyone to take turns observing.
"Is that patch of land where they grow their own vegetables?" Duan Qingtian asked, unable to look at the cracked, dry soil without sympathy.
"Mm, it looks like the only thing they can grow now is cactus," You Luo laughed lightly.
"What do you think? Should we approach them?" White Crow asked.
"For the moment, these people pose no threat to me. We should wait until daylight when the rest of the survivors emerge. Let's rest now; we've been traveling all day," Wang Zhi sat down on the ground; even at night, he could feel the residual warmth radiating from the land.
And so, the ten of them maintained a rotating watch behind the enemy camp until dawn broke.
As soon as the sun rose, the people in the camp began emerging from their tents. Just as Jie Xi had predicted, women and children were the majority: there were fewer than twenty adult males, at least ten children who hadn't reached adulthood, and the remaining twenty-plus people were all women.
"Heavens, for them to have kept so many women and children alive until now is truly remarkable," Old He couldn't help but shake his head.
"Captain Wang, shall we go in now?" Fatty looked at Wang Zhi and asked.
Wang Zhi looked at the scene inside the camp; from the outside, he truly couldn't find any fault with it.
"This is Sunset Glow. Calling Jie Xi, we have arrived at the camp. We haven't detected anything unusual yet. Awaiting instructions," Wang Zhi called into the communicator.
"Magnetic [Static]... Further confirmation requires your own judgment. If there are no issues, proceed with the escort," Jie Xi replied over the communicator.
"Roger."
"Let's go. We need to get closer for further confirmation. Pay close attention to the details."
After speaking, Wang Zhi picked up his backpack and circled toward the main entrance.
The group arrived at the main entrance just as the opposing party was packing up their gear and bags, appearing ready to head out to scavenge for supplies.
Wang Zhi and his team held their pistols but did not raise them to aim. The people inside the camp were startled when they saw Wang Zhi's group. Then, upon clearly seeing the rifles held in their hands and slung over their bodies, everyone showed expressions of panic. Just as they were about to run, they realized they were confined within the camp, with nowhere left to retreat.
"Don't be nervous, we mean no harm." Wang Zhi raised his free hand into the air.
"W-what do you people want!?" one of the slightly older men asked.
"I am from another shelter, the one you contacted a while ago. May I ask which one of you is the leader here?" Wang Zhi asked kindly.
"I am," a deep voice sounded from behind several people.
Wang Zhi looked over and saw a man about the same age as Old He and the others. Although his build was not as robust as theirs, he still gave off a very powerful impression.
"You contacted us a few days ago, do you remember?" Wang Zhi asked tentatively.
"Of course I remember; I was the one who spoke to you," the man continuously sized up Wang Zhi and his ten people.
"Good. What should I call you?"
"Shen Fei."
"My name is Wang Zhi. Aren't you going to let us look around?" Wang Zhi asked, seeing the other party blocking the entrance.
"Feel free to look around." Upon Wang Zhi's suggestion, Shen Fei finally moved aside and made a gesture inviting them in.
Wang Zhi wasn't worried that the other party could pose any threat to them, so he boldly walked into the camp while constantly observing everyone's movements. He guaranteed that if even one person dared to draw a weapon, they could annihilate everyone nearby in an instant.
Walking into the camp, Wang Zhi primarily observed several blind spots that were not visible from the outside. The northernmost building turned out to be a garage, housing a small truck whose cargo bed was slightly larger than their SUV. Another room was used for storing supplies and cooking; it contained various pots, bowls, and pans. Currently, they did not have a generator and had to rely on making fires for power.
Now Wang Zhi finally understood why the surrounding trees were sparse-these people had used them all up.
After circling the camp once, You Luo quietly asked, "How is it? Did you all discover anything unusual?"
Wang Zhi and the others unanimously shook their heads, indicating there was nothing suspicious.
"Call out all your people; we need to confirm something," Wang Zhi said to Shen Fei.
Shen Fei nodded and ordered his subordinates to gather everyone.
At this moment, they could only obey orders; facing the pistols and rifles in the hands of the opposing group, they had absolutely no power to resist.
"Comrade Shen, we need to search everyone. You don't mind, do you?" Once everyone was assembled, Old He said to Shen Fei.
"I don't mind. Everyone, raise your hands and submit to a search," Shen Fei agreed, then turned and commanded everyone behind him.
"They seem to trust you quite a bit," Wang Zhi remarked to Shen Fei out of the blue.
"Yes, I am one of the people who has led them from the moment the disaster broke out until now," Shen Fei replied, his expression somewhat unnatural.
"What about the others?" Wang Zhi caught Shen Fei's expression and pressed on.
"Alas, some sacrificed themselves, and some committed suicide. Of those initial few, only I remain," Shen Fei said, beginning to look sad as well.
"It seems you have a tough life," Wang Zhi said, ignoring the other man's demeanor.
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