Aside from entering and exiting the city, the internal regulation of Dawn City is not very strict. After all, there are too many doomsday refugees, and the Federation’s jurisdiction within the city only extends to energy, public safety, food supplies, and dark invasion inspection and control. Furthermore, the Federation uses Blood Essence as the currency anchor for transactions. Apart from these, any behavior not involving public safety is not regulated.
Entertainnt, comrce, including armant and superpowes—whatever you want to do, nobody cares. Rather than calling this a city, it’s more apt to say it’s a large gathering place for refugees. The Federation’s high-level officials are not worried about governance issues; they only focus on urban defense safety and resources.
After all, under the apocalypse, the future cannot be seen; everything is growing savagely for the sake of survival.
Lin Xian doesn’t know what the Dali Travel Association is, but when the off-road vehicle enters a street full of pink bar lights, populated with densely packed won in provocative clothing, he roughly guesses.
This is a lawless zone.
Drizzle falls lightly, and the won on both sides of the street hold umbrellas. Their fiery exposed clothing is accompanied by firearms as self-defense. You can see all kinds of won here, although their clothes differ, one emotion seems to remain on everyone’s face: an extre numbness and oppression, as if apart from survival, they’ve lost any aning in life.
As the vehicle enters the street, the won slowly move towards the roadside, forcing passing vehicles to slow down and making people have no choice but to lay eyes on them.
Gradually, the vehicle drives into the depths of an old district, which used to be the northern part of Dawn City. The buildings are outdated, cramped, dirty, and crowded, occupied by so large convoys engaging in activities such as sex trade, gambling, illegal prosthesis modification, and other uncanny industries stemming from Abnormal Bodies.
"This area basically has no surveillance system, because it’s occupied by several convoys that pay more ’safety taxes’ than other regions."
Jiang Yun introduced, "Dawn City no longer has a property system; all habitats are allocated by the Population Control Bureau by region. This ans you have to find a place to stay yourself."
"So if there’s no place to stay, you just have to live in the car?" KIKI asked.
"Basically, yes. Most inhabitable buildings are occupied by the earliest convoys. So scattered communities have squeezed themselves in, but basically, it’s no different from automotive camps. This area is different; ordinary convoys can’t enter unless they’re rged into the large convoys here; the Federation won’t intervene in the old district unless there’s an Abnormal Body attack or a firefight incident."
"The large convoys pay more taxes and entry fees." Qian Deli said.
"Yes."
Approaching an area, Lin Xian’s communicator received a ssage; a stranger’s signal guided them to what was originally a comrcial underground building complex, entering from the tunnel into an underground city growing savagely among concrete ruins, panting between neon and shadow.
Jiang Yun told Lin Xian that beneath there was a small black market; colorful neon lights glow, erotic posters and various prosthesis modification ads are visible everywhere on the walls, the narrow space between buildings feels incredibly oppressive.
Soon, the vehicle stopped inside a building, the iron door behind slowly descending, lights brightening, revealing a group of fully ard individuals surrounding them with weapons, flashlight beams glaring.
"Identity confirmation." one of them said.
Lin Xian took out the Red Phoenix Order, pressed the switch, and soon received a connection.
At this mont, a group of people lowered their weapons, Lin Xian and the others got off the vehicle, and the crowd parted. From the depth of the passage ca a slight sound of chanical footsteps, followed by the appearance of a tall woman whose limbs were all chanical prostheses.
Chu Yan.
This was Lin Xian’s first official eting with Chu Yan; in dreams, he could never discern Chu Yan’s actual image. Now, seeing her in person, if not for perceiving her breathing, Lin Xian would’ve thought she was a robot like Mochizuki Masashi.
Chu Yan’s voice was cold, looking at Lin Xian, saying, "Hello, Lin Xian, you seem more spirited than before."
"It’s probably because I’m more awake now." Lin Xian smiled and replied.
Lin Xian followed Chu Yan and a group of people into the building; nobody knew there was a well-equipped secret operation base within the underground black market. While in the hallway, he saw a group of people already standing in the passage waiting.
Leading was a man who seed in his forties, smartly dressed in a shirt and jeans, wearing the United Front and Phoenix Society’s badges on his chest. He appeared lean and serious.
Upon seeing Lin Xian, he first quickly scanned Lin Xian and the mbers of the small team behind him, then calmly extended his hand to Lin Xian.
"Xu Zhenyue, Chief of Staff of the North Arican United Front, I’m commanding this Crescent Moon Operation."
"Hello, General Xu."
"We are currently awaiting your arrival to start the combat eting." Xu Zhenyue looked at KIKI and others behind Lin Xian: "We’re glad you and your team are willing to assist us."
Then, Xu Zhenyue and Chu Yan led Lin Xian and his entourage into the hall, where besides the North Arican United Front’s team, there were also four action teams from the Phoenix Society Nightwalker Organization. The task leader nad Qino, a young man with a fair face and sharp eyes. Upon seeing Lin Xian, he imdiately ca up, shook hands, and introduced himself.
Also present was a special operations squad from the 83 Iron Guard Brigade. The captain nad Zhou Jin had a chilling complexion, standing at a towering six-foot-three, was the stereotypical hard-line soldier.
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