Chapter 133: Everyone Will Die

A soul-stirring exit?

Looking at this line, Chen Ling’s eyes were full of confusion...

The first half of the sentence was clear, but the second half was somewhat subtle. What kind of performance is called "soul-stirring"? What counts as an "exit"?

Just as Chen Ling was pondering, a commotion reached his ears, and the next moment, the scene around him shattered rapidly.

【Audience Expectation +10】

Chen Ling woke up abruptly from his sleep!

He sat up from the bed and saw figures carrying kerosene lamps flickering through the thick fog outside the window. Continuous shouting echoed in the distance; it seemed something had happened.

Chen Ling checked the time: 3:40 AM. He got out of bed without hesitation, threw on his trench coat, and pushed the door open.

"What happened?"

As soon as Chen Ling stepped out, he saw the Zhao father and son rushing out of their room, looking panicked.

"Oh! Ah Ling! I was just about to knock on your door to call you!" Uncle Zhao said hurriedly. "The people in the Second and Fourth Districts are all dead... Do you know about this?"

Chen Ling frowned. "...No."

"The people in the Second District have been piled into a corpse mountain! I heard it's over a hundred meters high! Near the border between the Fourth District and ours, people have heard monster roars approaching... Ah Ling, tell me the truth, is our Third District... in danger?"

Chen Ling didn't answer. After hearing about the Second and Fourth Districts, his previous speculation immediately resurfaced in his mind... Now that Han Meng hadn't returned, it seemed that speculation was likely to come true.

Seeing Chen Ling remain silent, the Zhao father and son looked at each other, their faces turning pale.

"Dad! Don't be afraid! With me here, no matter what disaster rushes over, I'll take it down!" Zhao Yi puffed out his bandage-covered chest and said confidently.

Uncle Zhao was furious. "Take it down, my ass! You don't want your life anymore, do you!? What did you promise me tonight?"

Zhao Yi pouted and lowered his head in silence.

Just as Chen Ling was about to say something, the sound of horse hooves came from the end of the street. An Enforcer in a black and red uniform was riding a fast horse, approaching rapidly. When he reached Chen Ling, he pulled the reins and stopped steadily.

"Officer Chen!!"

The Enforcer dismounted, handed the reins to Chen Ling, and said seriously, "Officer Chen!! Officer Xi wants you to go to headquarters; he’s waiting for you there!"

Usually, Enforcers were only authorized to ride horses when urgent matters arose. It seemed the situation was indeed grave... Chen Ling nodded, mounted the horse with ease, and after hesitating for a moment, reminded Zhao Yi and his father:

"The situation in the Third District is not optimistic. If you notice something wrong, don't cling to this breakfast shop... If necessary, leave the Third District early."

"Leave the Third District?" Uncle Zhao was stunned. "Leave the Third District... where can we go?"

Chen Ling was silent for a moment, then slowly spat out three words:

"Aurora City."

With that, he rode off quickly, his figure disappearing into the thick fog.

Chen Ling didn't know what awaited the Third District next. If it were as he thought, and Aurora City had abandoned all Seven Districts, then running anywhere would be a dead end... The only glimmer of hope was Aurora City.

Chen Ling galloped through the streets. Along the way, he encountered many panicked crowds. They were gathered together with kerosene lamps, talking anxiously, as if only huddling together could provide them with some psychological comfort.

Riding a horse was much faster than walking. Before long, he arrived at the headquarters gate. A large group of people was already gathered outside, communicating intensely.

"The Second and Fourth Districts have fallen... I think the Third District is only a matter of time!"

"Yeah, the fog hasn't cleared yet, and I have a weird feeling."

"Have you heard? Monsters have already started killing from the south!"

"Ah? Then what do we do?"

"Trust the Enforcers, right? I feel like they should be able to solve it... Didn't Chief Han Meng just kill a disaster?"

"Not every district has a powerhouse like Chief Han Meng. I feel like there's no need to panic too much, everyone calm down first..."

"But I just saw quite a few people running away with their belongings."

"Running? Where to?"

"Seems like they're following the tracks toward Aurora City?"

"Aurora City?! Are they crazy? Without entry procedures, what can they do even if they get there? Won't they just be driven back?"

"The Seven Districts aren't necessarily safe anymore, but Aurora City will be safe at any time... It's reasonable for them to flee toward Aurora City."

“……”

Seeing Chen Ling arrive on horseback, they swarmed him, chattering and asking about the current situation in the Third District. Chen Ling dismounted, and before he could push the door open, he was blocked.

He frowned and said coldly:

"Move!"

Chen Ling’s reputation in the Third District had always been poor, and the horror stories about him were known to almost everyone. When the crowd saw Chen Ling start to draw his gun, they were startled and obediently cleared a path.

Chen Ling pushed the door open and entered the headquarters, locking it behind him to shut out all the noise and commotion.

Faint moonlight filtered through the thick fog and the glass dome, spilling into the empty hall. In the dim shadows, a figure stood calmly behind the desk.

He stood with his back to Chen Ling, facing the wall. In the center of that high wall, a flag over ten meters long hung high. On the pitch-black background, two overlapping cyan six-pointed stars shone like stars in the Arctic night sky.

【Audience Expectation +3】

A line of characters appeared abruptly on the reflection on the floor. Chen Ling’s brow furrowed immediately...

"You're here." Xi Renjie turned around. He held a wine glass in his left hand, and there was an unnatural flush on his cheeks.

Chen Ling stood at the door, looking at Xi Renjie with confusion. Seeing the increase in audience expectation, he keenly sensed something was wrong, but he still walked toward the desk.

"It's chaotic outside." Chen Ling said. "Why aren't you maintaining order? Why are you drinking here?"

Xi Renjie shook his head. "It's meaningless now."

"Why?"

"Aurora City has abandoned us."

Hearing this, Chen Ling’s brow furrowed even tighter. "How do you know? Did Aurora City reply?"

"No, but the Second and Fourth Districts have fallen, and they still haven't made a move... Even Brother Meng hasn't returned. If this isn't abandoning us, what is?" Xi Renjie smiled bitterly. He bent down, picked up a bottle of white liquor from the floor, and poured it into his glass again.

The fragrant liquor rolled into the glass. Xi Renjie’s gaze was somewhat dazed. He slammed the bottle onto the table, picked up the glass with his other hand, and downed it in one gulp.

Chen Ling didn't respond. He just watched Xi Renjie silently, wondering what he was thinking.

Xi Renjie’s Adam's apple bobbed. The spiciness made his face turn red and twisted. He took a deep breath and said slowly:

"Everyone will die, including us."