The formation of the Neutral Zone was not without reason; the key lay in the maintenance of order.
In the City of Ruins, the slums and the wealthy districts were in opposition, and androids and humans were at odds. Constant conflict meant that neither side could maintain order here.
Therefore, the Chosen were unrestrained in this place. Naturally, besides fighting amongst themselves, the Chosen could also be killed by the natives.
Bai Ye pressed onward, passing through uninhabited areas, and then a large stretch of barbed wire appeared ahead.
Signs such as "Caution," "No Entry," and "Please check for bacteria" were hung on the barbed wire. Some signs and even parts of the wire were stained with blood.
However, no one was guarding it.
Beyond the barbed wire was the slum district.
The streets here were still dilapidated, and the ground and the exterior walls of the buildings were covered in cracks, giving a sense of impending collapse.
But signs of human activity began to appear.
Men in tank tops squatted in street corners, chewing on something unknown.
In the window frames of a distant building, a woman cradled a child in one arm and extended a clothesline out the window, beginning to dry clothes.
From carts, scents wafted, carrying food made from mutated creatures.
Most were barbecue, teppanyaki, or soup.
The ingredients were not of the best quality, mere scraps from the corpses of mutated creatures.
After all, the truly delicious parts were sent to the wealthy district. Even in the slums, some were available, but only in restaurants, which most people couldn't afford.
Bai Ye's appearance drew some glances, but not many.
The people here were indifferent, but indifference was normal. After all, surviving was already difficult enough, so who had the energy to care about others?
Bai Ye rode his motorcycle, rummaging through his memories, and soon found a dilapidated alley.
The walls of the alley were covered with a chaotic tangle of wires, tattered awnings, and a pile of disorganized illegal structures.
At the alley entrance, a flickering neon sign read: Hunting Ground.
Bai Ye parked his motorcycle at the alley entrance, then walked into the alley and soon arrived at a metal door, reaching out to knock.
A small window on the metal door was opened, and a pair of eyes scrutinized Bai Ye.
"Eating, one of our own."
The other party didn't speak but opened the metal door, allowing Bai Ye to enter.
This was a restaurant, but not an ordinary one.
Here, better ingredients were supplied, and processing services were offered, because this was a gathering place for hunters.
Both androids and humans frequented this place. Besides satisfying hunger, it served a very important purpose: exchanging intelligence and information.
This information pertained to the border situation and the wealthy district.
The Hunting Ground was established by androids who opposed the wealthy district, and this was one of their strongholds.
Of course, this was something most people were unaware of.
Upon entering, Bai Ye walked further in and handed the plastic bag in his hand to a man beside him.
"Make it however you want, but make it taste good," Bai Ye said with a smile. "The leftovers are yours."
This was an unspoken rule; the leftovers were the payment for the meal.
The other party was clearly satisfied with Bai Ye's adherence to the rules, nodding and gesturing for Bai Ye to sit anywhere.
The dimly lit restaurant had about a dozen tables and a five-person bar.
Bai Ye sat at the bar and surveyed his surroundings.
Bai Ye was searching for his target.
But there was no certainty that his target would appear.
This was normal. Even with the memories of his past life, some things were not set in stone. Life was always full of various accidents.
Every choice, every action, could change the future.
Just like the route Bai Ye was taking now was different from his past life.
In his previous life, Bai Ye wouldn't have had the capability to enter the City of Ruins when the world battlefield was only in its mid-stage.
As Bai Ye was contemplating, a dishevelled man suddenly approached the bar and sat down.
The man's face was dirty, and his hands were covered in grime. He carried a large, peculiar-looking gun on his back, which had slots for energy cells, indicating it was an energy weapon.
His belt was adorned with several uniquely shaped grenades and a worn-out machete.
Bai Ye narrowed his eyes. Had his target appeared so easily?
"Allen, you can't just enter and leave my place like this," the owner said, wiping a glass, and glancing at the man. "You'll scare my customers."
"Damn it, I know all your customers. I wouldn't scare them," Allen whispered. "Boss, those crystals have appeared again."
"Are you going to start again?" the owner rolled his eyes. "No one cares about that stuff."
Allen insisted, "This is important. It's a new discovery. It's possible those mutated creatures are related to the crystals I found, or perhaps Rhine Company has some new scheme."
The owner said impatiently, "So what? I only care about my restaurant's business. No one wants to trade for your information. And if you don't eat anything, get out of here."
"Give me a portion of grilled meat," Allen said helplessly, then took out a cloth bag. "And my information is very useful. If you don't believe me, I'll show you something incredible."
As he spoke, Allen opened the cloth bag and poured out some fine, purplish powder.
Soon, Allen arranged the powder into a circle on the table.
Allen said, "May I borrow a cup?"
The owner reluctantly handed him a cup.
Allen placed the cup in the center of the powder and slowly began to turn it.
Suddenly, a faint halo of light appeared on the crystal powder.
The halo reflected on the cup, displaying a wondrous spectrum of colours, seemingly semi-transparent, like a seven-hued luminescence.
Allen seemed to be seeking some revelation, like an ancient gypsy divining, turning the cup and tilting it slightly, searching for an angle.
And then...
Suddenly, a beam of light enveloped the cup. Immediately after, within the embrace of the light, the cup bizarrely vanished without a trace.
Concurrently, as the cup disappeared, the surrounding halo also gradually dimmed, and the crystal powder returned to normal.
Allen exclaimed excitedly, "See? Do you believe me now? These crystals are not simple. This is not an ordinary thing; it's very mysterious and valuable."
The owner was silent for a moment, then said, "Remember to pay me for the cup."
Allen: "..."