Chapter 84: A Visitor

"Are these really all the things we need to bring?" Cao Fusheng stared at the mountain of bags before him—no fewer than a dozen—and felt a headache coming on. There were only four of them, so why so many bags? Was it even possible to use all this stuff?

"Heh, Brother Cao, who knows where we'll end up after we leave? No telling what kind of life awaits us, so it's better to be prepared for anything. Besides, with you around, we’re not worried about fitting everything in," Shen Dong said, rubbing his hands together with a sheepish laugh.

"I can understand you bringing a couple bags of clothes and books," Cao Fusheng said, opening one of the bags, "but why are you dragging along all this useless electronic junk? There’s no electricity or signal out there." Inside the bag: cell phones, tablets from the old era, even a laptop. What a mess.

Shen Dong scratched his head, a bit embarrassed. "Well, you said our destination is Sky Pillar, right? I figured they’d have electricity and a good living environment there. Maybe we’ll get to use this stuff. Not like I have a wife waiting on me like you do..."

Gao Yi burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "So you’re hoping to hook up your electronics and see if there are any movies? Tired of entertaining yourself the usual way, are you?"

Han Shuqing shot Gao Yi a glare, and he awkwardly shut his mouth.

"Brother Cao, just bring it along, won't you? You’re like a magician, just toss everything in wherever, it’s not like it takes up space or you have to carry it in your hands..." Shen Dong squatted down, looking up at Cao Fusheng with a fawning grin.

"You’re all spoiled rotten," Cao Fusheng scolded with a half smile, but he waved his hand and made all the items vanish into his pocket dimension. "If I’d known, I wouldn’t have told you about this. One of you keeps stuffing cosmetics in, another crams in manga, and you—laptops, phones, tablets. As if you’d ever use it all."

"I’m telling you, there’s no more room for extra stuff. I already packed too much dense metal earlier," he added after tidying up.

The space inside his dimensional pocket was limited. He had already packed plenty of food and supplies, but most of it was energy materials that Sky Pillar desperately needed.

Gao Yi hesitated, then reminded him, "Captain Cao, if we really do get into Sky Pillar, it’s better not to take out any of the stuff you’ve packed. I’ve heard they confiscate certain items and convert them into contribution points for you to spend on food, clothing, and housing inside. Electronics from the old era and other supplies are especially sought after, though they have different rules about what’s mandatory versus voluntary to hand in."

Cao Fusheng patted Gao Yi on the arm. "Don’t worry. I just won’t take them out. Those are your treasures, I wouldn’t let them go so easily."

"And... Captain Cao," Gao Yi went on with concern, "never reveal your magical trick to outsiders, especially not people in Sky Pillar. They’d haul you off for experiments if they found out..."

Cao Fusheng gave him a long look, then turned to the others. "All right, everything’s packed. Time to head out. As usual, I’ll drive since my eyesight is the best."

"Life is all about striving onward! Always on the road!" Shen Dong cried in a low, impassioned voice.

"Hey, big guy, why’d you smack me on the head? Did I say something wrong?" Shen Dong demanded.

"You’re short, so you’re right at hand. Easy to smack," Gao Yi replied.

Shen Dong grumbled, "You really are a dog..."

Cao Fusheng picked up the sliding shovel by the door. Ever since Huo Bingran took his titanium blade, he’d been without a reliable weapon.

"Keep your movements light. This whole courtyard is crawling with corpses," he whispered, hunching forward as he led the way. His sharp vision helped him quickly navigate toward where they'd parked the cars.

As before, they split into two cars: Cao Fusheng with Han Shuqing, Gao Yi with Shen Dong. No wonder those two argued all the time—they'd spent too much time riding together.

The moment his hand touched the car door, a sudden beam of light flashed in front of him. The white glare made him squint reflexively. It lasted only an instant—gone in the blink of an eye.

The others saw it too. They ducked behind the cars, holding their breath.

The corpses still shuffled nearby, only a courtyard wall and an iron gate separating them from the group. The flash had lasted only a moment, but Cao Fusheng had caught the direction it came from. He stared unblinking toward the source.

It was from an apartment building across the way, perhaps the fifteenth floor. To shine a flashlight down from that height—whoever was up there clearly felt safe.

A moment later, the light flashed again, just as briefly.

"Brother Cao, are those guys upstairs messing with us? What do they want? Should we go up and take them out?" Shen Dong whispered angrily.

"Not yet," Cao Fusheng replied calmly. "Let’s see what they’re up to. Did you notice the light moved lower? They’re coming down."

Han Shuqing added, "No matter what, we should be ready. If anything seems off, we make the first move."

Shen Dong gave her a thumbs-up. "Sister-in-law is always the cautious one."

"Are you allowed to flatter her? Did you check with your right hand first? Careful, it might not let you have any fun," Gao Yi jeered.

No matter the situation, those two always found a way to bicker, though at least they kept their voices low enough not to be overheard. Only Cao Fusheng’s keen hearing could pick up their mutterings—Han Shuqing wouldn’t have caught a word.

After about two minutes, the light flashed again—once more, just a brief flicker.

But this time, it was much closer, perhaps within thirty meters. Cao Fusheng could even hear footsteps; in the dead of night, every sound was magnified.

The corpses grew restless, grunting and snorting, agitated by the movement. Clearly, the two people coming down had drawn their attention.

A crack and a snap sounded—the noise of bone and flesh breaking. The unknown figures outside had engaged the corpses. They fought in utter silence; not a single shout, only the dull thuds of battle.

These were definitely not ordinary people. Anyone else would have screamed for help long before reaching this place. Fools did that—and got themselves killed.

Cao Fusheng wouldn't have minded putting them down first if they'd been that loud; calling for help here was a death sentence.

"Not bad at all—those two are quick on their feet, but still not quite up to my level," Shen Dong's voice sounded again. He and Gao Yi were in the rear car, so their vantage point let them watch the fight more clearly.

Cao Fusheng and Han Shuqing, in the front car nearest the wall, had to stand to see anything.

Cao Fusheng rose and watched as the two fought. Each wielded a steel pipe as thick as a thumb, swinging with fierce momentum. With every blow, a corpse fell.

He quietly activated his vision to see through their bodies—a man and a woman. Both had a handgun tucked behind their waists, standard-issue sidearms. There was also a firearm stashed in one of their backpacks, though its design was unusual—not military issue.

"Be ready. Both of them are armed. The moment they get close, disarm them—no matter what excuse they give. If they resist, kill them," Cao Fusheng ordered coldly.

The mention of guns instantly sobered Shen Dong and Gao Yi; the joking vanished from their faces, replaced by tense alertness.

If it came down to firepower, the two strangers’ three guns couldn’t match what Cao Fusheng’s group had.

Soon, the area around their duplex was nearly cleared of corpses, with only a few stragglers left. The man and woman finally caught their breath and hurried toward the courtyard gate.

A rapid knocking sounded at the door.