CHAPTER 1629: CHAPTER 1623: THE ROADBLOCKER

They were in the throes of desperation, but it was also self-sacrifice. After all, he had said something very true earlier—before knowing the feasibility of something, someone has to try, and those who fail naturally become the sacrifice.

Yan Jiang watched as the soldiers marched toward the zombie defense wall one batch after another. He was silent for a while, then suddenly turned to look at the three people behind him.

"You three... I’ll give you this one chance, but..." His gaze landed on Brother Shi, and he continued, "You’d best live up to what you said—you won’t desert again. The next time we meet, I hope either to see you standing before me alive and well or to see your corpses."

"Yes!" Brother Shi nodded decisively.

"Alright." Yan Jiang turned his head to the other side and shouted a name, "Ni Rang!"

The name didn’t sound like it belonged to a Chinese person. Following Yan Jiang’s voice, someone quickly ran toward them from the direction he had shouted. As guessed, this person indeed wasn’t Chinese, bearing the unmistakable features of a Southeast Asian ethnicity. Judging by his appearance, he was likely Indian.

"Take these three to register, as fast as possible. Also, re-equip them with weapons and battle suits."

"Okay..."

Using somewhat broken Mandarin, the Indian man named Ni Rang answered, then looked at the three of them and said, "You three, follow grip lie."

Brother Shi and Ghost Head hesitated, barely understanding his Mandarin, but eventually nodded and followed Ni Rang into the command room. Yong followed alongside the two.

Yan Jiang stood at the doorway, watching them for a moment before pulling out his phone to glance at it. Finally, he entered the command room as well.

As soon as they entered, Ni Rang picked up a registration form from the table nearby and began asking the three one by one, "What’s your name?"

"Luo Dianshi."

"Alright, what’s your name?" After filling in Brother Shi’s name, Ni Rang turned to Ghost Head, whose eyes seemed to flicker for a moment.

"My name..."

He murmured softly, the thought of his own name bringing back ancient, distant memories to his mind. The last time someone called his real name was so long ago, it was like an eternity had passed. Long enough for his real name to feel foreign. At some point, his nickname "Ghost Head" had completely replaced his identity. If no one had asked, he might have forgotten what his original name even was.

"My name is... Rong Xiangfei, I think..."

Ni Rang tilted his head slightly, puzzled, but still wrote Ghost Head’s name on the form. Brother Shi turned his head to look at Ghost Head—it was the first time he’d heard Ghost Head’s real name.

After quickly writing Ghost Head’s name, Ni Rang turned to Yong and asked, but when Yong spoke his single-character name, Ni Rang wasn’t surprised. However, it drew Yan Jiang’s attention. Yan Jiang narrowed his eyes, pondering something silently, but said nothing and eventually turned away.

Yong—with his unmistakable Chinese features—should at least have a two-character name. The name "Yong" didn’t sound like a proper name at all; it resembled more a code name used by an undercover operative on a covert mission.

After filling in all three names, Ni Rang entered the warehouse not far away. In a short time, he returned with three sets of military gear and urged them to put them on quickly.

"You can swap out your battle suits now. These are new."

"Alright."

"Well... I can’t get mine off."

Ghost Head frowned at the exoskeletal battle suit he was wearing, looking helplessly at Ni Rang. Without hesitation, Ni Rang grabbed a set of tools nearby and swiftly dismantled the stuck battle suit. Only then was Ghost Head able to change into the new exoskeletal battle suit.

After everything was completed, Ni Rang brought the registration form to Yan Jiang’s side and handed it over. Yan Jiang glanced at it casually, then addressed the three of them, "You three, head to the square near Lingyang Slope. The Seventh Team is organizing there; they haven’t left yet."

As he spoke, Yan Jiang handed over the registration form. Brother Shi took it and looked—on it was their request to switch teams.

"Yes."

"Go now."

Yan Jiang waved them off with a gesture that seemed almost impatient. The three didn’t dare linger; they exchanged glances and walked out. The moment they stepped outside into the still overcast sky, Brother Shi and Ghost Head felt a rush of newfound hope. Though tougher challenges awaited, they wondered if Yong felt the same way they did deep inside.

"Let’s go!"

Without wasting time, the three of them hurried in the direction Yan Jiang had indicated toward Lingyang Slope. But just as they started moving, someone suddenly blocked their path!

"And you are...?"

Brother Shi stopped in his tracks and looked at the individual standing before them in confusion. They recognized this person, yet didn’t know him well. The connection came from encountering him just twenty minutes earlier when he walked past—a commissioned officer with the rank of major!

He stood there silently, his expression almost identical to Yong’s, emotionless and unreadable. In his right hand, he gripped a massive laser weapon with its barrel resting on the ground, as though waiting for something.

"Is there a problem?"

In the Dangerous Sanctuary City, anyone above the rank of major was at least Level 6 New Human—individuals fundamentally separate from Level 2 New Humans like the trio unless there was direct association. Perhaps Brother Shi’s elder sibling might have such ties, as someone potentially like Luo Dianfeng, Yan Jiang’s subordinate.

Brother Shi cautiously asked the man, his voice deliberately respectful, eyes darting nervously to the laser weapon in his hands. The weapon evoked an ominous feeling, yet strangely, the man didn’t answer. His gaze remained fixed on their group. Brother Shi and Ghost Head exchanged glances briefly before turning to look at Yong. Yong stared directly back at the man, almost as if they were locked in a silent confrontation.

The air grew tense, infused with a faint yet chilling hint of bloodlust.

"What... is this...?"

Brother Shi couldn’t comprehend the situation, sensing that Yong might understand something. He wanted to ask Yong, but didn’t know how to begin.

"Excuse me, but is there something we can do for you?"

Still no response. Brother Shi had no choice but to ask again, but the silence persisted. Looking around, Brother Shi hesitated, then—along with Ghost Head—began stepping closer. Yong, however, remained rooted in place, staring at the man as if challenging him.

Just as Brother Shi and Ghost Head were within eight or nine meters of the man, he suddenly lifted his laser weapon. The wide barrel aimed straight at them!

"Sh*t! Dodge!"