Abnormal Doomsday Records

Chapter 17 17. First, we need a Tim!
Castle End, a famous city in the Badlands, is the last line of defense leading to the peaceful city-state.

All the wastelanders who make a living in the badland know this place. Although most of them are not qualified to set foot here in their entire lives, you know what, even someone like Zhou Ke who has "seen the world" was still "shocked" by the doomsday city in front of him when he walked out of the crying carriage and stepped onto the dilapidated platform.

There are no tall buildings, but instead abandoned buildings that have been converted into firing points. One can still vaguely see its prosperity in the old civilization era, especially the giant billboards that have been blown out of shape by the rough wind of the bad land.

And those places that should have been magnificent are now desolate.

The Tiger State train stops at a high place, and from the dilapidated platform corridor, you can overlook the whole city. Looking towards the Bad Land, the first thing that comes into view is the huge city wall.
If you can't imagine it, then you might as well think of it as the high wall that blocks the giant's progress.

Even though it was not actually that tall, it was visibly turned into a fortress. Zhou Ke could clearly see the densely packed firing points on the wall that blocked the road, as well as positions similar to rocket launchers.

There are obvious traces of man-made objects on the upper floors of the city wall, and you can also see groups of five fully armed Tiger State warriors patrolling in the constructed passages.

It is hard to imagine how these guys could have created such a "wonder" in this era of evil lands.

From Zhou Ke's perspective, it was not difficult for him to find that this Castle of the End should be a small city left over from the old civilization. Its area was roughly the same as the county town in the prosperous area in his memory. Probably to strengthen its defense, this Tiger State city had set up quite outrageous bunkers on almost every main street in a rather exaggerated way, but the planning of the civilian and commercial areas could still be seen.

Don't underestimate this Badlands abandoned city. It has been the base camp of the Badlands slave trade for the past thirty years. It is said that every year a large number of wastelanders "take the route" through here to the City-State area. Just collecting "tolls" and providing "snakehead services" to exploit loopholes in the border defense of the City-State area is a considerable income.

Looking to the north where the city-state area is located, a giant building similar to the central CBD blocked Zhou Ke's view. That honeycomb-like thing was located at the northernmost part of the End Castle and was the visible core of the entire city.

I don't know who came up with the design for this thing, but a roaring tiger's head was carved out on the front of the building with quite good technique. There were also side buildings on both sides of the main building, and even large pieces of glass serving as decoration, which sparkled brightly under the scorching sun of the Badlands.

To be honest, if that was not the end of my life, then this scene would be quite spectacular.

"Stop looking, go! Follow the crowd. You will stay in the Tiger's Nest for the next few days. Everyone in the city will go there to watch you fight each other. Your blood will dye the entire Tiger's Nest red as the most pious sacrifice to the end."

A Tiger State warrior with a green Mohawk and lip piercing pushed Zhou Ke and told him not to stop in the corridor and block traffic.

Not far away, there were busy slaves moving things onto the parked train under the command of the supervisor. These were supplies to be sent to the city-state area, and no time could be wasted.

Zhou Ke retracted his gaze and walked forward with Ajie along with the crowd. Under the threat of two heavy machine guns on the platform not far away, no one tried to show their bravery in this place.

Although they were still crying, the crowd still walked forward in an orderly manner under the leadership of the Tiger State soldiers. Zhou Ke looked around, curious about everything, and looked like a backpacker on a trip without any pressure. After a few minutes, he whispered to the Tiger State soldier who was "escorting" with a gun next to him:
"Can I ask a question?"

"Ask Nima!"

The other party politely responded in a standard manner. Zhou Ke shrugged, took out a consortium coin from his pocket, waved it in front of him, and said:
"What if it asks?"

"Fuck away!"

This guy quickly snatched the consortium coin and said viciously:
"Don't ask questions that you shouldn't ask, and don't try to resist or do stupid things. The fact that we dared to let you carry weapons and didn't check your bags shows that we don't care about what you do. There are always idiots who want to show off at every celebration. Guess where those guys are now?"

"I'm from Tiger Claw Town. I know something happened there yesterday, and it was quite a big commotion. It was said that something dangerous was hidden on the train that came here last night. I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity."

Zhou Ke whispered:
"What on earth is in that car that made the Tiger Nation and the Snake Nation fight over it?"

"Nothing."

Upon hearing this unlucky news, the Tiger State warriors immediately spat and cursed:

"We checked the car several times last night. Apart from the stupid crippled mayor who was having sex with a woman in the car, there was nothing worth seeing. God knows what's wrong with those Snake Knights. But that stupid mayor is quite a good person. I heard that the guys from the next class used this to blackmail him and made a lot of money."

"What? The mayor of Tiger Claw is on the train? Are you kidding?"

Zhou Ke said to the soldier with a look of "shock":
"The mayor is dead! I saw the murder scene with my own eyes. The dog had half of his body eaten away by the gluttonous beast. The news spread all over Tiger Claw Town that the guy is dead! Do you understand? Who were you investigating last night?
Damn, you are from Tiger Country, but you don’t even know your mayor? "

"There are hundreds of towns in the Tiger State, and I know every mayor. What's more, that guy's face was covered in blood after being scratched by an excited woman. We thought he was just a pervert. Damn it, this is a big deal!"

The Mohawk warrior ran out in shock.

Not long after, a man who looked like the captain came running over with his men. Zhou Ke was very "sensible" and waited there with Ajie to be questioned.

The fighters from Tiger Claw Town who came with them were also stopped and questioned. After realizing that they had actually let go of an important person suspected to be the "murderer" last night, these Tiger State warriors who were responsible for guarding the platform and searching the train were all numb.

Looking at the terrified expressions on their faces and their pale faces as if they had seen a ghost, it is clear that the punishment for this kind of dereliction of duty within the Tiger State must be quite severe.

"Ahem, I just heard that someone blackmailed the murderer during the search last night. Could it be that for the sake of money, the two sides reached some shameless deal and deliberately let him go? Otherwise, with such elite troops, it is unreasonable that you can't even distinguish a murder.

It's obvious that there's a traitor!
You are colluding with both insiders and outsiders. Tsk tsk, you are responsible when others eat your meat. I'm afraid you may even lose your life. You are so unlucky, buddy.

Three seconds of silence for you."

Zhou Ke said this lightly, and then took Ajie and walked towards the exit of the station with the crowd.

Behind him, the gloomy squad leader looked around and gestured to several frightened brothers under his command. They walked aside and said a few words to each other, then drew their weapons, loaded bullets and went to another rest area.

About ten minutes later, with a loud burst of gunfire, the damn "traitor" was shot dead on the spot, and the money he extorted became deadly evidence.

But what does all this have to do with the innocent and pure Zhou Ke?

He and Ajie had now boarded an armored truck that was packed with people and piglets, and were staggering towards the Tiger's Lair in the End Castle.

They were not sent to the Tiger's Lair immediately, but were driven into a camp next to the huge building, which looked like the ruins of a residential area. The people of the Tiger State set up firing points around it, but did not send people to patrol inside. They let these fighters in like driving pigs, and then sealed the entrance to the block and that was it.

It’s not their fault that they have poor management skills. The main reason is that groups of fighters are coming over. Instead of making arrangements now, it’s better to wait until everyone arrives and then have unified command.

Besides, they are just a group of people who are about to die.

If we really suppress them forcefully, it will cause trouble easily. So we should just set up a "safe zone" like this and let them fend for themselves.

"This is your activity area for the next few days. There are enough houses for you to live in, and food will be distributed every noon and evening. You can do whatever you want in there, but one thing is, no one is allowed to die!"

A flat-headed man wearing a wasteland military uniform and sunglasses, who looked very pretentious, shouted to the "sacrifices" who got off the car with a gun on his back:

"Look over there! That's the end. Whoever dares to cause trouble will be hung up."

Zhou Ke in the crowd looked back.

Wow, my goodness! There is a whole row of people hanging under the overpass across the block. They must be the fighters who came here and made such a mess before. Those guys are now happily swinging on the swings in the wind.

"Line up in five and get ready to go in!"

At the command of the Flathead Brother who was in charge of managing this camp block, the rude Tiger State biochemical warriors immediately came over wielding iron rods and beating.

The scene was just like the Indians in Barat managing refugees, and also very much like the scene of the Gwangju unlimited fighting competition. The iron sticks were swung vigorously, five sticks per second making people cry for their parents, and the order on the scene soon became orderly.

Zhou Ke lined up obediently. He saw a "civilian" from Hubang holding something similar to a stamp machine at the front entrance. After asking for basic information, he operated it for a while and then stamped the arm or cheek of every fighter who entered the block.

The action was as skillful as marking a pig under quarantine, and the crowd was angry but dared not speak out.

"Investigate."

Zhou Ke tapped the energy-comprehension device on his left arm, and pointed the scanning port at the stamping machine in the man's hand while lighting a cigarette. After a moment, the message popped up:
[Standard information collection and locator marking device, appeared before the first demon war. It can instantly generate a barcode containing individual information and use special pheromone markings. Through special tracking equipment, it can locate and track the marked individual in a large area.

The item is harmless and is often used to mark criminals or individuals who need extra attention.

Advice: Wait! This pheromone is usually effective for seven days, after which it will naturally degrade.

Special response suggestions: Tearing off the marked skin can also avoid tracking. 】

"Is that such a crazy suggestion? It sounds super painful."

Zhou Ke complained:
"Forget it, just think of it as a special tattoo." He didn't take it seriously and followed the crowd forward.

When it was his turn, he cooperated by stretching out his left arm. The guy from Hubang didn't even look at him. After asking his name and place of origin, he was about to print the thing on his arm, but then the flat-headed brother standing next to him held his arm down.

The latter looked up and down at Zhou Ke, who was "different" in every way, and said deliberately to provoke him:
"You're dressed very nicely, buddy."

"I couldn't find a worse outfit. I was actually trying to be more low-key."

Zhou Ke responded with a smile, but this attitude was regarded as a provocation by the Flathead Brother. He obviously did not think that these dying guys were of equal status to him, especially the flashy guy in front of him who was wearing the same sunglasses as him. What class are you, wearing the same sunglasses as me?

So this guy raised his lips, grabbed the stamping machine of the clerk, and said to Zhou Ke:
"I think you're still lacking in decoration, 'Master', come and let me help you fill it in."

"Snapped"

The thing was imprinted on Zhou Ke's neck, leaving a black barcode.

This is more like a pig that has passed the quarantine and has been stamped, which caused the Tiger State warriors nearby to laugh, and some fighters in the crowd also laughed. Sure enough, when you are unlucky, seeing others are even more unlucky always makes you happy.

"Aren't you angry?"

The eyes of the flat-headed brother under the sunglasses were fixed on Zhou Ke, and his left hand was already on the large pistol at his waist.

He seemed to be expecting this flashily dressed guy to take action first, so that he would have a reason to kill this guy here and warn the bad guys hiding in the crowd who were eager to take action.

The killing stick is an ancient cultural heritage.

"Why are you mad? This thing is cool, like a tattoo that no one else has."

Zhou Ke touched the black barcode on his neck calmly and said:

"I'll definitely thank you when I get a chance. Also, those sunglasses are nice. You have great taste, sir."

After saying that, he swaggered into the neighborhood in front of him with his marching backpack on his back, which was obviously very chaotic. Ajie behind him also got a stamp on his shoulder.

The two men disappeared into the street behind, and the flat-headed brother curled his lips.

Of course he heard the threat in Zhou Ke's words, but he didn't care. In this Tiger State city with a hundred thousand biochemical warriors, the little punks who were sent to die had to endure their grievances no matter how big they were!
-
"We have to gather a team. No, there is not enough time! The festival will start the day after tomorrow. Even if we start the selection now, it will be too late to go through the process."

In the corner of this neighborhood full of desperate people, Zhou Ke sat on an overturned trash can, while Ajie squatted beside him and ate an energy bar.

Zhou Ke was very envious of this heartless attitude towards life. He lit a cigarette and listened to some not-so-decent shouts coming from the ruins of the supermarket behind him.

Fighters are not only men, there are also some women.

Cramming thousands of dying wastelanders into this "Darwinian Paradise" where the Tiger State has no say at all, one can imagine the fate of these unfortunate women.

"You're about to die, but you're still thinking about that thing in your crotch. Everyone in this supermarket, get rid of it!"

Zhou Ke talked about the ash for a while, then looked forward and continued his previous thoughts.

"If you don't have enough time to find people yourself, you can only find a local resistance organization and try to join it. I don't believe that you can't find a few brave and smart people among these thousands of people.

As long as we find them, with the help of the team they have already assembled, we can immediately have a Tim, of course, provided that those guys listen to me."

He squinted his eyes behind the sunglasses on his face, then stood up and took Ajie to a building in the corner.

If he was not mistaken, there should be the ruins of a police station.

There is a faded police badge on the half sign at the door. Although it is impossible to find a map of the city or anything else decades after the apocalypse, if you are lucky, the probability of finding useful things here is several times higher than other places.

But there are already people here.

When Zhou Ke kicked open the broken door, a group of people holding wooden sticks rushed over screaming. It was obvious that they regarded this place as a "refuge" in this dangerous neighborhood.

"Throw them out!"

Zhou Ke shouted to Ajie.

Of course, Ajie didn't understand, but it didn't matter, because Zhou Ke also made a fist-hammering gesture, so the biochemical maniac who had eaten and drunk enough along the way rushed over with a roar, punched wildly, and soon made a name for himself in this dim place.

Zhou Ke ignored the screams.

He searched in this garbage-strewn place, aiming for the archives or information room, but after a round he was disappointed to find that all the valuable things here had been cleared out decades ago, like a disemboweled corpse.

Even the last bit of oil and water has been squeezed out, leaving only a shriveled shell. Hmm, this description is probably appropriate to describe this evil land, right?

"But there are always some things you can't take with you. For example, the underground information optical cables are different from the information dispatch of the public security departments in any world. What's more, the technology level of the old civilization is even higher."

Zhou Ke found the stairs leading to the basement. He pulled out his pistol and walked down step by step.

There were rats as big as cats running around here, and the smell was disgusting. Zhou Ke confirmed that he could find more than one corpse here. Hu Bang's style of doing things determined that they would not have the leisure to clean up such a corner.

This is great.

He put on the metal mask and entered the detailed perception, and after a few minutes, he found what he needed.

He kicked the rotten table top open, reached down and pulled, and a worn cable was pulled out. Like the antenna device found in old Taf's garbage dump before, this thing also had a slightly broken interface.

"It's up to you now, the almighty Wu Neng."

Zhou Ke inserted the interface into the device on his left arm. He tapped the screen and said to his personal assistant:

"Come show me some more technological wonders from the old civilization."

"Please shut up, Joker, and stop interfering with my work. The server to which this fiber is connected has been shut down for decades. I am now like a cold-blooded lunatic, desecrating an old corpse that has just been dug out of a grave. The stale bytes and data jumping alone make me deeply understand the meaning of 'rotten'."

The personal assistant, who had a lot of personality, complained in the darkness.

A few minutes later, the map of the city where Castle End was located was called up, but the surface part could be discarded. Zhou Ke was concerned about the underground structure.

Just like the eternal truth.
No matter how glamorous or decadent a city is, there is always a sewer structure underneath that silently bears everything. Most of the legendary stories that take place in the city begin with finding that dirty sewer.

"Wait, why is there such a big gap in this area?"

While checking the map, Zhou Ke asked doubtfully:
"There's a hollow right below the 'Tiger's Nest'? What's that for?"

"That is the area that this machine has calculated based on the changes in the city's terrain. Before you find a usable information interface, this machine cannot determine the specific structure there, and it cannot even detect the internal structure of the Tiger's Nest. That building was built after the collapse of the old civilization and is not registered in that abandoned database."

Wu Neng replied:
"So, if Joker wants this machine to continue to help, please find an interface that can connect to the internal information system of Tiger's Nest."

"It's alright, I'll find it, my dear little retard."

Zhou Ke narrowed his eyes and looked at the three-dimensional drawing of the city's underground structure from decades ago. He said:
"Having this thing is enough to convince those 'ambitious' rebels to allow me to join them, but you know, recruitment is always a two-way street. I brought them such valuable things, and they have to give me some valuable things in return.

For example, a usable information interface!

gone.

Go out and find those hidden ones among a group of desperate people, persuade them, confuse them, lead them, distinguish them, and finally... help or abandon them according to the situation. "

(End of this chapter)