Chapter 66: Another Familiar Face

Yan Ze hurried back after leaving the three behind, not daring to delay for too long. After all, the three were safe here, and he had nothing to worry about on their behalf; it was himself he needed to be concerned about. Sneaking in was no easy feat, and surviving here would be even harder. If he wanted to make any moves under the enemy’s nose, that was harder still.

Every step had to be taken with utmost caution. The plan had reached this stage, and if it all collapsed now, it would be a pity. He had yet to see the day his vengeance succeeded; he wanted to witness the downfall of his enemies with his own eyes.

He still remembered the day the Great Wilderness Mountain Underground City was liberated, watching as its wicked inhabitants fled in panic. Yet, Yan Ze felt little joy. He knew this wasn’t the outcome he had sought—evil had not been properly punished and could easily spread elsewhere.

He wasn’t some righteous hero acting on behalf of Heaven, like those chivalrous outlaws in “Water Margin” who drew their blades at injustice. Still, the rise and fall of the world concerned every man, and besides, he had unresolved scores with those people. How could he let it go so easily?

But the enemy was not out in the open; tracking their movements had cost him considerable effort. From years of observing Professor Wu and his associates, Yan Ze knew the dark organization would not easily let them go, nor forgive their mistakes, nor allow them to rebuild a base anytime soon. So Professor Wu and the others must have fled to an existing stronghold.

But infiltrating an established base was far more difficult than tracking new construction. New sites with ongoing development were easy enough to find, but mature strongholds were usually much better hidden. Fortunately, Yan Ze had connections—a friend he’d helped before told him a group had recently arrived at the Golden Rooster Ridge Base. The leader of this group seemed to hold a high position in the organization; so high, in fact, that the Lord of Future City at Golden Rooster Ridge regarded him with jealousy, treating him as a thorn in the side.

Golden Rooster Ridge? Future City? The Lord of the City? Yan Ze knew none of these. But from his friend’s description—the founding elder of the organization, aged forty or fifty—he guessed it must be his former mentor.

“Ha! Teacher, you must be eager to see me as well!” Yan Ze thought, racing toward Golden Rooster Ridge.

Unlike the Great Wilderness Mountain, Golden Rooster Ridge was not completely closed off; recruitment was ongoing, albeit with strict screening. Getting in had cost Yan Ze considerable effort.

First, there was his appearance. Having spent quite some time at Great Wilderness Mountain, many in the organization recognized him. Ordinary disguises—changing clothes, altering hairstyle—would not fool their eyes. Wearing a mask was even more suspicious; why hide unless you had something to conceal? Even a blind man could see through such tricks; how could the gatekeepers not?

Still, no place was entirely immune to loopholes—wherever people gathered, corruption would inevitably follow. Especially in a place like the dark organization, such practices were rampant. If Yan Ze could provide something tempting enough, those guarding the entrance would turn a blind eye and let him through.

He had accumulated some valuable currency within the organization over the years, which made it easier for others to identify him as one of their own, or at least as someone who had once belonged. But what did that matter? So many bases had fallen to the government, and countless people were scattered everywhere. As long as no one saw his face and he never admitted it, who could do anything to him?

Slipping into Golden Rooster Ridge was easily accomplished. But what awaited him next was far from simple. He had to be cautious at every moment, and from the start, he faced inhuman torment.

Luckily, he possessed a high level of education, the sort the organization needed, so he was spared the fate of being caged like an animal in the arena, fighting for survival.

Still, as an outsider, he was subjected to constant discrimination—a tradition among his countrymen, it seemed. Never mind. He had greater ambitions; he wouldn’t let minor grievances bind his hands and feet.

Carrying corpses? He did it; living or dead, people were all the same. As a graduate in biomedical sciences, he’d seen plenty of corpses, human and animal alike—what was there to fear?

He endured group harassment, silent treatment, even being urinated on. He paid no mind; what great deed could one expect from petty people?

Dirty, exhausting tasks all fell to him. But in truth, they weren’t so taxing—mostly tending to those the others called “inferior,” treating their injuries and illnesses. All are human; who’s to say who’s noble or base? They were the ones being overly dramatic.

No matter the time or place, those with solid skills would always thrive. Golden Rooster Ridge was no exception. The truly talented had already risen above the masses, becoming the privileged class; those temporarily trapped below soon found their opportunity, as did Yan Ze.

In his second month inside Future City, he seized his chance. One day, the Elder of Law Enforcement fell ill. Outside, it wouldn’t have been serious, but in a city where medicine had developed abnormally, it became critical—sometimes even a simple urinary tract infection could lead to deadly complications.

As everyone scrambled helplessly, Yan Ze stepped forward. His medical expertise wasn’t extraordinary, but he could easily handle a routine infection. Still, he didn’t make the situation appear effortless; instead, he deliberately created an air of tension, highlighting his crucial role.

The Elder cared only for results, nothing else. He was grateful to Yan Ze, far too much so to worry about the young man’s little tricks.

And so, amid everyone’s envy, Yan Ze strode out of the “newbie village,” becoming an official citizen of Future City. Thanks to the Elder, he was appointed as a Guardian of the Forbidden Zone—a formal, well-paid position in Future City.

Wasn’t he supposed to become a doctor? Well, it’s a long story! In a place rife with intrigue and rivalry, when someone gained an advantage so easily, many departments began investing heavily in medical research. In a way, Yan Ze’s actions inadvertently advanced Future City’s medical development.

Of course, at this moment, Yan Ze cared nothing for such matters. What concerned him was the purpose that had brought him to Future City! What mattered were the friends he’d made here, such as Gangzi.