"Who knows?
I heard that some felons have escaped. Last month, there was even talk of a secret military exercise. I'm afraid martial law will be enforced for five to six years.
Don't you know?
Our local forums are going crazy.
There are armed police everywhere in the city right now. It's pretty strict. "
After that, the young man left after exchanging a few more words with Wang Chenghao.
Wang Chenghao blinked blankly at Qin Ye.
Qin Ye lit a cigarette and took a drag, "I'm afraid the situation doesn't look too optimistic."
"I've only just discovered that Westriver … seems to be the last place in the entire nation to broadcast news of the supernatural.
The curfew is also the last place. After all, it's right under Daofather Zhang's feet … "
He squinted at the City of Salvation, "The curfew has been in place since four months ago. I'm afraid the supernatural activity here has already become rampant.
Whether it's the wandering ghosts or the government forces, I'm afraid the number of ghosts here is at least ten times greater than that of a measly Clear Creek County. "
He could see the dark, gloomy Yin energy hanging over the City of Salvation like a lid!
It was hard to imagine what it was like inside.
How much effort and manpower did the government put in, and how many people were mobilized to ensure that people were able to go about their daily lives without noticing?
In an instant, he was filled with pride at the word 'country'.
"Hmm?
What are you looking at with a puzzled expression? "
Wang Chenghao pursed his lips, "No … I'm thinking, didn't I already give you three hundred thousand … Why did you take money from my wallet so naturally …"
The traffic finally began to move. Thirty minutes later, the toll station was right in front of them.
Just then, Qin Ye's gaze shifted slightly, and he whispered, "Wait, don't be nervous.
I'll do the talking. "
"What's wrong?"
Wang Chenghao's body tensed up, and Qin Ye patted him on the back, "Calm down. To achieve great things, one must have the courage to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses.
It's just a routine inspection. It's just that there might be some surprises this time.
Don't give yourself away. "
Wang Chenghao took a few deep breaths, "Is it … the people from Westriver?"
Their escape to Westriver would have been discovered a long time ago.
They had come up with dozens of countermeasures along the way, yet nobody had stopped them along the way. This was rather puzzling.
"I don't know." Qin Ye leaned back in his seat, "If anything unforeseen happens later, be prepared to run."
"... Didn't you say you have the courage to remain calm even if Mount Tai collapses?!"
Qin Ye rolled his eyes, "What's the connection between staying calm and running away?"
Wang Chenghao held his breath, and his face was as ugly as if he had eaten sh * t.
Did he mean to run as fast as he could with a calm expression?
You calm down, and I'll run?
What the hell … Even though there's nothing wrong with the logic behind it, I can't shake the feeling that something is amiss … Am I imagining things?
As they got closer and closer to the door, Wang Chenghao's eyes twitched when he saw the door clearly. He gasped and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
The army.
At the entrance of a small prefecture-level city stood nearly a hundred armed policemen.
Seven or eight police cars with red and blue lights were parked at the back. Other than the toll booth at the entrance, there was a huge tent at the back!
They occupied the entire national highway!
Like the mouth of a giant beast, it swallowed one car after another. The huge entrance of the toll station was silent.
The black barrel of the gun and the three fences behind it made it so that no one dared to act rashly here.
Their car soon arrived at them.
The first to pass was ETC.
Both sides of the toll station were lined with fully-armed soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms and helmets. They were like rows of white poplars, adding to the somber atmosphere of the normally ordinary toll station.
The toll station was usually manned by women. But right now, they were all replaced by men in black suits with stern expressions on their faces.
There was a triangular emblem on their chests, with an image of an eye in the center.
However, Qin Ye didn't dare to take a closer look at what it represented.
After passing through ETC, the fences didn't open up.
"Uncle, what's going on?" Wang Chenghao rolled down the window and asked impatiently.
The man in the black suit glanced at the computer screen, "Westriver's car?"
"Yes. What's the matter?"
The man in the black suit tapped on a button, "The first entrance on the right."
Wang Chenghao shrunk back into the car and turned to the right.
It was only then that he discovered that the cars lining up at the entrance were all vehicles from other provinces!
But things were different here.
Those who entered the pitch-black tent were surrounded by armed policemen.
However, there were no military forces in this passageway.
There was an infrared camera at every three steps, and there was no leakage of any kind.
There was a 360-degree recording of a car's condition. Even the bottom of the car had a scanning device!
"Haa …" Qin Ye took a deep breath. The country is truly on the move … There's nothing a country can't do as long as it wants to.
Every lane was the entrance to a tent. As the cars slowly lifted the curtains of the tents, the interior was lit up brightly.
Dazzling white headlights illuminated the interior of the tents. There were sentries every few steps, and only one vehicle was allowed to enter at a time!
"Dear drivers and passengers." A melodious female voice rang out amidst the silence, "Welcome to the City of Salvation.
The City of Salvation is located southeast of Insignia Province … "
After several seconds of introduction, the female voice continued, "... In order to coordinate with the large-scale military exercise in the City of Salvation, the City of Salvation has raised its security level to orange.
All vehicles and personnel entering and exiting the city must undergo a thorough inspection.
Those who refuse to cooperate will be sent back.
Those who violate the rules shall bear the consequences.
Once again, thank you for your cooperation … "
Wang Chenghao and Qin Ye exchanged a glance. Then, they glanced at the large fences in front of them and got out of the car sensibly.
A man in a black suit was already waiting outside the car. He nodded at them, and then made his way to a small, makeshift tent.
The interior of the tent was simple. A white-haired old man with a square face was seated behind a desk.
There were two small chairs in front of him.
Apart from a computer, there was also a crystal ball-like object on the desk.
As soon as they entered, the old man lifted his chin and gestured for them to sit across from him.
The old man gazed deeply at them, almost as though he could see right through them. Several seconds later, he finally spoke, "Why have you come to the City of Salvation?"
He didn't ask for their names, birthplaces, or other specific details.
The first question was - Purpose.
His words were concise and to the point.
There was no room for consideration, nor was there any need for foreshadowing.
As soon as the old man spoke, Qin Ye instinctively tightened his fists under the table.
It was the aura of a cultivator.
The person conducting the inspection on the national highway was actually a cultivator!
The fluctuations in his aura indicated that he was ready to make a move at any moment!
Although his cultivation level wasn't high, and he wasn't even at the level of an Operative-class expert, it was still a testament to the might of the City of Salvation's military.
Wang Chenghao's entire body had been tense ever since he entered the room. A single breath of true energy from a cultivator was enough to strike fear into the hearts of mortals.
Qin Ye patted Wang Chenghao's hand and pretended to be nervous, "S-school …"
"What school?
It's not school season right now. "
Qin Ye immediately responded, "Deputy Attorney General Zhang Baoguo.
He's a relative of my father's, and he transferred here to study this year. "
"Deputy Attorney General Zhang?" The old man raised his eyebrows in astonishment and stared intently at Qin Ye, "That's enough."
Old Zhang's name is indeed useful … Qin Ye was just about to stand up.
The old man suddenly spoke up, "Hang on."
For a moment, there was silence in the interrogation room.
Seconds later, he continued, "Put your hand on the ball and don't think about anything else.
Empty your mind and listen to me. Put your hand down. "
The two men did as they were told.
Qin Ye shut his eyes. Just as he emptied his mind, he suddenly felt the Yin energy in his body stir.
Yin energy detector!
Qin Ye didn't know the name of the ball, but he instantly understood its function.
Ordinary people wouldn't be able to detect anything from it. However … it could detect the presence of a ghost hidden under a person's skin.
The government … has even developed something like this?
Westriver couldn't be seen because it was beneath the feet of the Orthodoxy's ancestral court.
As soon as he stepped out of Westriver, he was greeted by the sight of a turbulent storm beneath the calm waves of the sea.
Unfortunately, the device was completely useless against him.
Approximately ten seconds later, just as Wang Chenghao was beginning to fidget, the old man finally spoke up, "That's enough."
The two men opened their eyes, only to notice that there was now a faint trace of Yin energy in the heart of the glass ball.
It was almost as though there were dark clouds within the crystal ball.
"Let's go. Remember, the first thing you need to do when you arrive is to immediately register at the street you're at.
Furthermore, you must have a temporary residence permit.
There will be a major inspection every fifteen days. As soon as you don't have a temporary residence permit, you'll be immediately monitored.
If you don't have a temporary residence permit, you'll be imprisoned immediately.
The same goes for students. "
Qin Ye took the lead and left.
As soon as they left, the old man quickly typed on the computer. Soon, a hexagonal panoramic view of Wang Chenghao's car, as well as a scan of their heads, appeared on the computer.
"License plate: Westriver EC, 43251."
"Passengers: 2."
"Purpose: School."
"Yin energy: 52 Yin.
Below 100. Likely to have recently come into contact with supernatural incidents. Considered controllable.
Ordinary humans. "
With that, the old man clicked on the save button.
Once again, he closed his eyes and rested.
"That's way too strict."
Back in the car, Wang Chenghao wiped the sweat off his forehead. He clearly hadn't done anything at all. Yet, given the atmosphere, he had nearly blurted out the size of his penis.
And this was only the entrance.
Qin Ye remained silent. Instead, he gazed thoughtfully at the passing lights above his head.
The car drove for a long kilometer. When the black tent flap was lifted, the view before their eyes widened.
The autumn sun peeked through the dense clouds, casting a hazy glow.
The street lamps along the national highway stretched out their streamlined forms, while the golden leaves of the trees swayed gently in the chilly autumn wind.
The stream of cars rushed into the city.
Further away, one could see densely packed buildings, tall overhead bridges, and television towers.
The stifling weather had been replaced by a picture of nature. The sight of it made one feel at ease.
In fact, it even felt as though the world had opened up.
It was far more developed than the tiny Clear Creek County.
Wang Chenghao was still young, and he hadn't traveled far before. He looked at the scenery around him with great interest.
His mood lightened up, "It's tough on the outside, but loose on the inside. It doesn't seem all that strict on the inside …"
"Is that so?" Qin Ye pointed above his head, "Look over there."
Wang Chenghao quickly glanced around, only to discover that … from the national highway all the way to the main city … there were rows of huge electronic screens that were clearly newly erected. The images on the screens were constantly changing.
"Open the windows."
The windows rolled down, and a female voice immediately filled the car, "Dear friends, welcome to the City of Salvation.
The City of Salvation is currently classified as a class 5 military exercise base.
What you're looking at right now is the garrison area of the City of Salvation.
Please keep the following points in mind, friends. "
"Firstly, all red zones in the city are not to be entered without a permit.
As soon as you discover them, you must immediately guard them. "
"Secondly, the curfew period is set after 6.30 p.m. In order to coordinate with the military exercise, all citizens are advised not to go out.
Enjoy the sights of the City of Salvation during the day. "
"Thirdly, all friends who are leaving the City of Salvation, please provide proof of residency to the city's public security bureau."
"I sincerely hope you enjoy your stay."