Chapter Thirty-Four: The Association of the Extraordinary

The sharp-faced man let out a loud shout, and the entire truck instantly erupted into chaos. Some people were so frightened they jumped straight off the vehicle. At the same moment, several city guards charged over, guns at the ready, prepared for anything.

It was no wonder the reaction was so intense. In times like these, everyone lived in constant tension, nerves stretched taut, haunted by fear at the mere mention of zombies or infection.

“Comrade, place your hands on your head and squat down for inspection!” one of the city guards barked.

Gu Sha hesitated for a moment before slowly raising his hands.

Meanwhile, the sharp-faced man swiftly grabbed one of Gu Sha’s backpacks and tried to take a second, but reconsidered, worried the city guards might notice. After all, the other backpack was on Gu Sha’s opposite side and didn’t look like it belonged to him, whereas the one he snatched had been between himself and Gu Sha.

A group of city guards quickly surrounded Gu Sha.

Gu Sha shot the sharp-faced man a glance, then turned to the city guards. “He took my things!”

The sharp-faced man immediately shouted, “That’s mine! He’s just blaming me because I reported him. Comrades, I saw it—his eyes turned red!”

In these days, the bastion was humanity’s last refuge, and no zombie or infected person could be allowed inside. Everyone was wound tight, seeing threats in every shadow.

The city guards had no interest in disputes over belongings; their only concern was infection. “Comrade, other matters will be handled by the legal officers. For now, you must get off the truck and come with us for investigation.”

Gu Sha had survived twenty years of the apocalypse in his previous life; he could easily understand the guards’ vigilance. In his past life, many bases had fallen because their screening was lax and infected were allowed inside.

He didn’t blame the city guards for their priorities; every debt had its due. He glanced once more at the sharp-faced man and said calmly, “Taking my things will cost you dearly.”

With that, Gu Sha stepped off the truck.

A city guard collected his backpack.

The crowd watched him being led away and immediately broke into uneasy discussion, many still shaken. Some even praised the sharp-faced man’s sharp eyes, thanking him for averting a crisis.

The sharp-faced man basked in their gratitude, clutching the backpack tightly to his chest, feeling the heavy weight of food inside.

Before the apocalypse, this man had been a small-time businessman, skilled at scheming. Unlike most survivors, who believed that entering the bastion meant safety and peace, he thought differently.

He was convinced that the bastion only provided temporary safety; the real hardships were just beginning. Food would be desperately scarce, so he had to secure as much as he could.

When he noticed Gu Sha with two large bags of food, he immediately made plans. At first, seeing Gu Sha’s young, student-like appearance, he thought he could trick him. But after Gu Sha refused to be fooled, he switched tactics and took advantage of the situation.

As for Gu Sha’s threats, he didn’t care at all. The bastion was huge and crowded; the chances of running into each other again were slim. Even if they did, he doubted Gu Sha could do anything to him in such a place.

“Heh, you’re too green to play games with me,” he muttered.

…

Gu Sha was led by several city guards into a heavily guarded tent.

After some negotiations, he was brought to a machine for inspection, where several doctors meticulously examined him, took blood samples, and ran a battery of tests. It was nearly dark before they finally confirmed that he was not infected.

By the time Gu Sha emerged, the truck from earlier was long gone—who knew how many times it had already transported goods.

“Sorry, comrade,” a city guard said, handing Gu Sha his backpack. “These are extraordinary times. We do this to keep everyone safe. I hope you understand.”

Gu Sha slung the bag over his shoulder, nodded, and replied, “I understand.”

“Thank you for your understanding,” the guard said. “I’ll arrange for transport to take you into the bastion immediately.”

“One moment,” Gu Sha interjected. “I heard on the radio that official Extraordinary Management Associations have been established everywhere to recruit people with extraordinary abilities. Is there an Extraordinary Association here in Bastion C?”

The city guard’s eyes widened in surprise, his tone growing urgent. “Comrade, do you mean… Are you extraordinary?”

The concept of the extraordinary had been officially announced over the radio twenty days ago; it was no longer a secret. The authorities even proclaimed that humanity’s future depended on these individuals. To inspire hope, they spread stories of extraordinary heroes, their feats and powers, and established the Extraordinary Association, offering generous benefits to its members.

As a result, though the status of the extraordinary was not yet as exalted as it would become, it already eclipsed that of many officials.

“I am extraordinary,” Gu Sha said to the guard.

A glimmer of excitement flashed in the guard’s eyes. As a city guard, he understood better than most the significance of extraordinary individuals in these times. With a bit of training, a single extraordinary could match an entire squad of city guards, sometimes even a force of a hundred. Whether rescuing survivors or defending the base, their talents made a decisive difference; every additional extraordinary meant more lives saved.

The guard’s gaze grew eager. “Comrade, are you serious? This is not something to joke about.”

“Of course,” Gu Sha replied.

Delighted, the guard said, “Then—would you be willing to join the Extraordinary Association?”

Gu Sha nodded.

Initially, he hadn’t planned to join, but the incident with the sharp-faced man had shown him something important: this was still the early apocalypse, not the future where mercenary guilds and factions ruled. Joining the Extraordinary Association now would spare him many troubles and give him access to first-hand information and opportunities.

Moreover, in the bastion, it was inevitable that he would encounter people who didn’t know their place. Killing within the bastion brought enormous trouble, but as a member of the Extraordinary Association, he would enjoy far greater authority.

For instance, tonight, he would find that sharp-faced man and make him pay the price he owed.

(End of chapter)