The Neutral Zone's composition was not a matter of chance; its safety was maintained by those who enforced order.
In the City of Ruins, the slums and the affluent districts were in opposition, as were androids and humans, their constant conflict preventing any faction from establishing order.
Consequently, the Chosen were unrestrained in this place. Beyond fighting amongst themselves, the Chosen were also susceptible to being killed by the natives.
Bai Ye pressed onward, passing through an uninhabited area, until a vast expanse of barbed wire lay ahead.
The wire was adorned with signs reading "Caution," "No Entry," and "Please Check for Contamination," some even bearing bloodstains.
However, no one was guarding it.
Beyond the barbed wire lay the slums.
The streets here remained dilapidated, with large cracks marring the ground and the outer walls of buildings, giving a precarious impression.
Yet, signs of life began to appear.
Men in vests squatted in street corners, chewing on something unknown.
In the windows of a distant building, a woman, one hand cradling a child, held a clothesline out the window, beginning to dry laundry.
From some carts, enticing aromas wafted, carrying foods made from mutated creatures.
Most were grilled, pan-fried, or served as hearty soups.
The ingredients were less than ideal, being scraps from the corpses of mutated beasts.
After all, the truly choice cuts were sent to the affluent districts. Even if some remained in the slums, they were within restaurants that ordinary people could not afford.
Bai Ye's arrival drew some attention, but not a great deal.
The people here were apathetic, but apathy was the norm. Survival was a struggle; who had the energy to concern themselves with others?
Riding his motorcycle, Bai Ye combed through his memories and soon found a dilapidated alley.
The alley walls were a mess of tangled electrical wires, tattered awnings, and a jumble of illegal structures.
At the alley's mouth, a flickering neon sign declared: Hunting Ground.
Bai Ye parked his motorcycle by the alley entrance, then walked in, quickly reaching a metal door and knocking.
A small window on the door slid open, revealing a pair of eyes scrutinizing Bai Ye.
"Eating, one of us."
Without a word, the other party pulled open the metal door, allowing Bai Ye to enter.
This was a restaurant, yet not an ordinary one.
It offered superior ingredients and processing services, as it was a gathering place for hunters.
Both androids and humans frequented it. Beyond satisfying hunger, it served a crucial purpose: the exchange of intelligence and information.
This intel pertained to border conditions and affairs within the affluent districts.
For the Hunting Ground was established by androids rebelling against the affluent districts, serving as one of their strongholds.
Of course, this was knowledge unknown to most.
Upon entering, Bai Ye walked further in and handed the plastic bag he was carrying to the man beside him.
"Make it however you want, just make it delicious," Bai Ye said with a smile. "The excess is yours."
This was an unspoken rule; the excess served as payment.
The other party clearly appreciated Bai Ye's adherence to custom, nodding before gesturing for Bai Ye to sit anywhere.
The dimly lit restaurant contained about a dozen tables and a five-seat bar.
Bai Ye took a seat at the bar and surveyed his surroundings.
He was searching for his target, though he was not certain they would appear.
This was normal; even with memories from his past life, not everything remained static. Life was always filled with unexpected turns.
Every choice, every action, could alter the future.
Just as the route Bai Ye was taking now differed from his past life.
In his previous existence, Bai Ye had lacked the ability to enter the City of Ruins so early in the world war's mid-stage.
As Bai Ye pondered, a scruffy-looking man approached and sat at the bar.
The man's face was grimy, his hands caked with dirt. A large, uniquely designed rifle was slung over his back, its energy cell slots indicating it was an energy weapon.
His belt held several peculiarly shaped grenades and a worn-out machete.
Bai Ye's eyes narrowed. His target had just appeared!
"Allen, you can't just come and go from my place like this," the boss said, wiping a glass. "You'll scare my customers."
"Damn it, I know all your customers. I won't scare them," Allen whispered. "Boss, those crystals, they've changed again."
"Are you starting that again?" the boss rolled his eyes. "Nobody cares about that stuff."
Allen insisted, "This is important. It's a new discovery. Perhaps those mutated creatures are related to the crystals I found, or perhaps the Rhine Corporation is up to something new."
The boss grew impatient. "So what? I only care about my restaurant's business. Nobody wants to trade for your information, and if you're not eating, get out."
"Give me a grilled meat rice," Allen said in resignation, then pulled out a cloth bag. "And my information is very useful. If you don't believe me, I'll show you something incredible."
As he spoke, Allen opened the cloth bag and poured out some purplish crystal powder.
Soon, Allen arranged the powder on the table in a circle.
"May I borrow a cup?" Allen asked.
The boss reluctantly handed him a cup.
Allen placed the cup in the center of the powder and slowly began to rotate it.
Suddenly, a faint luminescence shimmered over the crystal powder.
The luminescence reflected on the cup, displaying marvelous colors, appearing semi-transparent, like a seven-hued glow.
Allen seemed to be seeking some revelation, like an ancient gypsy divining, turning the cup and tilting it slightly, searching for an angle.
Then...
Suddenly, a beam of light enveloped the cup. In the next instant, the cup, strangely, vanished completely within the light.
Concurrently, as the cup disappeared, the surrounding glow gradually faded, and the crystal powder returned to normal.
Allen exclaimed excitedly, "See? Do you believe me now? Those crystals are no ordinary things. They are very mysterious and valuable."
The boss remained silent for a moment, then said, "Remember to pay for my cup."
Allen: "..."