Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

!BOOM! A deafening crash echoed.

Song Feng's body traced an arc through the air before slamming heavily into a police car, caving in its chassis with a deep dent. Though he didn't collapse, a pained groan escaped his lips.

Song Feng raised his head and looked across the road. A mountain of a man, nearly three meters tall, now stood before the little girl. It was he who had sent Song Feng flying with a single, heavy punch. Although Song Feng had managed to force the man back a few steps, his opponent was in far better condition.

Large beads of sweat formed on Song Feng's forehead. He made a snap decision, pulling the communicator from his waist and roaring, "We have four suspects! One has strength at least at the peak of Level Five! Requesting support from headquarters! Don't call in ordinary team members; they'd just be coming here to die."

"The rest of you, fall back immediately! Don't worry about me! That's an order!"

Chen Pingchuan remained where he stood, his gaze cold and calm as he watched Song Feng. Suddenly, his lips moved, muttering a few words, and a men's combat suit materialized in his hands. Chen Pingchuan glanced at the somewhat tattered suit, then at the shirtless man across from him, a peculiar sense of interest sparking within him.

He stomped his foot, and under the immense pressure, the concrete of the highway fractured into a spiderweb of cracks. In the next second, Chen Pingchuan's figure shot toward Song Feng with lightning speed.

「In the mayor's office.」

Xu Sanhua sat on a soft leather sofa, his expression grim as he listened to Li Zhiran's continuous report. The room's dim, oppressive lighting cast his stern face in an even colder light. His fingers tapped a rhythmic beat on the sofa's armrest, each tap landing like a hammer on Li Zhiran's heart, making him increasingly nervous.

"So, you're telling me," Xu Sanhua began, his voice low and icy, carrying a chilling, terrifying weight, "that a bartender suddenly appeared, used some liquor with a peculiar effect to bewilder Ling Yin, and caused her to make a terrible decision and bring that person to the secret prison in my own home?

"Then this same bartender not only drove Ling Yin insane but also destroyed my priceless collectibles and even took three people with him?

"And most importantly, even Song Feng, with five teams from his combat division, couldn't capture these people and was taken prisoner instead?

"Are you sure you're not fucking joking with me?"

Li Zhiran's forehead was slick with sweat. He swallowed hard and answered cautiously, "Yes, Uncle. You don't understand. That bartender is no ordinary person. I strongly suspect he came here specifically for you. As for Director Song Feng... I dare not say more."

Here, Li Zhiran was being clever. He had, in fact, investigated Chen Pingchuan's background. Though the man's origins were unknown, the incident couldn't truly be blamed on him. After all, not only did we take his liquor without paying, but we also kidnapped him to use as a personal bartending machine. Anyone would be furious. People without power can only rage impotently, but those with power can make others regret ever crossing them. Clearly, Chen Pingchuan belonged to the latter group. But if I told the truth, then I, the mayor's secretary, would undoubtedly be held responsible. It's better to frame Chen Pingchuan as one of my uncle's enemies. That way, it has nothing to do with me.

Of course, Xu Sanhua was unaware of the little calculations running through his illegitimate son's mind.

"Useless! All of them are useless!" he roared, slamming his hand on the armrest. He shot to his feet and began pacing the room, the fury rolling off him in waves that threatened to drown Li Zhiran. "I give Song Feng so many resources, I support that whole squad of useless trash, and they can't even handle one simple thing!"

Li Zhiran kept his head bowed, not daring to utter a sound, his body trembling slightly. He knew his uncle's temper. Speaking at a time like this could infuriate him, and the consequences would be tragic.

Xu Sanhua stopped pacing, a ruthless glint in his eyes. "Send the order: mobilize one division from the Eastern City Defense Army. I don't care how they do it, but they must capture that so-called bartender and bring him to me! Tell Liu Huaqiang that if he dares to defy this order or performs poorly, he can say goodbye to his position!"

"Understood, Mayor Xu," Li Zhiran replied hastily. He had switched to the formal title, well aware of the line between public and private affairs. He then scurried out of the room as if staying a second longer would get him caught in the blaze of Xu Sanhua's rage.

Xu Sanhua watched him go, his fists clenched. I'm really getting old, he worried silently. He remembered when he was known as the Southern Wolf. Back then, he had been full of passion, determined to transform this city. And, under his efforts, it had truly blossomed into one of the few prosperous metropolises in the region.

However, every achievement came at a price.

The price he paid was his youth. He had reached Level Seven strength in his thirties, but now, in his fifties, he hadn't even touched the threshold of the peak of Level Seven. Beyond the physical toll, the leaders of the surrounding cities he had drained dry all hated him to the bone.

So, the appearance of someone like Chen Pingchuan was not a surprise. It was only a matter of time.

The only issue that truly troubled him was the breach on the front line. If those mindless creatures from the Insect Race turned toward his city, his entire life's work would be utterly wasted.

Chen Pingchuan had no idea that the city's leader now considered him an agitator sent by an enemy power and had mobilized an entire military division to hunt him down. Though if he did know... it probably wouldn't make much of a difference.

Because he knew the insect tide was coming.

What was Chen Pingchuan doing at this very moment? He was venting the anguish that had built up inside him. In truth, his carnal desires had been more or less sated. But the primal satisfaction of pure, violent, physical release was yet to be unleashed.

Now was the time.

Song Feng watched as Chen Pingchuan charged toward him at a speed the naked eye could barely follow. He didn't dare hesitate. He shot to his feet, adjusted his stance, and planted his feet firmly on the ground. His muscles tensed, and his skin took on a faint metallic sheen—a sign that he had activated his defenses. After all, his bonded beast was a rhinoceros famed for its defenses. Song Feng was confident that his own formidable defense could withstand Chen Pingchuan's attack.

"Earth Dragon King Eight Fist!" Chen Pingchuan roared as he arrived in an instant, a whistling gale heralding his powerful, heavy punch.

As for the name of the technique, he had just shouted it out randomly. Chen Pingchuan himself hadn't noticed this subtle, subconscious shift toward a more divine nature.

The punch descended like a falling meteor, compressing the air around it until it crackled. Song Feng crossed his arms in front of his chest to block the blow.

BANG