Chapter 43: Determining the Fortress Placement Site

Yang Jie looked toward Li Siyao and said with a chuckle, "You’re a police officer too. What would you do if someone attacked you?"

Li Siyao retorted sharply, "Attacked? If I don’t empty an entire magazine, I’d consider it my loss!"

The group of police officers didn't seem surprised, as they had already reviewed the files on the group—or at least, the basic information.

At this moment, Lao Yao couldn't help but ask Li Siyao, "Can the police in the States really just open fire whenever they want?"

Li Siyao looked down at Lao Yao and shrugged. "It’s not 'whenever,' but if you have reasonable suspicion that the other party is armed, you are permitted to fire."

Lao Yao felt a bit dejected; he hadn't even touched a gun since graduating.

Li Siyao laughed. "Don't think that being able to fire at will is a good thing. When everyone is allowed to carry a gun, my job becomes a high-risk profession. No one can guarantee when they might get shot in the back."

Lao Yao nodded, looking thoughtful.

Yang Jie turned to the lead officer and smiled. "Just to be clear, we are here legally. We plan to travel for a while and then head back. We don't want any trouble during our stay. Okay?"

The lead officer pulled out a business card and handed it to Yang Jie, smiling. "Fine. If Mr. Yang feels there is anything difficult to handle, you can give me a call."

"Okay!"

As the two groups prepared to part ways, Lao Yao couldn't hold back and asked Yang Jie, "I heard you killed a lot of people in war-torn regions. You didn't even spare women and children? Don't you feel any guilt at all?"

"Who told you to speak?" the captain immediately cut in to stop Lao Yao.

Yang Jie turned his head and smiled, his eyes narrowing in a look of untamed arrogance.

"When they pointed their guns at me, they were no longer women or children. Besides, in those war zones, plenty of our own countrymen died too. My dear, you are still too naive. You should go out and see the world—it’s not everywhere that has the kind of public safety we enjoy in the Dragon Kingdom!"

"Not everyone wakes up in the morning worrying about what to eat instead of worrying about dodging bullets!"

"Not everyone uses their phone to choose what to have for lunch or dinner. Most people are just wondering if they can fill their stomachs today or find clean water to drink."

With that, Yang Jie walked away without looking back, leaving Lao Yao staring at the lead officer with a complex expression.

"Captain..."

The lead officer waved his hand. "We’ll talk about it when we get back to the station."

Only those who have served in peacekeeping forces or with Interpol abroad truly understand how dangerous this world can be.

The Dragon Kingdom shields its people from nearly eighty percent of the world's dangers, yet many still fail to appreciate it, believing everything outside is better. They sneak out, only to discover that everywhere they go, people are pointing guns at them. Some women rush to the States, thinking they’ll finally live the good life, never imagining they might end up being exploited in the middle of a primeval forest.

After the group exited the airport, they saw three Cadillac SUVs parked at the curb, with a chubby guy smoking a cigarette nearby. The moment he saw Yang Jie, the fat man froze for a second before sprinting over.

"Holy—holy crap! Big brother, you’re so ripped! You look just like the Hulk!"

Yang Jie patted his shoulder. "Bro, drop the 'Hulk' part, or I’m going to feel really uncomfortable!"

"Hahaha, fair enough!"

Once everyone got into the cars, Yang Jie handed the fat man a cigarette, his face still full of shock. "I’ve only been gone for ten years, but it feels like this place is completely different from before!"

It wasn't just Yang Jie; Li Siyao and Zhao Baitong were both pressed against the car windows, marveling at the scenery outside.

Kaizi asked curiously, "Houston is a big city. Why are you acting like you’ve never seen the world?"

Yang Jie couldn't help but vent his frustrations. "You don't understand. Many cities in the States just feel old and decaying. The roads look like they’ve been gnawed on by a dog."

Kaizi was skeptical. "It’s not like I’ve never been there!"

Yang Jie rubbed his forehead in silence. "When you come over, you either go to Beverly Hills, Hollywood, or my family’s ranch. You don’t know a damn thing!"

While the two appeared to be bickering, they were actually synchronizing their information.

"By the way, what are the plans for today?"

"Did you find the place I asked you to look for?"

Hearing this, Kaizi was almost driven mad. "Your requirements were truly bizarre. It took a lot of effort for me to find it."

"Oh? Tell me, what kind of place is it?"

Kaizi handed a file to Yang Jie. "An oncology hospital in the city..."

"A hospital?"

Yang Jie was slightly surprised. He took the documents and began to flip through them. After a long while, he nodded with great satisfaction.

To be honest, when he first heard "hospital," he was quite skeptical. Hospitals are often in busy urban centers, right? Once those monsters started to grow in numbers, being in a place like that would be incredibly dangerous. It wasn't that Yang Jie was afraid, but there was no need to go head-to-head with those monsters.

However, this hospital was different. As a specialized facility, it wasn't very large. Because it was an oncology hospital where patients required daily chemotherapy, it had been built on the outskirts of the city. After all, not many normal people could stand hearing the sound of screaming every single day.

Beyond its location, the transportation was decent; there was only one road leading to it, and it was situated on a hillside. From any angle, it was nearly flawless.

Don't think that just because the apocalypse is coming, you should head deep into the mountains and forests—that will only make you die faster. It is best to remain at a distance from the city, neither too close nor too far. Being able to retreat or advance as needed—that is perfection.

Yang Jie had indeed stockpiled plenty of supplies, but so what? No matter how much you stock up, there will always come a time when you need something you don't have. Often, a simple cold can make you wish you were dead, and if you add a toothache on top of that, you could be pounding the floor in agony with no one to save you.

Once the cars hit the highway, it took only an hour to reach Yang Jie’s hometown, Hai City.

The group first checked into the best hotel to get settled. Then, Kaizi drove Yang Jie, Li Siyao, and Zhao Baitong toward the oncology hospital.

Even though Yang Rongrong had a connection to him, she wasn't completely "one of their own." In this society, let alone having a connection, even married couples often scheme against each other; sixty percent of homicides are committed by a spouse.

Li Siyao and Zhao Baitong were different. They weren't just his partners in a romantic sense; they were people with whom he had faced life and death, their bonds forged in the blood and fire of the battlefield.

Who hadn't taken a bullet for the other? Yang Jie had superpowers, but he wasn't omnipotent—the bullet and shrapnel scars all over his body were proof of that.

At the entrance of the abandoned Hai City Oncology Hospital, the four of them stepped inside. What greeted them was a tree-lined square. Surprisingly, there was only one solitary medical building, styled like something from the nineties.

In the square sat stone tables and benches covered in moss, likely where cancer patients used to rest and stroll. The location was suburban with only one access road, meaning transportation was manageable, and it was only about ten miles from the city center—not too close, not too far.

After walking a full circle, Yang Jie felt like slapping his own thigh in delight. What a perfect place.