To avoid tipping anyone off, the two left the gate guards untouched.
Yang Bin activated True Vision Eye, found an empty spot on the other side, and teleported straight over.
Chen Hao followed in Invisibility.
This section was nothing like the slums.
The streets were cleaner, the buildings spaced further apart, the rooms noticeably larger.
Yang Bin scanned the residents with True Vision Eye. All young. Quite a few were Evolvers, though none ranked particularly high.
These were the people useful to the base - the ones who'd earned their keep. Their condition told the story at a glance: at the very least, they weren't starving.
The two didn't linger. They kept pushing toward the center.
Along the way, Chen Hao stayed invisible while Yang Bin crept forward carefully, teleporting every few minutes to dodge patrol teams.
Their current look - caked in grime, dressed like refugees - blended fine in the slum district. Here, they stuck out like sore thumbs.
Getting spotted meant getting questioned.
Fortunately, between True Vision Eye and teleportation, Yang Bin slipped past one patrol after another without a hitch.
Soon, they reached the next ring - the area closest to the center.
This zone was a different world entirely. Standalone houses, each one fully furnished.
Yang Bin swept the area with True Vision Eye and understood immediately. Every resident here was an Evolver, and none of them were weak.
The lowest was a Tier-4 Evolver. No guessing needed - these people had all been absorbed into Ma Zhongguo's ranks.
Their living conditions made the outer zones look like refugee camps. Food, drinks, meat and vegetables in proper rotation - they even had fruit.
But the real kicker? They had personal attendants. All opposite sex. Meaning the "service" covered both daily life and... other needs.
"This Ma Zhongguo knows how to buy loyalty," Yang Bin muttered.
Shit. Who could resist a setup like that?
They tried to push further in, but had to stop.
The central area had its own perimeter wall.
And the security inside was no joke. Yang Bin studied it carefully - virtually no blind spots.
The moment he teleported in, he'd be spotted instantly.
Behind the wall sat five massive buildings, each one decked out like a luxury villa.
Yang Bin activated True Vision Eye and peered through them one room at a time.
Finally, in an office, he found Ma Zhongguo.
He'd never met the man in person, but Star City's mayor had been a public figure - a regular on the evening news back before the world ended.
Ma Zhongguo sat behind his desk, flipping through documents.
Looking at just that, you'd think he was a diligent, responsible leader burning the midnight oil for his people.
Except Yang Bin's True Vision Eye showed things that weren't meant to be seen.
Like the woman in black stockings and a maid uniform kneeling under the desk, servicing him.
"This old bastard really knows how to enjoy himself," Yang Bin said flatly.
"What is it? Brother Bin? You find him?" Chen Hao whispered.
"Found him. Might be a pain in the ass, though."
"How come?"
"You saw the setup inside those walls. Security's tight as hell."
"Ma Zhongguo's in the middle building. Dozens of peak Tier-5 Evolvers stationed around it. Two more guarding his office door - and those two are ability users."
"Ability users? What type?"
"One Light-element, one Water-element."
"Water-element has offensive power?"
"Whether it does or not, I can't say for sure. But I know that guy hard-counters you."
"Why?"
"Do I really need to spell it out? He drenches you and your Invisibility's gone."
"Holy shit. Yeah, that tracks."
"And one more thing - Ma Zhongguo himself has reached Yaoguang Realm. Probably won't go down easy."
"He's Yaoguang Realm too?"
"Yeah. Makes sense when you think about it. He's got that many Evolvers and heavy weapons at his disposal. Taking down a Yaoguang Realm creature isn't hard with those resources."
"So Brother Bin, you know what ability he awakened?"
"Wood-element Entanglement."
"Oh. That's not too bad then. Nothing crazy."
"Not bad my ass. If he locks you down with those vines, the guards inside will turn you into Swiss cheese in seconds."
"...Fair point."
"But whatever. Yaoguang Realm or not, so what? Let me get close and I'll finish him before he can even activate his ability." Chen Hao's voice carried easy confidence.
"I believe you can. But getting close is the problem. There are Infrared Detectors all over the interior. I'm not sure your Invisibility can fool that kind of sensor. If it can't - you're fucked."
"What the fuck. This paranoid old prick is that scared of dying?"
"Call it cautious. Or scared. Either works."
"So what now? Wait for him to come out?"
"No. Who knows when that'll be. Could be hours. Could be never."
"Here's the plan: you stay invisible and wait for your opening. I go in first, draw all the fire, and smash every detector I can find."
"That... isn't that way too dangerous?"
"I've got teleportation. I'll manage."
"...Alright."
Plan set, Yang Bin locked onto his target position and teleported inside the wall.
The Tang Saber left his hand instantly, spinning through the air and shredding several Infrared Detectors in one arc.
"Enemy attack!"
The moment he moved, he was spotted.
Alarm bells screamed to life. Evolvers poured from every corner, converging on Yang Bin's position in seconds.
Not far away, Heavy Machine Gun muzzles swung toward him.
In the distance, sniper scopes found his head.
"Now that's a response time. Way better than the Wang family base," Yang Bin remarked.
"Who are you?! How did you get in here?!" A middle-aged man glared at him.
"I'm here for Ma Zhongguo. Everyone else - get out of my way." Yang Bin's voice was ice.
"The audacity! You dare address Mayor Ma by name?! Seize him!" The man's face twisted with rage.
The surrounding Evolvers charged.
Yang Bin didn't spare them a glance. One teleport and he stood at the entrance of Ma Zhongguo's building.
But the peak Tier-5 Evolvers had already consolidated at the door, forming a wall of bodies.
"Get lost!"
"You're dead!"
They clearly had no idea what they were dealing with. They rushed him without hesitation.
"Well. Can't say I didn't warn you."
Yang Bin grabbed the Barbell Rod and swung.
The first few Evolvers crumpled - dead before they hit the ground.
But peak Tier-5 wasn't nothing. These weren't fodder he could mow down in waves.
Forty or fifty of them. Clearing them all would take some work.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Snipers opened fire.
Dozens of rifles firing simultaneously - even Yang Bin wasn't about to tank that. He teleported clear.
Another wave of Evolvers closed in immediately.
And with the alarms blaring, reinforcements from outside the wall flooded in by the hundreds.
Within moments, the entire central zone was swarming with Evolvers.