Chapter 555: Blizzard City

Chapter 555: Blizzard City

Baili Changqing stepped into Zhu Zheng’s office.

Zhu Zheng was in his fifties, his hair streaked with gray, and his frame lean.

Yet his face bore an unwavering steel-like resolve, and his sharp eyes were like a hawk’s.

As Baili Changqing entered, his gaze instinctively flickered to the bodyguard standing behind Zhu Zheng.

The man appeared slightly younger than Zhu Zheng, likely in his late forties. He had an unremarkable face, wore old-fashioned round glasses, and had a small braid tied at the back of his head.

But Baili Changqing knew—this man was undoubtedly one of the top three strongest in all of

Blizzard City

.

Bian Junwu had once told Baili Changqing that within a hundred paces, this man could kill him easier than slaughtering a chicken.

"Commander!"

Baili Changqing stood before the mahogany desk and saluted solemnly.

Zhu Zheng nodded at him with his hands clasped behind his back.

"You all did well on this mission. I originally thought you’d have to retreat and leave Tianhai City to be obliterated by headquarters."

"This outcome is preferable. The city has been preserved."

Zhu Zheng’s tone was indifferent—he had little attachment to Tianhai City.

He was well aware that nearly all of its residents had perished in the zombie horde, with less than one percent surviving.

In his eyes, the city was entirely expendable.

Baili Changqing replied, "We owe this success to Captain Bian. If he hadn’t sacrificed himself to restrain the leader of the Followers of the Snow God, we would have all died there."

Before returning, they had already submitted their report to headquarters.

The contents closely mirrored Zhang Yi’s version of events, albeit slightly refined.

However, the majority of the credit was attributed to the investigation team, with a strong emphasis on Bian Junwu’s contribution.

At the mention of Bian Junwu, Zhu Zheng’s expression darkened with sorrow.

Bian Junwu had once been one of the military’s finest.

Even after the apocalypse, he had made immense contributions to the Jiangnan District.

His death was an irreplaceable loss.

Though Zhu Zheng had always known this day would come, it still left him with regret.

He looked at Baili Changqing and gestured toward a chair.

"Sit. Let’s talk."

Once they were seated, Zhu Zheng continued.

"During your time in Tianhai City, did you come across any promising talents that could be brought to headquarters for training?"

Baili Changqing had already sent Zhu Zheng a detailed report via email.

So Zhu Zheng didn’t bother discussing the mission further—he was more concerned with recruitment.

After all, while the Jiangnan District was rich in talent, losses were frequent.

Fresh blood from surrounding cities was essential.

Baili Changqing straightened in his seat, and the first person that came to mind was Zhang Yi.

Zhang Yi’s current strength was undoubtedly on par with Bian Junwu at his peak.

And beyond raw power, his intelligence and personality made him someone worth taking seriously.

But according to their agreement, Baili Changqing couldn’t expose Zhang Yi’s true abilities.

Quickly weighing his options, Baili Changqing replied:

"There are indeed a few skilled individuals in Tianhai City."

"After our assessment, I believe seven people are qualified to join the investigation team."

"Xing Tian from Qingpu Base, Xiao Honglian and Zhuge Qinting from Yangsheng Base, Chen Jingguan from Chaoyu Base, and from Zhang Yi’s team—Zhang Yi, Liang Yue, and Yang Siyah."

Most of these individuals were formidable combatants.

Yang Siyah, however, had a powerful support ability that made her invaluable to a team.

Zhu Zheng nodded slowly after listening.

"You already mentioned them in your report."

He folded his hands on the desk and suddenly asked, "I’m particularly interested in this Zhang Yi. Can you tell me more about him?"

Baili Changqing felt a jolt of tension in his chest.

"Here it comes!"

Some things could be concealed, but others were impossible to hide.

For instance, Zhang Yi’s actions during the zombie crisis had been too extraordinary.

He was the only team leader unaffected by the initial outbreak.

During the battle against the Followers of the Snow God, his expert sniping had nearly wiped out every Copper-Armored Corpse single-handedly.

And in the final showdown, it was his space-based defensive abilities that stalled Yuan Kongye long enough for the tide to turn.

Without Zhang Yi, the mission would have failed, and none of them would have survived.

Such a list of achievements—no matter how much Zhang Yi and Baili Changqing tried to downplay them—couldn’t be entirely erased.

So Baili Changqing chose to omit the final battle, where Zhang Yi had outlasted Yuan Kongye alone.

But even with that detail hidden, there was still more than enough to make Zhu Zheng take notice.

Baili Changqing met Zhu Zheng’s gaze seriously.

"Zhang Yi is indeed a talent. He’s highly capable and possesses a rare spatial-type Superhuman ability."

"If he were to join our headquarters, he would undoubtedly be considered an elite within the investigation team."

He started by praising Zhang Yi.

Then, he deliberately changed his tone.

"However… his mindset and personality make him difficult to trust."

Zhu Zheng’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Oh? What do you mean? Does he have a bad temperament?"

For the Jiangnan District’s investigation team, loyalty to the district was more important than raw ability.

This wasn’t outdated ideology.

In times of chaos, the wrong mentality could lead to internal disasters.

Baili Changqing was well aware of this, which was why he framed his response carefully.

"Zhang Yi is extremely selfish. Like many other Superhumans from independent cities, he’s likely been hardened by the cruelty of the apocalypse, leaving him with no sense of collective responsibility."

"Even in battles against the zombies, he always prioritized his personal survival, keeping an escape plan ready at all times."

"Additionally, he’s ruthless in achieving his goals, showing no sign of faith or greater belief."

Baili Changqing suddenly realized he might have gone too far.

Smearing Zhang Yi’s reputation too much could affect how leadership viewed him.

He quickly added, "That being said, his attitude is understandable. It’s difficult to find anyone with unwavering convictions in a world like this."

Zhu Zheng’s interest in Zhang Yi visibly waned after hearing this.

An unstable Superhuman, no matter how strong, was not someone he wanted.

In his eyes, Zhang Yi was just a

Delta-Class Superhuman

.

And while Delta-Class Superhumans weren’t abundant in the Jiangnan District headquarters, they weren’t exactly rare either.

But if Zhu Zheng knew that Zhang Yi had devoured the remnant essence of an

Epsilon-Class Superhuman

, things would be a whole different story.

Author's Note