Chapter 48

"Subhuman?" Upon hearing this term, Long Yuehong's mind instantly filled with words like "ferocious," "malicious," "deformed," "filthy," "source of pollution," and "enemies of humanity."

Although he had never encountered a subhuman, textbooks and the people around him all said the same thing.

Jiang Baimian seemed to sense Long Yuehong's thoughts at that moment and sighed, saying:

"Subhumans are essentially the same as humans; at least, there is no reproductive isolation."

Before Long Yuehong and the others could speak again, she continued on her own:

"The people of Black Rat Town survived the first winter after the destruction of the old world by catching and eating rats. It's said that at that time, the rats in that area went mad, all emerging from underground, covering the mountains and fields. Some were covered in sores, some had red eyes, and some attacked any living thing around them indiscriminately.

"Uh... I got a bit off-topic. Let's get back to the people of Black Rat Town.

"After surviving the first winter, because the area they originally lived in was severely polluted, leading to a large number of deaths, they chose to leave and migrate here.

"Unfortunately, the nightmare didn't end there. Their bodies gradually began to mutate, and possibly because they ate too many mutated rats, they started to look more and more like rats. Ha, I'm not an expert in this field, nor have I done any research, I'm just saying this off the top of my head.

"In short, their body hair became black and abundant, their bodies always hunched, and their nails became harder and sharper...

"After several generations, the residents of Black Rat Town are now generally less than 1.4 meters tall, prefer to live in caves, and are very skilled at digging. Accordingly, their diet has become more varied, and they fear strong sunlight, only being active in the early morning, evening, and night.

"They also have many beneficial mutations, such as a talent for mechanics and electronics. Some old-world electrical devices were originally in such bad condition, but after they tinkered with them for a while, they could be勉强 used again, of course, provided there were corresponding wires and parts."

At this point, Jiang Baimian said, "Oops, I almost forgot to remind you, don't say the three words 'Black Rat Town' in front of them. This is a nickname given by some wanderers on the wasteland, with strong discriminatory connotations. The people of Black Rat Town have a strong sense of self-respect. Within the company, there isn't much hatred towards subhumans, but disdain, contempt, and exclusion are inevitable, so this name is used."

"Why does the company accept them?" Bai Chen, who was driving, couldn't help but ask.

As a former wanderer on the wasteland, she had encountered several instances of subhuman hostility and unprovoked attacks, and their nightmare-inducing appearance made her severely dislike this group, sometimes even treating them as intelligent dangerous creatures.

Jiang Baimian was silent for a moment before saying:

"The residents of Black Rat Town do not have deep-seated resentment towards humans; they usually see themselves as normal people.

"If it weren't for their sensitivity and inferiority complex, and the prejudice of the company's employees towards subhumans, the company might gradually integrate them, rather than treating them as peripheral vassals.

"In fact, it's more of a cooperative relationship. We exchange weapons, ammunition, old clothes, and some food for valuable items they collect, and they relay important information from the Black Marsh Wasteland to the company via radio. Yes, the company collects old clothes from you for similar transactions."

At this point, Jiang Baimian paused:

"The company also recruits volunteers for certain experiments in Black Rat Town.

"In this regard, the residents of Black Rat Town are very enthusiastic; they are willing to do anything to give their descendants a chance to return to normal."

Jiang Baimian didn't add her own emotions to the narrative, but Bai Chen still felt a sense of reflection:

"In the Ashlands, the company's reputation is tarnished by its association with biological experiments.

"Before I had in-depth contact with you, I heard many rumors and was filled with fear about such experiments, afraid of being captured by 'Pangu Biotech' one day and sent to a secret place to become a victim of evil experiments, afraid of being mentally and physically tortured into becoming a monster, unable to die as a human.

"And the people of Black Rat Town actually volunteer for experiments..."

After hearing Bai Chen's words, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong realized how the company was perceived by outsiders, almost like the main villain in some radio drama stories.

This was completely different from their lifelong understanding:

They had always believed that the company was a utopia, while the outside world was full of suffering and danger.

Jiang Baimian laughed and said:

"I can tell that this fear has been weighing on you for a long time, which is why you said so much at once."

She then raised her left arm and made a flexing motion:

"This electric eel-type bio-limb is the result of experiments, and so is genetic modification.

"How about it? Seeing these things in person, don't you find them less scary?"

Bai Chen remained silent without answering.

"... I understand." Jiang Baimian gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Seeing me like this, you're even more afraid."

She let out a barely audible sigh:

"One thing you said is correct; the outcomes for those volunteers are often not good..."

The atmosphere in the jeep became heavy, and no one spoke for a long time.

After a few seconds, Jiang Baimian turned to Shang Jianyao and complained:

"Why don't you make a joke at a time like this?"

Shang Jianyao responded seriously:

"As someone dedicated to saving all of humanity, I never joke about such topics."

"... That's true." Jiang Baimian straightened her body.

After a while, she pointed ahead:

"Turn left, into the mountains."

Here, the Black Marsh Wasteland had turned into a hilly area, with some even qualifying as small mountains, and Black Rat Town was located in the mountains.

After driving for a while on the bumpy road, Jiang Baimian couldn't help but roll down the window:

"Really, the vertical movement is more than the forward movement.

"Such an outing will definitely require a major repair of the chassis when we return..."

In the middle of her complaint, Jiang Baimian suddenly fell silent.

She tilted her head slightly, sensing carefully, and her brows gradually furrowed:

"The radio signals from the direction of Black Rat Town are pitifully few."

This was now within her sensing range, indicating that Black Rat Town was very close.

Shang Jianyao instinctively raised his "Berserker" assault rifle and placed it on the window:

"Could it be affected by the anomalies north of Yuelu Station?"

This place was not close to Yuelu Station, but it wasn't too far either, about half a day's journey.

"Possible." Jiang Baimian nodded, her tone noticeably more serious.

"Leader, should we wear the exoskeletons?" Long Yuehong, no longer as jumpy as in the past few days, asked relatively calmly.

"Sure." Jiang Baimian didn't take the unknown situation lightly.

She then instructed:

"You wear it."

"Why not Shang Jianyao?" Long Yuehong blurted out.

"Shang Jianyao will follow me into Black Rat Town, and the exoskeleton can't fit in, uh, actually, it can fit, but it won't function." Jiang Baimian explained briefly.

Shang Jianyao had no objections, remaining silent and highly alert for any sudden anomalies.

After Long Yuehong put on the exoskeleton, the jeep continued to drive.

A couple of minutes later, Jiang Baimian gave the order:

"Stop the car."

She then pointed to the trees and shrubs ahead:

"Black Rat Town is over there.

"Long Yuehong, you lead the way."

"Yes, Leader!" Long Yuehong opened the door and got out first.

After entering the relatively dense forest, the group walked for several minutes and suddenly smelled a familiar scent.

It was the smell of fresh blood!

"This is going to be a big problem..." Jiang Baimian muttered to herself, seemingly already imagining the possible developments.

Holding a grenade launcher, she quickened her pace slightly and headed towards the other end of the forest.

There was a grayish-yellow cliff face, and in a place obscured by trees and weeds, there was a deep cave, from which a more intense smell of fresh blood emanated.

"That's Black Rat Town," Jiang Baimian said in a deep but not low voice.

At first glance, Long Yuehong understood why the exoskeleton couldn't function in Black Rat Town:

The entrance to the cave was only 1.4 meters high, and even after adjusting, the exoskeleton couldn't reach this height, and it would be even lower inside the cave.

This meant that someone wearing an exoskeleton would be unable to stand straight in the cave, significantly reducing their combat effectiveness.

Before they even approached the cave, Shang Jianyao and Jiang Baimian simultaneously looked to the left and saw two bodies under a tree.

The bodies were very small, with a tendency to curl up, and their clothes had been completely stripped off.

Their nails were sharp and hard, clearly yellow, and their bodies were covered in black hair, making them look like giant rats from a heavily polluted area.

However, the hair wasn't very dense, and through it, one could see the pale skin underneath.

These two bodies had their eyes wide open, with expressions of fear and anger, and their bodies and surroundings were soaked in blood that looked no different from that of normal humans.

To be honest, apart from the dense hair, short stature, strange nails, and pale skin, Shang Jianyao didn't see any essential difference between these two deceased residents of Black Rat Town and himself.

Long Yuehong had seen bodies before, and although he was still a bit scared, disgusted, and reluctant to look directly, he could control himself.

He hissed:

"Are they all dead...?"

Hearing this, Jiang Baimian subconsciously turned her head and looked at the deep cave, momentarily lacking the courage to enter.

She seemed to already be able to imagine the scene inside.

At this moment, Bai Chen, who had squatted down to examine the bodies, raised her head and said in a deep voice:

"Killed by gunfire."

Jiang Baimian squinted her eyes slightly and muttered to herself:

"Who could have done this..."

After saying this, she took a deep breath and walked towards the entrance of "Black Rat Town."

Without being told, Shang Jianyao followed closely behind her.

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