FREE CITY
1469 Words
A person’s vision is determined by their status.
For the countless survivors struggling to live in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, their greatest dream was to obtain a residency permit in Free City.
But what was Shen Chen’s goal?
His ambitions stretched far beyond Free City, encompassing the entire former Empire—and even the whole of humanity.
While Free City was undeniably the largest and most powerful faction in the fragmented remnants of the Empire, it was not alone.
Many other forces had emerged, imitating Free City by establishing their own strongholds.
Among them, several factions, though not as powerful as the Shen Family, were still formidable in their own right.
Over time, these factions, feeling the immense pressure from the Shen Family, formed an alliance known as the Southwest United Council.
At that time, the Shen Family had been focused on securing Free City’s surrounding areas from monsters and zombies, leaving them with no resources to deal with this new political entity.
By the time the Shen Family had fully stabilized Free City, the Southwest United Council had already gained significant momentum.
The coalition consisted of five major city-states and more than a dozen medium and smaller factions.
This had been a hard lesson for the Shen Family—had they acted decisively before the alliance had time to solidify, they wouldn’t have had to deal with a rival power now standing against them in the southwest.
And beyond the borders of the Empire, across the seas and in other continents, countless other post-apocalyptic city-states had emerged.
In North America, Europe, and elsewhere, a few of these factions even rivaled Free City in sheer power.
Before Shen Chen’s rebirth, the global landscape was far from ideal for the Shen Family.
At that time, they were making promising advances in researching monsters and ancient ruins.
Their ultimate ambition—to unify the post-apocalyptic world—was already forming.
But before that dream could be realized, Shen Chen was reborn.
Shen Chen had returned to the past, to several years before the apocalypse.
The moment he realized this, he had almost laughed aloud.
In his past life, due to a lack of crucial intelligence, the Shen Family had spent far too much time stabilizing Free City.
But in this life, with his intervention, the Shen Family would rise far beyond its previous heights.
He knew that when the apocalypse came, it wasn’t just monsters and zombies that would descend upon the world.
Countless ancient ruins and mystic realms would also emerge.
And some humans would awaken to extraordinary abilities, gaining immense power amidst the chaos.
But Shen Chen alone possessed knowledge of everything that would happen in the critical first phase of the apocalypse.
This time—
He would not allow any force to rival the Shen Family!
Immediately after his rebirth, he had begun subtly guiding the Shen Family’s research institutions, leading them to an "accidental" discovery of the apocalypse’s impending arrival.
This revelation came years ahead of schedule compared to his past life.
Armed with this knowledge, the Shen Family—the most dominant and deeply entrenched power in the Empire—had begun operating in the shadows.
His father, Shen Fei, had secretly recalled all his trusted subordinates to Dongdu, the capital region.
Over the next few years, all valuable assets owned by the Shen Family outside Dongdu were quietly relocated.
In Shen Chen’s past life, when the apocalypse erupted, the Shen Family had been forced to abandon vast amounts of assets and resources outside Dongdu in order to focus on Free City’s survival.
By the time they had the resources to reclaim those lost territories two to three years later, they had already suffered a 70% loss in total assets.
Now, in this second life, things would be different.
At first glance, Dongdu appeared unchanged—still the Empire’s second-largest and most prosperous megacity, second only to the capital.
Every day, millions of people flocked to its bustling districts, fighting to carve out a place for themselves.
Yet those stationed in the Empire’s military garrison could sense it—
Beneath the surface, a chilling air of suppression pervaded the entire city.
The Shen Family was planning something massive.
As the most powerful aristocratic faction in the Empire, every move they made shook the entire aristocracy.
Some of the most experienced old politicians, those who had spent their lives navigating the treacherous waters of imperial politics, could vaguely perceive something monumental was underway.
But Shen Fei, Shen Chen’s father, was unfazed.
After all, once the apocalypse began, none of those political figures would be standing on equal footing with him anymore.
One of the most controversial and ambitious projects in recent years—Dongdu’s Large-Scale Infrastructure Plan—was Shen Fei’s initiative.
For those who dug deeper, they would find something even more shocking—
The project’s leadership, as well as its core personnel, all shared one surname—Shen.
But in truth, the infrastructure plan was nothing more than a cover.
Its real purpose was to funnel the last remaining resources of the Empire into Dongdu, using them to construct:
More military factories
More textile and mechanical plants
A fully fortified city-wide defense system
The final government complex of Free City
Shen Chen’s presence in Jiang City was also a crucial part of this master plan.
“Father, I’ve arrived in Jiang City,” Shen Chen said as he connected the call.
“Haha, Chen’er, I contacted Su Mingshuo a week ago. He should be coming to meet you soon,” Shen Fei replied over the phone.
Shen Chen’s lips curled into a faint smile.
“With the offer we’ve made, the Su Family will not refuse.”
Hearing his son’s calm and confident tone, Shen Fei felt even more satisfied.
“Chen’er, in the past two years, your wisdom and capability have astounded everyone in the family. I dare say your reputation within the clan is already surpassing mine.”
“Father,” Shen Chen said lightly, “it seems the family is fully prepared.”
“Everything is ready, Chen’er,” Shen Fei reassured him. “Once you complete your task and return, we’ll be preparing to step into the new era.”
Shen Chen exhaled, his tone unwavering. “Don’t worry, Father. In this era, our Shen Family will always be ahead of every other faction.”
Hearing Shen Chen’s self-assured voice, Shen Fei chuckled before his tone grew colder.
“Yes… since the great era cannot be stopped… then…”
His voice paused for a moment before continuing with a chilling finality—
“We will ride the tide.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Shen Chen ended the call.
His presence in Jiang City was a crucial piece of the Shen Family’s broader plan.
His mission was to forge an alliance with Su Mingshuo, the Governor of Jiang City.
In his past life, Free City had made one critical mistake during its early expansion—
It had been too arrogant.
Despite its overwhelming power, it had lacked allies.
If Free City hadn’t been under Shen Family control, ensuring rapid development, its solitary position would have made it a prime target for annihilation.
And more importantly—
There had been one faction that had plagued the Shen Family for years—the Southwest United Council.
In this lifetime…
He would crush them all.
In Shen Chen’s past life, the Su Family had risen swiftly during the early days of the apocalypse.
Su Mingshuo was a true warlord—a cunning and ruthless leader.
When the world collapsed, he had immediately mobilized his private forces and secured most of Jiang City.
Under his rule, Jiang City quickly established order, eradicating most of the zombies and monsters within its borders.
He had also implemented strict but effective survival policies, encouraging the populace to hunt down monsters in exchange for resources.
Compared to Free City, his methods were still crude.
But when compared to those incompetent factions that couldn't even set up proper survivor shelters, the Su Family had been one of the most formidable forces in the apocalypse’s early days.
Yet what truly intrigued Shen Chen was a rumor that had spread throughout the southeastern regions at the dawn of the apocalypse.
It was said that Su Mingshuo’s meteoric rise was not due to mere military prowess alone.
Instead—
He had gained control over a mysterious and extraordinary tree.
A tree that continuously produced the most powerful elite warriors in the apocalypse—
Awakened Humans.
- Writer
