Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 223 - 218 Pursuit and Escape
Hantan City was a uniquely positioned metropolis on the edge of the Southern Alliance, a location that had made it a vital hub for commerce and fueled its booming economy.Inside its towering skyscrapers, professionals lived lives of indulgence and extravagance. Outside, giant screens on the building exteriors flashed with bizarre advertisements, bathing the streets in a riot of color. The neon lights, like ever-burning stars, painted the night sky in a brilliant, mesmerizing tableau.

Floating tracks, like giant silver serpents encased in transparent tempered glass, snaked through the city’s upper airspace. Through the glass, one could clearly see trains whizzing past like silver bullets, their bodies glinting with a cold metallic sheen, offering occasional glimpses of the passengers inside. The city’s transportation network was a complex and efficient vascular system.

On the streets below, diverse crowds of people weaved through one another. Most were ordinary-looking humans, but occasionally one could spot a cyborg with mechanical augmentations or, most distinctively, a Beast Tamer accompanied by their companion beast.

”My first real look at Hantan City… not bad at all,” Chen Pingchuan’s deep voice resonated inside the car.

He received no reply. The three lackeys in the back seat remained silent, and the driver beside him didn’t even dare to breathe too loudly.

The driver silently cursed his luck. How did I get so unlucky? I was just on a normal shift, and these guys forcibly stopped me. They look like they escaped from somewhere, and now I have to drive them all over Hantan City.

Just driving them around would be one thing, but the continuous wail of police sirens behind him made his heart pound against his ribs.

Chen Pingchuan was in a great mood. Their escape from the villa district had gone much more smoothly than he’d anticipated. The mayor’s residence had limited security personnel; aside from two Level-Six powerhouses, the rest of the defending soldiers numbered just over a hundred. A force that small couldn’t even slow him down, let alone harm him.

As for the two Level-Six powerhouses who were the linchpins of the defense, the moment Chen Pingchuan deftly detached one of their legs, the other turned tail and ran, abandoning his teammate without the slightest intention of even trying to obstruct Chen Pingchuan.

”G-Gents... sit tight! I’m opening it up!” the taxi driver’s voice carried a hint of nervous excitement, and beads of sweat glistened on his forehead in the car’s interior lights.

At that moment, the taxi roared like a horse finally unleashed, the engine emitting a throaty growl as the car lurched forward. The streetscape outside the windows blurred into streaks of light, receding rapidly behind them. The taxi zigzagged through the narrow streets, its tires screaming against the pavement in a sharp, whining symphony of mad escape.

Police cars pursued them closely, lights flashing and engines roaring in a discordant chorus. Even so, they dared not open fire in the crowded city.

The unprecedented thrill seemed to ignite a fire deep inside the driver; a wild glint appeared in his eyes. He deftly maneuvered the steering wheel, each turn executed with precision, the car tilting as it carved through corners in a heart-pounding tug-of-war with centrifugal force. On the straightaways, he slammed the accelerator. The speedometer needle climbed rapidly as the taxi shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, leaving towering buildings and storefronts far behind.

The driver seemed completely immersed in the chase. A confident smirk played on his lips, a silent declaration of his superior skills.

Meanwhile, his four passengers wore strange expressions amidst the violent jolting of the high-speed chase.

”Haozi! Don’t you think he seems like one of us?”

”I’ve told you a hundred times, don’t call me Haozi. If you say it again, don’t blame me for what happens.”

The moment Wei Hao finished speaking, Lilia felt her own body grow heavy. She scowled, and an invisible hand formed by her Telekinesis instantly tightened around Wei Hao’s neck.

Their squabble naturally affected Porcupine, who was hunched uncomfortably between them in the cramped taxi. Their constant bickering was already annoying him, and with his childish mind, he threw a tantrum. In a muffled voice, he complained, ”Boss, can you make them stop? They’re at it again.”

”Ahem, ahem.”

As Chen Pingchuan let out a pair of fake coughs, the two immediately withdrew their powers.

Chen Pingchuan cleared his throat, setting the tone and their destination. ”Since you two are so energetic, why don’t you give those people behind us a taste of what you can do? Having these ants constantly on our tail is starting to annoy me.”

”Stop the car!”

As Chen Pingchuan finished speaking, the driver, still speeding, couldn’t comprehend his logic. Aren’t we being chased? We’re wanted fugitives! If we just stop here, won’t they catch us?

Before he could finish the thought, his body went rigid. The car’s controls shut down instantly, and the vehicle let out a screech of protesting metal.

The excitement in the taxi driver’s heart evaporated. That’s my livelihood! I bought it with a ten-year loan to support my family! If it gets damaged, I...

Just as despair consumed him, the car skidded to a halt sideways across the road.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Behind them, a number of private cars slammed on their brakes, piling into one another.

Lilia, dressed in a frilly lolita outfit, was the first to get out. Her small, slender frame was a stark contrast to the tense, murderous atmosphere. The moment she stepped out, an invisible force began to gather around her. The air warped as if kneaded by giant, unseen hands, creating ripples visible to the naked eye until it seemed space itself was twisting.

Wei Hao, who had been sitting on the other side, was the second to exit.

His ability was far simpler and more direct than Lilia’s. With the exception of the special combat troops on the ground, every helicopter and aircraft in the sky was slammed downward by an immense, mountain-like pressure.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Explosions instantly echoed from all directions.

Song Feng was the director of the Hantan City Security Directorate and a Level-Six powerhouse. His companion beast was a formidable combat rhino, and he felt he might soon ascend to an even higher level of power.

Yet this prestigious and powerful figure, a man who commanded awe and respect from countless people, was now facing frequent setbacks in his pursuit of Chen Pingchuan’s group. He had originally thought that with his own strength and his contingent of elites, this would be an easy capture. He never expected…