239: I'm on the highway to hell!

I'm on the highway to hell!

A few hours later.1

The second group of soldiers are already making their way back towards a neighboring village that has now become a heavily fortified walled village with soldiers keeping watch all around the clock.

The gate quickly opened up as the armed convoy drove past it with ominous vigor as the guards quickly noticed that the vehicles and soldiers clearly went through an arduous journey with how dirty they were and the underbody of the vehicles, as the wheels are almost covered in disgusting gooey stuff.

The people living inside the village eyed the armed convoy with fervent expressions as they couldn't hide the excitement in their eyes as they knew that they were certainly carrying food and devices that they had looted from the outside.

Knowing that, they all quickly went back inside their homes and took anything that they thought they could exchange for anything of value before they hurriedly made their way to the village square.

"Sir, is there any food that they brought back?"

"Officer, me and my team managed to acquire some medicine when we ventured out a few days ago! Please let us exchange them for some weapons and food!"

Groups of survivors slowly swarmed inside a small house that has now been turned into something similar like a Money Exchanger, where an exchanger before would exchange a Pound to another currency.

Unfortunately, the world has gone back to bartering again, even gold doesn't have that much value anymore.

"Stop! All exchanges will cease today until further notice! So please go back and prepare more things that you want to exchange when the time comes!"

Seeing that the crowd was getting quite rowdy.

A group of guards quickly came over and intervened and shooed the people outside of the office.

"What? What do you mean until further notice!?"

"What if we have something urgent that we need!? Where will we exchange it other than here!"

"Why is your operation ceasing!? Is something happening!?"

The crowd was shocked at the unexpected news that they started throwing questions in anger at the officer and staffs in charge of the Exchange Center while being pushed out by guards from the building.

The officer in charge looked at the newcomer and said, "Why did we stop the operation? Is something going to happen?"

The leader of the guards just laughed and replied, "No, the Major received news that reinforcements had just set out from Manchester City a few days ago and they will arrive here by tomorrow morning at the latest. That's the reason why you received the orders to cease the operations of the Exchange Center for the time being"

The exchange officer gave a sigh of relief and said, "Is the Major getting promoted or something? Why are reinforcements being sent here? It's not like our company can't handle the horde at Rodak Town"

"You just answered your question. It's because the clean up for Rodak Town is taking way too long, that's why the headquarters had sent reinforcements so that we can sweep through the town in one fell swoop" chuckled the guard leader.

"Is there a chance that we'll be taking over the town?"

The exchange officer stood up as he quickly offered a cigarette towards the guard and even lit it up for him like a bootlicker would, as the former wanted to get more information out of the latter.

The guard leader released a big puff of smoke and said, "I don't think so, the only orders that we got is that the two Food Banks, the medical center and the pharmacies should be raided quickly and just let scavengers deal with the rest"

"Wait, wouldn't we be giving out too many benefits to them if the army does that?"

The exchange officer knew that those scavenging survivors would certainly rejoice if they learned of this information. After all, they wouldn't be putting too much effort and they would already gain a lot of benefits just from the things from the houses they would loot from after the army sweeps through the entire town.

The guard leader let out a chuckle, "When there are needs, there will always be consumers. Those things they had looted would just come back to us...through the Exchange Center. After all, we're only the power here who can provide them peace and security"

"I see, I see. So that's how it is"

The exchange officer can only laugh and smile even though he doesn't really can't quite  get it right now.

The guard leader smiled at him and said, "Anyway, I need to get going now, and you also need to go home and have some rest as it would be really busy tomorrow"

After leaving those words, he left, and a man who was holding on a mop and had been cleaning the floor and had been eavesdropping on their conversation from the start couldn't help but ask the exchange officer who's known as a nice guy around the place.

"Sir, why are you being like that to him? Isn't your position higher?"

The exchange officer who was just about to turn around, stopped and lightly turned his head to the side and looked at the ordinary looking man that couldn't really be considered as an ugly or handsome person with how ordinary his looks are.

"You new here kid?"

"Yes sir~! Just got the job two days ago!"

"Look here, if you want to survive here long. The thing that you need to always remember...is never asking questions that you don't need to know. And that guy earlier, yes, his rank is lower than mine, but did you know that his cousin is Major Statham? He might not dare kill you here, but he would certainly make your life difficult if you offend him" said the exchange officer with an ominous voice.

Then he left for the back door after saying those words.

The janitor then chuckled with a snort like he had just heard the biggest joke ever.

"And that's the reason why I'm here in the first place anyway, such troublesome bastards"

After mumbling some vague words, the guy continued mopping the floor while humming a familiar rock song.

"I'm on the highway to hell~!"

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