Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 234 - 229: Predicament
Ren Fei knew he had to do something to stabilize the situation. He took a deep breath, stood up, and shouted to the bank employees, ”Everyone, don’t panic! Let’s see if there’s a way out of here first.”Actually, he remembered his uncle saying the vault couldn’t be opened from the inside. Only someone on the outside could open the door. In other words, they were beasts trapped in a cage. That was why he’d made the agreement with Chen Pingchuan. The moment someone outside opened that door would be the end for Chen Pingchuan and his men. He certainly wanted to avenge his uncle.

However, Ren Fei kept these thoughts to himself, not daring to show a hint of them. He was afraid of causing a panic and of Chen Pingchuan’s group doing something desperate.

So, while soothing everyone’s emotions, Ren Fei pretended to search around the vault. Seeing his actions, the others felt a glimmer of hope and began to follow his lead, searching every corner of the vault for a way out.

Suddenly, a bank employee discovered a small vent hidden above a rack of gene serums. The vent was small and blocked by a fine, unknown metal grate, and they weren’t sure if it could be removed.

Just as the crowd gathered around the vent to discuss how to break through the grate, a series of sounds came from outside.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The insect swarm had started ramming the vault door. The muffled thuds echoed like thunder, each impact striking fear into their hearts. The terrified bank employees curled into a ball, but in contrast, the two groups of ability users remained unusually calm.

The vault door was incredibly solid. Under the swarm’s continuous assault, it didn’t move an inch.

Finally, after more than half an hour of fruitless impacts, the noise outside gradually faded away.

Dozens of minutes after the sounds disappeared, the bank employees gathered around the vent were still staring helplessly at the ventilation duct in the ceiling, feeling powerless. Only then did they remember Ren Fei.

A few of the more shrewd male employees began to prod the others.

”Everyone, make way! Let Captain Ren through.”

”That’s right, what are you all crowded around for? Let Captain Ren have a look.”

”Captain Ren, take a look. Do you think you can open this ventilation duct?”

Ren Fei looked up at the vent on the ceiling.

To be honest, he had no confidence he could open it. Even if he could, he wouldn’t. He had to wait for the people outside to deal with the insect disaster and bring Chen Pingchuan’s men to justice.

But he couldn’t reveal his true intentions. So, he had to pretend to try. He instructed his companions to stack piles of Federation Coins to make a makeshift stool so they could try and pull down the metal grate.

However, the unknown metal grate was extremely tough. No matter how hard his companions pulled, they couldn’t budge it an inch.

Time ticked by, and the air seemed to grow heavier. Some people even started to feel dizzy from the lack of oxygen, and the bank employees were once again on the verge of a collective breakdown.

”What do we do? Are we really going to be trapped in here until we die?” It was the same female employee from before. She shouted, her voice choked with sobs, her eyes filled with fear and despair as she collapsed to the floor, clutching her head.

”Captain Ren, what should we do?”

”That’s right, Captain Ren, how do we get out? You and your uncle are in charge of security. You must have a way out, right?”

”It would be great if Captain Ren were here. He’d definitely have a way.”

Panic was contagious, and the surrounding crowd began to complain ceaselessly. Their voices were like buzzing flies.

Ren Fei glanced around and saw Chen Pingchuan’s henchmen watching the commotion with smirks on their faces. This made Ren Fei’s stomach turn. He couldn’t help but remember his uncle being torn apart by the insects—his uncle, who had sacrificed his life to buy these ungrateful people more time.

”Enough!” Ren Fei bellowed. ”Why are you in such a hurry? Are you that eager to rush out and die?”

”Who can guarantee that it’s safe outside right now? Do you know if the insects have left?”

”What if the entire city has been overrun by them?”

Ren Fei had only meant to shock the crowd into silence, but as soon as the words left his mouth, an unsettling possibility took root in his own mind. He dared not think about it any further.

He shook his head, pushing the thoughts aside for now. Rubbing his face with both hands, he tried to make his tone as calm as possible.

”Alright, I know everyone is frightened. How about this: find a place to rest first. Once we’ve recovered a bit, we can figure out a way out, okay?”

The crowd was startled by Ren Fei’s earlier expression. They couldn’t understand how the shy young man, who used to blush at the slightest joke, had become like this.

An eerie silence fell over the vault once more.

To make matters worse, during their second hour inside, the lights on the ceiling suddenly went out.

In an instant, darkness surged in like a tidal wave, engulfing the entire vault. The crowd, already on edge, now plunged into absolute terror.

In the blackness, one could only hear ragged breathing and the occasional suppressed sob. People fumbled clumsily in the dark, trying to find something to hold on to, but they only touched cold walls and unfamiliar objects, making them panic even more.

The bank employees began to call out each other’s names, their voices trembling. It seemed to be the only way to confirm they weren’t alone, the only way to find a faint sliver of security in the endless darkness.

”What’s going on? Why did the lights suddenly go out?” a shrill voice cut through the suffocating silence, instantly triggering a chorus of agreement and complaints.

Ren Fei fought to remain calm. He knew he had to step up and stabilize things again, or the situation would spiral completely out of control. He fumbled a few steps forward and accidentally bumped into someone. They both cried out in surprise, and the small accident only frayed their nerves further.

”Everyone, don’t panic! Stop moving!” Ren Fei shouted. ”Let’s gather together. It’s safer that way.”

But their fear had already stripped them of their reason. Only a few people listened to Ren Fei and slowly shuffled in his direction. Most simply cried, screamed, or even began rambling incoherently, lost in their terror.

Ren Fei’s heart pounded with anxiety. He kept shouting, trying to calm them down, but it was useless.

Since Chen Pingchuan’s men were some distance away from the larger group, the commotion didn’t reach them.

At that moment, Porcupine was trying to whisper to Chen Pingchuan.

”Boss, what should we do?”

”Boss... Boss... Wake up, Boss...”

Just as Porcupine reached out to shake Chen Pingchuan, a voice spoke right next to his ear.