Chapter 390: The Alliance


    Xingtian strolled leisurely out of the workshop, his hands stuffed into his pockets.


    Despite the bone-chilling cold and the thick, overwhelming snow, he seemed entirely unaffected.


    Workers inbat uniforms stood guard in the area, and when they spotted Xingtian, they saluted him in greeting.


    With a grin, Xingtian waved back, continuing his rxed pace until he reached the factory’s office.


    Inside, the temperature was warm andfortable. The steel factory, with its abundant coal supply, no longer produced steel but used the resource to heat water for central heating, ensuring the ce stayed cozy.


    At the office door squatted a young girl in a smallbat uniform, doodling in the snow with a stick.


    In front of hery a massive white wolfhound, easily ten times the size of a normal dog,parable to Hua Hua when in its giant form. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    The enormous dog, however,y meekly in the snow, watching the girl intently. Its submissive demeanor was devoid of ferocity, its eyes instead radiating a kind of goofy innocence. Noticing Xingtian’s approach, the dog tilted its head back and let out a loud howl.


    The little girl looked up as well, her round, white face breaking into a sweet smile when she saw him.


    “Dad!”


    Xingtianughed and strode forward, scooping the girl into his arms and adjusting the fur scarf around her neck to shield her face from the cold.


    “Didn’t I tell you not toe outside? It’s too cold out here. If you muste out, at least wear your hat and scarf!”


    The girl, Zhou Lingling, was Xingtian’s adopted daughter.


    Her father had been one of Xingtian’s coworkers, who had died in a tragic ident years ago. Xingtian had taken her in afterward.


    “It’s not that cold!” Zhou Lingling said with a sweetugh. “The factory is warm!”


    Xingtian pinched her chubby cheek. “If you catch a cold, you’ll regret it!”


    cing her back in front of the big dog, he said, “y with Lele for a bit. Dad has some things to take care of. I’lle back and join you soon.”


    Zhou Lingling nodded obediently and squatted down again, resuming her doodling in the snow. Her soft, childlike voice rang out, “Lele, this is ‘one,’ and this is ‘two.’”


    Lele, the giant dog, gazed at her with a conflicted expression. It genuinely couldn’t understand what she was teaching.


    ---


    Xingtian entered the office, which had once belonged to the factory director. The room’s decor exuded understated luxury—no dazzling gold, but the redwood desk, rosewood coffee table, andplete Qinghua porcin tea set spoke volumes about its high-ss taste.


    Taking his seat on the sofa, Xingtian turned to themunications officer waiting for him.


    “Boss, the person’s been waiting for quite a while.”


    Xingtian shrugged nonchntly. “If she needs something from me, she can wait. What’s the rush?”


    Despite his words, he reached over and pressed the connect button on themunicator.


    The screen immediately disyed Xiao Honglian’s exquisite face.


    Propping her chin with her hand, she looked visibly annoyed.


    “Xingtian, you’re certainly hard to get a hold of. Making me wait this long!”


    “Why, thank you!” Xingtian chuckled mischievously, his demeanorced with an air of roguishness. “Nobody’s glued to theirmunicator all day, you know. Now, what do you need from me? Get to the point.”


    Xiao Honglian rolled her eyes, but she knew this was just Xingtian’s nature. Before the apocalypse, he’d been nothing more than a small team leader at Qingpu Steelworks—direct, coarse, and unapologetically straightforward.


    She got straight to the matter.


    “Xishan Base has been wiped out. What’s Qingpu Base’s position on that?”


    Xingtian scratched his chin and said casually, “The northeastern part of Xishan District borders us. I assume that area doesn’t interest you much.”


    “Xishan’s territory is huge; no one can take it all at once. Why don’t we all sit down and figure out how to split it up?”


    Xiao Honglian smiled.


    “That can be arranged. But there’s one issue we need to deal with first.”


    “There’s a powerful faction entrenched in Xishan’s former territory. Until we eliminate them, moving in will be too risky.”


    “My people and Wei Dinghai’s both suffered losses at their hands.”


    Hearing this, Xingtian’s eyes narrowed slightly.


    “There’s someone that strong in Tianhai City?”


    “Someone who not only took a bite out of Xishan Base but also dared to take on both your bases at the same time?”


    Xiao Honglian nodded gravely.


    “Indeed, there is.”


    “Our investigations show they’re not arge faction like us. Instead, they’re a small, elite team with several powerful superhumans.”


    “They’re fortified in a shelter as strong as a military bunker. Even Xishan Base couldn’t break through.”


    Xingtian stroked his chin, processing the information.


    Qingpu Base had always kept a low profile and had never encountered Zhang Yi before, so this was his first time hearing about him.


    He replied cautiously, “If they’re as strong as you say, we can’t just rush in blindly.”


    “You know as well as I do—marching into unfamiliar territory for a battle means losing a third of our strength before we even start.”


    Xiao Honglian countered, “Which is why we’re inviting you to join us in attacking them!”


    “Yangsheng Base and Chaoyu Base have already agreed. If you nod your head, we’llunch abined assault.”


    “Once we three are united, we’ll force the Followers of the Snow God to join in too. Together, we’ll crush this faction and divide Xishan and Lu River Districts among us. What do you say?”


    Hearing that the three major factions were teaming up, Xingtian felt a bit more reassured.


    “So, it’s the faction that had that big conflict with Xishan Base?”


    “If Xishan Base, with all its firepower, couldn’t break through their defenses, what makes us think we can?”


    Anticipating the question, Xiao Honglian replied confidently, “The person who built that shelter is now with Yangsheng Base. I have a way to break their defenses and storm inside.”


    Raising an eyebrow, Xingtian saw potential in the n.


    If the western factions of Tianhai City united, there was nowhere they couldn’t conquer.


    He also realized that Xiao Honglian and Wei Dinghai were reaching out to him not just for strength but also to neutralize Qingpu Base as a potential threat to their nks.


    This was a deal he couldn’t lose.


    “I’ll think about it,” Xingtian said, rubbing his stubbled chin. “But I’ll need more information about that shelter.”


    Xiao Honglian nodded. “That’s fair. Take your time to consider. I assure you, this will be immensely profitable for Qingpu Base. You won’t regret it.”


    Author''s Note