As the convoy slowly approached the gate of the base like a giant beast lurking in the dark night, Li Luo leaned forward slightly, got close to the car window, and looked out through the slightly stained glass.
What comes into view is the sentry box at the gate. This sentry box is indeed simple in structure, but after years and the wind and rain of the end of the world, it has a unique charm, with two characteristics of solidity and simplicity, which are wonderfully blended together.
It is like an old man who has experienced many vicissitudes of life, standing quietly, witnessing the cruelty and hope of the end of the world.
The sentry box is built from pieces of discarded metal plates. The corners of the plates are covered with dents of varying depths, like scars carved by time.
Each of these dents seems to be whispering about the tragic war that has been experienced here, making people's thoughts drift to the scene of flames and smoke.
There were at least a dozen guards standing guard around the sentry box.
They were wearing heavy protective equipment, which was obviously pieced together and reinforced with various waste materials. The style seemed messy, but the makers' good intentions were revealed in every detail of splicing and reinforcement.
In this end times where supplies are extremely scarce, every piece of equipment is like a rare treasure and is extremely difficult to obtain. The guards are well aware of this, so they cherish them even more.
These equipments are not only their protective barrier, but also their reliance for survival in this cruel world.
Above the sentry box, there is a sign made from an abandoned shop sign.
The surface of the sign has long been bumpy, but the mottled traces of past commercial advertisements are still stubbornly attached to it, like a reluctance and nostalgia for the prosperous world of the past.
But now, the sign reads crookedly: "Shelter Harbor Survivors' Settlement".
The handwriting seemed to be hastily carved with a rough, hard object. Every stroke revealed the panic and helplessness of the end of the world. The changes in the depth of the strokes seemed to reflect the writer's complex and heavy mood at the time.
Although written so hastily and simply, it is full of earnest expectations for this temporary residence, as if solemnly declaring to everyone who passes by:
This is a shelter in the end times, a ray of hope for the survivors in this cruel world, and a warm harbor where they strive to hold on in the endless darkness.
Sensing the convoy slowly approaching in the distance, the guards instantly went into high alert, like a group of cheetahs that had smelled danger.
In an instant, the air around seemed to be frozen by the tense atmosphere, becoming extremely heavy and depressing, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Their eyes were as sharp as those of hawks, fixed tightly on the two unfamiliar vehicles, their eyes full of vigilance and alertness, as if they were examining ferocious beasts that might suddenly attack and hurt people at any time.
Their hands unconsciously clenched the weapons in their hands; their joints turned white from the force, and the slight sound from the friction between their knuckles and the metal surface of the weapons seemed particularly harsh and frightening in this eerily silent night.
At this moment, they are like a bow with a fully drawn string. As long as the convoy makes the slightest movement, they will shoot the deadly arrow without hesitation. Every nerve is stretched to the extreme, and they are fully focused on preparing to deal with any emergency.
At this tense moment, a tall and strong guard, with steady and powerful steps, quickly stood out from the crowd like a moving mountain.
He looked to be about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with sharp edges and corners carved by the years and the wind and sand of the end of the world. His skin was dark and rough, like old bark that had been repeatedly burned by the scorching sun, revealing a kind of toughness that came from years of hard work.
The man had a stern expression, his facial lines were as firm as if they were carved by a knife or an axe, and his tightly pursed lips revealed his extreme seriousness.
His eyes were as sharp as torches as he quickly swept across the two uniquely shaped armored vehicles. His eyes suddenly became cold, like a flash of cold light.