Steal

The bearded man immediately signaled someone to close the door.

"Shh, keep your voice down; you shouldn't ask about this matter!"

"Indeed, there's a problem!" Clark became even more worried about Olivia Turner.

After making sure there were no eavesdroppers, the bearded man whispered, "The young women here have all been taken by the Alliance to a certain place."

"What place?"

"I don't know!"

"Why would they do that?" If what the bearded man said was true, Olivia Turner and the others might be treated as prisoners, or the people behind this might have different motives!

Clark repeatedly questioned, but the bearded man knew very little and could provide almost no additional information. As Clark stood up to leave, the bearded man grabbed his arm.

"Listen, buddy, you just arrived here and don't know the situation. This place is tightly controlled. Newcomers like you need to report to the Alliance; in return, you'll get a piece of bread every day to avoid starving. But over time, your body will weaken, and you won't be able to do anything."

The bearded man was serious, but he didn't finish his sentence, observing Clark's reaction.

"If that's the case, why are you still so fat? Did you steal others' food?" Clark stared at the bearded man, considering the possibility of him taking advantage of the weak. If so, this guy in front of him wasn't trustworthy.

"Don't misunderstand; I haven't stooped so low as to steal someone else's bread!" The bearded man hurriedly explained, "Actually, inside the fortress, there's a resistance force against the Alliance, and I'm one of them. We occasionally raid the Alliance warehouse for supplies!"

"And then?"

Clark didn't think the bearded man would casually share this information without a reason.

"I can see you've got some skills. Join us. At least you won't go hungry. If you have any plans, I can also help you arrange things and provide assistance!" The bearded man spoke earnestly.

This was the second time Clark had been invited to join a faction since he arrived. Whether it was Joseph or the bearded man, Clark felt something was amiss. However, the bearded man seemed more reliable, at least less likely to play tricks on him.

"What do you want me to do?" Clark asked with some interest.

"He he, knew you were a good man. Tonight, we have an operation targeting the Alliance's food warehouse. I've already arranged it. During the shift change, there will be an opportunity for us to enter. Only people with good skills can go!" The bearded man outlined the plan briefly, providing Clark with valuable information once again.

The fortress was originally built as a refuge from nuclear war, housing survivors from the city, totaling around ten thousand people. It was managed by a captain of the Alliance, who had about ten combat squads under him. 

The total number did not exceed one hundred people. All the resources in the entire fortress were centralized and distributed in fixed quantities daily, ensuring that no one starved, though they were not well-fed. 

Consequently, the residents inside the fortress were physically weak, making Alliance management easier.

Originally intended as a shelter, the fortress, under this management, had increasingly turned into a prison, leading to the emergence of many opponents. 

The Alliance captured those opposing the regime and usually imprisoned them before sending them outside to fend for themselves.

Information obtained from Emma Kensington revealed that the Alliance would send people to evacuate survivors and then destroy the city completely once it was fully overrun by zombies. However, the current situation indicated that the city hadn't reached that point, or perhaps there were hidden circumstances unknown to everyone.

Clark agreed to the bearded man's invitation.

Late that night, Clark quietly followed the bearded man and a few others to the location of the warehouse. Inside the fortress, there were several grain warehouses, and the bearded man chose the one with the least supplies and minimal guards.

The warehouse looked like a combination of several containers. There was only one entrance at the front, and a skylight above that easily allowed a person to come and go.

Two Alliance soldiers were standing at the door, armed with the laser guns that Joseph had given Clark earlier.

"When they change shifts later, we'll enter through the skylight. Don't take too much, or it'll be disastrous if we're discovered," the bearded man rubbed his hands, clearly not new to this kind of operation.

When the shift change came, two other soldiers approached for the handover, and the four began the exchange. The bearded man nodded, signaling to start the operation. He climbed up first, moving silently, afraid of making any noise. Clark followed suit, with a few others providing support outside.

Reaching the skylight, the bearded man descended first, and Clark followed closely behind.

Inside the warehouse, there were no lights on, creating complete darkness except for the light coming in through the skylight.

"Grab things nearby, try not to make any noise. Be cautious, it's a pity we can't see clearly; otherwise, we could have taken more!" the bearded man expressed regret.

Clark chuckled and activated his night vision ability. If he was going to do something, he wanted to make a statement, stir things up, and see what measures the so-called Alliance forces would take.

In the dark warehouse, Clark mercilessly took items, packed them, and then had the bearded man carry them outside. Even with this commotion, no sound was made, and the outside guards of the Alliance soldiers had no idea what was happening inside.

Until all the bags that the bearded man carried were filled, Clark had to leave. During his departure, he deliberately left some traces.

Mission accomplished!

Returning to their residence, the bearded man was so excited that he almost shouted.

"Buddy, no, brother, you're amazing!" If it weren't for fear that Clark wouldn't like it, the bearded man would have rushed up to hug him. "This haul went so well, topping several times before!"

Clark paid little attention to the bearded man's words, just waiting to see what kind of reaction the Alliance would have tomorrow.

"Big news! Huge news!"

"Have you heard? The warehouse was robbed!"

"Hey, isn't losing things from the warehouse normal?"

"No, this time the loss is severe! They say one-third of the stock in the warehouse is gone!"

"Ah!"

Early the next morning, various pieces of news were spreading everywhere, exaggerating the theft from the warehouse the previous night. The news quickly circulated throughout the entire fortress, reaching people of all statuses.