A Journey of American Comics Starting from the Zombie Universe

Chapter 677: Finally Returning Home

"Oh my god, that was close!"

Commissioner Smith's heartbeat almost stopped at that moment. He stared with wide eyes at the pile of potato chip bags behind the stone door in disbelief. These bags were colorful and of different sizes. Some of them still had some potato chip crumbs left, which was obviously evidence that they had been thoroughly enjoyed. The number of them was beyond imagination, as if there was nothing else in the entire secret room except these bags.

He felt a mixture of absurdity and astonishment. In this underground world full of unknowns and dangers, he thought he would encounter more terrifying mutant creatures or uncover some shocking secrets, but he never expected that there would be such an absurd scene behind the door. This was simply a great test of his psychological endurance.

Commissioner Smith slowly approached the potato chip bags, each step seemed unusually heavy. He reached out and picked up a bag, carefully examining the label and pattern on it, trying to find some clues or explanations. But it was obvious that these ordinary potato chip bags could not bring him any useful information. They just lay there quietly, silently telling a story about overconsumption and waste.

He put down the bag in his hand and looked around, feeling confused and uneasy. He began to wonder why these potato chip bags were here? Who was consuming so many potato chips so extravagantly? Could it be that this underground world had been inhabited by humans, and they were still addicted to such meaningless consumption in such a harsh environment?
Thinking of this, Commissioner Smith could not help but feel sad and angry. He knew very well that in this era of scarce resources and difficult survival, every grain of food was particularly precious. However, these people were squandering precious resources so easily, which was a great blasphemy to life and nature.

He continued to search the secret room, hoping to find more answers to the mystery. But apart from the potato chip bags, he did not find any other clues or relics. The secret room seemed to be a huge garbage dump, except that the garbage piled inside had turned into potato chip bags.

Commissioner Smith felt an unprecedented sense of despair and emptiness. He realized that his situation in this underground world had become increasingly difficult. Not only were food and water scarce and hard to find, but even the most basic living conditions were seriously threatened. He also had very little food left. If he continued like this, he would probably have a hard time holding on until he found a way out.

He sat on a pile of potato chip bags and fell into deep thought. He began to think about his way out and future direction. He knew that he could not stay in this secret room and wait for death to come. He had to cheer up and find a new source of food and hope for survival.

However, when he looked at the potato chip bags again, a more complicated emotion came over him. He began to doubt his own judgment and values. In this world full of unknowns and dangers, had he ever lost his way? Had he ever indulged in some meaningless pursuit? Had he ever wasted precious resources and his life?

These questions cut his heart like sharp blades, causing him unspeakable pain. He knew he had to face these questions and find answers, otherwise he would not be able to move forward and survive in this cruel world.

So Commissioner Smith decided to temporarily put aside his worries about food and a way out and began to examine his heart and soul. He tried to recall his past experiences and choices to find the moments and reasons that might have made him lose his way. He hoped that he could learn from them and regain the firm, brave, and confident self.

However, this process is not easy. He needs to face his inner fears, doubts and contradictions and overcome the habits and prejudices that have been formed for a long time. But he knows that this is a process he must go through. Only in this way can he truly grow and transform and survive in this world full of challenges and opportunities.

Commissioner Smith's hands mechanically flipped through the piles of potato chip bags. With each bag he turned, he felt more desperate. Those bags that once carried brief happiness and satisfaction now became a huge irony to his hope of survival. His eyes flashed with reluctance and struggle, as if he was silently protesting against this cruel world.

As time went by, the air in the secret room seemed to become heavier, making him breathless. Sweat slid down his forehead and dripped onto the cold potato chip bags, making a slight sound that was particularly harsh in the silent secret room. But he did not stop what he was doing, still searching for that almost non-existent possibility in despair.

"Impossible... How could this be..." Commissioner Smith muttered to himself, his voice full of disbelief. He couldn't understand why in this seemingly endless underground world, even the most basic survival needs became so extravagant. He began to doubt his own judgment and even doubted the reality of this world.

However, reality is cruel. When he finally searched through all the potato chip bags and confirmed that there was nothing missing, he had to accept the cruel fact that there were no unopened potato chips he wanted, nor any food that could save him from the dire situation. He sat on the ground, surrounded by those potato chip bags that were once tempting but now made him desperate, and his heart was filled with unprecedented emptiness and helplessness.

In this silent and depressing secret room, Commissioner Smith began to reflect on his past and present. He recalled everything he had experienced since he became the commissioner: from his initial ambitions to the hardships that followed; from fighting side by side with his teammates to fighting alone today. He realized that he had perhaps never really faced such complete despair and helplessness.

But it was this despair and helplessness that aroused the hidden power deep in his heart. He began to think, if even the most basic survival needs could not be met, then what reason did he have to give up? He still had an unfinished mission, comrades waiting for his return, and people who needed his protection. These thoughts were like a weak flame, gradually burning in his heart, dispelling the darkness and coldness around him.

Commissioner Smith slowly stood up from the ground, his eyes firm and resolute. He knew he couldn't stay here and wait for death. He had to cheer up and find a new way out and hope for survival. He began to carefully observe every corner and every detail of the secret room, trying to find any place where food or clues might be hidden.

After a careful search, he finally found a seemingly ordinary wall in a corner of the secret room. But this wall was a little unusual - its surface was smoother than other walls and not covered with moss. Commissioner Smith's heart moved, and he suspected that there might be some secrets hidden behind this wall.

He quickly took out tools from his backpack and started digging. As the bricks were carefully removed, a narrow hole was revealed. The faint light from the hole seemed to indicate the existence of another world. Commissioner Smith felt an inexplicable excitement and expectation in his heart. He carefully crawled through the hole and entered the unknown space. The new space was completely different from the secret room. The light was bright and the air was fresh, as if it was a completely different world. Commissioner Smith looked around and found that this was actually a huge storage room filled with all kinds of food, water and other necessities of life. He couldn't believe his eyes - in this seemingly desperate underground world, there were such rich resources waiting for him to discover.

He quickly checked the items in the storage room to make sure they were all intact and edible. He felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and joy. He knew that these resources were enough to support him through the difficult times ahead and might even help him find a way out of this underground world.

However, Commissioner Smith did not forget his mission and responsibilities. He realized that these resources could be an important lifeline for the survivors in this underground world and he could not keep them all by himself. So he decided to keep some of the resources as his own supplies and bring the rest back to the surface to share with those in need.

Before leaving the storage room, Commissioner Smith carefully checked the surrounding environment and possible exits. He hoped to find more information about this underground world and the path to the surface. He knew it would be a long and difficult road, but he was ready for the challenges and tests ahead.

After confirming that all the newly discovered foods were past their expiration dates, Commissioner Smith could not help but feel an indescribable frustration and helplessness. He smiled bitterly, as if he was laughing at his own bad luck, and as if he was silently protesting against this cruel world. The foods that once held his hope for survival had now become useless waste, just like his mood at the moment, heavy and depressed.

He sighed, and his eyes swept across the potato chip bags on the floor, and an inexplicable urge surged in his heart. These bags, as witnesses of his desperate moment, now became the "relics" he had to deal with before leaving this secret room. He squatted down and began to pick up the bags one by one. Although his movements seemed a bit mechanical and slow, he still insisted on completing this seemingly simple task.

When he put all the potato chip bags into a big bag, he felt an inexplicable sense of relief and ease. It was as if he was saying goodbye to his past self, to that time full of despair and struggle. He stood up, picked up the big bag full of potato chip bags, and walked towards the exit of the secret room step by step.

The moment he walked out of the secret room, the sunlight shone through the narrow gap on his face, bringing a long-lost warmth and light. He squinted his eyes, adapting to the sudden change in light, but a complex emotion surged in his heart. He knew that he was about to leave this place full of unknowns and dangers and return to the familiar yet unfamiliar city.

He passed through dark corridors and winding passages and finally came to the ground. He looked around and found himself standing in an abandoned industrial area, surrounded by dilapidated factories and weed-covered open spaces. There was no longer the hustle and bustle of the past, only a dead silence and desolation.

Commissioner Smith did not stay for long. He carried the large bag full of potato chips and walked towards the nearby trash can. He threw the bag into the trash can with great force, making a dull sound. At that moment, he seemed to be saying goodbye to his past self and completely drawing a line between himself and that period of despair and struggle.

He turned away from the trash can and began to walk towards the city. He was wearing power armor, and his steps were firm and powerful. Although the equipment on his body was heavy and complicated, he seemed to feel no fatigue or burden at all. He had only one thought in his mind - to go home.

On the way back to the city, Commissioner Smith passed many familiar scenes and unfamiliar faces. He saw people struggling to survive and ruins and relics abandoned in despair. These scenes made him more determined to hold on no matter how cruel and ruthless the world became, for himself and for those who were waiting for his return.

Finally, he returned to the city. Although the city had also experienced the baptism of war and the destruction of disasters, it still maintained a tenacious vitality. The streets were bustling with people coming and going as if nothing had happened. But Commissioner Smith knew that this was just an appearance. Behind this city, there was too much pain and scars, too much helplessness and struggle.

He walked through the noisy streets and returned to his residence. It was a simple but tidy little house filled with various items and souvenirs he brought back from the battlefield. He took off his power armor and hung it on the wall, then sat on the bed and began to silently think about what to do next.

The power armor hanging on the wall is like a sleeping steel giant, quietly showing its extraordinary power and technological brilliance. It occupies a prominent position on the entire wall, and the black metal shell glows coldly under the weak light, as if every inch contains energy that cannot be underestimated.

The design of this power armor is both futuristic and practical, and every detail reveals the designer's ingenuity. Its main structure is made of solid alloy material, and the surface is covered with delicate textures, which not only enhances friction but also gives it a unique visual impact. The lines of the power armor are smooth and full of tension, as if it can burst out amazing speed and power from stillness at any time.

The head armor is the most eye-catching part of the power armor. It adopts a streamlined design with a slightly upturned front end, forming a posture ready to go. The helmet integrates an advanced life support system and sensor array, which can monitor the wearer's vital signs in real time and adjust environmental parameters to ensure that it can maintain the best condition even under extreme conditions. The helmet's mask is made of transparent reinforced glass, which can provide a clear field of view while resisting external impact and radiation.

He knew that he couldn't just give up and had to continue looking for hope and a way out for survival. But he also clearly realized that he was no longer the young commissioner who was full of energy and fighting spirit. The passing of time and the ravages of war made him exhausted and exhausted.

He sighed and decided to take a good rest to recover his physical and mental strength. Then he would consider the next action plan. He lay on the bed, closed his eyes and let his thoughts drift in the darkness...

(End of this chapter)