[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times":3,"chapter-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-103":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Fiercest Man in the End Times",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2319341,4536,"Chapter 103: Night Operation (Today","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-103",103,"\u003Cp>Liang Xiaocheng grabbed Xiao Wu and roared, “Who? Tell me, who is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s… a gas station next to Phoenix International. Big Brother saw there were no zombies inside and a smashed convenience store, so he said we should check it out. Since he thought there might not be much left, he told me to watch the car while he and Xiao Geng went into the store—but I never imagined there were bad people inside…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Xiao Wu’s story, he sat in the Prado, watching the tragedy unfold from afar, then the group chased after them—he panicked, sped off, crashed into something on the road, wrecked the car, and barely escaped back on a shared bicycle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There are many inconsistencies here, but with dangers lurking outside, there’s no way to verify anything; everyone, even if skeptical, dared not speculate further.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re sure Big Brother only exchanged two blows with them? I don’t believe it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Xiaocheng waved his arm and said, “I taught Big Brother plenty of fighting techniques—how could he be taken down in one hit? Don’t tell me you doubt it? And Xiao Geng was with him too—did he just sit there eating shit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Geng was subdued first, thrown into some corner I couldn’t see… It really was just two moves—I saw the guy holding a curved cleaver, kind of like a boomerang, and he wasn’t even afraid of Big Brother’s gun—he just charged right in!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Wu exaggerated his expression to hide his inner panic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right! Big Brother went out armed with a gun—damn it, now the gun’s been stolen too! Those bastards really deserve to die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If we lose the gun and someone finds us here, we won’t have any advantage…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No kidding! Who would’ve thought! Xiao Wu, did Big Brother miss his shot?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Wu pretended to strain his memory, shaking his head: “It all happened too fast—I didn’t see clearly. But I didn’t hear a gunshot. In the blink of an eye, that guy knocked the gun right out of Big Brother’s hand. Big Brother blocked with the fire axe, but the second strike…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spun the lie, Xiao Wu seethed inwardly: Gun? What the hell gun? If we really had a gun, would we be in this mess?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone fell silent, wondering if it was really true that within seven steps, fists were faster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Xiaocheng felt disgusted inside—he knew better than anyone else that the gun was just a toy belonging to Liang Dacheng’s son, useless as hell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If you see that group again, Xiao Wu, can you recognize them?” Liang Xiaocheng asked coldly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone’s hearts tightened—Liang Xiaocheng wasn’t like Liang Dacheng; Dacheng was a businessman, but Xiaocheng was a criminal, even having killed someone not long ago. If not for this disaster, he’d have been arrested and handed a pair of silver bracelets—room and board included.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Wu knew full well how ruthless Liang Xiaocheng was—he immediately nodded vigorously: “I can’t swear I remember all of them, but five or six stand out in my mind—especially three women—I’d recognize them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So they’re living it up, even dragging three women along? When I catch them, I’ll flay those dogs alive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Xiaocheng clenched his fists until they cracked, his eyes reddening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a wicked man, but that didn’t mean he lacked emotion—especially toward Liang Dacheng, whom he loved deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since childhood, his older brother Liang Dacheng had always protected him. Later, when Xiao Cheng trained in martial arts and gained self-defense skills, Dacheng went into business and gave him money to spend. Though this made him arrogant and eventually led him to kill someone, Dacheng’s kindness was genuine—even in the apocalypse, he never let his younger brother risk himself gathering supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Xiaocheng silently swore revenge for his brother. He scanned the people around him and said, “I’m going to ahe Auto Shop to get a gun, then I won’t come back to the market. Who’s coming with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m with you, Second Brother! From now on, you’re our boss!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We must avenge him—Big Brother treated us so well…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several men hesitated, then nodded in agreement, pledging to follow Liang Xiaocheng. The woman in the corner stayed silent, while Xiao Wu stammered, his face twisted like he was constipated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Xiao Wu, what’s with that expression?” Liang Xiaocheng immediately noticed something was off; under the dim candlelight, Xiao Wu looked hesitant and uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xiao Wu dared not reveal he’d leaked the Ahe Auto Shop’s location—he scrambled for an excuse: “Second Brother, Big Brother also wanted to go to Ahe Auto Shop for a gun. We circled around there, but before we even got close, a horde of zombies blocked the road—we can’t go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He didn’t want to run into Zhang Su so soon. He fabricated the story to divert blame—revenge? Forget it. As long as he could survive safely, what good was revenge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t you dare talk nonsense just because you think I won’t kill you! Zombies blocking the road? Then cut through them! Do you have a problem with that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Xiaocheng glared at Xiao Wu with bloodshot eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he didn’t need Xiao Wu to identify the killers, he’d have already chopped him to pieces for spreading fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No, no problem—I fully support your decision!” Xiao Wu dared not say more, already plotting his next move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We sleep here one more night. Get the supplies ready—we leave tomorrow!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liang Xiaocheng imitated his brother’s commanding tone, but it came off sloppy and forced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su didn’t know what was happening with Xiao Wu—he was now discussing tonight’s plan with the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Night was falling; the second floor of the dry cleaner’s was dim, piled high with uncleaned clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Qing lay asleep on the sofa, covered in clothes; her condition had visibly improved after taking a heavy dose of medicine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Huajun volunteered to stand guard by the window. The remaining eight sat in a circle in the center of the room, cushioned on piles of random clothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hadn’t finished what I was saying before Song Yijun interrupted me. Rescuing people from Yileiwen Convenience Store is one thing—but ever since I left the compound, I’ve been heading straight for Yileiwen. There are some important weapons there!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su sat cross-legged, eyes gleaming as he spoke to the group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, what kind of weapons are you talking about? Guns?” Zhao Dezhu asked bluntly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su nodded, smirking: “Guns, sort of—but even better for fighting zombies! Two crossbows, plus some high-quality melee weapons.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, how come you never sold us any of that stuff before?!” Lu Yubo groaned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su shot Lu Yubo a disgusted look: “Sell it to you? If I had, you’d be eating bullets and reincarnating as peanuts. I’d still be stuck sewing machines, damn it!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh, even hiding them isn’t allowed…” Lu Yubo muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I run a convenience store—who’s gonna come raid me? Are you bored?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hey, hey, everyone come look!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Tan Huajun, who’d been peering out the window, waved frantically, her face tense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su knew exactly what she meant—he lunged over and looked down the road: a horde of zombies was approaching in the distance!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It took them over fifty minutes to get here—they move incredibly slow. At this pace, they cover barely a mile per hour.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Only five hundred meters per hour? That’s just a few meters per minute… so slow! Even nonstop, they’d only cover ten kilometers in a full day.” Tan Huajun calculated, feeling the horde’s speed posed little threat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s true on paper, but if they spot a target, they’ll go berserk—then all bets are off…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Holy shit, if they surround us, we won’t even have a single hair left!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Dezhu felt a chill run down his spine at Zhang Su’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zhao Dezhu, please be a little more civilized!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Wen couldn’t take it anymore—he was a Chinese language teacher, after all. His son-in-law kept swearing and saying “chicken hair”—he simply couldn’t accept it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, uh, okay…” Zhao Dezhu didn’t dare argue with his future father-in-law.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone stood by the window, murmured a few comments, then fell silent, watching the zombies shuffle past in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a long while, as the last few zombies vanished from view, Zhang Su pressed his watch’s timer and murmured, “Nine minutes! Based on speed, this horde stretches nearly a hundred meters from head to tail.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hiss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from Lu Yubo and Zhao Dezhu, whose education levels were too low to calculate, everyone else quickly figured out the horrifying number based on the horde’s width, length, and density per square meter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ten thousand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A street twenty meters wide, with a hundred-meter-long line of zombies, five zombies per square meter—that’s two thousand square meters, meaning ten thousand zombies. Even conservatively, it’s seven or eight thousand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For any survivor group, the difference between seven thousand and ten thousand is negligible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Dezhu was absolutely right—if they got surrounded by this horde, they were all dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I hope those bastards inside the store don’t make any noise—if they get noticed by this horde, Xue Jie…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Lue’s face darkened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su patted his shoulder calmly: “Don’t worry. Those guys used a trick—pretending to be pitiful to get you to open the door—they’re not idiots! By the way, Wu Lue said there are six of them, all young and strong—they’ve got some skills. Tonight’s mission—who’s coming with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I am.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll go!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, take me along!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone except Yu Wen and Pei Lan volunteered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Zhang, I don’t think every problem requires violence. Since they’re human, we should try negotiating. What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the group fell silent, Yu Wen voiced his opinion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Negotiate?” Zhang Su chuckled sarcastically. “Teacher Yu, do you really think things are still like before, where everyone follows reason? Maybe someday, when civilization rebuilds and laws return, we can negotiate—but now? Fist power is law. Weapons are truth.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Wen, ever reasonable, nodded in full agreement. “If we fight, everyone’s in danger. If there’s even a chance for negotiation, we should take it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Of course—if they’re willing to negotiate, I’d be happy. But I doubt it’ll happen.” Zhang Su reached for his cigarette pack, found it empty, crumpled it, and tossed it aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss, I’ve got some!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Yubo eagerly handed Zhang Su half a pack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su lit one and said, “Everyone wants to go, but we need people to stay behind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He scanned the group. “Xiao Shan, you stay and take care of Teacher Yu. Tan, you keep standing guard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since all the supplies were here, Zhang Su naturally assigned two trusted allies to remain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Dezhu frowned awkwardly: “First off, I’m not disrespecting women—but are you sure those three can defend themselves?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, Boss, I’m a bit worried too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Huajun rubbed her hands nervously, clutching the caliper that Zheng Xinyu had given her—always carry a weapon, practice often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshan understood Zhang Su’s logic: safety of supplies first, and they needed enough combat power for the attack—but the defense force seemed dangerously thin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su knew relying only on Xiaoshan and Tan Huajun was risky, but he was short on manpower. If Song Yijun hadn’t taken Kuang Miao away, things would’ve been much easier to manage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh… maybe I should stay here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pei Lan timidly raised her hand. “I wouldn’t be much help going with you, but I can still be useful here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No!” Lu Yubo shook his head. “Lanlan, you need to train. Come with us!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bozi’s right. To survive, you can’t stay weak forever. Get strong. Enough arguing—I’m counting… me, Bozi, Xinyu…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su counted on his fingers for a long while, then turned to Yu Wen: “Teacher Yu, you stay. But I’m warning you—don’t lecture them like you’re giving a sermon. Tan needs to focus on guard duty. Just follow orders. Can you do that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So I’m not going to negotiate?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Wen was surprised—he thought Zhang Su had planned to bring him along for negotiations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su was even more surprised. “I never said we were negotiating…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Oh, that’s good—I’ll stay behind to take care of Qingqing. With Doctor Zhong here, it’s truly reassuring.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yu Wen didn’t insist; it was fine to stay and care for his daughter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m a nurse, not a doctor...\" Zhong Xiaoshan automatically added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s settled!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After assigning roles, Zhang Su glanced at the darkening sky and said, \"Wait until it’s fully dark. Then we’ll move out—once the horde has moved farther away. Let’s not disturb their rest. Let’s go downstairs and plan our next move.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su led the team downstairs and explained the general situation of Yileiwen Convenience Store to everyone, including pre-planned contingency plans, and used items from the dry cleaner’s to reinforce everyone’s protective gear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they were dressed bulky, it gave them a strong sense of security—at least their hands, limbs, chest, abdomen, shoulders, and back were protected from zombie bites, even knives couldn’t slash through directly!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour passed in a flash; the sky was now completely dark, and with the moon just rising, the city, deprived of electricity, lay in utter blackness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a faint sound, several figures slipped out of the dry cleaner’s and moved along the storefronts toward the main street.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su led the way. Along the route, he heard faint remnants of zombies inside roadside shops, trapped by various obstacles and unable to emerge, only emitting weak, dry moans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Stop!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the corner of the intersection, Zhang Su ordered everyone to halt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The stars don’t betray those who hurry? What good are these stars...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Lue suddenly sighed, extending his hand—he could just make out his five fingers; anything farther was barely visible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Did Yu Wen possess you?\" Zhang Su, leaning forward to peer down the main street, heard Wu Lue muttering behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wu Lue chuckled awkwardly. \"It’s too dark. Just venting a bit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su didn’t respond. His vision met only blackness—nothing at all. His ears heard no sound either, as if he’d fallen into a void.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Is there a long stretch ahead with no zombies?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su voiced a judgment he himself barely believed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu said, \"Could the horde have dragged all the zombies along the route with them?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly!\" Zhang Su suddenly understood, nodding. \"That must be it—like a snowball rolling downhill. Otherwise, how could so many zombies have gathered?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What a strange biological trait—what exactly is attracting them?\" Chen Hanzhou spoke up rarely, posing a question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su thought for a moment. \"Perhaps some electromagnetic field we can’t sense. Forget it for now. If Xinyu is right, this road should be clear. But stay cautious—hold your weapons tight, watch your steps, don’t stumble, don’t drop anything, don’t make noise!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caution was natural—no one was careless. Walking through pitch-black streets always carried an inexplicable dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su’s team moved slowly, but the entire street proved as Zheng Xinyu predicted—unusually safe. The wandering zombies had all joined the horde, heading somewhere unknown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With no zombie threat, stepping on soft, squishy things underfoot still weighed heavily on their hearts, as if constantly reminding them: danger lay ahead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As they walked, the group faintly caught a whiff of tea fragrance amid the mild decay—suddenly recalling Zhang Su’s earlier warning: if they smelled tea, stop immediately!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group halted. In the darkness, Zhang Su pointed ahead—next door was Yileiwen Convenience Store, its roller shutter pulled down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shattered glass doors and walls of the tea house, littered with broken shards, made entry impossible—any step would make noise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su already heard muffled whispers inside the store. He signaled his companions to wait where they were, then crouched nearby, listening intently to gather useful information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Damn it, what the hell does Chef Su mean? He doesn’t touch the girl himself, yet won’t let us either. What’s the point? Even if we’re gonna eat her, we could at least have some fun first!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhang Su focused, a voice became clear in his ears, stirring his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another voice immediately replied: \"Shut up, you idiots. Don’t let Chef Su hear you. Haven’t you noticed he’s been acting weird since his son died? If you don’t want to fully turn against him, better not piss him off!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Exactly. We still need him to get us out to sea. Didn’t you see how terrifying that horde was? Don’t do anything stupid.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m not doing anything stupid—I’m just frustrated. Playing with my hand every day is boring. Too bad all the female staff are dead. Why isn’t there even one surviving woman...?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Thank the boss for favoritism—if we’d lived in the apartment complex like the female staff, we’d all be dead by now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t bring that up—it just makes me angry. Hey, check out this crossbow. I’ve been fiddling with it forever and still don’t get it. Is it supposed to be cocked like this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing this, Zhang Su’s heart lurched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If these people had found the crossbows, it meant his hidden stash had been discovered!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two crossbows—both high-quality replicas of the American Horton Company’s Fury Crossbow, once seen in Olympic security personnel and used by some special forces!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2862,"2026-06-20T15:15:14.526Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","723322e602cc52a6b129259e81cd3397339931695898851a653fa64ff146d43a","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-104","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-102",694,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-cover.jpg"]