Chapter 119: What Matters Most Between People Is Sincerity

"Little boss, thanks for the vehicle and the supplies—I'm off now."

At that moment, Qin Huamei walked up and nodded gratefully at Zhang Su.

"Go ahead. Be careful on the road. I wish you safety."

Zhang Su really didn't want to urge her further—he knew he couldn't stop her, and even if he could, he wouldn't take her in—but he understood that Qin Huamei's journey was almost certainly a death sentence, far more dangerous than Wang Guang's.

After seeing off Qin Huamei, Zhang Su waved Zhang Ya over and led her toward the vehicle shed. "Tell me exactly," he warned. "Don't make up stories—or it won't just be tying you up this time."

"Bro, do you know someone named Da Cheng?"

Zhang Ya stared intently at Zhang Su.

The moment she said it, Zhang Su's heart lurched.

In this post-apocalyptic world, the population had plummeted; he'd met so few people along the way, and the chance of a name coincidence was negligible—Da Cheng could only be Liang Da Cheng.

For someone to name Da Cheng, this wasn't simple.

"Keep going."

Zhang Ya nodded. "There was a survivor group—about four or five people—who said the Prado was Da Cheng's car, that they'd recognize it even if it was burned to ash. They claimed you were the ones who killed Da Cheng, and they were going to kill you to avenge him. They went on and on."

Everyone knew Zhang Su had taken Zhang Ya to the back of the RV, but no one dared investigate what they were doing—that was a taboo.

As if sensing Zhang Su had something important to discuss, even the corgi had run off.

Zhang Su leaned back against the Mercedes RV's tire, frowning as he processed Zhang Ya's words. When he'd digested them, he said: "What do you mean 'went on and on'? Don't tease me—spit it all out."

"Bro, you're asking about the rest yourself now—doesn't that mean you're interested?"

Zhang Ya flashed a sly grin. With dirt smudged on her face, it was hard to tell if she was pretty, but she definitely looked sneaky.

"Hmph…" Zhang Su chuckled, nodding. "Fine. I'm interested. Tell me everything you know."

Zhang Ya nodded. "After talking about revenge, they started planning how to deal with you—someone suggested setting fire, someone else wanted to blow up the vehicle, someone else proposed tailing you and running you over, and another wanted to lure the zombies to attack you. So devious!"

"So ruthless."

Zhang Su felt a chill of dread. He silently thanked his own caution—he'd always kept someone on watch, no matter what. If he hadn't, the enemy might've seized their chance. If they'd really set fire, they'd have been suffocated inside the vehicle!

"By the way, do you know who these people were? What's their connection to this so-called Da Cheng?"

"Hehe, I actually do know!"

Zhang Ya grinned slyly. "They called their leader Xiao Cheng. Da Cheng, Xiao Cheng—whether twins or just brothers, they're clearly related. Bro, what exactly did you do to that Da Cheng?"

Zhang Su glanced at Zhang Ya but didn't answer her question. Instead, he asked calmly: "So what was their final decision?"

"They originally planned to lure zombies to attack you, but their big brother overruled it—they also wanted to steal two vehicles from here. In the end, they decided to tail you and wait for an opportunity to cause an 'accident' or strike while you slept."

After speaking, Zhang Ya beamed. "How's that, Bro? Isn't this secret—or rather, this intelligence—worth a lot? Can I join your team now? Are you thinking of giving me some extra rewards?"

Zhang Su smiled strangely and reached out toward Zhang Ya's face.

"Bro… don't… don't do that, I—"

Before she finished, he pinched her cheek and pulled his hand back.

"Tail you? Attack you while you sleep?" Zhang Su stared at the dirt on his fingers, lifted them to his nose, sniffed, then smiled with hidden meaning. "You really think I'd believe you just like that?"

"Huh? Bro, I risked my life to overhear this!"

Zhang Ya was flustered from the pinch.

"You say so, and I believe you?"

Zhang Su scanned her body. "Fine. Strip naked and dance for me. Then I'll believe you."

"Huh?"

Zhang Ya froze. She hadn't expected such a demand—her eyes filled with panic.

After a tense standoff, Zhang Ya gritted her teeth, her face hardening with resolve. She reached for her buttons.

"Ha! Just kidding—why'd you take it seriously?"

Zhang Su slapped her trembling hand lightly, then laughed. "Congratulations—you're officially part of the team. Let me introduce myself: I'm Zhang Su. Call me by name, or call me Brother Su—either's fine."

Zhang Ya patted her chest, then extended her hand. "Hello, Brother Su!"

"Men shake hands with men. With women, I hug."

Without waiting, Zhang Su opened his arms and pulled Zhang Ya into a tight embrace. When she couldn't see, his lips curled slightly.

"Come on, let's meet the others."

After releasing her, Zhang Su walked toward where the group was busy.

"Everyone, gather here!"

Zhang Su clapped his hands.

"This dark-skinned girl is Zhang Ya—a trainee nurse from a plastic surgery hospital? Something like that. Zhong Xiaoshan, you're in the same field. Starting today, she's part of our team. Take care of her. Lao Tan, explain our rules to her."

"Also, Xinyu, Xiaoshan, Boyi, Xiao Chen, Zhuzi—come with me."

Zhang Su called out a few people by name.

"Brother Su, that girl gives me a very shrewd vibe. We should probably test her."

After walking a distance, Zhong Xiaoshan whispered to Zhang Su—but her voice carried to those nearby.

To Lu Yu, Chen Hanzhou, and Zhao De, Zhong Xiaoshan speaking about another woman was Zhang Su's personal matter—none of them should comment.

Zhang Su's lips curled faintly. He saw every flaw in Zhang Ya's story—but didn't expose her, because he had a plan.

"No need to test her. How clever could she be? Can she fool me? Don't worry."

Zhang Su's absolute certainty left the others momentarily stunned.

That wasn't his style.

Previously, whether with Tan Hua, the student group, or Zhao De's trio, Zhang Su had been deeply suspicious. Only Wu Lue and Zhao Xue had escaped his doubt. So why was this woman, Zhang Ya, different?

"Hey, Blackheart, you're into this girl, aren't you…"

Zheng Xinyu eyed Zhang Su suspiciously. In her view, unless he'd established mutual trust, how could he be this trusting?

"That's a filthy thought, don't you understand? She's just a poor little girl surviving in the apocalypse, trying to find a safe haven—is that wrong? She's been sincere with me, so I open my heart. What matters most between people? Sincerity!"

"Brother's absolutely right. Our team will grow slowly. It's a good thing when capable survivors want to join us, haha."

Zhao De quickly spoke to ease the tension.

Lu Yu nodded in agreement: "Exactly, exactly."

Zheng Xinyu puffed out her cheeks but stayed silent. She believed Zhang Su had his reasons—she just hadn't figured them out yet.

"In short, Zhang Ya is fine. Don't exclude her. Don't harass her. Understood?"

"Mm…"

"Understood, Brother Su."

"Got it."

Everyone felt something was off—but aside from Zhang Su's sudden shift in attitude, they noticed no other anomalies. Teams needed to absorb survivors anyway, so they let it go.

"Come on, let's go check out the vehicle!"

Zhang Su was pleased with their reaction. He pulled out the card key and waved it.

"Hey, time to open a blind box!"

While others were still mulling over Zhang Ya's story, Lu Yu—unconcerned and eager—rubbed his hands together impatiently.

Zhang Su walked to the front of the vehicle, searched the driver's door for a card reader, found nothing, scratched his head, then walked to the other side of the RV. There, on the door near the center of the cabin, he spotted a palm-sized area with an Ganying icon.

He pressed the card against the sensor.

*Zzzt… click.

A hydraulic hiss sounded. The door slowly opened, a staircase descended, and soft interior lights flickered on, radiating luxury.

"Whoa!"

"So damn ceremonial."

"I haven't seen lights like this in ages—it feels like stepping back into the modern world!"

Everyone murmured in awe. In that moment, an indescribable emotion stirred in their hearts.

"The real thrill hasn't even begun yet!"

Zhang Su's face glowed with barely contained excitement as he stepped forward, the first to enter the cabin.

Entering via the stairs led to the living area: two rows of leather sofas could easily seat ten or more. A modest coffee table sat in the center. A refrigerator, bar, and liquor cabinet filled the space. Everywhere you looked, wealth gleamed.

(End of chapter)