Chapter 169: Fated Enemies

"Su-ge, where are you going? Wait for me!"

"Cough cough… Big brother, you really are something—how could you forget me when there's good stuff going on? Wait for me!"

Soon, Lu Yubo and Zhao Deco's voices rang out from inside the room; they had just been playing cards with Wang Xin and rushed out at the news.

"Big brother, what's going on? I was right in the middle of talking to Qingqing—this is so frustrating."

In the courtyard, Zhao Deco asked in a low voice.

Wang Xin also ran out, watching the group nervously.

Zhang Su spread his hands: "I found a small issue—I'm better off going alone. More people will scare them off."

He didn't fabricate some ridiculous excuse—he knew the people around him wouldn't believe such nonsense, and it would only backfire.

The commotion was loud enough that more heads began peeking out from behind doors within moments.

After months on the road, everyone's nerves were taut; even the slightest rustle made them tense.

Zhao Deco shoved Lu Yubo aside, peered toward the direction Zhang Su had gone, but saw nothing anymore.

All he needed was to move quietly—no one could spot his trail. It was too convenient. Bringing anyone else along would be pointless.

Having spent some time together, Wang Xin had come to understand Lu Yubo and Zhao Deco a little—he quickly pulled them inside, fearing they'd act impulsively.

"What's the point of being afraid of guns? As long as we knock them out cold, all their weapons become ours." A cold, unfamiliar voice spoke.

With that, Zhang Su strode toward the courtyard gate.

"What's this got to do with us? The two sisters said so!"

The two had thought Zheng Xinyu was joking, but now that something real was happening, they grew tense.

"Come on, come on—Su-ge told us not to mess around. Let's not cause trouble. Let's go back to playing cards…"

"Fuck off, why don't you go yourself?"

"I said I'm going alone. Remember—act like you know nothing. If you slip up, I'll hold you two responsible. Disperse. Everyone rest. I'll notify you if anything happens!"

Do you really need to sneak off into the dark for a hundred meters just for some thrill?

Hugging the wall, Zhang Su crept carefully toward Qingfeng Xiaozhu. Forty or fifty meters from the two-story building, he faintly heard voices ahead—but the distance made the words unclear.

"Big brother, wait—I'll go get our gear!"

"They're not just well-armed—their vehicle's loaded with supplies. I suspect they robbed a village on the way here—everything's grain!"

The small house was pitch black, showing no signs of trouble—but their furtive behavior made it obvious something was up.

Zhang Su couldn't bring anyone else—while others saw only darkness, to him the night was as clear as day; every detail lay bare, no different from walking in broad daylight.

Lu Yubo watched Zhang Su vanish swiftly into the dark, feeling both curiosity and worry.

Zhang Su didn't believe the Zu siblings had gone there for anything lewd—because if that were true, his own guesthouse would've been far more convenient and safer.

Earlier, from his window, he'd clearly seen Zu Meng and Zu Tong sneak out of their guesthouse, take a winding route, then slip into Qingfeng Xiaozhu—the cheapest lodging in the area.

"Damn… what the hell is Su-ge up to? Zhuangzi, sneak after him and check."

"Really? Something's going on?"

As he drew closer, the voices became clearer.

Zhang Su recognized that voice—it was Liu Dazhi, the cook who'd prepared their meals. Though Liu had barely spoken two words, since his hearing improved, his ability to distinguish sounds had become razor-sharp.

"No point negotiating—they killed my brother, and there's a traitor among them. This whole group is dead." A cold, ruthless voice rang out, brimming with indifference to life.

Hearing this, Zhang Su's heart lurched.

Memories of what Zhang Ya had told him flashed through his mind—without doubt, the speaker was Liang Xiaocheng. No time to dwell—he didn't need to; Zu Meng's next words confirmed it.

"But… Cheng-ge, there's someone I know inside!" Zu Meng's voice said.

"Someone you know? Who?" Another unfamiliar voice asked.

"My son's former homeroom teacher—Yu Wen. He's the oldest in their group. He was actually pretty nice to my kid." Zu Meng said.

"That's no damn reason to spare him—kill them all!" The voice paused, then continued: "Those bastards killed my brother and stole our guns from Yihe Auto Shop. Now their weapons should be ours. Brothers—it's time we upgraded!"

"Cheng-ge is awesome."

"We follow you, Cheng-ge!"

A scattered chorus of praise rose—Zhang Su silently counted roughly ten distinct voices, male and female.

"Mengzi, are you two too soft to do it? Then let Dazhi and Xiao Chen handle it. You two rest. You don't have to help—but if you interfere, you'll die with them!"

"No, no, Cheng-ge—we wouldn't dare…"

"Good. Dachao, take them to the next room. Don't let them leave for a single step! As planned, Dazhi, Xiao Chen—tomorrow morning you…"

Zhang Su stood at a distance, hearing their plan clearly, then slipped back to the Wangshan Guesthouse courtyard without a trace.

The shocking news spread among the group, jolting everyone awake—even those who'd been dozing off!

Zombie hordes charge straight ahead, but human ambushes are dishonorable. Hearing Zhang Su's account of Liang Xiaocheng's plan, everyone felt a chill of dread.

"Damn it—we should've checked every room this afternoon!"

Lu Yubo gritted his teeth.

"Useless. Those guys are clearly hiding from us. Are you sure they're in Qingfeng Xiaozhu? What if they were hiding in the hills and only came back after we slept?"

Zhang Su shook his head—clearly, they'd been in the open this afternoon, while Liang Xiaocheng had been in the shadows.

"You actually spotted this? Only Su-ge could pull this off—haha!"

Wu Lue was deeply impressed.

Zhang Ya stared at Zhang Su with a strange expression, shrugging: "Su-ge, I had no idea about this…"

"I believe you didn't know." Zhang Su nodded—he knew this had nothing to do with Zhang Ya.

"So the guy at the gas station said this guesthouse was here… What a twist of fate!"

Tan Huajun recalled the encounter with Liang Dacheng and others at the gas station.

Those who knew about that incident all marveled at the absurd coincidence.

Zhang Su had once thought he'd never meet Liang Xiaocheng again—yet just as he was about to forget the bastard, he showed up!

"Wait… that doesn't make sense…" Qi Xiaoshuai scratched his head, pointing outside: "They've got so many people—where's their vehicle? We didn't see a single one when we arrived."

"Maybe it broke down on the road and they walked here… or maybe it's hidden somewhere. Who cares…"

Wang Xin immediately offered a weak explanation.

"Enough about that! Now that we know their plan, they're doomed. Tomorrow morning, we…"

The next morning, thick mist lingered, the sun absent. Everyone woke slightly later, not emerging from their rooms until half past eight, then dispersing to the courtyard, parking lot, and mountain path to exercise.

Zhang Su even walked far down the mountain to check—two zombies wandered in the fields south of the self-built road, but he ignored them due to distance.

"Good morning, bosses! Tomato dumpling soup and pork buns are here!"

Chen Minwen and Liu Dazhi pushed two food carts slowly toward them—one carrying a large stainless-steel food tub from the canteen, the other two steaming bamboo steamers.

"Oh? We didn't even order, and you brought food? Boss Zu really knows how to run a business! Hey, where's Old Meng?"

Zhang Su breathed in the fresh mountain air, stretching as he chatted with the two approaching.

"Old Meng and his sister are tidying up, so they sent me and Dazhi to deliver breakfast. You must be hungry—try my buns, I guarantee you won't be disappointed."

Chen Minwen warmly gestured everyone toward the dining room. Liu Dazhi, beside her, remained as quiet and reserved as yesterday, though a faint smile now touched his face.

"Alright, let's all head to the dining room and try Chef Chen's cooking!"

Zhang Su called everyone toward the dining room.

The farmstay guesthouses here all had their own dining halls. Some premium rooms even came with kitchens, letting guests cook for themselves. Others featured barbecue grills in the gardens—very atmospheric.

More than ten people sat down, and soon steaming tomato dumpling soup and pork buns were placed on the table. The aroma alone made mouths water.

"Enjoy your meal, bosses—we won't disturb you."

After finishing, Chen Minwen and Liu Dazhi pushed their carts away without lingering.

If anyone had been observant, they'd have noticed: since arriving at Tianmayu, Zhang Su's group had never gathered all together—always two or three people stood watch elsewhere.

But now, everyone in the dining room—including one dog—was present, all accounted for.

"Damn it, this is torture—a whole pot of dumpling soup, poisoned with rat poison, smell it but can't eat it. Bastards wasting food."

After Liu Dazhi and Chen Minwen had left, Zhao Deco stirred his soup with a spoon, cursing.

"Mmm, wanna try a bun, Good Luck?" Lu Yubo broke open a pork bun and teased the dog.

The corgi, Good Luck, gave Lu Yubo a distinctly human-like side-eye—as if he were an idiot.

"Plan starts in ten minutes. Think about what you need to do. Damn, these buns really smell good!"

Zhang Su broke open a bun, sniffed it, held it up, and said: "The filling's real good—hey, does Rat Poison have no smell?"

Everyone shook their heads, unable to answer him…

(End of Chapter)