[{"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-181":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},2319419,4536,"Chapter 181: The Unlucky United Village (Thanks to Brother Fan Jianqiang","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-181",181,"\u003Cp>“Do you know the specifics of Beita Ziying? How many people? How many guns? And where exactly is their village—how do you get there from Niuziquan Town?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su asked in detail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ever since those two half-grown boys appeared in Niuziquan Town, he’d sensed something odd—and the situation had proven his instinct right.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Wang Xin heard Zhang Su’s words, his heart leapt with joy; he guessed Zhang Su might be planning to target Beita Ziying, which would be excellent news for United Village, so he quickly replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Beita Ziying doesn’t have many people—maybe fewer than twenty able-bodied men—but one of them is skilled; he’s built a batch of decent-quality muskets and detonators, very impressive! From Niuziquan Town, head southwest for about two kilometers and you’ll find Beita Ziying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su noted down this information; if they could produce detonators, they must have gunpowder or similar materials—once acquired and handed to Yu Qing, there’d be room for useful applications!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After learning all he needed about Beita Ziying, he added: “Today we gathered some supplies from Niuziquan Town. Do you have pork here? We’d like to trade for some.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su opened the trunk of the vehicle, revealing a pile of household goods—from toiletries to textiles, everything you could need.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, you… haha, is this really okay?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xin had braced himself for being extorted, but he was stunned when Zhang Su proposed a fair exchange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I give you what you need; you give me what I need. A civilized exchange—what’s wrong with that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su understood what Wang Xin was thinking; in today’s world, most people believed survival meant the strong devouring the weak—but he wanted to build a circle of sustainable development around himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To achieve this, mutual trust through exchange was the foundation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When both sides benefit, cooperation can continue—but with one condition: the rules are set by the strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes, yes, Brother, you’re absolutely right!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xin gladly accepted Zhang Su’s terms, trading half a pig and some crop seeds for soap, toothpaste, plastic basins, and toilet paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both sides felt they’d gotten an excellent deal—a perfect transaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother, where are you setting up camp?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Zhang Su prepared to leave, Wang Xin cautiously asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su casually nodded northward. “We cleared out a village to the north. By the way, Xiao Wang, do you know where there’s coal around here?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coal? There’s coal in Niuziquan Town—didn’t you find it? Maybe Beita Ziying already hauled it all away. We used to get our town’s coal from there. Need it urgently? If so, we’ve got some stored—maybe we can… hehe… trade some with you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wang Xin had tasted the sweetness of peaceful trade; even if he lost a little on price, it was better than letting supplies sit idle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Next time. Today’s enough. I’m leaving—next time I’ll come back to trade with you!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su slapped the car door, stepped on the gas, and started the engine; since coal was available in Niuziquan Town, there was no need to trade for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d spent just over half an hour in United Village. Now on the road, Zhang Su looked left and right but saw no trace of the two brats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I’m right, the three who ambushed us yesterday were from Beita Ziying. Today, those two brats followed us to figure out which faction we are and where we’re based.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su gazed into the distance, speaking calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh?” Qi Xiaoshuai laughed. “Brother Su, if that’s true, then those guys really think we’re from United Village?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su nodded. “Exactly. That’s exactly what I planned—to test their reaction.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group returned to Tianmayu. When everyone saw the half-pig, they were overjoyed—they hadn’t eaten meat in a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That night, a large pot of the classic northern dish—pork stewed with sweet potato noodles—was served, its aroma filling the entire homestay area.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The people of Tianmayu celebrated like it was the New Year, each one eating until they were utterly full.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Look here—these two excavators in Niuziquan Town are wrecked like this. Who can fix them?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After dinner, everyone lounged in the Lucky Little guesthouse dining room while Zhang Su passed around photos he’d taken on his phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Su, this excavator’s basically scrap…” Jia Shiqin zoomed in on each photo carefully, then concluded: “Back in the old days we might’ve tried repairing it, but now we’re missing parts everywhere—I don’t think it’s possible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tan Huajun also nodded. “If we had an excavator at camp, we could study it slowly and maybe fix it someday. But Brother Su, you said it’s in Niuziquan Town—there’s no stable repair environment there. It’s very hard…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jia Shiqin added: “Brother Su, in my opinion, it’s easier to just go back to any construction site in Qincheng City and bring back one.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s right!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The remark jolted Zhang Su awake—he smacked his thigh. Excavators seemed rare, but that’s only because no one knew where to look. Construction sites everywhere had them… Zheng Xinyu said: “The city’s too dangerous. We barely escaped. Brother Su, why do you even want an excavator? Our progress here is steady enough, and honestly, we don’t really need one for anything.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh…” Zhao Dechu chuckled. “Big Brother wants to dig a trench below the fields to connect the mountain base with the highway—so the zombies just walk right into it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Those who didn’t know Zhang Su’s plan stared at him strangely. This wasn’t like building a wall around the homestay area—it required heavy machinery, or it was impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su nodded. “Exactly. Zombies fall in and can’t climb out—set fire to them, and we save a lot of work. The trench can be reused indefinitely. Once built, it’s a permanent solution.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I advise caution, Brother Su. Going to the city for an excavator is too risky…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhong Xiaoshanyi also opposed it; for both public and personal reasons, she didn’t want Zhang Su risking himself in the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, Brother Su, let’s hold off for now. Let’s finish fortifying the mountain first. Maybe there’s an excavator nearby—we can check the surrounding areas next time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Zhang, please don’t go near the city lightly—it’s a den of dragons and tigers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone urged him to reconsider—not because the trench was a bad idea, but because returning to the city for an excavator was too dangerous, and the twenty-kilometer journey from the city, combined with the excavator’s noise, could easily trigger disaster. “Fine. No going to the city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su took everyone’s advice and decided to first scout the surrounding areas. Besides, the two excavators in Niuziquan Town might still be repairable—he’d bring Jia Shiqin and Tan Huajun next time to take a look. Maybe luck would strike.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Days spent fleeing felt like years, but once settled, time flew by.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Days and nights passed swiftly; barely a week had passed since the pork exchange with United Village.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this week, two groups of survivors passed along the highway—but after the directional signs were removed, only those familiar with the area knew there was a developed scenic zone and a large cluster of homestays hidden in the mountains.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the week, everyone worked diligently, steadily advancing the construction of defensive fortifications. Though not yet complete, the structure was already taking shape. If no setbacks occurred, it would be finished in another ten days, followed by reinforcement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time, Zhang Su continued daily trips to Niuziquan Town to haul supplies, and also brought Jia Shiqin and Tan Huajun to inspect the two excavators. The situation wasn’t as simple as he’d imagined—the two of them, armed with ordinary tools, were utterly helpless before the iron beasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every trip to Niuziquan Town, Zhang Su remained cautious, always alert for Beita Ziying’s people. But since the brats had tracked them, he’d encountered no local survivors at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After more than ten days, as they grew more skilled, the main street of Niuziquan Town was thoroughly stripped. They’d successfully hauled back several tons of coal to Tianmayu, securing winter heating supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Daily training never ceased. Everyone lived with high spirits in the apocalypse, their morale far surpassing what it had been when they first arrived at Tianmayu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The youngest, Mo Qianlan, practiced rifle drills with Tan Huajun, firing bullets as deadly as anyone else’s, while also learning knife-stabbing techniques from Zhang Su—clean, precise, efficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su had spoken with Mo Qianlan privately. Her goal was simple: she refused to remain a helpless chick protected by others—she wanted to become a warrior like her mother.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Her diligence and drive pushed lazy ones like Wu Lue, Lu Lei, and Liu Tianji to train with full focus, terrified that if they ever faced a horde of zombies, they’d be outmatched by a little girl—and then their faces would be buried in their own asses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast to the peaceful, thriving Tianmayu, United Village had been having a rough few days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three days after Zhang Su’s pork exchange, Wang Xin led a group to gather supplies from nearby villages and was ambushed by Beita Ziying. A fierce battle erupted until the thunderous musket fire drew a zombie horde, forcing both sides to break off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beita Ziying suffered two wounded; United Village had two wounded as well—and one man devoured by zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this clash, Beita Ziying noticed something: United Village’s people were still the same as before—no standard rifles, no grenades, no big RVs—only vans and pickup trucks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This discovery made Beita Ziying suspicious. They began doubting the findings of the two boys, Gawa and Xiao Hu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Until four days later…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Brother Su, this zombie’s fading!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That morning, Zhang Su returned with several others to the ticket hall where zombies were held. Wu Lue poked the zombie in the dark with a stick; it could only emit a weak moan, too weak even to lift its head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet its jaw remained strong—its teeth clacked sharply. No one doubted their power; it had simply lost the strength to attack, unless food was placed directly in its mouth…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, the zombie tied to the tree was in better shape. Though its energy had slightly declined since a few days ago, it still launched effective attacks when someone approached, the hemp ropes creaking under strain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Looks like it’s related to sunlight?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Tianji stared curiously at the listless zombie—it was the first time he’d seen a zombie in this state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su opened the ticket hall door. “Let’s test it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, the group worked together to drag the nearly dead zombie out of the ticket hall and tie it beside the one bound to the tree. After watching for a while, perhaps too short a time, there was no obvious change—it remained half-dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1781,"2026-06-20T15:15:14.526Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","0aab8ff5f22e4f7bc58f7e1c5ac488016c63fb01cbbc9833e3ca763a2129838b","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-182","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-180",694,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-cover.jpg"]