Chapter 212: It Seems Like an Old Friend

Along the way, Zhang Su carefully noticed that fields and farmlands, which had previously been free of zombies, now sporadically showed zombie figures—clearly having wandered out from nearby villages. Why hadn't they appeared before, only after a snowfall? Clearly, that snow wasn't ordinary.

As he thought of this, the vehicle passed through Lianhe Village; the lookout stationed in a building in Beita Town waved to Zhang Su.

"By the way!" Zhang Su suddenly remembered something and pulled out his walkie-talkie: "Wang Longzhong, Wang Longzhong."

"Brother Zhang, are you coming to us?"

Clearly, Wang Longzhong had received word ahead of time and knew Zhang Su was nearby.

"No!" Zhang Su said. "Zombies have been acting strange lately—stronger than before. Assign more personnel to watch the quarry pit; there are too many zombies inside, a serious hazard. But even if you clean them out, absolutely do not set fire to them!"

"Got it, sir! I'll assign people to keep watch right away."

Wang Longzhong was the type to obey orders without question—he had no intention of actually clearing out the zombies in the quarry, since they'd be leaving in a few days anyway, miles away. Let them do whatever they wanted…

Soon, the vehicle arrived at the entrance of Xidaying Village.

People care more about what they've lost than what they've gained.

Ma Changshou gripped the plastic bag tightly and said: "I'll offer twenty sheep—males and females—and six pigs: two breeding sows, two fattening pigs, and two piglets. This basically drains Xidaying's entire stock. Is that sincere enough?"

Zhang Su thought it might not be a bad thing to have someone he knew join the Qinglong Militia.

"Hahaha, Boss Zhang!"

"Hmm…" Zhang Su's eyes flickered. "Village Chief Ma, to be honest, your offer isn't bad—but it's not high either. Medicine? Soon, even if you have money, you won't be able to buy it. Even after industry recovers, it'll take a long time before pharmaceutical production resumes!"

"Old bastard isn't being truthful—he's planning to flee in the next few days. Otherwise, why rush to trade with us? His calculations are so loud I can hear them from Tianmayu!"

Zhang Su handed Ma Changshou the pre-packed quantity. "We raided one pharmacy in the city. This is all we got. I brought it all here for you. Give me a price that satisfies me."

"I didn't know whether you wanted pigs or sheep, so I didn't bring the livestock yet—but don't worry, they're all ready. I can move them anytime. Uh… the medicine?"

Watching Ma Changshou carefully inspect the medicine, Zhang Su wasn't in a hurry. Let the man hold what he wanted before negotiating—better than having the goods in his own hands.

"Damn, he's preparing to run!"

Ma Changshou strode forward cheerfully, kicking up dust as he approached Zhang Su's group, even giving Guo Dachao a special nod—they'd had a few encounters before, when Ma had collected tolls from him.

"Yes, yes, of course! So, Boss Zhang, do you have any other demands?"

Zhang Su saw Ma Changshou walking out with several villagers, smiled faintly, murmured to those beside him, then opened the car door and stepped out.

Zhao Dezhu gave a bitter chuckle at the clearly desolate village.

"Here, take a look."

"Hah! Hahaha! Boss Zhang, I knew you folks from the city were capable—you emptied out a whole pharmacy! Look at this! You're incredible!"

He wasn't surprised by Xidaying Village's choice, nor did he try to block it. There was no animosity between them; their previous trades had been pleasant. As for whether Xidaying would become friend or foe after joining the Qinglong Militia…

The last time he came, the village had been full of life. Only two days later, it was obvious everyone was preparing to leave.

Ma Changshou knew Zhang Su wouldn't compromise easily—he'd braced himself for being extorted. In his mind, since they were leaving anyway, they couldn't carry most things. Trading them away was no loss at all!

"Weld a sheep pen. Burn your damn welder. You said you had one here? Bring me a few."

Zhang Su was slightly startled internally, but his face showed no expression. Ma Changshou's generosity was beyond expectation—truly sincere.

Since the medicine was now in Ma Changshou's hands, he felt he already owned it. If the deal fell through, it would feel like a loss. But if Zhang Su held it, and the deal succeeded, it would feel like a gain.

Zhang Su tilted his head toward the village, his tone casual—as if discussing welders were as trivial as discussing cabbages.

"This…"

Ma Changshou rubbed his dark, sooty cheek, looking uneasy. "We do have a welder—but only one. Old Scar, explain the situation to Boss Zhang."

The man called Old Scar said: "I'm the village welder. That welder's mine. I bought it for over five thousand—Ruilin dual-purpose cutting and welding…"

"That one! Brother Su, we want that one!"

Guo Dachao nudged Zhang Su's back and whispered.

"Alright, take this welder. And grab some consumables too—no problem, Village Chief Ma?"

Zhang Su waved his hand grandly.

"Uh…" Ma Changshou looked at Old Scar. "Old Scar, your gear—what do you say?"

Old Scar, clearly not talkative, frowned for a long moment, then shook his head: "I can only lend it to you. Later, when I get to… I mean, I'll still need it!"

Zhang Su found Ma Changshou's growing anxiety amusing—he knew Ma wasn't worried about Old Scar refusing to give up the welder, but about nearly giving away the truth!

"Lend it? Fine. We'll take it back, use it quickly, and return it before you leave!"

Ma Changshou's face fell. He knew which words were true and which were lies—he'd just trapped himself with his own falsehoods. Extremely awkward.

"Then… then let's go pick out the livestock?"

"I can't fit all those pigs and sheep in my vehicle. Don't you owe me two vehicles?"

"We have a few three-wheeled trucks—extended beds. Twenty sheep? Easy. Giving you two is no problem… huh?"

As Ma Changshou walked with Zhang Su toward the village, his peripheral vision caught a guard on the bridge waving a flag. He immediately stopped. "Wait!"

Zhang Su followed Ma Changshou's gaze. With his eyesight, he easily saw the distant scene.

A large Jinbei minivan was slowly approaching the bridge.

"Ha! Village Chief Ma, business has arrived!"

"Indeed! Since that young man passed, only one vehicle has come through—and three people crawled out of the river. No one else. Boss Zhang, interested in coming to see? Every passing vehicle might be our last toll!"

Ma Changshou's tone carried a hint of reluctance. This kind of business was easy—preying on the weak, exploiting the helpless, pure profit.

"Then let's go. Let's see. Last time I was extorted. Now I'll switch perspectives and play the extortionist myself—haha!"

Zhang Su gave Guo Dachao and Zhao Dezhu a glance—tell them to watch the vehicle—then took Zheng Xinyu and walked with Ma Changshou toward the bridge.

"Oh oh, playing the villain? Fun!"

Zheng Xinyu flashed a sly smile. For this trade, she hadn't brought her steel rod—instead, she carried her trusty baseball bat, slung over her shoulder, arms draped casually across it—classic gangster girl pose.

"Hehe, little beauty, we're not playing villains. In cultured terms, this is legitimate value exchange!"

Ma Changshou chuckled.

This bridge had supplied countless supplies to survivors in nearby villages. Without exaggeration, even without crops or livestock, Xidaying Village had survived until now solely on tolls—but the future would be hard.

"Huh?"

As they walked toward the bridge, Zhang Su frowned slightly at the man stepping down from the minivan.

Hearing Zhang Su's murmur, Ma Changshou's heart skipped. "Boss Zhang, don't tell me you know this guy too?"

"Looks a bit like an old friend I met before—but I'm not sure."

Zhang Su gave an ambiguous reply, then quickened his pace toward the bridge.

(End of Chapter)