Chapter 240: Departure Without Farewell

"The earlier skirmish with the North Tower Camp was just an appetizer; the Dragon Army is the main course. But there's no need to panic—they're backed by a garrison with ample weapons, and so are we, with plenty of ammunition and every single one of us being elite. Equipment matters, but people are what decide victory or defeat. Peace won't come by begging on your knees—only by fists."

In the bright light, Zhang Su clenched his fist before the group.

"Kill them all! They're just delivery guys!"

Zheng Xinyu was the first to respond to Zhang Su's rallying cry, her face wearing a sweetly fierce expression.

"Big sister's right—they're all delivery guys. When we seize their weapons, we'll become even stronger!"

"Haha, now that I think about it, I'm actually excited. We didn't go out to rob anyone—instead, they brought their takeout right to our door. That's acceptable!"

Careful planning, ample weaponry, and high morale made the group almost look forward to the Dragon Army's arrival.

Zhao Xue gave Wu Lue a helpless side-eye. It had been three months since the apocalypse, yet this guy's mind hadn't matured one bit—he was still stuck in his convenience store clerk days.

Mo Qianlan's voice crackled over the speaker: "A convoy is approaching from the provincial highway! A convoy is approaching from the provincial highway!"

"Why'd they just up and leave? The village was fine—plant crops, raise pigs, winter's coming soon. Why move now? I just don't get it."

Zhang Su smiled, not hiding anything: "We killed a few, stole a vehicle. Let's not talk about that. Old Ma, where exactly are you heading north?"

Even now, Ma Changshou still hadn't revealed his true intentions.

"I see…"

*Static hissed.

"If I'm not mistaken, that's the convoy from West Camp Village!"

"Really?"

"Let me go ask. Once I ask, everything will be clear."

About one or two minutes passed, but the radio remained silent.

I was just thinking of finding a quiet moment, setting out a plate of peanuts, brewing a pot of hot tea, and having a proper chat about the future—yet they left in such a rush.

Everyone stared at Yu Wen in shock, reluctant to believe his conclusion.

Through dual zoom, Zhang Su clearly saw the convoy—among them were vehicles he recognized, ones he'd seen just days ago in West Camp Village!

"Where did all these people come from? Could it be the city's safe zone is relocating…?"

Duan Wu chuckled with a strange expression: "Brother Zhang, I thought the countryside was a paradise. Turns out the fighting here is even fiercer than in the city!"

"Mr. Zhang, I owe you thanks to the Survivors' Alliance—they came to our village this morning, asking about the Jinbei truck that crossed the bridge yesterday. To avoid exposing you, our village ended up offending the Survivors' Alliance…"

This time, the group didn't wait long—about twenty seconds later, the radio crackled to life.

Most people in the room froze.

"We'll take it one step at a time. With our current strength, clearing a village won't be too hard."

The psychological impact was temporary; the real threat lay in the future.

Like a friend's quiet advice, Ma Changshou chose to join the Dragon Army—but never intended to become Zhang Su's enemy. He simply sought a better place for himself and his villagers to survive.

Everyone followed Zhang Su, standing in the hallway, waiting for a reply.

Wu Lue shook his head in confusion.

"I should thank the Survivors' Alliance—they helped me uncover this threat early. Hahaha… Mr. Zhang, you're still sharp. After I saw the Survivors' Alliance leave, only one vehicle remained—I assume you won a decisive victory?"

Ma Changshou's voice carried a hint of exhaustion—he'd been worn out today. Originally, they'd planned to depart in a few days, but this sudden incident forced the entire village into action. Everyone worked nonstop, and only by sunset had they managed to pack up roughly.

After saying goodbye, Zhang Su set down the radio and looked at the group, their faces filled with complex emotions.

Beyond Haihe River, heading north to Niuziquan Town, the winding road stretched twenty kilometers. After the fall of United Village, only Tianma Island and West Camp Village remained as survivor settlements in this stretch. Everyone closely watched West Camp Village's movements.

Meanwhile, the zombies wandering between West Camp Village and Tianma Island had lost one of their primary gathering points. In the future, more zombies would likely attack Tianma Island—not the occasional stragglers, but full hordes.

It's late. Go rest. Tomorrow holds plenty to do!"

As a relatively friendly neighbor, they'd always felt like allies in hardship. Now, across this vast region, Tianma Island stood alone—perhaps with scattered survivors still hidden somewhere. A deep loneliness crept into their hearts.

I had no choice—I feared they'd come back to retaliate, so we left early. There's still plenty of supplies left in the village. If you've got time, come and take them. If you wait too long, the Survivors' Alliance will get them first!"

"Hahaha, Mr. Zhang, we can't worry about that now—I'm gifting you the welder! As for the sow, she'll deliver without trouble. It's getting cold—remember to insulate the pigpen!"

Facing Zhao Xue's criticism, Wu Lue didn't dare argue back. He muttered, "Then why are we driving through the night?"

"Goodbye!"

Zhang Su finished speaking, returned to Xiao Xingyun, pulled out the radio specifically for Ma Changshou, and pressed the transmit button: "Old Ma, what're you up to?"

"Mr. Zhang, if I may venture a guess, West Camp Village intends to join the Dragon Army?"

"You really believe everything people tell you?"

With West Camp Village gone, the bridge over Haihe River was now unobstructed—anyone coming from the south could pass freely.

"I don't see it that way," Zhang Su shook his head. "I haven't dealt with Old Ma often, but I can tell—he's just a village elder who wants his people to survive, with no ambitions. Enough. It's West Camp Village's choice. I just hope we don't run into them on the grain collection team."

West Camp Village lay roughly eight to nine kilometers straight from Tianma Island, or twelve to thirteen by road. Though they'd never fought side by side, they'd maintained close ties recently—most of the pigs and sheep in the camp had been traded from West Camp Village.

Seeing that Ma Changshou still concealed his true northern goal, Zhang Su chose not to press him—it was pointless. He said: "Fine. Contact me once you're settled. I haven't returned your welder yet, and you still haven't delivered on your promise of a sow midwife. Haha!"

Zhang Su moved swiftly, sprinting out of the courtyard to the surveillance room. The screen was blurry—he burst out the door, jumped on his electric scooter, and raced to the scenic overlook where he could see the provincial highway. He raised his binoculars to the distance.

As they spoke, several radios in the room crackled to life.

Yu Wen's expression was unusually serious.

Zhang Su set down the radio. He felt this device might never speak again—but he'd keep it charged.

Zhang Su said thoughtfully—though it wasn't speculation, it was certainty. But he couldn't explain why he was so sure.

Just as we were discussing dwindling resources, so many people suddenly appeared—it was bound to cause tension.

The group left Zhang Su's room, returned to their own quarters with heavy hearts. Thinking that they were now the only survivors left nearby, a strange unease settled over them.

Life on Tianma Island was comfortable compared to other survivor settlements, but the outside world remained brutally harsh—and growing worse. We were far from the darkest bottom. The group kept swinging between comfort and cruelty…

"Good. Mr. Zhang, you're a man of integrity. I'm happy to deal with you. For now, let's end here—I hope we meet again!"

Like an apartment building where, at night, not a single light glowed—and yet you had to force yourself to walk into the unit, the floors were high, the elevator took a full minute to climb, and every few floors, the lights inside would suddenly cut out…

Zhang Su frowned again: "Old Ma, we've known each other a while. I already know about today's Survivors' Alliance incident. You've been fair. We're not close friends, but we're not enemies either. Leaving without saying goodbye doesn't sit right."

Liu Tianji was deeply troubled—he especially didn't want to turn against a group he'd once gotten along with.

"West Camp Village? They were perfectly fine guarding the bridge and collecting tolls. Why are they heading north so late?"

Zhang Su spread his hands: "It's just like in those sci-fi novels—we live in a dark forest. Every settlement is an armed hunter. With limited resources, survival is the only priority. Eliminating others reduces consumption—and increases your share."

"Old Ma, you're a real stand-up guy. The Survivors' Alliance said you killed a traitor?"

"What?"

??

"What's going on!?"

Wang Xin and several others arrived at the overlook, watching the string of headlights heading north, their faces grim.

"How could this happen…"

Back in the Survivors' Alliance, their raids had been small-scale skirmishes. With the Alliance's reputation, smaller survivor groups avoided conflict. Aside from fighting zombies, they'd never seen actual gunfire exchanges!

And there was still one crucial welder.

Returning home, turning on the lights made him the only source of illumination in the building. Sitting alone in the quiet structure, his heart felt hollow.

Lu Yubo asked in confusion.

"This… Brother Su, does that mean West Camp Village is now our enemy?"

Zhang Su nodded: "Yes. West Camp Village chose to join the Dragon Army. After the Dragon Army attacked United Village, they went to West Camp Village—I saw their tire tracks. But Ma Changshou never mentioned the Dragon Army. He only said they were relocating."

"Then good. Until we meet again—maybe we'll trade someday!"

There was also the issue of trade. With United Village destroyed and West Camp Village gone, Zhang Su's entire external network had collapsed. Without trading partners, he could either follow Wang Xin's advice and head into the city to trade with others in the Survivors' Alliance—or head north to explore and contact other settlements.

Humans are social creatures. Even in the apocalypse, prolonged isolation from the outside world would inevitably damage everyone's mental state.

(End of chapter)