Chapter 276: Not Subject to Will

"If you're not afraid of the risk of a barrel burst, I can give you a batch of defective grenades."

Lei Youliang shrugged and made a strange face, as if to say, even if I gave it to you, you couldn't use it.

Zhang Su rubbed his chin and asked, "How many?"

"Hey! A rifle jamming or bursting is one thing, but if a rocket launcher explodes, it's lethal!"

The man beside him, called Fire Uncle, warned with a look of shock.

Zhang Su liked this loudmouthed uncle—he was straightforward, unlike Lei Youliang with all his scheming—and smiled. "Of course I won't risk my life. Just tell me how many."

The grenades couldn't be used, but dismantling them to salvage usable raw materials was no problem.

Lei Youliang hadn't expected Zhang Su to be serious; he frowned and thought for a moment. "Then I can give you a hundred!"

"Twenty rifles, forty magazines, ten thousand rounds, twenty flawless grenades, a hundred defective ones—deal?"

Zhang Su wore a strange smile and said, "I proved my strength in battle. You wanting to court a powerful ally is understandable, but I know nothing about you. Do you really think I'd agree to an alliance under these circumstances?"

Lei Youliang felt pressure bearing down, but as leader of Kuang Zhuang, he had to hold his ground.

"Cough, Mr. Zhang, it's not like that. You did shield us from the Blue Dragon Corps once, but the problem isn't solved—in fact, it's worse. The Blue Dragon Corps headquarters might send even stronger armed forces to investigate. That's a real headache, isn't it?"

"But… Mr. Zhang, I only agreed to your demands under the premise that we can successfully form an alliance."

Lei Youliang was stunned. He pointed at Su Xiaoya and asked Zhang Su, "Xiaoya, uh… didn't she tell you our thoughts?"

"So according to you, our wiping out the grain-collecting team was pointless overreach, and only brought trouble upon our few survivor camps?"

"Huh?"

Zhang Su looked at Lei Youliang with a mocking glint in his eyes.

This wasn't right!

Zhang Su's expression was flat, unreadable. He swept his gaze over the ten men, and they felt intense danger.

Their calculations clacked loudly, but the world doesn't offer such easy deals!

The Kuang Zhuang members exchanged glances. Lei Youliang felt utterly speechless—he'd agreed so readily because he'd assumed an alliance was on the table, that together they'd fight the Blue Dragon Corps, and arming Zhang Su would reduce their own combat risks.

"You have your conditions; I have my own thoughts! What? You think the initiative lies with Kuang Zhuang?"

Lei Youliang said.

He hadn't imagined the other side never intended to form an alliance at all.

If no alliance, then what's the point of talking?

Lei Youliang said cheerfully. Seeing Zhang Su's suspicious expression, he quickly added, "This is my sincerity—wishing the alliance between Tianma Isle and Kuang Zhuang goes smoothly!"

Su Xiaoya immediately raised her hand to prove her innocence.

"I said it! I said it!"

Zhang Su raised a hand, surprised. "When did I ever say I wanted an alliance?"

After asking this, Lei Youliang clearly sensed the atmosphere had turned strange.

"Deal! I'll throw in fifty more stick grenades!"

"Wait!"

The Tianma Isle group's gazes turned cold. The other side's argument was pure sophistry—even in the apocalypse, it was disgusting!

"No!" Lei Youliang realized he'd spoken too hastily and quickly backtracked. "What I mean is, facing a bigger threat, we should unite and resist together. Fighting separately only gives them the chance to pick us off one by one."

His grand words earned nods from the Kuang Zhuang members—they thought their leader had great vision. But when he spoke again, they all froze.

"Before today, the Blue Dragon Corps would have sent forces to investigate the overdue grain team. We'd have faced unavoidable trouble. But now, we won't."

Zhang Su shoved Su Xiaoya behind him and signaled Tan Huajun to control her. He spread his hands. "Because the Blue Dragon Corps no longer exists."

"What?"

Compared to the shock of this statement, all previous astonishment meant nothing.

Lei Youliang's facial control shattered; his features seemed stretched, and he asked a question he couldn't believe: "You… wiped out the Blue Dragon Corps?"

Zhang Su spread his hands, giving a smug look, neither confirming nor denying. But he knew clearly: the Blue Dragon Corps, now reduced to fewer than a hundred, was utterly destroyed.

Even without seeing it, he could be certain the survivors were mostly elderly, weak, women, and children—perhaps a few cowardly core members mixed in—but they were no longer a threat.

They were probably hiding in some corner of the barracks, trembling behind cracks, watching the courtyard full of zombies.

What he cared about most was the science department—how many had died there?

It truly proved Zheng Xinyu's words: smooth sailing, bloodless victory, click and deliver!

"This…"

"Really?"

"I don't believe it."

Zhang Su's indifferent attitude left the ten Kuang Zhuang members exchanging glances.

"Mr. Zhang, what you say… I'm not unwilling to believe—I just can't bring myself to believe it."

Lei Youliang's brow knotted. If the Blue Dragon Corps was truly gone, the relationship between Kuang Zhuang and Tianma Isle had become delicate. His thoughts were now extremely complex.

Zhang Su said calmly, "Whether you believe it is your business. The truth is what it is. Let's return to our previous discussion—get the supplies over quickly."

"Mr. Zhang, things aren't as we thought. Please give me some time to consider!" Lei Youliang said earnestly.

Zhang Su looked toward the sky over Qingxian, where faint red glows were barely visible. He murmured, "Outcomes don't bend to will. You want to consider? Fine. I'll give you time. When you've decided, come to Tianma Isle and tell me your answer."

Saying this, he turned and walked away, grabbing Su Xiaoya and shoving her into the vehicle.

He could guess what Lei Youliang meant by "consider"—once the Blue Dragon Corps fell, power dynamics would shift, new problems would erupt, and choices and trade-offs would be needed.

"Uncle Lei, I want to go home…"

Su Xiaoya pouted, turning to Lei Youliang, her eyes filled with grievance and tears. She feared returning to Tianma Isle, feared being fed the green powder again.

"Hey, are you even a man? Bullying a little girl—leave Xiaoya here!"

Yang Liehuo shouted angrily.

"She's just a prisoner, a hostage. Age and gender don't matter. Village Chief Lei, goodbye!"

Zhang Su and his group boarded the vehicles. As the engines started, they quickly returned to the highway and drove south, without a single moment of hesitation—nothing like the fake retreat during negotiations.

The Kuang Zhuang members stood where they were, staring helplessly as the convoy vanished into the distance. Some frowned, some glared, some were lost in thought.

"Youliang, you're just letting them take Xiaoya away? How will you explain to her sister?"

Yang Liehuo pointed furiously at the distant vehicles, spittle flying onto Lei Youliang's face.

Lei Youliang wiped his face, grimacing. "Fire Uncle, calm down. Do you think I want this? Tianma Isle came prepared—you saw their strength. Do you want to clash with them?"

"At the very least, we should get Xiaoya back first. I told you this plan was too risky!"

Lei Youliang pinched his temples. "Relax, Fire Uncle. They won't harm Xiaoya. Right now, the most critical thing… Xiao Feng, come here!"

"Yes, Youliang, what's up?"

Xiao Feng stepped forward—a young man in his early twenties, eyes sharp and alert.

"Go to the Blue Dragon Corps headquarters. Find out what really happened."

Lei Youliang ordered in a low voice.

"Got it! Leave it to me!"

"Be careful on the way. Watch out for Blue Dragon Corps outposts!"

Lei Youliang called out as Xiao Feng ran back to the village to get a vehicle.

He didn't doubt Tianma Isle could crush the Blue Dragon Corps's grain team—but he deeply doubted the claim that the entire corps had been wiped out.

The truth of this matter was crucial—it directly determined Kuang Zhuang's next direction.

(End of Chapter)