Chapter 285: We Must Reason

"I'm Meng Changwei, came here with my men from Daqiaobao Township. What's your name, brother?"

Meng Changwei patted the submachine gun hanging on his chest and asked, head tilted up.

"Daqiaobao Township?" Zhang Su turned his head, questioning eyes fixed on the men in the vehicle.

Zhao Dezhu shrugged, indicating he didn't know.

Xin Qi rolled his eyes, thought for a moment, then exclaimed, "I know that place—southeast of Qingxian, heading toward Shanguan District. I've been there before to collect grain!"

Zhang Su nodded in understanding. So the man was a survivor from east of Qingxian—that made sense. He leaned forward and replied, "My surname is Zhang. Zhang Su."

"Young Brother Zhang, I can tell you're the leader here, and a man who values rules and reason…"

"Hold on!"

Zhang Su immediately raised his hand to cut him off. "Don't start flattery. I only listen to reason that benefits me, and follow rules that give me the advantage. If neither applies, I'm perfectly capable of being brutal."

This kind of talking tactic was common before the collapse—try to elevate someone so they couldn't back down without losing face. Zhang Su wasn't falling for it.

When faced with something beyond their understanding or disadvantageous, people's first instinct is usually suspicion.

Xin Qi spoke while loosening his collar, letting the other side see his face clearly.

Meng Changwei and his men exchanged glances, suddenly feeling foolish. If what the man said was true, they shouldn't have been so rigid earlier—talking about rules and order. This was a world of fists now!

"Impossible…"

Saying this, Zhang Su pushed Xin Qi and Fang Great Ming forward.

"I've suddenly grown fond of rules and reason."

Zhang Su stepped down from the vehicle, lit a cigarette, leaned against the hood, and said, "Meng Boss, you just said first come, first served? Then you can turn right around and go home. At the exact same time the Qinglong Army was attacked by the horde, we were watching from across the river in Qingxian—we saw the whole battle, from start to collapse."

"Huh?"

Meng Changwei spoke fluently. Beneath his odd attire was a smooth-talking mouth; beneath his burly frame lay a shrewd mind. Mostly because the ten vehicles across from him were fully armed—fighting would gain them nothing, so negotiation was the only option…

Meng Changwei's single eye narrowed slightly, and he cleared his throat awkwardly. "This world's a damn mess—who doesn't want an advantage? But as survivors of civilization, we still need to observe some rules, like first come, first served!"

Meng Changwei asked, half-skeptical.

The people from Daqiaobao Township didn't believe Zhang Su. They'd learned of the incident only after seeing the sky ablaze with fire and hearing distant artillery, then confirming it through scouting. Daqiaobao Township was twenty kilometers closer than Niuziquan Town—why would they get the news first?

This wasn't the old world, where networks were fast and communication seamless.

"This guy's full of shit!"

"Cough…"

But if they really fought, wouldn't the other side have the advantage?

A cold wind blew through. The men from Daqiaobao Township stood at the crossroads, faces grim. Inside, they thought: How the hell is their leader such a bastard…

"Are you men from the Qinglong Army?"

"Don't believe me? I've got Qinglong Army men right here in my vehicle—ask them!"

"Yeah, we're members of the Third Squad of Qinglong Army's Combat Division. Our squad leader is Sun Jianwei. Last time we came to your place to collect grain—we met at the entrance of Yeshangou Village. Remember now?"

"The Qinglong Army was suddenly attacked by the horde, collapsed like a mountain, and was wiped out overnight—all three hundred men dead. We arrived first to clean up the mess. Shouldn't you step aside? After we finish, I promise you one-tenth of the supplies—but no weapons!"

Whew…

Not just him—Lao Song and Fang Great Ming also quickly revealed their faces for identification.

"Boss, these guys are really from Qinglong Army's Third Squad! We met them when we delivered grain before!"

A man wearing a cotton cap leaned close to Meng Changwei and whispered.

"I'm curious… why are Qinglong Army men with you, Brother Zhang? Can you explain?"

Meng Changwei signaled his men to lower their weapons. His attitude had subtly shifted; the atmosphere slowly eased.

Zhang Su's side could feel the change too. In the apocalypse, though danger lurked everywhere, some order had quietly formed over time.

When people met—especially two factions—it was rare for direct violence to break out, unless there was old grudge.

"I won't hide it. They came to my place to collect grain. Three squads went out. Only these three survived. The rest? We killed them."

"What?"

"This…"

"They killed three squads?"

The Daqiaobao men whispered among themselves, staring at Zhang Su's group with strange looks.

"The Qinglong Army's unit size is ten men per squad. Three squads mean thirty men. You killed twenty-seven? Are you sure this is true?"

Meng Changwei asked, full of doubt, his posture straightening involuntarily.

Back then, they'd only dealt with two Qinglong squads. They'd considered fighting them too—but held back out of caution. Now, someone else had done what they'd only thought about—and done it far more violently!

"We set out together with the Third, Fifth, and Sixth Squads to collect grain. Only these three of us made it. All these vehicles? We drove them out of the barracks!"

Xin Qi volunteered the explanation without being asked.

He didn't know what he was now—prisoner, deserter, or traitor. But since Tianmayu hadn't harassed him further, he'd better perform well. That way, he might not only get a way out, but even join Tianmayu—two birds with one stone.

The ancients said: He who understands the times is a hero. He must be that hero.

Zhang Su spread his hands and continued Xin Qi's words: "The battle was extremely dangerous. We lost many brothers, and some wounded comrades still lie in camp waiting for supplies! We indirectly contributed to the Qinglong Army's downfall—so isn't it only right that we take what we need from the barracks?"

The Daqiaobao men exchanged glances. No one doubted Zhang Su's final claim—because if they'd truly fought thirty armed men, casualties would have been heavy.

"Cough! Brother Zhang, I can see your group is strong and well-equipped. I deeply admire your courage in fighting evil forces, and extend my condolences for your fallen warriors… But the barracks are now filled with zombies inside and out. Getting in is nearly impossible. How about we cooperate?"

Meng Changwei, like Xin Qi, was pragmatic. Seeing he couldn't claim it alone, he immediately changed tactics.

Zhang Su narrowed his eyes. He suddenly felt this one-eyed man wasn't simple. He looked rough and impulsive, yet spoke eloquently, adaptable and flexible—there was something of Master Yu in him!

He actually preferred dealing with rule-followers. Even if it meant sharing some gains, at least the bottom line was guaranteed.

Zhang Su nodded. "I know the barracks' situation. If the zombies that night didn't wander off, it's indeed tricky. Since we're talking cooperation, what value can your men from Daqiaobao Township bring?"

Meng Changwei pointed behind him. "We know the terrain well to the southeast and northeast. We can lure large groups of zombies away using the land. But you'll need to help from the other side too—otherwise, with tens of thousands of zombies left, we'd still be luring them when night falls!"

"You counted them?"

Zhang Su frowned.

"Yes!" A man in a dark blue down jacket raised his hand. "We carefully scouted. There are forty thousand zombies wandering around and inside the barracks—not even counting those that drifted into the housing area!"

"Pretty impressive…"

"Yeah, Qinglong Army actually wiped out half the horde under those conditions. They really gave it their all."

"Qinglong Army might not have done much. You forgot about that guy—and mostly, it was the fire. These remaining zombies just got lucky they weren't burned."

Hearing the man's answer, some of Zhang Su's group began murmuring.

"Stop discussing irrelevant stuff. Focus on the problem at hand!"

Zhang Su reminded his men. The Qinglong Army was history. The current mess was theirs to handle. After a moment's thought, he turned to Meng Changwei.

"I believe your information is accurate. In that case, let me introduce our capabilities. We've cleared over a hundred villages around Niuziquan Town, Caopo Township, and Beidong Town using various methods. I expect you to match our level of effort."

(End of chapter)