Chapter 291: The Ruthless Man Speaks Little

"Of course I'm here to advise you… I hope you'll let my sister go, I hope you can sit down calmly and talk—can you please stop resorting to violence so easily? We're all thinking human beings; can't we just talk?"

Su Lei's face bore a flush stirred by the cold wind; after the collapse, there had been no chance for makeup, yet her features undeniably held a certain charm, and her earnest tone naturally induced a hint of compliance.

"Boss, what do you think… what will Master Zhang do? The situation's gotten a bit delicate."

Someone from Daqiao Fort secretly whispered to Meng Changwei, his face twisted with gossip and tension.

The gossip was obvious—encountering an ex-girlfriend in such a situation was fascinating even before the collapse, let alone in this barren end-time; the tension came from the fact that if Zhang Su chose to negotiate peacefully, their own position would become even more awkward.

Meng Changwei understood all this too; as leader, he had no interest in watching a spectacle—he was weighing profit and loss, his face grave, silent, eyes half-lidded as he weighed his options.

Those from Daqiao Fort who didn't know Zhang Su were tense, but Zhang Su's own companions from Tianma Island were tense too, because they knew Zhang Su would never compromise—not against a scoundrel like Lei Youliang!

"Su Lei, before you say any of this, you should understand the actual situation!"

Zhang Su took off his gloves, pulled a cigarette from his pocket and lit it. "I've already talked with you properly—many people beside you can testify. I didn't just talk—I offered terms for cooperation. How did you answer me?"

Lei Youliang wasn't stupid; once he grasped the implication, fury flashed across his face, but it was quickly replaced by a cold sneer.

Zhang Su didn't lose his temper or shout. As he spoke, he subtly slipped his hands behind his back, where from the front he appeared calm, hands clasped behind him—but only Tianma Island's people could see: he gripped two grenades, his thumbs hooked around the safety pins of the other hand!

"We and the brothers of Daqiao Fort risked our lives—no, Daqiao Fort actually lost three brothers—to clear the zombies from the barracks. And you showed up the moment you smelled the scent?"

Lei Youliang dismissed Zhang Su's words with a shrug. "That's my answer. Our firepower far surpasses yours. You still come negotiating with your old attitude? That's unrealistic!"

But there was one exception: Su Lei. She saw a girl putting a hat on Zhang Su's head. Though they were twenty meters apart, as a woman, she instantly sensed something unusual between them.

Zheng Xinyu had noticed Su Lei long ago. As she pulled a hat from her chest and placed it on Zhang Su's head, she quietly watched Su Lei—her gaze calm, devoid of hatred, yet tinged with pity.

Most of Kuangzhuang's people focused on Daqiao Fort; even if they saw Tianma Island's people putting on hats, they saw nothing odd—they believed Daqiao Fort's stance was what mattered most.

Meng Changwei's men nodded silently, now knowing the exact location of Zhang Su's camp.

??

Almost everyone present was stunned. What did that mean?

A few beside Meng Changwei asked questions. His single eye darted, and he lowered his voice: "When Wu Zetian became a widow, Li Zhi (reason) was gone, right?"

Though no shots had been fired yet, this moment was no different from open war. Lei Youliang no longer cared about face with Tianma Island—he openly began recruiting allies. As for the hostage Su Xiaoya, he'd already decided to sacrifice her before taking this step.

Gulp.

Without giving Zhang Su a chance to speak, Lei Youliang turned to Meng Changwei's group with a steady smile. "We came from Kuangzhuang. I'm Lei Youliang. I've heard you're survivors from Daqiao Fort. Interested in joining forces? The warehouse's weapons are plentiful—we can't use them all. Let's split Tianma Island together."

Su Lei clearly realized this too. She glared at Lei Youliang, as if asking: What about my sister now?

"Boss Meng, he's asking you."

"Mr. Zhang, I think Su Lei's right—you're far too arrogant. It even feels brazen! Your only card is Su Xiaoya. I, however, have many weapons—enough to level Tianma Island to the ground!"

Tianma Island's people swallowed hard. Those not wearing hats reached into their pockets and pulled out ugly-looking fishing caps, jamming them onto their heads.

"Do you think the collapse means no law, no rules? Lei Youliang, I once thought you were smart—but now I must say: you're Wu Zetian after becoming a widow!"

Zhang Su's face was icy as he shook his head. "No matter how many weapons are in that warehouse, they're none of your business. I already claimed them when I wiped out the Qinglong Army's grain-collecting squad."

"Tianma Island…"

"Friends over here!"

"Cough…" Meng Changwei cleared his throat. He'd expected to be targeted—and had already decided: "Daqiao Fort won't kick someone when they're down."

A simple sentence—and it decided the course of this farce!

Lei Youliang's face darkened instantly. He hadn't expected refusal—it defied logic.

But something even more illogical was happening.

As everyone from Kuangzhuang stared blankly at Daqiao Fort's group, two dark, slick grenades dropped from above.

While Meng Changwei spoke, Zhang Su yanked the safety pins with both hands…

What is synergy? Synergy means no code words, no speech, not even eye contact—just one motion, and your companion knows exactly what to do!

As the grenades flew through the air, Zhang Su's Tianma Island companions instantly raised their rifles—safety pins already pulled—and opened full fire on the arrogant Kuangzhuang group standing at the warehouse entrance!

A thunderous assault—with not a single warning. One moment, calm as a still pond; the next, violent as a thunderclap.

Lu Yubo had briefly wondered whether to spare the ex-sister-in-law, but then thought: guns can aim, grenades can't. If it's indiscriminate now, what's the point of asking?

Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.

Boom. Boom.

Gunfire mixed with grenade blasts—conditions shifted in an instant. Seconds earlier, Kuangzhuang's men had been confident; now, after one volley, they lay dead everywhere. Most never got a chance to fight back.

Su Lei, who had stepped forward to plead with Zhang Su, couldn't escape her fate. As the grenades exploded, her eyes widened in disbelief, and she collapsed into a pool of blood. She would never understand what kind of ruthless man Kuangzhuang had provoked.

In her final moments, her only thought: Lei Youliang lied to me!

Toot-toot-toot. Tap-tap.

Of course, some reacted quickly and fired back—but compared to Tianma Island's thunderous assault, it was like fireflies challenging the moon.

No matter how well-equipped, being a second late is still being too late.

"Ow!"

"What the—"

Bullets struck Tianma Island's men. Three were hit in succession, fell to the ground, rolled, then immediately rose again—not as if nothing happened, but grimacing in pain, far from dead.

The worst was Jia Shiqin. Unlucky—he took a bullet in the thigh. Fortunately, it hit the outer side, possibly fracturing bone but sparing the major artery. He hopped on one leg behind a vehicle, his hat brim pulled low, terrified another shot would finish him.

"Down!" Zhang Su roared suddenly.

Whoosh. Boom!

At the last moment, a streak of fire with a trailing flame shot from a rocket launcher, a powerful heatwave rippling through the air, skimming the ground at high speed.

Zheng Xinyu, who had dropped instantly upon Zhang Su's shout, felt a searing heat sweep over her head—she nearly wet herself, sweat drenching her clothes in an instant.

Fortunately, Tianma Island's people had formed a reflex to Zhang Su's orders—executing them with neural speed. Otherwise, the situation would've been far worse.

Boom!

The grenade struck a section of wall still largely intact, exploding in a burst of flame, spraying debris and thick smoke.

Tap-tap-tap.

Zhang Su had no time to admire the explosion. Still prone, he fired several rounds from beneath the vehicle at the enemy's thin-legged soldier. When the man fell, he fired more rounds—ending him completely.

The firefight was brief. This wasn't a staged martial arts match on a ring—you don't need to fight for a set time…

Less than two minutes later, when the smoke cleared, nearly everyone on Tianma Island lay prone. A few clutched their chests or bellies in agony. Jia Shiqin leaned against a van, staring in terror at the collapsed wall.

Xin Qi and the other two held pry bars and steel rods, trembling beside them—the fear from that night returned. Just like then: sudden, without warning.

Across the way, Kuangzhuang's people were all dead—none survived. More than a dozen corpses lay scattered before the warehouse entrance, blood mixed with dust, the stench of gunpowder thick with the reek of death.

From confident superiority to total annihilation—in the blink of an eye. Lei Youliang lay stiff on the ground, his elegant leather coat shredded, half hanging off him, his eyes filled with unyielding resentment and final clarity.

Even in death, he couldn't accept it. He couldn't accept that bringing Zhang Su's ex-girlfriend hadn't forced him to hesitate. He couldn't accept how weak his own men were. And he finally understood one truth: equipment matters—but people matter more.

(End of Chapter)