Chapter 298: He Always Does This

"Big Brother Zhang, what do you need a tank for?"

Pan Guoliang wondered why Zhang Su had suddenly fallen silent mid-sentence—it wasn't like the big brother to be so quiet; the big brother usually talked nonstop.

Zhang Su snapped out of it, too preoccupied to ponder how another person had just died. He pointed toward the command post and said, "I want to go into the lab to find something, and check if any survivors are hiding inside. But that building's about to collapse—looks unstable. I'm planning to level it with the tank."

Unexpectedly, less than two seconds after Zhang Su finished speaking, his hand still outstretched.

BOOM!

A deafening roar erupted from underground. The violent shockwave and tremor threw everyone off balance; some even fell to the ground. Those quick enough grabbed the tank or supported their comrades to scramble away, utterly bewildered, not knowing what had just happened.

Zhang Su and Pan Guoliang suffered the worst—the shockwave, laced with flying debris, flung them off the tank and onto the ground. Fortunately, neither was weak; they rolled away without injury, but their faces were now streaked with cuts, and their insides churned painfully.

When the shaking stopped and the dust settled, everyone peered out from behind the tank, staring at the explosion site—stunned into silence.

The small command post building, once sturdy, was completely obliterated. Bricks and stones were scattered everywhere—some as large as half a sedan, others reduced to fine powder. Since the blast originated underground, a massive crater now yawned where the command post had stood, and even the piled corpses nearby had been blown apart.

"Big Brother!" Zhao Dechu dug at his ear and shouted, "You're even more awesome than the tank! Just point your finger, and the building explodes!"

His exaggerated expression and wild gestures made everyone laugh, easing their lingering shock. Thank goodness they were over a hundred meters away—if they'd been just fifty meters closer, someone might've been killed.

Zheng Xinyu saw Zhang Su staggering out from behind the tank, his face bleeding. She rushed over, concerned: "Your face is bleeding! Your forehead's cut too! Any other injuries?"

"Damn it! Did those guys from Tianma Yu go insane? Why blow up the barracks?"

"Fuck, this guy was right—Big Brother Zhang is seriously badass. Words become law. If you've got this power, why even need a tank?"

Pan Guoliang climbed down from the tank's track, brushed off the dust covering his whole body, his filthy cheeks now marked with four or five bloody scratches, his clothes splattered with mud.

Meng Changwei shook his walkie-talkie. Though curious, he didn't turn back—some things were better left unknown.

The villagers from Xida Camp, carrying corpses out, dropped them and crouched with hands over their heads. The explosion had triggered their trauma—the horrific scene from a few nights ago flashed in their minds. Now they dared only glance through their fingers at the blast site, where flames flickered among the ruins, making the already ruined barracks look even more desolate.

Meng Changwei leaned out to look back, whistling: "Something must've triggered the blast. Could they've been testing the tank?"

At the barracks, Zhang Su sat on the vehicle. His hearing needed time to recover. He pointed around and ordered: "Zhu, Bo, Zhang Ya, Wu Lue—keep watch in all directions!"

Zhang Su kept gesturing frantically at Zheng Xinyu.

Zhang Su winced, shaking his head, letting Zheng Xinyu apply medicine to his wounds. In his hand, he clutched the petrified-skin hat he'd already removed. The real pain wasn't in his skin or organs—it was in his ears.

"No need. If we need help, Big Brother Zhang will contact us."

Muttering to himself, he pulled emergency hemostatic medicine from his bag and applied it to the wounds.

Everyone knew the explosion had nothing to do with Zhang Su's Death Point, but fearing a second blast, they quickly retreated farther away.

The people from Daqiao Fortress Village, just five hundred meters from the barracks, flinched the instant the explosion rang out.

"Testing the tank? Holy shit, that's insane… Boss, should we go back and check?"

The deafening noise caused another brief bout of deafness—he could only see people's mouths flapping uselessly, hearing nothing at all.

The driver of the lead vehicle glanced in the rearview mirror toward the barracks, but the angle gave him no clear view.

"Deaf! I'm deaf! Can't hear anything!"

With ears this badly damaged, the explosion's force was unimaginable—and with zombies possibly lurking nearby, a sudden ambush was always a threat.

"Got it!"

"Big Brother Zhang, rest first."

"We'll take watch duty!"

The four knew what Zhang Su feared. They grabbed their rifles and sprinted off in all directions.

Zhang Su's mood was sour—not because of his ears, but because of the number in his mind.

Less than ten seconds after one number dropped, the explosion occurred, then the count plummeted from thirty-seven to thirty-three. That meant five people had been hiding in the lab before—someone died, then the blast happened…

Now the explosion had killed the rest.

As for whether anyone could've survived the blast, Zhang Su thought it pure fantasy.

Even a hundred meters away was enough to be devastating—what about the epicenter?

Now the number in his mind read 【31/33】. Two survivors remained unaccounted for.

"Fucking hell," Zhang Su lit a cigarette and smoked silently, trying to calm his nerves.

Far away, Ma Changshou, seeing the chaos settle, immediately ordered the villagers to resume work.

After resting over ten minutes, Zhang Su saw no signs of zombies, and his hearing had nearly returned to normal—only a few more minutes until full recovery. He stopped dawdling, raised his hand as if to point at the command post, then paused and lowered it. He jumped off the vehicle and gestured toward the crater.

"No reaction this long—no second explosion. Let's go check."

He picked up his rifle and walked toward the crater.

Without a word, everyone followed.

Pan Guoliang was among them. He sidled up to Zhao Dechu and whispered: "Brother, is Big Brother Zhang always like this?"

"Like what? I don't get it…" Zhao Dechu, pleased a newcomer was chatting him up, didn't put on airs.

"The explosions—so dangerous! Why does Big Brother Zhang always go first, and we follow behind?"

Pan Guoliang didn't understand. He thought it reckless.

Zhao Dechu frowned, scratched his head, then grew serious: "Hey, now that you mention it… Big Brother really does always lead the way!"

Others nearby overheard their conversation—and their hearts stirred.

This was why Zhang Su earned his companions' respect: even when danger lay ahead, he never hid behind others to send them forward—he always went first.

Some things were never spoken aloud, but everyone felt them deep inside. After Pan Guoliang's remark, those walking behind Zhang Su quickened their pace.

"Zhu!" Zhang Su, seeing Zhao Dechu charging ahead, called out: "What the hell are you doing?"

"Heh, Big Brother, you can't keep risking yourself. Let me scout ahead first!"

Zhao Dechu grinned, turned, and bounded forward with agile leaps, weaving through the rubble—clearly his old injuries had fully healed.

"What the hell…?"

Zhang Su's hearing hadn't fully returned—he had no idea what they'd been talking about. He stared blankly at Zhao Dechu, and at his companions who had moved to his side.

(End of Chapter)