Chapter 326: We Want Our Share Too

"Jie Ge, four vehicles are coming from the direction of the military camp!"

On the Camry heading toward the military camp, the fat man in the passenger seat pointed ahead, his other hand still holding up a piece of clothing to cover the shattered windshield.

Jie Ge naturally saw the convoy three or four hundred meters away; his eyebrow twitched, he slowed the car, then picked up the walkie-talkie from the cup holder and said, "Ask that guy if those vehicles ahead are from their camp!"

On the pickup truck, a bearded man turned his head and patted Qi Xiaoshuai's head, saying, "Look at the vehicles ahead—are they from your camp?"

Hearing this, Qi Xiaoshuai struggled to lift his head and open his eyes, then shook his head and lowered it again, saying nothing.

"Jie Ge, no."

"Alright, then let's be careful not to provoke conflict—pull over to the side, stay friendly!"

Judging people by their weakness and squeezing the softest targets is the basic rule of survival in the apocalypse—even if it's not a pretty rule, it's practical!

The big dog and the men on the pickup all acknowledged the order.

They had no reason to doubt Qi Xiaoshuai's words, because at this moment his greatest desire was rescue; if the oncoming convoy were from the same camp, he had no motive to lie.

In the blink of an eye, the two convoys passed each other on the highway, neither stopping.

In the apocalypse, everyone is hyper-alert; unless both sides intend to communicate, it's better to avoid trouble.

"Boss, those few vehicles look familiar."

A man driving in Daqiao Bao Township spoke to his passenger, Meng Changwei, his face thoughtful.

"I've got a vague memory too—they seem to have come from Shanhai District, right? Yeah, they're probably heading to the Qinglong Military Unit for trade, and they likely don't even know it's gone! I'll notify Zhang Dangjia."

Thinking this, Meng Changwei rummaged through his bag, pulled out the walkie-talkie specifically for contacting Zhang Su: "Hello, hello, Zhang Dangjia, if you receive this, respond."

Zhang Su had just spoken to Qi Xiaoshuai and received no reply; he was pondering how to pile more zombie corpses onto the vehicle when he heard the walkie-talkie in his bag buzz—he instinctively thought it was Qi Xiaoshuai, but upon hearing the voice clearly, he found it odd.

"Big Brother Meng, did you forget something?"

Zhang Su asked curiously.

"No, we're heading back to camp—on the road we spotted three vehicles heading toward your direction, likely from Shanhai District. Just giving you a heads-up."

Meng Changwei replied.

"Oh?" Zhang Su frowned slightly and quickly said, "Thanks—I'll treat you to meat when we get the chance!"

"No need to thank me—talk later."

With that, both sides ended the call.

Zhang Su tucked away the walkie-talkie and said to those around him, "Hold on—Meng Changwei says three vehicles are heading this way. Let's see what happens."

"Huh? Could this… be remnants of the Qinglong Military Unit?"

Zheng Xinyu asked curiously.

Zhang Su shook his head decisively—he knew better than anyone whether Qinglong had any remnants left; he pointed toward the distance and said, "Bo Zi, go get Su Xiaoya—first…"

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Su heard the sound of car engines approaching from afar.

Soon after, a battered Camry appeared outside the southern gate of the training ground, followed by an SUV and a pickup truck.

In the Camry, the fat man in the passenger seat stared in shock at the zombie corpses piled along both sides of the road; as the vehicle slowly entered the military camp, his jaw dropped open in disbelief.

"J-J-Jie Ge, is the Qinglong Military Unit… gone?"

The desolate, ruined scene before him stunned him.

Jie Ge's expression was grim; his shock was no less than the fat man's—perhaps even greater, since he knew Qinglong better, and seeing this scene filled him with deeper dread.

He had visited here just over half a month ago; the scene then was still vivid in his mind—how short a time it had been, yet everything had changed…

It was clear Qinglong had been overwhelmed by a horde—but what kind of horde could wipe out such a powerful military unit?

"Someone's there!"

Jie Ge scanned the camp and quickly spotted movement near a warehouse deep inside; he slammed on the brakes beside the training ground, unwilling to approach rashly.

"Are these guys… the ones who wiped out Qinglong?"

The fat man's lips trembled as he asked, unsure whether from fear or cold.

"Are you fucking stupid? These people wiped out Qinglong? Qinglong was clearly slaughtered by zombies—can't you see the zombie corpses everywhere? Look at that wall!"

Jie Ge muttered curses at his subordinate, calling him an idiot, while mentally weighing how to handle the situation.

"Jie Ge, when a whale dies, ten thousand creatures thrive—Qinglong's gone, and those guys over there are clearly scavenging gear. The previous group probably came here for the same reason—we've arrived just in time. Shouldn't we get our share?"

Soon, the voice of a companion from the rear vehicle crackled through Jie Ge's walkie-talkie.

Jie Ge didn't respond immediately; he frowned at the distant group, knowing they had already noticed his three vehicles—the two sides faced each other across the training ground.

"They have more people than us, and all are armed—dangerous!"

Jie Ge picked up the walkie-talkie and said gravely.

"Uh, Jie Ge, maybe I should go ahead and feel them out?"

The man in the pickup's passenger seat volunteered.

"Jie Ge, Xiao Bo's the best talker—he should go chat with them."

The fat man in the Camry also thought it worth a try; even if negotiations failed, they could always leave—but if they got anything, it'd be a win.

"Alright, Xiao Bo. Go ahead—be polite, absolutely no conflict—they've got serious gear!"

Jie Ge reiterated his warning.

Survival in the apocalypse demands knowing when to be human and when to be a beast—you must know the difference clearly!

"Got it!"

Xiao Bo in the pickup's passenger seat put down the walkie-talkie, nodded to the driver, then grinned and turned around: "Hey, Dead Dog, look up—recognize those people ahead?"

Qi Xiaoshuai, who had been slumped forward, was now fully awake—but he dared not lift his head, terrified his expression might betray him.

Hearing the passenger speak and feeling the car slowly move forward, Qi Xiaoshuai half-truthfully, half-acted his way into lifting his head; his puffy eyes glanced ahead, then he weakly shook his head and quickly lowered it again.

In the apocalypse, the truth of an answer often lies not in the surface, but in other cues.

For instance, when Qi Xiaoshuai said he didn't recognize them, Xiao Bo didn't care—he cared whether Qi Xiaoshuai showed fear, surprise, panic, or excitement. Seeing him still listless, eyes dull and lifeless, Xiao Bo felt reassured.

"Su Ge, they're coming—what do we do?"

Lu Yu Bo asked, sounding excited.

Zhang Su glanced at him curiously: "Why are you so excited?"

"Strangers are dangerous—there's going to be a fight!" Lu Yu Bo whispered, a cruel smile on his face.

Several others heard him and silently thought: why not just live peacefully? Why so eager for violence…

Zhang Su rubbed his forehead: "Did you see? They're driving slowly toward us—that's a sign of goodwill, right? They're here to negotiate—don't…"

Before he finished, Zhang Su's gaze sharpened; his pupils contracted slightly—he had seen through the windshield the backseat of the pickup, where someone was tied up. He couldn't see the face, but the clothing was unmistakable!

Others couldn't see into the dark rear seat, but to Zhang Su, there were no secrets—he was certain the bound figure was Qi Xiaoshuai!

"No matter what they ask for, don't object—leave it to me to handle. Understood?"

Zhang Su turned to those around him, speaking with grave seriousness.

One moment he'd been joking with Lu Yu Bo, the next he was solemn and intense—everyone sensed something was wrong. Fortunately, most of those who had come out were core veterans; none lost composure, all nodding calmly, acknowledging his words.

(End of Chapter)