Chapter 399: Storms Rise, Clouds Roil

Bang!

"Unthinkable!"

After hearing Zhou Le's report, Liao Youzhi kicked the coffee table two meters away; the legs screeched against the floor, no doubt terrifying whoever was busy downstairs in the pink building…

Even as it slid, not a single wine glass on the table toppled; the red liquid inside swayed and spilled a few drops.

"Ah…"

The beauty in his arms trembled violently from the jolt.

"Those northern bastards have balls of steel! They've sent zombies to my territory three or four times now—really think they can live forever?"

Liao Youzhi stood up, tossed the woman onto the sofa, and paced back and forth with his rifle, his fury palpable even through his mask.

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin exchanged a glance; a sense of dread crept into their hearts—something big was coming.

Both felt conflicted.

On one hand, they wanted their report to earn them recognition and reward; on the other, they feared it would shatter the fragile peace. If they could just keep living like this, even fewer rewards wouldn't matter.

"You two!"

Liao Youzhi halted, suddenly whirling to face Zhou Le and Xiao Lin, eyes blazing: "You heard the vehicle, spotted the horde—why didn't you chase them down and catch the bastards red-handed? Then they couldn't lie! Are you idiots?"

His anger grew; he raised his rifle, aiming it straight at Zhou Le and Xiao Lin, ready to shoot at the slightest provocation.

"No no no, Boss, calm down, please calm down…"

Zhou Le waved his hands frantically; the room was already hot, and now sweat broke out cold all over him. He knew Liao Youzhi had gone a bit mad since his son's death, but he never imagined he'd be this volatile—if he'd known, he'd have skipped the report entirely.

Xiao Lin was worse—he went weak-kneed and would've collapsed right there if Zhou Le hadn't held him up.

"We're just a search team—we've got two rifles between the whole squad! When the Vanguard Third Team went north fully armed, they lost four men. If we charged in blindly, we'd die, sure, but we wear the Survivor Alliance insignia—every death reflects badly on the Alliance. Everyone in Qincheng knows you're the Alliance leader. We have to protect your reputation!"

Facing death, Zhou Le's wit sharpened; his speech, laced with logic and flattery, made Liao Youzhi slowly lower his rifle.

"Fine, you've got a point," Liao Youzhi turned, grabbed the half-full wine glass on the table, tossed it back, then said: "Including today, we've had four zombie incursions in under a month—three to five thousand each time. Three on the North Second Ring, one nearly reached the North Ring Road. Do they really think I'm an easy target?"

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin exchanged glances—they'd heard about the zombie horde near the North Ring Road earlier. The Vanguard Team had handled it; they'd assumed it was natural. Now they realized it was deliberate. Zhou Le gathered courage and ventured: "Boss… maybe we could get more rifles for our search team? We could investigate, gather solid proof, then confront those bastards—what do you think?"

"Not a fucking chance!"

Liao Youzhi exploded: "I've tolerated this twice already—if Gong Chengming hadn't stopped me last time, I'd have wiped out the north already. Investigate? What's there to investigate? Qincheng is a solid block—would someone shit on their own bed? Only those northern barbarians would do this!"

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin stared at each other—the boss's words carried heavy implications. This was bigger than they'd thought.

"You're dismissed. Notify everyone: cancel all outbound missions for tomorrow and the day after. Stand by at all times!"

"Ah… yes, yes!"

Zhou Le and Xiao Lin didn't hesitate—they bolted out the door. Only at the end of the corridor did they remember their weapons. They turned back, shamelessly retracing their steps to retrieve them at the entrance.

"Why so angry? If you ruin your health, what'll we sisters do?"

After the door shut, two voluptuous women glided into the living room from the inner chamber—not the one who'd been playing piano. Along with the woman slumped on the sofa, there were now three. Add the qipao-clad pianist, and Liao Youzhi had at least four companions.

"Someone's spitting on my face—of course I'm furious."

Liao Youzhi pulled off his mask; jagged scars stood out starkly on his cheeks. Most thought he wore it for mystery; only a few who'd seen his true face knew why he never went without it.

"Alright, don't be mad. Let me and Sister Nuo soothe your temper."

The women were long used to his scars, and they hadn't followed him for his looks. Seeing his rage, they moved in, touching him, trying to ease his anger in their own way.

But their usual tricks failed this time. Liao Youzhi impatiently brushed away their well-kept hands: "I've business to attend to. After I finish, I'll attend to you."

With that, he walked toward a closed room.

"Yes, Master, we'll wait for you."

The women bowed elegantly as they saw him off—they knew the rules: only Liao Youzhi could enter that room; they must stay away.

Liao Youzhi typed a code into the door, stepped into the study, and shut it behind him. A dozen walkie-talkies lined the shelves. He picked up three labeled ones and walked to the window.

"Hello? Commander Liu? Another horde appeared today—time to act. Acknowledge!" After speaking, he inhaled the cold air outside, staring blankly at the ruined city streets, lost in thought.

"Fuck, spit! Those bastards up north are bold—when do we strike?"

Less than half a minute later, a rough male voice crackled through the radio, spitting as he spoke.

"Six tonight. Come to Taiyangcheng. My treat. We'll discuss details."

"No problem. On time."

Hearing the crisp reply, Liao Youzhi picked up another walkie-talkie: "Captain Yang? The north's stirring again. Time to move. Acknowledge!"

"Is this Boss Liao? Our boss is in Beihé District. What's your message? I'll relay it."

Liao Youzhi frowned inwardly—how careless, letting a subordinate hold his comms—but he stayed patient: "When will your commander return?"

"If he's lucky, tonight. If not, by tomorrow afternoon."

"Tell Captain Yang: six tonight, I'm hosting a banquet at Taiyangcheng. We'll discuss regional security. He must attend."

"Understood. I'll deliver it precisely."

After ending the call, Liao Youzhi lit a cigarette and picked up the last walkie-talkie: "Old Li? The north's been active again—sent another big horde our way. Time to act. Acknowledge!"

He sent the message and waited two full minutes. Just as he was about to crush out his cigarette and light another, a calm voice came through the speaker: "What's the plan?"

"Discuss tonight. Six. Taiyangcheng. My treat."

Two more minutes passed. A brief reply: "Good."

"Fucking hell, all of you acting like emperors. Once I finish this, I'll deal with you bastards."

Liao Youzhi gripped the walkie-talkie so tightly his knuckles turned white; his scars flushed red with rage, looking even more grotesque.

After contacting the outsiders, he turned inward. He strapped the three walkie-talkies to his body, then pulled out an internal Alliance unit: "Guard Corps, Vanguard Corps, Search Corps—all units, return to HQ immediately! Return to HQ immediately! Acknowledge!"

"Repeat: Guard Corps…"

At this moment, only Zhou Le's Search Team Three had just returned to HQ. The three Vanguard squads and two other search teams were still out in the field.

"Search Team Two, received!"

"Vanguard Team Two, received!"

"Search Team One, received…"

Search Teams One and Two responded instantly and began preparing to return, murmuring among themselves about why all combat units were being summoned.

Vanguard Team Two's mission had been light—routine zombie clearance in residential buildings. They immediately gathered and headed back.

But Vanguard Team One, led by Gong Chengming, was different.

Normally, Xiao Xuejian would've replied immediately. But now, his superior—the Deputy Leader and Vanguard Commander himself—sat beside him. Xiao Xuejian held the walkie-talkie and asked: "Boss Gong, what do we do…"

Gong Chengming narrowed his eyes, tapped the brake to signal the car behind, then slammed it to a stop in the middle of the road. He turned to look at his men and said slowly: "Old Liao's about to strike the north."

"Huh?"

Xiao Xuejian's eyes darted, his face tense: "What do we do, Boss Gong? Should we contact Tianmayu right away?"

"For now, it's just my guess. Stay calm. Don't alert Zhang Su yet—we can't risk exposing ourselves. Reply to Old Liao quickly. If we delay, he'll suspect us. Say we're heading back now."

As he spoke, Gong Chengming turned the car around. After Xiao Xuejian replied to Liao Youzhi, he whispered: "When we get back to HQ, act normal. Do what you always do. Go find your lovers, relax—just don't sit idle."

"Understood…"

"Got it, Boss."

The men in the car nodded, but tension still showed on their faces.

(End of Chapter)