Chapter 407: They Really Came!

"Stop squeezing, my ribs are gonna break… There's nothing else on the road, as long as we don't veer off the embankment into the fields, that's enough—why turn on the lights? You wanna draw attention?!"

Zhang Su turned the wheel onto the provincial highway.

"Only you could do this—dark-hearted but sharp-eyed, hehehe, I can't even see the embankment… By the way, what did you mean earlier about it being weird?"

Zheng Xinyu didn't bother to question it; she trusted Zhang Su wouldn't lead her into a ditch.

Zhang Su rolled his eyes at Zheng Xinyu's assessment…

He snorted and said, "When Xiao Xuejian came to deliver gifts, he told me Gong Chengming wanted to kill Liao Youzhi and take over the Survivor Alliance—just like the Green Dragon Corps did back then, stirring up internal strife. But so much time has passed, and there's been zero movement. Now this has happened, and Gong Chengming hasn't contacted me at all—it's suspicious!"

Assuming Zhang Xin wasn't lying, Gong Chengming shouldn't be silent. Zhang Su figured if it were him, he'd seize this chance to launch a rebellion.

Conversely, if Gong Chengming hasn't moved, Zhang Xin must be spreading false intel—but that's unlikely, or… maybe Zhang Xin's information is wrong? There are too many possibilities; Zhang Su couldn't afford to be careless, but above all, strengthening defenses was definitely the right move!

"Could it be that Gong Chengming actually wants to contact you but can't find an opportunity?"

Zheng Xinyu tried to analyze.

"It's possible, but unlikely. Look at Zhang Xin—he's just a lowly squad leader and still managed to reach me. Gong Chengming's the Vanguard Commander, second-in-command of the entire Alliance. He could send out a team for any excuse. Unless his rebellion plan was exposed and he's been contained, or he never intended to act at all."

Zhang Su couldn't fathom what Gong Chengming was thinking. Even if he didn't want to contact him, the reasons could be countless—no single explanation fit.

Deep down, Zhang Su didn't want to get involved in the Alliance's power struggle—but if the payoff was big enough, why not? As long as the risk was manageable, he aimed for high reward, low risk…

Zheng Xinyu bit her lip, thought for a moment, then grinned mischievously: "This is the first time we've gone for a ride alone together, hehehe, so fun!"

"Yeah… first time."

Zhang Su didn't mock Zheng Xinyu's scattered thoughts. In fact, these past days training with Ju Wuying had left him physically exhausted—but thanks to the backup energy slot, it was negligible. Still, the tens of thousands of zombies wandering around the camp had created constant pressure, and he craved moments of relief.

And right now, the feeling was perfect.

Even as the cold wind sliced like knives across his face, feeling the woman behind him clinging tightly to him after riding all this way, warmth still surged in his chest.

"You analyzed all that just because you're afraid Gong Chengming's gonna ditch you? Then we'll just stand our ground. When the Survivor Alliance dares show up, blow them all to hell—kill Liao Youzhi, kill Gong Chengming, kill Zhang Xin!"

After playfully pouting, Zheng Xinyu's little demon side erupted. In the darkness, her sharp teeth gleamed as she clenched her fist around Zhang Su's hand—she wouldn't let anyone threaten Tianma Yu's safety.

"Blow them all to hell? Sure…" Zhang Su smirked. If only he and Yu Wen could think as simply as Zheng Xinyu.

"If we really blow them all up, Qincheng will lose a lot of people at once—whether fighting zombies or rebuilding, the burden on each survivor would be unbearable. If possible, I'd prefer to absorb and merge them. I don't want more deaths—we've already lost too many…"

As he spoke, Zhang Su glanced toward the direction of No. 2 Village, confirmed the location, then kept riding forward.

Zheng Xinyu understood his meaning perfectly. Tianma Yu had originally planned to eliminate the core leaders of the Green Dragon Corps and absorb as many remaining survivors as possible—but in the end, only half of West Big Camp Village remained, mostly the elderly, weak, women, and children…

Human conflict would always exist, but they also had to constantly consider uniting against external enemies. This was a contradictory era.

"I don't understand power struggles. I just want you to stay safe—I'll always be by your side, helping you. Even if you go to war with the whole world, I'll kill and burn with you! By the way, what's your attitude toward Ju Wuying? Do you like her?"

"Pfft…"

Zhang Su was genuinely moved by her earlier words—but what the hell was that last line?

"I like you? Pfft! I'll say this one last time: My relationship with Ju Wuying is purely professional. I admire her, and Tianma Yu needs her—but there's zero romantic feeling between us. I don't like her, and she doesn't like me. She's into women—do you understand? She might even be interested in you or Xiaoshan. Watch yourselves!" Zhang Su explained patiently, then looked ahead again. The newly established outpost of No. 2 Village was just ahead; based on the remote control range, they could ride another kilometer or so.

"Okay, I believe you don't like her. Honestly, I think she's incredibly strong. Everyone originally dismissed Ju-style martial arts, but after just one afternoon of training, we were stunned—it's really hard! How did you manage to stick with it…?"

Zheng Xinyu spoke with a hint of defeat, secretly envying Zhao Xue and Pang Dankun—but she didn't envy the man she was holding, because the gap was too vast to even dream of matching.

"Maybe it's because we've never been exposed to real martial arts like Muay Thai, Judo, or Jeet Kune Do, so Ju-style seems impressive. But Ju-style's combat effectiveness is more than enough for us. If you all can master even half of it, Tianma Yu's overall strength will leap two tiers!"

Zhang Su evaluated objectively. Their previous lives offered little more than street brawls; even formal boxing matches were only seen on TV—they'd never directly felt the oppressive presence of elite fighters in any combat discipline.

As they talked, Zhang Su slowed the vehicle and pulled over.

"We're here? Plant the mines right here?"

Zheng Xinyu got out and looked around. Pitch black—she had no idea where they were. She turned back toward where they'd come from; the faint glow in the distance was Weixing Village. From this angle, she couldn't see the Tianma Yu guesthouse area at all.

"I think this spot's mediocre. The real ideal spot would be the bumpy stretch of road in Beidong Town—any vehicle or pedestrian has to slow down there. But the remote control range is too short… Forget it. Focus on explosion power. If needed, we'll just set up a new outpost."

After surveying the area, Zhang Su judged the mine placement here would be ineffective. On this wide, straight road, cars would race past—there'd be no time for remote detonation, not even enough time for human reaction.

Beidong Town was different. About two hundred meters of road were riddled with deep and shallow craters—no off-road vehicle could go fast, making it easy to cluster. Perfect place to plant explosives.

Thinking this, Zhang Su led Zheng Xinyu forward.

The electric bike, once unlimiter, wasn't slow at all. All you had to worry about was the cold—if you twisted the throttle fully, it could hit 70–80 km/h, enough to freeze your face in the wind…

High speed brought one major drawback: braking distance!

Sssss.

Just after starting, Zhang Su slammed on the brakes. Zheng Xinyu's face smashed hard against his back, pinned in place. Thank goodness they weren't in the past—otherwise, her pretty face would've been stuck to his shirt!

"Did the bike break down?"

Zheng Xinyu was startled by the sudden stop, her heartbeat racing.

Zhang Su turned the bike around, his voice grave: "Zhang Xin wasn't lying. They're here!"

Through gaps in the buildings, Zhang Su clearly saw, about two kilometers away in Beidong Town, vehicles slowly navigating the bumpy road, moving with extreme caution.

Due to poor visibility and distance, even his superior eyesight couldn't make out details—but in a flash, he spotted four vehicles, all without headlights. That proved they had malicious intent. "C'mon, they're here? The Survivor Alliance?"

Zheng Xinyu tensed instantly. Though she'd faced many battles, she wasn't numb. Knowing the Survivor Alliance was a powerful force in Qincheng, she still felt some tension.

Zhang Su rode the electric bike back, glancing toward Beidong Town: "At least four vehicles. Fuck, what's going on? This doesn't make sense!"

He muttered to himself. If they really came to cause trouble, just four vehicles? How many people could they carry? All SUVs—max seven per vehicle, maybe thirty people total at most…

"Planning a night ambush? Quickly notify the camp. We'll hide somewhere and observe—see if we can do anything!"

(End of Chapter)