Chapter 422: Heed Advice, Eat Well

"I…"

Wu Baokang struggled to his feet, his whole body aching fiercely in many places, contorting as he moved.

His prized combat ability meant nothing in the other's eyes—what the hell was he supposed to do now? The feeling was utterly miserable. He gritted his teeth and said, "I'm not causing trouble anymore. Send me medical staff, and I want food—give me some meat!"

"You've lost your mind. Listen well: I'm going to rest now, but I've ordered the duty personnel to report any noise from you immediately. If my sleep is disturbed, I'll take it out on you—I'll break both your legs and hang you upside down! Don't even think about escaping—you won't make it out of Qingfeng Xiaozhu alive."

Zhang Su spoke with a flat tone, yet his words carried terrifying weight: not only did Wu Baokang frown and clamp his mouth shut, but even Zhao De, standing beside him, felt a chill run down his spine.

Break the legs, then hang you upside down—how much pain would that be…

The two left again. This time Wu Baokang stayed silent, standing in place and watching them depart. Once the gate closed, he plopped onto the bed and began cleaning his wounds himself, though his face wore an expression of stubborn resentment—no doubt cursing under his breath.

Huh.

The door opened again. Seeing Zhang Su's head peek in, Wu Baokang jolted in fear—had his inner thoughts been heard?

"Does Liao Youzhi know my name, appearance, and characteristics?"

Wu Baokang froze, mechanically replying, "Only your name. Nothing else."

"Good night!"

Thud—the gate slammed shut. Wu Baokang exhaled deeply, this time even his silent curses grew quieter.

"Bro, I gotta say, after learning martial arts from that Japanese woman, your whole aura's changed!"

Zhao Dezhu said thoughtfully as they left Qingfeng Xiaozhu.

Zhang Su shook his head with his hands behind his back: "No real difference—just a bit stronger in combat, so you think my aura's sharper now… Enough about me. You've interrogated fast—what've you got from the nine over there?"

Zhao Dezhu pulled out a cigarette, offered one to Zhang Su, lit up, and said, "Except for one guy named Dongliang who's all talk, the other eight all gave the same story: Liao Youzhi gathered the Civilization Protectors, the Little Eagle Society, and the Awakening Group to take us down, aiming to expand northward. A bunch of bastards!"

Zhang Su raised an eyebrow: "Didn't the four from the Survivors' Alliance tell you anything else? Like Liao Youzhi's real goal?"

"What real goal? He just wants to swallow us up and divide the northern resources—that's it. Liao Youzhi led it, first approached the Little Eagle Society, then the Civilization Protectors, then the Awakening Group—and even the Four Tigers of Beicheng, ugh!"

Zhao Dezhu spat on the ground.

"The Civilization Protectors shouldn't count. Old Li doesn't know Tianma Yu is our territory—if he did, he wouldn't have gotten involved."

Zhang Su waved a hand to explain—he didn't want any misunderstandings, since the two sides would inevitably meet.

Zhao Dezhu clearly didn't know about Zhang Su's ties with Li Zongkai. He spoke cautiously: "Bro, our relationship with Old Li isn't strong, and that guy was definitely an official—looks slick and cunning. Can we trust him?"

Zhang Su patted Zhao Dezhu's shoulder and nodded: "Bro, don't worry. Some things I can't tell everyone, but your future father-in-law knows. Ask him sometime—you'll understand."

"Oh, then forget it. You guys handle it—I don't get it, and I won't mess things up."

Hearing his future father-in-law knew, Zhao Dezhu immediately shook his head vigorously.

It wasn't that he trusted Yu Wen more—he just couldn't keep up when discussing such matters with him, always got scolded, and preferred to avoid those conversations.

"Bro, forget the Civilization Protectors—what do we do about the Survivors' Alliance trying to stir things up? Stick to our old defense-and-counterattack plan?"

Zhang Su shook his head: "Not this time. We can't lure them to camp—it's too dangerous."

The Flame Zombies were only a moderate threat. What truly worried Zhang Su was the mysterious biochemical weapon Liao Youzhi possessed. According to Wu Baokang, its existence was uncertain—but in matters like this, better safe than sorry. A contingency plan was essential.

"Yeah, you say dangerous—I think Wu Baokang is the dangerous one! He's told us enough—just kill him. What do you think, bro?" Zhao Dezhu hated Wu Baokang intensely—a capable guy, but his mouth ran like an old woman's, and he loved cursing.

"He's Liao Youzhi's top enforcer, skilled and currently not a direct threat. He's got ties to the Survivors' Alliance—keep him alive for now. See if we can persuade him to surrender."

If Wu Baokang had been just a loudmouthed fool, he'd have been cut down right after questioning. But since he was capable, Zhang Su decided to keep him. More importantly, Zhang Su's own power had surged recently—he saw Wu Baokang as no real threat. Confidence came from strength.

"Bro, I get Wu Baokang isn't a threat to you, but I don't trust Little Lu and the others to hold him!" Since the Satellite Village was founded, Zhao Dezhu had come to understand the value of people and talent. He wasn't surprised by Zhang Su's decision—but he still feared Wu Baokang might violently escape at any moment.

"Then we need someone reliable assigned to guard him specifically." Zhang Su smiled knowingly, then picked up his radio: "Hey, Sakura, respond if you hear me."

Inside Maple Lodge, Orin Sakura was telling Yi Xiaoling about the thrilling events in Beidong Town, both smiling warmly. Suddenly, the radio called her name. She frowned slightly and replied, "Received."

"Wu Baokang is an extreme danger. He's currently detained in Qingfeng Xiaozhu, Room 202. I need you to take charge of his guard."

Zhao Dezhu, listening to Zhang Su's order, wore a comical expression. Once Zhang Su released the transmit button, he grinned: "That Japanese girl's got pride—if she refuses, bro, you'll look foolish."

Zhang Su smiled confidently: "Impossible."

As expected, Orin Sakura simply replied, "Okay," then left Maple Lodge immediately, even crossing paths with Zhang Su and Zhao Dezhu on the way.

"I need you to guard him tonight—try to resolve it by tomorrow. I'll treat you to good wine."

Zhang Su smiled in promise.

"It's my duty—but I'll accept the wine."

With that, Orin Sakura tightened her collar and headed toward Qingfeng Xiaozhu.

Zhao Dezhu stood beside him, expression stunned. Once Orin Sakura was out of sight, he leaned close to Zhang Su: "Bro, don't tell me you've… conquered that Japanese girl?!"

"What do you mean by 'conquered'? If you mean combat power—congratulations. You're right."

"Combat power… conquered…"

Zhang Su walked off, leaving Zhao Dezhu standing bewildered in the night wind.

"How's it going? What's the situation?"

Zhang Su walked into his home. Zheng Xinyu stepped forward, took his coat, and asked urgently.

"Things are worse than I thought. Liao Youzhi has some damn weapons. I plan to go into the city tomorrow—capture the snake by striking its head. Take down Liao Youzhi, and everything resolves itself."

Zhang Su spoke softly, calm and composed—as if saying he'd have fried eggs for breakfast tomorrow.

But to Zheng Xinyu, the plan sounded like thunder. She jumped back, shaking her head frantically: "No, no, no—you can't go! Are you crazy? That's walking straight into a trap! Too dangerous! Let them come to Beidong Town—we'll blow them all to hell!"

Zhang Su chuckled, ruffling Zheng Xinyu's hair. The dry strands crackled with static, becoming messy. "Relax. Do I look like an idiot? Would I rush into danger blindly? If it's too risky, I won't force it. Just trust me."

Zheng Xinyu made a face and kept pleading—appealing to emotion, logic, even citing tactics from PUBG and CS.

Zhang Su had been confident—but her persistent arguments made him waver. Not because he doubted himself, but because Zheng Xinyu had the trait 【Good Fortune】. Her intense opposition meant something was wrong. He decided to test one last time.

"Xinyu, can you say something lucky? Wish me success?"

Zheng Xinyu looked at Zhang Su seriously, lips pressed tight, and shook her head: "Husband, of course I want you to succeed—but you absolutely cannot go. I feel so uneasy. I know you've grown stronger, your confidence is sky-high—but I'm terrified. Let's be superstitious, okay?"

Zheng Xinyu gripped Zhang Su's arm tightly, eyes locked on his, more determined than ever.

…Fine.

Zhang Su thought to himself: if the Lucky Star says this, pushing forward would be walking into a firepit.

"Alright, I'll listen to you once. No matter how strong one person is, there are limits. Tomorrow we'll plant explosives. When they come, we blow them all to hell."

"Yes! Blow them to hell!"

Zheng Xinyu grinned, showing her little canine teeth, fists clenched tight.

(End of Chapter)