Chapter 424: Emergency Assembly

Li Zongkai took a deep breath, quickly ran through the plan in his mind, and said, "Alright, then I'll head out to the assembly point first?"

"Don't rush, Lao Li. Let me tell you about my arrangements…"

Then Zhang Su explained to Li Zongkai everything that had happened in Beidong Town—if a battle broke out, he would keep the fighting confined within Beidong Town's boundaries; bombs didn't distinguish friend from foe, and the Civilian Protectors needed to be warned in advance—better to be prepared than caught off guard.

If they were forced beyond Beidong Town's limits, they'd have to take it step by step—things had already spiraled this far, everyone was running like horses broken from their reins, impossible to stop! Time was tight; roughly five minutes passed, the briefing ended, and the call concluded.

"Um… Mr. Zhang, how do you rate our chances?"

After a long pause, Wu Daqiang asked seriously; with both leaders having agreed to cooperate, those beneath them had no choice but to follow along—no more standing aside!

Zhang Su reached into his pocket and found no cigarettes; before he could speak, one of the men beside him pulled out a pack.

"Mr. Zhang, looking for smokes? I've got some Yuxi—don't mind the brand."

The man handing over the cigarettes looked to be in his thirties, plain-looking but with a sharp, cunning glint in his eyes—clearly someone who dealt with people constantly and knew how to navigate every situation.

The other men showed no disapproval; everyone had the right to seek advantage—after everything that had happened, they all understood the relationship between Civilian Protectors and Tianmayu; their own boss treated the other side with courtesy, so why not curry favor now?

Zhang Su took the cigarette, opened it, and asked, "What's your name?"

"Luo, Luo Chengfeng."

Luo Chengfeng stepped back, showing no sign of overstepping—he was very tactful.

Zhang Su lit the cigarette and said to Wu Daqiang, "Shouting 'victory' is for pumping morale—we stick to facts. The truth is, our odds are strong."

As he spoke, Zhang Su couldn't help thinking of Gong Chengming—this man buried his ambitions deep; it was hard to believe he wouldn't exploit this opportunity, yet he'd remained utterly quiet, leaving Zhang Su with a prickling unease, like thorns under his skin.

It felt as if the real enemy wasn't Liao Youzhi, but Gong Chengming, lurking deeper still.

Zhang Su had only heard from Gong Chengming's lieutenant that they intended to oppose Liao Youzhi—but the true state of the Survivors' Alliance, even Zhang Xin probably didn't know, let alone an outsider like him.

"Damn it, you bastards better not stir up trouble—if you do, don't blame me for taking you all down!" Zhang Su thought darkly, deeply wary of the crafty old fox, Gong Chengming.

"Mr. Zhang, could you share some of the battle plan ahead of time? We can coordinate better—if Civilian Protectors have the advantage of surprise, we still won't outmatch the three alliances combined!"

Wu Daqiang's face was tense; he understood the situation of the Survivors' Alliance, the Little Eagle Society, and the Revelation Corps better than most.

Together, the three groups formed a formidable force; based on his knowledge of Civilian Protectors, he saw no opening for advantage—all hope rested on Tianmayu, yet his understanding of Tianmayu was less than five percent.

"Don't panic. Just follow our unit. I'll handle the rest. Hurry up and pack—head to my place for assembly!"

With that, Zhang Su clapped Wu Daqiang on the shoulder, gave him a reassuring look, and left the room, leaving the other five men stunned.

"What's going on?"

As soon as Zhang Su and Wu Daqiang left, Zhong Xiaoshanyi got up, a faint unease stirring in her chest; seeing Zhang Su return, she immediately asked.

"The plan's been moved up. Liao Youzhi has suddenly mobilized—he's almost certainly heading this way. Get packed!"

As he spoke, Zhang Su snatched the walkie-talkie from the bedside table, stepped out of the room, and issued orders.

"All combat personnel of Tianmayu, listen up!"

It was barely six in the morning; some had only just fallen asleep, and many were still in deep sleep—the walkie-talkie's voice was more effective than an alarm clock. Almost everyone snapped awake reflexively, their hearts jolting from dormancy to full activity, pumping blood and oxygen through their bodies.

Sensing everyone needed a moment to wake up, Zhang Su waited half a minute before continuing: "Yanluo Corps, full combat gear. Xiao Xingyun, assemble and stand by!"

This was the first time Zhang Su had uttered "Yanluo Corps"—proof he had accepted the name.

Civilian Protectors, Survivors' Alliance, Revelation Corps—all had grand names. Though Little Eagle Society sounded weak, it was still better than none. Since Yanluo Corps had gained everyone's approval, Zhang Su felt it was fine to keep using it—it sounded decent enough.

Today, Tianmayu was no different from its pre-disaster militarized state—even at three a. ., a single whistle could have combat personnel assembled within five minutes, their mental readiness at wartime levels, thanks entirely to daily training. Zhang Su listened to the urgent sounds in his earpiece and added: "Yu Qing, Liu Tianji, and Wu Lue—get dressed and meet me at Xiao Xingyun's entrance immediately!"

Core members all knew what these three were responsible for; their hearts tightened—they realized this was serious.

"Qingqing, it's cold in the morning—wear your hat, stay safe!"

Zhao Dezhu was still putting on gear when he saw Yu Qing rush out, her face tense; he called out after her.

Liu Tianji and Wu Lue, both single men living alone, pulled up their pants and hurried out of their warm rooms, swift and efficient.

"Boss, what's going on?"

"Any special orders?"

Two minutes passed; the three arrived.

"All three of you head to Beidong Town. Remember that bumpy stretch of road? Bury the explosives there. I checked it yesterday—it's a mess, perfect for concealment, nearly impossible to spot, and vehicles have to crawl through—it's an ideal ambush spot!"

"Yes!"

"Understood!"

The three turned and ran off, preparing to retrieve explosives and tools; Yu Qing suddenly paused and asked, "How wide an area do we need to cover? Fifty meters enough?"

Zhang Su stared at the dark sky, thought for a moment, shook his head, and extended his index finger: "At least one hundred meters!"

"Got it!"

Yu Qing nodded firmly.

After arranging the explosives, Zhang Su sprinted toward Qingfeng Xiaozhu.

"Boss, what's the situation?"

Wang Xin, standing guard outside Qingfeng Xiaozhu with his rifle, looked grim—he'd heard the walkie-talkie message too, but couldn't leave his post.

Hearing the commotion, Pang Dankun and Jia Shiqin, stationed at two other points, ran over.

"Things have changed. All of you, come with me."

Zhang Su said nothing more, gestured, and the three night-watchers followed him upstairs.

Ju Wuying, hearing the noise, opened the door of Room 201 and stepped out, just as Zhang Su and the others arrived; she looked at him with a questioning gaze.

"All three of you, tie up every prisoner, cover their heads with burlap sacks, and seal their mouths. Anyone who resists—knock them out. Wu Baokang is my responsibility."

"Yes!"

"Got it…"

The three, sensing urgency, didn't hesitate—they rushed inside and began binding the prisoners!

"What happened last night?" Zhang Su whispered to Ju Wuying.

"No abnormalities. After you left, he went to sleep."

Ju Wuying replied calmly, her face showing no fatigue; though she'd watched Wu Baokang all night, she had her own way of resting.

"Good."

Zhang Su patted Ju Wuying's shoulder and said, "Go prepare—you'll meet us at Xiao Xingyun soon."

(End of Chapter)