Chapter 432: Please Confirm Your Delivery Address, Dear

Liao Youzhi heard Gong Chengming's words and felt something was off, but before he could pin it down, Yang Xinqi blurted out.

"That's right—Gong vice-leader's words are spot on, Leader Liao. Our brothers' lives must be protected…"

"All I want right now is that bastard Zhang's head! Ah…"

Liu Yao brutally cut off Yang Xinqi's words, his eyes nearly blazing with fire.

At this moment, Li Zongkai became invisible—he stood quietly to the side, needing no opinion, giving him time to observe the situation. Leaving everything else aside, he immediately sensed something was wrong with Gong Chengming. His proposal seemed respectable, but it trapped Liao Youzhi in a no-win position. Especially now, with so many of Liao's personal guards watching him, every choice carried unavoidable drawbacks. He had already missed the optimal moment to strike; finding another good opportunity would be nearly impossible.

All he could do now was salvage the situation—how well he did it depended entirely on his ability.

As for Zhang Su's scheme, he had already pieced together some of it.

By eliminating one group and leaving two, this seemingly reckless act instantly created rifts between the Survivors' Alliance, the Little Eagle Society, and the Revelation Group. Now the Survivors' Alliance and the Revelation Group had a new consideration: rescuing their people. But the Little Eagle Society was different.

If Liu Yao acted honorably, he'd focus on revenge; if not, the matter might just fade away. Either way, he could no longer stand with Liao Youzhi and Yang Xinqi. Put bluntly, the three factions were already drifting apart, each calculating their own interests. "Have you decided yet? What's your answer? I've got limited patience—if I lose my temper and kill a few more, you'll regret it too late!"

Zhang Su spoke with arrogant, brainless bravado, but his eyes darted rapidly.

His casual tone terrified the hostages nearby—who knew if he was telling the truth or lying?

"Zhang Su, don't act rashly. You led the undead toward Qincheng for a reason—we can't ignore our own interests either. Things have reached this point; let both sides step back. What do you say?"

Liao Youzhi suppressed his inner rage and spoke in a low tone. He felt the subtle shift in the atmosphere.

His personal combat skills were strong—whether with firearms or hand-to-hand, few in the Alliance could match him. He also held weapons that inspired fear. But his authority as leader of the Survivors' Alliance rested on the support of his subordinates. He didn't know how much real influence his prestige held—and he dared not test it lightly.

In the apocalypse, nerves were frayed and snapped easily. When it came to loyalty and cohesion, there could be no ambiguity. His pride could wait.

"How do we step back?"

Zhang Su ignored the subtle trap in the other's words and asked directly.

Liao Youzhi spoke quickly: "Let's pretend this whole thing never happened. You release our people, and I release your people. Fair enough?"

His logic was simple: at least show a face to reassure his men and reassure his allies. As long as the people returned, reclaiming power later would be a matter of moments.

"No way."

Zhang Su flatly rejected Liao Youzhi's proposal: "How do I know those ten won't kill each other on the way back? If they die en route and you blame me, I've got a bad spine—I can't carry that kind of burden! I'm not against releasing them, but we must exchange them face-to-face. You and I must both be present to close this matter properly."

This could never end here. Liao Youzhi secretly thought so—and Zhang Su thought the same. "Better to resolve grudges than hold onto them"? Nonsense. Since Liao Youzhi had entertained the idea of expanding north, he must be crushed at the bud. Face-to-face exchange was Zhang Su's pre-planned strategy. If they met, he had ways to eliminate the other. Of course, the other might eliminate him too—then let each prove his worth. "What do you all think?"

Inside the LeGou Mall, Liao Youzhi frowned at Yang Xinqi.

But Liu Yao couldn't hold back—he cut in: "Zhang's proposal is great. When the time comes, I'll blow his head off with one shot—then the Tianma Isle will collapse on its own. Face-to-face exchange? Agree to it!"

Yang Xinqi crossed one arm over his waist, lit a cigarette, and said: "Lao Liao, is this meeting safe? As Liu Yao said, he wants to kill Zhang—but Zhang might want to kill us too."

"Coward's a coward, damn it! We've got so many men—why fear a tiny Tianma Isle? Are you going or not? If you won't, I'll take my men and go alone to deal with him!"

Liu Yao couldn't take it anymore—he felt they were dragging things out and turned to leave.

"Commander Liu, don't get worked up!"

Liao Youzhi stepped forward and grabbed Liu Yao's arm: "We're discussing this, aren't we? Why rush? If you provoke him and get our brothers killed, what's in it for you?"

"This won't work, that won't work—what do you want? Afraid to meet? How are we supposed to survive in Qincheng after this? Fuck, pfft!"

Liu Yao spat angrily on the ground.

"I'll test Zhang Su," Liao Youzhi said, picking up the communicator: "You want a face-to-face exchange? Does the great leader of Tianma Isle really plan to return our men to us?" If Zhang Su came to his territory, the danger would be relatively lower—that was Liao Youzhi's thinking.

"Return them to you? Hah, you've got a big mouth. Fine, I'll deliver them. It's been a while since I last visited Qincheng—I should go back for a walk."

Zhang Su's calm tone sent a chill through Liao Youzhi and the others. Even Liu Yao, who had been shouting loudest, grew grim. The threat was too thick—this guy was definitely planning something.

"It's easy to invite a god but hard to send him away. Why not meet somewhere outside?"

Yang Xinqi's nerves were rattled—the other clearly had ill intent. This was about retaliation, not negotiation.

"Tsk…"

Whether intentional or not, Gong Chengming let out a tsk, looking deeply troubled.

Liao Youzhi turned to Gong Chengming: "Gong younger brother, speak your mind. Your mind's sharper than mine—don't hold back."

"My view aligns with Brother Yang's. Qincheng is our stronghold. If Zhang Su is plotting something and we fight on our own turf, familiarity won't help us—it'll just get everything destroyed. No advantage, only loss."

Gong Chengming continued thoughtfully: "I think meeting at a neutral location is best. We're the stronger side. If Zhang Su is foolish enough to attack us, we'll have more freedom to act—and he'll be signing his own death warrant."

"Gong vice-leader's analysis is sharp. I agree. We can pick a spot in the development zone. If Tianma Isle dares to show up, we strike—and we can kill two birds with one stone by dealing with the development zone's problems too."

Yang Xinqi eagerly offered his suggestion.

"You fucking coward, Yang! Your calculations are too loud! We're here to solve the northern problem, not help you clean up your development zone mess! Stop dragging this nonsense in!"

Liu Yao knew the Revelation Group had recently clashed with forces in the development zone.

"Enough useless talk! Focus—where's the best place to meet?"

Liao Youzhi found Gong Chengming's plan sensible. He held massive destructive weapons—if they fought on his own turf, he'd be too cautious. But Yang Xinqi's suggestion was pure nonsense.

"I've been to the north before. One place stuck in my mind."

Gong Chengming rested his fist under his chin, eyes thoughtful: "On the only road to Tianma Isle lies a town called Beidong Town. There's a stretch of road riddled with deep potholes. I didn't know how they got that way until I learned the undead had set fire to the asphalt and melted it. I think that spot is perfect."

When Li Zongkai heard Gong Chengming's suggestion, his heart pounded and his mouth went dry. Of everyone present, he alone knew exactly what Beidong Town was like…

"What makes it perfect, Gong vice-leader? Please explain," Yang Xinqi asked cautiously.

"The potholes are extremely severe—even the best off-road vehicles can't go fast. We can meet on either side of the damaged stretch. If Zhang Su tries anything, he won't be able to pull it off."

Gong Chengming laid out his plan.

"That does limit Zhang Su's ability to attack us—but it also blocks our own offensive, doesn't it?" Liu Yao still obsessed over toppling Tianma Isle.

"First, get our brothers back safely. Then, don't you think we'll have plenty of chances to take Tianma Isle? Why rush today?"

Liao Youzhi was thoroughly fed up with Liu Yao. If not for this man's initial enthusiasm in rallying behind him, he'd have kicked him out long ago. He turned back to Gong Chengming: "How far is Beidong Town from Tianma Isle?"

"About ten kilometers? Maybe a bit less—I didn't pay close attention," Gong Chengming shrugged.

Liao Youzhi then had someone fetch an electronic map, checked the distance, and found it was nearly eight kilometers by road, over five kilometers straight-line—a vast area, stretching from north to south within the city.

"How much longer are you going to drag this out? Stop being so tedious. I'll just deliver the gift straight to Qincheng—LeGou Mall. Is that the right delivery address? Dear, please confirm!"

Zhang Su's cheerful voice echoed through the LeGou Mall, tightening every nerve.

(End of Chapter)