Chapter 434: Must Be Completely Eradicated

Qi Xiaoshuai pressed the accelerator to the floor with no traffic rules to restrain him, speeding straight down the main road to Xidaying Village in just over five minutes—mostly delayed by bumpy stretches.

The village still bore traces of its former liveliness; Ma Changshou and his men had fled in haste, leaving behind items they should have taken, scattered along the road at the village entrance, frozen in time by their panic.

Two zombies emerged from nowhere, shuffling slowly down the village path; a cold wind swept through, kicking up dust that slapped against their bodies, rendering the entire scene eerily desolate.

"Damn, back in the old days, this place could've applied for the Guinness World Record for the Most Terrifying Village!"

Qi Xiaoshuai grumbled as he hid the car, knowing Zheng Xinyu would instantly recognize his move—he'd clearly played PUBG countless times—then grabbed a steel rod, stepped out, and took down both zombies.

After eliminating the threat, he found a taller building, climbed the stairs to the roof, and gained an excellent view: the Haihe River Bridge was clearly visible, and with binoculars, he could even make out conditions on the North Second Ring Road.

"Hey, this must've been Xidaying Village's watchtower before."

Qi Xiaoshuai noticed a corner piled high with cigarette butts, a fallen bronze gong, and a dusty, broken sofa sitting alone. He casually slapped it, sending up a cloud of dust, then plopped down, pulled out his binoculars, and gazed into the distance.

"Right now, I'd kill for a milk tea—and if I had my phone to play a game, even if someone was yelling for an order, I wouldn't care…"

Cozy on the sofa, watching the desolate scene ahead, Qi Xiaoshuai felt unexpectedly at peace. Post-apocalyptic life was either perilous or mind-numbingly dull; finding even a moment of comfort was rare—and unfortunately, such moments couldn't last.

As he turned his neck from west to east, his face froze: far to the west of the North Second Ring Road—along the very route they'd taken to get here—vehicles appeared, not just one, but at least seven or eight.

"Holy shit, Su Ge's predictions are insane!"

With no time to examine the distant vehicles, Qi Xiaoshuai grabbed the radio: "Su Ge, Su Ge, situation! Large vehicle convoy spotted on North Second Ring—twenty to thirty vehicles, approaching from the east, repeat…"

As he spoke into the radio, he kept his eyes locked on the vehicles. Even from kilometers away, their speed felt like a blur—over 140 km/h, not slower than his own drive to Xidaying Village—and they quickly neared the intersection of Provincial Road 52 and the North Second Ring.

"Received. Your job's done. Hide the car, stay hidden in the village. If anyone enters, take them out if you can, hide if you can't, and if all else fails, call for help!"

Zhang Su's cold voice came back.

"Understood!"

Qi Xiaoshuai no longer dared sit openly on the roof. He crouched low, slipped down quietly, and found a narrow vantage point to watch the road.

Over at Zhang Su's end, many were staring at him strangely—as if to say, didn't you used to be a fortune-teller?

"Don't look at me like that. Deception in warfare is fair play. I've seen far sneakier bastards in business, so I could guess some of Liao Youzhi's thoughts. Since they've come, today's show's going to be Jingcai …"

Originally, Zhang Su hadn't been sure they'd come at all—or if they'd send only a small delegation. Had it been him, he'd never dare march openly into the enemy's headquarters. His earlier claim of delivering goods Shangmen was just bluffing; if it came to that, he'd sneak in silently, no gunfire! Yet Liao Youzhi was so bold—he brought over a hundred men (judging by the vehicles)—clearly aiming to settle this once and for all. Good. Saved him the trouble of future scheming.

As he finished speaking, another radio in Zhang Su's backpack crackled—it was Zhang Xin speaking.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Zhang! We're rushing toward you—Liao Youzhi's gone insane, demanding every vehicle hit 140 km/h. Fuck, what's he up to? Watch out!"

The radio's voice was faint, audible only to Zhang Su. As he listened to Zhang Xin, he kept his attention on another radio—the one given to him by Xiao Xuejian.

He hoped Gong Chengming would contact him, but there was no signal at all—this silence carried bad news, at least warranting caution.

Then Wu Daqiang's radio crackled—predictably, it was Liao Youzhi's voice.

"Zhang Su, you're listening, right? Choosing a meeting spot was a hassle. I have my views, he has his reasons—but we've settled on a town not far from Tianmayu: Beidong Town. Any problem?"

"Hahaha…"

"Holy shit, this guy… is he a genius?"

"What a twist!" Hearing Liao Youzhi's words, many burst into laughter. Liao Youzhi had calculated everything—right up to the gates of Hell. Perfect.

Zhang Su couldn't help laughing too. He truly wanted to know who came up with this idea—absolute fucking genius!

He had no idea this brilliant plan was Gong Chengming's doing. Of course, Gong Chengming hadn't anticipated Tianmayu setting an ambush in Beidong Town—he'd only considered his own interests.

"Yanluo Legion, prepare to receive guests!"

Zhang Su slapped his cold cheeks, waved to the group, and everyone moved in unison. He walked toward a vehicle.

The tank's driver had been replaced by Pan Guoliang—he was the driver, the commander, and the gunner—all in one.

"Beidong Town, got it. Fine. I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Zhang Su told Liao Youzhi.

"Time isn't critical, Zhang Su. I heard there's a particularly bad stretch of road in Beidong Town. For our mutual safety, I suggest you stop at the northern end of the bad road, I'll stop at the southern end, and we meet in between. What do you say?"

Liao Youzhi watched the wreckage on the Haihe River Bridge, speaking calmly. By the time they agreed, his convoy would already be approaching Beidong Town.

"Why is everything decided by you? Choosing the location, dictating the meeting format—were you once an official like Old Li? So fond of planning?"

Zhang Su leapt into the passenger seat; the car shot forward. Far ahead, Pan Guoliang had already started the tank—but it headed in a different direction, trundling across barren fields toward Beidong Town. Roads impassable to ordinary cars were no problem for a tank.

If the goal was only intimidation, the Type 99 Main Battle Tank should've been displayed openly. But if the intent was murder, it must be hidden.

In the Cadillac, Li Zongkai's eyelids twitched at Zhang Su's teasing.

Liao Youzhi smirked. "Correct. This plan was Li Zongkai's idea. It's meant to protect you. Liu Yao, leader of the Xiao Ying Society, has a volatile temper—he's already gone berserk after learning his men were killed by you. If you don't want a full-blown clash, accept our plan!"

Clunk.

The car jolted onto the highway. Once steady, Zhang Su pressed the transmit button: "You'd better talk him down. It's freezing out—people drop dead easily in this weather. But your plan's decent. I'll reluctantly accept it. Hurry up. I've got no patience in this cold."

As he finished, the car stopped just behind the barricades north of Beidong Town—barely a step away. You're fast? I'm faster.

Zheng Xinyu's face was grim. "Isn't Ju Wuying escorting the hostages enough? Why risk yourself? Couldn't Tan Hua just take the rooftop now and snipe Liao Youzhi from afar? Or use the tank—give them two shells!"

Since Zhang Su revealed the full plan, Zheng Xinyu had been anxious. Infiltrating the enemy disguised as a hostage—no one could stay calm.

Zhang Su shrugged easily. "You're wrong. The real danger falls on Zhu Zi. I'm hidden—far safer. Ju Wuying's skilled, but one person isn't enough. We must crush them with overwhelming force to end this battle in the shortest time."

"Once someone fires, chaos erupts—and that's not what I want. Unless Old Li and his men can reach us smoothly, wiping out the rest in one sweep would be easier…"

"And you know me—I can't let others do all the dangerous work. I must be involved. This is the time to solidify my reputation. Yu Wen's been building my image lately—you've felt it. Some things, I simply can't avoid."

Zhang Su's fingers tapped lightly on the car door handle. His mind was calm, untroubled by what was coming—this confidence came from knowing his own strength.

Peaceful talks were just a facade; behind them lay hidden murder. He didn't care what Liao Youzhi planned—this meeting must utterly eradicate the threat.

Pre-planted explosives would be ideal—but Li Zongkai and the Civilization Protectors were here. He couldn't let them die with him. Killing wasn't the goal; solving the problem was.

And the root of the problem was Liao Youzhi—or, extended further, his entire faction. Hence, Zhang Su proposed the decapitation plan.

The tank and explosives had become unnecessary tools to prevent large-scale conflict—only to be used as a last resort. Pressing the detonator or firing a shell would mean mass slaughter! (End of Chapter)