Chapter 463: If You Don

Cai Zhichao turned to face the men, deeply frustrated—he knew exactly what kind of scum he was leading; their petty theft within the Alliance was tolerated because no one dared to report it, but to keep stealing on someone else's turf was beyond the pale!

But he still had to defend his own men, so he offered an apologetic smile and said, "Yanluowang, about this matter… do you have any proof?"

"Of course there's proof, but what I mean is, let them hand over the stolen items themselves and apologize to our girl—then we'll let it go. But it seems these fellows have no such intention. Why don't you try to persuade them again?"

Zhang Su spoke politely, but inside he was already plotting—he saw clearly these bastards had no intention of confessing. Perfect. This was the chance to send a signal to everyone: "Admit your theft now, or face the consequences when you're exposed!"

Cai Zhichao harshly reprimanded the men. If he could, he'd have ignored this mess entirely—but whether or not the Survivor Alliance merged into Tianma Isle's jurisdiction, as long as no personnel changes had been made, he was still Vanguard Team Two's commander…

"No, Commander Cai, we really didn't take anything."

"We just ate a piece of meat—who knew it'd blow up like this? Maybe I can vomit it back up…"

The men still denied everything. The one who'd eaten the meat even played the victim, making Mo Qianlan grit her teeth in fury.

"Da Chao, Zhang… Yanluowang wouldn't frame an innocent man. Your men are definitely guilty. I advise you to investigate thoroughly and punish them severely!"

Zhang Xin stood to the side, observing their expressions. Did he not know exactly who Zhang Su was?

Anyone who came here demanding justice must have solid proof. The fact that he was even being polite was already a favor—probably just out of respect for the crowd today. If they pushed their luck, this would explode into a full-blown disaster!

Bound by the Survivor Alliance's internal rules, the Team Two men couldn't openly defy Zhang Xin, so they just stood there, protesting their innocence.

"Da Kun, help them remember."

Zhang Su had no patience for this nonsense. He'd already smelled the stew. Get this over with—dinner was coming soon.

"Hey! Steal from Brother Kun? You bastards are dead!"

Pang Dakun's eyes rolled as he spotted Su Xiaoya watching from a stone platform afar. He puffed out his chest, sniffed loudly, ignored whether she was even looking, and strode forward.

"What are you doing? You—"

The thin man tensed as Pang Dakun approached him.

Pang Dakun spread his fingers wide toward the crowd, like a magician proving his hands were empty. "Everyone watch closely—I've got nothing in my hands, nothing in my sleeves. Now, watch this…"

As he spoke, Pang Dakun reached into the thin man's chest.

The thin man had no idea what was coming. His eyes followed the hand's movement—then his vision blurred. He instinctively raised his arm to block it—and suddenly felt a lightness where he'd hidden the item. By the time he reacted, the zipper on his down jacket had been ripped wide open.

"Come on, everyone take a look!"

In Pang Dakun's hand was a bottle of Lao Gan Ma Chili Chicken.

The sudden, flawless move left the thin man drenched in cold sweat. He'd hidden the Lao Gan Ma snug against his ribs—no trace visible from outside—and yet this man had plucked it out effortlessly? Instantly, the other three frantically handed over their stolen goods. No way they could resist—this wasn't the old legal system. No point fighting back.

Cai Zhichao looked at the loot—his head spun: chili sauce, luncheon meat, canned fish, fermented mustard greens, fermented tofu…

All worthless junk. In the Survivor Alliance, these weren't rare—combat troops had more than enough. It wasn't that the supplies were so scarce they justified theft—it was just… were these things worth risking everything for? A murmur spread.

The crowd erupted in shocked whispers. Dozens of onlookers wore strange expressions. Survivor Alliance members were especially embarrassed—some even turned and left. What the hell kind of farce was this? Total humiliation! Zhang Su shrugged at Cai Zhichao, gestured with his eyes toward the stolen goods, and said calmly, "In the Survivor Alliance, how do you punish theft like this?"

Cai Zhichao looked uneasy, staring at his nervous subordinates. He licked his lips. "In camp, theft? Cut off their hands."

"Oh…" Zhang Su nodded. He raised his hand. "Sounds fair. Go ahead, Commander Cai. Please carry it out yourself."

"No, no! Commander Cai, please—Yanluowang, spare me once!"

"I just got a sudden craving—I never meant to target Tianma Isle!"

"I won't do it again—I swear I won't!"

The four panicked, begging and swearing frantically.

The Survivor Alliance had rules, but they held little sway over Vanguard combatants—especially when dealing with ordinary members. They never took the rules seriously, so they never thought it was wrong.

In this chaotic world, catching thieves was hard enough—add class tensions, and it became nearly impossible.

Cai Zhichao felt stuck. He glanced at Zhang Xin, sensing the unusual bond between the Third Team's commander and Yanluowang.

Zhang Xin had no interest in this mess. He didn't even meet Cai Zhichao's gaze, his expression stern as he stared at the pleading men.

"Tianma Isle does not tolerate theft!"

Zhang Su shook his head—he had no intention of sparing them. Back when he ran his convenience store, he hated pickpockets most. They'd caused him endless headaches with suppliers and staff over inventory issues.

He turned his hearing fully on, using this moment to listen to the crowd's reactions—gauge their attitudes, refine his plans.

So far, no problems. Everyone condemned the four. Whether or not he was morally upright, being able to judge others felt good.

"Yanluowang, about this matter…"

"What's left to say? Pathetic trash. If you won't do it, Cai, I'll handle it myself."

Wu Baokang stepped out from the crowd, holding a decent-looking fruit knife—he'd borrowed it from Luo Yong. His own weapons had been confiscated…

"We've already joined Tianma Isle. Commander Cai knows this. I request to be punished under Tianma Isle's rules. Surely you have specific penalties for theft?"

The thin man's eyes darted, trying to play clever.

"Same here! I accept Tianma Isle's punishment for theft. If there's no specific clause, can we get a warning this time?"

"I swear I'll change—I'll never do it again…"

These bastards had quietly learned from kitchen staff: Tianma Isle only housed the Yanluo Army and a handful of special individuals. The environment was lax—probably no formal rules at all. They hoped to slip through.

"Ha!" Zhang Su laughed, turning to Cai Zhichao. "Commander Cai, is this your position?"

Cai Zhichao clenched his fists, sighed inwardly. He'd give his men one last favor as their commander—after this, they'd be equals. He nodded, acknowledging their stance.

"Yu Wen, tell these Survivor Alliance brothers our camp's punishment for deliberate offenses."

Zhang Su waved to Yu Wen, who stood among the onlookers.

Yu Wen rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly. His annoyance was aimed at the thieves. A simple hand-cutting punishment was straightforward—why complicate it? Now they couldn't back down. What a mess.

"For deliberate theft, our punishment is: ten hits."

??

The crowd fell momentarily silent—then erupted in murmurs. Many knew the origin of "ten hits." Images of Ip Man flashed in their minds—but they quickly quieted. This punishment would soon become their own chain.

"Ten hits… damn, will we shit ourselves?"

Liu Yao muttered from the crowd, thinking it meant fighting ten Yanluo Army members.

But when the thieves asked what "ten hits" meant, everyone realized—it meant fighting ten zombies barehanded, within a confined space. The crowd fell utterly silent.

"Ha! You bastards deserve this!"

The first voice was Wu Baokang, laughing mercilessly at the pale-faced thieves.

He'd once earned his living by risking his life on the blade's edge. He despised the constant petty theft in camp. But as a member of the Elite Guard, he couldn't meddle in such trivial matters. Now, seeing these thieves humiliated in another camp? Pure satisfaction.

"Come on. I'll have my men prepare the arena. There are spare zombie generators locked in the scenic area—ready to use, no need to go out and hunt!"

Zhang Su gestured politely to the four. His mood was good today, and with representatives from five factions present, he had to maintain his image—otherwise, recruiting would face resistance.

In the old world, these four would already be lying on the ground…

"Are we all going in together?"

A slightly chubby young man asked.

"One at a time. Don't worry—zombies are plentiful!"

Lu Yubo's cold voice shattered their last hope.

"I—I request to revert to the Survivor Alliance's punishment! I—I…"

The thin man was the first to backpedal, waving his hands frantically, lips dry. He'd made it into Vanguard Team Two—he wasn't weak. But fighting ten zombies barehanded in a confined space? His odds were three in ten.

Dead within three minutes. Devoured by seven.

The others quickly changed their tune, faces filled with dread, begging to revert to the old punishment. They didn't even consider resisting or lying—they knew that meant certain death.

"You think this is the old world, haggling with an old lady over vegetables? No bargaining!"

Zhao Dezhu appeared out of nowhere, roaring at the fickle thieves.

"You… you're murdering people! Ten zombies, barehanded? No human can do that! We just stole a few things—how is that worth dying for?"

True, it wasn't worth death. Zhang Su knew that. But today was special—five factions gathered here. These fools dared to steal despite the warning. Worse, they were clueless. If he didn't make an example, how would he ever intimidate others?

He was torn. Too light a punishment wouldn't deter. Too harsh would make him look cruel. The reputation of Yanluowang as a tyrant was fine among enemies—but if those still hesitant to join Tianma Isle heard this, they'd flee.

The Survivor Alliance's hand-cutting punishment was perfect. But these idiots had to make a scene.

Zhang Su listened to the murmurs around him. Some criticized Tianma Isle's punishment as brutal. Others supported harsh laws for chaotic times. Just as he was about to speak, the thieves shouted again.

"High crime costs can deter wrongdoing, but not this absurd!"

"Yanluowang, this punishment is no different from murder. Just kill us outright!"

"Ten hits… who can do it? Yanluowang, if any of you can defeat ten zombies barehanded, I, Wang Yu, will kill myself today to atone!"

The shouting grew louder. When Wang Yu declared he'd die if someone succeeded, the atmosphere turned strange.

Zhang Su's good mood was fading fast…

The other three, hearing Wang Yu, immediately joined in.

"Me too! Same as Wang Yu! If someone here can beat ten zombies alone, I'll die right here today!"

"Count me in…"

"And me!"

Cai Zhichao's face turned ashen. He knew his men were scum—but not this bad. He spoke in a dark, icy tone: "How long are you going to keep this up? You're caught red-handed, still unrepentant—what the hell do you want?"

These four weren't just acting for themselves—they represented the Survivor Alliance. The merger between Northern Qincheng and Tianma Isle was inevitable. Cai Zhichao didn't want these rotten apples to make life harder for the rest of the Alliance later.

"You bastards—I've seen enough in my years working in the supermarket, but never anything as shameless as you! Ten hits was meant for you—why should we risk ourselves? If your brain's broken, I'll rip it off!"

Zhao Dezhu's face burned with fury. His happy day had been ruined by these fools.

Nearby, Liu Yao, Yang Xin, and their companions stayed silent. Their thoughts were complex—each viewed the situation differently. But one thing was certain: they all hated thieves.

The chaotic post-apocalypse era was over. Rebuilding order would be hard—but a rule-bound environment was infinitely better than lawlessness. No matter how hard, they had to move toward order.

The world was already chaotic enough. Safe camps should be sanctuaries. Why add more discord?

(End of Chapter)