Chapter 475: Welcome the Leader

"Zhang, Zhang Captain, this, you, I, the Leader… he…"

Xiao Shen shuffled forward hesitantly, stammering, pointing at the cargo truck, his face blank with confusion, not understanding what had happened.

"Looking for the Leader? The Leader's been replaced!"

Wu Baokang and Cai Zhichao jointly shoved aside the gate barrier, then flung the chain aside, striding straight to Xiao Shen and snatching the walkie-talkie hanging from his chest.

"Replaced?"

Xiao Shen still looked dazed, as if he hadn't understood a word Wu Baokang said.

It wasn't his fault—the news was too explosive; it was normal for his brain to lag behind, his processor needed an upgrade…

"Forget it, stop slacking off, get on the truck—something major's about to be announced!" Zhang Xin shoved the bewildered Xiao Shen.

Wu Baokang walked to the cargo truck's driver side and said, "Brother Su, should we warn the camp ahead of time? At least let them prepare mentally and come out to greet us."

After a night's reflection, Wu Baokang, Liu Yao, and others no longer called Zhang Su "Yanluo Wang"—that title was for outsiders; now they used the name meant for their own.

"Do it. Move fast—we still need to go to the kindergarten and the Auto City. Hey, kid, come here, have a cigarette, calm down. From now on, your Leader's last name isn't Liao anymore—it's Zhang!"

With that, Zhang Su pulled out a cigarette and tossed it to Xiao Shen as he passed by the truck.

Thump—the cigarette hit Xiao Shen's chest. He fumbled and missed it, bent down to pick it up, and dropped his waist holster gun in the process, flailing in panic…

The three surrounding men awkwardly turned their heads away, never imagining they'd one day be disgusted by a lowly grunt.

Xiao Shen picked up his gun and the cigarette, staring blankly at Zhang Xin beside him: "Zhang, Zhang Captain… you're the Leader now? Congratulations…"

"Congratulations your ass!"

Thwack! Xiao Shen took a solid smack on the back of his head. Zhang Xin snapped, "Still not got it through your skull? You idiot! Look at the guy in the truck—that's our new Leader, Zhang Su of Tianma Yu. Memorize this handsome face, don't mistake him again!"

"Get lost, hurry up, don't waste time."

Zhang Su chuckled and gestured for Wu Baokang to contact the camp immediately.

Wu Baokang walked toward the truck while holding the walkie-talkie: "Hello, everyone, this is Wu Baokang, this is Wu Baokang—we'll arrive at HQ in five minutes. Everyone, come out to greet us. Repeat…"

He only said "come out to greet," not "greet the new Leader," mainly to avoid letting members speculate and cause delays.

LeGou Mall, fifth floor, Liao Youzhi's residence.

"They're back! Girls, come on, hurry, go out and welcome Master Liao!"

The four women heard the news, ignored replies, and frantically checked their makeup, redrew their eyebrows, and fixed their hair—they had to look gorgeous to welcome the leader's triumphant return.

Luckily, they'd already tidied up when they woke up; otherwise, five minutes wouldn't have been enough.

The entire mall erupted in commotion—the Science Department, Search Teams One and Two, and all ordinary members were all electrified.

Everyone heard clearly: "come out to greet." If they were greeting, it meant victory—defeat meant sneaking away in shame, not greeting at all.

Winning the battle might not bring ordinary members lavish rewards, but it was certainly better than losing…

Five minutes meant five minutes. Zhang Su drove slowly along the kilometer-plus route, watching familiar yet alien buildings, his heart swelling with mixed emotions.

For an instant, past memories and looming future threats surged over him, making him nearly stop breathing.

Only when he saw crowds pouring out from the LeGou Mall's main entrance did he realize he now stood at a height most could never reach—at least, without this disaster, he'd never have become the Leader of even half a city! Even tiny Tianma Yu had Ma Changshou organizing a welcome ceremony; a 200-person Survivor Alliance naturally had people skilled in this—when the convoy neared, a wave of enthusiastic applause erupted.

Every face beamed with heartfelt smiles—most were genuine. The warriors' return meant their safety was secured for now, and heroes deserved proper reverence. "Welcome the Leader's triumphant return!"

A middle-aged man in his forties, acting like the overall commander, raised both arms the instant the convoy stopped, and everyone shouted in unison.

Aren't you afraid of attracting zombies?

Of course not—so many brave warriors are here, zombies that come are dead men walking! "Is it that everyone who sits in the boss's chair likes this routine, or do the subordinates just love using it to please the boss?"

Zhang Su pulled on his coat as he chatted with Zheng Xinyu. The Survivor Alliance hadn't had time to prepare properly, but they'd clearly tried.

"I think it's mutual—heehee, isn't it great? So glorious! I've never experienced this kind of treatment in my life. Go meet your subjects, Great Leader."

Zheng Xinyu giggled and nudged Zhang Su's arm.

"I'm not a king, and these aren't my subjects—hey, look! Liao Youzhi's four beauties! Ha! I'm taking them all—watch someone panic!"

Zhang Su was about to step out when he saw four stunning figures parting the crowd—wearing elegant down jackets, high heels, standing among the crowd like the only color in a black-and-white world.

Since the disaster, he hadn't seen such refined women. The two beside him had good looks, but they'd never had time to apply makeup—just a bit of skincare, never high heels; athletic shoes were the only practical choice!

"Panic? Who's panicking? I'm not in a rush. Look at them serving me—aren't they the ones panicking? Hmph!"

Zheng Xinyu didn't care whether Zhang Su was serious or joking—this kind of thing couldn't be controlled even in the old legal society, let alone this godforsaken world. To be the top wife, you needed a broad heart; she'd already figured that out long ago.

"Alright, alright, you're the best. Hey, Xinyu, look at the woman in the white short down jacket—doesn't she look familiar?"

Zhang Su glanced and spotted a familiar face among the four women. Then he gasped: "And the woman in the beige long down jacket—she's familiar too!"

Zheng Xinyu followed his gaze, her expression instantly shifting: "This world is too small! No—there are too few people here, everyone's a familiar face. Hurry, hurry, they're all waiting for you to get out first—no one dares move without you!"

At this moment, the cheering had stopped. Everyone stood on tiptoe, waiting for the Leader to appear before bursting into applause again—but he didn't move, and their hearts grew anxious.

Click…

The cargo truck's door opened. Zhang Su slowly stepped out from the driver's seat. Zheng Xinyu was right—he hadn't moved, so no one behind dared to get out first. Everyone waited. As soon as Zhang Su opened the door and stepped down, the vehicles behind began opening their doors, and people poured out.

Yet, at this moment, the scene froze on one side.

The convoy's side moved normally toward LeGou Mall; those assigned to guard the flame zombies immediately took up positions with their guns. Zhang Su strode forward with arms swinging, and everyone followed him automatically.

But the crowd emerging from LeGou Mall stood frozen in place, their eyes darting back and forth over the face of the man surrounded by the group, searching desperately for any trace of familiarity—none found. This man was unknown…

Did he get plastic surgery after just one day out? "Where's Master Liao?"

"Who's the man in the middle?"

"That guy is—he's… it's him! My god…"

Everyone could fail to recognize Zhang Su—but one person would never forget him: the woman in the white short down jacket.

"Xiao Ru, who is he? Do you know him?"

The woman beside Pan Ru noticed her trembling violently and grabbed her hand, asking urgently.

Pan Ru shook her head slightly, her hands icy cold—not from fear, but from excitement.

Beside her, another beauty reacted similarly—but her inner turmoil was the opposite: not excitement, but panic!

(End of Chapter)