Chapter 477: The Farce Will Soon End

Yu Nuo's expression turned icy cold; her eyelid twitched as she pointed at Zhang Su with a trembling finger and declared passionately, "This guy used to live in the same neighborhood as me—I know him inside out. He's no good. He'll sacrifice anyone to achieve his goals!"

"If you follow him, he'll drag you straight into the fire. In my opinion, Wu Baokang, the Captain of the Guard, is the best choice to lead us!"

At these words, many in the crowd exchanged uneasy glances, casting suspicious looks at Yu Nuo—nominating Wu Baokang at this moment made it hard not to suspect a connection between them.

Among the crowd, an unremarkable woman pressed her lips together, gazing at Wu Baokang with confusion…

"Fuck you!"

Wu Baokang exploded on the spot. A man must know his place—he could feel Zhang Su had shown him mercy. Otherwise, he'd have been killed alongside everyone else in Beidong Town.

He only wanted to serve loyally under this new leader. Yu Nuo's endorsement was pure sabotage—if Zhang Su grew angry and took it out on him, he'd be damned! Thinking of this, cold sweat broke out on the back of Wu Baokang's neck as he roared, "Yu Nuo, you bitch, shut your mouth! I'm just a member of Tianma Isle. Brother Su is upright and capable—he exposed Liao Youzhi and Gong Chengming's schemes and saved all of us! He's the only rightful leader!"

"Yeah… Gong's deputy hasn't come back either…"

"So Gong's deputy is…"

Only then did they realize: none of Gong Chengming's faction were present—they must have followed Liao Youzhi straight to the underworld.

"That's right! Everyone in the Tianqi Corps can testify to this!"

Yang Xin finally found his chance to speak, stepping forward and raising his arm: "Yesterday, in that moment of crisis, it was the Yanluowang Zhang Su who stepped forward, fearlessly confronting Liao Youzhi and Gong Chengming! Without his bravery, I believe… we'd all be zombies by now!"

As he spoke, he lowered his head and shook it mournfully.

Zhang Su couldn't help but laugh and sigh—was he really that heroic?

"Hmph!"

Yu Nuo sneered loudly: "Brothers and sisters, did you hear that? This man killed our great leader and murdered the beloved deputy! Think of all the benefits Deputy Gong fought for us—now he's dead for no reason! And what about Leader Liao? How hard did he work to give us even a sliver of safety in this apocalypse? This bastard is still as cold-blooded as ever—he's still the butcher who didn't spare the elderly, children, or women! We must avenge Leader Liao and Deputy Gong!"

Liao Youzhi had never been popular, but Gong Chengming was different—he'd painstakingly built his reputation to seize leadership, accumulating genuine goodwill. After Yu Nuo's speech, some in the crowd began to waver.

Ordinary people's emotions were easily swayed, especially in this unstable apocalypse.

"Brother Su, we can't let this go on—I'll shut her up!"

Zheng Xinyu leaned close to Zhang Su's ear and whispered. She alone among those present knew what had truly happened—Yu Nuo was just spouting nonsense. If she kept this up, it might cause irreversible damage. Right now, it was all about who spoke louder—who had the better story. If possible, she needed to be silenced.

Not just Zheng Xinyu—many who returned with the convoy also showed signs of irritation, though not toward Zhang Su, but toward the hysterical woman across from them.

Whether Zhang Su was morally upright or not wasn't the point. Even if he were a vile, murderous, thieving scoundrel—if he could lead the camp to a better life, he was a good leader.

Conversely, even if Zhang Su were a saintly paragon of virtue, law-abiding and annually honored as Model Citizen, if following him meant three meals every nine days, he'd still be worthless.

Though those around him were stirred, Zhang Su remained calm. He vaguely recalled a saying: if someone insults you and you get angry, it means they're right. So he wasn't angry at all. In this setting, he shouldn't lose his temper—it would make him look petty and hurt his chances of winning loyalty.

Yu Nuo's reaction surprised him. During their brief past encounter, he'd known her as blunt and unable to hide her thoughts—he'd thought her merely straightforward, perhaps self-centered. But after four months in the apocalypse, hadn't she grown at all? Perhaps the "cage" had spoiled her, robbing her of growth until she became a fool.

"Let's see how far she'll take this," Zhang Su said, giving Zheng Xinyu a slight shake of his head.

Deep down, he even felt a flicker of gratitude toward Yu Nuo—using her insignificant life to aid his cause. For a moment, he almost found her endearing. If she'd been clever enough to play along, he'd have thanked her. But she wasn't. The farce would end soon. Yet before Zhang Su could strike back, someone moved first—SLAP! A sharp slap landed across Yu Nuo's face, leaving four bright red finger marks.

Those gathered around Yu Nuo scrambled backward in shock. Deep down, they still saw the four women as unapproachable Lady Leaders—when the Ladies fought, ordinary members kept their distance.

"Pan Ru, what the hell are you doing?!"

Yu Nuo was stunned. She'd been slapped—by her own close friend. Why? They'd always gotten along so well!

"Don't listen to this bitch's lies—every word she says is a lie. My own experience can testify for Brother Zhang—he's a compassionate savior! If not for him, I would've died in despair four months ago!"

Then Pan Ru recounted, with artistic embellishment, what had happened in the parking lot, how she escaped, and her ordeal at the gas station.

"Brother Zhang saved me—he gave me supplies and a vehicle, never once took advantage of me. How could such a man be the monster Yu Nuo claims?"

The crowd's expressions were priceless. No one expected such a dramatic show today—wave after wave of gossip, twists, and climaxes—adding vivid color to their dull, dangerous apocalypse lives.

Wu Baokang and others stared in disbelief. They'd never imagined two of Liao Youzhi's four women had ties to Zhang Su—it was too coincidental.

This also proved one thing: in the apocalypse, any capable man never lacks women. Look at Zhang Su—two women he'd discarded became leaders' consorts, yet he still has two by his side…

"Pan Ru, you bitch! Last night you said if Brother Liao didn't come back, we four would seize control of the alliance—so what are you doing now? Betraying us? Brother Liao's spirit will never forgive you!"

Yu Nuo was furious. She'd dared to rally the crowd partly because of Pan Ru's earlier words—but now, as she poured her heart into stirring them up, her own ally had turned and stabbed her in the back.

Pan Ru's face darkened. Her earlier words had been a momentary surge of passion—she hadn't known the man who killed Liao Youzhi and took his place was the very man who'd once saved her life…

Had she known, she'd have had no ulterior motives.

"Brothers and sisters, Leader Liao and Deputy Gong treated us well—we must avenge them! If you're a man, pick up your weapons!"

Yu Nuo screamed, her neck straining, veins bulging white with effort—she was giving it everything, nearly mad with rage.

But her cries met no response. Everyone thought: maybe he treated you well—but us? Meh…

"Ah…"

"No way…"

"What the hell!"

Just as the crowd's disdain swelled, a shocking scene unfolded.

Pan Ru whipped out a dagger from her sleeve in one swift motion and drove it straight into Yu Nuo's chest—immediately staining her beige down jacket red.

"Brother Zhang, I've never forgotten your words to me that day. Today, I kill this bitch to repay your life-saving grace!"

(End of Chapter)