Chapter 478: Goal Achieved

"You, you… you bitch…"

Yu Nuo felt warmth spreading across his chest, but his body's heat was slowly drained away, his strength vanishing rapidly—he could barely stand, flailing his arms wildly against Pan Ru's body, slapping against her with sharp thuds but causing no real harm.

From the moment the sharp blade pierced his heart, Yu Nuo knew it was too late; his heart filled with resentment and regret as his strength ebbed and his body toppled backward, the world spinning before his eyes—his final glimpse was the face he hated most, looming close.

He reached out to grasp it—the illusion shattered; the woman still stood far away, motionless, never having come near at all. He realized she never deserved his effort. The last thread of light faded, leaving only endless darkness before his eyes.

Puff.

The corpse collapsed to the ground…

Many in the convoy gripped their weapons tightly, ready for any incident, but the actual situation proved far smoother than expected—the Survivors' Alliance members showed no special reaction to Yu Nuo's death.

The leader's woman was too far above the common members; many hadn't seen a beautiful face in weeks, so Yu Nuo's death left little impression on them.

Only Pan Ru stood trembling before the corpse, her white down jacket stained crimson, the dagger in her hand still dripping blood, drop by drop.

"This shouldn't have been your task, but since you've done it, I owe you a thank-you."

Zhang Su walked to Pan Ru's side, took the dagger from her hand, and handed it to Zhao Dechu beside him.

Pan Ru turned to face Zhang Su—it was that face, the one that had given her strength countless times when she was on the verge of breaking, the one that had carried her through.

"Big Brother Zhang, I…" As she spoke, Pan Ru caught sight of the girl with the baseball bat stuck behind her back; a flicker of embarrassment crossed her face, then she gathered courage and said: "Big Brother Zhang, it's been so long—I missed you. Can I hug you?"

Zhang Su said nothing, smiled, and opened his arms, letting Pan Ru's blood—still wet with Yu Nuo's—stain his clothes. This blow should have been his to deliver, but someone else now bore the blood debt.

"We're not done yet. Go rest for now—we'll catch up later."

Zhang Su gave Zheng Xinyu a glance, signaling her to take Pan Ru to the rear.

Zheng Xinyu smiled gently at Pan Ru and took her arm to lead her away—when another woman charged forward again.

"I—"

"Zhu, take all these ladies to the back and have them rest!"

Zhang Su's head throbbed at the sycophantic woman—he had no interest in empty beauties, but her meddling here was irritating, and the woman standing silently at a distance? Her identity was obvious—she was Li Zongkai's spy!

At this moment, exposing her identity was impossible; the best move was to remove her first.

Soon, the scene was cleared; Pan Ru and the two other beautiful women were escorted to the rear vehicles to rest, Yu Nuo's corpse carried off—though not before a final slash to the head. "Come on, everyone, look here!"

Zhang Su clapped his hands; though the atmosphere was odd, it was far less stiff and solemn than before. He spread his arms wide: "A farce, wasted your time. In this shitty apocalypse, we must learn to look forward. Everyone has dark experiences—I do too. If we keep drowning in the past, how can we welcome a bright future?"

Following Yu Wen's speech, Zhang Su now commanded the scene far better than in the early days of the apocalypse. His words instantly eased the awkward tension—many shoulders visibly relaxed, signaling their guard was lowering.

Seeing the crowd's mood stabilize, Zhang Su said: "Let's return to our previous topic. I can see some of you harbor doubts. If you have questions, speak now—anything. I'll answer. I won't let you join Tianma Yu blindly. If there's an issue, let's clear it up."

Zhang Su raised his arms slightly—clearly inviting anyone to speak, no formality needed.

To his surprise, the number of those willing to join surged by over ten—rising from 188 to 205. He wondered: Had his approachable demeanor won their favor? Indeed it had. Former leader Liao Youzhi was a nightmare—always appearing with a black mask and eye patch, like Kakashi, then removing the mask to become Gomu Jianba, cold and dismissive. Common members couldn't even bear to meet his gaze.

In contrast, this new leader actively asked after their suffering—rare indeed. Thinking back on Yu Nuo's words, they now seemed laughable. There are no purely good or evil people—only who you're targeting.

Soon, Zhang Su spotted a hand raised in the crowd—a ragged woman, her hair wrapped in a plain headscarf, her face smudged but her eyes sharp with resolve—likely tied to the half-grown boy beside her. A mother's strength—these two were mother and son.

"Come on, Mother, speak!"

"L-Lord Zhang… I don't know why, but since yesterday, it's gotten so cold here. May I ask—if we join Tianma Yu, will we have somewhere warmer to live?"

Such a simple, heartbreaking question—many nodded in agreement.

Zhang Su looked up at the Legou Mall. From its design, underfloor heating had been planned—no stoves ever intended. The building's airtightness and insulation were solid, and while burning stoves required exhaust management, with sufficient energy, it was no problem at all.

"You've lived in the Legou Mall for a while—you won't be moved from your homes yet. Heating depends on energy, and you needn't worry about that—I'll guarantee it. But to adapt your environment, you'll need to do the work yourselves. Any other questions?"

Before yesterday, Zhang Su wouldn't have dared such a bold promise. But now, tens of thousands of zombie corpses surrounded Tianma Yu. Even if only Tianma Yu and its two satellite villages were considered, and decay ignored, the bodies would last for two years.

Since these survivors chose to join Tianma Yu, they were now his people—core or peripheral, it mattered little. Some care was justified, though they'd need to contribute value in return.

Hearing their heating was assured, many broke into smiles. Hunger and cold were humanity's two greatest killers—solving this meant securing basic survival.

With his promise made, Zhang Su got what he wanted: the number climbed from 205 to 245—over eighty percent. He exhaled deeply. Yu Nuo's chaos hadn't slowed him—it may have even accelerated his progress.

But before Zhang Su could savor it, the Survivors' Alliance's tally began to flicker—then faded, vanished.

"This… you won't even let me have a single advantage!"

The Survivors' Alliance challenge was complete, but the tally had other uses—now it wouldn't even show? How stingy!