Chapter 486: Escape to Life

"Aww…"

After hearing the man with the yellow surname speak, Lei Zi let out a strange cry, stiffened his neck and shuddered like a dog after urinating, then slouched his shoulder and said, "Old man's got vision—I get it!"

Saying that, he walked up to Cao Duoliang, grabbed his messy hair, and hurled him aside, snapping, "Want to leave? Fine—strip naked!"

"Huh? Strip… uh, okay, okay, fine!"

Hearing Lei Zi's demand, Cao Duoliang's mind shriveled—he thought, I'm an old man, you're interested in this? But he reflexively agreed, his body lagging a beat behind his thoughts before he fumbled to unzip and take off his clothes.

"Get lost before you dirty my eyes!"

The man with the yellow surname saw Cao Duoliang about to strip his pants and kicked him hard, sending him stumbling.

"Alright, alright, I'm leaving, I'm going!"

Cao Duoliang had his pants halfway off, caught at his thighs, and before he could even cry out from the fall, he yanked them up and ran, bowing and scraping to the guards at the gate—his manners were impeccable.

"Hahaha, old bastard, giddyup, giddyup, run faster…"

Watching Cao Duoliang flee like a dog with its tail between its legs, Lei Zi was ecstatic—he shouted like he was riding a horse, and when Cao Duoliang reached the gate, he waved his hand at the crowd: "Horses and oxen, it's your turn!"

Cao Duoliang fled in panic without daring to pause, panting hard as he sprinted out of the auto park and onto the main road, exhaling clouds of white breath, hearing the moans of zombies nearby—he spotted a zombie wedged between two cars, didn't hesitate, and bolted down the road.

Only after turning a corner did he slow down to catch his breath, glancing back at the towering "Tongrui Auto Park" sign, a wave of sorrow washing over him.

He'd been with the Tianqi Corps for nearly two months; before, he'd been a cold dish chef in a restaurant kitchen—not a trained spy—and day after day of close company had forged bonds with the Tianqi brothers. If not for today's events, he wasn't even sure he'd have reached out to the Little Eagle Society…

"Sigh… I can't save your lives, but if I had to die with you, I'm terrified—I really am… a piece of shit!"

Cao Duoliang slapped himself five or six hard slaps across the face, his cheeks turning red from the cold, but before he could sink further into grief, a clatter rang out nearby—he turned to see the metal shed at the garbage station had somehow opened, and over a dozen zombies were shuffling out.

It was a trap set by the Tianqi Corps to lure the Little Eagle Society—probably the cold had frozen the plastic seals brittle, and the zombies, drawn by the noise, stumbled out by accident.

"Damn bad luck!"

Cao Duoliang was unarmed; one or two zombies he could handle, but a dozen? Too much. And right now, he had no stomach for a fight—he just wanted to get back to the Little Eagle Society; he'd been half-dead with fear.

After confirming the direction, he bolted—and luck was with him: barely two steps in, he spotted a sleek electric scooter lying by the roadside—not a child's toy, but an adult's mobility device, with wheels bigger than a palm, solid tires, battery and motor.

"Heaven helps me!"

Before the collapse, Cao Duoliang had ridden something similar while taking his grandson out—he was decent at it. Without hesitation, he grabbed the dirty, worn scooter; the battery was surely dead, and even if it weren't, there'd be no key—he sprinted, leapt on, and glided forward, far faster than running, and far less tiring!

"Hahaha, heaven won't let me die!"

He nearly cried with relief—the zombies chasing him fell farther behind, his speed was lightning-fast, but he had no jacket—the cold wind howled into his wool sweater, freezing his old bones stiff.

…

"Hey, hey? You're asking for too much—can you hear me?"

In Xinglong Huayuan, inside Xinglong Kindergarten, Ma Xiyu stood on the colorful rooftop, frowning.

"Damn it, what's going on?"

Ma Xiyu spoke repeatedly, but received no reply. He checked his walkie-talkie again—no fault. The problem had to be on the other end. "Brother Xiyu, didn't the Absolute Justice guys eat rabid dogs? How dare they just storm the city and wipe out the Tianqi Corps…"

"Yeah, the auto park was ours for the taking, and they stole it—what a damn curse!"

Beside him, two subordinates were deeply annoyed. For months they'd been outwitting the Tianqi Corps, even developing a grudging respect—now suddenly wiped out, they spat curses, yet felt that chilling sense of "when the lips are gone, the teeth feel cold."

Ma Xiyu clipped his walkie-talkie to his chest and pulled out another: "Lion Head, what's your situation?"

Xinglong Huayuan was a high-end residential area; the tallest building was only eight stories, all stacked villas—too short for lookout posts, so the northwest watchtower was placed on the roof of a thirty-two-story building across the way.

"No situation… Brother Xiyu, what's up?"

Lion Head had a full beard, looked no older than thirty, but the beard made him seem worn and unkempt.

"Look closer, you damn fool—stop reading porn magazines!"

Ma Xiyu snapped—he was called Lion Head because his whole head was yellow.

"No, no, I didn't even bring any… really no situation, Brother Xiyu, what kind of situation do you want?" Lion Head felt wronged.

"Fine, keep your eyes open!"

Ma Xiyu frowned, wanting to send someone to scout the auto park, but the Little Eagle Society was currently thinly manned—no one to spare.

"Brother Xiyu, are we going to the development zone to rescue them?"

One of the men asked—this mattered to everyone, since any of them could end up in the same situation; no one wanted to be abandoned.

Ma Xiyu knew exactly what his men were thinking—he nodded firmly: "Of course we're going. When Commander Liu returns, we'll gather our forces and storm over. Absolute Justice's bastards have gotten too cocky—we'll crush their arrogance!"

He said it, but Ma Xiyu knew Cao Duoliang was likely dead—Commander Liu was busy seizing resources up north, with no time to care about a spy's fate.

"Exactly! Damn it, why leave the development zone and come into the city? In my view, Leader Liao shouldn't have pushed for expansion north…"

"Do you want to die? Shut your damn mouth! You've got a mouth on your face, not a fly—control it!"

Ma Xiyu glared at his subordinate—how could he blabber every piece of intel?

The subordinate clapped his hand over his mouth—some information couldn't reach ordinary members; it could trigger unpredictable consequences.

"But… Brother Xiyu, those bastards in the development zone are too much. If we don't plan something, conflict's inevitable!"

"Do we even need to wait?"

Ma Xiyu silently sighed—they were already locked in conflict with Absolute Justice. Once the Tianqi Corps was gone, there'd be no other force between the Little Eagle Society and the development zone—they'd inevitably collide.

"I'm going to look into Absolute Justice. You guys handle things."

He had no patience for their bluster, clapped the two on the shoulders, and turned to head downstairs.

(End of Chapter)