Chapter 495: Faking Stupidity Can

"What the hell… is that the thing terrorists use in counter-terrorism games?"

"I shit you not, that's the C4 that can level an entire A zone?"

"Fuck, that lump in his hand looks even bigger than what the terrorists used…"

The followers of Absolute Justice seemed to trust the speaker deeply; upon learning the true identity of Zhang Su's white lump, many instinctively ducked behind vehicles—whether useful or not, it still offered some sense of safety.

Lei Zi stood gaunt in the middle of the road; the detonation cords hanging from him looked imposing, but compared to that C4 lump bigger than a brick, he was utterly insignificant—he knew this well.

Thump. Thump.

Zhang Su hefted the C4 in his hand; the hearts of the hundred-plus people present trembled. Those who understood knew C4 was extremely stable—even fire couldn't detonate it—but fear was still impossible to suppress.

"See? I pull this out, everyone's terrified—we can't talk properly. So I suggest you take off those detonation cords, and I'll set this lump aside, then we talk calmly. What do you say?"

As he spoke, Zhang Su made an action that sent most of the crowd into a panic—he raised his hand and hurled the white lump forward.

"Hit the ground!"

Someone shouted it—no one knew who.

Almost everyone present dropped flat to the ground.

Plop…

The white lump landed with a solid thud, showing no reaction whatsoever—someone could've sworn it was a lump of plaster.

The prisoner line, stretching sixty to seventy meters from front to back, collapsed instantly as Zhang Su threw the C4—like dominoes, not a single person remained standing, because even the slowest were pulled down by those in front and behind them…

Even the madman Lei Zi flinched, shielding himself with his arm; only after confirming the white lump on the ground showed no reaction did he dare straighten up again.

"Don't be afraid, everyone—don't be afraid. Even if you shoot it, it won't explode. I think heavy weapons should be used against zombies, not against fellow humans!"

Zhang Su stepped forward, calmly picked up the C4, blew off the dust with a few huffs, patted it, then held it up again for Lei Zi to see: "I'll put this down. You take off your detonation cords. Can we talk now?"

"I…"

Lei Zi finally broke into a sweat. He gritted his teeth and turned to a companion: "Sheep, go check—see if that's really C4. Don't let us all get fooled by a lump of flour—that'd be the end of our faces!"

"Come on, inspect it!"

Zhang Su didn't refuse—he gestured for the man named Sheep to step forward and verify.

After a quick inspection, Sheep gave Lei Zi a strained smile: "Brother Lei, it's… it's C4. Made in our country."

C4 was originally from Czechoslovakia, but many countries produced it under different names; everyone still casually called it C4.

The last shred of hope shattered. The followers of Absolute Justice hadn't expected their opponent to hold something so terrifying. Looking at Lei Zi now, it felt like trying to swing a great sword before Guan Yu.

"Throw all these life-threatening devices far away, then let's talk about the deal—go home happy, how about it?"

Zhang Su pointed toward a patch of dead trees behind him.

"Fine, you're damn impressive!"

Lei Zi's attitude softened. He calmly stowed his grenades, then decisively stripped off the detonation cords strapped to his body—only then did others realize he wasn't wearing six, but ten: four more hidden behind.

Even if he'd had ten more, or twenty detonation cords, their combined power wouldn't reach half of what Zhang Su held—these two substances weren't even on the same level.

But these were all just minor players—they had no idea the true demon lord was tucked in Zhang Su's chest.

Zhang Su's main concern was Lei Zi going berserk, so he'd gone to great lengths to get him to disarm first. Once the man compromised, the rest would be easy.

"How's it going over there?"

"Alright, we'll hang the detonation cords on that streetlight over there."

Hearing the men on the other side confer, and seeing Lei Zi finally stripped of his cords with his companions' help, Zhang Su finally let out a breath.

He handed the C4 to Zheng Xinyu and called out: "Walk a hundred meters into the woods, put it down, then come back!"

But just then, Zhang Su heard a hissing sound—his scalp prickled instantly. That was the fuse igniting! He turned—and sure enough, Lei Zi on the opposite side of the road held three lit detonation cords, grinning like a madman.

"You've never tried it—how do you know if it's real? Come on, let's taste it first!"

With a roar, he hurled the three lit detonation cords toward Zhang Su…

"Run!"

Pretending to be stupid could never understand a madman's mind—who could've imagined that after everything was settled, the man would suddenly flip and light the fuses?

Seeing the detonation cords flying through the air, Zhang Su shoved Zheng Xinyu hard toward the forest, using the recoil to leap backward, his foot slamming into the ground, his other hand drawing the steel rod from his waist—he launched himself into the air, straight toward the fuses.

Zhang Su could see the burning fuses clearly—he was certain he could knock the detonation cords back before they exploded, but whether he could return all three was uncertain; they were slightly spread apart, and he had no full confidence.

No confidence? Still had to move. Passive defense meant death. Only aggressive action offered hope!

The others stared at the flying detonation cords, their minds freezing solid—everyone stood paralyzed, except two.

The first was Zheng Xinyu. Pushed hard by Zhang Su's force, she tumbled forward—her mind only remembered his shout to run. She didn't care where she hurt; she clutched the C4 and sprinted deep into the woods.

The second was Ju Wuying.

Less than half a second after Zhang Su moved, she acted too—she sprinted, leapt onto the car's hood, then kicked off with all her strength—CRASH—a deep dent formed on the hood.

Her body swayed like a willow branch caught in a gale, eyes locked on the detonation cords flying toward her, the thin steel rod already gripped tight. Lei Zi's grin was wild as he threw the fuses, expecting a show—he paid no mind to the two figures soaring through the air. In his eyes, once the fuse was lit, all effort was futile.

But he'd vastly underestimated Zhang Su and Ju Wuying. Pah—a soft sound.

In midair, Zhang Su extended his steel rod, struck the center of the first detonation cord, flicked his wrist lightly—the cord reversed course and flew back the way it came. Without pausing, his free hand shot out, snatched the second cord, and as he descended, hurled it straight at Lei Zi's position!

Almost simultaneously, Ju Wuying's steel rod touched the final detonation cord. Her technique was more refined—she tapped the tip of the rod against the center, using subtle force to halt its momentum, then gently pushed forward…

Three detonation cords thrown from Lei Zi's hand returned instantly, unchanged—this dramatic scene shattered the nerves of everyone present!

Who said only zombies grew stronger in the apocalypse? Someone had quietly evolved—and didn't bring anyone along…

"Prepare for battle!"

Chen Hanzhou was the first to snap out of his daze—but he dared not shout to fire, because Zhang Su and Ju Wuying were right in the middle; any gunfire risked hitting them! Yet his roar carried the weight of a temple bell—it jolted the paralyzed crowd into motion. They scrambled for cover, pulling out weapons.

Negotiations had collapsed. Violent gunfire was inevitable now—no matter how unwilling, there was no turning back.

Lei Zi's act of throwing the fuses stunned not just Tianmayu's people—many of Absolute Justice were equally stunned. They hadn't processed the last shock, and now new chaos hit—their brains couldn't keep up, even overclocking wouldn't help. Without Chen Hanzhou's shout, they'd still be frozen—but that cry jolted them awake. "Run!"

Seeing the detonation cords streaking back through the air, the followers of Absolute Justice all went berserk. They had none of Zhang Su and Ju Wuying's supernatural agility, none of their courage—and most of all, no time…

"Hit the ground!"

Plop. Gurggle…

Zhang Su rolled the instant he landed. Midair, he'd held his breath to maintain control—now he finally gasped out:

Whoosh—a soft sound. Ju Wuying landed several meters away from Zhang Su. Her movement was lighter, like a wildcat leaping from a wall—limbs absorbing the impact. "Run!"

Zhang Su saw Ju Wuying staring coldly at the opposite side—she looked ready to charge and kill. He grabbed her arm and yanked her up, sprinting toward his own side. Judging from the fuse burn rate, the explosion was in two seconds at most. "Brother, hurry!"

"Uncle, come on!"

Zhao Dechu and Pang Dankun waved frantically, as if time had frozen.

"What the—?"

Barely reaching the car, with no time to find a safe spot, Zhang Su heard Lei Zi's sharp, rising curse—then…

BOOM. BOOM BOOM!

"Aaaah…"

The explosion roared with agonized screams. Several cars leapt off the ground, flames roaring as if challenging the sun! "Aaaah—hold on, hold on!"

The blast wave swept outward—the van's windshield shattered into shards, the entire vehicle lifted off one side. If not for several strong men holding it down, it would've flipped! "Hurry, hurry… pfft, damn it…"

Zheng Xinyu, who'd sprinted deep into the woods at first, heard the explosion and ignored the dust and debris flying into her face—she spun around and raced back toward the road. The scene was horrific.

Dust swirled, screams echoed, mixed with heart-wrenching cries for help.

"Aaaah… help me! I'm crushed!"

"Brother Zhang, save me!"

"Come help me! Quick, damn it—I can't hold on!"

Zhang Su and Zhao Dechu hid behind the same vehicle, their strength immense—they held the van from toppling. But not everyone could match their ferocity…

At least seven or eight vehicles had been flipped by the blast wave. Over ten people were pinned beneath them. Death wasn't immediate, but serious injuries were unavoidable.

But the real danger wasn't the wounded—it was that some of Absolute Justice had survived the explosion! Pah. Pah pah…

At the front of Absolute Justice's convoy, two men were firing pistols repeatedly into the smoke toward Tianmayu's vehicles!

"Brother Xiao, we're almost out of ammo—what do we do?"

One of them was Huang Yixiao; the other's face was etched with terror.

Huang Yixiao's face twisted. He'd reacted instantly—when he saw Zhang Su and Ju Wuying charge toward the fuses, he'd run. Lucky—he'd avoided the blast. Hearing his companion's question, he hissed low: "How the fuck should I know?!"

He kept aiming and firing. He didn't know exactly what to do—but he knew if they didn't eliminate Tianmayu's people, they'd never escape.

"Those who can move, stay and rescue. Xiao Chen, handle the ones on the north. I'll take the two bastards on the south!"

Zhang Su's killing intent surged. He pinpointed the survivors' positions by sound, then darted out from behind the vehicle with agile speed.

"Leave it to me!" Chen Hanzhou didn't hesitate—he bolted off. His solid combat ability and rapid healing made him fearless in this situation.

"Hey, wait up!"

Zheng Xinyu had just returned when she saw Zhang Su charge out again through the smoke.

"Sister, help rescue others—Brother Zhang's fine!"

Wang Xin grabbed Zheng Xinyu before she could chase after Zhang Su.

If Zhang Su couldn't handle it, their intervention would just mean more corpses. Better to do what he'd ordered—someone had to manage the scene.

"Yes, let's rescue the others quickly!"

Ju Wuying had wanted to rush out to help, but ultimately chose to obey orders and prioritize the bigger picture. She gestured to Zheng Xinyu—her eyes said: Give me the C4.

Zheng Xinyu immediately handed over the burning hot potato to Ju Wuying, then joined the rescue effort.

"Hurry, go check on them!"

Yang Xin hadn't been crushed by any vehicle, but his head had slammed hard—he'd scraped his forehead, saw stars, his vision blurred and doubled—but he ignored his own pain, desperate to know the fate of his captured comrades.

Compared to the fighters, the ordinary members of Tianqi Team were mostly unharmed. When Zhang Su threw the C4, everyone had dropped to the ground, and the chain reaction made standing up difficult—so they stayed down. Plus, they were far enough from the blast. Only the first dozen or so in the front line suffered minor injuries—none fatal.

"Medicine! Yama King! Divine medicine! I need divine medicine—one of our brothers is dying!"

Suddenly, Liu Yao shouted, blood covering his head—mere flesh wounds—but he paid no mind to himself, clutching a grievously injured companion in his arms.

The man had been struck by shrapnel near his collarbone, a massive gash torn in his neck, blood spurting out with each breath…

"Here! The medicine's here!"

Zheng Xinyu naturally knew what Liu Yao meant by "divine medicine," but when she rushed over with a zombie's thalamus in hand, her arm went limp, and a look of regret crossed her face.

No matter how potent a zombie's thalamus might be, it had to be ingested—and now, the man in Liu Yao's arms stared blankly, eyes devoid of life, his chest motionless, clearly dead.

"Ah, Xiao Bei! We must save him—yes, save him… others are still wounded!"

Liu Yao could feel his companion's life slipping away; with deep sorrow, he laid the body down and turned to tend to the others.

"Fuck, you son of a bitch didn't die!"

On Chen Hanzhou's side, he darted swiftly through the flames; the ground was littered with burning car wreckage and human remains. Having seen so many zombies, none of this frightened him—he followed the coughing and found the last survivors of Absolute Justice. Seeing the two still alive, he smiled with a chilling grimace.

Leizi had somehow survived, using some miraculous method, but his condition was horrific: one arm completely gone, shoulder and ribcage a bloody mess, clothes torn to shreds, barely clinging to half a life.

"Don't kill me… don't kill me… go die!"

Beside Leizi, the other survivor faced no immediate threat; he feigned retreat, then snatched up a pistol from behind a car wheel and fired it straight at Chen Hanzhou.

Pop.

A puff of dust erupted from Chen Hanzhou's chest and abdomen—he'd been hit! "Ha! You die, uh—"

The man had barely begun to celebrate his shot when he saw Chen Hanzhou's body jolt from the bullet, then step forward, driving a steel rebar straight into him.

At point-blank range, Chen Hanzhou lacked Zhang Su or Ju Wuying's "Observation Haki," so he couldn't dodge—but he didn't need to. His petrified skin acted as armor, and his formidable regenerative ability meant unless his head was blown off, he wouldn't die.

Thud! The man was shoved to the ground by the rebar; he tried to raise his pistol again, but before he could aim, his vision went black—Chen Hanzhou's hand had sprouted a blade. A searing pain pierced his heart; only as he died did he realize his attacker had only one arm.

"Ah…"

The pistol dropped to the side; he strained to push Chen Hanzhou away, but he had no strength left.

With a strange sound, the man's brain was completely pierced; his head slumped, dead on the spot.

Thump…

Chen Hanzhou had just finished killing the man when something struck his back—light as air. He turned to see Leizi, collapsed on the ground, hurling a shard of car debris at him…

(End of Chapter)