Chapter 536: Striving for Obsession

Time dripped away slowly; the atmosphere inside the LeGou Mall was not overly oppressive—the presence of the Yanluo Corps had eased everyone's minds considerably. Experience breeds growth; after witnessing the formidable combat prowess of Zhang Su and his team, everyone's confidence had grown Wuxing.

Not oppressive, but far from easy—since receiving the assembly order, they had remained on high alert for over twenty minutes. Most combat personnel were physically and mentally exhausted, forcing themselves to stay awake, smoking cigarette after cigarette, staring intently at the dark, distant intersection until their eyes ached, yet not a single hair stirred.

"Brother Su, maybe we should just contact Ding Wei that asshole again? Waiting like this is pointless. I'm so tired I could sleep with just a pillow…"

Lu Yubo's eyelids were drooping; he pulled out the radio to contact Zhang Su.

If there were zombies to fight, whether willingly or not, at least it would rouse their spirits. In this environment, not just Lu Yubo but many others were on the verge of nodding off. Hearing someone finally voice an opinion to Zhang Su, everyone immediately strained to listen.

On the mall's rooftop, various air conditioning and ventilation units lined the area. Zhang Su stood by the wall, clad in a thick down jacket, gazing into the distance. Unfortunately, the LeGou Mall was surrounded by towering office buildings, leaving his view severely limited.

He had earlier spotted distant car headlights flickering and occasionally heard engine roars—he was certain it was Ding Wei, that madman, barreling through the streets. Yet he never crossed the few blocks separating them…

Zhang Su lifted his wrist to check the time. More than ten minutes had passed since the last engine roar—longer than any previous interval. He drew a deep breath of the frigid air and pulled out his radio from his pocket.

"Notify the brothers—they can rest. That guy isn't coming."

After careful deliberation and close observation, Zhang Su ultimately reached the absurd conclusion: Ding Wei had fled.

Below, the combat personnel stationed at the shattered glass curtain wall exchanged bewildered glances.

"Ah… Brother Su, you're sure he's really not coming? Not just going to lure more zombies?"

Lu Yubo, stunned, instantly snapped awake.

Several people moved closer to Lu Yubo, hoping for a plausible explanation.

"Relax. He's gone. The zombie horde hasn't moved either. The threat is over."

Most of the Absolute Justice combatants were erratic. In their brief interactions, Ding Wei had left Zhang Su with a terrible impression—but he still believed no madman could possibly manage such a large survivor camp. He suspected Ding Wei's earlier bluster was merely a ploy to buy time for escape; perhaps he'd already made alternative plans before receiving any reply from his men.

Zhang Su even suspected that Ding Wei sending those men to the LeGou Mall was merely a gamble: win, and he takes over the mall with almost no risk; lose, and it doesn't matter—the dead are his own men, while he…

Zhang Su remembered Tian Fan telling him that Ding Wei had left all the supplies brought from the factory at a bathhouse!

A few minutes later, Zhang Su descended the stairs and was met by Yang Xin, slumped and dejected, leading a group upward, with Zheng Xinyu and other Yanluo Corps members beside him.

"Old Yang, what's going on?"

Zhang Su removed his gloves and took a sip of hot water from the kettle Zheng Xinyu handed him. He'd stood on the rooftop for over twenty minutes in minus thirty degrees—no wind, yet the cold had seeped deep into his bones. The hot water warmed him from throat to stomach.

"Brother Su, I've been tricked again by that bastard. That truckload of supplies… damn it!"

Yang Xin pounded his chest in frustration. He'd assumed that eliminating Ding Wei and the zombies would allow them to retrieve the lost supplies from the car park—only to find himself thwarted once more.

Everyone was sharp enough to know: if Ding Wei chose to flee, he'd have taken that truck immediately. As for whether he'd meet an accident en route, no one truly believed it—individual mobility often surpassed that of a large group. "Ding Wei not showing up saved us a lot of trouble. We'll find the supplies later."

Zhang Su patted Yang Xin's arm. Not everything goes as planned.

"Brother Su, I request a vehicle. I'm going to Hot Spring No. 9—I'll reclaim those supplies!"

Yang Xin stood tall, chest out—rarely had he shown such fearless resolve.

Liu Yao watched, astonished. This didn't seem like the Yang Xin he knew.

Zhang Su stared at Yang Xin for several seconds, then glanced at the former Knights beside him. He turned to Lu Yubo: "Find a well-handled car for Old Yang."

This decision startled Yu Wen, Li Zongkai, and others—they'd expected Zhang Su to dissuade Yang Xin. They hadn't anticipated outright approval.

Yang Xin clearly wasn't pretending. Seeing Zhang Su agree, his face lit up with joy. "Brother Yang… Brother Yang, I'll go with you!"

"Yes, those supplies were hard-won by us. I want to help!"

"Count me in too!"

"This…" Yang Xin had only intended to go alone—he hadn't planned to take others. He had no authority to decide now, so he turned to Zhang Su: "Brother Su, what about them?"

Zhang Su looked at the speakers. Among them was Fan Dahai of the Guangming Knights—a tall, slender "Knight" who had stood out in the afternoon's battle, one of the few former Tianqi members Zhang Su genuinely respected.

Seeing their determined expressions, he nodded: "I understand your desire to reclaim the supplies. It's pitch-black outside, and the zombies are as vicious as wild dogs. I'll allow you to go—but one rule: if things turn hopeless, don't force it. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"Got it!"

Hearing Zhang Su approved, the former Tianqi members instantly perked up.

A few minutes later, a well-maintained Atenza departed from the LeGou Mall.

"Mr. Zhang, how likely do you think they are to bring the supplies back?"

Yu Wen watched the taillights vanish into the distance, his voice tinged with concern.

In his view, these people were all vital assets of Tianma Isle. If these four never returned, it would be a significant loss to the camp.

Zhao Decol, beside him, saw Zhang Su make a hand gesture and chuckled: "All good, Big Brother says OK—that means it's probably fine. Otherwise he wouldn't have let them go."

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Zhang Su gave Zhao Decol a look that said, "Figure it out yourself," then added: "Watch closely—this isn't 'OK.' This is zero. Got it? I mean zero percent chance they'll bring the supplies back."

The "OK" hand gesture doesn't just mean "OK"—it can also mean "0" or "3"…

"Pfft…"

Zheng Xinyu couldn't help but laugh.

Several others smiled too—but after the laughter faded, they fell into deep thought. If there was no hope, why let them go? Based on their limited understanding of Zhang Su, their leader wasn't the type to send people into a death trap.

Zhang Su knew their doubts. He said: "Old Yang, as former leader of the Tianqi Corps, can't let go of the loss of the supplies. He won't rest until he tries. There's danger, yes—but since the Absolute Justice madmen made it from Hot Spring No. 9, the route can't be that bad. Let them fight for their guilt."

If they die, it's fate. We remember they gave their all. If they succeed, they become heroes."

Sometimes, what seems foolish or useless is merely an obsession. Zhang Su was rational—if it were him, he wouldn't go. Nine out of ten times, it's wasted effort. He disliked pointless tasks. He could pick up and let go.

But now, sitting as leader, he needed more than pure rationality—he had to consider emotional dimensions. After all, people are emotional creatures. Too much rationality breeds coldness, distance, and makes leadership harder.

Liu Yao frowned, his expression strange. He muttered: "Old Yang's changed… he's not the coward anymore…"

"Of course. Old Yang was never a coward. He just always prioritized the collective's gains and losses."

Zhang Su praised him.

(End of Chapter)