[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times":3,"chapter-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-544":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Fiercest Man in the End Times",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2319782,4536,"Chapter 544: Tightening Further","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-544",544,"\u003Cp>“Boss Zhang, what’s going on with you all…?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yongguo and Zheng Ziwen packed up and came downstairs to wait, seeing a large group of people surge out, each with grim expressions, and immediately felt something was wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to go ask, but everyone looked tense, and since he didn’t know them, he just sat awkwardly in the corner waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Zhang Su emerged—he hurried over to ask.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wait!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su raised a hand to signal Ding Yongguo to hold on, then turned to look around; soon he spotted Liu Yao and waved him over: “Lao Liu, come here!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s up, Su-ge?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yao was arranging combat personnel for the kindergarten branch; hearing Zhang Su’s call, he sprinted over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Immediately notify the kindergarten side to evacuate—everyone, all of them, come to LeGou Mall. Also, assign a few brothers to help move supplies!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ah, this… okay, okay!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yao was stunned at first, but quickly understood Zhang Su’s intent: under such dire circumstances, they had to tighten their defenses—concentrating everyone made operations easier. If they could weather this period safely, expansion could wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s plenty of time—leave nothing behind. Transfer all supplies here. Understood?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Understood, understood!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Yao nodded vigorously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yang Xin heard Zhang Su calling Liu Yao and instinctively stepped closer; after hearing the order, he urgently said: “Su-ge, there are a lot of kids at the kindergarten—can I send a few of my guys to help too?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, send five people over. That’s it. Come on, Lao Ding, get in the car! You—yeah, you—go with him!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After assigning the tasks, Zhang Su called over Ding Yongguo, who stood nearby looking confused, and tossed his annoying nephew onto Zhao De’s vehicle, letting him experience firsthand the “care” of the fish-killing guy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the driver wasn’t Zhao De—it was Lu Yu. Zhao De knew his limits; he never sat in the driver’s seat when on an outside mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uncle, I don’t want to—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just go, don’t waste my time! And behave yourself!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yongguo waved at Zheng Ziwen, who looked unhappy, gave him a reminder, then hurried after Zhang Su, eyeing the cargo van parked on the mall’s first floor with deep curiosity…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss Zhang, you’ve got quite the parking spot for your ride.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d noticed this strange vehicle earlier—steaming heavily, with warnings not to approach—but never imagined it was Zhang Su’s vehicle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hah! Don’t you feel the warmth? There’s a treasure inside. Hey, actually, now that you’re here, this treasure’s got even more uses!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su opened the door and stepped in, then suddenly realized: with the old blacksmith on board, and the fire-breathing zombies aiding metal smelting, all he needed was a stamping machine—even if he didn’t have one, he’d never lack cold weapons, and could unlock even more applications! Ding Yongguo was baffled, but with the tense atmosphere, he didn’t press further; he greeted Zheng Xinyu in the passenger seat and sat neatly by the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One after another, vehicles emerged from the back pedestrian street and underground parking, the massive convoy rolling across the ruined city roads, flanked by shattered buildings—pure post-apocalyptic wasteland vibes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lao Tan, Xiao Qi, speed up, head ahead and scout the road conditions—report constantly!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lao Liu, Master Jia, head to the intersection northward and scout…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Bozi, Lao Yang, head to the intersection southward and scout…” “Everyone, report immediately if you spot seven or more zombies! Lao Li, any new updates?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su drove the battered cargo van in the middle of the convoy, moving slowly, issuing orders one after another as vehicles accelerated ahead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later, Li Zongkai replied: no new reports yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Boss Zhang, I always thought you were capable—turns out talented people thrive anywhere. Impressive, truly impressive!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Zhang Su issue orders calmly and seeing his subordinates respond promptly, Ding Yongguo was deeply impressed by his command and efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What, did you strengthen your mouth with blacksmithing skills? Now you’ve learned to flatter?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su teased, recalling how old Ding used to speak only when doing business—otherwise he was brutally sarcastic. In these months of the apocalypse, he’d changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m serious. Sigh—when we last met, it’s still fresh in my mind. Now we meet again like this. Things changed, people changed—I’ve walked in and out of the gates of hell eight or nine times!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps because it was a rare moment of ease, Ding Yongguo recalled his past experiences and his eyes grew moist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? Uncle’s gonna cry? Here, wipe your eyes…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zheng Xinyu, seeing Ding Yongguo wipe his eyes, playfully handed him a pack of tissues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This lady’s unfamiliar—not one of the dozen or so beautiful girls I’ve seen before. Boss Zhang, you’re something else!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After venting his emotions, Ding Yongguo immediately cracked a joke.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“True enough—Su-ge’s got three thousand concubines now, each living on a different mountain peak. I’m just one insignificant….”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shut up, Lao Ding. Smoke.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su cut off Zheng Xinyu’s nonsense, pulled out a cigarette, and tossed it onto the dashboard: “Lao Ding, why did you come to Qincheng? Didn’t you arrive after the disaster hit? If so, you’re tough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ding Yongguo didn’t live in Qincheng’s urban area—his home was between Qincheng and Funing County, a decent town. His forge was in the village; publicly he made farm tools, but secretly he forged blades for sword enthusiasts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Actually, no…” Ding Yongguo lit a cigarette and took a deep drag.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My sister—Zheng Ziwen’s mother—bought him an apartment in the city. And damn, what bad luck: why move on any other day? She picked the day before the disaster. I was supposed to return to the village that night, but she insisted I stay overnight in the new place.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I thought, fine, one night won’t hurt—I was still drunk anyway, better than getting caught on the road and getting punished. But the next morning—I woke up to a whole house full of relatives… you can’t imagine what it was like. Sigh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Surviving is luck enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Su didn’t even bother asking about the others—he could guess with his toes: as he said, everyone who survived was a chosen one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I heard your team used to have five people. Why didn’t you ever try joining a survivor camp? With your skills, you’d have done great—food and clothes guaranteed!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This puzzled Zhang Su. Not just their Tianma Isle—almost every survivor camp aiming to grow valued specialized skills. Even the absolute-justice fanatics had developed unknown-effect pills! Ding Yongguo, as a seasoned blacksmith, had blades recognized in small circles—he definitely had skill. A sharp blade, even a specially treated steel rod, was the best weapon against zombies. Firearms were powerful, but mainly deterred humans; they weren’t used often against zombies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With just his forge tools, Ding Yongguo could ensure a camp never lacked weapons. And blacksmiths could do more than weapons—many daily necessities, even defensive structures, were within his reach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Zheng Ziwen and I weren’t the leaders—we followed a fitness coach named Aguang. We were few, but all five weren’t dead weight—we had plenty of supplies. Aguang said joining a camp meant getting exploited; better to wait for a chance to seize territory and recruit survivors…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But look where we are now—can’t even recruit survivors. People run, people die—it’s pathetic. The zombies get stronger every day—we’re being wiped out!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he spoke of the past, Ding Yongguo shook his head repeatedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1229,"2026-06-20T15:15:16.642Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","2bbb9f141b22a61b87a04935d89b7928b62a0db4eb2d695036fbd15a0e5b011b","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-545","the-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-chapter-543",694,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-fiercest-man-in-the-end-times-cover.jpg"]