Chapter 547: Different Choices, Different Fates

Humming…

Outside the mountain gate, vehicles started up one after another; as the convoy slowly departed, those inside the gate finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"They're gone…"

Zhong Xiaoshanyi had stood on top of the tank all along, watching until the people from Daqiaobao Village disappeared from view; only then did she leap down to the ground, a helpless, bitter smile on her face.

"Meng Changwei is useless—he can't even control his own men, yet he still dares to but in with his opinions. What a terrible habit! These people clearly have low quality, but why does Brother Su seem to have a good opinion of them?"

Lu Lei cast a seductive glance toward the base of the mountain, his effeminate posture instantly overwhelming nearly every woman in the camp…

Ju Wuying said coolly: "Is there a possibility they aren't all from the same group?"

"Huh?"

"What do you mean…"

"Little Ju, are you saying those people aren't just from Daqiaobao Village—there are survivors from other factions too?" Zhong Xiaoshanyi asked in surprise, recalling what she'd seen—it seemed perfectly normal.

Ju Wuying shook her head uncertainly, speaking slowly: "Too far away, my perception is unclear—just a guess, about eighty percent likelihood."

Eighty percent—the group exchanged glances; it was practically certain.

Guo Dachao mused: "Daqiaobao Village is far away. If they took the main road, they'd have to pass through Qingxian—it's entirely possible they ran into other survivors."

"Who cares if they're one group, two groups, or eight groups? We stick to our plan. As long as we don't open the gate and let them in, they can't do a thing!"

Yang Liehuo clenched his fist and swung it. He had once been utterly sincere, but in this apocalypse, human hearts had turned cruel.

"We shouldn't just keep them out—we need to strengthen our defenses against humans!"

Zhao Xue spoke, her gaze landing on Yu Qing's face.

Everyone instantly understood what she meant.

Yu Qing was no longer the soft-hearted saint she once was; she still held compassion for the truly weak, but at critical moments, she never hesitated. She nodded immediately: "Little Wu and Little Liu prepared some close-range remote devices—I'll get them ready right away!"

Ordinary bombs aren't practical against large numbers of regular zombies—they risk fire, unless their power is absurdly huge, like the massive brute that burst out of the scenic area and got blown to pieces. But they're still effective for defending against humans.

"Keep someone stationed at the gate—cameras have blind spots. They guard against gentlemen, not scoundrels."

"Exactly. Set up both visible and hidden sentry posts. That guy who was blabbering earlier made me feel deeply uneasy!"

"No problem. The reserve women's squad is idle—they're due for duty. I'll schedule them for watch duty."

One after another, everyone spoke seriously about the camp's safety.

If the guardians of civilization had been as cautious as Tianmayu, then… they wouldn't be facing this critical choice now.

"This is the situation. I'm a democratic person—I leave the choice to you. Alright, you can start deciding now!"

Inside the auditorium, Dog Brother stood on stage, his dark gaze sweeping across the faces before him.

The burlap sacks over Dazhuang and the others' heads had been removed; each bore bloody wounds and injuries, looking battered and miserable.

The Bajiazi Village group had ransacked the barracks like invaders, dragging every survivor they found into the auditorium. Those who resisted too fiercely had been killed; only seventy-five remained.

Some had their hands bound, others wore handcuffs—all had lost their freedom, standing shoulder to shoulder on stage like slaves being auctioned in a medieval market.

"Even if you force me to feed zombies, I'll never work for you bastards! You actually think I'll serve you? Forget it!"

Dazhuang was the first to answer Dog Brother's question. Blood dripped from his lip, staining several white teeth red; a wound on his head left a dry, dark streak down his cheek, his eyes blazing with fury.

Just moments ago, the leader of Bajiazi Village had given the Civilization Protectors two choices.

Either wear shackles and stay in the barracks as slaves, or be tied up like rice balls and become beacons to divert the massive zombie horde—in other words, zombie bait.

If one followed the principle that a miserable life is better than a noble death, the first option seemed acceptable. But Dazhuang knew well: temporary submission only brought humiliation, suffering, and a life constantly at risk of being used. Better to die gloriously than live in agony, clinging to a flickering candle of hope in the wind—perhaps death offered one last chance to fight back!

"Exactly! You pig-weeds don't deserve my service! Go die!"

"Hahaha, when we're dead, how long will you live? The zombies won't kill you—when Chairman Li and the others return, they'll kill you too! Chairman Li taught us to save and help any survivor who asked—yet our kindness was met with your wolfish hearts and dogged souls! If humans unite, how could we ever fail against zombies?!"

"Hurry up! Send us out now—I can't stand looking at you!"

A chorus of shouts erupted—many echoed Dazhuang's sentiment; at least fifty to sixty people were outraged. Though most were logistics personnel who had not trained for combat, that didn't mean they lacked courage or intelligence.

Becoming a slave offered a sliver of hope for survival, but it was too faint—and required enduring prolonged suffering, unbearable to accept.

"You came here in rags, begging us to take you in, claiming zombies swallowed your villages. We opened our gates for you. Now look at what you've done—you're not human. You're worse than zombies. You're the real demons!"

A man in camouflage cotton-padded clothing spoke sternly, denouncing Bajiazi Village's atrocities.

The Bajiazi villagers stood like carved statues in the dimness, motionless, unmoved by the curses.

Dog Brother's dark eyes glinted with danger. His face showed no emotion—he didn't care about the insults. His ultimate goal was simply to keep his fellow villagers alive.

In the old world, one couldn't harm others for personal gain. But in this collapsed apocalypse, there was no justice, no right or wrong—only one's own life was real.

"We haven't abused you. Those executed resisted too violently. You should see my goal isn't torture or killing for sport. I won't waste words—choose now. Those who want to stay in the barracks, jump down off the stage—I'll give you a chance to live!"

Dog Brother pointed below the stage, then added: "Those who remain here—we'll remember your bravery."

Using living humans as beacons to lure away the horde—yes, that was indeed brave… but inhumanly cruel.

"There were other ways! Why choose to harm your own kind? You beasts—monsters!"

To die standing like a hero, or to crawl on like a worm—everyone had their own thoughts.

Thud.

A middle-aged woman jumped down onto the stage floor. Her messy short hair hid her face; she said nothing, simply stood there, her feet making the choice.

Dazhuang and the others looked at the woman who chose to stay. No one blamed her—as if women naturally had the right to be fearful…

Humans are herd animals. Once the first person jumped down, it shattered part of the others' psychological defenses.

Thud-thud… thud-thud-thud…

One after another, four or five logistics personnel jumped down; an elderly man even twisted his ankle and collapsed on the ground, unable to get up.

Thud-thud-thud…

A few more followed, choosing temporary survival. They could curse freely, but when it came to action, their bodies spoke truer than their words.

"You… sigh."

Dazhuang watched more and more people choose to survive. His heart grew cold—but he couldn't truly blame them.

Suddenly, someone beside him burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, hey, Dog… suck-suck-suck."

He Jun curled his lips and blew a kiss at Dog Brother, as if teasing a dog. Seeing the man glare, he grinned: "If we all choose to stay, what'll you use to lure the zombies? Huh? Are you that dumb you can't figure it out?"

"Brothers, let's all stay! This is our camp—we won't hand it over to these dog-shits! Listen to me—stay!"

Before Bajiazi Village could react, He Jun immediately urged everyone to jump down.

"Yeah, hahaha, Old He's got brains!"

"I'm staying! I'll be a laborer—I'm not going to lure zombies!"

"Me too! Me too!"

He Jun's words sparked instant response. Most had been wavering—he gave them just a nudge, and a flood of people leapt from the stage. Chaos erupted.

(End of Chapter)