Chapter 548: We

Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap.

Puh… ding-ding! The chaos couldn't drown out the gunshots…

Dog Brother, seeing the scene nearly spiral out of control, immediately raised his rifle and fired a burst at the chapel ceiling; bullets struck the roof and steel framework, spraying dust and sparks, and the crowd fell silent.

"You think I'm joking with you? If you don't deal with the horde, no one survives. None of you want to go? Fine! When the zombies come, every last one of you will be cannon fodder!"

We're the fish on the chopping block—where's the room for tricks? Everyone hung their heads again, dejected.

At this moment, their faith nearly collapsed; they couldn't tell whether the enemy was the zombies or their own kind. If the enemy wasn't the zombies, then the people of Bajiazi Village had seized them to defend against zombies—but if the enemy was the zombies, then those holding life and death over them were their own kind! "Justice will triumph over evil—you'll bring about your own destruction!" Da Zhuang gritted his teeth.

"Hah…" Dog Brother couldn't help laughing. He nodded. "You're right—justice will triumph over evil, because the victors always define justice."

That brutally cruel sentence shattered the survivors of Civilization Guard collectively.

The atmosphere inside the chapel was oppressive; the same tension gripped the barracks' main gate.

"Where are you from? We don't want you here—get out!"

A man in a bulky camouflage cotton coat stood on the guard post, shouting at those outside the gate. He held a rifle in hand, eyes sharp with suspicion and tension, his stance resolute.

???

Li Zongkai stared blankly at the man on the guard post—who the hell is this?

Wu Daqiang frowned. "Could it be…?"

"Hey, kid, we're from the Survivors' Alliance! We came here to trade supplies. Go tell your Chairman Li—Survivors' Alliance's Old Zhang is here!"

Zhang Su jumped down from the vehicle, his voice booming, his presence commanding—he cut off Wu Daqiang's attempt to question.

Around him, Li Zongkai and the others wore stunned expressions; as Zhang Su began his act, their minds raced wildly.

The man on top had grime on his face, a thick tuft of messy hair spilling from under his felt hat—he didn't look like a member of Civilization Guard at all, and most crucially, he didn't recognize Li Zongkai.

In under three seconds, Zhang Su pieced it all together—and reached a conclusion that would make anyone's jaw drop.

Civilization Guard has fallen!

If not for Zhang Su's quick thinking, they wouldn't have believed it even after ten more seconds—by then, they'd have blown their cover. Li Zongkai and Wu Daqiang exchanged glances; their eyes held nothing but shock and dread. They'd left Lebuy Mall, dealt with only dozens of zombies on the way, lost at most twenty minutes, and spent roughly half an hour total—yet the situation had turned completely upside down. "Insane" couldn't even describe it!

"Survivors' Alliance's Old Zhang? Trading supplies?"

The man on the guard post scratched his head, looking utterly baffled.

While he was thinking, Zhang Su turned aside and said firmly, "Don't move a muscle!"

Through the narrow gap, Zhang Su glimpsed the barracks interior—empty.

All signs pointed to one thing: Civilization Guard had been seized by the Bajiazi Village group that Da Zhuang had mentioned!

The worst-case scenario had come to pass. Logically, it should've been impossible—but the evidence was right before them. How they'd done it, Zhang Su didn't yet know, but one thing was certain: the lives of Civilization Guard's survivors were in the enemy's hands. There was no time for lengthy discussion—each man would weigh the implications in silence.

"What kind of supplies are you bringing?"

The man on the guard post thought for ten seconds, then blurted out a question.

"You little soldier, why are you so damn talkative? A few days ago, Chairman Li himself came to the Survivors' Alliance and told me your barracks were running out of daily necessities—he wanted to trade weapons for toiletries and toilet paper. Open the gate already! It's freezing out here, my feet are numb—let the boys in to warm up. What's wrong with you?"

Zhang Su strode confidently to the wall, looked up at the guard, completely ignoring the rifle on his chest—but his sharp eyes caught faint, nearly invisible bloodstains on the man's coat.

This further confirmed his suspicion. He asked casually, "Why's Civilization Guard so quiet today? Usually there are several guards on duty—where's the guy who was supposed to be on that post?"

"He went to the bathroom—he'll be back soon…"

The man answered lazily, his eyes sweeping over the line of vehicles at the gate. He was stunned—and began calculating.

The Survivors' Alliance held sway over northern Qincheng, with vast influence—even Bajiazi Village, on the outskirts of Qincheng, had heard of them. They knew it was a massive force, rumored to have several hundred survivors. Now, seeing this display, it was clearly no exaggeration.

Just seized the barracks, and now someone shows up to "deliver" supplies? This was too good to be true! "Hey, move your ass already—open the gate!" Zhang Su gestured toward the gate.

"Hold on—I'll report this!"

The guard on the post, lost in thoughts of betrayal, stepped down and pulled out his walkie-talkie: "Dog Brother, Dog Brother—some people just showed up. You won't believe where they're from!"

His voice was low; only Zhang Su outside the wall could hear. But Zhang Su had no intention of lingering outside—he calmly climbed over the wall, in full view of everyone's stunned stares.

Among the crowd, Pang Dankun's expression was the most shocked—he'd always prided himself on this trick, yet his uncle had pulled it off so effortlessly. "Xiao Chong, are you crazy? Why the hell are you dragging this out now?!"

"It's the Survivors' Alliance! They say they're here to trade with Civilization Guard—over twenty vehicles, thirty or forty people. I saw a cargo truck—probably full of supplies!"

"What the hell… the Survivors' Alliance is here?"

Inside the chapel, Dog Brother muttered the words into his walkie-talkie, his focus entirely off supplies—his face tight with tension.

A name carries weight. The Survivors' Alliance had hundreds of survivors, nearly a hundred fighters. Just for a trade, they sent thirty or forty people—only they had the power to do this in the area!

"Yeah, the Survivors' Alliance! They say they're here to trade with Civilization Guard. Hah! Isn't this just them handing us supplies?"

Xiao Chong's smug voice made Dog Brother's head ache.

"You're an idiot—do you think the Survivors' Alliance's stuff is easy to get?"

As Dog Brother muttered about the Survivors' Alliance, someone in the Civilization Guard crowd grew suspicious.

Bajiazi Village didn't understand the trade dynamics here—but they did. When had the Survivors' Alliance ever come to trade? They always went to the underground market in Taiyangcheng on fixed days. This was definitely wrong! And most importantly—wasn't the Survivors' Alliance organizing a trip to Tianmayu? How could they have time for a trade? This made no sense…

Everything is in chaos.

(End of Chapter)