Chapter 563

They've spotted us!

Of course they have—we're this many people! Boss, what do we do?

Quick, everyone smile, act friendly, follow me—raise your hands like this. Don't let them think we're reaching for weapons. I'm telling you, this is no joke!

Meng Changwei had one eye, his face lined with hardship, looking somewhat fierce—but whenever he spoke, he was full of wit.

Everyone around him obediently followed suit. No joking around—opposite them were hundreds of people; not exaggerating, one slap each could kill them all.

The Flying Wolf Gang members also cooperated fully, daring not to make a single improper move, as if they too were from Daqiao Fortress Village, their movements perfectly synchronized.

Yet just as Meng Changwei led his men forward with hands raised, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in his vision—a woman leaping off the first vehicle, a battered box truck, onto the ground.

We're done!

Meng Changwei's heart turned cold.

What's wrong, Boss?

Xiao Wei, who stood beside Meng Changwei, heard the mutter and asked in surprise.

Nothing, nothing! Don't ask.

Meng Changwei's expression darkened. He had seen Zheng Xinyu before and recognized her instantly—but he hadn't spotted Zhang Su near the first vehicle. This sent him a very bad signal: it seemed Master Zhang was truly dead. Yet he still clung to a sliver of hope, his gaze swiftly scanning past Zheng Xinyu—and then familiar faces appeared along the road, armed with rifles, some even wearing strange, ugly hats that symbolized Tianma Island's spirit…

He saw many people, but not a single trace of Zhang Su. Meng Changwei sighed deeply. They were now thirty meters from the roadside. He called out loudly: "Sister-in-law, I'm Meng Changwei from Daqiao Fortress Village. Do you remember me?"

The shout drew no reaction from the hundred-plus people beside the convoy—but it startled the Flying Wolf Gang members beside Meng Changwei.

Meng Changwei knew them? Damn, these were acquaintances—this was truly Tianma Island's convoy! Many in the Flying Wolf Gang exchanged glances, silently asking: What now? Qi Dabin's mind churned with dark smoke, his thoughts racing—finally, after agonizing hesitation, he chose silence, making no move.

Since the Boss made no further move, everyone else naturally copied him, maintaining their calm demeanor.

Xie Guangfa stood among the crowd, his half-lidded eyes fixed on Qi Dabin, as well as Da Niu, Shou Hou, and other key troublemakers. Seeing they made no move, he silently raised his guard. "Huh? How did they show up here…?"

Zheng Xinyu looked at Meng Changwei, who waved his arms, with mild surprise—his unmistakable face was etched clearly in her memory.

"Judging by this pitiful look, they must've fled here. Lately, so many camps have fallen—it's even brought them running to us…"

Zhao Dezhu analyzed thoughtfully.

"Hey, Boss Meng, how's it going? Could you folks please put down your weapons?"

Zheng Xinyu waved back, greeting them—but made no move to approach. She stuck to caution: whether familiar or not, weapons down first, then talk.

Many in the Flying Wolf Gang twitched their lips. Such a naked display of reality—Daqiao Fortress Village had to surrender weapons, while the other side remained fully armed. Weakness meant obedience.

Some in Daqiao Fortress Village grumbled inwardly, but seeing Meng Changwei toss his submachine gun far away without hesitation, they followed suit.

"Sorry about this—it's Brother Su's rule. We have to prioritize the safety of the majority. Please understand. Don't rush—he's coming from behind, just needs a little time!"

Zheng Xinyu, seeing their cooperation and apparent friendliness, felt considerably relieved. She pointed toward the rear of the convoy.

A casual remark—but it struck Daqiao Fortress Village and the Flying Wolf Gang like thunder. All eyes followed Zheng Xinyu's finger—and there, unexpectedly, a sidecar motorcycle drove alongside the convoy, its unique design drawing stunned gasps.

Sitting in the sidecar wasn't some Japanese officer—but a calm, steady man.

Master Zhang!

Meng Changwei cried out, instantly confirming the man's identity. Then he glared at Qi Dabin with a piercing look: You lied to me!

Qi Dabin was stunned inside—but kept his composure. He rubbed his neck, turned to Shou Hou: "Hey, what exactly did you hear? Isn't Master Zhang still alive?"

You keep acting! Keep acting!

Meng Changwei's temper flared. Thank heaven he'd held to his conscience and never truly planned to raid Tianma Island with the Flying Wolf Gang—otherwise the consequences would've been dire!

What am I acting? Damn it, I only heard this dog say it! I had nothing to do with it! Blame him!

Qi Dabin suddenly lost his temper too. He stepped forward, grabbed Shou Hou by the collar, and threw him at Meng Changwei's feet.

"No, I—I, haha, that's not, no no… I definitely, uh…"

Shou Hou's down jacket hung crookedly, revealing a gray undershirt at his neck—his already ragged appearance now looked even more pitiful. He waved his hands, trying to explain, but his words tumbled out incoherently. No matter how slick his tongue, he now felt utterly defenseless.

Who could've expected such a coincidence? But perhaps this was an opportunity—at least it wasn't beyond repair! Many on Zheng Xinyu's side were baffled: Why did they suddenly start fighting? These people were too bizarre. "Boss Meng, hahaha!"

At that moment, Zhang Su's loud laugh rang out across the road. Shou Hou felt as if heaven had saved him and scrambled aside—he'd been blocking Meng Changwei's view.

Zhang Su stepped down from the sidecar, brushed dust off his clothes, then strode onto the field ridge. Behind him, over a hundred combatants followed, not in formation but still nearly orderly. Though their weapons weren't uniform, their presence was terrifying.

Since the disaster, even surviving camps had never seen such a large force of combatants—not even the regular army. Meng Changwei and the others swallowed hard.

In just a couple of months, Tianma Island—once with only ten or twenty fighters—had grown to this scale. Had they gathered every survivor from Qincheng?

"Boss Meng, I gave you a walkie-talkie. You never contact me. Damn, you only show up when something goes wrong, huh?"

Zhang Su walked up, slapped Meng Changwei's shoulder familiarly, then waved to the men beside him—greeting them casually.

Hahaha…

Meng Changwei chuckled awkwardly, glancing sidelong at Qi Dabin nearby. He wore a friendly smile, pretending to be one of their own. Meng Changwei thought: You're laughing? What the hell are you laughing at?

"Master Zhang, you just exposed me like that—it's embarrassing, makes me lose face, haha."

He decided not to expose the Flying Wolf Gang yet. Now that Zhang Su was back, those useless drunkards couldn't stir up trouble. Better not ruin the joy of reunion. Wait—why was he joyful? Probably just because of this long-awaited reunion?

Zhang Su waved it off: "So what? After the snowfall, zombies went wild. Camps kept falling. See those guys behind me? All brought back from my trip to Qincheng. I'll tell you a secret—they've all joined Tianma Island!"

"I see, haha, I see! No wonder you're Master Zhang—you're the best!"

Meng Changwei kept giving thumbs-up. Zhang Su was genuinely pleased. He knew Daqiao Fortress Village well—since their earlier cooperation, he'd seen they were orderly. If they joined Tianma Island, it'd be great. But then, an odd emotional ripple drifted over from the side.

It was deeply unsettling—like sitting in a restaurant enjoying fragrant roasted meat, when suddenly a faint stench of rotting seafood drifted in.

Zhang Su shifted his gaze from Meng Changwei's face, swept through the crowd, and immediately spotted the source of the unease.

"Boss Meng, I've never met these people before—are they from Daqiao Fortress Village too?"

Meng Changwei gave a strange smile, pointing at Qi Dabin and others: "Actually, no. We met them when we passed through Qingxian. Qi Dabin, introduce yourself."

Given what had happened, Meng Changwei didn't want to say more. Good moods were rare—he didn't want to ruin it so soon.

Qi Dabin, relieved Meng Changwei hadn't exposed him, let out a sincere smile, bowed slightly, and grinned.

"Boss Meng's been telling me all about how awesome Master Zhang is—I've got earwax from hearing it so much. Only now do I see it's true. I'm Qi Dabin from Shihu Town. Along with nearby villagers, I formed a humble little gang called the Flying Wolf Gang. Please

As he spoke, Qi Dabin gestured to the dozen or so people beside and behind him.

The Feilang Gang members all nodded greetings to Zhang Su, their brows flickering with unease—just moments ago they'd been saying he was dead, and now he stood before them, radiating power, surrounded by fierce warriors; only one man remained calm.

The crippled old man Xie Guangfa bowed to Zhang Su without humility or arrogance, nodded deeply, and his sunken eyes glimmered with light.

"Feilang Gang…"

Zhang Su murmured it; the man spoke with unmistakable gangster flair—polite on the surface, but inwardly shrewd and calculating.

His gaze swept across the faces of the Feilang Gang members; every one bore hidden burdens, their forced humility useless—he could clearly identify the revolting emotions rising from this group. But when he spotted a middle-aged man standing oddly, his brow twitched slightly; the man's eyes told him he had something to say.

Looks like there's a story. "Whether you're from Feilang Gang or Daqiao Fortress, with so many brothers here, I'll speak plainly: what are your intentions in coming here? Do you intend to join Tianma Yu?"

Zhang Su asked directly.

Meng Changwei had prepared himself mentally and nodded quickly, but before he could speak, a voice rose from the side.

"Exactly! That's precisely our thought, Brother Zhang. You don't know how we've suffered—this journey has been brutal. Luckily we met Brother Meng of Daqiao Fortress, or else… no need to dwell on it! Brother Zhang, Feilang Gang now has only twelve of us left—we're willing to join Tianma Yu and offer our humble strength!"

Upon finishing, the twelve of them, as if rehearsed, raised their fists in salute—all, men and women alike, exuding the air of outlaw heroes.

The Daqiao Fortress group, moments ago beaming with joy, now frowned.

"Fine. Good. Brother Meng, what do you say?"

Zhang Su nodded, then turned to Meng Changwei.

"Cough, cough." Meng Changwei cleared his throat, forcing a stiff smile and nodding: "I brought my brothers here to join you. I hope you won't reject us."

"Reject? Of course not. But you must cooperate with my procedures. No problem?"

Zhang Su clasped his hands behind his back and smiled.

Meng Changwei and Qi Dabin were both baffled, nodding in unison—of course it made sense, wasn't that only natural? "Good!" Zhang Su gestured with a finger to those beside him: "Come, bind the brothers from Daqiao Fortress and Feilang Gang—cough, cough, Feilang, right? Bind them all."

???

"Wait, this isn't—"

Qi Dabin froze, watching the expressionless men approaching him pull ropes from their bags; he stepped back rapidly: "Brother Zhang, we've traveled far with loyal hearts—is this really necessary?"

The Daqiao Fortress crowd stirred, faces flushed with humiliation; their gaze toward Zhang Su lost its former warmth.

They'd fought side by side—fought zombies together, drawn zombies together—how could he show no old camaraderie, just bind them on sight? This was too much! As their leader, Meng Changwei understood the reasoning behind this, but now he didn't speak for himself—he spoke for his entire group, and had to defend their dignity and interests. His expression grew strained.

"Brother Zhang, look at my brothers… how about this—bind only me. Let the others go. We're all familiar faces, aren't we?"

Meng Changwei extended his hands, his face utterly sincere.

"This isn't aimed at any of you!"

Zhang Su shrugged lightly: "I must consider the safety of the hundreds of brothers behind me. If you can't even meet this basic demand, you're free to leave—consider this meeting never happened."

He then made a sweeping gesture of dismissal.

Meng Changwei stared at Zhang Su with that look of offended friendship—someone who'd been asked something outrageous. Then, like a sulking wife, he pouted slightly and waved to his men: "Come on! We've done nothing wrong—what's there to fear? Quick, don't make Brother Zhang look bad!"

We've done nothing wrong—what's there to fear…

Whether Meng Changwei spoke carelessly or deliberately, those eight words struck hard at many in the Feilang Gang.

"Boss?"

Thin Monkey and the others broke into cold sweat, all glancing at Qi Dabin.

Qi Dabin clenched his lips, as if battling himself. Watching Daqiao Fortress men being bound behind their backs, he drew a deep breath and forced a humble, simpleminded expression as he bowed:

"Brother Zhang, better a broken hut with one tile than bow low as a slave. We cannot accept this treatment. Farewell!"

With "farewell" spoken, Qi Dabin turned to leave with his men.

But at that moment, a change occurred—Qi Dabin and his group turned to go, yet not everyone wished to leave!

Twelve had come, but only eleven turned; the middle-aged man with the odd stance stepped forward, hands clasped: "I, Xie Guangfa, wish to stay. I beg Brother Zhang to accept me."

The eleven turning away halted in unison. Some with quick minds turned back, copying Xie Guangfa's gesture, extending their hands: "I, Ning Jianshe, also wish to stay—please accept me!"

"And me… I'm Qian Guangwei. I want to join Tianma Yu."

(End of Chapter)