Chapter 573: Don

"Hey, Lao Ding, where are you going?"

Zhang Su watched the crowd heading down the mountain and spotted Ding Yong and Zheng Ziwen merging into it; he called out to stop them.

"Of course I'm going to pick a house—what kind of question is that, Boss Zhang? Haha."

Ding Yong looked as if it were obvious.

Ma Changshou, who was guiding people away, heard Ding Yong's address to Zhang Su and raised an eyebrow, giving him a few extra glances.

"Stop picking chickens—come here, come here!"

Zhang Su waved Ding Yong closer, gripping his shoulder. "Lao Ding, what's your meaning? You know I'm keeping you at the forge—do you plan to dodge labor?"

"I didn't say that! How can you say that?" Ding Yong waved his hands frantically.

In the past, if Zhang Su had said this to Ding Yong, Zheng Ziwen would've fired back—but now he stood quietly to the side, lips tightly pressed, his expression resolute, just like a raw recruit forty years ago.

"Since you don't plan to dodge labor, you'll live on Tianma Island!"

Zhang Su turned and saw Wang Longzhong and Wang Xin talking; he said, "Lao Wang, take your nephew and guide these two to find a house. I remember Wangshan still has two empty units."

The Wangshan guesthouse sat right next to Xiao Xingyun; at night, when all was quiet, Zhang Su could faintly hear the residents' discussions inside.

"Got it, Brother Su—leave it to us. Gentlemen, this way, please."

Wang Longzhong greeted Ding Yong with great courtesy—he was sharp enough to see how Zhang Su treated Ding Yong and knew they were old acquaintances; he had to build a good relationship.

Once everyone who was leaving had gone, only the core members of Tianma Island and the survivors from Niuyazi remained in the parking lot.

In the corner, twenty-eight members of Niuyazi, including the Wangs, stood in orderly formation; their eyes no longer held the dullness of their first meeting—likely because the earlier terror had faded, leaving them calmer.

"Oh my god, Brother Wang… he…"

Zhong Xiaoshanyi had only heard about Wang Guangjun's encounter but hadn't seen him; now, seeing his pitiful state, she instinctively raised a hand to cover her mouth.

"A bit deaf, severe vision loss, but otherwise no major issues—and he looks stronger than before. That's good."

Zhang Su noticed Tan Huajun looking sorrowful and spoke optimistically to ease her pain.

"Brother Su, could you let Brother Wang and the others…" Tan Huajun hinted gently—could they be given rest? The journey had been exhausting.

"Once you're here, at least there's no danger. Don't rush. Lao Wang still has to endure some hardship for now. You two go ahead—I'll handle this myself."

With that, Zhang Su walked toward the Niuyazi group.

"Dad, Brother Zhang is coming this way."

Seeing Zhang Su approaching, Wang Zhetao excitedly told Wang Guangjun.

"The King of Hell is here—straighten up, everyone."

Hu Yongan quickly stood at attention and shouted to the others nearby, his demeanor deeply humble.

During the earlier one-against-nine fight, not all twenty-eight Niuyazi members had watched; Hu Yongan had. Zhang Su's combat ability left him awestruck—not just his strength, but his tactics and arrangements were flawless, with no room for criticism.

As a leader himself, Hu Yongan saw many things in Zhang Su worth learning; in short, this was an extremely capable man—no wonder Tianma Island had drawn so many survivors! "Lao Wang, Lao Hu—how do you feel, being stuck in this mountain backwater?"

As Zhang Su drew near, he observed the expressions of several key figures. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took two, and handed them to Wang Guangjun and Hu Yongan—both had their hands bound, but smoking was still possible. Hu Yongan and Wang Guangjun exchanged glances; standing side by side, Wang Guangjun spoke first.

"Brother Zhang, your place is incredible. In the past few months, I've seen Qiba survivor camps—none had as many people, none had your level of defense, and your team's discipline is strict, professional… very good. In short—just good."

Wang Guangjun had little education and couldn't muster flowery words, but his meaning came through clearly; Zhang Su understood perfectly and didn't mind his lack of eloquence—but someone else did.

Wang Zhetao thought his father's words sounded too crude and quickly added: "It's not just good—it's amazing! Brother Zhang, your place is blessed by heaven and earth—"

"Don't speak!" Zhang Su cut him off sharply—he'd tolerated this kid too many times already.

Compared to him, Zhang Su found the quiet, stubborn Zheng Ziwen far more agreeable.

Zhang Su paid no mind to the awkward silence and turned to Hu Yongan. "Lao Hu, you're the leader of Niuyazi. Let me ask you directly—what do you think? Speak."

"Ha…" A faint smile appeared on Hu Yongan's rough skin. He glanced around, then looked utterly relieved.

"If Qincheng has only one survivor camp, it must be here. I've fulfilled my duty by bringing everyone to Tianma Island. All Niuyazi members wish to join—without reservation. Let the King of Hell test us."

Zhang Su stared straight into Hu Yongan's eyes, nodded slowly, and looked at each person in turn. Compared to his earlier gaze at the Feilang Gang, this felt entirely different—these Niuyazi members were calm, unshaken.

More composed than the Civilization Protectors, the Little Eagles, the Tianqi Group, the Survivor Alliance, or even Daqiao Fortress.

Zhang Su was certain he hadn't manipulated their emotions—this calmness was genuine, the true attitude of survivors who genuinely wanted to join a collective community.

"Alright, rest here for now. It's not cold—I'll have someone bring you food and drink."

With that, Zhang Su patted Hu Yongan's arm, then gripped Wang Guangjun's shoulder firmly. They locked eyes, gave a slight nod—some understanding passed between them without words.

"But…"

Watching Zhang Su walk away, Wang Zhetao was stunned.

He turned, annoyed, to his father and Hu Yongan: "Why are we still tied up and ignored? The others from Daqiao Fortress already picked houses—what about us?"

"Can you shut up?!"

Wang Guangjun turned sharply and glared at Wang Zhetao: "If you weren't my own son, I'd slap you!"

As his own flesh and blood, Wang Guangjun couldn't abandon Wang Zhetao in the apocalypse—but his precious son was infuriating.

"Lao Wang…"

Hu Yongan's tiger-like eyes flicked to the stunned Wang Zhetao, then to Wang Guangjun: "You've protected Xiao Tao too much."

"That's right, Zhetao—you need to grow up. You need to mature."

Wang Guangjun spoke in a low, heavy voice.

"I'm already grown! Where am I immature? I can kill zombies, I can set traps—what can't I do?!"

Wang Zhetao refused to listen to his father's advice, still stewing in resentment.

His ideal was to arrive at Tianma Island and immediately gain freedom—find a comfortable house, settle in, start organizing his things—that's the life he'd dreamed of for days. But reality fell short.

Especially after seeing Zhang Su send Ding Yong and Zheng Ziwen off to find houses—it made him feel even more unjustly treated. This resentment wasn't aimed at Zhang Su, but at his father's lack of face, at how powerless their group seemed…

(End of Chapter)