Chapter 596: The Banquet

Let the Niuyazi group go down the mountain first; Zhang Su got into the driver's seat of the broken-down cargo van, started the engine, and asked, "Old Jia, remember that young guy who brought you the car this afternoon?"

"Of course I remember," Jia Shiqin said, smiling at Zhang Su. "That kid was humble—I praised him, and he got embarrassed, said he hadn't helped at all and almost caused trouble, haha."

"Hey, from your tone, you seem to like him?" Zhang Su shook his head, recalling Zheng Ziwen's behavior that afternoon, torn between laughter and exasperation.

Jia Shiqin chuckled warmly. "For a young man, being summoned by the top leader right after joining a new unit, then returning without arrogance or impatience and voluntarily admitting his mistake—I think that's excellent, haha."

Zhang Su paused, realizing he'd never noticed these qualities in Zheng Ziwen from his position. He turned the steering wheel toward the mountain gate and asked, "After Zheng Ziwen handed you the car, did he go straight back? Did he speak to anyone along the way?"

Jia Shiqin nodded without hesitation. "Yes—he was stopped right after leaving by one of the young men from Niuyazi, the son of Brother Wang, the one you know well."

His suspicion confirmed, Zhang Su nodded silently. Suddenly, the chassis clanked loudly—he thought he'd have to talk to Guo Dachao about replacing or modifying this van; it was far too worn out, and he feared it might break down halfway.

In Village One, the main road buzzed with activity—nearly a hundred tables had been set up, large round ones seating twelve, smaller square eight-immortal tables seating seven or eight.

Crowds surged, voices rose in clamor; according to some brothers who'd lived in the countryside, this scene was even livelier than the wedding of the village chief's eldest son! Though the vibe was slightly different…

Every two tables burned a roaring fire, fueled—no need to say—by chopped-up zombie corpses, now shriveled into charred balls after burning for a while.

Dozens of fires illuminated the entire street and kept diners warm; minus twenty or thirty degrees posed no problem, as if each table formed its own little world! Zombie flesh was indeed excellent fuel, but no one would eat if it were used as hot pot fuel on the table—luckily, they had switched to using zombie bodies for heating, saving coal and charcoal, which were now perfectly repurposed.

After dozens of people worked swiftly, ingredients were prepped and arranged; the spicy hotpot broth began to boil. Voices rose with the flames, equally fiery—but no one lifted chopsticks yet, because the most important person hadn't arrived.

"Hey, they're here, they've arrived!"

"Wait, this isn't right—these are… those guys who were bound earlier."

"Yeah, they say they escaped from Niuyazi in Beihé District!"

"The King of Hell must've released them to come eat—look, several tables are still empty over there. The King of Hell must be coming soon too."

The Niuyazi group took their seats under countless watching eyes; then two beams of headlights swept over them, revealing the battered cargo van lurching into view.

The crowd erupted in excitement—they all recognized this vehicle, carrying a powerful mutated zombie under the King of Hell's direct control.

"Hey, this isn't hot enough! Build a bigger fire! Quick, bring more zombie corpses and stack them up!"

Zhang Su parked the van at one end of the main road, over ten meters from the tables. Seeing the clusters of fire, he felt the scene still lacked impact—it was the grandest gathering since the Tianma Island camp's founding.

Hearing the King of Hell's order, the quick-witted immediately sprinted to the zombie storage area and dragged about twenty corpses, piling them together.

"That's better. Everyone, step back! Back to your seats!"

Clang! Roar! Puff! As people retreated, a dragon of flame blazed crimson across half the sky, spewing searing heat. Most had never seen a fire-spewing zombie's power before—blood surged, hearts pounded; those nearby were thrown back by the heatwave, stumbling two steps and collapsing onto their stools, stunned. Puhong!

In barely three or four seconds, the flames were cut off—the pile blazed fiercely, shooting over ten meters high.

Perfect for atmosphere and showing strength—two birds, one stone.

"Damn, Brother Su really knows how to throw a party! One big fire like that, and the whole vibe changes!" Qi Xiaoshuai gripped a chopstick in each hand, face alight with excitement.

"Of course! My uncle? Totally badass!"

Pang Dakun also felt deeply stirred; after his trip to the city, he stopped chasing Su Xiaoya—perhaps because he'd finally grown from boy to man inside the Soul-Sucking Den.

Lu Yubo, Zhang Su's number-one fan, scorned mere verbal praise—he'd already rushed to the front of the van to greet him, and with perfect timing, handed over a portable loudspeaker.

"Brothers and sisters, this global disaster brought us together here. Today, nothing else matters—eat well, eat your fill, go wild!"

No unnecessary words—Zhang Su knew exactly what everyone needed most. He'd been delayed by business, so no apologies—just eat.

Though the atmosphere was electric, vigilance never slipped—safety was always paramount, the duty of combatants, with no special rewards, because combatants already enjoyed many privileges daily.

Over a hundred combatants from the King of Hell's army and several detachments rotated in shifts—easily manageable.

Bathed in firelight, warmed by the air, wisps of steam rose from every table; over twenty combatants stood guard around the perimeter. Safety and atmosphere? Fully maximized.

In this moment, every heart held only satisfaction and peace—even those who'd attended previous Tianma Island banquets felt this gathering was uniquely vibrant.

This was vitality—the aura generated by hundreds gathered as one.

Everyone knew the survivors in Qincheng were few; now, Village One housed roughly a quarter of Qincheng's population. They were bound by fate, companions in fortune and misfortune.

Globally, how many survivor camps could gather hundreds for a shared dinner?

They didn't know—but everyone here felt full, happy.

At the center, a large round table sat outdoors, no designated head or side; Zhang Su picked a spot that looked right and sat down.

Those seated here were the core of the core. To his left and right sat Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan; next to Zheng Xinyu was Tan Hua, and beside Zhong Xiaoshan sat Yu Qing.

Behind Yu Qing were the two most important men in her life—Yu Wen and Zhao Dezhu; beside Tan Hua sat Lu Yubo, possibly her future son-in-law; then Wu Lue; finally, two women: Zhao Xue and Ju Wuying.

Ju Wuying hadn't been meant for this table—she'd sat with Yi Xiaoling and Ma Changshou and others—but Zhang Su specifically moved her here.

The intent was clear: even if Ju Wuying didn't consider herself part of Tianma Island's core, the King of Hell would force her to see herself that way, formally placing her directly opposite him.

Time and again, perceptive people came to the main table to pay respects. No alcohol was served, per Zhang Su's order, but that didn't stop people from showing reverence.

No wine? Fine—there were still cups…

So they performed the ritual: approach the table, raise an empty cup, pretend to drink it all down, make a show of it, then leave—just to be seen.

Many originally thought it unnecessary, but seeing others constantly flock to the main table, they feared being sidelined if they didn't join—helplessly swept into this internal competition.

(End of Chapter)