Chapter 88: Alternative Reserve Food (6K Chapter, More This Afternoon, Request Subscription)

“Mmm…”

Zheng Xinyu saw the mood had grown somber and quickly said, “Then when do we leave? In the afternoon?”

Zhang Su glanced toward the gas station and said coolly, “Before we head to Yilewen, we’ve got to secure those vehicles at the gas station!”

The H6 that Lu Yubo drove wasn’t worth mentioning, but his van and Zhong Xiaoshan’s Harlander were loaded with supplies.

Without exaggeration, if we get onto those two vehicles, even if my convenience store has been completely looted, we can directly reroute north to Qingxian—the supplies inside are enough to sustain us for over a month, and we can accomplish a lot in that time.

At the mention of the gas station vehicles, everyone fell silent; everyone knew what the gas station had become now. Taking out the zombies inside wasn’t hard—just blow it up—but getting the cars out? That was another matter entirely.

But everyone also knew that without vehicles, walking through hordes of zombies was extremely dangerous.

“I thought about it—direct confrontation won’t work. We’ll have to use the old method: lure them away!”

Zhang Su patted the bag stuffed with old cell phones.

“Can we climb over the wall? Oh, no—that helmet zombie is still there…” Zheng Xinyu waved her hand apologetically.

“There are over a hundred zombies inside the gas station. Even if we lure them away, it’s still too dangerous, Brother Su. Why don’t we just find another vehicle?”

Zhong Xiaoshan felt returning to the gas station was far too risky.

Zhang Su rubbed his hair, helplessly saying, “All current vehicles use electronic ignition—we can’t start them without keys. Either way, we’ve got to try. We’ll exit through the main gate of Phoenix International; all the zombies on this road have been drawn to the gas station, so it’s actually safer. If there’s a chance, we take it; if not, we leave!”

Everyone knew Zhang Su was cautious and made better judgments than they did; they all nodded in agreement.

“Alright. We leave in one hour. Use this hour to take care of your business—once we’re out, don’t all turn into lazy donkeys whining about needing to pee!”

Zhang Su’s warning was serious, not a joke at all.

At the same time Zhang Su was preparing to move, a group of eight people stepped out of Tan Hua’s home.

As Wu Daqiang had said, four people went out on a mission—and none returned. The Salvation Society couldn’t ignore this. As soon as dawn broke, they mobilized over half their combat strength to investigate, led by their leader himself.

But faced with three corpses, everyone—including Master Xin—was confused, with many theories but no concrete evidence, and eventually they abandoned the investigation.

He also gained new respect for the survivor team; those out there weren’t easy to bully…

…

“Xinyu, what are you doing?”

Zhang Su was frantically packing and equipping himself with makeshift armor when he heard a click—he saw Zheng Xinyu carrying out the unconscious Corgi. A bad feeling washed over him.

“Brother Su, look how cute it is! Sleeping so sweetly, hehe.”

Zheng Xinyu pouted as she coaxed the half-grown Corgi in her arms, but the dog gave no response.

Zhang Su glanced sideways at Zheng Xinyu and said coolly, “Sleeping means you can wake it up. If you can’t wake it, it’s unconscious. It’s unconscious. What if it suddenly wakes up and bites you? Would that be fair? Put it back now, before something dangerous happens!”

“No, please…” Zheng Xinyu looked at Zhang Su with a pout. “Let’s take it with us. It’s the first pet we’ve encountered since the disaster—it has sentimental value.”

“Take it with you? You’ve got to be kidding!”

Zhang Su saw Zheng Xinyu gazing at the puppy with such affection—he knew trouble was coming. And sure enough!

This little girl had no mercy for people, but she turned into a saint for animals…

“What’s wrong? Before, when I wanted to keep a dog, some heartless person said no. Now we finally find one—let’s take it! Sister Xiaoshan, look how cute it is, right?”

Zheng Xinyu complained about Zhang Su while trying to recruit allies.

Zhong Xiaoshan herself kept pets and naturally loved cats and dogs, but she also truly felt carrying the puppy would be a burden. Usually decisive, she found herself momentarily torn.

“Brother Su, I actually think we should take the puppy.”

Suddenly, the most unexpected person spoke up in Zheng Xinyu’s favor.

Zhang Su glared at Lu Yubo, annoyed: “Yubo, what the hell are you thinking?”

“Brother Su, don’t get mad. I think—we’ve already carried so much food…”

“The food isn’t for the dog! It’s our rations! What are you all thinking?” Zhang Su cut him off, silently scolding them for not grasping the situation.

“No, no. Brother Su, I mean—we’ve got so much food already. Why not just carry the dog as food? When the time comes, roast the whole dog—it’ll be delicious!”

???!!! Both sides—those wanting to take the dog and those opposing it—fell silent. This was a devilish train of thought.

Zhang Su froze for two seconds, then beamed and gave Lu Yubo a thumbs-up. “Yubo, from now on, no one can say you’re stupid. Your brain’s actually pretty useful, haha! Who else could come up with this idea? Only you!”

“Hehe, this dog looks pretty plump—must weigh at least ten or twenty pounds. Enough for a good meal!”

Lu Yubo grew more excited by the thought—he hadn’t eaten grilled meat in ages and was starving for it.

“I remember we found some barbecue seasoning from someone’s house—perfect timing.”

“Dude, Brother Su, when that fat sizzle starts, the zombies’ll be crying from the smell…”

“Hey! Are you guys insane?”

Zheng Xinyu stared at Zhang Su and Lu Yubo like they were madmen—two of them were seriously discussing how to roast a whole dog.

Tan Hua, a seasoned foodie, gave a wistful smile, swallowed hard, and said, “Technically, I don’t support roasting puppies—but grilled meat really is delicious.”

“I’m not taking it…”

Zheng Xinyu regretted it. She marched to the balcony and put the Corgi back in its cage.

“Take it, take it! How can you change your mind like that? We’ll take it, no problem.” Zhang Su suddenly encouraged it—he didn’t even realize he’d flipped his own stance.

Zheng Xinyu turned and hugged Zhang Su, blocking him from opening the cage. “No, no! There’s plenty of edible stuff—we can’t carry something so heavy. It’s impractical!”

“Come on, let’s take it. I’ll carry it. No need for you to strain yourself.”

Zhang Su thought carrying twenty pounds of meat wasn’t heavy.

Seeing the deadlock, Zhong Xiaoshan quickly said, “Maybe we should take it. The puppy’s condition is strange—if it wakes up, we can consider releasing or keeping it. If… it dies, then we eat it.”

The compromise won unanimous approval.

“I’ll carry it! No need to trouble you guys…”

Zheng Xinyu was deeply uneasy handing the puppy to Zhang Su or Lu Yubo—she feared they’d strangle it when no one was looking. She could already picture the dog roasting over a fire.

“That’s your own burden now. But when we eat, I’ll give you an extra dog leg as compensation.”

Zhang Su said it with sincere earnestness.

“You’re so annoying! It won’t die!”

Zheng Xinyu glared at Zhang Su, but he just laughed it off, completely unfazed.

Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.

Amidst the laughter, the scheduled time arrived—but the argument had eaten up some time, and not everyone had finished preparing.

“Hurry up and pack. I’m going to the bathroom.”

Saying that, Zhang Su headed toward the restroom.

“Weird. Didn’t Brother Su just go to the bathroom? Is he peeing more often now?” Lu Yubo watched his back, muttering.

He had no idea what Zhang Su’s real purpose was.

Once Zhang Su turned the corner and vanished from everyone’s sight, a text instantly appeared in his mind.

【Within five days, recruit the gas station’s female employee through coercion and inducement. Difficulty: B. Completed. Time used: 24:13:44】

“Damn! I was right!”

Zhang Su knew he’d guessed correctly. He hadn’t announced success earlier because the time was under a day—within Option A’s window. That looked too rigid, but he had no choice.

Like playing an online game—the lottery starts at 8 PM. One minute or one second early? Not allowed.

【Reward: Loyalty Brand ×3】

“Huh?”

Zhang Su stared curiously at the three radiant patterns floating in his mind—each about the size of his palm, their intricate, labyrinth-like patterns radiating mysterious power.

“Loyalty Brand… The name suggests it boosts loyalty. Pretty useful!”

Zhang Su was immediately drawn to the straightforward name. One major barrier to recruiting others was loyalty! In the apocalypse, you never knew when a teammate might stab you in the back—by then, regret would be useless.

When encountering skilled survivors or those with special abilities, this would be an excellent tool.

“The usage method is probably direct application on the target. But how effective is it? No point asking—I’ll just test it myself!”

Zhang Su knew asking wouldn’t yield answers, just like the 【Insight Tag】—only trial and error worked. But unlike the 【Insight Tag】, which had twenty uses, this had only three. Each one was precious—only to be used when truly needed.

After pondering in the restroom for a while, Zhang Su stepped out—and was met with a curious sight.

Zheng Xinyu had padded the bottom of a backpack with thick clothing, then placed the Corgi inside, leaving only its head exposed to breathe. From afar, she looked like a two-headed monster. “Haha, Xinyu, feeling the weight? So heavy you’re already thinking of roasting it?”

Zhang Su couldn’t resist teasing her—and got a glare in return.

Ten minutes behind schedule, the group stepped out of the apartment building. Instantly, their smiles vanished—the zombies appeared in the distance. Joy was over. The moment of life and death had arrived without mercy. “Turn left past the small garden—it’s the main gate!”

The group crouched beside a row of trash bins. Tan Hua pointed the way.

“Brother Su, maybe we can peek over the wall—what if those helmet zombies have moved on?” Lu Yubo suggested.

“Even if those armored zombies have wandered off, the alley entrance is still blocked. Better to exit through the community’s main gate and follow the main road! First, take out those three zombies. Then pause at the corner to observe the garden before acting!”

Zhang Su laid out a simple plan. “The guy in black is mine. Yubo, you take the jeans zombie. The one in blue work clothes—you three handle him.”

With tasks clearly assigned, execution became smooth. The efficiency proved high—almost no risk. Within moments, the five reached the corner.

Zhang Su peered toward the garden before the gate. The sudden cold had turned once-lush trees gradually barren; golden leaves drifted down onto the pavilion. Low ornamental shrubs still clung stubbornly to a touch of green. If not for the dark brown bloodstains and wandering zombies, it would’ve been a peaceful autumn scene.

His gaze swept quickly as he counted the zombies—when suddenly, faint footsteps came from behind! “Someone’s here!”

Zhang Su instantly ducked behind the wall and turned toward Building 7—just in time to see its entrance slowly open.

A group emerged, and upon spotting the five crouched by the corner, they froze.

“Master Xin! It’s them—the five guys from yesterday! That fat woman works at the gas station!”

Someone immediately recognized Zhang Su’s group—and pinpointed Tan Hua with startling accuracy. Clearly, she was well-known in the community; anyone who regularly refueled at the gas station knew her.

“Master Xin?”

The two groups were fifty to sixty meters apart. Zhang Su could barely make out their words. His gaze locked onto the man at the front—not particularly muscular, but radiating a ruthless aura.

Instinct told him: this man was cruel and ruthless—he’d been a monster even before the disaster.

Zheng Xinyu and the others had also spotted Master Xin’s group. Sensing the hostile gaze, they quickly guessed the man’s identity.

Only one person was still bewildered: Lu Yu. He frowned and said, “Brother Su, isn’t this the unit belonging to Sister Tan? Where did these bastards come from…?”

Zhang Su turned his head again to check the garden. The zombies were calm. He whispered to Lu Yu, “The one in the black leather jacket is Zhang Xin.”

“So this bastard wants to steal our stuff? I’ll stab him—no, I’ll skewer him!”

Lu Yu tightened his grip on the food sampler, thinking “stab” sounded too effeminate, and quickly switched his wording.

“Don’t act rashly!”

Zhang Su whispered a warning, squinting at the eight men fifty meters away. “They’re outnumbering us. Don’t move first.”

Their situation was painfully awkward—trapped between retreat and advance. Retreat meant venturing blindly into unknown units, risking a zombie horde. Advance meant facing over a dozen zombies still patrolling the garden; killing them could draw Zhang Xin’s group into an ambush, leaving them surrounded. “Zhang Xin must be the one who killed Wu Daqiang and the others. What do we do? Take them out?”

A tall man wearing a knit cap stepped beside Zhang Xin, holding a length of rebar.

Zhang Xin shook his head slightly. “Let’s wait and see.”

Wait and see?

Some of the seven men beside him didn’t understand what there was to observe.

They had eight armed men; the other side had two men and three women. If a fight broke out, it would be no contest. Why wait? But it was instinct—Zhang Su sensed the threat from these eight. As leader of the Salvation Society, Zhang Xin was no fool; even without direct confrontation, he sensed Zhang Su’s group was dangerous.

“Boss, look at their bags—they’re about to burst! They’ve got food inside!”

Another voice spoke, shaking his weapon, clearly itching to move.

“Wu Daqiang’s fate is unknown, and Long and two others are dead. We’ve lost four mouths to feed—our supplies are lighter now. Don’t be reckless.”

The speaker wasn’t Boss Xin, but a bespectacled, refined-looking man.

“Taking too long…” the knit-cap man muttered under his breath, but he stayed put, though he had no idea what he was waiting for.

Zhang Xin could rally a group to follow him because he had real ability—he thought more thoroughly than his impulsive subordinates.

When he first saw Zhang Su’s group, he was certain they were behind Wu Daqiang’s death. But now, seeing their clean, unharmed clothes and calm demeanor, he couldn’t imagine what had happened last night. The possibilities were too vast.

Zhang Xin weighed the risks and benefits of a confrontation—was it worth the danger to seize their supplies?

A silent standoff. Both sides held back. The atmosphere felt unnatural.

Anyone passing by would immediately notice Zhang Su’s group was at a clear disadvantage.

Zhang Su knew it. Zhang Xin’s group knew it too. Yet they simply stared at each other, motionless—as if separated by the Milky Way, like Niulang and Zhinü.

“Talk to them.”

After three full minutes, Zhang Su’s feet had gone numb. He finally decided. He gripped his axe tighter and signaled toward the unit entrance.

The situation favored the other side. The longer they waited, the worse it would get. He had to decide now—and he chose to approach them first.

Zheng Xinyu and the others had no better plan. They followed without protest.

“Boss, they’re coming. Should we strike?”

The knit-cap man’s face tensed; he unconsciously twisted his neck.

“I can see them! I said wait and see—hold your ground!”

Zhang Xin snapped back, secretly gripping a one-foot-long meat cleaver. He shared Zhang Su’s thought: he’d rather face zombies than deal with strangers.

“You’ve been staring at us for centuries. What’s your plan?”

Zhang Su stopped five or six meters from Zhang Xin, smiling faintly.

Only now did Zhang Xin’s group truly see Zhang Su’s attire. Their clothes were clean and neat, but their arms and calves bulged unnaturally—as if swollen. No one knew what they hid inside. It looked ridiculous.

The untrained might think they were cold. But anyone who understood the truth would respect them. This was a highly effective defense against zombies without proper gear—something only earned through brutal survival.

“Haha, brother, what’s your surname?”

Zhang Xin smiled without warmth.

“Same as mine,” Zhang Su replied reluctantly.

“Haha, so you know who I am? Brother Zhang, you’ve got a sense of humor. You came to my territory, so watching you is only natural.”

Zhang Xin smiled without warmth again.

“I live right above. That’s my home. My home isn’t your territory.”

Tan HuaJun held her caliper steadily, meeting Zhang Xin’s gaze without fear.

She’d once feared evil men—but after last night, she’d awakened. Evil must be met with evil.

“Your home? You don’t have a home anymore, fatty. Our Salvation Society killed over a hundred zombies in Phoenix International to secure this safety. Without us, you’d all have been raped by zombies!”

Zhang Su didn’t argue. He understood. If he were in Zhang Xin’s place, he’d think the same. In this world, there was no law, no justice—what you took was yours.

“Whether zombies, undead, or revenants—you didn’t clear them thoroughly. We killed over a dozen after entering the compound. Also, we have no intention of staying in Phoenix International. We’re leaving. What else do you want?”

Zhang Su pointed toward the gate.

“Hah! This kid’s full of shit. Killed over a dozen? Why not say you cleaned the whole compound? Shark Arm.”

Someone snorted in disbelief.

The Salvation Society had paid dearly to clear zombies—often sending over ten men out, killing only ten or so per day, sometimes losing their own. Claiming a hundred was pure exaggeration.

So naturally, they didn’t believe Zhang Su’s group had killed over a dozen in half a day.

“That’s irrelevant.”

Zhang Xin waved off his men’s laughter. “Don’t rush off. Anyone entering Phoenix International pays protection fees. Also, you killed four of our brothers last night—there’s funeral compensation to pay. Let’s see….”

His eyes swept over Zhang Su’s group. He gestured with a finger. “Leave all your bags—except that dog. You can walk away safely. Oh, and your belt knife—good handle. Hand it over too.”

“Boss, besides the fatty, those two girls are hot. Why not keep them for some fun?”

Someone leered.

“What nonsense? When have we ever done such things?” The bespectacled man shot a contemptuous glance at the speaker.

“Fengzi, if you open your mouth again, you clean out Building Three yourself.”

Zhang Xin was furious at the interruption.

Fengzi shut up immediately.

“Apologies. My men are crude. We never target women—only supplies.”

Zhang Xin turned back to Zhang Su. Seasoned traders were sharp—they instantly saw the connection between the two young women and Zhang Su. He knew a man’s limits. Cross them, and you risked a desperate fight.

(End of Chapter)