Chapter 107: You bunch of noobs (Today's 10k words finished)

"This is unfair!"

Just as Zhao Xue was responding to everyone, Wu Lue started a ruckus on the side, puffed up with anger.

"Brother Su, you're too biased. Sister Xue has a welcome party, why don't I even have a fart? This is... gender discrimination!"

"Hahaha..."

Everyone couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing Wu Lue's words.

Zhang Su grinned at Wu Lue and said: "Right, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. To save you, the airbag of my blood-sweat horse exploded. I'll count that on you. Remember to hand over a batch of supplies to me. Come, everyone welcome Wu Lue too, and supervise him together. As long as he dares to slack off during training, tell me!"

"Damn, I'd rather not have this crappy welcome party, I'm in a mountain of debt now..."

Seeing the malicious smiles on everyone's faces, Wu Lue's expression was uglier than diarrhea.

"Hey, Wu Lue, I heard from Brother Su that you have a lot of exciting content on your computer. Can you lend it to me to watch!"

Lu Yubo raised his eyebrows and made an expression that all men understand.

Wu Lue spread his hands helplessly: "Of course it's no problem to lend it to you, but there's no electricity now..."

"Alright, alright, don't interrupt. Next item, distribute weapons!"

Zhang Su pointed to the weapons lined up neatly on the side and said: "These are my treasures of many years. Some were bought at high prices, some were carefully crafted by blacksmith masters. In short, they are all top-notch goods!"

Lu Yubo picked up a dagger and touched it. The cold blade and sharp edge seemed to be glowing with a cold light.

He said with a strange expression: "Brother Su, Sister Xinyu was absolutely right, you're black-hearted. You don't sell such good weapons to us, but cheat us out of our money with some scrap metal. What a pit!"

"Cheat you out of your money? Hehe."

Zhang Su sneered, bent down and picked up a firewood chopper made of refined steel, slashed it through the air a few times, instantly making a whistling sound, then turned and slashed at the corner of the table. The table corner made of eco-board was cut off instantly, and the cut surface was neat!

Chen Hanzhou, who was sitting on the table, was startled, only feeling the slight vibration of the force, which showed the sharpness of the blade!

"First of all, these things cost thousands or tens of thousands each; you little brats can't afford them. Then, if I sold these knives to you, at best you'd be inside sewing machines, at worst you'd be eating peanuts (bullets), and in the end, I wouldn't be able to run away either, I'd definitely take the fall. I'd have to be crazy to sell them to you..."

"Seems like that's right."

Lu Yubo scratched his head and thought, feeling that what Zhang Su said made some sense.

Everyone was tongue-tied after hearing Zhang Su's words, not expecting the inconspicuous knives to be so expensive.

Zhang Su put down the firewood chopper and pointed to the side: "The firewood chopper has no sheath, it's too dangerous to carry around, so let's keep it for now. There are three kukris here, who wants them?"

"Me, me!"

A chorus of voices rang out instantly. Except for Yu Wen, all the men were raising their hands.

"Lu Yubo, Chen Hanzhou, Wu Lue, Zhao Dezhu, one of you is destined not to get one. You guys..."

"Brother Su..."

Suddenly, Zhao Xue tugged at Zhang Su's sleeve from the side, her eyes complex: "Can you give me the military knife you use?"

Everyone was stunned.

Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan looked at each other with strange expressions.

Zhang Su knew what Zhao Xue meant. The kukri at his waist had extraordinary significance for her. He took the sheath off his waist and said to everyone: "This kukri has tasted the blood of Little Xue's enemy, so..."

As he spoke, he looked at the four people who raised their hands for the kukri and said: "So there are only two left now. You guys pair up and play rock-paper-scissors!"

"Ah..."

"Damn..."

All four sighed helplessly.

They really liked the kukri military knife; it looked incredibly cool when Zhang Su used it, but no one could compete with Zhang Su.

Zhang Su handed the blood-stained sheath to Zhao Xue and instructed: "It's not as sharp as it was at the beginning, find a chance to sharpen it. Also, practice more often, otherwise it's easy to hurt yourself!"

Zhao Xue took the sheath and held it in her arms very carefully, nodding seriously. This was the first weapon in the true sense she had received since the apocalypse.

"Come on, two people won't get one anyway, be a man and don't dawdle!"

Lu Yubo was the first to roll up his sleeves and find Zhao Dezhu, revealing a sinister smile: "Old Zhao, you've been killing things for years, your luck must be a mess."

"Fart! I'm a natural knife-wielder, come on, who's afraid of who!" Zhao Dezhu was very disdainful.

Wu Lue put his hands together and bowed to Chen Hanzhou, begging: "Hero, you're so powerful, the fire axe is most suitable for you. I'm a weakling, let the better equipment to me."

"No, come on!" Chen Hanzhou rejected Wu Lue's request very decisively.

Zhao Dezhu: Paper.

Lu Yubo: Rock.

Chen Hanzhou: Scissors.

Wu Lue: Paper.

The result was obvious, Chen Hanzhou and Zhao Dezhu won...

The unlucky duo of Wu Lue and Lu Yubo looked at each other in silence.

"Alright, next are these short daggers, one for each person."

Zhang Su handed the short daggers to everyone one by one and said: "These were all crafted by an old blacksmith master in Funing County. Don't look at the ordinary design, they are all made of the same material as the kukri military knife. A four-inch blade stabbed into the skull suture of a zombie, one stab and not a peep!"

Zhang Su pointed to the position beside the temple.

"Skull suture?"

"Where is it..."

"Is it here? There's a depression."

Everyone fumbled around their own heads. Some had a look of realization, while others were still very confused.

"Alright, alright, if you don't understand, ask Nurse Zhong when you have time. But remember, the dagger is for solving zombies that have basically lost their mobility. Don't be stupid enough to use a dagger to fight a zombie to the death, it's too short! Alright, next is the most important crossbow!"

When Zhang Su said this, Chen Hanzhou, Zhao Dezhu, and Lu Yubo became nervous again.

A crossbow that is both cool and violent, a long-range weapon that kills without a trace, who can resist this charm?

The three of them couldn't help but puff out their chests.

"The 'Fury' crossbow, modeled after the Horton company in the US. Because it's a replica, there's a slight gap in various values compared to the original. The length is three centimeters longer than the original, reaching 38 centimeters, but it's still shorter and smaller than ordinary crossbows, making it easy to carry!"

"The weight after adding the scope is close to 10 jin, more than two jin heavier than the original. There was no way to control costs otherwise, or the manufacturing cost would be too high!"

"After sacrificing weight, the performance gap is not large. The original draw weight is 73 kg, and these two can barely reach 70 kg. The launch speed is at the level of 100 meters per second. The effective killing distance basically hasn't shrunk, reaching 150 meters. However, considering the trajectory speed, it requires long-term practice to master long-distance shooting."

"Alright, first of all, I definitely want one..."

After Zhang Su finished the introduction, he took one without hesitation.

The remaining Fury crossbow lay quietly on the table. Everyone looked at each other, knowing that grabbing it at this time would be useless, and it must be distributed according to strength.

Zhang Su looked at everyone. Some didn't hide their love, some pretended to be indifferent but were actually panicked, and some were like they were completely uninterested, such as Zhao Xue, Yu Qing...

"Before we have guns, the crossbow is a very important weapon. Whether facing guys with ulterior motives or zombies, it's very critical! I believe you haven't touched this thing before. Since that's the case, let's have a round of competition to see who is more suitable to own it!"

"Fine, this is pretty good."

"Agreed."

"Just kidding, with such a big scope, isn't it just a matter of having hands?" Lu Yubo's confidence returned.

"Mr. Zhang, I have an immature suggestion. Since we are going to compete, why not hold a competitive match? It can determine the winner and loser, stimulate everyone's vitality, and it's an interesting activity that can provide cohesion for the team."

Yu Wen said with a smile.

Zhang Su felt this plan was good after hearing it, and added: "Teacher Yu's suggestion is very good. Since we have to compete, why not do this: divide into two sides, whichever side wins gets a pack of dried sweet potatoes per person, and then compete internally for the ownership of the crossbow!"

"This is too good, haha."

"Fine, fine, interesting."

"Agreed, agreed!"

Under the apocalypse, everyone lives under the pressure of survival every day without any entertainment projects. It's rare to have some interesting projects, and everyone is very active.

"Alright, since everyone thinks there's no problem, let's set up a target. One arrow per person, hitting the bullseye scores!" Zhang Su set the rules.

"How about the teams? Brother Su, how to divide the teams?"

Lu Yubo was eager to try.

Zhang Su's eyes swept over everyone's faces and said: "This project doesn't require much physical strength, let's have a men's group and a women's group! Your numbers are also equivalent."

The men's group: Lu Yubo, Zhao Dezhu, Chen Hanzhou, Wu Lue, and Yu Wen. The women's group: Zheng Xinyu, Zhong Xiaoshan, Tan Huajun, Yu Qing, and Zhao Xue. Pei Lan couldn't participate because her arm was in a scarf.

"This is simply bullying, haha!" Lu Yubo put one hand on his hip and said: "How about we show some gentlemanly demeanor and give the ladies a point?"

"No!"

Chen Hanzhou answered very decisively.

This kind of thing basically belongs to a one-vote veto system, and Lu Yubo smiled awkwardly.

"Hehe, brother, acting cool gets you struck by lightning, you hammer." Zhao Dezhu happily retorted to Lu Yubo, and even gestured a hammer shape to disgust him.

"Fine, let's follow Brother Su's arrangement."

The few women didn't care much, because the crossbow doesn't require much strength.

"OK, I'll choose the target!"

Zhang Su walked to the window and looked outside. The dilapidated street was the same as before. About two or three hundred meters away, you could see the shadows of zombies wandering. His eyes searched nearby, and soon he had a target, pointing to the shop opposite.

"See that Xiaofan barbershop? The air conditioning hole reserved on the wall is as big as my fist. Come on, men or women?"

"I'll go!"

Lu Yubo, who was shouting about gentlemanly demeanor, didn't consider ladies first at all. He grabbed the crossbow, walked to the window, loaded the bolt under Zhang Su's guidance, aimed, and fired in one go.

*Puff*, after a slight sound, a whistling wind sound was heard, and then everyone saw stone chips flying on the opposite wall.

"Alright, men's group Lu Yubo is out." Zhang Su reported the score.

"Damn, trash scope, it's crooked!"

Lu Yubo complained angrily, then cheekily said to Zhang Su: "Brother Su, how about another one?"

"Get lost! One chance per person!"

Zhang Su didn't have too many crossbow bolts in reserve, adding up to about 500. Using ten or so wasn't a big problem, but it couldn't be squandered.

Lu Yubo made a face and unwillingly handed the crossbow to Zhao Dezhu, who was waiting on the side.

"Hehe, don't blame the road for being uneven if you're not good enough, kid, watch me."

Zhao Dezhu's movements were similar to Lu Yubo's, also very unfamiliar, but he aimed for a while longer, *puff*, pulled the trigger. At a distance of about 50 meters, the bolt left the string for half a second, *pipa*, another burst of dust danced.

"Tsk, you're good, why aren't you awesome now? Huh?" Lu Yubo was waiting for this moment to mock Zhao Dezhu.

"My hand shook!"

Zhao Dezhu handed the crossbow to Chen Hanzhou with a dark face, his prestige lasting less than ten seconds.

Chen Hanzhou was calm and composed, but he still shot crookedly, sighing slightly.

"Alright, three people from the men's group are out, the women's group has high hopes!" Zhang Su sat on the side and watched everyone happily. This was the happiest time since the disaster broke out.

"It still has to be me!"

Wu Lue stepped up with great ambition, but after less than half a minute of struggling, he retreated, wilted and dispirited. No one was surprised, because with his physique, even just holding the crossbow was a chore.

"May I invite the last lone seedling of the men's group, the Chinese teacher Yu Wen, to take the stage!" Zhang Su didn't care who won or lost, as long as everyone was happy and the crossbow found its owner in the end.

"Then I shall make a fool of myself..."

Yu Wen took the crossbow and weighed it; it was indeed quite heavy.

The thin, gaunt old man seemed to lack strength, yet his hands were very steady as he held the crossbow. Once he rested his head behind the scope, the eyes behind his glasses immediately turned sharp!

"An old steed in the stable still aspires to gallop a thousand miles—hit!"

Following the word "hit," Yu Wen pulled the trigger. *Whoosh, zip! *

The scene of flying stone chips that everyone had imagined didn't appear, but something fell inside the barbershop, indicating the bolt had shot into the air-conditioning hole and broken something inside!

"Holy crap! Old thief, you were hiding your skills!"

"Old Yu, you just got lucky, didn't you?"

"I don't believe it, that was definitely a fluke, it doesn't count!"

"Um..." Yu Qing said with a smile: "There's one thing I haven't told you all. When my dad was young, he was a provincial-level shooting athlete and even won a silver medal at the National University Games."

???

Hearing this result, everyone was stunned; it was very hard to reconcile Yu Wen's image with that of a shooting ace.

"You all flatter me. Just some insignificant achievements from my youth, not worth mentioning. Hehehe, not worth mentioning at all!"

Yu Wen pushed up his glasses. He used to use a bow, which was much harder than a crossbow.

Zhang Su clapped lightly and grinned: "So, a portion of the students at the Seventh Middle School had their Chinese taught by a PE teacher?"

"Shooting is just a hobby of mine. My greatest passion remains traditional Chinese studies. I concede, I concede."

Yu Wen very humbly handed the crossbow to the first contestant of the women's group, Zheng Xin.

"Alright, the men's group final score is one point. Even I can't help but spout off a bit—you bunch of losers, letting an uncle save face for you... Now, the women's group begins!"

Zhang Su first made a snide remark, then gave a thumbs-up gesture to Zheng Xin.

Zheng Xin held the crossbow, her face awkward: "It's so heavy..."

The weight of ten jin was indeed not light; it was already approaching that of an AWP rifle. Holding it up with one hand to shoot was still a bit of an obstacle for a woman.

However, Zheng Xin, who had been training for a period of time in the apocalypse, still had no problem. She just complained, then with a "hey," aimed the crossbow at the target and fired smoothly after sighting.

"Where's the bolt?"

Lu Yu blinked and searched hard. No dust rose, and there was no movement in the barbershop. He looked at the people around him, very confused.

"Over there..." Zhang Su shook his head and pointed forward. Sure enough, the 【Iron-Headed】 Zheng Xin was not cut out for being a ranged soldier; 【Good Fortune】 couldn't work every time she shot.

Everyone followed the direction of Zhang Su's finger and saw a crossbow bolt stuck in the signboard of a shop three doors down from the barbershop...

"Chunhua Delicatessen? Look, the bolt the Zheng girl shot is stuck exactly on the character 'Chun' (Spring), representing that this cold winter is coming to an end and the spring of the era is about to arrive. Good, what a good omen!"

Yu Wen said very seriously, nodding continuously.

"Does your dad often suck up to the principal?"

Zhang Su asked Yu Qing secretly.

Yu Qing pursed her lips in embarrassment, because Zhang Su was right...

"Teacher Yu, you don't need to praise me like that, it's too embarrassing!" Zheng Xin blushed for once and shoved the crossbow into Zhong Xiao's arms.

Zhang Su smiled and helped Zheng Xin out of the situation, saying: "One down for the women's group! Next."

Zhong Xiao took the crossbow and laughed: "Actually, my skill is also very poor..."

After witnessing Zheng Xin's level, Zhong Xiao felt it necessary to give everyone a heads-up in advance.

"It's fine, it's fine, Nurse Zhong, just give it a go. People who are accurate at giving injections are usually not bad at archery."

Lu Yu, grateful that Zhong Xiao had saved Pei Lan's arm, kept buttering her up.

Zhong Xiao took a deep breath, gathered her strength to hold the gun and aim, then pulled the trigger.

*Clang! *

Sure enough, as she had said, her aim was terrible; she directly shattered the glass on the barbershop door.

"Teacher Yu, what's the interpretation for this one?" Zhang Su pointed to the opposite side and asked.

Yu Wen shook his head: "Shattered—in terms of homophones, it means peace throughout the years; in terms of phenomena, it means breaking the old to welcome the new!"

"Good, good, good!" Zhang Su was convinced.

Zhong Xiao stuck out her tongue, too embarrassed to respond, and hurriedly handed the crossbow to Tan Hua.

"Oh my, it does have some weight."

Tan Hua set aside the vernier caliper she never left home without. Weight was weight, but it wasn't much of a problem for her. She clumsily loaded the bolt, tilted her head to aim, and *poof*, fired it out.

"Hmm?!"

"Where's the bolt?"

"Awesome!"

Just when everyone thought the situation was settled and Yu Wen was sure to win, a dark horse appeared!

Zhang Su's eyes lit up. Sure enough, just as he expected, the bolt Tan Hua shot went straight through the air-conditioning hole, and one could see the wall plaster inside the barbershop falling in rustles.

"Wow, Big Sister Tan, you're too awesome! A heart-piercing shot, haha, one point for the women's group!"

Zheng Xin looked at Tan Hua with admiration.

After Yu Wen's hidden talent was revealed, everyone didn't dare to mock Tan Hua casually anymore. You can't judge a book by its cover; who knew what kind of brilliant past this chubby big sister had.

"I... this..." Tan Hua looked at everyone, somewhat embarrassed: "I'm not a shooting athlete, I really just got lucky."

(End of chapter)