Chapter 557

With many people working together, it didn't take long before the twenty-six Niuyazi survivors had their hands bound. They were very cooperative, showing not the slightest resistance throughout the process. Some even revealed a look of relief after being tied up, letting out long sighs as if they had been unburdened.

"Brother Zhang, you can't play favorites. I should be tied up too, otherwise it looks bad. And this brat, same thing."

Wang Guangjun was chatting with Zhang Su, waiting and waiting, but until the very end, no one had tied him or his son up, so he had to bring it up himself.

"Dad, you... you're making things difficult for Brother Zhang."

Wang Zhetao was happily enjoying his special treatment and didn't expect his old man to voluntarily apply to be tied up. This was too absurd.

Wang Guangjun shook his head very seriously, pulling on his loud voice: "No, no, it makes things hard for Brother Zhang, and we look out of place with the brothers! Little Lu, do you still have rope there?"

Wang Zhetao felt deflated upon hearing his father's words. Why was he always thinking of others? Couldn't he think about himself for once?

"I... Brother Su, look..."

Lu Yubo was in a bit of a dilemma. If it were anyone else, there would be nothing to say, but facing the uncle who had once shown him kindness, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Zhang Su couldn't help but laugh. He remembered Wang Guangjun's personality traits: both 【stubborn】 and 【a man of his word】, and particularly 【slow to grasp the situation】, so he said, "Old Wang is right. Everyone, don't give them special treatment because of me. Treat everyone equally!"

Since Zhang Su had spoken, there was nothing more to say. Lu Yubo proceeded to tie up the father and son.

"Right, right, this is how it should be. A straight body doesn't fear a crooked shadow; we can't make things difficult for Brother Zhang!"

Wang Guangjun tested the tightness with satisfaction. Seeing that he was now consistent with the brothers he had shared hardships with, a look of peace appeared on his face. Wang Zhetao, however, was somewhat uncomfortable, pouting and clearly unhappy.

"Old Wang, let's catch up once things settle down! That, Old Liu, pick three brothers to drive these three cars, otherwise we won't have enough room for everyone!"

After giving the order, Zhang Su patted Wang Guangjun and led the combat personnel toward the motorcade.

"Brother Wang, please bear with it for now. These are necessary procedures. I'm going to drive first. These... you take these for now."

Tan Huajun took cigarettes, a lighter, and a plastic bag containing pork jerky out of her bag.

Wang Guangjun hesitated for a moment but finally accepted it, saying in a low voice, "Big sister, thank you."

"No, Brother Wang, you don't need to thank me. I'm the one who should thank you. Let's leave it at that; we'll talk more when we get to Heavenly Ma Yu!"

After speaking, Tan Huajun left a smile and turned to leave. Back at the gas station, Wang Guangjun had been like a fire, warming her when she was cold in body and spirit, which made her feel grateful to this day.

Finally, when Tan Huajun was far away, Wang Zhetao leaned toward Wang Guangjun's better ear and asked, "Dad, what's up with this chubby auntie? Between you two, hehehe..."

"You little brat, worry about things you're supposed to worry about!"

Wang Guangjun clearly didn't want his love life known by his son, and he stiffened his face to scold him.

"Dad, don't hide it from me. I'm not a kid; I understand everything. I can tell, and... I can also tell that Auntie Tan's status in Heavenly Ma Yu isn't low. We'll be able to..."

"We'll be able to what?" Wang Guangjun hadn't been taking things seriously before, but after hearing his son's words, his face immediately darkened, and his already fearsome cheeks looked even gloomier.

It didn't matter that his hands were tied; he turned his wrists and pulled Wang Zhetao to the side, saying in a low and stern voice, "If Brother Zhang is the leader of this group, your Auntie Tan is indeed a core member. But Brother Zhang doesn't tolerate sand in his eyes. Why do you think your Auntie Tan was able to gain Brother Zhang's appreciation?"

Without waiting for Wang Zhetao to answer—he knew Wang Zhetao couldn't answer a damn thing—he said directly, "When the zombies first broke out, your Auntie Tan could kill zombies single-handedly, and she killed more than one. She's miles better than that bunch of losers in your university!"

"If you plan to rely on your relationship with Auntie Tan to get special treatment, I advise you to give up that thought. If you don't work hard to become strong yourself, no one can help you, including me. Do you hear me?"

Wang Guangjun was very stern, like a different person compared to when he was with Zhang Su and the others. Perhaps only when lecturing his son would he show the traits of a strict father.

"Got it, got it. Let's go, Dad, they're calling us to get in the cars."

Wang Zhetao's expression was complex, both solemn and aggrieved. He nodded to accept his father's criticism, though only he knew what he was really thinking.

"Brother Su, I was a bit emotional just now, so... you won't blame me, will you?"

Running a few quick steps, Tan Huajun caught up to Zhang Su beside the tank, saying somewhat embarrassedly. She had promised to take care of Wang Guangjun without permission, which wasn't quite appropriate.

Zhang Su smiled and shook his head: "Old Tan, what are you saying? Old Wang escaped from the residential complex with me back then. Although the process of getting to know each other had some twists and turns, we can be considered to have shared hardships. Seeing him in such a miserable state, I didn't feel good either. Giving him some care is fine, but his son is a different matter."

Speaking of Wang Zhetao, Zhang Su looked forward and happened to see Zheng Ziwen following behind Ding Yongguo. For some reason, his first impression was that he didn't like Wang Zhetao. By comparison, even Zheng Ziwen, who he hadn't found very pleasing to the eye, seemed a bit more agreeable...

Tan Huajun understood Zhang Su's personality and quickly nodded: "I understand. The young man is strong and healthy; he needs to be self-reliant!"

Having children of her own, how could she not see Wang Zhetao's flaws? This was a common problem for university students these days. They were fine when their parents weren't around, but once they had someone to rely on, they didn't want to put in any effort! "Alright, go ahead. Old Wang and the others are almost ready."

Zhang Su glanced toward the back and said.

Three cars, ten people per car—it was extremely difficult, but for the people of Niuyazi, this was no problem at all. If there wasn't enough room in front, there was the trunk! Open the trunk, squeeze three people in side-by-side—easy!

As long as they didn't drive fast, there was no danger. If they needed to accelerate suddenly, well, a few might fly out...

"Hubby, hubby, was it really Uncle Wang who came?"

Zhang Su returned to the tank, and Zheng Xinyu's voice came through the walkie-talkie.

She was standing guard at the front of the motorcade and didn't dare leave her post. She had forced herself to suppress the urge to go to the back of the motorcade to see the excitement, only asking around for information. Seeing Zhang Su and his group return, she contacted him immediately.

"That's right, it's Old Wang. This group is the Niuyazi survivors who contacted us last night! Let's not talk about this for now. Notify everyone: perk up, we're moving out!"

Zhang Su replied and then issued the order.

The motorcade set off again, with three more cars and twenty-eight more people than before. The team had grown again.

Inside the tank, Zhang Su let out a long breath, his face full of wistfulness. He rarely showed this expression in front of outsiders.

The strength of the zombies put immense pressure on people, but precisely because the pressure from the outside world was growing, survivors scattered in various places were intentionally or unintentionally gathering together.

There were those with ulterior motives like the Absolute Justice group and the thugs from Bajiazi Village, and there were also those like Ding Yongguo and the Niuyazi survivors who truly wanted to huddle together for warmth. However, after several months of the apocalypse, Zhang Su understood one truth: more people didn't necessarily mean more power!

Once there were more people, various drawbacks and problems would begin to emerge. Bad apples, parasites, and those who hold positions without doing work—these phenomena would begin to sprout.

Only when these problems were all effectively controlled could the power of having many people truly be manifested.

The massive motorcade, even where the roads were wide enough for two or three vehicles to drive side-by-side, still stretched for four or five hundred meters. Such a large movement naturally wouldn't be peaceful.

From the city center to the North Second Ring Road, a ten-kilometer journey, they encountered no fewer than ten waves of zombie attacks. Although the largest wave was only twenty-some zombies, it still slowed down the overall progress.

Even so, Zhang Su didn't arrange for anyone to scout ahead. Nowadays, zombies were strong, and going solo easily led to trouble. It was better for the main force to move together, even if it was slow; at least it was stable. There was absolutely no need to rush!

He had originally hoped that some survivors might pop up along this stretch—at least that was what Zhang Su had hoped for in his heart—but unfortunately, there were none. Arriving at the traditional boundary between the city and the suburbs, Zhang Su stopped the tank and looked back. The high-rise buildings stood tall, yet everything was desolate and dilapidated; the entire city exuded a sense of bleakness.

If a city were a person, then people were the city's blood. Without the nourishment of blood, this city would gradually die in the wind, rain, and snow.

After the motorcade got onto the North Second Ring Road, the situation didn't become any easier just because this area used to be sparsely populated. Some zombies that had been trapped in villages and unable to get out had now run out. Not only were there more ordinary zombies attacking the motorcade, but big guys also appeared.

The test gradually became severe, and more combat personnel were committed to the task of killing zombies. There was no room for any shortcuts; the zombies encountered had to be wiped out completely. The corpses couldn't be taken away, but they weren't just thrown around either; they were piled up on the ridges of the fields, waiting for a chance to be hauled away later.

If the city was desolate and full of the scent of death, then the wilderness of the suburbs was truly covered in death. Wherever one looked, there were zombie corpses lying about.

The motorcade moved forward slowly, frequently encountering attacks, but due to their ample strength, they were all safe and sound. Even if someone was injured, it was mostly scrapes, bruises, or sprains caused by the cold weather. The overall atmosphere was relatively relaxed, and people had smiles on their faces. However, in the satellite village at the foot of Heavenly Ma Yu, it was different; the atmosphere felt oppressive and tense.

"They're burning heaters on the mountain, comfortable as can be, while we're freezing and starving here. Look at this, the quilts are broken to hell, what kind of shitty stuff is this!"

Inside a civilian house, Daniu stood on the kang, shaking the cotton quilt in his hand and complaining incessantly.

In the room, more than a dozen people were gathered. Seven were sitting on the large heated kang, and a few others were squatting in the middle of the room. There were men and women, and several were smoking, with smoke drifting in the air.

After leaving the Heavenly Ma Yu gate, Meng Changwei led everyone down to the village. Facing a satellite village that could house several hundred people, the thirty-some people quickly divided up the rooms. The people from Daciaobao Township were busily organizing their quarters, but here, they were plotting a major event!

"It's not bad to have a place to stay, don't complain about heaven and blame others!"

A man rubbed his legs with a sorrowful face, not liking Daniu's complaints.

"That's not how you put it. Our Flying Wolf Gang was comfortable in Shihu Town. If the zombies hadn't suddenly become stronger, we wouldn't have ended up like this. In this world, the bold stuff themselves to death, and the timid starve to death. Only you, old cripple, don't care about these things!"

Daniu threw the quilt onto the edge of the kang with a 'whoosh', his face full of displeasure.

About ten kilometers north of Qingxian was Shihu Town. This group was the local survivors from Shihu Town and also the northernmost survivor camp in the Qincheng area. Any further north and you'd reach the Chengcheng area.

"Who the hell are you calling a cripple? Say that again if you have the guts!"

The middle-aged man called 'Old Cripple' turned his head and glared at Daniu sideways, looking somewhat ghastly in the dim light.

Old Cripple's real name was Xie Guangfa, and he was a genuine hunter.

Qingxian was mountainous. Years ago, while chasing prey on the mountain, he accidentally fell and injured his leg. It wasn't very serious at the time, just a hairline fracture, but because treatment was delayed, it resulted in his two legs being slightly different in length.

Calling him a cripple was a bit of an exaggeration, because although his movements looked a bit awkward, it didn't affect his normal life at all.

Daniu was choked by Xie Guangfa, and his anger flared up instantly. He threw down the old cotton batting in his hand, glared at Xie Guangfa sitting on the edge of the kang, and said word by word: "I'm talking about you, cripple, old cripple!"

The air went quiet, with only the smoke in the air drifting slowly. But this silence didn't last long.

With a 'whoosh'.

Xie Guangfa, known as Old Cripple, spun in place like a top, his entire body instantly rising from the ground. Those sitting around him only felt a gust of wind, and then a black shadow flashed.

Bang! Thump, thump... Pfft.

"Ah... you bastard!"

Daniu stood on the kang, unconvinced and defiant, never expecting Xie Guangfa to strike—no, he should say, kick—without a word.

Fortunately, his reaction was fast enough; he raised his arms to block his chest, avoiding a heavy blow, but he was still kicked back several steps by the opponent's powerful force, only stopping when he hit the wall. His arms ached.

"How does the taste of a crippled leg feel?"

Xie Guangfa stood on the kang with his body tilted, his eyes coldly glaring at Daniu like a provoked wild beast.

The few people who had been sitting on the edge of the kang had already stood in the middle of the room, worried about being caught in the crossfire...

"Hey, Old Xie, Daniu is like a fool, he's used to spouting nonsense. Why are you arguing with him? Come, come, calm your anger."

The head wolf of the Flying Wolf Gang, Qi Dabin, spoke to mediate. He stood by the window with a cigarette in his mouth. He could have spoken before Xie Guangfa went berserk, but he let Xie Guangfa vent his anger first before acting as the peacemaker.

To him, Daniu's importance was far lower than Xie Guangfa's.

"Little bastard, you remember this for me: keep your mouth clean in the future. If I hear you badmouthing me again, it won't just be a kick!"

Xie Guangfa threw down a harsh sentence and sat back on the edge of the kang to continue rubbing his leg, as if nothing had just happened.

"Ugh... ugh..."

Daniu leaned against the wall, letting out muffled groans, his face flushed red with anger, though fortunately, it was too dark in the room to see.

The eyes of the people around them flickered. Xie Guangfa's temper wasn't without reason; his niece had been bitten to death yesterday, and after fleeing all the way, they only caught their breath after meeting the people from Daciaobao Township. Being on the verge of death and with his nerves stretched tight, it was normal for his temper to be short.

"Let me say a fair word..."

'Fair Brother' saw the situation calm down and raised his hand to express his position: "Actually, Daniu's words are crude but not unreasonable. We didn't bring anything when we escaped; our food and drink will last us at most half a month. What do we do after half a month? Our Flying Wolf Society doesn't do 'cowardly'. There are only the old, weak, women, and children left on the mountain now. Once we take it, the mountain road is easy to defend and hard to attack, and we'll be worry-free from then on! Don't you think so?"

"Take, take, take, take your sister. Didn't you see that the Daciaobao group is like a bunch of cowards? Relying on the weapons in our hands, there's no hope at all!"

The skinny monkey huddled in the corner smoking a gloomy cigarette glared at the person who spoke.

"No, Old Stick, where did you see that only the old, weak, women, and children are left on the mountain? Relying on your dog nose?"

"If they're relying on women to show their faces, what else could it be but the old, weak, women, and children?"

"Stop arguing! I'm asking you, besides brute force, haven't you thought about winning with intelligence? A bunch of pig brains!"

Qi Dabin considered himself to have both courage and strategy. He stubbed out his cigarette and looked at the crowd, a mysterious look on his face, clearly having a plan in mind.

"I have something to say!"

Xie Guangfa, who had just demonstrated the power of his kick, didn't wait for Qi Dabin to announce his plan and spoke first.

As the muscle of the Flying Wolf Gang, Xie Guangfa had always been silent, but when he spoke, everyone gave him face and watched quietly.

"Heavenly Ma Yu is willing to provide us with a place to stay, which is already doing their utmost. I am very satisfied!"

Although he didn't say much, the meaning was clear: he didn't want to have a conflict with Heavenly Ma Yu.

(End of chapter)