It was noon, and the team preparing to head to the outskirts of City C to “hunt” a Tier 3 zombie was about to depart.
Zhao Zhenyu was wiping his broadsword when he was suddenly bumped into.
“S-Sorry!” Su Su hastily apologized.
From the dining table incident earlier, Zhao Zhenyu had been suppressing his anger, and now he unleashed it all at once: “Looking to die?! Do you not have eyes?!”
Su Su turned pale with fright and timidly retreated to the town mayor’s side.
“I didn’t mean to, I—I just wanted to go with you all.”
“Go with us?” Zhao Zhenyu reacted as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, his face thick with mockery. “Are you going to throw your life away? Do you think this is child’s play?”
Su Su’s eyes reddened even more. “Maybe if I go, I can also scavenge some supplies, just like on the highway. I don’t want to be a useless person.”
Her words carried a strong sense of unease and fear, and even a faint hint of inferiority.
The town mayor spoke gently, trying to persuade her. “How could you be useless? Everyone has their own place. If you really feel uneasy, you can stay in the drying room and help with the work there. That’s also a way to contribute to the town.”
“It’s not the same.” Su Su was particularly stubborn. “I want to fight alongside you all!”
On the surface, the town mayor remained patient in comforting her, but inwardly, he was already growing irritated.
Fight alongside them?
How?
A powerless ordinary person—was she planning to use her looks to seduce zombies? She was getting a bit ahead of herself, overstepping her bounds…
The town mayor had no desire to take on such a burden, but just as he was about to refuse, Zhao Zhenyu, who had been mocking Su Su moments ago, suddenly spoke up.
“Let her come.”
“Town Mayor, she was quite capable of surviving on the highway, gathering her own supplies and taking care of herself, after all.”
From the moment she snatched food at the dining table, Zhao Zhenyu’s anger had been steadily building. Now, it had completely exploded.
Judging by his words, he seemed to be standing up for Su Su, earnestly arguing on her behalf. But his sarcastic tone and half-smiling expression made it hard to believe he had any good intentions.
“This…” The town mayor frowned and was just about to speak when Zhao Zhenyu cut him off.
“Town Mayor, some people overestimate themselves and can’t see their own limits. For people like that, unless they try it themselves, they’ll never learn what it means to know their place.”
Su Su’s face grew even paler, but she still refused to back down, stubbornly waiting for an answer.
The town mayor’s words had been interrupted, but he wasn’t angry. He simply let out a long sigh.
He agreed with Zhao Zhenyu.
Lin’s cousin, a woman with an attractive face and figure, happened to fit all of his tastes. But he still felt that her temper needed to be broken in—at the very least, she had to learn to lower her head and listen to him.
Right now, she was still too ignorant.
Once a woman was tamed and suffered a little hardship, her whole body would soften up.
The town mayor finally nodded. “Alright then, Miss Su will stay in the last vehicle. There are two Tier 1 ability users in the car. Once we reach the destination, they will remain stationed along the retreat route, always ready to receive us. If everything goes smoothly, this vehicle won’t be needed—it’s the safest place.”
“Thank you, Town Mayor.” Su Su nodded. After achieving her goal, she showed no trace of gratitude and simply turned to climb into the back seat of the last vehicle.
Zhao Zhenyu let out another cold laugh.
He wiped his broadsword once more before seeking out the two Tier 1 ability users assigned to the last vehicle.
“Brothers, when we reach the site, find a few zombies to give the people in the car a good scare.”
The ability user in combat gear and a helmet hesitated, glancing at the town mayor. “This… isn’t a good idea, is it? She’s someone the town mayor has his eye on…”
“Tch.” Zhao Zhenyu sneered disdainfully. “Someone the town mayor values should at least know her place. She’s just an ordinary person shamelessly insisting on coming along. If we don’t teach her a lesson now, she’ll get even bolder in the future.”
He stuffed a few Tier 1 crystal stones into their hands. “Just make her look pathetic. It doesn’t matter if she ends up pissing herself in fear.”
“What if… she dies?”
Dies?
“Then it’s her own fault. You did your best to protect her. But she had no self-awareness, insisted on getting off the vehicle to scavenge, and got targeted by zombies—who could blame you?”
Zhao Zhenyu didn’t believe the town mayor cared that much about Su Su. Even if she died, their deal with the town mayor was already nearly complete. The Grade 3 crystal stones were in hand.
Who would bother worrying about a clueless ordinary person?
The two Tier 1 ability users exchanged a glance, pocketed the crystal stones, and nodded. “Got it. We understand.”
The convoy quickly set off.
Lin Weiran’s ability user team rode in an off-road vehicle, the town mayor, Sun Wan, and other subordinates occupied another, while the rest of the Tier 1 ability users shared a separate vehicle. Su Su sat alone in the last one.
“Town mayor, just now, Zhao Zhenyu went to find Zhang Da and Zhang Er.”
The town mayor reclined in his seat, eyes closed in rest, and responded with an indifferent “Mm.”
“Let him go.”
Sun Wan, who was driving, glanced at her boss through the rearview mirror, somewhat puzzled. “Town mayor, what exactly do you see in that girl?”
Before the apocalypse, she had been the town mayor’s deputy and knew he was ambitious and had high standards. After his divorce, he never sought another partner. When the apocalypse arrived, it became the perfect environment for his ambitions to take shape. Once the town expanded into a medium-sized or even large-scale base, he could essentially be the king of the region.
With his status, what kind of woman couldn’t he have? Why take an interest in an ordinary woman with just a bit of good looks?
Besides, after watching for the past two days, she noticed that Lin Weiran and the other ability users were not friendly to this so-called “cousin.” Most of the time, they ignored her coldly, keeping their distance. It was clear they weren’t trying to recruit her into their ranks.
“It’s just to lower the outsiders’ guard.” The town mayor opened his eyes. “If they think I have ulterior motives toward a mere girl, it makes them feel more at ease than if I showed no interest at all.”
Sun Wan understood. “Then what if she starts making a fuss, wanting to stay in the town?”
“Once those ability users head south, they won’t have the chance to return. They’ll probably be eager for her to stay behind.”
“Besides…” The town mayor recalled that pure, delicate face, feeling a bit of temptation. But more than that, it was the arrogance he never displayed in front of the outsiders. “An ordinary person—what can she do if she stays? Sooner or later, she’ll be crushed and have to beg for food from my hands.”
Although he was divorced, he had never lacked for bed partners.
Some women with no backbone would get dazzled by the slightest bit of favor, easy to take and just as easy to discard. If one was gone, another batch of young girls would eagerly come flocking.
“Sun Wan, when we face those Tier 3 zombies later, make sure to let one of the severely wounded ones escape.”
The town mayor quickly cast aside thoughts of the insignificant ordinary girl. His once-gentle facade disappeared in an instant, his eyes flashing with cold-blooded greed.
“Those people don’t know that our town actually has three Tier 2 ability users. I’ve arranged for the remaining one to hide at the bridge’s end. As long as the heavily injured Tier 3 zombie is lured in that direction, he’ll be able to chop off its head.”
“Three Grade 3 crystal stones—I must get two of them!”
A group of outsiders, no matter how strong they were, could not possibly make him give up two-thirds of the prize when the fat meat was already at his lips.
“Yes! I understand!”
Each vehicle was filled with its own hidden agendas, except for the one Su Su was in, which was eerily silent.
The two Tier 1 ability users sat in the driver’s and passenger’s seats, not uttering a single word since they got in.
Su Su didn’t mind.
She had deliberately provoked Zhao Zhenyu multiple times just to get into the team, waiting for the right moment to fish in troubled waters.
She knew this man all too well. In her previous life, he had made her suffer countless times. As long as there was an opportunity to make her miserable, he would spare no effort in pushing things forward and letting events unfold.
It was as if he had found the perfect scapegoat, someone on whom he could vent all the resentment and cruelty he had accumulated in the apocalypse.
Sure enough, her act had worked well. She had successfully “lured” him into letting her go along.
Su Su let out a quiet breath, the corners of her lips lifting into a faint but undeniable smirk of satisfaction.
She smiled for two seconds before placing her backpack in front of her and discreetly unzipping it halfway.
A black snake, trapped inside all morning, instantly poked its head out, its eyes filled with anger and dissatisfaction as it glared at her.
“Hiss!”
“What was that?!”
The Tier 1 ability user in the passenger seat was particularly alert, instantly turning his head.
In a moment of panic, Su Su instinctively shoved the Xiao Hei snake’s head back into the backpack, its cool and slightly sticky tongue brushing against her palm, sending shivers down her spine.
There was no time for fear. Thinking quickly, she grabbed a plastic bag containing smoked rabbit meat and rustled it noisily, easily masking the snake’s hissing sound.
The ability user eyed her backpack suspiciously for a moment before finally turning away.
Crisis averted.
Su Su let out a silent sigh of relief, then cautiously looked down—
As expected!
The petty Xiao Hei snake had already marked her as an enemy for pushing its head down. Hidden in the dim backpack, it glared at her fingers with deadly intent, clearly waiting for the perfect moment to pounce and deliver a vicious bite!
Raising a cold-blooded creature meant living in constant vigilance. One wrong move, and she could end up a corpse.
The delayed wave of fear washed over her. She swallowed hard and carefully tore off a rabbit leg, offering it to the Xiao Hei snake as a peace offering.
—Come on, eat up. You didn’t have time to hunt today.
The black snake detected the unfamiliar human scent, raised its tail in disgust, and flicked the rabbit leg out of her hand.
Plop.
The smoked rabbit leg landed back in the plastic bag.
Su Su tried several more times, only to find that the Xiao Hei snake stubbornly refused to take even a single bite of the smoked rabbit.
“You don’t like smoked meat?”
The black snake shot her a cold, indifferent look and gave no response. Left with no choice, Su Su put the rabbit leg into her own mouth instead.
She had no right to be picky. Any food she could get her hands on had to be eaten immediately—who knew when she’d have the chance to fill her stomach again?
Perhaps it was the act of eating that made the two ability users in front lower their guard.
For the rest of the journey, neither of them looked back at the rear seat, completely missing the moment when the black snake slithered out of the backpack and onto Su Su’s arm.
Su Su: “……”
She endured the wriggling sensation on her arm with great effort. The black snake seemed to be testing her tolerance, occasionally tightening its coils—the pressure eerily similar to a blood pressure cuff at a hospital.
In the end, she couldn’t hold back and was just about to explain, “I didn’t mean to just now—”
But the black snake refused to listen, fully engrossed in its little “revenge game.”
Su Su could only do her best to ignore it, using indifference as a way to pacify the petty cold-blooded creature.
The convoy soon arrived at their destination.
The outskirts of City C lay just across the river, separated by a massive bridge. Below, the river spanned several hundred meters wide. A few scattered low-tier zombies swayed aimlessly atop the bridge.
The moment they caught the scent of living humans, they stopped staggering and excitedly rushed forward.
Whoosh!
Several sharp earth spikes shot out in an instant, piercing through the air for hundreds of meters and severing the necks of the low-tier zombies. Their heads fell one after another, bursting open like overripe watermelons, spraying chunks in all directions.
The town mayor, having just stepped out of the vehicle, withdrew his hand and turned to smile at Si Zhe, Lin Weiran, and the others who had also gotten out.
“Beyond this bridge is the outskirts of City C. The Tier 3 zombies have been active in this area. With our numbers, if we hold the entrance to the bridge, we’ll soon attract wave after wave of zombies.”
“As long as we block off this bridge, we won’t have to worry about being attacked from behind. If things go south, we can retreat at any time. At this stage, aside from those Tier 3 zombies, most zombies won’t be able to catch up to our vehicles.”
Si Zhe scanned the area, observing for a moment before nodding in agreement with the town mayor’s assessment.
However… a trace of doubt flickered in his mind. He voiced his concern again to confirm: “Town mayor, not only did your people obtain information on the Tier 3 zombies, but you’ve also already mapped out a battle plan and tactics. Meanwhile, we’re merely lending a hand yet taking two of the three Grade 3 crystal stones. Isn’t that a bit unfair to you?”
Before the town mayor could reply, Sun Wan spoke up sharply, “Then how about you take one, and we take two?”
As soon as she said this, Lin Weiran’s expression subtly stiffened.
In her opinion, whoever contributed the most should take the largest share of the spoils. Two Grade 3 crystal stones were just enough for her and Si Zhe to advance. If they only got one… then why were they even going through all this effort?
Tier 3 zombies weren’t easy to deal with! Especially when there were only five Tier 2 ability users among them. Even if they split into pairs, they didn’t have enough people to take on the Tier 3 zombies head-on!
Not to mention the unknown number of low-tier, Tier 1, and Tier 2 zombies that would flood in continuously. They were already risking their lives!
“That’s enough, Sun Wan.”
The town mayor interrupted her, his smile never wavering from beginning to end. “I am a man of my word. Since we agreed that you’d get two while we take one, that won’t change.”
“Besides, it might seem like we’re getting the short end of the deal, but in reality, we’re not.”
Si Zhe narrowed his eyes slightly. “What do you mean, town mayor?”
“For one, I’m the leader of this town. My top priority is the survival of my people. More supplies mean better living conditions for the town’s residents. Secondly, even though City C is several dozen kilometers away, it’s still too close to our settlement. Eliminating these zombies doesn’t just make us stronger—it also removes a future threat.”
“Most importantly, if it weren’t for your arrival, our town only has two Tier 2 ability users. No matter how well we planned our tactics, we wouldn’t have been able to hold this bridge, let alone eliminate the Tier 3 zombies. It’s because of your presence that I saw hope. Since I need your help, I’m willing to take a smaller share.”
His words were logical and well-founded, exuding an undeniable sincerity.
Si Zhe pondered for a few seconds before deciding to trust him. “I understand.”
“Good, then let’s hurry and secure the bridge!” The town mayor turned to look at the last vehicle. “Zhang Da, Zhang Er, you two stay at the bridge’s end and keep an eye on these intersections. If anything happens, you must notify us immediately!”
“Understood!”
The two Tier 1 ability users got out of the vehicle, each taking a position on opposite sides of the bridge’s end.
Su Su leaned against the car window, observing the surroundings. This area was a crossroads, with long roads extending north, south, and west. The lack of human activity suggested a low probability of zombies approaching from these directions.
However, caution was still necessary. If they were unlucky enough to attract a horde of zombies—or worse, if hostile humans arrived—then the town mayor, Si Zhe, and their teams would find themselves trapped, facing enemies on both sides.
Under her watchful gaze, the three vehicles drove toward the bridgehead.
Not long after, the deafening roars of zombies erupted in the distance, mingled with the pained cries of ability users locked in battle.
Everything was proceeding as expected.
Su Su shifted her attention to the two remaining Tier 1 ability users.
Coincidentally, they were looking right at her.
—And they were walking toward her.