"You, you... you bitch..."
Yu Nuo felt warmth in his chest, but the heat from his body was slowly being drained away. His strength quickly dissipated, and he couldn’t even stand steadily. His arms flailed wildly against Pan Ru, making slapping sounds but unable to inflict any real harm.
When the sharp blade pierced his heart, Yu Nuo knew it was too late to do anything. His heart was filled with unwillingness and regret. As his strength drained away, his body collapsed backward, the world spinning before him. In his final moments, he saw the face he hated most appear nearby.
Reaching out, he grasped at nothing. That person still stood in the distance, motionless, not even bothering to approach. It turned out he wasn’t even worth the effort to act. The last glimmer of light faded away, leaving only endless darkness.
Thud.
The corpse hit the ground...
The people on the convoy held their weapons tightly, ready for unexpected events. However, things went smoother than they anticipated; the members of the Survivor Alliance showed no special reaction to Yu Nuo’s death.
The leader’s woman was in a different class than ordinary members. Many of them hadn’t seen the beauties in ten days or half a month, so Yu Nuo’s death didn’t affect them much.
Only Pan Ru stood before the corpse with her chest heaving violently. Her white down jacket was stained red with blood, and the dagger in her hand still had fresh blood dripping from it.
"This should not have been done by you, but since you did it, I want to thank you!"
Zhang Su walked up to Pan Ru, took the dagger from her hand, and handed it to Zhao Dezhu beside him.
Pan Ru turned to look at Zhang Su. It was this face that had given her strength in countless moments when she was on the verge of breakdown and ultimately helped her pull through.
"Brother Zhang, I..." As she spoke, Pan Ru noticed the girl with a baseball bat on her back nearby. Embarrassment flashed across her face briefly, but then she summoned her courage and said, "Brother Zhang, it’s been a long time. I’ve missed you. Can I hug you?"
Zhang Su said nothing, smiled, and opened his arms, letting Yu Nuo’s blood on Pan Ru’s chest stain him. The blade meant for Yu Nuo was ultimately wielded by someone else.
"Things aren’t over yet. You should go rest for a while, and we’ll catch up later!"
Zhang Su gave Zheng Xinyu a glance, signaling her to take Pan Ru away.
Zheng Xinyu smiled gently at Pan Ru and was about to lead her away when another woman rushed over.
"I..."
"Zhuzi, take the ladies to the back to rest!"
Zhang Su felt a headache for the flattering woman; he was uninterested in mere vases. Her meddling was annoying enough, and the silent woman standing afar was obviously Li Zongkai’s spy!
Unveiling her identity wasn’t wise at the moment, so it’s best to escort her away.
Soon, the scene was cleared. Pan Ru and the other two beautiful women were ushered to the back to rest in the car, while Yu Nuo’s body was carried away. Before leaving, they didn’t forget to add a knife to the head.
"Come, everyone, look over here!"
Zhang Su clapped his hands. Though the mood was peculiar, it was better than the previous stiffness. He opened his arms and said, "A farce has wasted your time. In this screwed-up apocalypse, we must learn to look forward. Everyone has terrible experiences, myself included. Dwelling in past darkness won’t welcome a bright future!"
Unlike Yuwen’s lectures, Zhang Su had honed his skills since the early apocalypse. His words eased the awkward atmosphere, visibly allowing many tense individuals to relax their shoulders, signifying their waning vigilance.
Seeing the crowd’s emotions stabilize, Zhang Su continued, "Let’s get back to the topic. I can tell some friends have doubts in their hearts. If you have questions, feel free to ask now. Any concerns can be voiced, and I’ll answer them, so you’re not blindly joining Celestial Horse Island. If there are issues, let’s clarify them."
Zhang Su raised his arms, meaning there was no need for formalities; speak freely.
Unexpectedly, once these words were spoken, the willing joiners rose by more than ten, from 188 to 205. He pondered: could it be his approachable attitude gaining favor?
Indeed, it was true. Previously, Liao Youzhi’s demeanor was vexing. Appearing in front of everyone daily with a big black mask, he resembled Kakashi with his eyepatch. Removing the mask, he seemed like Kenpachi Zaraki, treating people nonchalantly, making ordinary members uncomfortable even with a glance.
In contrast, the new leader proactively asked about people’s hardships — a rarity — which made Yu Nuo’s earlier words seem ridiculous. There are no pure villains or heroes; it depends on whom they’re directed.
Soon, Zhang Su saw someone raising their hand among the crowd — a ragged woman with a plain headscarf and some stains on her face, yet her eyes were not dark but filled with resilience. This probably tied to the young boy about ten years old beside her; for a mother, her strength springs from her child. They seemed to be a pair.
"Come, this mother, please speak!"
"Zhang, Leader Zhang, hello...I don’t know why, from yesterday onwards, it’s gotten really cold here. I want to ask, if we join Celestial Horse Island, can there be a warmer place to live?"
Wishing for warmth — such a simple yet heart-wrenching question resonated with many, leading several in the crowd to nod in agreement.
Zhang Su looked up at Lego Mall, where underground heating was considered from the onset, not contemplating using stoves for warmth. The design’s airtight and thermal properties were decent. But utilizing stoves requires addressing exhaust issues. As long as there’s energy, it’s no problem!
"You’ve lived at Lego Mall for some time, and you won’t be moved from your current home right away. Heating relies on energy, but you don’t need to worry about that; I’ll provide assurance. You’ll need to adapt your environment, though — any other questions?"
Before yesterday, Zhang Su wouldn’t dare guarantee such extravagance. But now, with thousands of zombie corpses around Celestial Horse Island, if only considering the island and two satellite villages without spoilage issues, it could last two years!
Given the survivors’ choice to join Celestial Horse Island, they were now allies, core or peripheral. Offering care is fine, but they must also provide corresponding value later.
Hearing assurances about warmth, many smiled brightly. Hunger and cold are humanity’s two great killers. Solving these issues ensured basic living conditions.
By making promises, Zhang Su gained what he wanted, increasing from 205 onwards, swiftly reaching 245, exceeding 80%. He breathed a sigh of relief; Yu Nuo’s commotion hadn’t obstructed his progress and possibly accelerated it in some aspects.
Yet before Zhang Su could relish his success, the Survivor Alliance’s statistic display began flickering, then gradually faded away, vanished?
"This... won’t let me off with even the slightest advantage!"
The Survivor Alliance challenge was completed, but the stats had other uses. Now with it inaccessible, it felt stingy!