"Why such a rush?"
At the entrance of Lego Mall, Zheng Xinyu asked Zhang Su from the box truck.
She also thought they would have a bite at Lego Mall before heading to Little Eagle Association or Apocalypse Corps in the afternoon.
"Time is money, my dear wife."
Zhang Su replied to Zheng Xinyu with a joking tone. Though time wasn’t exactly pressing, the challenge tasks were full of uncertainty, and he wouldn’t leave things to the last minute.
He leaned out halfway, looking at the convoy behind. More than fifty vehicles had set out from Celestial Horse Island, and now only thirty were left.
Banging twice on the car door, he loudly declared, "Set off for Xinglong Hua Mansion!"
The convoy left Lego Mall. Even with just over thirty vehicles, it was still quite a spectacle.
"Uncle, I’m not convinced. I want to unlock all the locks inside Lego Mall. Let me go again!"
Pang Dakun, sitting in the front passenger seat of the box truck, had recovered from his injuries with the help of the Zombie Thalamus, but to avoid drawing attention, he was still wrapped in lots of bandages, looking like a mummy...
After the explosion, it was as if he had a belly full of anger, like a pressure cooker, constantly letting off steam through his mouth, too embarrassed to fight for a seat with Zheng Xinyu, who was sitting in the middle.
Zhang Su was worried that Pang Dakun would cause trouble in someone else’s car, so even if it was a bit cramped, he brought him along in his own vehicle.
"Little Kun Kun, I think you’re just not skilled enough. You need more practice. This time you got lucky, but what about next time? Your head might get blown off, and even a level-three helmet couldn’t save you!"
Zheng Xinyu jokingly remarked to Pang Dakun, patting his shoulder with a chuckle.
"It’s not like that, Sister Xinyu. I was just careless this time. Who would’ve thought someone would be so wicked, linking the lock core with a self-destruct device? Next time, I won’t fall for it!"
Pang Dakun called Zhang Su "Uncle" but referred to Zheng Xinyu as "Sister," making their relationship both clear and confusing...
"Give me a break, will you? Besides, doing so can effectively protect secrets. It’s a good measure, why call it wicked?"
Zhang Su turned right at the intersection, glancing at the once-prosperous Qin City CBD, his mind filled with thoughts.
"Of course it’s wicked, Brother Su. Think about it: if a bookworm researcher is busy in the lab, and someone unaware wants to sneak in and unlock something with tools, wouldn’t those bookworms be in trouble?"
Pang Dakun argued confidently.
Zhang Su and Zheng Xinyu exchanged a glance, a knowing smile on their lips, and couldn’t help but say, "You know, Dakun, your thinking is quite novel. It might really be as you said. Maybe in Liao Youzhi’s eyes, protecting secrets is more important than the lives of those researchers; it does seem pretty wicked..."
Even so, Zhang Su added in his heart, to sit in that position, leading three to five hundred people, especially in this lawless society, it might require being a bit wicked to stay secure.
Of course, he couldn’t share these thoughts with Pang Dakun, nor with most of the members...
The distance from Lego Mall to Xinglong Garden was less than four kilometers, but the road in the city center was far from the smooth roads in the suburbs. It wasn’t just that every intersection had barricades; the roads between intersections were also chaotic.
"Haven’t been back for over three months, and the city has ended up like this..."
The vehicle twisted and turned on the road, moving slowly. Looking at the ravaged streets and surrounding buildings, Zhang Su suddenly had a moment of realization.
The urban lifestyle has become a thing of the past. Qin City can accommodate two million people; now, survivor count throughout the entire Celestial Dynasty might not even fill one Qin City, not to mention there are countless cities like Qin City in the Celestial Dynasty.
Human living patterns will certainly undergo fundamental changes in the future. A new ecology will quietly emerge at some unexpected development point, then sweep across as the new trend.
While lost in thought, Zhang Su suddenly noticed someone peeking around from a pedestrian bridge in the distance. He slowed the vehicle and took out the walkie-talkie, "Hey, hey, Old Liu, is that guy on the bridge yours?"
"Yes, that’s my east post, specifically watching the Survivor Alliance folks. Haha, flick your high and low beams three times, and he’ll know!"
Not only Zhang Su had a walkie-talkie; many people heard Liu Yao’s words and switched their beams on and off.
The lookout on the bridge was an older man about the same age as Yuwen. Maybe the apocalypse was harsh on people, but his hair was gray, making him look older than his fifties, saying seventy wasn’t an exaggeration.
When he initially saw over thirty vehicles, the man almost had a heart attack. He didn’t even have the mindset to discern if any vehicles belonged to his people, ready to reach for the radio to contact the camp. In his panic, he dropped the radio, and when he picked it up and looked up, he saw about a dozen vehicles winking at him, turning his shock into confusion.
"Xiyu, Xiyu, Director Liu is back, and many people have come. I think I saw vehicles from the Survivor Alliance and the Apocalypse Corps! Hurry and bring people out to prepare a welcome!"
???
Sitting in the classroom with a furrowed brow, Ma Xiyu was utterly perplexed by the news from the post.
"Survivor Alliance and Apocalypse Corps are coming together here? What’s going on..."
"Hey, hey, Xiaoma, respond quickly!"
While confused, the familiar voice of Liu Yao suddenly came over the radio.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to contact them earlier, but the walkie-talkies of Little Eagle Association only allowed effective communication within about two kilometers in the city, which sufficed for everyday use, given the limited surrounding coverage.
"Boss, you’re back. Any instructions?"
Ma Xiyu, hearing Liu Yao’s voice, was excited, feeling much more at ease.
"Hurry and gather everyone at the community entrance for a welcome. I’ll explain what to do later..."
In a brief conversation, Liu Yao didn’t have time to explain to Ma Xiyu in detail, only emphasizing some particularly important things, mainly that the welcoming ceremony must be enthusiastic!
In the kindergarten, Ma Xiyu completed his conversation with Liu Yao, his mind overwhelmed, from dealing with the issue of an undercover agent being kidnapped by another group just a moment ago to preparing to welcome big shots the next.
No time to daze, he pressed the kindergarten’s electric bell rapidly, swiftly assembling the fifty or so people staying in the kindergarten on the small playground!
On the rainbow track stood a group of ragged adults; an uninformed observer might mistake it for a Beggar Gang meeting, giving the scene a somewhat contradictory and comical appearance.
Ma Xiyu quickly arranged the lineup and then led the group to jog towards the community entrance.
As the line stood on both sides of the community entrance, a box truck appeared at the intersection, followed by vehicle after vehicle driving up.
"They’re coming, they’re coming... What are we supposed to yell again?"
"How can you have such a poor memory? Welcome King Yama! King Yama undefeated in battle, Yama Corps invincible!"
"Oh, right, got it!"
The people murmured among themselves. As the vehicles approached, everyone shouted in unison, as instructed by Liu Yao. Although the impromptu drilling was average at best, it was still passable.
Having been through such scenes two or three times, Zhang Su was already getting used to it, slowly driving into Xinglong Hua Mansion amid the crowd’s cheers, followed orderly by the thirty-plus vehicles parking in front of the villa.
"Haha, come, come, Brother Su, let me introduce you. This is our former second-in-command, Ma Xiyu! Look closely, this is who you were to welcome—King Yama of Celestial Horse Island, Zhang Su!"
Returning to his domain, Liu Yao felt extraordinarily comfortable, boldly introducing people to each other in the crowd.
Little Eagle Association members were generally not very old, related to Liu Yao’s rules on recruiting survivors. The man keeping watch on the pedestrian bridge was already among the oldest; few in the crowd were over fifty, giving the team a youthful and energetic structure.
The crowd eyed the man stepping off the box truck, each with a face full of curiosity.
"Hello, everyone!"
Zhang Su raised his hand in front of everyone, continuing, "Director Liu has an announcement for you all. Come, let’s invite Director Liu to speak!"
Having the original leader announce the merger could significantly reduce people’s resistance.
Liu Yao wasn’t vague, having kicked back and taken a miracle drug, already mentally prepared. Clearing his throat, he placed his hands behind his back quite openly and said, "My people, this will be the last time I greet you like this, because starting today, no, starting yesterday, Little Eagle Association has joined Celestial Horse Island!
From now on, there is no Little Eagle Association, only the Celestial Horse Island Xinglong Branch. I am no longer your boss. See this man; he will be our new leader, King Yama of Celestial Horse Island, Zhang Su!"
As expected, almost everyone on-site exchanged puzzled looks. They knew Liu Yao’s character too well, and before this, the Survivor Alliance had repeatedly mentioned merging, which Liu Yao consistently refused. For him to genuinely acknowledge a leader, this Zhang Su, nicknamed King Yama, must be extraordinary!