Chapter Eighteen: Reunion with Zhou Mang

Seeing his cold attitude, everyone was momentarily at a loss.

“Weren’t reinforcements supposed to come? Why are there so few people?”

“So what if there are few? They’re the Liberation Army, armed.”

“Exactly, even if we can’t ride in the military vehicles, just following behind is good enough.”

“Right, right, if danger arises, the comrades from the Liberation Army definitely won’t ignore us.”

...

Listening to the crowd’s murmurs, Shi Kai belatedly realized that bringing so many people out without informing anyone was somewhat presumptuous. Yet, this thought only flashed briefly in his mind before being drowned out by the gratitude and praise from others.

Since earlier, Lin Qingqing had been silently observing everyone. When Shi Kai went to speak with Captain Xiao, she immediately recognized him: wasn’t he the young man who wielded a kitchen knife downstairs, fiercely fending off zombies before breaking his arm? So he too possessed supernatural abilities!

Many of the residents looked familiar, but besides Zhou Mang, no one recognized her.

Squinting, Lin Qingqing exchanged a glance with Zhou Mang, who was at the rear of the group. Seeing the ruthless gleam in his eyes, she calmly averted her gaze without a word and immediately turned to catch up with Xiao Pengfei ahead.

“Captain Xiao, please wait a moment. I’d like to ask for your help.”

Hearing the crisp female voice behind him, Xiao Pengfei suddenly remembered he had been chatting with this girl earlier.

As the group halted, she wasted no time making her request.

“Can I ride with you? I’m just one person. In return, I’ll hand over all this car’s supplies to the team for distribution. Also, I can provide information about the supernaturally gifted residents in the complex. To be honest, I ran away alone because of a grudge with them. Some are particularly difficult to deal with and have killed many people.”

From the moment she saw Zhou Mang again, Lin Qingqing had made up her mind. Her goal was clear: exchange the information on Zhou Mang and others, along with the entire load of supplies, for Captain Xiao’s protection.

Xiao Pengfei didn’t expect such a young girl to speak so boldly. It impressed him — brave, smart, and decisive, with a rare talent.

Compared to her, Shi Kai seemed mediocre.

Xiao Pengfei’s mood instantly brightened. He quickly refused the supplies: “That’s not a big deal. Just come with us. Keep your supplies.”

He figured a young girl wouldn’t have much in the way of provisions—probably just food and essentials—and he wasn’t about to take her rations for such a minor request.

“No need, no need. I can’t even carry that much,” Lin Qingqing said, opening the trunk to show them.

There were over twenty bags of rice and flour, each weighing twenty pounds, all taken from the kindergarten kitchen.

Xiao Pengfei was even more surprised. He now understood that this girl had likely prepared well before deciding to come back with them.

Who wouldn’t be tempted by so much rice and flour? Even at the base, a young girl probably couldn’t safeguard that much; handing it over to the base was the only option.

Lin Qingqing indeed thought the same. Since she sought protection anyway, giving it to Xiao Pengfei not only ensured safety on the road but also made the captain remember her — whereas handing it to the base might mean no one would know who she was.

Moreover, more than food, Lin Qingqing valued her own strength. Captain Xiao was a seasoned second-tier supernatural; receiving guidance from him would be invaluable.

Following the principle of not complicating matters, Lin Qingqing planned to cling tightly to Captain Xiao’s side from now on.

For strength and safety, she certainly wouldn’t feel reluctant about these supplies.

In the end, Xiao Pengfei only accepted the rice and flour, refusing the other food and items.

Relieved, Lin Qingqing slung on her backpack, handed the car to Xiao Lu, and climbed into the jeep.

Their transaction was open, of course not unnoticed by Zhou Mang.

Though he was far away and unaware of what was said, seeing Lin Qingqing board the jeep told him she was untouchable for now.

“A damn female traitor,” Zhou Mang spat fiercely, his gaze dripping with venom.

He hated not only Lin Qingqing but also Shi Kai, who had brought the news that got many residents excited about packing supplies and seeking rescue.

But Zhou Mang saw no good in this. He had comfortably ruled the complex, never wanting to go to any so-called survivor base. With armed soldiers escorting them, how could they listen to him?

Those soldiers were armed, and there was a safe base outside, so if these people wanted to leave, he dared not block them.

“Hmph, they really think those soldiers can protect them? How naive!” Zhou Mang sneered.

Most residents had stayed inside the complex since the apocalypse began, never venturing outside. Though exploited by Zhou Mang and his men, they were also under their protection.

Many hadn’t even killed a single zombie and had no idea how brutal the outside world was. They naively believed that following the Liberation Army to the base would free them from Zhou Mang’s exploitation and bring normal lives.

Only a few understood, but they stayed silent, like Shi Kai, who often urged self-reliance but never taught how.

Shi Kai’s opposite approach split the residents into two factions: though Zhou Mang’s followers were the majority, Shi Kai’s group consisted mainly of capable young people.

So Zhou Mang’s hatred was justified. This time, Shi Kai had decisively taken nearly all the residents. Zhou Mang now regarded him as his number one enemy, second only to Lin Qingqing, and vowed not to rest until he was dealt with.

The sudden murderous aura radiating from Zhou Mang made Bai Xiaoyun, sitting in the back, shiver involuntarily.

She too had seen Lin Qingqing; ever since letting her escape last time, life had worsened for everyone, especially for her and Qian Mao.

Thus, whenever Zhou Mang got angry, she trembled reflexively.

Qian Mao sat beside her, but unlike Bai Xiaoyun, when he saw Lin Qingqing, a spark of excitement flashed in his eyes.

Casting a covert glance at Zhou Mang ahead, a plan gradually took shape in his mind.

The convoy moved steadily forward, trailed by a line of private cars cautiously following the military vehicles. At this moment, no one dared cause trouble.

Besides private vehicles, a few without cars boarded two military trucks. Zhou Mang’s group followed at the rear in three vehicles.

Along the way, except for a few soldiers occasionally stopping to clear abandoned cars and scattered zombies, no incidents occurred. With Captain Xiao, a golden-tier second rank, present, these were minor troubles, and the journey was smooth.

As promised, Lin Qingqing provided information on Zhou Mang and his group. Xiao Pengfei and others observed closely, confirming these men exuded brutality, especially Zhou Mang, whose murderous gaze suggested more than one death under his command.

Though killing and being killed were common in the apocalypse, such violent tendencies warranted close attention.

Due to the inconvenience en route, Captain Xiao planned to report these individuals’ details to the base upon return, ensuring strict supervision.

Grateful for Lin Qingqing’s help, Xiao Pengfei answered all her questions candidly.

Taking the opportunity, Lin Qingqing also asked about several matters she had long been curious about.