Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person

“Let’s not worry about that bastard Xiaowu for now. Everyone, let’s talk about how to deal with that group. Did any of you count exactly how many of them there are?”

Liang Xiaocheng looked at the few people beside him.

“Ten!”

“No, I counted nine.”

“Are your eyes just for show? It’s clearly eleven!”

Liang Xiaocheng frowned deeply, thinking to himself how his subordinates couldn’t even count the number of people, each one of them was ridiculous!

“Let’s go with the higher number, eleven. Even if I can handle three, each of you takes one, we’re still at a disadvantage. A direct confrontation definitely won’t work. Let’s all think of another way!”

While Liang Xiaocheng was good at direct confrontation, he wasn’t great at coming up with ideas, so he had to ask his subordinates. That’s also why he didn’t dare to continue getting angry at them.

If everyone else left him like Xiaowu did, he wouldn’t be much of a lone general.

“I think these guys aren’t that great either. They didn’t even leave a lookout. They all went inside. We could just set the shop on fire and… damn, what a jinx I am!”

Just as a guy started plotting, he saw the back door open. A chubby figure appeared in the yard, then climbed onto the roof of a Mercedes G-Class car and sat down, obviously on the lookout.

The group ducked their heads behind the counter.

“I think Xiaolong’s idea of setting a fire is good. Just a fat woman, she can be easily dealt with!”

A guy chimed in.

“Setting a fire is definitely not an option! My brother said before that the guns are hidden inside a Mercedes van. If we set a fire, it might affect our ability to get the guns, so even if we’re going to set a fire, it has to be after we get the guns. Otherwise, we need to think of another way!”

Liang Xiaocheng said in a deep voice.

“Brother, we can only take out that group before we get the guns, or else it’ll definitely lead to a direct conflict!”

Someone reminded Liang Xiaocheng. None of them wanted to clash with a group of about ten survivors.

“Heh heh!”

Suddenly, a guy let out a sinister laugh.

Liang Xiaocheng and the rest looked at the person who laughed, waiting for him to share his insights.

“Don’t you remember why we detoured earlier? The zombies on Wensheng Road are swarming. If we lure those zombies to Yihe Car Shop, if those people don’t die, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!”

The group fell silent.

On Wensheng Road is Qin City’s No. 3 High School, a boarding school. When the disaster broke out, it wasn’t the Golden Week yet. The school had about three thousand students, and somehow all of them ran out, flooding the streets!

Liang Xiaocheng pondered for a while and shook his head, saying, “That definitely won’t work. If the zombies stay at Yihe Car Shop and don’t leave, it’ll be difficult for us. The risk is too high!”

He didn’t really want to provoke the zombies they encountered before.

“Yeah, that’s right!”

The group felt that Liang Xiaocheng made sense and nodded in agreement.

Liang Xiaocheng took a deep breath and said, “If it really doesn’t work, we’ll take out the lookout, then ambush in the parking yard and launch a surprise attack when they come out. In an ambush situation, I think we have a high chance of winning!”

The group fell silent. It’s easier said than done, but it was just as impractical. The first task, taking out the lookout, they hadn’t even gotten close yet, and one shout could alert everyone inside the shop, ruining any chance of ambush.

The only woman in the group gave a complicated look at the others, then said, “I have an idea that might work. Listen to me.”

…

Inside Yihe Car Shop, Zhang Su and his group went up to the third floor.

The scene changed again. The first floor had the front desk, sales showroom, and customer reception room. The second floor was like a museum, while the third floor was quite classy. Even the floor wasn’t just flooring; it was soft carpet.

The area divided into a wine-tasting room, cigar room, dining room, and other function rooms, clearly designed for entertaining high-end customers and friends.

“It doesn’t seem like a lie that guy said about having dinner here with Boss Cai. They really have a dining room here!”

The group walked to the dining room door and looked inside. The French Rococo-style dining room had a European palace feel, but because there was no lighting, in the dim light, it had a Gothic eeriness.

“This car shop’s owner sure knows how to enjoy himself. Brother Su, there are so many cigars here. We’re rich!”

Lu Yubo ran into the cigar room and unceremoniously opened the cigar cabinet, claimed all the high-end cigars, which would eventually be turned over to the team for distribution, but he could get an extra share.

“Later, we’ll definitely get a few more cars and take everything here that we can bring!”

Zhang Su pointed around.

Zhao Dezhu grinned and said, “I really didn’t expect to find so many supplies in a car dealership, hehe, what a surprising find!”

“No one would have thought there’d be a restaurant and a wine cellar in a car dealership. Luckily it’s cold, otherwise, hey, don’t pull me…”

While speaking, Zhang Su felt a tug on his pant leg and looked down to see the Corgi.

After catching Zhang Su’s attention, the Corgi ran in one direction, then looked back and, seeing no one following, ran back and nudged Zhang Su’s foot with its head.

“Brother Su, it’s telling you to follow it.”

Zheng Xinyu translated the dog’s behavior for Zhang Su.

Zhang Su also sensed it, knowing the little dog must have discovered something, and said, “Alright, alright, I’ll follow you.”

The Corgi happily spun in circles a few times, then quickly ran off into the distance.

Zhang Su led the group in following the Corgi around a corner, discovering what looked like a meeting room, with a glass-enclosed room deep inside, where the Corgi sat still in front of the glass door.

“Wow, big guy, could this dog have understood we were looking for an office and led us here on purpose?”

Zhao Dezhu was astonished, looking at the Corgi sitting far away, clearly realizing this must be the dealership owner’s office.

“This creature’s intelligence is quite unusual, better not treat it like an ordinary dog…”

Saying this, Zhang Su headed towards the meeting room, but stopped after a couple of steps, raising his hand to the group to say, “Shh!”

The people following him immediately fell silent, because every time Zhang Su made this gesture, it meant something was up!

Zhang Su walked lightly forward, appearing to be feeling around on the carpet but actually listening to the situation inside the office.

Ever since his hearing had sharpened, he became acutely sensitive to surrounding sounds, able to hear every heartbeat, breath, and even the sneaky sounds of someone passing gas, which was troubling initially, but he gradually got used to it over several days.

Earlier, he’d habitually tuned out the surrounding noises, but suddenly a different breathing sound caught his ear, putting him on alert!

Slowly walking up to the frosted glass office door, unable to see inside, he found it unnecessary to do so, as the breathing was clear enough, convincing him someone was hiding inside, someone who must also know there were people here!

Zhang Su pointed to the door handle and then to the floor for the quiet group behind him, gesturing a few times.

The group understood Zhang Su meant there was someone in the office, though they couldn’t make sense of the clues regarding the door handle and carpet. They trusted Zhang Su’s word—if he said there was someone, there was indeed someone.

Zhang Su wanted precisely this kind of understanding gap, as nobody could have guessed he relied entirely on his hearing. He didn’t explain, merely called out towards the office, “Whoever’s inside, come out. We mean no harm and won’t hurt you, provided you don’t act rashly!”

Several seconds passed with no response.

Zhang Su frowned, raising his voice slightly, “Ma’am, if you don’t come out, don’t blame us for being unfriendly!”

Ma’am?

The group felt awe and admiration for Zhang Su, recognizing his advanced skill, having detected even the gender of the invisible person.

Just as the group harbored doubts, a voice inside dispelled all skepticism.

“Are you Uncle Hat?”

A female voice sounded, not particularly youthful, its age unclear—could be forty, could be fifty, with an obvious undertone of fear.

“We’re not Uncle Hat. We’re survivors like you. Open the door and talk to us!”

Zhang Su raised his crossbow and stepped back a few paces, signaling his group to give a bit more space.

Since Boss Cai had hidden a gun in the dealership, they couldn’t disregard the possibility of the person inside being armed. Better safe than sorry.

After about ten seconds, a sharp click came from the door lock.

The glass door opened slowly, revealing a middle-aged woman wrapped in a tablecloth apron, illuminated by flashlight, her hair disheveled.

Peeking out, the woman had not expected to see ten or so figures gathered at the doorway, her eyes filled with fear and extreme unease, at a loss for words, merely breathing rapidly.

“Ma’am, you are…?”

Zhang Su was deeply puzzled, unable to guess the woman’s identity. She didn’t seem like a dealership employee; maybe she was a survivor like them?

“I-I’m, my husband was the night guard here. He…he turned into a monster, boohoo…”

The woman began to sob, trembling, as the events from days before resurfaced in her mind, narrating through sobs.

“That night, I was, as usual, on night duty with my husband. The next morning, I found he had turned into a monster!”

Zhang Su exchanged glances with a few beside him, realizing the zombie they’d killed earlier was her husband.