Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person

“Get down!”

Before Zhang Su even finished shouting, he floored the gas pedal and hunched down on the center console. At that instant, a violent explosion roared in his ears.

Bang!

There was an explosion on the dirt road about thirty centimeters from the self-built road. The earth flew several meters high, chunks of concrete were shattered, and two vehicles were overturned in the field by the powerful shock wave.

The scene was in chaos, dirt flew around, smoke rose in all directions, and the cars lay in the fields with their wheels spinning.

The two rear wheels of the Prado were completely ruined, the rims bent, a large portion of the car body was charred, the windows shattered entirely, and the door was deeply dented. The driver’s seat was tilted downwards into the field.

The van, being slightly further from the explosion, was in somewhat better condition, but its windows were also entirely broken, and it lay awkwardly on the dirt slope beside the self-built road.

The driver, Lu Yubo, had a bewildered expression and twisted movements, glass shards embedded in his face, and blood streaming down his neck. The passenger Zhao Dezhu clutched his arm in pain, clearly shaken, all traces of his earlier swagger vanished in seconds.

In the Celestial Horse Island safety camp, everyone busy at work paused in surprise at the sound of the explosion.

“Teacher Xiaoyu testing the bomb again?”

“Can’t be, what if it’s a failed experiment explosion…”

“No, look, everything’s fine over there!”

“It exploded!”

Soon, Zhang Ya ran out from the monitoring room, screaming in panic, “Explosion, Brother Su’s car blew up down there!”

From the monitor, she only saw the car blasted into the fields, completely unaware of what caused the explosion.

“What?”

“The car… exploded?”

“Damn, hurry, quickly, go save them!”

In an instant, everyone at the camp sprang into action.

The little electric scooters brought back from Niuquanzi Town played a crucial role as Zhong Xiaoshan rushed forward with a medical kit.

“Leave a few people to keep an eye on Guo Dachao and Yang Wenjie, don’t all go down the mountain!”

Yuwen reacted, realizing there were strangers at the camp, and swiftly directed people to keep watch.

On the Prado, Zhang Su felt his insides shaken to disarray, ears buzzing, utterly deafened, vision doubled, his head like after ten roller coaster rides.

Knowing he couldn’t stay in the car any longer, it might explode again. Next to him, Pang Dakun was unconscious, glass shards embedded in his face, blood dripping from his head.

“Pang Dakun, Dakun, wake up!”

Zhang Su, situated below, reached out to shake Pang Dakun, shouting loudly though he couldn’t hear himself, only the buzzing filled his ears. He shook his head vigorously, managed to unbuckle the seatbelt, and crawled out the front window.

Staggering, clutching the A-pillar to steady himself, Zhang Su felt dizzy. Looking back, he saw Lu Yubo and Zhao Dezhu also struggling to crawl out of the van.

“Brother Su, are you okay…”

By now, those rushing to rescue had arrived at the explosion site, where a section of the concrete road was demolished. Zhong Xiaoshan stopped her scooter, gliding down the dirt slope with the medical kit, and dashed to Zhang Su’s side first.

Zhang Su couldn’t hear Zhong Xiaoshan but inferred her words from her body language, saying, “I’m okay, get Dakun out, leave here first!”

“Got it!” Zhong Xiaoshan, relieved seeing Zhang Su without serious injuries, helped him move back while instructing others, “Quickly get Xiaopang out of the car!”

Zhao Dezhu and Lu Yubo had also crawled out of the car, now assisted up the dirt slope by others.

“Guns, don’t forget the weapons!”

With Zhong Xiaoshan and Zheng Xinyu’s aid, Zhang Su climbed the slope, suddenly recalling the guns left in the car. He hastily asked those nearby to remember to take the weapons.

Everyone combined their efforts effectively to rescue the four back to camp. Apart from the weapons, the vehicles had nothing valuable, naturally abandoned in the fields.

All four sustained varying degrees of injuries, Pang Dakun’s being the most severe. Unconscious from the shock, face and neck pierced by glass, bleeding considerably, his vital signs fortunately stable.

“Damn bastards, it must be the Beita camp people. I want them dead, aargh!”

Zhao Dezhu’s injuries were next to Pang Dakun’s. His right arm fractured, evidently the explosives on the road’s right side were significantly stronger than the left’s, victimizing Dakun and Zhao Dezhu.

“My leg just healed, now my arm’s broken again, I, I, I aargh!”

Sitting on the bed, Zhao Dezhu raged hysterically, hair standing on end.

Initially joyous, recovered from injuries, seeking supplies again, stifled in camp, eagerly venturing out, yet bombed on the road…

Moments before testing bombs at camp, immediately tasting one’s might!

Never suffered such humiliation.

Nearby, Lu Yubo lay with a cigarette in his mouth, face bandaged with a white cloth, wrapped around his head, comically resembling an aunt’s flag. His expression cold as frost, contrasting sharply with his usual demeanor.

Such demeanor displayed his inner rage, silent because his education limited him, language inadequate to express his indignation.

Surrounded by the most people, with everyone naturally concerned over his safety.

Thanks to his quick reaction, avoiding glass shards, and lesser explosives on the left side, he sustained no visible injuries, the main woes being ear ringing and dizziness.

“Brother Su, can you hear me?”

Zhong Xiaoshan spoke near Zhang Su’s ear.

Zhang Su nodded, having spent over half an hour recovering, regained hearing, though sounds remained muffled, nearby sources seeming distant.

He wondered if his hearing exceeded normal, the same explosion affecting him more adversely.

“It’s okay, rest well!”

Zhong Xiaoshan shouted into Zhang Su’s ear, then urged the others to leave, ensuring the room’s ventilation.

“Get busy, we’re fine.”

Zhang Su waved everyone off, aware of the numerous camp tasks, unable to halt all work.

“I’ll catch a chicken for broth to nourish you!”

Zheng Xinyu mimed grasping a chicken’s neck before leaving with the others from the temporary medical room.

By noon, after eating, everyone experienced substantial improvement, both physically and emotionally, stabilizing gradually, with the most serious case, Pang Dakun, also recovering consciousness, though staring blankly, resting in bed.

“Brother Su, how should we handle this?”

Lu Yubo asked seriously, feeling the lightest injuries and able to move freely.

Zhang Su’s hearing partially restored to normal levels, pondered Lu Yubo’s words: “Previously, Wang Xingui from United Village told me someone in Beita Camp makes ground bombs; this must involve them, we must find those bastards!”

The situation had reached a point of no ceasefire.

Zhang Su previously assumed the lack of movement from them indicated they’d backed off, unaware they’d been biding their time, surprising with a massive, grave move!