Zombie Apocalypse: I Have Safe Zone Superpower

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Scheme-2

But later, he realized the base belonged to someone else.

Why? This is due to the resources that the base possesses.

It was selling food even during the apocalypse. Either the owner was too stupid, or he had some special means or power.

Anyhow, if the Blackthorn family had that kind of power, they wouldn’t be struggling to maintain their hold on the military. They could just open a shop and become the richest and most influential people in the military.

No need to take so many twists and turns.

There was also a rumor that the original owner of the base was a woman who liked Ivy. That made Frank’s eyes darken.

”I have another idea, though.” General Frank began, ”As long as we take down Ivy and Silas, there will be no owner for the Blackthorn’s resource; I will secretly embezzle all of it and transfer it to you. Or you can just stage a scene and take away the resources.”

Derek listened and slowly nodded. ’Wait and strike later; that might work,’ he thought.

Then he thought of something, looked at Frank, and said, ”What about food? My people are running out of it, and we desperately need it.”

Frank interrupted him with a sharp expression. ”I am not here to babysit you,” he said sharply. ”Do not expect everything from me.”

Derek’s face went ugly.

He had thought Frank would give him everything he wanted.

When Frank first came to him, offering cooperation, Derek was surprised.

Why would a high-ranking military man reach out to someone like him?

But Derek had learned about military politics and power plays.

Now he understood why Frank acted the way he did. Still, being refused made him bitter.

’He never promised everything,’ Derek told himself. ’He only said he would help where he could.’

When Derek had asked for weapons before, Frank had agreed.

When Frank wanted Ivy killed, Derek had agreed to help.

It was a mutual deal, not a favor.

Derek Cain smiled politely, though it was filled with a hidden agenda.

His voice sounded calm, almost laughing as he spoke.

”Then where is my compensation? You promised arms and ammunition, but now you say you cannot give them. That is worth something, General.”

For a moment, General Frank’s face did not show any change.

He remained calm and collected.

But underneath, a small worry moved like an uncomfortable stone in his chest.

’If I do not give him something, he might change sides,’ Frank thought. ’Or worse, he might attack me.’

That idea made him want to give Derek a little favor. He did not want Derek to turn against him.

Derek had power now. Losing him would be dangerous.

Not to mention, his son had repeatedly warned him about how powerful Derek will become in the future.

So General Frank decided to bend a little, even though it hurt his pride.

He looked down for a second and breathed out slowly. Then he met Derek’s eyes and said,

”Fine. I will prepare some compensation.”

A gleam flashed in Frank’s eyes. He had already begun thinking about where he could get the supplies.

Inside, his heart felt heavy. He hated losing so much of his resources again and again.

’If it were not for those two, Silas and Ivy, I would not be in this mess,’ he thought. ’They ruined so much for me.’

Frank took another breath and asked Derek, ”How is your experiment going?”

Derek straightened and patted his chest, proud and confident.

”We finished most of the research just a few days ago,” he said.

”We are working on a superpower serum. The trials showed something. If someone takes this serum, they can get a temporary superpower. However, it has some defects.”

Frank’s face changed. His eyes widened with excitement.

Only five months into the apocalypse, and someone had made a serum that could give power, even if only for a short time.

’Amazing! If I can get my hands on those serums, do I still need to worry about those Blackthorns?’ he thought.

Frank asked quickly, ”What are the problems?”

Derek’s grin got bigger, but his voice stayed calm.

”If someone uses the serum, they will probably die afterwards.”

Silence fell. It was as if someone had clicked on a mute button. The silence that followed was deafening.

Frank’s heartbeat skipped a beat.

”How long do they live after taking it?” he asked.

Derek looked like he had already expected the question. ”About ten minutes,” he said. ”After that, they die.”

For a moment, General Frank stared at the ceiling as if looking for an answer.

Then he forced himself to smile.

’Ten minutes could still be useful,’ he thought. ’If I use them at the right time, I can turn the battle. I can use them to cover my back.’

He looked back at Derek and said, ”I will take at least one hundred and fifty of those potions.”

Derek laughed softly. His grin was wide, as if he had expected General Frank to make such a decision.

”If you want 150 potions, you must give us one thousand kilograms of rice.”

Frank’s hand clenched.

He did not like the price, but he also knew how valuable such a serum could be.

Sure, there were superhumans now, but there was also a significant number of people who didn’t possess any power at all.

He nodded slowly. ”I will do it,” he said. Inside, he was already making plans.

’This cannot go on. My food is running out. I need another source,’ he thought. He did not tell Derek any of this.

Derek watched Frank closely. Inside his head, his thoughts were far different than General Frank’s.

’Frank cannot be trusted,’ Derek thought.

’He helped me in the past when it was easy, and he received something in return for that help. But now that things are hard, he shows his real face. He might abandon me when I need him most. I must plan for that.’

Derek remembered the old deals and the big profits they had made from selling medicine.

That money had helped him hire scientists who worked on the serum.

Now those scientists had results. Derek felt proud but also worried.