“Take care, sir!”

Yuwen watched the man leave before turning around and entering through the gate.

“Teacher Yu, what’s the situation?”

In the surveillance room, as soon as they saw the group leaving the provincial highway, more than ten people immediately started discussing, and they used the walkie-talkie to keep real-time communication with Zhang Su.

“A survivor force called the Cyan Dragon Corps, everyone is armed with guns including submachine guns and rifles. I don’t recognize the exact models. They’ve come to deliver a message, requiring us to pay a monthly protection fee, which is essentially food…”

Then, Yuwen shared all the details he knew with everyone, meticulously covering every detail, including the fact that there were women in the car.

It seemed like an inconspicuous matter, but it revealed that the Cyan Dragon Corps’ women were not ignorant of combat. This required caution!

“Damn, this Cyan Dragon Corps is pretty badass. Do their guns have bullets or are they just bluffing? We should kill them!”

At Xiang Village, Lu Yubo, resting by the RV, spat on the ground with a cold gaze.

Zhang Su frowned and shook his head, signaling him to calm down, and pressed the walkie-talkie: “I know about this issue. We’ll discuss it further when we return. Did you see where their vehicle headed, south or north?”

Yuwen picked up the walkie-talkie to respond to Zhang Su: “They went south, continued south. Before leaving, they asked if I knew the gathering places of other survivor forces, I said I didn’t!”

“Alright, keep busy with your tasks, stay vigilant!”

After speaking, Zhang Su put the walkie-talkie down, pulled out a cigarette and lit it, gazing towards the highway.

“Brother Su, what do you think?”

Lu Yubo asked excitedly.

Zhang Su exhaled smoke and said, “From the current situation, the Cyan Dragon Corps is not comparable to those rabble at Beita Camp. According to Old Yu’s account, they have standard weapons and even call themselves a corps. It’s very likely they’re from some military camp, which is something we must be wary of!”

“Speaking of military camps, there really is an infantry brigade stationed in Qing County. I have a cousin who used to serve there!”

Guo Dachao said very seriously.

“Wow, we should be cautious then!”

It was Lü Leiyang’s first time out doing work, and he furrowed his little eyebrows as he spoke.

“No, I mean Old Lü, do you always talk like this? Can you speak more like a man…”

Lu Yubo couldn’t stand Lü Leiyang, but unfortunately, they were among those with no particular skills, so Zhang Su took them out for laboring work. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have worked with the old guys!

Lü Leiyang smiled awkwardly with a touch of charm: “I’m not old, I’m just three to five years older than you. I’ve already told you to call me Yangyang. Gender is given by parents, why don’t I have the right to choose again, seriously.”

“Damn, are you messing with me with philosophy…”

“Damn it, you guys can bicker here!”

Zhang Su was fed up, he took the walkie-talkie and walked to a distant place. He decided to touch base with United Village. Although the two didn’t develop together, he now regarded United Village as a trading alliance, somewhat like a subordinate force.

“Hey hey, Guizi, respond quick!”

“Yan… is it Brother Zhang? Guizi is at work, I’ll take the walkie-talkie to him right away!”

A woman’s voice sounded.

A moment later, Wang Xingui, with heavy breathing, said: “Brother Zhang, I’m starting a new greenhouse here, leading newly arrived villagers to reclaim wasteland. Didn’t bring a walkie-talkie, what’s up?”

“Find a place where no one can hear you.”

“Huh? Oh, okay okay!”

After about a minute, Wang Xingui’s voice came again, deliberately lowered: “What’s wrong?”

“There’s a force from the north called Cyan Dragon Corps sending people over here to collect protection fees. I’m outside, the camp just informed me. Six people in total, traveling by pickup, five men and one woman, equipped with standard weapons!”

Zhang Su concisely conveyed the information to Wang Xingui.

Upon hearing this news, Wang Xingui was briefly silent, struggled to digest the information, and said distressfully: “Brother Zhang, what do they want, food? How did you guys at Celestial Horse Island handle it?”

“Yes, they want food. I’m not sure about the specifics. I’m at Xiang Village hauling stuff, that group just left my place, heading south. I’m giving you a heads-up, they’ve requested the food to be handed over in a week. My suggestion is to stabilize the situation first, then talk!”

“Okay okay, I’ll follow your lead. Damn, this is really a mess! Anything else, Brother Zhang?”

Wang Xingui was extremely agitated. The place they settled wasn’t really remote; a corpse group passing through would not spot it from the provincial road, but determined seekers of survivor camps surely would.

“That’s all for now, we’ll figure out the next steps together, remember not to start any conflict!”

“Of course not, dealing with people with guns…”

Wang Xingui hadn’t even considered resisting.

After ending the call, Wang Xingui immediately gathered important figures in the village to contemplate a response strategy.

Zhang Su, furrowing his brow, held onto the walkie-talkie, harboring several layers of concern.

Firstly, he worried about potential conflicts between United Village and the Cyan Dragon Corps that might lead to casualties, affecting United Village’s growth, and thereby impacting his trades with them.

Secondly, he feared United Village might be recruited by the Cyan Dragon Corps, which would make his position more passive.

“Loyalty Brand?”

Zhang Su pondered silently in his heart. It wouldn’t be difficult to firmly bind the United Village. All he needed was to give Wang Xingui, who had already established his influence, a Loyalty Brand, and with his support, there would be no fear of any disloyalty from the people of the United Village.

But just for some labor force, using a Loyalty Brand felt a bit wasteful to him. He decided to wait and see.

Guo Dachao saw Zhang Su finish his call and walked over to him, saying, “Brother Su, should we inform West Camp Village?”

Zhang Su raised his brows and said with a humorous smile, “Afraid we’ll lose the big fat pig?”

“Not exactly… well, sort of, haha.”

Guo Dachao didn’t deny it, grinning openly.

Zhang Su said, “Our relationship with West Camp is quite ambiguous, not as close as with United Village. It’s better to give them some sense of urgency so we can see what they truly intend to do—join, resist, or silently endure.”

Guo Dachao nodded thoughtfully.

The four of them couldn’t leave Xiang Village. The last time they attacked Beita Camp, they took a small path, so the car couldn’t get in. This time they’re taking the main road, and if they drive out, they might run into the Cyan Dragon Corps.

If that happens, an uncompromising conflict is inevitable!

And that was really unnecessary.

Zhang Su walked around the village, thinking about how to handle the situation. Guo Dachao squatted by the roadside, digging at the dirt with a stick, while Lu Yubo and Lü Leiyang lightheartedly bantered back and forth.

About half an hour later, Zhang Su’s walkie-talkie crackled to life with Wang Xingui’s voice: “Brother Zhang, I managed to fend them off. Damn it, those guys are heartless. They’re charging fifty units of grain per person. Damn it, it’s like they’re making us feed their corps!”

Unlike Zhang Su’s team, which only had twenty-two people, United Village expanded to about sixty after taking in slaves from Beita Camp. In the current context, they were a relatively well-populated force, though more inclined towards farming with mediocre combat strength.

Zhang Su knew all that Wang Xingui was telling him, so he asked, “What did you say to them?”

“Did what you told me. Agreed for now. Sh*t, they said they’d come for the grain in seven days. Cruel as hell, they beat up a few brothers in the village for no reason!”

Wang Xingui was furious and indignant.

The story was quite sad, but Zhang Su felt a bit like laughing because it made him think of Yuwen pretending to be friendly with the other side, which must have looked quite funny.

“Ahem… Is everyone okay?”

“Lost a tooth, some scratches. Damn it, I definitely won’t hand over the grain, Brother Zhang, what do you say?”

Wang Xingui was filled with righteous anger.

Zhang Su narrowed his eyes and said, “Isn’t there a seven-day timeline? Let’s plan it out; no need to rush. By the way, after they left your village, did they head south or north?”

“Kept going south. Looks like West Camp Village won’t escape either.”

“Of course not, Guizi, why don’t you come over to my place tomorrow afternoon?”

Zhang Su invited him.

Without much hesitation, Wang Xingui’s voice came through: “Sure thing, Brother Zhang, it’s Celestial Horse Island, right? I know the way. Let’s meet up tomorrow and talk!”

“Got it, for now, I’ll keep moving stuff!”

With that, Zhang Su tucked the walkie-talkie into his bag, found a rooftop with a view of the road, climbed up, and sat behind a pile of corn, quietly watching the direction of the road.

Waiting is a mandatory lesson in life for everyone. For Zhang Su, who often sat at convenience stores as a cashier, the skill of sitting idly was strong. He didn’t bother with what Lu Yubo and the others were doing, and after waiting for over an hour, there was finally some movement.

One didn’t need Zhang Su’s impressive eyesight; even Lu Yubo and the others could see the vehicles speeding along the road from where Zhang Su sat. But they couldn’t see as clearly as Zhang Su, at least not the vehicle type or the people in it.

“Pickup truck, six people. Alright, it’s you guys. Looks like West Camp Village’s stance is ambiguous!”

Zhang Su mused silently, waiting for the Cyan Dragon Corps to leave and for West Camp Village to respond. He heard from the former but not from the latter.

He didn’t doubt the Cyan Dragon Corps’ ability to find West Camp Village. As long as they followed the road southward, they’d reach Chuhai River Bridge and then find West Camp Village.

Zhang Su concluded that they definitely wouldn’t enter the Qin City District. This was evident from the timing; the Cyan Dragon Corps likely left West Camp Village and headed north to return to their camp.

He pulled out the walkie-talkie used specifically to contact West Camp Village, glanced at the sky, and pressed it: “Hello, Village Chief Ma!”

A full two minutes later, Ma Changshou’s voice came through: “Boss Zhang, it’s this late, are you still coming?”

Based on the tone, Zhang Su didn’t detect much wrong, but precisely because of this, he had more thoughts in his mind.

“Of course, I’m on my way. I’ve got the medicine with me; I just got delayed searching through some villages, just letting you know; I’ll be there soon!”

“Alright, the pigs are ready. Each is guaranteed to birth at least eight piglets!”

“That’s great, alright then, I’m on my way!”

With that, Zhang Su climbed over the wall and said to the three, who were posing with rifles out of sheer boredom, “Let’s go, move out!”

In less than twenty minutes, the RV reached the entrance of West Camp Village. On the way, Zhang Su found the tire tracks of the pickup truck, confirming that the Cyan Dragon Corps had indeed been there.

“Boss Zhang!”

A van swayed left and right as it drove out of the village, and Ma Changshou leaned out from the passenger seat, waving enthusiastically.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep