Chapter 98: Chapter 87: Infighting or Cooperation (Part 2)

Zhong Xiaoshan’s cold, alluring eyes carried a hint of disdain as she said coolly, “Phoenix International is your domain. With so many zombies lingering at the entrance, can you really be at ease? My husband is willing to lend a hand to help you clean up the zombies, and yet you say he’s asking for too much?”

“These people seem so clueless. Husband, maybe we shouldn’t help this bunch; let’s just climb the wall and leave. Some trouble is fine if it means leaving the zombies here to play with them.”

Hearing Zhong Xiaoshan call Zhang Su her husband, Zheng Xinyu was not to be outdone, pouting cutely, all ferocity gone, as if she were trying to flirt for tips from a wealthy brother she didn’t know.

The people around Zhang Xin ranged in age from forty or fifty to a little over twenty. Suddenly being teased by two women, they instantly got restless.

“Cut the chatter!” Zhang Xin gestured to his people, then looked at Zhang Su and said, “Brother Zhang, there’s no need to provoke me. I’m clear on your intentions; you just want to use our power to help clear a path for your escape.”

“But your woman got one thing wrong. The zombies at the entrance don’t make me uneasy, they provide a natural barrier. I’m reluctant to kill them.”

Zhang Su looked at Zhang Xin with a peculiar expression, then grinned, “Why deceive yourself? Since you like having zombies as guards, how about I give you a big gift?”

“Don’t you dare do anything foolish! What the hell are you planning?”

Seeing Zhang Su’s strange smile, Zhang Xin felt a pang of regret about crossing paths with this crazy group.

“There are about a dozen zombies in the garden; you handle them. We’ll take care of the ones outside the gate. Agree or disagree?”

Zhang Su had just observed that there weren’t many zombies wandering outside the gate, thanks to the explosion which drew most of them away.

“You work while we watch? Don’t even think about it! We can pitch in, but you can’t just sit idle. We’ll enter the garden from the left, and you enter from the right. Let’s kill together!”

Zhang Xin knew he had to do something today, either tear down all the pretenses with the other side or take the risk of killing zombies.

Killing zombies together reduced his risk; a head-on fight with the adversary, being a leader, was far too dangerous…

The choice was obvious.

This was the outcome Zhang Xin desired and also what Zhang Su was willing to see.

“Alright, mutual help and unity for our partnership, let’s shake on it!”

Zhang Su stepped forward, extending the hand that had just held a knife towards Zhang Xin, but his action startled those opposite him, making some of the more timid ones step back, with one even stumbling over the doorway threshold and nearly falling.

“Damn cowards!” Zhang Xin couldn’t help but curse, turning to extend his own hand, saying, “Pleasure doing business!”

Human unity needs a common enemy, hunger is a common enemy, and so are zombies. Once both sides reached an agreement, a temporary alliance was formed.

“You head left, it’s closer, and I’ll lead my people to the right first!”

After shaking hands firmly with the other side, Zhang Su turned and walked away.

Watching the five of them slowly depart, one of the knit cap wearers beside Zhang Xin muttered, “Master Xin, do you think those people are as powerful as they say?”

“We’ll find out soon enough. Everyone stay sharp, be brave, let’s move!”

No one could back down now; they all followed Zhang Xin to the corner where Zhang Su’s group had been hiding.

“Brother Su, do you think those bastards will backstab us?”

Lu Yubo quietly asked.

Zhang Su scanned the surroundings as he replied, “Everybody would think like that, hence the split. But I believe that when facing a common enemy, everyone will show restraint.”

“I can’t stand that guy in the blue down jacket on their side; his eyes keep wandering between me and Xiaoshan!”

Zheng Xinyu said with a frown.

Upon reaching the spot, Zhang Su gestured to stop, looked at Zheng Xinyu, and said, “Remember what I told you before? Once outside, make yourself look ugly, plain. It’s a form of protection! Think of a way once we’re out of here!”

Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan suddenly recalled Zhang Su’s past words when they encountered a group of desperate men and finally understood their meaning.

In peaceful times, even if someone lusted after a woman’s beauty, the constraints of law made most hold back. But with civilization’s collapse, survival demands and inner desires needed venting, making beautiful women much more dangerous.

It’s undeniable that beautiful women, using their advantages, can attach to strong individuals, thus easily gaining survival chances. But that existence is just ornamental, an easily traded commodity.

“I’ll do it now…” saying this, Zheng Xinyu grabbed a handful of dirt from the ground and smeared it on her face.

“Now’s not the time for this; solve the immediate problem first!”

Seeing Zhang Xin’s group in position, Zhang Su raised his fist, signaling readiness, saying, “Stay together, go!”

After speaking, he swung his fist forward and led the charge along the pebble path to the right side of the garden.

If Zhang Xin’s group hadn’t appeared, Zhang Su wouldn’t have tackled the zombies head-on; using the terrain to set up small traps, he could have easily dealt with the garden zombies.

Those tactics might not be sophisticated, but he didn’t want to display them to the Salvation Society, so he opted for the most primitive method to handle the zombies!

Seeing Zhang Su act so decisively, Zhang Xin steeled himself and led his seven followers to charge as well.

The landscape garden was oriented east-west, with an octagonal pavilion centrally to the right. Between the pavilion and a small square was a two-meter-wide man-made stream, filled with fallen leaves and bloodstains, a rusty water pipe protruding from the leaves, clearly having been unused for a long time.

Pebble path soaked in blood, bodies strewn across the small square, hinting at the calamity’s initial brutality. Luckily, the cold weather slowed decay, preventing the eye-stinging stench of rot.

Around twenty zombies roamed the garden; perhaps having found no food, their skin appeared drier, blue-gray mixed with dark brown, and their shoes worn due to constant wandering.

Awooo!

The tranquil garden burst with activity as Zhang Su and Zhang Xin’s groups entered; the zombies, catching the scent of fresh life, became aggressive, as if responding to some command.

Zhang Su swung his axe and hammer with deadly precision. As the spearhead, he spared nothing against the zombies; striking with the hammer head, he felled two zombies with less than five blows, the thudding sound raising goosebumps.

Lu Yubo finally witnessed Zhang Su’s combat prowess, feeling invigorated as if injected with adrenaline, though Zhang Su’s ferocity left him only one zombie as a finder’s prize. If not for Zhang Su’s restraint, he’d have recklessly charged forward several times.

With minimal pressure, the three women of the group formed a protective circle around Zhang Su and Lu Yubo, guarding against any sixth zombie suddenly leaping from the nearby shrubbery.

Advancing smoothly towards the pavilion, Zhang Su and Lu Yubo had already taken down six zombies between them in no time.

With precise hits and superior weapons, Zhang Su and Lu Yubo achieved high efficiency in zombie killing, with relatively low energy expenditure.

Awwooo!

As they neared, three zombies lurking in the pavilion sensed the sounds and fresh meat approaching, stumbling towards Zhang Su’s group, their blood-red eyes seemed to shine brighter, like a prisoner seeing a beautiful woman after serving ten years.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep