Chapter 338: Chapter 287: Is Anyone Still Out There?

"Boss Zhang, I regret it!" Ma Changshou sighed towards the sky.

"Regret what?"

Zhang Su looked at the self-proclaimed shrewd old man with a smile that was not quite a smile.

"I regret not choosing to stand on the same side as you back then, only thinking about surviving, leading the villagers into a den of wolves, and ending up in this miserable state. I really deserve to die!"

Thinking of the heartache, Ma Changshou slumped to the ground again.

"Changshou..." An even older elder walked up and patted Ma Changshou on the shoulder with a compassionate look on his furrowed face, shaking his head as he said, "The decision to join the Cyan Dragon Corps back then was made by everyone together; you don’t have to feel so guilty!"

"Old village chief, what do you say? Keep running away with your people, or find a safe place to rest and recuperate."

Zhang Su spread his hands, asking.

"Boss Zhang, what do you mean?"

Ma Changshou’s heart moved, and a light suddenly appeared in his eyes. He slowly stood up and looked at Zhang Su.

"If you’re sincere in abandoning the dark and seeking the light, I assure you a safe path back. If you persist in stubbornness, you will only enter an endless sea of suffering."

Zhang Su’s gaze swept over the old, weak, and women and children remaining in West Camp Village. Although these people were not adept in battle, they had no issues with base construction and farming. His words were a bit ambiguous, reminiscent of Yuwen, but he was sure Ma Changshou could understand.

Ever since discovering that the deaths of Cyan Dragon Corps members would not affect the challenge and would actually make it easier, he thought clearly that if the survivors of the Cyan Dragon Corps were core members of the business department, there was no need to consider it, just get rid of them. If they were from the combat and logistics departments, he could try to recruit them to expand the camp’s population.

If they were from the science department, they must be taken down through coercion or persuasion!

Unexpectedly, he encountered a group of familiar faces he had dealt with before, reducing the difficulty to the minimum.

After hearing Zhang Su’s words, Ma Changshou was stunned for a moment, then excitedly said, "Boss Zhang, I regret it so much. If you’re willing to take us in, I’ll kowtow to you. Villagers willing to work and eat with Boss Zhang, kneel and kowtow!"

After saying this, he knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing vigorously, more earnestly than offering incense during the New Year.

Ma Changshou had considerable prestige in West Camp Village; those strong men occasionally disobeyed, but among the old, weak, women, and children, he held a high position. Seeing him take the lead and set an example, everyone knelt and began to kowtow.

Zhang Su did not respond immediately. He stood in front of everyone, calmly accepting the submission, while mentally watching the numbers increase rapidly, quickly completing the challenge, finally stopping at [30/38]!

All twenty-seven people in front of him surrendered, achieving sixty percent of the target. Apart from a few individuals with their own ideas, they were all ordinary folks swayed by the tide, with little thought of their own. After the apocalypse’s hardships, they were even more akin to withered trees, just wanting to live.

These individuals, with a bit of management, made excellent labor resources, which the camp needed for construction.

Having completed the challenge, Zhang Su felt much more relaxed, though still puzzled about what was up with the remaining eight people.

"Everyone, get up! From today on, you are no longer people of West Camp Village. You will be like United Village, merging into our Celestial Horse Island, becoming one of us!"

"All listen to Boss Zhang!"

Ma Changshou was very humble, swiftly changing his identity, as if he had longed to relieve himself of the village chief’s burden, finally feeling relieved at this moment.

"Congratulations. Congratulations to Master Zhang, um... Congratulations on the expansion of Master Zhang’s camp, and its continued success!"

After Ma Changshou’s people finished speaking, Meng Changwei was very courteous, clasping his hands in congratulations. He had little interest in this group of unfortunate old, weak, women, and children; if they pestered him, it would be troublesome. He admired Zhang Su for being willing to take in such a group.

"What are you congratulating me for... we’re just huddled together for warmth."

Zhang Su waved his hand dismissively at Meng Changwei, then turned to Ma Changshou, asking, "Old Ma, we’ll discuss other matters back at the camp. Let me ask you, are there other survivors in this barracks?"

Ma Changshou, relieved of his burdens, felt much more spirited. After hearing Zhang Su’s question, he thought for a moment, then shook his head: "All the people I know are here."

"Brothers, this barracks is about to fall apart. Old Ma and his people surviving is like a lobster coming back to life from a kitchen seafood tank after a cruise ship capsizes. It’s already a miracle of life, and you’re still thinking about people from the science department?"

Zhao Dezhu knew that Zhang Su was eager to find the Edge Squad responsible for transforming zombies, but it clearly seemed unlikely at the moment.

"The science department... that’s right!"

Xin Qi suddenly spoke up from the back of the crowd, taking a few steps forward, saying, "Big brother, over there at that collapsed building is the command center. There’s a secret laboratory of the science department underground, and it very likely has people hiding in it!"

"Yes, yes, that’s right. That laboratory is manned 24 hours a day. Brothers, you can go check it out!"

Fang Daming slapped his head, chiming in.

"This secret laboratory isn’t that secret, even you guys know about it..."

Zhang Su smirked. Xin Qi and the other two were just members of a small squad in the combat department, the lowest level of the Cyan Dragon Corps. Even people like them knowing about it, and it’s still considered a secret?

"It’s just that the place is relatively hidden. It’s not really a secret; most people know about it..."

Xin Qi explained awkwardly.

Zhang Su looked towards Meng Changwei again and said, "Boss Meng, what do you say, are you planning to join me in finding survivors?"

"Master Zhang, I don’t quite understand why you’re so persistent in searching for the Cyan Dragon Corps survivors. Is there some unspeakable benefit?"

Meng Changwei asked bluntly. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

"Haha..." Zhang Su rubbed his head, took off his ugly hat, and said, "Actually, there’s nothing else; I just heard that the Cyan Dragon Corps has a scientific department with some achievements in zombie research. I want to bring the researchers back to continue their work. Also... if you don’t get rid of the roots, the spring breeze will make them grow again!"

Meng Changwei’s single eye showed a glimmer of thought. After a while, he nodded and said, "Alright, I understand, Master Zhang. It’s been a pleasure collaborating with you today. It’s really a joy to deal with you, feels like meeting a kindred spirit. Since you have other things to attend to, we’ll go ahead and move our stuff. If we get the chance in the future, we can contact each other. The exact location of our camp is..."

After speaking, Meng Changwei whispered a few words into Zhang Su’s ear.

Everyone knew that Meng Changwei was telling Zhang Su the exact location of their camp. Thus a formal friendly alliance was established between the two parties.

Although Zhang Su was ruthless, Meng Changwei could see that he had principles in his actions, and his capabilities were outstanding. Being friends was absolutely the best choice!

"Alright, Boss Meng, I’ve noted it down. You guys carry on with your work; as I mentioned before, any weapons you find, you can take with you, take as much food as you want, and leave those two tanks."

"We’ll definitely stick to the agreement, see you!"

Meng Changwei patted his chest and then patted Zhang Su on the arm, signaling for Zhang Su to rest assured.

Even if he trusted them, Zhang Su still arranged for four people to assist the people from Bridge Town and keep an eye on things...

Meng Changwei didn’t mind, in fact, he was happy to have extra hands to help.

Zhang Su wasn’t in a hurry to move things. Those survivors who were out of sight were still his main concern. But before that, there were other matters to handle.

"Old Ma, let’s give you a task!"

Zhang Su gestured to Ma Changshou.

"Eh, eh, Boss Zhang, just say the word!"

Ma Changshou trotted over to Zhang Su, adopting an attentive posture.

"Do you see those bodies at the warehouse door?"

Zhang Su pointed to the side.

Ma Changshou nodded. He had noticed them early on, and while hiding underground, he heard the sounds of gunfire above, but he dared not ask.

"Get the folks to deal with those bodies and bury them somewhere nearby. No problem, right?"

"Boss Zhang, you truly have a compassionate heart. It’s not easy these days to ensure a proper burial. Leave it to me, the old man will make sure it’s done perfectly."

Ma Changshou, hearing it was funeral business, patted his chest firmly. His family had previously been involved in funeral services in the village, digging graves and burying people was second nature.

People from Celestial Horse Island found it hard not to laugh at Ma Changshou’s flattering words to Zhang Su, as everyone who knew Zhang Su knew he never had the idea of letting bygones be bygones after death. As for why he decided to bury the bodies of the Kuanzhuang People, there must be another reason!

"Hey, heartless, is this a moment of conscience over executing your ex-girlfriend?"

Zheng Xinyu sneakily approached Zhang Su’s ear and whispered.

Zhang Su turned to Zheng Xinyu with a strange expression. In that tense, knife-edge environment earlier, who cared about ex-girlfriends...?

He flashed a mischievous smile and said, "So, you better be careful not to become an ex-girlfriend."

After saying this, Zhang Su gestured for everyone to follow him!

In the wind, a confused Zheng Xinyu took about ten seconds to react, and then chased after Zhang Su, shouting, "Hey, I’m your wife, not your girlfriend, get it straight, okay!"

The people from Celestial Horse Island didn’t understand why Zheng Xinyu suddenly brought this up. However, seeing Zhang Su’s calm demeanor, they all pretended as if nothing happened.