novelraw Chapter 271 - 260: Stealing Home
Chapter 271 - 260: Stealing Home
At the temporary camp.
When Yang Liu and Wang Yang received word from Lin Jin that a large group of infected had appeared in the underground commercial street, they immediately gathered their people for a quick meeting.
Although Lin Jin had said on the walkie-talkie that with Miss Gu around, it was no big deal, they were still worried and wanted to go provide support.
Unfortunately, the camp simply couldn’t spare any more fighters.
In the end, they could only send Zhang Wen and Liou He.
The two of them hurried on their way, their hearts filled with anxiety. Although the underground commercial street wasn’t far from the camp, and it would only take them a little over half an hour at full speed, in the apocalypse, a fatal crisis could strike in an instant.
’Half an hour... That’s still too long.’
The journey went smoothly, and following the map Gu Xi had left for them, the two found the underground entrance to the commercial street.
After getting out of the car, just as they were about to clear the mutant plants near the entrance, they vaguely glimpsed stark white bones amidst the dense vegetation.
The two exchanged a look, immediately on high alert.
’Don’t tell me there’s a viciously mutated plant around here?’
Zhang Wen gave Liou He a tactical hand signal. He took two steps forward, his body tense like a stalking cheetah. One hand gripped his weapon, his power gathering in the other. Just as he was about to push aside the bushes for a closer look, the white bones hidden in the grass suddenly flashed and then vanished!
Zhang Wen frowned slightly. ’How did it run away?’
’Viciously mutated plants don’t run from people...’
Liou He, gripping his dagger in a reverse hold, shook his head slightly, signaling that they should go inside and regroup with Lin and the others first.
Zhang Wen glanced at the walkie-talkie on his shoulder but didn’t dare use it, afraid of distracting his teammates who were fighting inside!
The two proceeded, tense the entire way, wondering about the battle inside. ’What if...’
And then... the wary, worried expressions on their faces froze.
In the dim, damp underground space, several young women were gathered around a young man, speaking to him in soft tones. Meanwhile, his two comrades had been shunted to the very outskirts of the group, their faces blank.
Even Mr. Wei was sitting resignedly in a corner, tossing kindling into the fire.
"What’s going on?" Zhang Wen and Liou He sidled up next to Lin Jin and Zhao Li and asked in a low voice.
"We ran into a real pro," Zhao Li said, his gaze fixed on the man by the fire, his tone unreadable.
Beside him, Lin Jin also muttered, "The captain is in peril."
Zhang Wen was confused. Lin Jin had mentioned on the walkie-talkie that they’d rescued a stranger, but with the situation being so urgent, he hadn’t gone into detail.
’And now...’
He turned to look toward the fire. After a moment, realization dawned on him. ’He really *is* a pro. No wonder even Lin is worried about the captain.’
’This pretty boy might not be as handsome as the captain, but those charming eyes of his are trouble. He’s a smooth talker, too. How long has it been, and he’s already sweet-talked Miss Gu into giving him several glances!’
’A formidable rival, for sure.’
As Zhang Wen watched the man by the fire, who wore a gentle and composed expression, a thought suddenly struck him. ’Don’t tell me someone’s taking advantage of the captain’s absence to pull a honey trap and steal his girl?’
The shock of this idea must have been too much for him, because he momentarily lost control of his expression, his face twisting into a slight grimace.
Nearby, Wei Heng tossed aside the tree root in his hand and gave his companions a complicated look.
These were his brothers, who had faced life and death with him in the trenches. He knew them so well that he could tell if they were about to shit or piss just by the way they bent over.
He wanted to tell them that his Gu Xiaoxi wasn’t the type to have her head turned so easily, but... after a glance at the man, Wei Heng sighed.
"What are you two doing here?" he asked, getting up and moving to Zhang Wen’s side. Using his body as a screen, he made a quick, subtle hand gesture: ’Is the camp okay?’
"It’s fine. Yang Liu was worried there were too many infected here and that you couldn’t handle it, so she had us come and check." As Zhang Wen spoke, he glanced at the man again, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He looked up at Wei Heng and asked, "Mr. Wei, he..."
’This is the right reaction, right? My acting sucks. I’d better not screw up Miss Gu’s plan. The last thing I want to do is hold the captain back.’
"He’s..."
Wei Heng hesitated, still thinking about how to introduce the man, when Gu Xi looked up and said, "He’s a survivor from back then. He’ll be with us for a while."
’Back then?’
Zhang Wen looked hesitant, just as Qi Xiang glanced over. "What, you got a problem with that?"
Even Qin Yi stood up for the man. "Don’t worry. We’ll cover his supplies ourselves, so we won’t be mooching off your Special Service Team."
Zhang Wen looked at the man by the fire again. In the end, his simple desire for the entire team to live comfortably by riding their captain’s coattails prevailed. He said, "The situation in City A is a bit complicated right now, and we still have a mission. If he comes with us..."
"Relax." Qin Shi said, cradling her rifle as she looked up. "I’ll keep an eye on him."
Given Qin Shi’s attitude, Zhang Wen was suddenly unsure what script they were all working from.
Just then, Wei Heng looked at Gu Xi. "I’m going to take Zhang to the back to check on those Hibernation Chambers. Zhang studied this in college; he might notice something..."
By the fire, the man’s eyes shifted slightly upon hearing this.
After Wei Heng left with Zhang Wen and Liou He, the man’s gaze fell on the Mutated Rat King at Gu Xi’s feet. He earnestly asked the group for their insight, "Are all mutant animals really this smart now?"
It was a short sentence, but it was packed with information.
The Mutated Rat King let out a SQUEAK, its tone full of mockery. ’Mutant animals *now*? Who do you think you’re fooling?’
’That son of a bitch. Does he not know he’s already exposed? Trying to use *me* to unravel the mystery of his identity? He should think about whether he even qualifies as a garnish...’
Just then, Sprout, looking like a little green bean sprout, wobbled and landed on the tip of its nose. The rat was so scared it didn’t dare to move a muscle, and it once again lay obediently at Gu Xi’s feet.
Qin Yi reached out and poked its chubby, round head. "There are smart ones," she said nonchalantly, "but for one to be as smart as this little guy, and even know to steal Gu Xi’s—"
"Yi," Qin Shi said suddenly, cutting her off. Frowning, she shot her younger sister a disapproving look.
The man watched the sisters’ interaction out of the corner of his eye, a seed of doubt planted in his mind. ’What did the rat steal?’
After a moment of thought, he looked up at Gu Xi. "I suspect this mutant rat deliberately led you all here..."
"Why do you say that?" Gu Xi asked, looking up at him.
The man said openly, "As you saw, the teleportation range on my Water Escape ability is limited. The spot where I passed out wasn’t far from where I initially escaped. Logically, after I vanished into thin air, that group should have thoroughly searched the area..."
’Trying to patch the holes in his story?’
’He’s certainly cautious.’
Qi Xiang rested her chin in her hands, watching the man with a leisurely expression. "So you’re saying that after you escaped, they left in a rush without searching the area? And that’s because they knew we were coming, so they didn’t have time?"
The man nodded. "That group probably didn’t account for a wild card like me. My escape delayed their withdrawal, so they didn’t have time for a thorough search..."
Just then, the walkie-talkie in Gu Xi’s hand crackled. Wei Heng’s voice came through. "Gu Xi, we’ve found something in here."