Rotting Land: Survive

Chapter 529 - 522: Probing

As night fell, a cold breeze swept over the road, kicking up clouds of dust. A zombie’s decayed, limp foot suddenly stepped onto a tattered newspaper caught in the wind. It stopped momentarily, growled twice, and continued forward.

Liu Fugui stood tall on the rooftop of the office building, hands behind his back, eyes sharp. He had been silently standing there for 15 minutes, not saying a word, as if he were merely admiring the scenery.

The cigar in his hand was slowly inhaled, the glowing embers flickering like the ghostly flames of Hell, quite unsettling.

As Liu Fugui remained silent, his subordinates dared not make even a sound.

Yet in such fierce cold winds, daydreaming was far from pleasant, and just as his subordinates felt their calves cramp and bodies shiver, Liu Fugui finally spoke: "Huang Yong, still no contact with He Lei?"

"Mr. Liu, not yet. According to plan, he should have contacted us immediately after finding that survivor, but so far... there’s no news at all."

"Hmm, what about you? Have you tried reaching out to him?"

"I have. Since yesterday afternoon, I’ve ordered someone to try reaching He Lei every half hour, but the results..." He shook his head helplessly, leaving the words unspoken.

"I see!" Liu Fugui slightly furrowed his brows, then took a deep drag on his cigar: "What do you think? Do you feel He Lei might have..."

Seeing Liu Fugui’s gaze fall upon him, Huang Yong immediately sensed the ambiguity within his superior’s eyes.

Being meticulous in thought, he knew Liu Fugui was hinting at something deeper, so he feigned ignorance and tentatively countered: "Are you worried that something happened to He Lei on the way?"

Liu Fugui merely smirked and then shook his head.

"So... Mr. Liu... what do you mean?" For a moment, Huang Yong was truly perplexed.

Liu Fugui’s laughter grew more intense. After laughing heartily, he turned around abruptly, his eyes locked onto Huang Yong’s, gazing for a long while before speaking slowly: "Huang Yong, how many years have you been with me?"

"Mr. Liu, about 20 years or so!"

"Yes, a total of 20 years and three months!"

Slightly taken aback, Huang Yong didn’t expect such precision in Liu Fugui’s statement.

Yet it was precisely this accuracy that made his heart leap into uncertainty, because he couldn’t figure out what the cunning Liu Fugui was up to.

Although Huang Yong was very confident in his thinking and actions, he felt like a blank sheet of paper around this cunning old fox, unable to hide: "You remember better than I do, Mr. Liu."

"Hehe," Liu Fugui chuckled softly and gazed into the sky: "Huang Yong! You’re very clever, which is why I entrust you with significant responsibilities. I value your intelligence, so certain things, I believe, don’t need explicit explanation from me for you to understand my thoughts."

Hearing this, Huang Yong waved his hands repeatedly: "Mr. Liu, you’re too kind. How could I, Huang Yong, easily perceive your wisdom?"

These words were spoken with great apprehension, for as a subordinate, Huang Yong understood very well that masters liked smart people but definitely not those who could decipher their every thought.

Hence, historical advisors and generals were mostly wise yet seemingly foolish, as only by being so could they ensure longevity.

Calmly smiling, Liu Fugui seemed very pleased with Huang Yong’s recent performance: "Alright, no need for modesty before me. I don’t want to hear nonsense now; I believe you know what I want you to say. If you truly can’t express it, then my trust and grooming have been wasted on you."

At this point, Huang Yong knew that prolonging the pretense would be counterproductive, so he responded decisively: "In that case, I’ll venture to guess Mr. Liu’s thoughts. If anything is incorrect, I apologize in advance."

Liu Fugui didn’t reply, keeping his arms folded across his chest.

Huang Yong didn’t mind, as he hadn’t expected a candid response from the crafty old fox.

His words were merely a precaution, to ensure he could retreat gracefully if he somehow offended Liu Fugui later.

It also revealed Huang Yong’s considerable cunning.

"I believe Mr. Liu sent He Lei out this time to test him."

"And the reason?"

"Firstly, last time you called the two of us, it appeared that you wanted us to discuss and recommend someone for the outing, but you had already decided to send He Lei."

Finishing, Huang Yong subtly glanced at Liu Fugui, clearly feeling uneasy, as he knew internally Liu Fugui wished for a rivalry between him and He Lei for balance.

Yet Liu Fugui’s expression was like water, making it impossible to discern his thoughts.

"Secondly, you asked me to arrange personal guards for He Lei, not just for his safety, but to... monitor him."

"Hahaha!" Liu Fugui suddenly laughed loudly: "Indeed! Seems I picked the right person. Yes, you’re correct, I deliberately tested He Lei this time, because when I ordered him to pick up Yunpeng earlier, he falsely claimed the roads were congested, making it unable to leave the city, but in reality Xu Renjie managed to deliver Yunpeng successfully. So he lied. I wanted to give him a chance to atone, but..."

His gaze congealed, Xu Renjie’s eyes emitted a sharp glow.

"Mr. Liu, do you worry He Lei used this as an opportunity to escape this time?" Huang Yong timely posed the question.

For this, Liu Fugui coldly grinned: "Seems that’s not something you should ask me. Didn’t the two subordinates you arranged report to you?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Yong was startled, sweat instantly breaking out on his forehead: "Mr. Liu, you wrongly accuse me. The people I sent haven’t contacted me at all!"

"Humph, then it must mean there’s a problem with the people you arranged!"

"No, Mr. Liu, the two I sent are absolutely reliable in skill and loyalty!"

"Really? Then why haven’t they contacted you yet?"

"That... that, perhaps they’ve encountered zombies and met with an accident!"

"An accident, if they truly met an accident, wouldn’t that be the time to contact you for rescue?"

Having no response, Liu Fugui repeatedly questioned, leaving Huang Yong unable to shield himself, sweat pouring even more.

Finally, with no other options, Huang Yong decided to throw the blame onto He Lei: "Given the circumstances, Mr. Liu, the only possibility is... He Lei betrayed us!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)