Wasteland Hideout: Upgrading from the Sewers

Chapter 9: Pursuit, Counterattack, and Sneak Attack

Within seven steps, the gun is fast; within seven steps, the gun is both fast and accurate.

Counter-kill?

Impossible.

In Biao Ge's eyes, that person was already a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, and the outcome would hold no surprises.

This confidence was bestowed upon him by the dozen-plus lives he had taken with his gun.

It was precisely this confidence that made Biao Ge pursue Yu Yuan relentlessly, especially when he saw the other party panicking and fleeing into the fourth floor, which only reinforced his conviction.

Run, let's see where you can run to!

The thought of that backpack full of supplies made Biao Ge somewhat impatient.

He immediately gave chase and saw the person hide in a room.

Without hesitation, he rushed in, only to see the person leap toward the balcony, duck behind the wall, covering their head, ears, and curling into a ball.Just as he sensed something was wrong, a barely audible sound came from under his feet.

Click—

It was the sound of a spring releasing. When he followed the direction of the sound and saw the fist-sized object in the corner, his pupils instantly dilated, his eyes filled with horror.

"No..." But before he could react.

Boom—

A pillar of flames erupted inside the room. The shockwave from the explosion shattered everything in the room into pieces. Biao Ge's charred body lay on the ground, his legs blown off, dead beyond any doubt.

Thick smoke and flames engulfed the entire room, standing out glaringly in the pitch-black neighborhood.

The attention of scavengers, survivors, and other city dwellers searching for supplies in the surrounding blocks was drawn to this sudden explosion.

Watching the raging flames and billowing smoke.

Some watched from a distance, some moved away, some pondered, some felt both greed and fear, while others... melted into the darkness.

"Cough! Cough!"

Yu Yuan shook off the dust from his body and wobbled his head.

His ears were ringing!

Fortunately, the room's balcony was open-air, so the situation wasn't too bad.

Looking at the chaotic scene inside the room, he felt a surge of fear.

Thankfully, there was a low wall separating the apartment room from the balcony, otherwise he would have been done for too.

Seeing the flames inside the room, Yu Yuan knew he couldn't stay here long and had to leave immediately.

The commotion just now was too loud—both the gunshots and the explosion—and would inevitably attract many people's attention.

He picked up the hand crossbow from the ground, loaded the crossbow bolt, and held the kukri in his hand.

Stepping over the burning wood scraps and curtains, he saw Biao Ge's charred corpse.

The pistol had fallen to the side. Without examining it closely, he first tucked the pistol into his waistband, quickly searched Biao Ge's body a few times, not even looking at what he found.

Whatever he found, he stuffed it all into his pockets as the smoke grew thicker.

Finally, there was the backpack behind Biao Ge. Surprisingly, it was only half full and made clinking sounds, probably containing nothing valuable, but Yu Yuan wasn't picky.

Without further delay, he pulled out the crossbow bolt, packed everything up, and ran downstairs.

He reattached the kukri to the outside of his thigh, carried the backpack in his left hand, and held the loaded crossbow in his right hand as he reached the first floor of the apartment.

Just as he was about to leave the stairwell, the fine hairs on his body suddenly stood on end, sensing the air flow accelerating to his right front.

Without time to think, he slammed his heel down, abruptly stopping and leaning back, tilting his head backward and tucking his chin slightly.

At that moment, a cold gleam followed closely...

The cold gleam narrowly brushed past his scalp, cutting off a few strands of Yu Yuan's hair.

But the opponent was also extremely quick to react. Realizing the first slash had missed, they clearly didn't want to give up the opportunity.

Their wrist twisted, the blade pulling back to slash at Yu Yuan's neck. The attack was as swift as lightning; if struck, he would be either dead or severely injured.

However, Yu Yuan had already reacted, swinging the backpack heavily toward the attacker's face, successfully blocking their assault.

Meanwhile, the hand crossbow in his right hand was already raised, ready to fire the bolt.

But the opponent was quite cautious and careful. After one failed strike, they retreated without the slightest hesitation, blending back into the darkness.

They gave Yu Yuan no chance to counterattack.

"Trouble!" Cold sweat beaded on Yu Yuan's forehead. He was trapped in the first-floor corridor.

This kind of cautious enemy was even more troublesome than Biao Ge.

They wouldn't easily put themselves in danger, and with just the crossbow bolt in his hand, it would be difficult to achieve a one-hit kill.

The most critical issue now was that more and more people were likely heading here, hoping to scavenge whatever remained.

This was the wasteland!

There were plenty of people who would risk their lives for supplies.

If he remained stuck here, the situation would only grow more dangerous over time.

Fortunately, the opponent was probably alone; otherwise, they wouldn't be so cautious.

"What I need to do now isn't to fight, but to get out of here as quickly as possible..." Yu Yuan understood perfectly what needed to be done.

Snap...

A light illuminated the corridor, revealing half a face peeking from behind a jagged wall.

Yu Yuan took a deep breath. The opponent was indeed cautious—the backpack he had thrown earlier was now in their grasp, blocking everything below their eyes.

Their body was completely hidden behind the wall.

So damn cautious!

And what kind of look was that in their eyes?

Although only one eye was visible, its gaze reminded Yu Yuan of a wolf pack.

—Calm, wild, cautious, and filled with absolute self-confidence and aggression.

The opponent's gaze first locked onto the hand crossbow, then scanned Yu Yuan's body, focusing on his waist and the outside of his thigh.

Noticing the direction of their gaze.

"What is he looking for? Hmm~~~ Could it be the pistol? No wonder he's so cautious." This thought flashed through Yu Yuan's mind, and he suddenly understood.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He spoke in a low voice.

"Friend, staying deadlocked here benefits neither of us. I can't carry all these supplies anyway. Take the contents of that backpack as a greeting gift, how about it!"

"Of course~~~" Yu Yuan didn't expect the other to leave based on just one sentence.

Negotiation, after all!

You need to offer benefits while also displaying your strength, right?

The saying that truth lies within the range of artillery applies equally to this situation.

He shook the crossbow in his hand slightly.

"Of course, if you want to fight, I'm ready. At this distance, the crossbow bolt might not kill you, but the arrowhead has been specially contaminated with feces. If you get hit, even if you find antibiotics, you'll suffer terribly. If you don't have antibiotics, then you're just waiting to die~~"

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the other's eyes suddenly contracted. Although they quickly returned to normal, Yu Yuan didn't miss it. Though inwardly anxious, his gaze remained calm as he looked at the other, revealing a determination to fight to the death.

This was a psychological game.

"So, what do you think?"

"Take that pack of supplies and leave, or risk infection by fighting me, only to let others benefit in the end."

After these words, the corridor fell into silence.

Yu Yuan shifted his weight downward, preparing for a desperate struggle.

Although the other would most likely choose to take the supplies and leave, one must always prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Fortunately, things didn't head in the worst direction.

"Deal!" A man's voice rang out.