Chapter 147: Chapter 147: At Your Command
Everyone’s voices stuttered. "President Zhang, President Zhang, the monkeys have guns!"
The words had barely left their mouths when the Monkey King, displeased, forcefully jabbed them a few times with its gun barrel, signaling for them to shut up.
’Holy crap, these monkeys actually understand human speech.’
’No wonder we were captured by a troop of monkeys, even though we were being so cautious.’
Zhang Aihua also hadn’t expected the enemy to be a troop of monkeys!
They were fluffy, pure-white balls of fur that looked completely harmless. Who would have thought they’d hide in snowdrifts and leap out to attack people?
Zhang Aihua let out a deep sigh and gazed up at the sky, a boundless sense of desolation filling his heart.
’I’m afraid I’ll never get the chance to see my wife and child again.’
While everyone else was too terrified to speak, he suddenly opened his mouth wide and, with all his might, screamed, "Run!!!!"
He hoped they would hear him and have a chance to escape with their lives.
The Monkey King didn’t just shoot them on the spot. The others clenched their jaws and, figuring this was the end anyway, joined Zhang Aihua’s desperate shouts. "Run—!!! It’s dangerous!!! Don’t come any closer!!!"
Across the silent, empty snowfield, the shouts were exceptionally loud.
’They can probably all hear us.’
Song Yufang, on high alert, heard Zhang Aihua’s shout the instant it rang out. Just as she was anxiously wondering if she’d imagined it, the sorrowful shouts of the others pierced the air.
They must have been in mortal danger to shout like that, disregarding their own safety to warn them to run.
Lei Hu shot to his feet, scooping up Song Yufang and Zhang Yiwen. "Mrs. Zhang, we have to go!"
’Zhang Aihua isn’t dead yet. I just heard him shouting.’
How could Song Yufang possibly leave?
She wouldn’t trust any man other than Zhang Aihua.
She struggled desperately, scratching at Lei Hu. "If my husband dies, I’ll go with him! No one can stop me!"
Zhang Yiwen cried incessantly, "If my parents are dead, I don’t want to live either!!! I’m not leaving!!! Let us down! Let us down—"
With both mother and son refusing to leave, Lei Hu and the others were in a bind. They had promised Zhang Aihua they would take good care of his family.
Lao Er’s girlfriend also spoke up, "I’m not leaving either. I’m going to save them. If I die, so be it. It would be a clean break. I’ve had enough of this torturous life anyway!"
She resolutely picked up a dagger, snatched a gun from a man’s waist, and charged forward.
When the others blocked her way, she cursed, "Get out of my way! All of you! Go save yourselves!"
The group looked at one another. Thinking of the sacrifices others had already made, they were deeply moved. One of them said through clenched teeth, "The elderly, children, and women stay here! We’re going to save them!" Then he pulled out two guns and said, "There are bullets inside. If we don’t make it back, you do what you have to do."
Whether that meant taking their own lives or fighting their way out.
By the last word, everyone’s eyes were red.
As Lei Hu and the others set off, Zhang Yiwen secretly felt the gun Zhang Aihua had left for them and said to Song Yufang, "If they can’t save Dad, I will."
Song Yufang wiped the tears from her cheeks and helped him put on his snow goggles. "Your father will definitely come back safely."
Zhang Aihua and his men kept shouting warnings. The Monkey King didn’t kill them, and just as they were wondering what on earth the monkeys wanted...
"President Zhang!"
Lao Er’s voice suddenly carried over.
He looked up in astonishment and saw Lao Er and Brother Qiu standing before them, completely unharmed. Beside them were a man and a woman, and behind them were more gun-wielding monkeys.
The bizarre scene made Zhang Aihua ask in confusion, "Were you captured by the monkeys, too?"
Lao Er stopped and looked at the woman beside him. "President Zhang, you don’t recognize her? This is Jiang Si. We ran into her and her fiancé."
In an instant, the fear of death vanished.
’We actually ran into someone we know out here! Does this mean we’re safe?’
Everyone’s faces showed excited relief. A colleague who had been familiar with Jiang Si even called out enthusiastically, "Sisi, Sisi, it’s me, Zhang Jie!"
She had met some of these people at the Southern Base in what felt like a past life, yet not a single one had offered a helping hand to her and her mother.
Back then, she had already understood: those without value don’t get to have friends.
Behind her goggles, Jiang Si’s eyes were cold and distant, as if she were a completely different person.
This made the hearts of the captives, still held at gunpoint, sink again. Their gazes shifted to the man beside Jiang Si.
Qin Shen’s handsomeness surpassed even that of the most famous movie stars from before the apocalypse.
His unfathomably sharp aura also made it clear he was no ordinary man.
Zhang Aihua had spent his life dealing with influential people. He understood instantly. ’If we want to live,’ he thought, ’our only option is to curry favor with this powerful man.’
After composing himself, Zhang Aihua put on a smile and said to Jiang Si, "Jiang Si, it’s good to see you. I’m glad you’re okay."
Meanwhile, his mind raced, trying to recall if he had ever offended Jiang Si in the past.
When he found no such instances, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Jiang Si nodded. "President Zhang, where are the rest of your people?"
Hearing the slightly superior tone in her voice, Zhang Aihua immediately adjusted his own attitude. The Jiang Si of today was no longer his former junior employee.
’Just looking at their clothes, not to mention the equipment on these monkeys, is enough to tell me they’re anything but ordinary.’
’Even if the monkeys could understand speech, the ability to tame them and make them serve you so obediently is terrifying in itself.’
Zhang Aihua quickly and honestly replied, "They’re about a kilometer back from here."
Qin Shen’s dangerous gaze locked onto him. "Take your people and leave," he said coldly.
’It was so hard to find a suitable place to settle, and it even turns out to be territory belonging to someone we know. Plus, they don’t seem to want to hurt us.’
Like Lao Er and Brother Qiu, Zhang Aihua wanted to stay.
He looked at Jiang Si with pleading eyes, almost begging. "Can you let us stay? We’ll do anything. We can fish, we can hunt. We’re strong survivors. We won’t be a burden to you; in fact, we can be a great help. Just let us work for you."
’It’s just like the chaotic times of old. To survive, you have to find a reliable lord to serve.’
Zhang Aihua felt he had to seize this opportunity for his people.
’Who knows, this place might be the beginning of a new kingdom.’
Qin Shen barely lifted his eyelids, seemingly uninterested in them staying.
This only made Zhang Aihua more convinced of their strength. For all he knew, there were countless hidden traps and ambushes waiting for them.
’I need to be even more respectful.’
Zhang Aihua spoke again, "Whatever you ask of us, we’ll obey. We swear our complete loyalty."
The others exchanged glances and then chorused their pledge, "We will obey. We swear our complete loyalty."
Who would have thought that in this modern age, they would one day find themselves making such a pledge.
Jiang Si had wanted to see their attitude, and she had also seen their character.
’The world is settling down, and the earth will eventually recover. Isolating ourselves won’t be useful in the long run.’
She gave Qin Shen a secret squeeze, signaling that this was acceptable.
