Chapter 473: Chapter 422: Please Confirm the Delivery Address, Dear
Liao Youzhi felt something was off after listening to Gong Chengming, but before he could figure it out, Yang Xinqi hurriedly said.
"That’s right, Vice Leader Gong is absolutely right, Leader Liao, we must protect our brothers’ lives..."
"Right now, all I want is that bastard Zhang’s dog life! Ah..."
Liu Yao rudely cut off Yang Xinqi, his eyes practically spitting fire.
At this moment, Li Zongkai became a transparent figure, quietly standing to the side, not needing to express an opinion. This gave him time to observe the situation, and one thing was clear to him: Gong Chengming seemed problematic!
His proposal seemed dignified but put Liao Youzhi in a tough spot. Especially now, with so many Guard Team members waiting to see how he would handle it, every choice had unavoidable pitfalls. He had already missed the best opportunity to attack and would find it hard to seize another good chance.
All he could do now was salvage the situation, which would depend on his capability.
Then there’s Zhang Su’s scheme on the other side, which he had a basic understanding of.
Taking out one group and leaving two behind appeared brutish, but it instantly created a rift between the Survivor Alliance, Little Eagle Association, and Apocalypse Corps. The Survivor Alliance and Apocalypse Corps now had an additional consideration: rescuing people, while Little Eagle Association was different.
If Liu Yao was righteous, he’d consider revenge; otherwise, it might just end inconclusively. In short, it was hard for him to be on the same page as Liao Youzhi and Yang Xinqi. To a severe extent, the three forces had already become disunified, each scheming on its own!
"Have you made up your mind? What’s it gonna be? Make a decision. My patience is wearing thin. When my temper flares up, I’ll chop a few more heads, and you’ll have no chance to regret it!"
Zhang Su spewed arrogant nonsense, his eyes darting around rapidly.
He spoke casually, but the nearby hostages were terrified. Who knew if he was serious or just bluffing.
"Zhang Su, don’t be impulsive. You must have had your reasons for leading zombies to Qin City, and we have to protect our own interests. Since things have come this far, perhaps we could both take a step back. How about that?"
Liao Youzhi suppressed his inner rage, speaking in a low voice, feeling the subtle shift in the atmosphere at the scene.
His combat ability was decent, whether with firearms or melee, having few rivals within the Alliance. And he wielded a dreadful weapon, but his position as the authoritative Leader of the Survivor Alliance was still supported by his subordinates. How much authority he truly possessed, he didn’t know and dared not easily test.
In this post-apocalyptic world, people’s nerves were taut and could snap at any moment. When considering loyalty and cohesion, there could be no ambiguity. He decided to put his dignity aside for now.
"How to compromise?"
Zhang Su ignored the little trap in the other’s words and asked directly.
Liao Youzhi quickly said, "Let’s pretend the whole thing never happened. You release our people, and I’ll release the defenders of civilization. It’s reasonable, right?"
His plan was simple, at least to show a stance of reassurance to subordinates and confidence to allies. As long as people could return, a comeback would just be a matter of time!
"No way!"
Zhang Su flatly rejected Liao Youzhi’s proposal, saying, "How do I know these ten guys won’t kill each other on the way back? If they die en route, you’ll blame me again. I can’t bear such a big burden! Releasing them is possible, but it must be a face-to-face exchange. You and I must be present to put an end to this matter!"
The matter wouldn’t end just like that. Not only did Liao Youzhi think so secretly, but Zhang Su had the same thought. The idea that enemies should resolve rather than settle was nonsense. Since Liao Youzhi had the idea of expanding north, it had to be nipped in the bud!
A face-to-face exchange was a plan Zhang Su had thought of long ago. Once they could meet face to face, he would have a way to deal with the other. Of course, there’s always the possibility the other could deal with him too; it would be a matter of skills!
"What do you all think?"
Inside Lego Mall, Liao Youzhi frowned as he looked at Yang Xinqi.
However, Liu Yao couldn’t hold back and interjected, "Zhang’s proposal is great. I’ll shoot him dead when the time comes, and Celestial Horse Island will naturally fall apart, right? Agree to the face-to-face exchange!"
Yang Xinqi, with one hand on his hip, lit a cigarette and said, "Old Liao, wouldn’t this face-to-face exchange be dangerous? Just like Liu Yao said, he wants to kill Zhang, but that Zhang might want to kill us too!"
"Chicken shit! Damn, with so many of us, are we afraid of a small Celestial Horse Island? Are you going or not? If not, I’ll take my brothers to meet him alone!"
Liu Yao couldn’t take it anymore. Feeling too indecisive, he turned to leave.
"Director Liu, calm down!"
Liao Youzhi stepped forward, pulling Liu Yao back, saying, "Isn’t this for discussion? Why so impulsive? If you anger the other side and get our brothers killed, what’s in it for you?"
"This won’t do, that won’t do, what on earth do you want? If you can’t even meet, how are we going to establish ourselves in Qin City in the future? Damn it, ptooey!"
Liu Yao spat out angrily.
"I’ll try probing Zhang Su!" Having said that, Liao Youzhi picked up the communicator and said, "You mentioned a face-to-face exchange? Are you, the mighty Celestial Horse Island leader, planning to return our brothers to us?"
If Zhang Su could come to their territory, the risk factor would be relatively lower, Liao Youzhi thought.
"Return them to you? Haha, you have quite the nerve. Fine, I’ll bring them to you. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Qin City, I suppose I should pay a visit!"
Zhang Su’s calm tone was unsettlingly ominous in the ears of Liao Youzhi and his group. Even Liu Yao, who was clamoring fiercely before, now wore a dark expression. The threat was unmistakably potent; he definitely intended to cause trouble.
"It’s hard to please someone and harder to send them away. How about meeting somewhere outside?"
Yang Xinqi was unsettled. The other party was clearly not willing; it seemed like he was out for revenge!
"Tsk..."
It was unclear if it was deliberate or unintentional, but Gong Chengming clicked his tongue, looking distressed.
Liao Youzhi turned to look at Gong Chengming and said, "Younger Brother Gong, what do you think? Don’t hold back — your brain works better than mine!"
"My view is similar to Director Yang’s. Qin City is our stronghold. If Zhang Su has sinister intentions and wants to engage on our territory, familiar surroundings won’t give us much advantage and could be ruined in the battle. It doesn’t seem worth it!"
Gong Chengming continued thoughtfully, "I think it’s best to arrange a meeting place. With our numbers, if Zhang Su foolishly dares to confront us outside, we can fully unleash our strength. He’d be digging his own grave!"
"Vice Leader Gong’s analysis is insightful. I agree. We could select a place near the Development Zone. If Celestial Horse Island truly dares to come, we can take action and incidentally solve some issues in the Development Zone."
Yang Xinqi eagerly suggested.
"Damn it, coward Yang, your plan is too loud! Right now, we need to resolve the northern issue, not help you solve Development Zone problems. Stop blabbering nonsense!"
Liu Yao was aware the Apocalypse Corps had a conflict with the power in the Development Zone recently.
"Enough with the useless talk! Let’s seriously study where would be ideal for the meeting!"
Liao Youzhi thought Gong Chengming’s idea was reliable. Holding a weapon of mass destruction, engaging in battle on his turf could indeed make him hesitant. However, Yang Xinqi’s suggestion was sheer nonsense!
"I’ve been to the north before, and one place left a strong impression on me."
Gong Chengming, with his fist under his chin and eyes full of contemplation, said, "On the road to Celestial Horse Island, there’s a town called Beidong Town. The road there is full of potholes. At the time, I didn’t know why it was like that, but I later learned that a zombie horde set asphalt roads on fire and melted them. I think that place is perfect!"
Upon hearing Gong Chengming’s suggestion, Li Zongkai’s heart raced, and his mouth went dry. Among everyone present, only he knew what the situation was at Beidong Town...
"What do you mean by perfect, Vice Leader Gong? Please elaborate." Yang Xinqi cautiously asked.
"The road’s potholes are severe. Even the best off-road vehicles can’t move quickly. We could meet at either side of the pothole-filled section. If Zhang Su plans any tricks, it would be hard to pull off."
Gong Chengming explained his plan.
"It does indeed restrict Zhang Su from launching an attack on us, but it also inhibits our ability to attack them, doesn’t it?" Liu Yao was still hung up on overthrowing Celestial Horse Island.
"Bring back our brothers first, and we won’t lack opportunities to take down Celestial Horse Island. Why rush today!"
Liao Youzhi was getting increasingly annoyed with Liu Yao. If it weren’t for this guy’s eager response to his initial call, he’d want to kick him out. He asked Gong Chengming, "How far is Beidong Town from Celestial Horse Island?"
"About ten kilometers? Maybe a little closer. I didn’t pay attention." Gong Chengming shrugged.
Afterward, Liao Youzhi had someone get an electronic map to examine and calculate the distance, finding out it was nearly eight kilometers, with a straight-line distance exceeding five kilometers. In a city, that would already cover a significant area north to south.
"How long is this going to drag on? Enough with the nonsense. I’m just gonna bring the big gift to Qin City, Lego Shopping Mall, correct delivery address, please confirm!"
Zhang Su’s joyful voice echoed inside Lego Mall, heightening everyone’s tension.
Comments