Chapter 777: Chapter 762
The next day, the heavy snow persisted, though it showed significant signs of weakening compared to yesterday. Early in the morning, Qiao Shan led ten brothers and several prisoners in a grand procession toward the factory, divided into three cars.
"What? You’re trying to head back in this weather? Won’t that be too dangerous? Over!"
Old Zhao had just reported their decision to return today to Xu Renjie, who immediately questioned it.
Old Zhao not only understood but also agreed with Old Xu’s concerns. After all, driving in such weather was indeed difficult, and they might get stuck halfway.
In the past, it wouldn’t have been a big deal; they could just make a call for help, and the transportation department would dispatch someone to handle the situation. But now, the only ones you might call for help on the road are the zombies, eager to rip you apart.
Old Zhao, ultimately not being cold-hearted, couldn’t ignore Wang Qiang’s dull and almost dejected expression from the day before. So, when Wang Qiang solemnly requested to return to the villa first thing in the morning, Old Zhao agreed after a moment’s thought.
What surprised him was that Tang Xiaoquan, who always prioritized the big picture, also supported Wang Qiang’s risky decision after a simple glance at the weather.
Clearly, the reason for his decision wasn’t the external weather. Anyone could easily deduce from the thick snow that driving in such conditions was incredibly foolish.
For a meticulous thinker like him to make such a risky decision, it definitely stemmed from the brotherly bond he shared with Wang Qiang.
However, Old Zhao didn’t know he was only half right. In fact, after Tang Xiaoquan learned that Liu Fugui had inexplicably moved into the villa, he wanted to return quickly.
He always harbored suspicion towards this old fox. Although he couldn’t find anything suspicious from Old Xu’s previous stories,
Tang Xiaoquan instinctively felt that Liu Fugui’s appearance at the villa wasn’t as simple as he claimed.
Coincidentally, this morning he observed the snow outside and noticed a trend of weakening.
So, he wanted to take this opportunity to hurry back, lest the situation changes, making return impossible.
"Oh, this... Old Xu, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to drive slow on the road; nothing will happen! Over!" Although driving slowly could prevent various dangers, honestly, Old Zhao wasn’t confident that no accidents would happen along the way.
After all, the cars were scavenged from the roads. Even though Wang Zhongyu had maintained them, they were still roadside finds, not to mention the lack of spare parts or tools to fix any potential damages.
So if a major problem like a breakdown occurred, they would truly be stuck on the road, unable to advance or retreat.
Old Xu deliberately persuaded Old Zhao a few more times, hoping they could wait until the weather improved before returning. But Old Zhao seemed determined to set out today. In the end, he avoided Wang Qiang and went to the kitchen to explain various reasons to Old Xu, bringing the matter to a close.
"Ah, is that so?! I understand now, Old Zhao, you absolutely must be careful on the road. If anything happens, notify me immediately! Over!"
Had Old Zhao not mentioned Wang Qiang, he might have overlooked it, but hearing about Wang Qiang’s current state induced a deep sense of guilt.
Last night, he clearly saw Liu Yunpeng’s meeting with Yang Xue through the surveillance screen. No matter what happened inside, if Wang Qiang found out, it could cause unnecessary trouble.
If only he had insisted on not taking in the Liu family duo from the start, none of this nonsense would have happened in the first place.
"Of course, Old Xu, don’t worry. Driving slower won’t cause issues." Old Zhao made unconvincing assurances and quickly changed the topic, asking, "How’s everything at the villa? Was yesterday normal? Over!"
For a moment, Old Zhao received no response from the radio. He glanced at Tang Xiaoquan, who shook his head with a serious expression: "Ask again; maybe he didn’t hear."
"Old Xu? Can you receive the signal? Repeat, can you receive the signal? Over!"
"I can. I can receive it." The signal wouldn’t disappear without reason; Old Xu’s delay in responding was due to deliberating whether to inform Old Zhao and the others of the incidents that occurred late yesterday.
Considering they were driving back today, he worried that knowing this might cause them to worry, and with the poor road and weather conditions, sped-up travel could lead to accidents, which would be disastrous...
But on second thought, Old Zhao and the others were the villa’s only available trump card. After careful consideration, he decided...
"Old Zhao, we had a skirmish with Spring Xiu and his men yesterday. Over!"
"What? Spring Xiu launched a surprise attack yesterday? Over!"
"Yes, at night! Over!"
"What was the result? Over!" Old Zhao immediately grasped the seriousness of the situation. The fact that the opponent chose a nighttime attack had a clear purpose; no one would risk activities in the post-apocalypse, especially with yesterday’s terrible weather.
But this seemingly suicidal act was unexpected, raising concerns that the villa might suffer losses.
"Fortunately, we were prepared in advance, so we didn’t suffer any losses. The opponents lost two men and then retreated. Over!"
Old Xu spoke with relative ease, easing Old Zhao and the others slightly, but what he said further fueled Tang Xiaoquan’s concerns, solidifying his resolve to return.
He gave Old Zhao a look before taking the radio and pressing the speak button: "Lieutenant Xu, this is Xiao Tang. Can you briefly explain what’s going on? Over!"
"Oh, Xiao Tang, let me tell you what happened... Over!" Old Xu and Old Lin had discussed yesterday’s events countless times, struggling to find more valuable clues. His decision to inform Old Zhao and the others at this moment had one significant purpose: to see if Tang Xiaoquan could deduce anything.
However, the latter didn’t offer any conclusions. Instead, after a brief silence, he suggested to Old Xu, "Lieutenant Xu, how about this? We’ll return today and first check out the factory, and you can make some small preparations... Over!"
"Alright!" Old Xu’s lips curled slightly. While Tang Xiaoquan didn’t offer any insights into yesterday’s events, his proposal was insightful: "Very well, I’ll arrange things here right away. But be sure you’re safe. Remember, returning to the villa smoothly is your primary task. Over!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
