Chapter 31 Shane Lowers His Head
The atmosphere on the gravel path did not ease much because of Shane's concession.
Watching Ling Feng walk away carrying the tackle bag, Shane stood in place for a long while before heavily exhaling a breath of stifled anger.
He turned around and strode towards the location of Ling Feng's SUV.
At this time, Ling Feng was comfortably half-lying on the leather cushion in the back row of the SUV, toying with the tackle bag traded from Dale in his hand, checking the stock of nylon fishing line inside.
Hearing deliberately heavy footsteps stop outside the car, Ling Feng didn't even lift an eyelid.
"Shall we talk?" Shane stood one meter outside the car door, with his hands on his hips.
Ling Feng casually tossed the tackle bag in his hand aside, crossed his long legs, and sat up from the interior.
He fished out half a pack of marlboro, lit one, and exhaled a mouthful of thick smoke.
"Spit it out." Ling Feng's attitude was casual, and he didn't even look straight at the former police officer outside.
This feeling of being completely disregarded made Shane's teeth itch.
He suppressed the malice in his heart and began to talk about business.
"The supplies in the Camp are running low, and you should see that very clearly."
Shane tried to make his voice sound calm, with a strictly business-like tone, "There are no medicines, not enough ammunition, and even daily necessities are lacking. I plan to take a few people early tomorrow morning to scavenge a wave at the supermarkets or hardware stores on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta."
Speaking of this, Shane paused for a moment.
Ling Feng's fingers holding the cigarette flicked off the ash, signaling him to continue.
"I need manpower." Shane cut straight to the point, "Especially someone like you with skills and heavy firepower. Are you going? Once we really reach downtown, whatever can be scavenged depends on each person's ability."
These words were spoken very frankly.
Shane originally thought that, according to Ling Feng's arrogant and domineering style of behavior yesterday, he would definitely sneer and mock a few words, or even put forward a bunch of extremely harsh conditions.
Who would have thought Ling Feng didn't hesitate at all.
"Alright." Ling Feng agreed readily, "Give me a heads-up beforehand on what time we set off."
Now it was Shane's turn to be stunned. The set of arguments he had prepared, including the draft of using the SUV's need for gasoline as a bargaining chip, were all blocked in his throat.
"You just agreed like that?" Shane's face was full of astonishment.
"Otherwise? Should I stay here and listen to you talk nonsense?" Ling Feng retorted.
Ling Feng of course had his own calculations.
At this time node, although Atlanta had just been washed over by the military with incendiary bombs and the core area of downtown was completely destroyed, many large supermarkets on the outskirts definitely still had quite a bit of inventory.
This was the very beginning of the doomsday outbreak; the later it dragged on, the fewer valuable supplies there would be.
His large-displacement SUV was indeed a bottomless pit for oil, and the daily consumption of the two women, Andrea and Amy, was not small.
Toilet paper, clothes to change into, women's private items, all needed to be replenished.
Most importantly, other key figures in the protagonist group were all closing in near Atlanta; making a trip downtown was definitely a foolproof, win-win business.
Having settled Ling Feng, Shane didn't want to stay long either. He nodded, turned around, and strode back to the center of the Camp, preparing to gather the others for a meeting.
Watching Shane's receding back, Ling Feng sneered.
This little cop really thought a few words could manipulate the situation.
Once in the city, who listens to whom would no longer be up to him.
...
By the pooled lake below the Quarry.
Two fishing rods were set up left and right on the bluestone slabs.
Andrea stared at the float on the water's surface, while Amy squatted beside her, resting her chin in both hands, staring fixedly at the colorful artificial lures.
At this time, intense splashing sounds were already coming out of the bucket.
This was a true creel-buster. I don't know if the fish in this puddle had never seen high-tech things like fishhooks, but they were biting the hooks like crazy.
In less than two hours down, the bucket was already filled with a dozen large black-backed fish, every single one plump and robust.
"Sister, it moved again!" Amy shouted excitedly in a suppressed voice.
Andrea was quick-eyed and nimble-handed, fiercely pulling the fishing rod. The fishing line tightened instantly, and a large fish weighing over two catties spun a circle on the water's surface, being forcibly dragged onto the shore.
Amy hurriedly pounced over, catching and hugging the fish to press it into the plastic bucket. The fish's tail violently whipped a face full of water at her, but the little girl giggled non-stop, not caring at all.
"I really didn't expect old man Dale's artificial lures to be so useful." Andrea re-cast the line into the water, reaching out to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
After some idle chat with those few women just now, coupled with the current harvest, Andrea's nerves, which had been taut for several days, finally relaxed for a rare moment.
She looked at the fish flailing in the bucket, then suddenly turned her head to look at Amy.
"Do you still remember when Dad used to take us fishing by Lake Michigan?" Andrea's tone slowed down, carrying a hint of nostalgia.
Amy's hand playing with the splashes stopped, and a trace of gloom flashed in her blue eyes.
"How could I not remember?" Amy sniffed, "Dad taught us to hook earthworms on the fishhooks. I refused to do it back then, thinking it was too cruel, and insisted on using breadcrumbs. As a result, Dad fished for black bass there all afternoon, and I couldn't even lure a single small trash fish."
Andrea directly laughed, reaching out to tap her younger sister's forehead.
"You still have the nerve to say that. Dad finally taught you how to tie knots, and you tied them blindly. Later, whenever a big fish bit the hook, your line was guaranteed to break. Dad was so angry he ignored you for days."
The two sisters laughed on the sultry shore.
The laughter rippled across the water's surface, yet it could not cover up the desolation in their bones.
The world had completely changed.
That old father who would teach them how to fish and curse by the lake now didn't know which city's corner he had turned into a man-eating monster in.
If it weren't for good luck in meeting Ling Feng, whether the two of them could survive the first week would be an unknown.
"Sister." Amy rested her chin on her knees, speaking in a muffled voice, "As long as we follow Ling, nothing will happen, right?"
Andrea glanced at her sister.
She didn't answer, only reaching out to rub her aching waist.
That man was fierce to a perverted degree. Following him would certainly allow them to survive, but the price to pay was enough to make people collapse.
It was about time, and the sun began to slope westward.
The fish bucket could completely hold no more.
Andrea drew the small knife used for self-defense from her waist and cut a large handful of flexible grass stems in the nearby bushes. With deft movements, she pierced through the fish gills, dividing the dozen or so fish into two strings.
"Hold this well." Andrea handed the slightly lighter string to Amy, carrying the remaining larger head herself.
The two sisters carried the heavy catch and walked up the gravel slope.
As soon as they approached the edge of the Camp, they immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Those dozen or so large fish were glittering white in the sunlight and very eye-catching.
The fish tails were still weakly flapping on the grass ropes, and the fresh fishy smell of water blew directly into the nostrils of the refugees along with the wind.
Morales was leading two children by the tent gnawing on dry grass roots, his eyes glued straight onto the fish.
Carol also put down the clothes she was mending in her hand, and the sounds of swallowing saliva rose one after another.
This was not that kind of stringy, sour canned meat; this was living, fresh fish.
The rules established by Ling Feng with his fists yesterday were still there, and no one dared to go up and grab them.
Everyone could only watch eagerly as the two sisters carried the fish all the way to the side of that black SUV.
In front of the SUV.
Ling Feng was holding a whetstone to sharpen his machete short knife. Hearing the commotion, he raised his head.
Looking at those two large strings of lively fish, Ling Fengblew a loud whistle in high appreciation.
"Good luck." Ling Feng sheathed the short knife back, walked over, took the heaviest string from Andrea's hand, and weighed it. It was at least twenty catties.
"Of course, Dale's fishing rod plus the techniques taught by my dad, a perfect match." Andrea had a rare touch of pride.
Amy also crowded forward to claim credit, tilting her face up waiting for praise.
Ling Feng played along very well, placing his large hand directly on Amy's golden head and rubbing it.
Looking at the huge pile of fish on the ground, he ran through the consumption of the past few days in his mind.
Although fish was delicious, it couldn't keep at all in this thirty-plus-degree weather. Even if they were all roasted into dried fish, the taste would become extremely poor.
He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the refugees swallowing saliva dozens of meters away.
"We'll eat grilled fish for dinner," Ling Feng spoke, "Pick the six fattest ones for us to keep, and go distribute the rest to the people in the Camp."
As soon as these words dropped.
Andrea froze in place, her eyes wide open, simply unable to believe her ears.
The look she gave Ling Feng was like seeing a ghost.
Yesterday afternoon, this man had just beaten several civilians trying to equally share bear meat until their teeth fell all over the ground. One night passed, and this scoundrel suddenly changed his nature?
"Are you serious?" Andrea lowered her voice, reaching out to touch Ling Feng's forehead, "You aren't running a fever, are you? You actually want to give away the food you got for free to these people?"
Amy was also stunned, her face full of puzzlement.
Ling Feng knocked away Andrea's hand, rolling his eyes speechlessly.
This woman really regarded him as a food-guarding beast who only knew how to monopolize supplies.
"Give away? Which ear of yours heard me say I was giving it away for free?" Ling Feng fished a lighter out of his pocket and lit the half-smoked cigarette from earlier.
Leaning against the hood, he condescendingly lectured the two sisters.
"Beating them yesterday was because they wanted to stand on the moral high ground to snatch my things; that's called asking for it." Ling Feng took a drag of his cigarette, "But if I bestow the excess fish to them today, that's called a reward."
Andrea was stunned, her brain spinning rapidly.
"Really forcing these dozens of people to the point of starving to death has no benefit for us. In this lousy world, sooner or later we'll encounter a walker herd. When that time comes, without these idiots in front acting as cannon fodder to attract firepower, how many can just me alone holding two guns kill?"
Ling Feng pointed at the refugees not far away who were peeking over here.
"Besides, keeping the relationship so rigid all the time—if these people are really driven to desperation, they might group up in the middle of the night to puncture our SUV's tires and let out the air, or steal things while we're not around, which would be annoying as hell. Give them a little sweetness, let them know that as long as they honestly obey and work, there is meat to eat; then they won't be willing to leave this Camp."
This extremely straightforward and calculation-filled remark made cold chills rise straight up Andrea's back.
This man was not only violent, but his scheming was also terrifyingly deep. He wasn't pitying these people at all; instead, he regarded all the survivors in the Camp as consumables that could be utilized and sacrificed at any time.
Just while Andrea was in a daze.
Ling Feng already kicked the string of fish at his feet.
"Go on, go tell them this is a reward bestowed upon them. Whoever dares to shoot their mouth off asking why only this little is given, you directly slap them across the face, and hereafter all the odd jobs in the Camp will be contracted out to them to do."
Ling Feng turned around and walked toward the fire pit, preparing to make a fire to grill fish. What he said was actually basically what he truly thought; he didn't care about the rest of the people, but getting driven out was definitely not what he wanted.
Chapter 32: Bestowing Favors to Win Hearts, Lori's Hidden Agenda!
By the gravel roadside, Andrea carried over a dozen large dark-backed fish strung together with grass rope, and the lingering soreness at the base of her thighs washed over her in waves, making her walk very slowly.
In the open space at the center of the Quarry Camp, a few refugees were dazed around a withered campfire.
"Bang."
A large string of fresh fish still smelling of river water was unceremoniously thrown onto the dusty ground by Andrea, their tails flapping against the ground and kicking up a small puff of dust.
The surroundings instantly quieted down, and several gazes locked uniformly onto the ground.
The piece of dry grass root Morales had been chewing on for ages dropped straight to the ground, and Jacqui, who was sewing clothes nearby, also froze.
"What are you looking at?" Andrea crossed her arms, her chin lifting slightly, "Ling gave these to you. Each family pick according to your head count. Don't fight over these piece-of-shit things, and get lost once you've taken them."
With that, she didn't want to stay a single half-second longer, turning and walking toward the direction of the SUV.
The open space was so quiet that the sound of swallowing saliva could be heard; the deterrent force of yesterday's brutal beating was still there, and for a moment no one dared to move.
"Go get them!" Ed was the first to react, his fat face filled with greed, his elbow heavily prodding Carol's back as he urged in a rough voice, "What are you spacing out for! Hurry up and grab them!"
Carol stumbled from the shove.
Looking at the lively fish flopping on the ground, her expression was somewhat hesitant: "But yesterday he just…"
"If I tell you to go, go!" Ed didn't want to hear any nonsense at all, his thick arm raising as his broad palm lifted directly.
Carol's face turned pale with fright, instinctively shrinking her neck.
To avoid being beaten, she hurriedly ran forward a couple of steps, ignoring the mud on the ground, and grabbed and scooped with both hands, directly pulling out the four biggest fish and hugging them tightly in her arms.
With someone taking the lead, the remaining people completely panicked.
"Leave some for me!" Jacqui's bulky body directly shoved Morales aside.
Several people fell into a chaotic mess on the ground, and even the usually timid Glenn was quick-witted enough to snatch three, holding them by their tails and foolishly grinning.
In a mere minute, the dozen or so fish on the ground were completely carved up.
Each family was distributed four or five, which was completely enough to have a good, filling meal.
Beside the SUV, Andrea sat on a flat, large stone, crossing her arms, her brows knitted into a knot, clearly still in a very uncomfortable state.
Ling Feng leaned against the car door, tossing an empty magazine with his left hand.
"Why so long-faced?" Ling Feng pulled out a lighter and lit a cigarette, "Reluctant to part with those few crappy fish?"
Andrea curled her lips.
"I know what you mean, treating it as doing a good deed to farm favors," Andrea took over the conversation, "but I just feel annoyed. Yesterday these people still wanted to rely on their numbers to rob that bear, and today they calmly take our things. What's the use of talking about human favors with these opportunists?"
Ling Feng exhaled a mouthful of thick smoke and let out a scoff.
"Is your big-lawyer brain really fried?" Ling Feng looked at her through the smoke, "Who gives a damn about their favors? Tomorrow morning I'm going to scavenge the outer skirts of the downtown area with that little cop. When I'm not here, there will only be two women guarding the supplies in this Camp."
Andrea was stunned for a moment, then immediately understood.
"I didn't distribute the fish to them out of pity for anyone," Ling Feng flicked the ash off his fingertips, "Having eaten my food and taken my stuff, no matter how cowardly these people are, if tomorrow some other living humans or a few stray zombies sneak over, they will at least serve as the first line of defense in front. This is called spending some useless rotten meat to hire a group of free security guards."
Andrea was completely left without words.
This man's calculations were practically engraved into his bones; anything in his hands could become a bargaining chip to squeeze out surplus value.
"Rest assured," Ling Feng extinguished the cigarette butt, "Tomorrow if they take the things and don't work, when I get back, I have plenty of ways to deal with them."
A few steps away, Amy was humming an unknown little tune.
Holding the machete short knife in her hand, she was cleaning the three fattest black fish specially set aside.
"Sis, stop worrying blindly." Amy scraped off the fish scales with the back of the knife, smiling extremely happily, "Ling knows what he's doing. I plan to use that iron pot to make soup with these fish, sprinkle some pepper, and it will definitely be super fragrant."
She raised her head and winked at Andrea: "Drink a couple more bowls later. You sweated so much last night, you definitely need to replenish your physical strength."
"You little brat, try saying that again!" Andrea's just-calmed mood directly blew up, her face turning red enough to bleed, and she grabbed a small stone from the ground and hurled it over.
Amy giggled incessantly, nimbly dodging it.
At the other end of the Camp, by the campfire not far from the RV.
Carrying four fish in her hand, Lori walked back with steady steps.
She put the fish into a battered plastic washbasin and turned around.
Her gaze crossed the tops of a few tents, just able to see the pitch-black heavy-duty SUV dozens of meters away.
That Asian man was leaning against the car. Although his expression couldn't be clearly seen, that casual yet formidable vibe could be felt from far away.
Lori pursed her lips, a trace of extremely hidden gratitude flashing across the depths of her eyes.
Previously, she had compromised herself just to trade for a piece of bear meat for her son, and now these people directly gave fresh fish away for free to the entire Camp.
This style of casually controlling the distribution of supplies was the true confidence for survival in this cannibalistic world.
"Mom! We have fish to eat!" Carl drilled out of the tent, excitedly pulling on Lori's sleeve, his eyes fixed dead on the basin.
Lori withdrew her gaze, squatted down, and affectionately stroked Carl's hair.
"Right, today there is fresh fish." Lori's voice was very soft, carrying a comforting meaning, "Mom will go borrow a pot in a moment, boil soup for you to drink, and properly nourish your body."
Just at this moment, movement came from the RV's step a few meters away.
Shane sat cross-legged on it, with disassembled glock pistol parts placed on his thighs, holding a rag stained with gun oil and vigorously wiping the slide.
Hearing the conversation between Lori and Carl, Shane's hand movements stopped. He raised his head, glanced at the fish in the basin, and snorted directly from his nasal cavity.
The sound wasn't loud, but it was extremely glaring beside the quiet campfire.
This cold snort was mixed with his suppressed, impotent rage, as well as the stifled grievance of watching the woman he had his eyes on accept alms from someone else.
Lori didn't even lift her eyelids; she squatted on the ground, her nails forcefully scraping off a large patch of fish scales.
If you really had this backbone, you should have carried two rabbits out from the woods this morning.
Who are you putting on a long face for here? Do you really think you're still that traffic-directing police officer? If it weren't for you being useless, I wouldn't have had to go earn that flesh-selling business.
Lori sneered in her heart.
She couldn't even be bothered to say an extra word to Shane, standing up and carrying the basin as she walked toward the direction of the lake, preparing to wash the fish clean.
Shane watched the woman's merciless back, the hand gripping the barrel tightening more and more, his knuckles turning white.
Gritting his teeth, he smashed the rag in his hand fiercely onto the step; entering the city tomorrow, he swore to win back all the face he had lost.
The sky had completely darkened.
Inside the Quarry Camp, a fragrance mixed with roasted fish and fish soup drifted about—a rare occurrence.
Ever since escaping from Atlanta, these dozens of people were eating a proper hot meal for the first time.
The rear door of the SUV stood wide open.
Ling Feng leaned back against the leather cushion, holding a dented small stainless steel basin in his hand.
The basin was filled with milky-white fish soup, with a few specks of crushed pepper floating on top.
"Your culinary skills are improving." Ling Feng took a large gulp, the scalding soup flowing down his throat into his stomach, causing every pore in his body to relax.
Amy sat cross-legged nearby, cupping her chin with both hands, instantly beaming with joy upon hearing the praise.
Andrea was turning the roasted fish on the rack by the campfire, and upon hearing this, she handed over a fish roasted to a golden brown.
"The complete set of seasonings is ready-made. If this still turns out unpalatable, I might as well not mix in this place anymore."
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Ling Feng jumped out of the car and walked over to the passenger seat to take out that tactical gun case.
He opened the box, and the m200 sniper rifle inside gleamed with a faintly cold metallic luster.
Ling Feng skillfully checked the bolt, confirming that the 7.62mm bullets in the magazine were fully loaded.
The newly unlocked Intermediate Shooting Skill gave his hands muscle memory; disassembling and assembling such a big guy didn't even require looking.
Andrea watched his fluid actions, walked over, and lowered her voice.
"Do you really plan to go into the city with Shane tomorrow?" Andrea looked at the exaggerated sniper rifle, "Nobody can clearly say how many of those monsters are inside Atlanta."
"Precisely because it can't be clearly said, I have to go see for myself." Ling Feng put the gun back into the box and locked it, patting the car door, "In this world, the further it goes, the harder it is to get supplies. If I don't take advantage of the time when the city hasn't been completely turned upside down to grab some good things, what will I use to support you two big gluttons in the future?"
Andrea choked for a moment, but her heart inexplicably softened.
Ling Feng turned around, his gaze piercing through the sparse campfire light of the Camp and looking toward the direction of the highway.
If the plot hadn't been messed up, going to the outskirts of Atlanta tomorrow, there was a high probability of running into that newly arrived core protagonist Rick.
He had no intention of disrupting the formation of the protagonist group; after all, the women in Rick's team were one more valuable than the last. These were all stable sources for him to farm Pleasure Points.
As long as he maintained absolute military suppression, this bunch of people would only be able to act according to his facial expressions.
Ling Feng touched the glock pistol at his waist, the corners of his mouth twitching into a reckless arc.
Chapter 33: Shane recruits people to go into the city, and everyone regrets it when they hear Ling Feng is going too!
On the other side of the Camp, the fire was almost out, leaving only a few glowing red charcoal embers.
Holding the dented iron bowl in his hands, Shane poured the last mouthful of fish soup directly into his mouth and swallowed it, sticking out his tongue to lick his dry lips.
The fish was indeed plump and tender, and the soup was brewed very richly, completely suppressing the earthy smell.
But whenever he thought that this was charity casually thrown to the Camp by that Asian man, he felt a bit nauseous as the hot soup went down his esophagus.
Especially seeing Lori's back as she went to the river to wash fish, a man's dignity was trampled back and forth a few times.
He stood up, casually threw the empty iron bowl onto the RV's step, and strode to the open space in the middle of the Camp.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
Shane swung his arms and clapped his hands three times hard, the crisp slapping sound piercingly loud in the quiet Quarry.
"Stop what you're doing, everyone come over, let's talk about some business." Shane shouted at the top of his lungs.
The people scattered in front of various tents all stopped their actions and slowly gathered around; most of them had just eaten a full meal and their minds were still in a daze.
"The fish is eaten, and everyone's stomachs are full, so let's talk about survival arrangements for tomorrow." Shane put his hands on his hips, his gaze sweeping across these dozens of people, "We currently have no medicine, no spare ammunition, and even daily necessities are running out."
The survivors below looked at each other in dismay, not even daring to pick up the conversation.
"Therefore, I've decided to form a search party early tomorrow morning to loot a supermarket or hardware store on the outskirts of downtown Atlanta." Shane laid out his plan directly, "If anyone wants to go, speak up and sign up now."
As soon as these words came out, the previously quiet open space instantly turned chaotic, with whispers emerging from all directions.
"Go to Atlanta? Isn't that courting death?"
"That place has been bombed flat, the streets are full of man-eating monsters, I'm not going, even if you beat me to death I won't go."
Ed the fat man shrank his neck back, his massive body forcibly squeezing into the back row of the crowd.
He quickly lowered his head, terrified that Shane would point him out by name and send him to die in the city.
Looking at these civilians' resistant expressions, Shane clenched his back molars tightly.
These guys ran faster than anyone when it came to sharing fish and meat, but the moment they heard they had to work and exert effort, they all turned into cowards.
Just as the situation fell into a complete stalemate and Shane was even planning to directly call people out by force,
"Count me in!"
A rough roar suddenly came from the pitch-black jungle on the right.
Branches were rudely pushed aside as Merle walked out from the edge of the woods swaggeringly, shirtless, with a piece of dried grass he picked up from somewhere dangling from his mouth.
Merle and his younger brother Daryl had always been misfits.
Feeling that the people in the Camp were too noisy and weak, they simply set up their tents in the nearby jungle.
This location was chosen very cleverly, allowing them to hear the commotion of meetings in the middle of the Campwhile saving them from being stared at by these civilians every day.
"Sneaking into the city to grab some good loot, this trade suits my taste." Merle strode over to the campfire, spat out the grass stick in his mouth, and grinned, "Much better than hiding in this deep mountain forest every day watching these idiots stare blankly."
Shane raised an eyebrow.
This punk Merle was indeed unlikable and number one at stirring up trouble.
But putting personality aside, Merle was definitely a ruthless character when it came to fighting, and bringing him into the city would undoubtedly be a help.
"Fine." Shane nodded and agreed directly, then turned his head to look at the group of civilians who didn't even dare to breathe heavily, "Who else?"
There was still no movement from the crowd.
After a long while, a hand in the back row raised slightly with a tremor.
Glenn shrunk his shoulders and struggled to squeeze through the gaps in the crowd to the very front. The Asian youth swallowed a mouthful of saliva and mustered up his courage to speak: "Um... count me in."
Afraid that Shane would think his build was too thin and not let him play, he quickly sped up his pace to explain: "Before things went south, I was a delivery guy. I ran around downtown Atlanta every day and I'm extremely familiar with the streets there—all kinds of alleys, freight tunnels, and even which buildings have underground parking garages are all stored right in here."
Glenn reached out and tapped his own forehead.
Shane looked Glenn up and down.
This kid really looked frail; if he actually ran into Walkers, he definitely wouldn't be able to hold his own.
But having a living map in the team to lead the way could save a lot of retreat time when encountering dead ends.
"Makes sense." Shane made a very pragmatic decision, "Delivery guy, you're in. Tomorrow you'll be responsible for leading the way in the front."
With two people taking the lead, plus Glenn with his small frame daring to go, the surrounding atmosphere finally livened up a bit.
T-Dog, the quiet fat Black man, stepped forward and very decisively raised his thick arm: "Count me in."
Morales stood at the edge of the crowd, turning his head to look at his wife Miranda beside him.
"Honey, it's too dangerous, that's Atlanta..." Mirandalowered her voice, her hands tightly clutching Morales's cuff.
"Constantly relying on other people's charity is not a long-term solution." Morales reached out to cover the back of his wife's hand, patting it soothingly twice, "Count me in. I need to go into the city to get some fever medicine and antibiotics. The kids might need them at any time, so I have to go take a risk."
Finished speaking, Morales strode out of the crowd and stood next to Glenn.
Looking at these few people who had stepped forward—only five in total including himself—Shane realized that for scavenging a large supermarket, this workforce to transport supplies would simply be too slow.
But he had no intention of dragging it out any longer; the cowardice deep in these civilians' bones could never be uprooted.
Shane took a deep breath of the cool night air and directly played the trump card in his hand.
"No one else?" Shane's gaze swept over the men desperately hiding backward again, raising his volume directly, "Forgot to mention one thing to you all: tomorrow when we go into the city, Ling Feng will also be coming with us."
This sentence slammed solidly into the open space, and the entire Camp experienced a momentary freeze.
The few men who had just looked relieved not to be chosen instantly widened their eyes.
Dozens of gazes turned in unison, staring fixedly at the pitch-black heavy-duty off-road vehicle dozens of meters away.
Although separated by a distance, the specific situation around the car over there couldn't be seen clearly.
But the strips of cured meat hanging beside that car, plus Ling Feng's terrifying record of beating a several-hundred-pound giant bear to death bare-handed in the mountains, had spread throughout this Camp completely.
Everyone knew that the Asian guy named Ling Feng was a ruthless character not to be messed with.
With that kind of perverted heavy firepower cover, plus completely unreasonable close-quarters combat.
This wasn't going to Atlanta for an adventure; this was simply going to a supermarket for zero-dollar shopping! As long as they followed behind this man's ass, rummaging through a few shelves to fill their backpacks, they'd still be able to get a lot of good stuff back.
Ed the fat man was the first to react, his face contorted with regret so much that his flesh squeezed together.
He hurriedly pushed forward two fierce steps, shoved the civilian blocking his way ahead with one slap, and waved his hands repeatedly.
"Wait! Officer! Officer Shane! I'm signing up too!" Edshouted with a voice that was cracking slightly, "I have great strength, and my build can help you carry several boxes! Count me in!"
The few strong men who hadn't spoken earlier also began to clamor along, successively patting their chests to guarantee that they would have the strength to work tomorrow.
Looking at these opportunists, Shane was filled with contempt deep down.
"The quota is full! We don't need that many people." Shane coldly refused unceremoniously, giving them no chance to regret and get into the vehicle, "The rest of you honestly guard the Camp tomorrow. Just the five people decided just now, plus Ling Feng, we'll set out tomorrow as soon as the sun comes up, now all get lost and go to sleep!"
Having said that, Shane completely ignored Ed's remorseful complaints behind him, turned around, and strode back to his RV.
Those men who missed the opportunity stood in place, looking at each other with depressed expressions as if they had suffered a huge loss.
Over by the off-road vehicle.
The firewood in the fire pit was still crackling as it burned.
Ling Feng leaned against the front of the car, holding an unfinished cigarette between his fingers, having heard this good show that happened in the open space earlier crystal clear.
He twitched the corner of his mouth and casually flicked away a section of ash.
This little cop's skill of making a fuss over a chicken feather was played quite smoothly, using his name to intimidate those civilians.
Let him toss about; as long as these people led the way tomorrow, he would leave directly after scavenging the valuable supplies. Who cared how Shane pretended to be the boss in this lousy Camp.
The rear car door was pushed open from the inside.
Bare-legged, Andrea stepped out of the car very casually, wearing only that oversized black men's T-shirt.
She walked over to the fire pit, picked up a plastic bucket, poured a little clean water into a broken basin nearby, and casually wiped her face.
Her blonde hair was casually tied behind her head with a hair tie, a few damp strands of hair clinging closely to her fair neck.
"You're driving the car away tomorrow, and there will only be two of us women left in this Camp." Andreastraightened up, shook off the water droplets on her hands, and turned her head to look at him, "This lousy place has no protection other than those cowards. What if we run into a stray Walker sneaking up the mountain while you're not here?"
Having experienced yesterday afternoon's meat-snatching storm, she didn't have the slightest bit of trust in these people in the Camp.
When Ling Feng was around, these people were obedient dogs; once Ling Feng left, who knew if these starving madmen would come and rummage through their supplies.
Ling Feng directly threw the cigarette butt in his hand onto the ground and crushed it out.
"Take the glock 17 pistol." Ling Feng turned around, "Two fully loaded magazines, thirty-four rounds of bullets. That's enough for you to pop the heads of any Walkers rushing over one by one."
He took two steps forward, his extremely oppressive height directly overshadowing Andrea.
"As for the scum in the Camp, I'll go say hello to them one by one before I leave tomorrow morning. While I'm not here, if anyone dares to approach within ten meters of this car—" Ling Feng reached out his rough large hand to hook her chin, "you don't even need to warn them, just shoot and break their leg directly. Whatever happens, I'll shoulder it when I get back."
This completely unreasonable and extremely arrogant way of being protective shattered the last bit of insecurity deep in Andrea's heart.
She bit her lip, her chest heaving slightly. This man was so domineering that he didn't even bother to put on a disguise.
"Good." Andrea didn't have any superfluous nonsense.
Ling Feng let go of her hand, turning around intending to go to the passenger seat to get a few bottles of mineral water.
Just at this moment, a rustling sound of fabric friction suddenly came from inside the carriage.
Amy poked most of her body out from the back seat.
She had changed into the camisole vest washed clean by the lake during the day. Because the neckline was too loose, a large expanse of scenery was directly exposed under the dim carriage lights.
"Ling." Amy called out, her fair little face glowing with an alluring flush under the reflection of the firelight.
"What?" Ling Feng stopped his steps and turned his head.
Amy clasped her hands tightly behind her back, her blue eyes watery, biting her lip with a completely desperate, all-in posture.
"Going into the city tomorrow is definitely going to be especially dangerous..." Amy's voice became softer and softer as she spoke, almost sliding down from the seat, "Tonight... tonight, do you want to stay in the car and get more familiar beforehand with how to relax your physical strength?"
Chapter 34: Andrea Breaks Down, Amy Delivers Herself Right to Him!
"Amy!" Andrea's voice suddenly shot up, sharp enough to echo at the edge of the quiet Camp.
She dragged and pulled herself forward a step, gripping her younger sister's slender wrist tightly.
What kind of mush was packed inside this damn girl's head? To say words like delivering herself right to him, and actually saying it right beside the SUV in the middle of these desolate mountains.
Amy's wrist was gripped so hard it hurt, and she pulled her body back with all her might, refusing to yield even half a step.
"Sis, you're hurting me! Let go!"
The little girl's blue eyes flickered with a reckless stubbornness.
She simply refused to look at Andrea's face, which was distorted by anxious rage, instead looking past Andrea's shoulders, her gaze sticking bluntly onto Ling Feng who was leaning against the front of the car.
These past few days of flight, the flames of Atlanta, the giant bear deep in the mountains—all of it was relentlessly beating against her fragile worldview.
She knew too well what kind of days the women in the Camp were living; Carol even had to rely on beating to trade for a piece of meat, and proud women like Lori also had to lower themselves to sneak into the small woods.
Only the man before her eyes could tear open a path of survival with his bare hands in this rotten world.
Her sister could do it, why couldn't she?
As long as she clung to him, she could stay in this sturdy car forever, never having to gnaw on those sour canned goods again, and never having to worry about having her neck bitten off by Walkers in the middle of the night.
Andrea's eye sockets were completely red; how could she not see through her younger sister's little schemes?
"You wake up! How old are you? Do you know what the cost of this is?" Andrea kept her voice down, her voice carrying a trembling hoarseness.
Amy simply shut her mouth, letting her sister pull however she wanted, her chin still stubbornly raised, just eagerly waiting for Ling Feng's reaction.
As long as Ling Feng nodded, even the King of Heaven coming wouldn't be able to stop her.
Andrea was completely out of options.
She found herself looking so pale and powerless in front of this younger sister who was single-mindedly trying to take a shortcut.
She slowly turned her head, looking at Ling Feng, who was holding a cigarette between his fingers and taking on the posture of a spectator.
That bottomless sense of despair surged up once again.
She knew this predator without any bottom lines too well; how could he possibly push away fresh prey delivered right to his mouth?
"Ling…"
Andrea released her grip on Amy, her whole body seeming drained of strength as she slowly walked up to Ling Feng.
She tremblingly extended both hands and grabbed Ling Feng's right arm, which was resting on the car window.
The voice was so low it was nearly begging.
She didn't know what she should say next.
Let him refuse? This request was simply a joke in front of this man.
Yesterday, just to exchange for protection, she had laid down all her dignity in that dim carriage, catering to all his demands like a shameless woman.
She was just an ordinary woman who could only rely on selling her body to exchange for safety; with what could she negotiate terms with this ruler who held the power of life and death?
Ling Feng casually flicked the half-burned cigarette butt in his hand into a nearby fire pit.
He turned around without shaking off Andrea's hand.
His wide, rough palm raised and very naturally covered Andrea's pale face.
Scraping against her delicate skin, bringing forth an involuntary shudder.
"Why is your usually eloquent mouth stammering now?" Ling Feng lowered his body slightly, the tip of his nose almost touching Andrea's forehead, his voice pressed very low, exuding an oppressive force that allowed no room for discussion.
"For this kind of willing matter, you surely can't forcibly stop Amy's choice, right?"
Andrea's chest heaved violently, her eyelashes hanging with a tear that was about to fall.
Ling Feng's palm slid down her cheek, pinching her chin and forcing her to raise her head to look straight at him.
"I said it long ago, I'm not a good person, but look carefully in this Camp, which one is a good person? Let Amy go follow those losers who can't even catch a wild rabbit?"
Ling Feng sneered.
"Rest assured, for women stamped with my brand, I will definitely pay more attention than treating others. Following me, at least the two sisters of you won't have to go outside and live in fear."
These few words completely shattered the last piece of backbone deep inside Andrea's heart.
With a pale face, she knew there was no room for any turnaround in this matter.
Amy was determined to board this boat, and Ling Fenghad completely no intention of pushing this fresh meat out.
Andrea turned her head and gave Amy a look of extreme complexity.
That look was filled with helplessness, heartache, and the desolation after compromise. This girl simply didn't know what kind of tireless monster she was about to face next.
She locked her sight back onto Ling Feng, biting her lower lip tightly.
"She's still young…" Andrea's voice trembled out of shape, her fingers twisted tightly together, "She doesn't understand anything, and hasn't experienced this kind of thing."
She took a deep breath, as if making a tremendous sacrifice, and proactively leaned forward by half an inch, raising her head and speaking in an extremely humble posture.
"Tomorrow you still have to go into the city to risk your life… Be gentler to her, I beg you, if… if you feel it's not satisfying enough." Andrea bit her lip, tasting a bit of a rusting taste, "When you come back tomorrow, vent all your remaining energy on me, toss me around however you want, whatever is not enough… I'll make up for it!"
Ling Feng raised his eyebrows with satisfaction. This kind of drama of completely trampling a proud female lawyer under his feet, forcing her to actively contribute while taking everything upon herself for her sister, fit his inner malicious humor all too well.
"This is what you said, remember it." Ling Feng chuckled lightly, his large hand grabbing wildly at the curve below Andrea's waist.
[Ding, Pleasure Points +50]
Andrea suffered the pain, yet didn't even dare to let out a hum, having to lower her head in humiliation.
Ling Feng withdrew his hand, deliberately opening his mouth wide and yawning very exaggeratedly.
"Alright, tossed around for so long today, and there are really too many damn mosquitoes outside, I'm sleepy."
He turned around and walked two steps to the rear car door. His large hand grabbed Amy, who was still standing in place.
"Ah—" Amy let out an exclamation.
Ling Feng didn't give her any chance to regret at all; the muscles in his arm exerted force, directly lifting the hundred-odd-pound Amy into midair and brutally stuffing her into the dim, spacious back seat of the SUV.
Amy fell and sat on the soft leather cushion; that reckless courage from just a moment ago vanished without a trace the instant she encountered the unfamiliar scent lingering inside the carriage.
She hugged her hands across her chest, her entire body uncontrollably shrinking into the corner, even her breathing becoming rapid.
After throwing the prey into the cage, Ling Feng stepped one foot onto the pedal, but didn't rush to close the door.
He turned around, his gaze locked straight onto Andrea, who was standing by the bonfire and shivering.
"Still standing there acting like a wooden stake?" Ling Fengpatted the car door frame, his tone extremely natural, "The wind is so big outside, are you really planning to feed mosquitoes outside? Get on up."
Andrea abruptly raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She originally thought she could find some peace outside tonight, or make do for a night in the front passenger seat, but this madman actually wanted her to enter the back row as well.
That imagery only passed through her mind for a split second before Andrea felt all the blood in her body about to burn up.
But under this man's absolute coercion, she didn't have any power to say "No".
Andrea gritted her teeth, stepping out with somewhat weak legs, crawling slowly onto the back seat of the SUV like a prisoner walking to the execution ground.
"Bang."
The heavy car door was pulled shut by Ling Feng, the sound of the latch engaging infinitely magnified in the narrow space.
The reading light on top of the carriage wasn't turned on. The entire back row was left with only the faint firelight refracted through the one-way glass.
Ling Feng's tall and sturdy body directly crushed the last shred of possibility for air circulation inside the carriage.
Like a leopard patrolling its territory, his knees pressed against the leather cushion, and without caring about Andrea who was cowering to the side, he directly pressed his body toward Amy in the corner.
"Ling…" Amy's voice trembled. She tried to extend her hand to push away that chest as scalding as a stove.
But this kind of resistance like a kitten scratching an itch didn't even count as flirting for Ling Feng.
The man's wide palm directly clasped the back of her head, and his other hand extremely skillfully tugged at the hem of that thin spaghetti-strap tank top, without any superfluous prelude, directly sealing those lips that were still trembling.
[Ding, Pleasure Points +100]
"Mm—"
Amy's exclamation was entirely blocked in her throat, turning into a muffled sob.
In the dark, the sound of fabric being torn apart appeared extremely harsh.
That tank top washed clean by the lakeside during the day was mercilessly torn apart and casually thrown to Andrea's feet.
Andrea curled up at the other end of the carriage, her legs hugged tightly against her chest, her face buried into her knees.
She could clearly hear the heavy panting coming from beside her, that oppressive feeling unique to a male when hunting.
Following closely was Amy's completely uncontrollable cry of pain.
[Ding, Pleasure Points +1000]
[Ding, Pleasure Points +10000]
"It hurts… let me go… so painful…"
[Ding, Pleasure Points +2000]
Amy's fingernails scratched a harsh sound against the leather cushion, and the little girl's tears instantly burst out.
She finally understood why her sister walked in such a bizarre posture during the day.
This wasn't a joke at all; this man's body structure was fundamentally not that of a normal human.
The SUV's shock absorbers began to emit "creak, creak" sounds, with an extremely regular rhythm.
As time passed, Amy's heart-rending pleas for mercy gradually changed tone. The initial resistance and pain, under this purely barbaric physical crushing, were completely smashed through.
The voice became soft and fragmented; those entreaties carrying a faint crying tone were no longer to escape, but instead were entirely bewildered accommodations.
"Sis…" In her delirium, Amy actually instinctively reached out her hand toward the side.
Andrea's whole body shook like a sieve.
She closed her eyes tightly, her fingernails digging fiercely into her own palms, letting those blush-inducing sounds echo inside the narrow carriage—this long night had only just begun.
Chapter 35: Two little weaklings, heading to Atlanta for a zero-dollar shopping spree!
The morning sun had just poked its tip over the hill, the mist in the Quarry woods had not completely dissipated, and the air carried a damp, earthy smell.
The heavy rear door of the off-road vehicle was pushed open directly from the inside.
Ling Feng stepped out of the car shirtless, his feet stepping firmly on the gravel ground, and gave a huge, comfortable stretch, a series of crisp cracks immediately popping from all the joints in his body.
They had been at it for the entire night.
If it were any normal man, under such exaggerated high-intensity exercise, his kidneys would have been completely drained by now, and he would have to hold onto the car door just to pant while walking.
But he did not even yawn.
Instead, he felt an endless brute force all over his body; the system's passive talent named "Kidney Emperor" was simply perverted to a non-human degree.
Ling Feng turned around, resting his thick arms on the car door frame, and his gaze swept around the carriage.
That extremely spacious leather back seat was completely unwatchable.
Various forcibly torn strips of cloth were mixed together in a mess, and that extremely unique smell in the air was so thick that it couldn't disperse at all.
Andrea and Amy huddled tightly together in the innermost corner of the carriage.
The two women were only covered with that thin gray blanket, their golden hair was all soaked with sweat, and a few strands of hair were randomly pasted on their fair necks.
At this moment, the breathing of the two was extremely heavy, and their eyelids were tightly closed, unable to even muster the strength to lift them.
"Two little weaklings."
Ling Feng sneered unreservedly.
These two women had given him a solid lesson last night. At first, Amy relied on that reckless, head-on pouncing momentum to fool around, but after less than half an hour, the little girl began to cry for help with a sobbing voice.
If Andrea hadn't finally not been able to bear to watch it, gritted her teeth, and stepped up to share most of the firepower, Amy would probably have to call an ambulance directly today.
Today they were going to scavenge in downtown Atlanta, and the back seat of the car must clear out enough space to load various spoils of war.
Ling Feng bent down and reached out to pull all the messy and redundant junk in the car out.
The high-end fishing gear bag he traded from the old man Dale yesterday and several big chunks of hard smoked meat strips that hadn't been eaten were all clatteringly thrown by him onto the dry grassland next to the off-road vehicle.
No matter how big the space of the off-road vehicle was, letting three adults sleep squeezed together for a long time certainly wouldn't work out.
He figured that going into the city today, besides getting some canned food and hard currency, he must go to a large outdoor store of that kind and get a top-allocated luxury large tent.
The kind with double-layer partitions and moisture-proof mats would be best.
It would be even more perfect if he could get a gasoline generator and fan back along the way.
As he was pulling down supplies with his bare hands, the noise he made was really too big, completely waking up the two sisters in the car.
Andrea was the first to open her eyes.
She felt as if the bones all over her body had been put into a blender and stirred once, and a slight movement of her legs sent that terrible soreness straight to the crown of her head.
Amy beside her also rubbed her blue eyes groggily.
The little girl was just about to turn over when she instantly sucked in a breath of cold air from the pain.
The two sisters' lines of sight happened to collide right in the narrow space.
The air suddenly stagnated.
That absurd picture from last night that was out of bounds, practically throwing all shame underfoot to trample, crammed into their minds all at once.
Andrea's cheeks blushed thoroughly in a flash, as if blood could drip out.
She glared at Amy through gritted teeth.
It was all this damn girl's fault for taking the initiative to deliver herself and make a fuss, eventually implicating her as an older sister to suffer together.
Amy knew she was in the wrong, shrank her neck, didn't dare to meet her older sister's gaze at all, and turned her face aside.
The air in the carriage was really too stuffy, and she just wanted to go out to get some fresh air.
Amy randomly grabbed one of Ling Feng's wide black T-shirts and put it on her body, crawling towards the open car door using her hands and feet.
As a result, she had just stepped one tender white foot out of the pedal, and the other leg couldn't even muster the strength to support her entire body.
"Ah—"
Amy let out an exclamation, her legs went soft, and her whole body fell head-first, tumbling straight towards the gravel ground full of weeds outside the car.
Ling Feng was standing right by the car door.
The terrifying muscle reflexes brought by the Intermediate Combat Skill activated instantly, and his right hand reached forward extremely casually, his wide palm instantly catching Amy's slender waist that could be grasped with a single hand.
His arm exerted force abruptly, taking the momentum to pull her into his arms.
[Ding! Pleasure Points + 100!]
"You just woke up and can't even walk steadily yet, and you're already in such a rush to throw yourself into my arms?"
Ling Feng pinched that lump of soft flesh with his thumb, his tone full of malicious banter.
Amy was hit dizzy, her forehead glued tightly to Ling Feng's hard pectoral muscles.
The little girl was like a cooked shrimp, even her ear roots were completely red. She couldn't stand on her feet at all, and simply hung most of her body's weight on Ling Feng's arm to play dead.
Andrea also managed to move to the car door with difficulty at this time.
Looking at her sister's completely shameless appearance, she was so angry that she gnashed her back teeth.
Ling Feng supported her with both hands, stuffing Amyback onto the soft leather cushion of the carriage.
He propped his hand on the car door frame, looking down condescendingly at the two women inside.
"You two won't do any work today."
Ling Feng gave the most direct arrangement, "Just lie down honestly in this car and rest for me, don't go anywhere."
"If you're hungry, go to the trunk yourselves to rummage for jerky and mineral water. I put them all in places you can easily reach last night. I'm leaving this glock pistol for you. Unless something earth-shattering happens, you are strictly forbidden to get out of the car."
After saying that, he threw the fully loaded pistol from his waist beside Andrea's hand.
These two women were now his important cash machines for steadily farming points, and not the slightest slip-up could be tolerated.
Andrea quickly grabbed the gun in her hand.
She didn't even have the strength to get out of the car to wash her face by the lake right now, so staying honestly in the car was undoubtedly the safest choice.
She nodded very straightforwardly.
Amy had even less temper, clinging to the edge of the car window and responding repeatedly in an extremely well-behaved manner.
The commotion here was basically explained clearly. On the open space in the center of the Camp, the roaring sounds of several engines igniting one after another had already come.
Those civilians who signed up to go into the city to scavenge had all assembled over there.
Ling Feng glanced at the motorcade dozens of meters away, reached out, and pulled open the driver's door of his own off-road vehicle.
"Are you going into the city?"
Andrea propped up her body and leaned over to the gap between the two seats, her brows tightly knitted into a dead knot.
"That ghost place is full of monsters. You better watch out yourself, don't try to be a hero when you get inside, and you must roll back to me in one piece!"
Amy also poked her head out, her face full of worry unable to be hidden at all.
"Come back early, we'll wait for you here."
Listening to the two women's instructions full of the flavor of life, Ling Feng twitched the corner of his mouth.
He leaned in with more than half his body, unblushingly stamping heavily on Andrea's lips, and then turned his head to nibble on Amy's side as well.
Neither of the two sisters dodged; instead, they closed their eyes and responded very proactively.
[Ding! Pleasure Points + 50!]
[Ding! Pleasure Points + 50!]
"Put your hearts completely in your stomachs. My life is extremely tough, and the King of Hell can't take me away."
Ling Feng casually dropped a sentence, turned around, and stepped onto the driver's seat extremely neatly, stepping down on the gas pedal with one foot.
The dull and heavy V8 engine sound exploded in the morning Quarry, and the huge tires crushed over the dead branches and leaves on the ground.
The two sisters leaned on the car window glass, watching the black heavy-duty off-road vehicle drive towards the open space, and only withdrew their gazes until it was out of sight.
In the center of the Camp.
Shane's extremely eye-catching Ford police car was parked at the very front to lead the way.
Morales drove his old sedan and lined up second.
Merle, that bald scumbag, was biting a toothpick picked up from somewhere unknown, leaning ostentatiously against the door of a dilapidated pickup truck.
Watching Ling Feng drive over that large-displacement off-road vehicle with frighteningly thick anti-collision steel beams and a car body modified like an armored vehicle, a few unworldly civilians all showed expressions of envy and swallowed saliva.
Shane stood beside the police car, his face as dark as a layer of pot-bottom ash.
Last night Ling Feng's car shook for half the night, and the shock absorbers creaked incessantly. Almost half of the Camp heard the noise made by this.
Comparing this with his aggrieved experience of going to find Lori last night and being directly driven out of the tent by that woman with an excuse.
This strong sense of disparity made Shane so angry that his back teeth were about to be crushed.
But in front of Ling Feng's terrifying combat power, he didn't even dare to fart. Going into the city today still relied on this madman to open the way when encountering a horde of corpses.
"Are you all ready?"
Ling Feng lowered the car window glass, resting his left hand on the window frame, biting a newly lit cigarette in his mouth, with an air of not putting anyone in his eyes.
Merle spat out the toothpick in his mouth, glancing sideways at the back seat of the off-road vehicle.
"Yo, the Asian kid had quite a bit of romantic luck last night. That car was shaking so much that I thought you broke the shock absorbers in the woods." Merle provoked with a punchable attitude.
Ling Feng spat out a mouthful of thick smoke and directly sneered out loud.
"That's because you don't have this ability." Ling Fengpatted his palm twice on the steering wheel, "If your mouth is obnoxious again next time, I will definitely make it difficult for you even to pee standing up. If you don't believe it, you can give it a try."
The flesh on Merle's face twitched twice, his mouth opened and closed, but he ultimately didn't dare to continue the conversation.
The fear of being kicked two meters away was still engraved in his bones, and he didn't want to get another severe beating again.
Seeing that the atmosphere was wrong, Shane quickly took a deep breath and stepped out to smooth things over.
"Stop talking nonsense, check the vehicles and get ready to leave!"
Shane pointed to the side, "Morales, drive your car. Merle, follow behind. Ling Feng, your car has a high chassis and large space, you're responsible for bringing up the rear and loading large supplies."
"Glenn, you used to deliver food, sit in my car at the very front to lead the way, T-Dog, you come up too."
Assignments finished.
These five grown men were all gripping jagged wooden sticks, iron pipes, and other shabby self-defense weapons in their hands.
Except for the glock tucked around Shane's waist, only the black tactical gun box that Ling Feng threw on the passenger seat looked the most lethal.
"No problems! Set off now!"
Shane pulled open the police car door and roared, using this to build up his momentum.
With the roaring sounds of engines rising and falling, this temporarily cobbled-together refugee vanguard officially moved.
The wheels whipped up a large expanse of yellow sand carrying an earthy smell.
Four cars formed a long single-file dragon, following that bumpy downhill road, driving directly away from the Quarry.
Along the empty highway, the convoy's speed quickly picked up.
The off-road carriage had air conditioning running.
Ling Feng grasped the steering wheel with one hand, following the taillights of the dilapidated pickup truck in front, his gaze constantly sweeping across both sides of the road.
Abandoned vehicles gradually became dense, and occasionally a few incomplete dead bodies gnawed away could be seen in the grass by the roadside.
These were all the tragic sights after the doomsday completely broke out.
But there was not the slightest fluctuation in his heart.
What he was scheming in his mind right now was all about how to rely on those key plot characters this time entering the city to double his Pleasure Points savings several times over.
He was about to see Rick, the core male protagonist with an exploding sense of justice.
The convoy sped wildly on the highway for almost half an hour.
At the end of the horizon, the towering skyscraper ruins of downtown Atlanta with black smoke still billowing on their surfaces could already be clearly seen.