Apocalypse: the Most Ruthless Person

”Alright, thank you, King Yama, then we... let’s pack up.”

Shen Linrui took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly; he still felt regret over the misfortune that befell Celestial Horse Island yesterday, little did he realize that the one who needed comfort the most was himself.

”Go ahead, don’t drive those two cars you came in, I’ve prepared a few with better off-road capabilities for you, and the weapons are all on the cars! Gather here once you’re ready.”

Watching the five figures of Shen Linrui disappear into darkness, Corgi Good Fortune emerged from the shadows and sat next to Zhang Su, with a curious expression. Its bloodstained mouth was already cleaned, and ointment applied on its black nose gave it a slightly comical look.

Having lived with humans for a long time, it had already seen itself as part of humanity and felt a bit saddened by the situation at Dragon Head Camp.

”Big Brother, they’re in such dire straits, what are we going to do?” Zhao Dezhu sighed heavily.

”What else can we do... just accept and move on!” said Zhang Su, then turning to Yuwen. ”Teacher Yu, inform everyone in the Yama Corps to gather at Little Lucky for a meeting!”

It’s not yet dawn, but Celestial Horse Island is already bustling. Not all residents on the mountain belong to the Yama Corps. Some people, being disciplined, went back to sleep after being woken up, waiting till morning to work. Some, however, were filled with curiosity.

”Uncle, the Yama Corps is gathering urgently at this hour, what do you think they’re up to? Do I have a chance to participate?”

Zheng Ziwen peeked outside through a window gap, his eyes filled with longing.

Having been berated by Ding Yong Country daily, Zheng Ziwen had lost his confidence, barely even considering participating in Yama Corps’ missions. He found the Elite Corps challenging, but after a test, he surprisingly ranked mid-to-upper level in the camp, which instantly boosted his spirits.

Ding Yong Country, wrapped in a blanket, mumbled drowsily, ”I see your tail is getting higher and higher, kid. I advise you to stay grounded; passing a fitness test doesn’t mean you’ll pass in combat. Go back to sleep!”

Zheng Ziwen wanted to retort, but Ding Yong Country’s past reprimands still held weight, so he pursed his lips, closed the wooden planks, and went back to sleep.

Next door, similar conversations were happening between the Wang family, but in stark contrast to Ding Yong Country and Zheng Ziwen. Wang Zhetao was persuading his father...

”Dad, you’ve passed all three tests, your vision problem has been solved, and with your connection with Brother Zhang, joining the Yama Corps is a sure thing. I think you should attend the meeting for both practical and emotional reasons!”

Wang Guangjun found a pair of glasses in the warehouse. Though not a perfect fit, they’re much better than being without, as he used to need to get four or five meters close to see people clearly. Now, there’s no problem seeing things from 20-30 meters away.

Upon hearing his son’s words, Wang Guangjun knitted his brows and sighed inexplicably, ”I would rather pass just one test and give you the results of the other two!”

Thinking about Wang Zhetao failing all three subjects, he felt a pang in his heart.

Wang Zhetao pouted slyly, muttering, ”I just wasn’t prepared. Brother Zhang said there will be another chance soon, and I’ll certainly make it after more training!”

Wang Guangjun shook his head. ”You say that lightly. It’s not so easy to improve. I’m old, my potential is limited. I’ll ask Brother Zhang for a favor to give you the spot, even if it means being downgraded to the Reserve Corps!”

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhetao panicked and quickly said, ”No, don’t do that, Dad! We can’t waste personal favors like that. Didn’t you hear what Brother Zhang said? If you’re physically unfit, special training will backfire. Let’s not rush things!”

Wang Guangjun, puzzled, turned to Wang Zhetao, probing, ”Xiaotao, are you hiding something from me?”

Knowing his son well, through deep conversation, Wang Guangjun sensed something amiss. It seemed his son wasn’t as eager to join the corps as he once appeared, even showing some resistance?

Why wouldn’t he want to join the corps? Fear of death, dislike of hard work, or was there another reason?

Wang Zhetao’s unusual resistance made Wang Guangjun suspect whether his test scores were genuine!

”What could I possibly hide from you, Dad? You’re overthinking it. Well, if you don’t want to attend the meeting, just leave it. It’s still early; I’ll just continue sleeping...”

Facing his father, who seemed half familiar and half strange, along with the pressure of his father’s gaze becoming sharp after putting on glasses, it felt as if he could see through everything.

Watching his son head toward the bed, Wang Guangjun’s suspicions were confirmed further by this avoidance behavior but couldn’t fathom his son’s motives.

Inside the Little Lucky hall, a camping lamp hung on a wall, with over twenty people standing or sitting.

”That’s how it is now...”

Zhang Su, combining the intelligence brought back by Flash and his own deductions, explained the situation at Dragon Head Camp and the current circumstances to the Yama Corps, then said.

”Celestial Horse Island is in a delicate position now. I can’t personally investigate; I need to select four of you to go to Mountain and Sea District. It requires keen insight and sharp thinking. As for strength... you all can deal with zombies, so there’s no need to elaborate. Who would like to volunteer?”

Before calling the meeting, Zhang Su had deliberately stayed in a secluded place, thinking a challenge might trigger and if so, he would reluctantly take on the task himself. After a few minutes without any response and seeing how much was happening at the camp, he decided to select some trusted companions to go.

After Zhang Su finished speaking, everyone fell into contemplation. This task wouldn’t be easy. First, considering the distance is far, a straight-line distance doesn’t represent the journey, especially after the shockwave left the path full of uncertainties, not to say it’s a nine lives lost scenario, but calling it thorny isn’t an exaggeration.

The atmosphere inside Little Lucky’s hall was somewhat heavy. Zhang Su didn’t take off his sunglasses to wield the emotional weapon either, thinking that interfering with their state of mind at such a time would undoubtedly affect their decisions, which was unnecessary.

”Brother Su, may I ask, what is the purpose of going to Mountain and Sea District this time? If it’s like Hamster said, the entire Dragon Head Camp is gone, along with the resources turned to ashes, there’s not much left. The risks and rewards don’t seem proportional?”

Guo Dachao inquired a bit confusedly.

”It’s not Hamster, but a hamster...” Yang Wenjie gently corrected Guo Dachao.

”We can’t just look at profits one-sidedly.”

Zhang Su raised two fingers, saying, ”There are two main tasks in going to Mountain and Sea District this time. First, to scout the situation of the zombie horde coming from Huolu City. Second, strive to incorporate the remaining people from Dragon Head Camp into Celestial Horse Island. Human resources are also valuable!”

Having not interacted with Shen Linrui’s group for long, Zhang Su felt these people were generally normal, at least above average.

Especially Shen Linrui, with a certain level of intellect and responsibility. Recruiting him into the camp posed no problem, although the other Dragon Head Camp fighters performing tasks elsewhere were unknown.

Most importantly, recruiting Shen Linrui was tantamount to recruiting Flash!

A small Flash was worth more than ten, even twenty people. Of course, only if it was obedient...

The intelligence of awakened animals rivals humans, Zhang Su understood it was difficult to have Flash recognize him as its master again, so he could only incorporate it into the camp by recruiting Shen Linrui.

”Humans are not worth much, that little hamster is so valuable, Brother Su must be... ah ah!”

Having an active mind was an advantage, but speaking too quickly was definitely a downside. Before Zhou Haotian could finish his sentence, a sharp pain came from the top of his foot.

Ju Mumio unceremoniously stomped on Zhou Haotian’s foot, her expression unchanged, as if nothing had happened. She disliked dealing with people, but it didn’t mean she was clueless. Was stating facts and exposing the leader’s inner thoughts at this time particularly fulfilling?

After Zhou Haotian’s remark, those with slower reactions also understood that the literal goal was unimportant.

Good Fortune usually lazed around camp but, during patrols, took care of numerous zombies wandering from afar, eliminating them even before lookout posts noticed, then dragging them back to camp for fuel.

As Good Fortune’s fighting power gradually increased, its future role would only grow larger.