NOVEL NEXT Chapter 22 Hooligan
Arnold was initially taken aback but then remembered that David had placed an order for barbecue seasoning and charcoal with him recently. Zoe had complained before that if it weren't for David's order, they wouldn't have needed to come to the store today and wouldn't be trapped there.
Surprisingly, David showed up to collect the goods even in this situation, leaving Arnold a bit bewildered. Arnold opened the door and said with a smile, "David, my friend, the items are here. It's dangerous outside, so come in first." At this moment, Sally also got out of the car and stood beside David. The others noticed the stunning beauty behind David.
The young man behind Arnold couldn't help but stare at Sally, blatantly displaying his unabashed gaze. Sally frowned, feeling uncomfortable with his gaze.
David also noticed the young man and furrowed his brows slightly. Somehow, he felt that this young man in front of him looked familiar. The situation in the store was different from what David had initially planned. He had only intended to bring Arnold and his wife.
Arnold noticed that the young man's gaze was off and quickly intervened, "David, is this your girlfriend?" Before David could speak, Sally took the initiative to greet Arnold, "Hello, I'm Sally." Without clarifying the misunderstanding that she was David's girlfriend, she intentionally left it ambiguous.
Arnold introduced the young couple to David, saying, "David, this is Zoe, our waitress in the store. I don't know if you remember her." David naturally remembered Zoe. It was because Zoe had been harassed by a customer that Arnold and his group got into a conflict. Arnold pointed to the young man next to Zoe and said, "This young man is Angus, Zoe's boyfriend."
Angus appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, very young. He had a shaved head and a tall stature. He was wearing a tank top that revealed his muscular body, indicating that he regularly worked out. When David heard the name "Angus," a small wave of turmoil surged within him.
No wonder this young man in front of him looked so familiar. Angus was a somewhat well-known figure in the early days of the apocalypse. However, he wasn't an ability user but the leader of a gang of thugs. Angus was physically strong, fearless, and ruthless.
After the apocalypse, he formed a team and rampaged throughout SJ City, burning, killing, and looting. Freed from the constraints of the law, they became increasingly lawless, committing almost every imaginable atrocity.
David heard that they took pleasure in killing and torturing survivors. However, it seemed that this gang had made too many enemies and was later wiped out by a powerful ability user. David didn't want to bring Zoe and Angus with him, and after recognizing Angus's identity, he was even more reluctant to have such a person in his group.
During the conversation with Arnold, David learned that Angus was here to find his girlfriend, Zoe. He wasn't particularly familiar with Arnold and his wife; they just happened to be trapped there.
David instructed Sally to move the items he ordered into the car's trunk. Although he could have stored these items directly in his storage space, he didn't want to reveal his abilities in front of Angus for the time being.
Arnold quickly stepped forward to help when he saw this. "Sally, let me do it. You can take a break on the side," Arnold's wife Sophie also hurried over to assist. After a busy moment, they finally loaded everything into the car.
David noticed that Angus seemed to have an odd look in his eyes when looking at him. But he quickly realized that it might be because of Sally.
David had a fit and muscular build, but when he wore clothes, he didn't appear particularly strong. He seemed a bit slim, and his facial features leaned towards a gentle and harmless look. On the other hand, Angus, with his muscular physique and numerous tattoos, had a more intimidating presence.
David felt somewhat helpless. If it weren't for Arnold's presence, based on Angus's gaze alone, David would have already sentenced him to death. Although Arnold was his good friend from a past life, they weren't that familiar in this life.
If David unhesitatingly killed Angus, it would likely give Arnold a negative impression of him. While David was contemplating, Arnold and the others had already moved everything David needed into the car.
After some thought, David spoke to Arnold and Sophie, "I was supposed to pay you the remaining amount, but money doesn't hold much value in this world now. My team needs manpower, so why don't you two join us?"
Arnold's face immediately lit up with joy. It was exactly what he had been hoping for, as he was unsure how to leave this place. However, Zoe and Angus's expressions changed. From David's words, it seemed that he had no intention of bringing the two of them along.
Arnold also realized this and looked at Zoe and Angus. Although he wasn't particularly close to Angus, Zoe was his employee, and after spending so much time with Arnold and his wife, they had developed some feelings for her. He would certainly feel guilty if he left Zoe behind like this.
He looked at David with a pleading expression, and even his way of addressing him changed. "Um, David, can you bring Zoe and them along too?" David sighed inwardly. He knew it would turn out this way.
Arnold was a warm-hearted person with a kind nature. It was evident from the previous life when he gave David the chance to survive. David didn't want to trouble his brother from the previous life, with whom he had a close bond.
"Well, let's all go together. There's strength in numbers, and we can take care of each other," David said, not in a hurry to deal with Angus. He had ways to expose Angus's true nature. Ambitious individuals like Angus couldn't hide it for long.
Arnold and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. They took David's quick agreement as a misunderstanding of his earlier intentions. Angus's gaze was erratic, occasionally glancing at Sally, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
After David and the others got into the car, David drove towards the residential area where he lived. He deliberately chose a road with fewer pedestrians. Nevertheless, they still encountered numerous crazed zombies running on the road. Panicked pedestrians were fleeing on both sides of the road, and there were corpses and blood everywhere, making one's heart race with fear.
Zoe and Sophie looked pale as they watched the situation outside the car window. Occasionally, reckless zombies charged towards the vehicle but were sent flying by David, splattering blood everywhere, causing both women to scream. Sally, sitting in the passenger seat, didn't react much