NOVEL NEXT CHAPTER 47
Chapter 47: The Current Reality
The mangled lock on the cellar door confirmed their suspicions—a burglary had occurred. Thankfully, the thieves seemed remarkably incompetent, taking only a minimal amount. If not for the broken lock, Zhang Chengcheng wouldn’t have even noticed the intrusion.
Lu Ming and Wang Xiong followed her down, their flashlights illuminating the vast chamber. Unlike the cramped basement in Lu Ming’s house, this one stretched out endlessly, befitting the grand Zhang family estate.
The sheer volume of supplies was staggering. Zhang Chengcheng explained, her voice echoing in the cavernous space, that after awakening his powers, Zhang Ye, her brother, had led his men on raids of nearby shops, stockpiling rice, flour, and oil. Added to the pre-apocalypse supplies, the result was a veritable treasure trove.
“Looks like we’ll need all four vehicles and multiple trips to haul everything back,” Wang Xiong remarked with a sigh. “Chengcheng, you keep watch outside. Brother Lu and I will handle loading the supplies.”
Zhang Chengcheng started to speak, but seeing Lu Ming already bustling about, grabbing fistfuls of canned goods and shoving them into a duffel bag with practiced ease, she held her tongue.
The sight of food ignited a spark of joy in Lu Ming’s chest. Food meant progress, Food meant strength. He effortlessly hoisted ten flour bags at once, limited only by the narrow cellar exit. His movements were swift and joyful, a stark contrast to the horror outside.
Their current vehicle wasn’t designed for cargo; it was a fully enclosed armored personnel carrier with limited space. Lu Ming and Wang Xiong tirelessly made five or six trips, finally filling the vehicle to capacity.
“Let’s take this load back first,” Wang Xiong decided, clapping his hands. “Then, we’ll come back with all four vehicles.”
They climbed into the vehicle, ready to depart. Just as the engine roared to life, Lu Ming’s sharp ears picked up something.
“Hold on,” he said urgently. “Someone’s out there.”
Wang Xiong cut the engine, and the sound became clearer. It was the rhythmic creaking of pedals against the pavement.
“There are people approaching,” Lu Ming specified, pointing ahead.
Moments later, his words were confirmed. Several figures rounded a corner, pedaling tricycles with a distinctive creaking sound. A single glance left Zhang Chengcheng speechless.
“Li Zitong? Is that really him? But... isn’t he supposed to be dead?”
The history of the Zhang family gathering place unfolded in Lu Ming’s mind. Originally, a trio of Awakened—Zhang Ye, Zhang Chengcheng, and Li Zitong—had formed the backbone of the community. Zhang Ye and Zhang Chengcheng, siblings, were essentially the gathering place's leaders. Li Zitong, a recent arrival (having joined just a week before Wang Xiong), had vanished without a trace before the zombie outbreak. Now, here he stood, alive but with a new affiliation—a ragtag group on rickety bicycles.
The five newcomers huddled together, their hushed voices and wary glances toward the armored vehicle painting a clear picture. Wang Xiong, ever the pragmatist, took the initiative.
“Let’s get out,” he said, climbing out of the vehicle.
Only then did Li Zitong recognize his former companions. The reunion lacked warmth. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his gaze flickering between Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng, a complex mix of emotions swirling within him. Finally, he offered a vague glance to the tall, thin man at the center of their group.
Eight pairs of eyes locked across the divide, the silence heavy with unspoken questions. Finally, Wang Xiong broke the ice. “Li Zitong?”
Li Zitong took a deep breath. “It’s me.”
The tall man turned to him, a question hanging in the air. “You know them?”
Li Zitong hesitated, then nodded. “Yes, Brother Shen. The man and woman are Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng. I mentioned them before. I don’t recognize the one in the back.”
Brother Shen, his lips pursed in disdain, briefly acknowledged Li Zitong before turning his attention to Lu Ming and the others. He gestured toward Lu Ming with a condescending tilt of his chin.
“You, kid. What’s your name?”
Lu Ming’s brow furrowed at the man’s rudeness. However, he maintained his composure, adhering to his personal standards of politeness.
“Lu Ming,” he replied. “And you?”
Brother Shen didn’t answer Lu Ming’s question. He squinted, studying Lu Ming for a moment before speaking. “Heard your name. Two... slaves of mine mentioned an Awakened named Lu Ming on Guangping Street. That’d be you, wouldn’t it?”
Lu Ming reeled, his surprise quickly curdling into anger. Slaves? Who in their right mind kept slaves in this world?
Li Zitong, his face hardening, dropped his gaze.
“They also said,” Brother Shen continued, a sneer twisting his lips, “that you and Wang Xiong are similar, though you’re a notch weaker. Hmm, that helps paint a picture.”
Lu Ming felt a cold prickle crawl up his spine. This man wasn’t just rude, he was delusional, lost in his twisted world. Communication seemed difficult.
Just as he turned to head back to the vehicle with Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng, Brother Shen spoke again.
“Here for the food, I presume?” His voice dripped with a false sense of authority. “Let me be clear. I found this place first, making all the supplies mine. You already loaded some, right? Unload it. Here.”
Lu Ming stared, dumbfounded. Was this man genuinely ill? He remained silent, but Brother Shen continued, oblivious.
“And the vehicle,” he said, his gaze flickering to Zhang Chengcheng, “along with that woman... they stay. Compensation for touching what’s mine.”
He stroked his chin with an air of superiority. “I’m a reasonable person. I don’t make it a habit to wipe out entire families over something as minor as petty theft. But fair compensation is essential, wouldn’t you agree, fellas?”
A chorus of sycophantic agreement rose from his lackeys. Li Zitong remained silent, his face contorting with suppressed rage. As Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng’s expressions darkened, Li Zitong finally spoke, his voice tight.
“Brother Shen,” he gritted out, “we saw it this morning. There’s a ton of food inside. Let them take a cartload. Let’s avoid conflict over such a trifle.”
Brother Shen whipped around, anger flashing in his eyes. Before he could unleash his tirade, one of his thugs lashed out, kicking Li Zitong to the ground.
“Silence, you fool!” the goon roared. “Who invited you to speak?”
The scene of blatant bullying brought Lu Ming, Wang Xiong, and Zhang Chengcheng to a halt. Especially Wang Xiong and Zhang Chengcheng. Li Zitong, while not a close friend, was a familiar face from the Zhang family gathering place. Though their interactions were limited, there was no animosity between them. Witnessing their former comrade brutalized ignited a spark of anger within them.
End of Chapter 47