Wasteland Rebirth

Upon learning that Gu Hai and his group were planning to return to Jishi to steal gold, Zhao Yang was taken aback. He immediately sought out Gu Hai and said, "Captain Gu, this isn't right. You should escort us to Tongshi first; after all, I've already paid." 

Gu Hai, with no change in expression, responded coldly, "Mr. Zhao, you stay here and wait for us. Don't cause me trouble, or I can't guarantee your safety."

Zhao Yang instantly wilted. Truth be told, he dared not offend Gu Hai, for without his protection, it was uncertain whether he could even reach Tongshi, especially with Xie Shanshan in tow.

As Zhao Yang departed, dejected, Gu Hai ordered his men, "Everyone except for Dou Ji Yan, come with me. Dou Ji Yan, stay in the Audi. If anyone dares to move, shoot on sight! No one leaves without my command!" 

Dou Ji Yan, Gu Hai's loyal henchman, had no issues with trust, which is why Gu Hai left him behind. However, Gu Hai feared that the camp's people might rebel, which is why he had brought along the child. The remaining group members were either women or the injured, posing little threat. 

After a brief discussion with Song Jun, Chu Xiang approached Gu Hai and said, "Captain Gu, I don't oppose your plan to steal the gold, but Wang Bin is still young and would only be a hindrance. Let him stay behind."

Gu Hai, firm in his stance, replied, "No. If he can't help, he'll stay on the vehicle to keep watch. By the way, I heard you have a bronze dragon head. Could you show it to me?"

A sudden shock ran through Chu Xiang's face. How did Gu Hai know about that? But then he spotted He Er standing among their group. It was clear he had tipped Gu Hai off. "Captain Gu," Chu Xiang said, "It's just a piece of bronze; it's not worth much. We're going to steal gold, why bother with such a trinket?"

Gu Hai lifted his gun slightly, indicating his intent. "That's a different matter. Hand it over. Don't damage our relationship. I'm a man of peace, and you wouldn't want to force me into using force, would you?"

With a tight jaw, Chu Xiang nodded at Song Jun to hand over the beast head. Su Yulian wanted to speak up, but Zhang Jingyao tugged at her. Su Yulian angrily retorted, "That dragon head isn't his. Why should he give it to anyone? It's a national treasure! It must be handed over to the country! Seven soldiers have already died for it. We can't let it fall into the wrong hands!"

Zhang Jingyao whispered to Su Yulian, "Sister Su, please don't be angry. I believe Chu Xiang will get the dragon head back! You need to trust him. If he weren't thinking of us, he would have left already. Do you think these thugs could have trapped him and Song Jun?"

Su Yulian paused. Indeed, if it weren't for Xu Changtian's dying wish, they wouldn't have carried these burdens. Given Chu Xiang's skills, Gu Hai and his men couldn't touch him, but she and the injured were completely at their mercy. Realizing this, Su Yulian fell silent.

Zhang Debing, watching from the vehicle, understood everything. He had been deeply influenced by Xu Changtian, and he valued the dragon head and Su Yulian's safety above his own life. Yet now, Gu Hai was using the lives of their team members to threaten the dragon head, all because of He Er's betrayal. Zhang Debing's eyes flashed with anger as he shot a furious glance at He Er, who, feeling guilty, lowered his head and hid among Gu Hai's men.

Chu Xiang handed over the dragon head to Gu Hai. "It's just worthless junk. I hope, Captain Gu, you'll return it once you're done inspecting it."

Gu Hai unwrapped it, inspecting the object with disinterest. Unable to see its value, he said, "Don't worry, once we safely return with the gold, this 'junk' will be returned to you, intact."

Song Jun spoke up, "But gold can't just be lying around on the street for us to collect. We don't have the keys to a vault, nor do we know where the gold is. Isn't heading there recklessly just asking for death?"

Gu Hai answered, "I have everything arranged. No matter how tough the lock is, explosives will do the job. Besides, we have people from Jishi who will guide us. Now, let's move out."

Chu Xiang secretly passed an M9 knife to Zhang Debing. Zhang Debing, with a fervent look in his eyes, said to Chu Xiang, "Brother Xiang, don't worry. I'll protect Xiao Zhang and Miss Su with my life!"

Chu Xiang replied, "Stay sharp. This isn't the time to be reckless. Dying at their hands isn't worth it."

Zhang Jingyao whispered, "Chu Xiang, be careful and take care of yourself."

Looking at the woman he had held in his arms the night before, Chu Xiang felt a strange feeling in his heart. He turned his gaze to Xie Shanshan, standing coldly behind Zhao Yang. Chu Xiang nodded solemnly at Zhang Jingyao, saying, "I'll return. Wait for me."

Su Yulian, who had been silent until now, approached Chu Xiang and said, "I hope you return safely."

Chu Xiang, moved, felt deeply appreciative. It wasn't easy to earn the concern of a woman as proud as her. But then Su Yulian added, "Because I want to see how you plan to reclaim the dragon head! You promised Squad Leader Xu!"

Chu Xiang's group included Song Jun, Zhang Hongbing, Wang Bin, and He Er, though He Er dared not join them anymore. He stayed behind with Gu Hai's convoy. Gu Hai's team consisted of Hou Shan, Sun Gaoqiang, and Wang Wu. Chu Xiang's side had only an O3 rifle, and no ammunition. He had planned to ask Gu Hai for some bullets, but Gu Hai had said that their mission didn't require them, clearly distrustful of Chu Xiang and his men.

The convoy, made up of Pajeros, Benzes, and BMWs, with a Qianjiang 250 motorcycle that Song Jun insisted on riding, continued their journey. Having glanced over the satellite map of Jishi, Song Jun had a rough idea of the streets and was aware of the abundance of abandoned vehicles in the city. Sometimes, motorcycles were even more agile than cars.

As the convoy advanced along the road leading to Jishi, the number of zombies increased. They were slow but relentless, trailing the vehicles. As they reached the first red light, the convoy had to stop due to a complete roadblock—several vehicles had collided, resulting in a fiery wreck.

"Everyone out! Let's move the cars blocking the way!" Gu Hai ordered as he directed the convoy to halt. Without clearing the obstruction, they couldn't move forward, so the gold-obsessed men hurriedly jumped out to push the vehicles aside.

The zombies around them grew more numerous, and Gu Hai stood on guard, firing his O3 rifle. The zombies that got close were struck down, but the gunshots attracted more of them, who fearlessly rushed forward. Fortunately, with everyone's help, the vehicles were moved to create a narrow passage. Gu Hai signaled for the others to get back in the vehicles.

Sun Gaoqiang, bringing up the rear, felt his heart race as the dense swarm of zombies encroached. He didn't want to go into Jishi for gold—what use was money if you didn't have a life to spend it? But Gu Hai was a tyrant who wouldn't listen to anyone's advice. As he watched the disfigured zombies clawing their way forward, Sun Gaoqiang's stomach churned. The bowl of "porridge" he had eaten earlier nearly came back up.

In his panic, he stumbled, and at that moment, a fire-damaged streetlamp toppled under the weight of the zombies. With a crash, the lamp's metal pole struck the ground, its light casting a shadow that landed squarely on Sun Gaoqiang's back, knocking him to the ground.