Chapter 14 – Return

Volume 2: Battlefield Between Two Worlds

Sun Ruixing, hearing Mayor Li's words, sighed and downed an entire glass of baijiu.

"Since we've already thrown in our lot with Mayor Li, naturally we'll follow Mayor Li's arrangements. We only hope Mayor Li can treat everyone the same."

Seeing Li Quan'an loudly vouching for it, Sun Ruixing left the hall directly.

"Mayor Li, should we find a chance…" one of Mayor Li's men beside him quietly gestured.

"Heh." Li Quan'an smiled and shook his head. "A creature like a human-once they become someone with vested interests, they forget their original intentions. Don't look at this Sun Ruixing acting so selfless and public-spirited right now; people change. Once he tastes the benefits, he'll protect his own interests. When the time comes, if you tell him to wash vegetables, cook, and dump the toilet, do you think he'll do it?"

"No need to rush. Sun Ruixing is very strong. One of him is more useful than ten of the others."

"Oh right-arrange some 'accidents' lately and clear out those useless people who've newly joined the Camp. They eat too much." Li Quan'an issued the cleanup order with a calm expression, and the trusted aide beside him was long used to it. This kind of thing had been done back when the Camp was first established.

"Boss, Boss." A Patrol Team member outside rushed into the room and said to Li Quan'an in a low voice, "That guy with the Big Dog is back again."

…

Wen Yu made a huge loop around before finally finding the location of Li Quan'an's Camp.

What he saw along the way made his heart sink further and further. Aside from some Zombies trapped inside houses, there were already very few things on the streets outside that could still move.

Wen Yu even saw several Vines drill straight into a building and strangle the Zombies in the room.

For creatures that could burrow underground, the Camp's defensive function had been greatly weakened.

And once the Zombies and Mutant Creatures were all wiped out, who would be next didn't need saying.

After all, the evolution of Mutant Plants also required nutrients.

Forcing down the unease in his heart, Wen Yu brought One-Eye and walked straight to the gate of Li Quan'an's Camp.

From far away, Wen Yu saw Li Quan'an standing at the Camp entrance, with Sun Ruixing at his side.

When Li Quan'an saw Wen Yu coming over, he went up to greet him.

"Brother Wen Yu, welcome, welcome. By the way, didn't Brother Wen Yu say you were leaving Hualin Town? Why are you back again?"

Li Quan'an wore a full smile, but his words still inadvertently revealed tension. He was afraid Wen Yu had come back to seize his position as the Settlement's boss. If Wen Yu got that idea, Li Quan'an couldn't stop him.

Glancing blandly at Li Quan'an, Wen Yu said directly, "I was going to leave, but the situation now is that I can't leave anymore-and you can't leave either. The entire Hualin Town has been surrounded by a huge mass of Mutant Plants. They're spreading this way little by little. In a few days at most, all of Hualin Town will be occupied by them."

"Th-this… Brother Wen Yu isn't joking, right?"

Li Quan'an forced a smile, afraid that what Wen Yu said was true.

For a smart man like Li Quan'an, if all of Hualin Town was taken over by Mutant Plants, then being penned up like livestock would already be the best possible outcome.

"Mayor Li can send people to take a look. To be honest, after I left today, I tried to get out of town-at least dozens of directions. Every one of them had these Mutant Plants. That's why I came back to find you. More people means more strength, right?"

Wen Yu deliberately lowered his voice.

"By myself, I can't break through. And when I came, I'd already discovered that the Mutant Creatures and Zombies in Hualin Town are almost all dead. Who's next-I don't need to spell it out, do I?"

Seeing Mayor Li deep in thought, Wen Yu said straight out, "Mayor Li can send people to check the situation today. I've got a few small tricks. When Mayor Li decides to charge out, we can discuss it."

"Alright. I'll send people to take a look first. Since Brother Wen Yu is here, come sit in the Camp for a bit. Old Brother here doesn't have anything else, but there'll be plenty to eat and drink," Li Quan'an said, sweeping his arm and speaking to Wen Yu with hearty bravado.

Then he turned his head and directly called Lin Hu over from behind, telling him to take some people to go have a look.

Ever since Sun Ruixing learned the news that Lin Hu had defected, Lin Hu had become wholeheartedly devoted to working under Li Quan'an. He had even urged Li Quan'an several times to make a move and kill Sun Ruixing outright.

It was like in wartime: the most brutal people were always the traitors.

Watching Lin Hu take four Class Holders, get into a sedan, and drive straight toward the outskirts of town, Wen Yu also followed Li Quan'an into the hall.

Li Quan'an's Settlement was set up in a seven-story building at the center of town. This building could be said to be the best structure in all of Hualin Town.

Li Quan'an led Wen Yu to sit directly in the most central spot in the hall, and then they began an intense conversation.

"Brother Wen Yu, can you tell me about those plants outside?" Li Quan'an knew what mattered most. If what Wen Yu had said was true, then he and his people were simply waiting for a noose to tighten around their necks little by little.

Wen Yu thought for a moment, then stated what he knew directly. "Just now, I took One-Eye and tried to head out, but we were forced back by Vines. With my strength and One-Eye's, we really can't break through. And on the way back, I noticed these Vines have already started strangling the Zombies inside the buildings. They can burrow underground. I'm thinking that right now, Mayor Li's Camp probably doesn't have the ability to defend against attacks coming from below."

Li Quan'an let out a sigh. Nine times out of ten, what Wen Yu said was true. Someone with strength like his had no need to come and lie to him.

"Does Brother Wen Yu have any good countermeasures?" Li Quan'an asked.

"Yes," Wen Yu said. He downed a mouthful of baijiu, then, in an extremely low voice, told Li Quan'an his plan.

"Me charging outside just now wasn't a total loss. From what I observed, the total number of these Mutated Vines is fixed-or rather, it won't change much in the short term. As long as there are enough people charging out together, someone will always be able to break through…"

Li Quan'an looked at Wen Yu in surprise. "Brother Wen Yu, are you trying to have the people in this Camp open a path for you? That… doesn't seem very appropriate."

"Heh." Seeing Li Quan'an's startled, tense expression, Wen Yu couldn't help but chuckle under his breath. It seemed Mayor Li thought he wanted to use all of them as Cannon Fodder.

"Mayor Li, it's not that I want you to open a path for me. It's that I'll go open a path for you."

Seeing Mayor Li's stunned expression, Wen Yu's next words came slowly.