Chapter 16 – Cooperation (Part ②)

Volume 2: Battlefield Between Two Worlds

Inside Wen Yu's room, Wen Yu was teasing the Little Soul Beast.

"By the time you count it out, they should be back soon."

As for whether Li Quan'an would agree to his proposal, Wen Yu wasn't worried in the slightest.

Li Quan'an was a smart man, and waiting in place to die was absolutely not something a smart man would do.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

Wen Yu lifted his head, and what he saw was Li Quan'an's slightly chubby, big face.

"The people Mayor Li sent out have come back? How is it?"

"Brother Wen Yu was right-this situation isn't looking good." Li Quan'an wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Then Mayor Li's choice is?" Wen Yu calmly pinched the Little Soul Beast, looking at Li Quan'an with a teasing expression.

This was completely a question asked despite knowing the answer. Wen Yu knew very well what Li Quan'an would choose; in fact, Li Quan'an only had one road to take.

"Brother Wen Yu is joking. How to choose-any fool can tell clearly." Li Quan'an chuckled, then asked probingly, "Shall we talk about cooperation?"

Wen Yu waved his hand directly. "Is there even anything to talk about? There's only one way: pile up bodies and push through. I'll take the lead, but I need people to draw fire for me. You take your people and hold the rear, supervise the line, and have everyone rush forward all at once. However many make it out, that's how many."

Hearing Wen Yu's method-so simple and brutal-Li Quan'an couldn't help hesitating. "But if we do that, a lot of people will die."

At Li Quan'an's words, Wen Yu smiled instead. "Mayor Li, how many die-what does it have to do with me, or with you? In a situation like this, as long as we make sure the ones who die aren't you and me, isn't that enough? If you lose your forces, you can build them again. You've only got one life."

The expression on Li Quan'an's face slowly hardened with resolve. "No problem. I've still got over three hundred people here, and half of them are Ordinary People who haven't Changed Class. These people-if they die, they die. Brother Wen Yu is right. I don't even know whether I'll live, so what's the point of caring about that much? Tomorrow I'll do some mobilizing; the day after tomorrow, first thing in the morning, we'll set off."

"As long as Mayor Li understands. Then I'll await the good news."

Wen Yu extended his hand to Mayor Li. The two gripped hands tightly; then Mayor Li walked out the door.

"Heh." Wen Yu took a bottle of red wine from the small refrigerator in the room. The fridge had long since stopped working, and Wen Yu didn't know what brand the wine was. He took a rough swig, then tossed the red wine away. "It tastes fucking awful."

"Three hundred-plus people-about enough." After simulating in his mind the battle that would happen the day after tomorrow,

"Mhm. If nothing unexpected happens, there's more than an eighty percent chance we can break out. That's already pretty good." As for those people who were about to be buried with him, Wen Yu didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt. If anyone was to blame, blame their bad luck-or rather, their strength being too weak.

In the Apocalypse, the weak deserve to die. There is no sympathy, and no need for pity.

Outside, the sky grew darker and darker. Wen Yu slowly closed his eyes. What he needed now was simply to conserve his strength.

…

Inside Mayor Li's room, a group of people were holding a meeting.

"No, I don't agree." Sun Ruixing slammed the table and shouted at Li Quan'an.

"Li Quan'an, I misjudged you. If you do this, those old people and children will all die."

Just now, Li Quan'an had convened a meeting with his trusted aides, as well as Lin Hu and Sun Ruixing. At the meeting, he laid out Wen Yu's plan. The whole room fell silent-except for Sun Ruixing.

Listening to Sun Ruixing's loud questioning, Li Quan'an took a hard drag on his cigarette and said to Sun Ruixing indifferently, "Brother Ruixing, I respect you as someone of substance, so I called you over for this matter of life and death. But only now have I realized you're really stubborn and pedantic."

"Since you're not satisfied with this plan, then, Brother Sun, why don't you propose one?" In terms of brains, Li Quan'an outclassed Sun Ruixing by a mile.

"Anyway, I just don't agree with your plan. If you insist on having the elderly and the children take the lead, I'll go down right now and tell them that you-Li Quan'an-want to send them to their deaths!" Sun Ruixing roared, his face red and his neck swollen.

Li Quan'an looked at Sun Ruixing seriously and spoke slowly: "First, it's not the elderly and the children taking the lead-it's Wen Yu taking the lead. Second, those elderly and children will be following behind Wen Yu, and Wen Yu can, to a certain extent, ensure their safety. Finally, it's not just them who have to charge forward-we all have to charge forward. If we can't break out, we die. It's only a question of dying sooner or later." As for whether Wen Yu would actually step in to protect those people, Li Quan'an could only sneer inwardly.

Hearing Li Quan'an's explanation, Sun Ruixing's anger flared even more. "Then at least let those elderly and children get on the vehicles, right?"

Seeing Sun Ruixing still refusing to let it go, the anger in Li Quan'an's voice grew stronger as well: "Sun Ruixing, you need to understand: for every extra person who gets on a vehicle, that's one fewer target. You can see the whole plan for yourself. I don't want to waste words here. I'll ask you just one thing-whose life matters more, your own or someone else's?"

Seeing that Sun Ruixing was still unwilling, Li Quan'an delivered his final line: "If they don't want to go, fine. But this plan was made by Brother Wen Yu. Whoever doesn't charge, no problem-but for the sake of our own safety, we naturally have plenty of ways to make them charge. If you don't believe it, Sun Ruixing, you can try it and see whether you and those elderly and children are stronger, or whether the Class Holders of our entire Camp, together with Brother Wen Yu, are stronger. An arm can't twist a thigh."

Ignoring the stunned look on Sun Ruixing's face, Li Quan'an said bluntly, "Now-who else is dissatisfied with this plan?"

Seeing that no one in the crowd below was a saint like Sun Ruixing, Li Quan'an nodded in satisfaction. "Then tomorrow morning, have everyone get ready. Say that Chaihe Town has completely restored order, and that we're relocating to Chaihe Town. The morning after tomorrow, we set off. Pass it down: find some Non-Class Holders to drive, and have them follow behind Wen Yu to draw enemy fire."

Li Quan'an glanced again at Sun Ruixing's grim face and issued the last order: "The morning after tomorrow, anyone who refuses to leave-kill them on the spot. Rather than letting these people rot to death here, it's better to send them off to be reincarnated sooner."

Sun Ruixing stared at Mayor Li in shock. He hadn't expected Li Quan'an to give such an order.

Li Quan'an gave Sun Ruixing a dark smile. "Brother Sun, so keep your mouth in check. Don't let people who could've broken out end up dying under our own blades."

No longer paying attention to Sun Ruixing's deathly pale face, Li Quan'an walked straight out of the meeting room.

…