Chapter 296 – Conflict… and Reunion!

Early the next morning, a man covered in mud and blood appeared at the hotel.

The guard at the door showed a hint of extreme apprehension when he saw him, standing at attention with a crisp salute.

The man merely nodded, his expression cold and aloof.

Traveling through the night had left his eyes bloodshot, and the tight press of his lips made him look stern and rigid.

“Leader Huang Zhendong? It’s been a tough journey for you. I didn’t expect you to arrive so quickly.”

Chen Youdong hurriedly stepped forward, extending his hand.

They had been waiting in the lobby for some time, and their expressions turned somewhat grim upon seeing Huang Zhendong enter.

Huang Zhendong gave him a cold glance before turning his gaze to Xia Zhining and Tom:

“You should have your detailed report ready by now, right? As the advance investigation team, you confidently arrived in X City ahead of schedule, only for one team to be completely wiped out and two others severely crippled? This incident has caused an uproar in the camp. Do you understand the negative impact you’ve caused?”

“I’m sorry.”

Big Guy Tom showed a trace of sorrow, speaking in a low voice.

Xia Zhining bit her lower lip, saying nothing.

“I hope you at least traded lives for enough intelligence. Every qualified soldier is a precious asset to us. You should understand that.”

Huang Zhendong said harshly.

Chen Youdong immediately pulled a phone from his pocket and handed it to Huang Zhendong: “This contains all the photos we’ve collected, including all the types of variation zombies we’ve encountered so far. With their forms, the camp should be able to develop combat strategies against them.”

Huang Zhendong took the phone and quickly confirmed its contents. As he flipped through the photos, the atmosphere in the lobby grew tense.

“Is that the Deputy Team Leader of the Intelligence Team?”

Wang Heng, standing on the other side of the lobby, asked in a low voice to the teammate beside him.

“Yes. Many people privately call him Grimace Leader.” The teammate nodded.

“Grimace? That sounds pretty amusing.” Wang Heng remarked.

The team member immediately shook his head. “It’s not amusing at all! We’re talking about a real grimace cold blooded and ruthless. The higher ups sending him here shows how seriously they’re taking this incident. But considering how many people died… both your Captain Tom and our Captain Xia are in trouble.”

“Really? He looks pretty ordinary to me. Besides, it’s neither Tom’s fault nor Captain Xia’s fault,” Wang Heng said, somewhat dismissively.

“If he had any sense of compassion, he wouldn’t be called Grimace,” the team member whispered. “I’ve heard his backstory is pretty tragic, but then again, who hasn’t experienced something tragic these days? Just don’t mess with him, okay?”

By this time, Huang Zhendong had finished looking through the photos on the phone. He immediately pulled out a small pouch from his pocket, carefully wrapped the phone, and then placed it into his backpack.

“Whether this intelligence can make up for your mistakes isn’t for me to decide. But I hope you’re mentally prepared.”

Huang Zhendong’s tone carried a nasty edge. “With so many people dead, there are already a lot of speculations about whether it was your command that failed.”

“You…”

The hot-tempered Xia Zhining couldn’t help but step forward, but Chen Youdong quickly grabbed her.

“Leader Huang, if it’s just speculation, then maybe you shouldn’t say it out loud,” Tom said, his expression also turning sour.

As the captain, losing most of his team weighed heavily on him and Xia Zhining.

Yesterday’s Hunting Competition had hidden motives, but at least for Tom, it served as a way to vent some frustration.

Getting kicked twice by Ling Mo had actually made Tom feel a bit better.

He felt like punching himself in the face, and Ling Mo had sort of helped him with that.

But he didn’t want anyone else to reopen that wound.

Huang Zhendong glanced at him indifferently and said, “I just want you to understand your situation. By the way, where’s that opportunistic superhuman?”

“Opportunistic superhuman?” Chen Youdong was taken aback.

“Yes, I don’t think the benefits he brought us are worth the cost we paid. He’s just a superhuman, and he’s never had any training. If we couldn’t accomplish something, how could he? Frankly, I’ve always thought making these ‘fair’ deals with superhumans is very… foolish. We don’t need these unstable fringe elements.”

Huang Zhendong spoke openly, and his tone and expression showed clear disdain.

Tom immediately glared in anger. This was a blatant slap in the face.

His cooperation with Ling Mo was the first example of fair collaboration between the camp and superhumans. He was also a staunch supporter of this strategy.

“You think it’s not worth our effort? Didn’t you just say that the lives of our team members are important? Let me tell you, Ling Mo saved at least five lives—maybe more—while helping my team search for medicine!”

Tom couldn’t hold back any longer and stepped forward. “During our rescue, he held off the leaders of those monsters! Without him, we would’ve been wiped out, and these intelligence reports wouldn’t exist! In fact, most of the intelligence here was collected by him!”

After shouting, Tom felt a rush of relief.

Even though he was speaking about Ling Mo’s achievements, being able to counter Huang Zhendong on the spot gave Tom a sense of satisfaction.

Huang Zhendong was indeed taken aback for a moment, then he sneered and shook his head. “What’s the point of praising an… outsider so much?”

“When we establish the quarantine zone, the survivors left outside will be potential threats. People have ambitions, especially those who were failures in peacetime… No proper job, no decent house, can’t get a wife… When such people gain special abilities, they become terrorists. Do you understand?”

Huang Zhendong’s contemptuous expression was unmistakable as he continued, “Once the quarantine zone is established, they’ll covet what we have—our weapons, food… And we’re supposed to cooperate with them? Talk fairness? These people are cockroaches! Rats! They could turn on us at any moment!”

“People aren’t that dark. You can’t judge everyone by your own experiences…” Chen Youdong began, but before he could finish, Huang Zhendong suddenly moved, grabbing him by the collar and twisting his face into a snarl.

“Not that dark? Ha! Those scum aren’t that dark? If you know my history, then you’d better keep your mouth shut!”

“Leader Huang, I don’t care what happened to you, but let go of my Vice Captain. I might not report you for assaulting a colleague, but I will certainly take you on right here.”

Xia Zhining clenched her fists, staring coldly at Huang Zhendong.

The atmosphere grew icy in an instant. Huang Zhendong stared at Xia Zhining for a moment before slowly releasing Chen Youdong.

“You’re all just failures…” Huang Zhendong grunted disdainfully, then asked, “Where is that… superhuman?”

No sooner had he spoken than a cold voice came from the direction of the cafeteria: “I think you’re looking for me.”

Huang Zhendong turned in shock, hardly able to believe his ears. This voice was less than twenty meters away, yet he hadn’t noticed a thing. When did this person appear?

As he made out Ling Mo’s figure, his expression darkened further.

An unremarkable young man’s face, an average height, a physique more ordinary than anyone else present, dressed in relatively new camouflage gear, holding a hat in his hand, spinning it rapidly.

If not for his deep, penetrating eyes, this young man would be as inconspicuous as a grain of sand—impossible to find once lost in a crowd.

“You look somewhat familiar…” Huang Zhendong frowned.

“I thought someone who despises ordinary people so much would be some kind of wealthy elite or dignitary… Seems you don’t remember me.”

Ling Mo stopped spinning his hat, his eyes coldly fixed on Huang Zhendong. “But that tone is unmistakably yours, Dean of Students.”