Chapter 615 – I Have a Plan

In the dimly lit, cramped space, the two of them stared at each other in silence.

Suddenly, Xia Zhi pursed his lips and cast a wary glance at Mu Chen before quickly reaching for the door handle.

“Stop!”

Mu Chen hurriedly grabbed Xia Zhi’s arm: “It’s not what you think!”

Just then, a girl’s voice came from outside, seemingly close to the door.

“Huh, where did they go?”

This was followed by the sound of footsteps and indistinct conversation.

At this moment, Mu Chen had one hand covering Xia Zhi’s mouth and nose and the other firmly gripping his arm. He used his own body to block him in.

He also held his breath, listening intently to the sounds outside.

“They went upstairs, right? There’s nothing much down here…” Ling Mo’s voice came through.

Soon, the footsteps moved upstairs.

Mu Chen’s tense expression relaxed a bit. Just as he was about to release his grip, the old door suddenly banged loudly.

The sudden noise made Mu Chen’s heart race, and he instinctively shrank back in fear.

The old-style spherical door handle started to turn slowly, and Mu Chen’s eyes focused on it immediately.

Did he… lock the door?

Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember!

But if he tried to block the door now, it probably wouldn’t work either…

At this point, a shout came from upstairs: “Ye Lian, hurry up!”

“Oh…” came a weak response from outside the door.

The door handle stopped turning, and the door stopped shaking.

Mu Chen remained frozen in place until he couldn’t hold his breath any longer and exhaled deeply.

Being discovered by Ye Lian wasn’t the worst thing, but the problem was that Ling Mo was nearby…

“Mmph!”

A muffled sound suddenly startled Mu Chen again.

But he quickly realized the sound was coming from Xia Zhi.

Caught off guard and muffled for so long, Xia Zhi’s face had turned pale.

“Ah… sorry.” Mu Chen quickly released Xia Zhi.

Xia Zhi clutched his neck, breathing heavily as he leaned against the wall.

“That person just now was really too sneaky. I got nervous for a moment…” Mu Chen explained briefly, but when he noticed Xia Zhi wasn’t listening, he awkwardly switched to the main point. “Actually, I’ve been looking for the right opportunity along the way, hoping the three of us could avoid Ling Mo and talk privately.”

“But ever since he outmaneuvered us at the F Team, he hasn’t given us a chance. However, after these few days and reaching our destination, he finally let his guard down a bit.”

After finishing, Mu Chen noticed Xia Zhi looking shocked, staring at him wide-eyed.

“Alright, discussing this in the restroom might not exactly count as him letting his guard down. But I had to find an opportunity!” Mu Chen said irritably. “Feeling reassured now? I told you it’s not what you think. Everyone has their limits!”

Xia Zhi smiled and shook his head ambiguously, which only fired up Mu Chen more.

But after glaring for a moment, he held back his irritation and continued:

“I originally wanted to bring Xu Shuhan in as well, but three people together would be too conspicuous. We don’t have much time left, so let’s be quick.”

“I’ve been trying my best to contact No. 0 along the way, but it’s been impossible, thanks to Ling Mo’s interference. So, until now, the branch has no idea about our progress or situation here. In other words, the agreement we made with Ling Mo is completely off the record. Whether the branch will acknowledge it is entirely uncertain.”

Mu Chen sighed and said, “Ling Mo can’t be oblivious to this, but why hasn’t he mentioned it? Because he’s actually using us as hostages; to him, we are the guarantee that the agreement will be honored. This is obvious to everyone, no need for me to elaborate. But the problem is, can you be sure of how the branch will decide? I don’t think any of us can… And the most important thing is, we can’t just sit here doing nothing! So here’s my idea…”

“Two of us will find an opportunity to distract Ling Mo and his group, while the other one escapes back. This is the only way for us to stop being passive. What do you think?” Mu Chen proposed.

Xia Zhi seemed to be in a daze, staring blankly at the corner of the wall, likely deep in thought.

Mu Chen didn’t rush him, because although the plan sounded simple, there was a tricky issue.

Who stays? Who goes?

The two who stay behind might not be executed by Ling Mo as soon as the plan is exposed, but that’s only because they have some value.

However, this doesn’t mean they will remain safe indefinitely. If the branch rejects Ling Mo’s proposal, the fate of the two left behind would be uncertain.

In summary, deciding to stay means their lives continue to hang in the balance, controlled by both the branch and Ling Mo, with their survival dependent on their whims.

This feeling of having one’s fate controlled by others is dreadful for anyone.

On the other hand, the person who escapes faces the risk of navigating through hordes of zombies alone to get back to the Niepan branch and the inevitable questioning by the branch.

Most importantly, this person’s shoulders bear the fate of the other two. Convincing Niepan rests entirely on this person’s ability.

So, another question arises: within these three, who can be trusted by the other two to carry out this plan?

Xia Zhi thought for a moment with his head down, then raised his hand to make a gesture.

Mu Chen blinked and said, “All three of us escape? … Don’t be ridiculous.”

Xia Zhi dejectedly lowered his head again. Compared to his proposal, Mu Chen’s plan indeed seemed more feasible.

Their individual capabilities compared to Ling Mo and his group were starkly unequal.

The likelihood of all three successfully escaping was very low.

Moreover, if their intention to escape was exposed, the chances of Ling Mo going on a killing spree would skyrocket.

They had come to understand Ling Mo’s character during this time together.

Although he usually appeared relaxed and was fairly easy to get along with apart from his obsession with supplies, once provoked, he never hesitated to act ruthlessly.

These days are different from the past; most people have hardened their hearts and become capable of brutal actions.

Trying to run first and then begging for mercy if caught is simply a suicidal idea.

“I’ll keep them occupied for a day, probably…,” Mu Chen glanced at his watch and said, “at most, two hours from now. Use this time to think it over.”

Mu Chen hesitated a bit before adding, “I trust both of you, even though neither you nor Xu Shuhan has spoken up about this… But as the captain, I’ll respect your decisions.”

Before Xia Zhi could respond, Mu Chen scratched the back of his head awkwardly and said, “Talking so seriously really embarrasses me…”

Carefully pushing open the door, Mu Chen first peeked out to ensure no one was around, then tiptoed out.

However, as soon as he reached the stairs, a sudden shout nearly scared him out of his wits: “Hey!”

Mu Chen froze and slowly turned his head. “What?”

Xia Na, holding her distinctive scythe, stood on the stairs, looking down at him. “Where did you go? And where’s that quiet guy?”

“I… we…” Mu Chen hesitated before blurting out, “Xia Zhi said he needed to use the restroom!”

“Hah… so you went to watch him use the restroom?” Xia Na nodded.

“No, no, no!” Seeing the mix of disdain and scrutiny in Xia Na’s eyes, Mu Chen panicked. “It’s not like that… I…”

“Does it matter if you tell me?” Xia Na snorted and turned to head upstairs.

“I… uh…” Mu Chen ruffled his hair in frustration. “Right! Why am I explaining this to her!”

“Hey, weren’t you looking for water? We found some upstairs. Come help carry it,” Xia Na’s voice echoed from afar.

Tears welled up in Mu Chen’s eyes. “So it turns out I’m just their laborer. I knew there had to be a reason she’d talk to me…”