Chapter 91

The sky outside the window was dark and gloomy, and night was gradually descending.

Zhang Lin stood with his arms crossed, a blade of grass in his mouth, leaning against the wall, his eyes fixed on the dark clouds with a melancholy and profound gaze.

Lin Siwen’s rough and bold character was clearly at odds with his name. He lay sprawled on the sofa, looking at Zhang Lin with disdain and said contemptuously, “Stop looking. No matter how much you look, you won’t get out.”

This was a small building near the eastern part of the city. The sign on the front read “District Senior Activity Center,” but the interior was undeniably a health massage parlor. There was also a secret passage connecting to a sauna on the ground floor. A signboard stood by the glass door, listing the prices for services like oil massage, massage, and special services. On the door panels facing outside, there were several red-painted characters that had peeled off, reading “Healthy Entertainment, Gambling Prohibited.”

The room was quite large. Besides Zhang Lin and Lin Siwen, there were over a dozen other people, all survivors scattered throughout the city.

The door was guarded by armed men, but they were not in military uniforms. They wore blue and white badges with the stylized characters “Shengfei” on their chests.

It had been two days since they were captured.

Zhang Lin spat out the grass and took a handful of sunflower seeds from his pocket, holding them in his palm. He picked one and put it in his mouth, the sound of the seeds cracking loudly, and the shells and saliva flew around.

“I’m not as stupid as you.”

Zhang Lin smirked, flicking an empty sunflower seed at Lin Siwen, revealing a mouth of scorched yellow teeth, and said cheerfully, “Here, there’s food and a place to stay, and someone is even guarding outside. Only a fool would want to run.”

Lin Siwen immediately widened his eyes, “Then why are you looking outside? Is your lover out there, or is some bitter woman calling you?”

Zhang Lin gently rubbed his flat stomach, his voice tinged with a hint of anticipation, “I’m hungry and want to see what we’re having for dinner tonight.”

This surprised Lin Siwen. He first laughed mockingly, but his expression quickly cooled, and he fell silent.

“Actually, your fried potatoes were pretty good.”

After a few seconds, Lin Siwen said softly, “Back then, I chased you every day and shut down your stall several times.”

Zhang Lin corrected, “You shut it down four times, and once you even kicked it over.”

“I didn’t want to, but you’re just a born troublemaker. I told you to pack up, but you didn’t. You were operating without a license, no health permit, and you set up right at the intersection, obstructing traffic and spoiling the city’s appearance. I had no choice but to take action myself.”

“I set up a small stall just to make a living. You always picked on me.”

“Who else sets up a stall like you? Every day at the entrance of the convention center. If I didn’t deal with you, who would? And you create a lot of garbage and wastewater, littering the ground with dirty food boxes and old bamboo skewers. The worst part is, you don’t even have a health certificate and you’re a carrier of hepatitis B.”

“There are more people there, so it’s easier to sell.”

“Go to Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, or the White House in America, or the Eiffel Tower in France. There are more people there. You could even collect dollars and francs.”

“If I knew foreign languages, would I even bother with a scumbag like you? Ha.”

“F*ck you, you f*cking b*stard, say that again.”

“Why aren’t we eating yet? I’m starving.”

In a verbal sparring match, Lin Siwen was clearly no match for Zhang Lin.

When it came to physical strength, Zhang Lin was definitely at a disadvantage to Lin Siwen.

Before the virus outbreak, the two of them almost played the game of cat and mouse every day.

Zhang Lin was a street vendor selling fried potatoes.

Lin Siwen was a city management officer.

The relationship between the two was irreconcilable.

Physically, Zhang Lin was clearly no match for Lin Siwen.

So, whenever a verbal conflict escalated to the point where it could turn violent, he always wisely closed his mouth or changed the subject, giving Lin Siwen a bit of face and saving himself some trouble.

Small people have their own wisdom.

Of course, to outsiders, this kind of calculation was not worth mentioning, at best it was just a bit of cleverness.

“Creak”

The door was pushed open from the outside, and a tall man with a gun in each hand and a “Shengfei” badge on his chest walked in.

He coldly scanned the prisoners in the room and said in a monotonous voice, “Everyone out. Same old routine, line up to get your food.”

Downstairs was a small courtyard.

Several trucks were parked near the gate, with armed guards on the roofs and truck beds, pacing back and forth, their guns ready to fire at any moment.

No one could escape from here. Just yesterday, a woman tried to escape during the food distribution and was caught by the guards nearby. They were quick and agile.

No one knew what happened to the woman afterward.

However, throughout the night, moans and pleas could be heard from the small building behind the house. The sounds were low, and there were many men laughing wildly.

The prisoners lined up in a single file, with Zhang Lin and Lin Siwen at the back. Under the watch of a dozen guns, they slowly walked toward the nearest truck.

The waterproof tarp on the truck bed was pulled back, and a muscular man in a black leather jacket stood inside.

He had a cigarette in his mouth, his sleeves rolled up, and his thick arms were covered in tattoos and hair. He looked down at the lined-up prisoners, took out the almost finished cigarette, and flicked it away, drawing a bright arc against the dim twilight.

“Everyone gets one, in order.”

The words were threatening, but no one paid attention.

Everyone’s eyes were fixed on the food the man was taking out of the truck.

As Zhang Lin had said earlier, “I only care about what we’re having for dinner tonight.”

Each person received two cornbread buns, a bottle of water, and a piece of pickled radish.

The cornbread buns were made with a mix of corn and sorghum flour, a yellowish-black color, somewhat hard, but not unpalatable.

The water bottles were of various brands, from “Nongfu Spring” to “Wahaha” and “Leboshi,” and some unknown brands. The water was slightly yellow, and sand could be seen at the bottom. Clearly, it was taken from a nearby river.

The pickled radish was unknown when it was made. It was black in color, extremely salty, and each person only got a small piece, about the size of a fingernail. But it was enough to go with the two cornbread buns.

Every meal, not every day, was more or less the same.

Either cornbread buns, flatbreads, or steamed buns.

Dry, hard, and tasteless.

A large group of people squatted on the ground to eat.

Through the wall, the sound of food distribution could be faintly heard.

It seemed that there were many more people being held here.

Zhang Lin chewed the cornbread buns with difficulty, occasionally looking up at an old man squatting about five to six meters away.

He recognized the man, another survivor in the city. They had met while searching for food but had not greeted each other.

Everyone was wary of each other, and the old plot of fighting over food and killing was almost a daily occurrence. Strangers usually had no interaction. When they saw each other, it was like seeing a dog—brandishing weapons and quickly leaving.

“Whoosh”

A gust of wind passed by, and Zhang Lin felt a blur in his vision. He then realized in shock and anger that the cornbread bun in his hand had vanished. Turning around, he saw that Lin Siwen was chewing it.

Two cornbread buns were clearly not enough to satisfy Lin Siwen’s voracious appetite.

This despicable and shameless city management officer was the biggest scoundrel in the world. Not only did he steal Zhang Lin’s cornbread bun, but he also shamelessly split it in half, spat on it, and then started eating it smugly.

Even if he tried to take it back, he couldn’t eat it now.

Zhang Lin had been with Lin Siwen for some time. He knew the man’s mouth was dirtier than a cesspool. Water was hard to come by, and he rarely brushed his teeth. Just thinking about the thick yellow buildup on his teeth made Zhang Lin feel nauseous.

Rage instantly filled Zhang Lin’s entire body.

He stood up with a “whoosh,” baring his teeth like a wild animal, staring at Lin Siwen with intense hatred, and clenching his fists. His face turned red with anger, and even his hair stood on end.

The people around him quickly moved away, both fearful and expectant, watching the man with a sky-high temper. They imagined scenes of bloody and violent fights, like gladiators in ancient Rome.

The atmosphere in the courtyard instantly became tense. Even the muscular man on the truck and the guards on the rooftops turned their attention to this side, watching with interest.

There was usually no entertainment, and watching a fight was a form of amusement.

It was exciting.

It was thrilling.

It was satisfying.

No one was optimistic about Zhang Lin’s chances—he was too short and too thin. Compared to Lin Siwen, he was like an ant trying to rape an elephant.

However, nothing is absolute.

A small person, driven by anger and hatred, can often unleash a shocking fighting spirit.

Like Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf, many people think Little Gray looks like Pleasant Goat.

Why does Red Wolf hit her husband with a frying pan every day?

The poor guy works hard to catch sheep to support his wife and children, yet he still gets beaten. There must be some affair going on.

Zhang Lin roared.

He successfully provoked Lin Siwen’s anger.

The city management officer, who had not finished his cornbread bun, put it in his pocket, took a few steps forward, rolled up his sleeves, and cracked his knuckles.

Lin Siwen had never been afraid of anyone in a fight. His large and muscular build meant he had few opponents.

“You f*cking b*stard, I’ll f*ck your m*ther’s rotten c*nt.”

After cursing with perfect diction, Zhang Lin, without waiting for Lin Siwen to react, suddenly darted away at a speed not unlike a rabbit.

He skillfully maneuvered between the people and vehicles, running to a guard who seemed to be in charge, tugging at his sleeve, and pointing to Lin Siwen, who was a few meters away, pleading in a fawning tone.

“He, he stole my food, and he, he wants to hit me.”

This sudden change left everyone speechless.

No one had expected the situation to turn out this way.

The guard was surprised, and the cigarette in his fingers fell unnoticed. He looked at the pitiful Zhang Lin, who was half-kneeling on the ground, and after a few seconds, he burst out laughing.

Instantly, everyone in the courtyard laughed.

It was a comedy, and no one could help but laugh.

Many people shook their heads while laughing, and many were bent over, holding their stomachs. Even the guards on the rooftops and truck beds joined in. The laughter was loud and filled with unhidden mockery.

“You f*cking b*stard, I’ll f*cking kill you.”

Lin Siwen’s face turned red with anger.

His muscles bulged, and the veins in his neck and arms seemed to be pulsing. He ran over with heavy steps, grabbed the back of Zhang Lin’s shirt, and raised his fist, which was as big as a bowl, and with a wicked smile, slammed it into Zhang Lin’s terrified face.

“Don’t hit me.”

The desperate scream and the sound of flesh being hit happened simultaneously.

The heavy punch hit Zhang Lin’s small body, and he immediately collapsed from his half-kneeling position. He lay on his back, his limbs twitching involuntarily, unable to struggle. His face was a mess of blood and flesh, his right eye and cheek bruised and swollen. His mouth was swollen as if he had a large walnut in it. Zhang Lin gasped for breath, blood and broken teeth mixed in the saliva flowing from his mouth, nearly dead.

No one came to his aid; everyone watched with interest.

Lin Siwen grabbed Zhang Lin’s limbs, lifted him high like a wrestler, and showed him off to the crowd for a few seconds. Then, he threw the bloodied Zhang Lin hard.

Zhang Lin rolled a few times on the ground, unable to speak, and his breathing became weak.

Some items fell out of Zhang Lin’s pockets: keys, a nail clipper, a few coins, a ball of thread, and a blue and white “Shengfei” badge.

“You f*cking b*stard, stealing your food was a favor. How dare you curse me.”

Lin Siwen spat and walked over.

He didn’t want to hold back and had no liking for Zhang Lin, the street vendor who had caused him endless trouble before the virus outbreak.

After all, the world was f*cked up.

Killing one person meant one less person to compete for food.

Just as he raised his fist high, ready to strike Zhang Lin’s left temple, the muscular man on the truck suddenly leaped down and rushed over, grabbing Lin Siwen’s wrist.

Lin Yu, accompanied by several guards, came down from another staircase of the small building.

He had been watching the conflict between Zhang Lin and Lin Siwen from upstairs.

This unequal fight was quite entertaining and helped digest his food.

Now, the situation was different.

Lin Yu glanced at Lin Siwen, who was being held at gunpoint and forced to stand in the corner, then looked at Zhang Lin, who was almost dead. He bent down, shifted his gaze to the blue and white badge on the ground, and picked it up.

Compared to the badges on others’ chests, this one was larger and had a gold border instead of silver.

In the entire “Shengfei” Group, there were only two such gold badges, held by Lin Yu and his brother, Lin Zhou.

Lin Yu, who had taken a second-stage enhancement injection, saw clearly from upstairs that the badge fell out of Zhang Lin’s pocket as he was thrown.

Lin Yu clenched the badge in his hand, a glint of uncontrollable excitement in his eyes.

He had been searching for his brother’s whereabouts but had no news.

Lin Yu kicked the unconscious Zhang Lin with his foot and ordered his subordinates, “Treat him, then bring him upstairs. If he’s about to die, give him a heart stimulant. I want him to talk now.”

Lin Feihu and Lin Yu were certain that there was a powerful armed force in Kunming. They had either swallowed or eliminated the previous teams sent by the “Shengfei” Group. If they entered that area rashly, they might suffer the same fate as Han Fei, Lin Jingshang, and Lin Zhou.

The “Shengfei” Group’s armed force, about 500 people, were mid- and low-level personnel, the most important and trusted core force of the Lin family. They had been receiving military training since before the virus outbreak, and their combat ability and loyalty far exceeded those of the newly gathered refugees.

Lin Yu did not set up camp at the coordinates initially reported by Han Fei.

He circled the city along the highway and entered from the south, setting up camp near the eastern part.

He sent out a large number of people to search the area, capturing survivors—those who had survived the zombies were already highly alert to their surroundings. They might know something. Even if they didn’t provide the desired information, they could become the much-needed slaves for the “Shengfei” Group.

Zhang Lin’s physical condition was healthier than expected.

He quickly regained consciousness.

Having faced death and the terrifying zombies every day, this dangerous and unsafe living environment had made Zhang Lin’s brain nerves abnormally thick. He rubbed his swollen face, picked up the milk on the table and drank it in one go, grabbed a can of meat that he had barely eaten and started chewing, and even put two compressed biscuits in his pocket—all in less than ten seconds.

Lin Yu clearly didn’t want to argue over these small matters.

He took out the gold badge and held it in front of the black, thin, and short Zhang Lin, asking in a stern and unyielding tone, “Where did you get this?”

Zhang Lin swallowed the unchewed meat in his mouth, his throat moving, looked at the badge, then looked up at Lin Yu. His expression was strange, with obvious fear.

Lin Yu saw all of this.

He smiled faintly, turned around, and snapped his fingers at the armed guard at the door. The guard nodded in understanding and left.

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