CHAPTER 59: CHAPTER 16 COOPERATION (PART 2)_1

Inside Wen Yu’s room, he was amusing his little Soul Beast.

Counting the time, he should be back soon.

Wen Yu wasn’t worried at all about whether Li Quan’an would accept his proposal. Li Quan’an was a smart man, and waiting idly for death wasn’t something a smart man would do.

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

"Come in."

Wen Yu looked up to see Li Quan’an’s plump face.

"Have the people Mayor Li sent out returned? How’s the situation?"

"Brother Wen Yu, you’re right. The situation is not good," Li Quan’an said, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

"So what is Mayor Li’s decision?" Wen Yu calmly stroked the little Soul Beast, looking at Li Quan’an with a teasing expression.

This was clearly a rhetorical question. Wen Yu knew Li Quan’an’s decision perfectly well; in fact, Li Quan’an only had one path to take.

"Brother Wen Yu, you must be joking. Even a fool could see the right choice," Li Quan’an chuckled, then tentatively asked, "Shall we... discuss the matter of cooperation?"

Wen Yu waved his hand dismissively. "Do we even need to discuss this? There’s only one way: pile on the bodies. I’ll take the lead, but I need people to draw their fire. You bring up the rear with your men and make sure everyone charges forward. We save whoever manages to break through."

Hearing such a brutally simple method, Li Quan’an hesitated. "But, wouldn’t a lot of people die this way?"

Hearing Li Quan’an’s words, Wen Yu laughed. "Mayor Li, how many people die has nothing to do with you or me, right? In this situation, we just need to make sure we’re not the ones dying. Isn’t that enough? If our forces are wiped out, we can rebuild them. But we only get one life."

Li Quan’an’s expression gradually firmed. "No problem. I still have over 300 people here. Half of them are ordinary folks, not professionists. If they die, they die. Brother Wen Yu is right. I don’t even know if I’ll make it out alive, so why worry so much about them? I’ll rally them tomorrow, and we’ll leave early the day after."

"Good. In that case, Mayor Li, I’ll await your good news."

Wen Yu extended his hand to Mayor Li. Their hands clasped firmly, and then Mayor Li left the room.

"Heh." Wen Yu took a bottle of red wine from the small, long-dead refrigerator in his room. He had no idea what brand it was. He took a rough swig and then tossed the bottle aside. "Damn, this stuff is disgusting."

Over 300 people... that’s about right. He mentally simulated the battle that would take place the day after tomorrow.

Hmm, barring any accidents, there’s an over 80% chance of breaking out. That’s pretty good.As for those fated to die as his cannon fodder, Wen Yu felt not a shred of guilt. If blame was to be assigned, it was to their rotten luck or, perhaps, their utter weakness.

In the apocalypse, the weak deserve to die. There’s no sympathy, nor is there any need for mercy.

The sky outside grew darker. Wen Yu slowly closed his eyes. What he needed now was just to conserve his energy.

...

Inside Mayor Li’s room, a group of people were in a meeting.

"No, I disagree!" Sun Ruixing slammed the table and shouted at Li Quan’an.

"Li Quan’an, I misjudged you! If you do this, all those old men and children will die!"

Just moments before, Li Quan’an had convened a meeting with his confidants, Lin Hu, and Sun Ruixing, where he announced Wen Yu’s plan. The entire room was silent, except for Sun Ruixing.

Listening to Sun Ruixing’s loud accusations, Li Quan’an took a deep drag from his cigarette and said calmly to Sun Ruixing, "Brother Ruixing, I respect you as a man of principle. That’s why I called you to discuss this matter of life and death. But now I see you’re just too stubbornly idealistic."

"Since you’re unhappy with this plan, Brother Sun, why don’t you come up with a better one?" In terms of cunning, Li Quan’an was leagues ahead of Sun Ruixing.

"Regardless, I disagree with your plan! If you insist on having the old folks and children lead the charge, I’ll go down and tell them right now that you, Li Quan’an, are sending them to their deaths!" Sun Ruixing roared, his face flushed and the veins on his neck bulging.

Li Quan’an looked at Sun Ruixing intently and began to speak slowly. "First, it’s not the elderly and children leading the charge; Wen Yu is. Second, with them following Wen Yu, he can offer them some degree of protection. And finally, it’s not just them who have to charge—we all do. If we don’t break out, we die. It’s only a question of sooner or later." As for whether Wen Yu would actually go out of his way to protect those people, Li Quan’an could only scoff internally.

Hearing Li Quan’an’s explanation, Sun Ruixing grew even more incensed. "Then at least let the old people and children get in the vehicles, shouldn’t we?"

Seeing Sun Ruixing still persisting, Li Quan’an’s anger flared. "Sun Ruixing, you need to understand: every person in a vehicle means one less body on foot to draw fire! You can see the whole plan clearly. I’m not going to waste time on pointless arguments. Let me ask you just one thing: is your own life more important, or are other people’s lives more important?"

Seeing Sun Ruixing still reluctant, Li Quan’an delivered his ultimatum. "They don’t have to go if they don’t want to. But this plan was made by Brother Wen Yu. Anyone who doesn’t charge, fine. But for our own safety, we have ways to *make* them charge. If you don’t like it, Sun Ruixing, you can try to resist. See who’s stronger: you with your elderly and children, or all the professionists in this camp plus Brother Wen Yu. An arm can’t win a wrestling match against a thigh, after all."

Ignoring Sun Ruixing’s shocked expression, Li Quan’an spoke directly. "Now, does anyone else have a problem with this plan?"

Seeing that there were no more ’saints’ like Sun Ruixing in the room, Li Quan’an nodded with satisfaction. "Alright then. Tomorrow morning, have everyone get ready. Tell them Chaihe Town is completely back in order and we’re relocating there. We set out early the morning after next. Pass down the orders: find some non-professionists to drive the vehicles. Have them follow Wen Yu and draw enemy fire."

Li Quan’an glanced again at Sun Ruixing’s grim face and issued his final command. "The morning after next, kill anyone who refuses to leave. Instead of letting them die a slow, miserable death cooped up here, it’s better to send them on their way to reincarnation a bit sooner."

Sun Ruixing stared at Mayor Li in disbelief, never expecting Li Quan’an to issue such an order.

Li Quan’an gave Sun Ruixing a dark smile. "So, Brother Sun, keep your mouth shut. Don’t let people who could have made it out end up dying by our own hands."

Ignoring Sun Ruixing’s ashen face, Li Quan’an walked out of the conference room.

...