Chapter 213 - 205: Suicide Squad

Chapter 213: Chapter 205: Suicide Squad

"Someone’s coming!"

Outside an alley of Xingfu Li District, on Tianshui Road, a column of over twenty vehicles was lined up, each crudely outfitted with metal protection like wire mesh and steel plates.

The three buses among them were crowded with people. Dozens were whispering to one another, and every so often, someone would stick their head out of a window to glance behind them.

Outside, however, the atmosphere was grim. A dozen or so armed soldiers leaned against the last armored vehicle, forming a simple defensive line. Furniture and small cars had been pushed haphazardly onto the road, leaving only a narrow lane, barely wide enough for a vehicle to pass.

The recent earthquake had left everyone on edge. Some of the storefronts lining the road had partially collapsed. Though the apartment buildings behind them were still standing, they had visibly swayed, and cracks had undoubtedly formed.

Chu Zhaotian, Xu Qian, Liu Bin, Wang Yuanhua, Yu Wentao, Cheng Qi, and Tan Wei—who had only just returned—were not waiting in the vehicles. Instead, they stood anxiously at the convoy’s rearmost defensive line.

Two high-intensity searchlights mounted on a truck’s roof cut through the fine curtain of rain like twin swords, illuminating the road for over a hundred meters.

Standing among the men, Chu Zhaotian, Xu Qian, Liu Bin, and Wang Yuanhua had all put on military tactical vests, each holding a standard-issue rifle.

On Colonel Ye’s orders, Yu Wentao had hastily trained some of the core members, at least teaching them how to aim and fire.

"...Don’t shoot!"

In the crowd, Chu Zhaotian suddenly threw his binoculars aside and yelled. He shoved his rifle into the hands of the person next to him and sprinted forward to meet the figure.

"It’s Zhaozhao!"

The figure entered the searchlight beams at an incredible speed. Before Chu Zhaotian could get far, the person slowed abruptly and slammed into his arms, sending him staggering back. Fortunately, Xu Qian and Wang Yuanhua reacted quickly, rushing forward to steady the pair and keep them from tumbling onto the road.

"Zhaozhao, what happened!"

Only then did Chu Zhaotian see that his sister had blood coming from her nose and mouth. Her face was covered in small, dried-blood-caked cuts, and one of her arms was tucked inside her shirt. She was a complete mess.

"Monster... Sister Qing... save..."

Gasping for breath, Chu Zhaozhao clutched Chu Zhaotian’s arm tightly with one hand as she spoke.

"Brother Lin... hasn’t come yet..."

Her words were jumbled, but every one of them struck the hearts of the men like a hammer.

Just then, the others caught up. Yu Wentao and Cheng Qi asked nervously,

"Young lady, where are Colonel Ye and the others?"

"Their... car flipped... don’t know what happened to them."

"Fuck!"

Yu Wentao cursed, then immediately shot a furious glare at Tan Wei, who was standing to the side.

"Didn’t you say they were fine when you retreated?!"

"Colonel Ye ordered us to retreat! He said they would follow! How was I supposed to know something would happen later?!"

Tan Wei retorted confidently. He frowned, glanced at his watch, and said,

"Don’t start with me. The horde is almost here. You need to make a decision, and fast!"

"You son of a bitch...!"

"Wentao!"

Cheng Qi, at his side, grabbed his arm and said in a low voice,

"Qingzhou said the researchers are the priority... the mission comes first..."

"Then we have to..."

Yu Wentao struggled for a moment, frowning. Before he could finish, Chu Zhaozhao cut him off again.

"Right, Sister Qing also said you should leave immediately. Don’t worry about them... But she was talking to you..."

The potion she had taken was still working. Chu Zhaozhao’s breathing had steadied, and her words came faster. After finishing with Yu Wentao and his companion, she turned decisively to Chu Zhaotian.

"...Brother!"

As she spoke, she grabbed Chu Zhaotian’s shoulders and pulled herself to her feet.

The panic in her eyes was gone, replaced by the memory of the grim determination she had just seen in Su Qing’s. She looked at Chu Zhaotian and said,

"We don’t have a home anymore... I consider Sister Qing and Brother Lin my family. I have to go back... Sister Qing... I can’t abandon her..."

"Zhaozhao, that’s enough. Catch your breath, have some water..."

Chu Zhaotian pulled a half-full bottle of water from his pocket, twisted it open, and handed it to her. He said quietly,

"I understand..."

As he spoke, he took his rifle back from the soldier he’d given it to, slung the strap over his neck, and looked at Xu Qian.

Xu Qian nodded silently, put away his rifle, and returned to their RV to retrieve two long spears.

"We have to go back, but you all have to leave..."

Chu Zhaotian shouted to the people in the convoy behind them, then lowered his voice to speak to the small group gathered at the front line.

"We can’t leave Sister Qing there alone. If we do, we’ll never be able to face Brother Lin again! Who’s..."

"I’ll go with you..."

Liu Bin stepped forward and clapped Chu Zhaotian on the shoulder. Then he turned and yelled toward the convoy, "Ziyi!"

In the blink of an eye, a burly man jumped down from one of the trucks. It was Zhang Ziyi, the driver of the supply vehicle.

When Zhang Ziyi ran up to him, Liu Bin pulled him a few steps away and whispered in his ear,

"Ziyi, that girl just said she doesn’t have a home anymore... It’s the same for us. I don’t expect my wife and kids are still alive... I see you all as my real brothers, our whole group as my family..."

He spoke quickly and quietly to Zhang Ziyi, then reached out and patted his shoulder.

"I have to go."

At this, he suddenly fell silent and gave a bitter smile.

"...If I die, Lin Fan will repay this debt of friendship to you all... Consider it my legacy to you..."

"But Brother Lin didn’t even make it back in time to save them... He... will we even see him again?"

Zhang Ziyi seemed confused and asked doubtfully.

"As long as you’re alive, you’ll run into him sooner or later... If we all die, it makes no difference whether it’s sooner or later..."