Back to the Apocalypse

translator: xiin

editor: Juurensha

Zhang Qiucheng murmured lightly, “I only need the position of Commander of the Guard, and I want the appointment documents now." Their present way of life was too chaotic, and gold that might come later was not as useful as copper that he could have in his hand right away. They could figure out the future later. It wasn't as if everything was set in stone; it was better to get a position first. As long as he could enter City B, he was not worried that he wouldn't be able to make a name for himself.

Bai Jing nodded, then glanced around before calmly shifting his gaze back to Zhang Qiucheng, refusing to move or speak.

Zhang Qiucheng frowned, then revealed a flash of sudden realization. He apologized without any trace of sincerity, "Look at me, I almost forgot." He glanced at Chu Yi, "Go and get the telegraph machine installed.”

The corner of Bai Jing’s lips twitched, and he spoke in a tone of praise, “Mr. Zhang’s base is truly very clean and tidy.”

Zhang Qiucheng laughed and spoke modestly, “Thank you very much for your praise, Young Master Jing. My brothers are quick about making a move, which makes me very satisfied."

“Oh? In my opinion, it should be Mr. Zhang who is well-informed. Gee, your base is really poor and pitiful. You're the leader, but you don’t even have a chair."

“Isn't this because we knew that distinguished guests were coming? I naturally had to give some things up for your sake."

“But with regards to Mr. Zhang's face, people like us are truly unable to keep up." Xiao Sa patted Bai Jing on the shoulder lightly. Although he did not understand why Little Jing wanted this man to go to City B, he actually agreed with this proposal. For people like Zhang Qiucheng, if they could not kill him, it would be better to interact with them less. As the saying went, shameless people were invincible. It was incredibly difficult to talk to such people.

“Well, that’s one of my strengths.” Zhang Qiucheng laughed off Xiao Sa's sarcasm completely.

Bai Jing felt his stomach hurt from dealing with this person, and simply stopped talking. Xiao Sa naturally followed in ignoring them. In any case, they had no way to fight, and there was no need to pay any more attention to them. They would have to make haste on their journey after dealing with matters here. Right now, he was only considering whether they should join up with Zhang Qiucheng or not as the danger coefficient would be much smaller if they travelled together.

After thinking about it, he finally decided to give it up. Zhang Qiucheng was a man of uncertain temper, and they did not require any help from outsiders for Yan Gang. It would be better for them to maintain some distance.

Seeing that nobody was paying attention to him, Zhang Qiucheng clapped his hands and said, “Clean everything up.” They then watched as the people in the room as well as the ones hidden in the dark instantly emerged.

Bai Jing's eyelids didn't even twitch, and Xiao Sa kept his gaze on Bai Jing. They had already noticed these people earlier, and would not take them seriously even if they came out now.

In the blink of an eye, they could only look on as these people moved here and there within the house, pulling out a pile of bombs from under the table, next to the chair, on the roof, and all kinds of other obscure places outside.

Bai Jing was amused. Zhang Qiucheng was definitely showing off, as well as trying to tell them that if they had really been hostile, they would also have suffered a lot. There were no cheap advantages to be had here.

“Since we are cooperating with each other, I also need to be sincere. I made some preparations earlier - I hope General Xiao and Young Master Jing won't be too surprised." Zhang Qiucheng spoke up before Bai Jing had the opportunity to get angry, blocking Bai Jing's comments with his words. Since he had already apologized and pulled out the secretly prepared bombs, on top of the agreement they had just made, Zhang Qiucheng was now fearless. He first used a stick, then a date, clearly making it a point to show off his power, but also making it so that others had no way to get angry.

“No harm done.” Xiao Sa spoke calmly as he looked at Bai Jing with some regret. He had originally felt some appreciation for Zhang Qiucheng, but at this moment, his heart was also filled with the stirrings of anger. However, for Zhang Qiucheng to be able to make Little Jing angry to this extent showed that he really had some good methods. Xiao Sa’s face was impassive as he casually continued, “If Mr. Zhang is interested, we have quite a few things on offer. If you can afford it and require them, we can discuss the sale of the latest bombs from M Country."

Zhang Qiucheng choked for a moment, though his face remained unchanged. “There will definitely be a chance in the future. I wonder what kind of goods General Xiao has on hand?"

Bai Jing was inwardly happy. He was extremely glad that Xiao Sa could win a round. Wasn't Zhang Qiucheng showing off his bombs? Xiao Sa was now suggesting that they were defective, and now they were competing to see whose were better.

Xiao Sa smiled lightly. “If Mr. Zhang is interested, I'm sure you should know what I used to do. I don't have many things on hand, but if Mr. Zhang is interested, I can still spare some things out of respect for Little Jing's father."

Zhang Qiucheng did not follow up, nor did he ask about the price. He knew that Xiao Sa was not easy to interact with. He also knew that they definitely had goods, but the problem was, since Xiao Sa had spoken out this way, he was definitely digging a trap and waiting for him to jump in. Sellers could ask for sky-high prices while buyers could make rock-bottom offers, but their current situation was not suitable for such talks. Perhaps they could have a proper discussion in a few days. Right now, these two people were incredibly angry, and Zhang Qiucheng could swear that smoke was coming out of the top of Bai Jing's head. He wasn't a fool who would jump in even knowing that it was a trap.

Seeing that Zhang Qiucheng had caught on, Bai Jing pouted and ignored him. He looked around and located an empty area in the room, bringing out a sofa and table from his space. Then, he took out all kinds of snacks that he had purchased in advance and prepared two pairs of chopsticks, two plates, and two wine cups before adding on a bottle of red wine from 1982. He smiled at Xiao Sa and said, “I’m hungry. Let’s eat some snacks as we slowly wait.” Since Zhang Qiucheng liked to show off, then they could compete and see who was better at it.

Everyone in the room swallowed saliva. Although they were not short on food, they had not smelled, let alone eaten, things like steaming mutton skewers, roast squid, fresh shrimp, and crab, in a long time. There was nothing Zhang Qiucheng could say. They had only prepared two portions, and he could only watch dryly from the side. For the first time, he realized how shallow his eyes and nose were.

Xiao Sa watched it all with equanimity and ignored everything going on around them as he spread out on the sofa and enjoyed his time talking to Bai Jing.

Bai Jing was very proud of himself. He glanced at Zhang Qiucheng disdainfully. Wanting to compete with him on wealth? No chance!

Zhang Qiucheng really had nothing to say. However, he didn't care about these trifles. To tell the truth, he had told his people to take out the bombs in order to let Xiao Sa know that he also had the ability to fight back. Who could've known that it would be misinterpreted this way? But there wasn't anything bad about this, at least he now knew that Jing Sa City was very rich in materials.

The two of them had just finished their meal when someone came to report that the telegraph machine had been installed.

Bai Jing was in a good mood. His words were cool as he spoke even more directly, "Zhang Qiucheng, for better or worse, you are still the boss of a group! How could you be so petty when you do things? Even a telegraph machine still needs to be installed, tsk!"

Zhang Qiucheng did not take it seriously, “Young Master Jing is right, but there's no other way. Our base is small, and our power is low. We naturally can't compare with Jing Sa City. I'm really sorry that you two had to see us do such things."

Having run into a soft nail, Bai Jing could only sneer. He really hated this kind of person who put on an act the most. "It's fine as long as you know. Still, you're not bad, and your management of the base is very proper. I see that none of them dare to speak up too loudly. They were clearly very straightforward and vigorous when they robbed us on the way, insisting that they were your people, but they didn't even dare breathe when they arrived at the entrance to the base. Could it be that the methods you use are too strict?"

Zhang Qiucheng replied very calmly, uncaring about Bai Jing's sharp remarks. He cheerfully admitted, "Young Master Jing is overpraising me. There will always be times when people aren't managed well because there are too many people at the base, so we must be strict."

He could really tell that this man had no shame. Bai Jing gave a cold snort before glancing cooly over at Chu Yi. Hadn't he said before that he didn't recall any of those bandits?

Chu Yi still had the same smile on his face and had maintained a modest attitude the entire time. Xiao Sa patted Bai Jing on the shoulder, reminding him not to bicker with them. The other party wouldn't admit to things just because he told them to. There was no need to feel stifled or angry; they had already told them off earlier, and now they could be considered partners. There was no need to compete or jostle for advantages over unimportant matters. Zhang Qiucheng had also seen this point clearly, otherwise he would not have admitted it so easily.

Bai Jing turned his face to the side. He reluctantly had to admit that these schemes were really beyond him.

A group of people soon came to the office, Bai Jing glanced at Zhang Qiucheng and then sent a telegram to City B in front of him. Because they would not receive a reply so quickly, they stayed there overnight. They were naturally very impolite as they took over the magpie's nest, settling themselves into Zhang Qiucheng's bedroom. Although the room was empty, it was at least well decorated, cleaned, and looked beautiful.

Zhang Qiucheng didn't mind. Bai Jing couldn't figure out if this man's temper was really that good, or if it was just a front. Sometimes, he couldn't help but have the illusion that Zhang Qiucheng was like a piece of dough that could be kneaded and rubbed by anyone.

Bai Jingcheng's response came very quickly. The appointment letter was sent down the next morning, and because it was not the first time he had to deal with such things, everything organized much more simply. There was only a small request attached, asking them to make it to the Capital as soon as possible.

Bai Jing handed the documents to Zhang Qiucheng, and the two of them immediately said their farewells. Unfortunately, the heavens never listened to one's wishes; a certain person could not be chased away once he stuck close. Zhang Qiucheng had originally already packed up and cleaned out the base. There was not much to prepare, and after some roundabout questioning, discovered that they were making the same journey. Intuition told him that these two people had a lot of secrets, and if he could learn some of them, it might even be of benefit to him.

In other words, the average villain's intuition was really better than a dog's nose. Bai Jing was depressed over this for a long time. At the end of the day, it was his own words that revealed their intentions, and he really had to praise Zhang Qiucheng for his cleverness. He could guess him and Xiao Sa's intended destination from just a few words included in the telegram. He followed it up by asking a couple of irrelevant questions, and really figured out their goals. Now, no matter how much they didn't want to travel together, they still ended up on the same boat.

Bai Jing was so downcast by this that he simply didn't talk to him anymore. Zhang Qiucheng was too cunning. Bai Jing preferred being shot hard with real bullets rather than troubling himself with this disastrous brain. Fortunately, this disaster was already heading away from them; whatever happened to Zhang Qiucheng after they arrived at City B was no longer any of his business.

Xiao Sa looked on coldly. He did not care if the matter of Yan Gang's assassination became known. Zhang Qiucheng was really vicious. He had more than 800 people in his base, but only 500 people were with him when they left; Zhang Qiucheng simply gave up on those who were useless, and nobody dared to make any trouble or speak up about it. It was evident that this man was usually very fierce, and the lives of others were like ants in his eyes.

Bai Jing's heart felt cold just thinking about it, but it was none of his business, and he didn’t say much. He was not a kind man, but he hadn't expected that Zhang Qiucheng would plot against his own subordinates.

Recalling the scene yesterday during their meeting room when Zhang Qiucheng placed a lot of bombs in the living room, Xiao Sa couldn’t help but ask about how Zhang Qiucheng could drag all his brothers with him to death. This group obviously looked like a ragged bunch. They clearly knew that the house was filled with bombs; how could they be fierce enough to toss away their lives? This was a desperate group, and he could not believe that they had any true loyalty.

Zhang Qiucheng laughed indifferently and did not conceal anything from Xiao Sa. He spoke honestly, "Isn't everything okay now? They just believed that I would figure it out." That gentle tone that held no hesitation was filled with self-confidence and affirmation.

“And how could you have known that it would be okay?" It was Bai Jing who asked this question. He had been unhappy for a while now, and hearing Zhang Qiucheng's stuck up tone, he couldn't help but try and find some flaws.

But obviously, Bai Jing was still too inexperienced when compared to an old fox. Zhang Qiucheng spoke carelessly, "I didn't know, but they believed it…"

It was very clear that Zhang Qiucheng had gambled with everyone’s lives. Fortunately, he won the gamble.

Bai Jing had nothing to say. In any case, these were not good people. Only, he was a little jealous in his heart. The trust between them did not come from loyalty or coercion, but from Zhang Qiucheng's keen and witty mind. Should he say that the other man really deserved to be called a criminal with a high IQ?

It was a peaceful journey. More than 500 people were in good spirits as they made their way along. As soon as they left L Province, they began to pick up followers. Zhang Qiucheng was good-natured about it and made no objections, letting them follow as they pleased. However, these people were often used as either bait or cannon fodder when they met zombies on the road. Those who were left who had good abilities would naturally join up with the main group after their own teams dispersed, so even before they reached their destination, their group had already expanded to more than 600 people.

Looking at Zhang Qiucheng’s actions, Bai Jing began to have a vague answer to the question he had been previously unable to understand. There was no good or bad judgement regarding Zhang Jingcheng's acceptance of these people. Even if it was a motley crew, they never touched upon Jing Sao City's bottom line. In addition, the more useless they appeared, the less likely they were to arouse other people's vigilance. Regardless of whether this group of subordinates was good or bad, or whether or not they had morals, in Zhang Qiucheng’s eyes, they were only cannon fodder. As long as the results benefited him, he didn't care about anything else. He was obviously making use of people's hearts.

It was night time. The weather had gradually warmed up, and the group set up camp to rest. Zhang Qiucheng was indeed very rich in materials; the big tent that they set up made Bai Jing very satisfied. He only brought out their own bedding and was preparing to rest when someone came forward and smiled apologetically as they asked, "General Xiao, Young Master Jing, are you free now? The boss is studying the route and wants to consult with you."

Bai Jing was too lazy to pay attention to their visitor. Wasn't his question nonsense? Although Bai Jing liked it when others were respectful, if they were too careful about flattering them, it was as though they were treating him and Xiao Sa as porcelain dolls. To tell the truth, this kind of feeling made him uncomfortable all over. He was certain that Zhang Qiucheng never had good intentions - he must be brewing some sort of conspiracy.

It must be said that Bai Jing's guess was absolutely correct. The reason for calling them over this time was still because of the arms and goods that they had on hand. Zhang Qiucheng has been red-eyed with envy for a long time, but he also knew that it would be impossible for him to acquire them smoothly. So, he decided to let the two people owe him a favour first before slowly figuring out the rest.

Xiao Sa simply ignored these crooked schemes. If the enemy didn't make a move, he wouldn't either. He only needed to wait steadily like a mountain; since Zhang Qiucheng had a request, it was definitely not him who was anxious. He laughed as he grabbed Bai Jing, and the two of them visited Zhang Qiucheng’s tent together.

Zhang Qiucheng smiled calmly as he saw them coming, then pointed to the map and made an orderly analysis, “We will be taking a short-cut through Phoenix Mountain. I remember that there is a tunnel up ahead. If everything goes smoothly, we'll end up in front of Yan Gang."

xiin – i somehow felt like they were comparing *eggplants* when they started pulling out food and bombs…

sponsored post 1/3~ thanks for the kofi’s, Julia & Jwel!