"You just keep bragging…"
"How did you manage to kill their boss's son?" Jack interrupted Hu Laoda softly. He knew Hu Laoda was about to go crazy from frustration, but there was no need to argue with a stranger to find confidence. He casually lit a cigarette and exhaled while looking at Thomas Xu.
"That pervert is no good; he not only plays with women but also with men. Who would have thought he'd set his sights on a little man like me? To save myself, I had no choice but to kill that bastard. Sigh~ I don't even know how my poor man is doing now; I couldn't take care of him when I ran away!" Thomas Xu shook his head helplessly and crushed the cigarette butt hard on the table.
Jack nodded noncommittally and then asked, "What's the situation like at your gathering place? Give me a rough idea!"
"The gathering place is about fifty to sixty kilometers west of here. It used to be a small amusement park in the countryside, and not many people lived around it. After the incident, many survivors went there to hide, which gradually formed a gathering place. I don't know how other places are, but the situation at our gathering place is getting worse. It used to have over ten thousand people, but now there are probably only five or six thousand left. They either starve to death, turn into living corpses, or kill each other. The nearby safer areas have been stripped of food, and it's getting harder to find food. It's like this service area; you can't get in without rain, and it's full of living corpses…"
"...And there's a very contradictory aspect to our gathering place. Although there are fewer living corpses around, there's a severe shortage of drinking water. As you can see, even the Yangtze River has dried up, and every drop of water is incredibly precious. Once, when I couldn't find drinking water, I drank an entire bottle of toner. The taste nearly killed me, but there was no choice. Even though there's a water shortage, this area is much safer compared to those places that have plenty of water!" At this point, Thomas Xu helplessly shrugged his shoulders.
"Who's in charge over there? Is there a unified boss?" Hu Laoda straightened his body, looking at Thomas Xu with anticipation. From his expression, it seemed he was reminiscing about the glory days of being a boss.
"When you can't even feed yourself, who has the energy to take care of so many people? Besides, they are all in groups, and no one listens to anyone else. Basically, it's just fellow villagers banding together to go out looking for food or bullying others. The group that chased me down is a bunch of guys from Jiangbei, and their power could be considered medium at best. As for the rest of us, like me, we just look out for ourselves. Only when we go out to search for food do we team up with a few people we usually get along with, just like in an online game, and we share whatever we find! However, the three largest factions there have formed a law enforcement team, and according to them, they have set some rules. If you want to live there, you have to follow their rules!" Thomas Xu said candidly.
"Damn, with just this many people, why make it so complicated? Everyone should be coordinated to be more efficient!" Boss Hu said with a disdainful pout, blinking at the ceiling as if reminiscing about his past, those days when he became a leader through a mix of cunning and luck!
"Is there a gun problem over there?" Jack pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his waist pocket, opened it, and tossed one to Thomas Xu.
"Weapons like rifles are basically concentrated in the hands of the three major factions. That's one of their rules. Aside from cold weapons and handguns, everything else has to be handed over to them. They will exchange it for an equivalent amount of food, but the total number of rifles in the entire settlement doesn't exceed a hundred or so. They are either outdated militia training weapons or homemade guns, which are only good for scaring people. They might not even be useful against the undead. The Type 81 rifle is considered a rare item there!" Thomas Xu said disdainfully as he lit the cigarette.
"Do you know what the situation is like in Nanzhou? The Nanzhou west of Jiangcheng!" Jack squinted at Thomas Xu, his face showing a hint of anticipation.
"I haven't been to Nanzhou, but I know the road to Nanzhou is completely blocked. People who escaped from there said that while there aren't many undead, they are all huge. A buddy of mine once told me he saw a giant undead covered in eyes and limbs there, easily destroying a fully armed convoy. If he hadn't been far away, he probably wouldn't have made it out alive. So, twenty kilometers west of our settlement is a forbidden zone, and no one dares to go there!" Thomas Xu shook his head in fear, but then thought for a moment and cautiously asked Jack, "Lin Ge, you... don't want to go to Nanzhou, do you?"
"I have to go no matter what!" Jack nodded lightly, then pointed at the busy women and said, "But before I go, I need to make arrangements for them. I want to check out your settlement first!"
"Then Lin Ge, you really need to think this through. These sisters are all like flowers and jade. Although we don't have to worry too much about the undead, if they go there and no one takes care of them, they might not even be able to survive by selling... themselves!" Thomas Xu hesitated and looked back at the women. In their place, there were at least six or seven hundred women living solely by selling themselves, and the competition was really fierce.
"I will consult them!" Jack took a gentle puff of his cigarette and turned to see Bai Ru looking at him with a complex expression. He knew Bai Ru had overheard his conversation with Thomas Xu, but he could only sigh and silently turn his gaze elsewhere.
Food was quickly prepared. The girls found some clean bowls and plates in the kitchen and served fragrant white rice, ham soup, and other dishes on the table. Thomas Xu was also eagerly helping them, occasionally telling the girls a few slightly risqué jokes, making the originally dull women laugh heartily, and soon they were all in a cheerful mood.
"Sister, please have a seat! You shouldn't trouble yourself with pouring the wine. Just leave it to me!" Thomas Xu said with a flattering smile as he took a bottle of Wuliangye from Cao Mei's hands. He hurriedly walked over to Jack and poured a full glass for him. Then, glancing at Boss Hu, he filled his own glass first without considering Hu's feelings, directly shoving the remaining half bottle of wine along with the bottle itself to Boss Hu. Finally, he happily raised his own glass and took a big sip.
"Ah…" Thomas Xu let out a sound of pure delight, and he spread his arms towards Jack, saying, "Fine wine, beautiful women, delicious food, Lin Ge, your life is even more enjoyable than before doomsday!"
"Of course, little brother, you should take a look at who our Lin Ye is. He managed to walk all the way from the north by himself; you can't envy that kind of ability!" Cao Mei poured herself a glass of red wine, looking proudly at Thomas Xu across the table.
"Lin Ge…" Thomas Xu suddenly shouted, startling everyone, but he was dismayed to find that he was looking at Jack with a face full of pleading, urgently saying, "I'll follow you from now on. If you tell me to go west, I won't go east; if you tell me to chase dogs, I won't chase chickens. Although I don't have your skills, I can lend a hand and wipe the gun!"
"Go ahead and dream on. My master's steel gun still needs you to wipe it? Which beauty here wouldn't rush to do it? And they come with their own water source, what do you have? Hmph~" Michael squatted on the chair, looking at Thomas Xu with disdain.
"Michael, why are you such a rogue?" A Xue, sitting next to him, glared at Michael in annoyance, then patted his head, threatening, "No more rogue behavior, or I won't kiss you tonight!"
"Hehe, baby, don't be angry. I just can't stand this guy who's always mooching off others!" Michael chuckled, rubbing his red head against A Xue's soft chest, and A Xue, used to his antics, unconsciously picked up food, smiling as she shared bites with Michael.
"I… I can't believe it! Lin Ge, you… has this dog become a spirit? If he practices for a few more decades, will he turn into a human?" Thomas Xu stared at Michael in shock, seemingly unconcerned about Michael calling him a moocher, but rather envious of Michael's big head resting on A Xue's chest.
"Get lost~ you're the real spirit!" Michael rolled his eyes dramatically at Thomas Xu.