Chapter 328: Gathering Allies

Chapter 328: Gathering Allies

Zhang Yi called everyone back.

He, Uncle You, and Fatty Xu had all injected stimulants, which gave them a boost of energy and combat strength for a short period.

However, twelve hours later, they would be weakened.

So he had to return to a safe place to rest up for a while.

As for the West Hill Base, he’d come back again sometime later.

After all, there was a large stockpile of weapons and ammunition there, along with plenty of supplies for extreme situations.

Zhang Yi was a frugal person; nothing would go to waste.

The group got in the car, and Liang Yue reminded him, “Let’s go pick up my students first!”

Following Zhang Yi's instructions, her students had taken shelter in the nearest residential area.

With the food and fuel Zhang Yi gave them, they could survive the cold night for a while.

But if they arrived too late and ran out of fuel, they’d be done for!

Zhang Yi didn’t say much, steering the car toward that direction.

Although he didn’t particularly like those students, he did admire Liang Yue.

And he had his eye on her combat skills.

"One day, I’ll make her my own!"

Zhang Yi thought to himself, amused.

As to what “my own” meant, he’d see how things played out.

After driving for over ten minutes, they arrived at the apartment building.

From a distance, they saw a faint light from one of the windows.

The students were gathered inside, using chairs and furniture to fuel a fire with the fuel Zhang Yi had given them.

Zhang Yi let Liang Yue out of the car and said, “We’ll head back now. As we agreed, I’ll provide you with a place to stay and some food.”

“You all can head to Xu Family Town. There are plenty of empty houses there now.”

Zhang Yi’s plan was quite calculated.

At this point, he could easily cut ties with Liang Yue and her students, leaving them to fend for themselves.

But if Liang Yue actually followed his advice and went to Xu Family Town, she’d be one step into his net.

Making her his was just a matter of time.

Right now, Zhang Yi’s car couldn’t fit so many people, so they’d have to arrange their own transportation.

As for the remaining miles, how they got there wasn’t his concern.

Zhang Yi didn’t have the slightest fondness for those students who had bullied Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran.

Ideally, they’d all die along the way, leaving only Liang Yue to reach the destination—that would be the best outcome.

Liang Yue couldn’t help but ask, “Can’t you come back later to get us?”

Zhang Yi looked at her and said calmly, “Teacher Liang, I’ve already fulfilled our agreement. I got you all out!”

“And to show my gratitude, I even agreed to give you and your students food and a place to stay.”

“If you want to ask for anything else, then…”

He rubbed his fingers together. “You’ll need to offer something valuable in return.”

Liang Yue was taken aback. “I… I thought we were friends.”

“Precisely because we’re friends, we need to be transparent! That way, it won’t hurt our relationship.”

Zhang Yi smiled.

Liang Yue was at a loss for words. “Fine, we’ll make our way there ourselves!”

She replied a bit angrily.

Initially, she had wanted to ask if she could get back her beloved Loong Roar Sword.

But seeing Zhang Yi like this, she knew it was impossible.

Trying to take advantage of this shrewd man was harder than reaching the heavens.

“All right, see you at Xu Family Town!” Zhang Yi waved to her before getting back in the car, and the group drove away.

Liang Yue returned to the room where her students were sheltered, only to see them staring out at the departing snow vehicle, full of worry.

“Are you all okay?” she asked with concern.

The students sat around the fire, looking somewhat okay and warm in the room.

There was some risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, but they couldn’t care about that right now.

One of the students looked up and asked, “Teacher Liang, why did they leave? Weren’t they supposed to arrange a place for us?”

Liang Yue noticed the disappointment in their eyes.

Although they’d escaped the nightmare of West Hill Base, survival was still uncertain without a steady supply of food and shelter.

Liang Yue quickly reassured them, “Don’t worry. I’ve spoken with Zhang Yi, and I’ll take you all to Xu Family Town, where the living conditions are good.”

“There are villagers in Xu Family Town, and it’s close to the Lu River, where we can catch fish for food.”

The students exchanged glances, falling silent.

Clearly, this reality was a far cry from their ideal, leaving them disappointed.

Wu Chengyu stood up from the group, furrowing his brows in confusion, and asked:

“Teacher Liang, from what I know, after Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran were taken away, they were living in Zhang Yi’s villa.”

“That shelter was built by Wang Siming with a billion dollars. I even toured it once.”

“That place is big enough for all of us to stay.”

“Why didn’t you ask Zhang Yi if we could move in there? The living conditions would be much better.”

The others’ eyes lit up, and they chimed in, “Yeah, yeah! Since Yang Xinxin and Lu Keran can stay there, why can’t we?”

“Teacher Liang, please go talk to Zhang Yi!”

“It’s so cold out here; catching fish would freeze our hands!”

Their eyes held a spark of greed.

It was clear they’d already discussed this and had imagined a comfortable life in the shelter.

But seeing their hopeful expressions, Liang Yue had no choice but to shatter their dreams.

“Let’s drop this idea. Zhang Yi already helped us escape West Hill Base, and that alone was no small favor.”

“Now we’re square. No one owes anything.”

“What right do we have to stay in his shelter?”

Recalling Zhang Yi’s cold demeanor, she added, “He’s not some altruistic saint. Better give up on that thought!”

“At least now we’re free, and that’s better than being in constant danger at West Hill Base.”

Hearing their dreams crumble, the students grew restless.

Liang Yue frowned and said firmly:

“All right, enough! Tonight, we’ll take turns on watch. Rest well, and at dawn, we’ll head to Xu Family Town!”

Traveling at night was too dangerous, with poor visibility and bitter cold.

Although disappointed and reluctant, the students knew better than to go against Liang Yue’s words now.

After a month at West Hill Base, they’d come to understand that things weren’t the same anymore, and Teacher Liang’s strength was their biggest hope for survival.

---

Elsewhere, Zhang Yi led the group to Yuelu Residential Area to pick up Zhou Ke’er, Yang Xinxin, and the others.

Hearing about Zhang Yi’s success, the women at the safe house were overjoyed.

With West Hill Base destroyed, their lives would be safe again.

In the apocalypse, who didn’t want a stable and happy life?

With the women cheering in his ear, Zhang Yi and his companions exchanged smiles.

Zhang Yi said to Uncle You, “Why don’t you and Aunt Zhou move in with us at Cloud Manor? It’s full of luxury villas, so feel free to choose one.”

“It’s much better than Yuelu Residential Area. And being close to each other, we can support each other.”

Uncle You thought about it and readily agreed.

“Yes, I think that’s a good idea. After this battle, I’ve really come to appreciate the strength of unity.”

He laughed, “Honestly, living there alone with Aunt Zhou, sometimes I did feel a bit scared.”

Fatty Xu chimed in, “Uncle You, what do you have to be scared of? With your strength, unless it’s an organized group like West Hill Base, fifty ordinary people wouldn’t stand a chance against you.”

Uncle You sighed, “It’s those organized groups I worry about!”

Zhang Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly, “Uncle You’s concerns are valid. There’s no way West Hill Base was the only group in Tianhai City.”

“This much is clear from what Chen Xinian said before he died.”

“The Ice Age may have killed most people, but those who survived aren’t easy to deal with.”

“Remember, Tianhai City had twenty million people! Imagine how many superhumans and armed forces might be here.”

Still, Zhang Yi chuckled to lighten the mood, “But we don’t need to worry too much. West Hill Base was powerful, but we still destroyed it.”

“If we stick together, we have nothing to fear!”

The three exchanged looks of mutual confidence.

Besides them, Hua Hua, Yang Xinxin, Lu Keran, and Zhou Ke’er were all either strong fighters or skilled support members.

Even Liang Yue, a martial arts master, could be an ally.

Such a powerful team would make any rival reconsider.

Uncle You nodded firmly, “Then it’s settled—we’re moving!”

With Zhang Yi’s help, relocating was nothing more than a small task.

The group drove their snow vehicle back to the safe house.

Upon arriving, the women ran to them in excitement.

Zhou Haimei anxiously asked Uncle You if he was hurt.

Zhou Ke’er and Yang Siyah carefully checked Zhang Yi over.

Lu Keran watched with a shy smile, hesitating to approach, but Zhang Yi noticed and gave her a big bear hug.

“Thank you all. This victory wouldn’t have been possible without your support.”

Lu Keran bl

ushed, “I just did a little; it was you guys who did most of the work.”

“Don’t underestimate yourself; you’re very important to me!”

Zhang Yi playfully pinched her cheek, making her blush even more as she lowered her head, avoiding his gaze.

Then, he noticed two jealous looks from nearby.

He glanced down to see Yang Xinxin in her wheelchair, pouting at him.

Zhang Yi leaned down, giving her a hug, and said, “If you ask me, our biggest hero this time is Xinxin! Without your powerful hacking skills, our whole plan wouldn’t have had a foundation.”

Though he was clearly trying to flatter her, everyone agreed it was true.

Without Yang Xinxin, they wouldn’t have had a chance against West Hill Base.

In truth, it was less Zhang Yi destroying the base and more the missile from Jiangnan District that created the opportunity.

And all of this was thanks to Yang Xinxin’s work.

In the apocalypse, sometimes a genius in a particular field could be more valuable than a superhuman.

Author's Note