Chapter 377: Would Someone Really Be a Saint?

Xiao Honglian looked at the captives’ pitiful expressions, her heart filling with disdain.

She understood that such useless, cowardly individuals could never have access to Zhang Yi’s core intelligence. However, given how little she already knew about Zhang Yi, any scraps of information they could provide were still worth extracting.

“First, tell me: where did you get this satellite phone?”

She held up Gao Yuan’s satellite phone as a signal for them to explain.

But the students had no idea where it had come from. If Dong Hu hadn’t dug it out from under their beds, they wouldn’t have even known it existed.

“We don’t know anything about it!”

“We’ve never seen it before!”

A trace of irritation flashed in Xiao Honglian’s eyes.

Sensing danger, Wu Chengyu’s mind raced before he quickly came up with an idea.

“This... this was left behind by Zhang Yi!”

When in doubt, blame Zhang Yi and Liang Yue—that was his plan. As powerless students, they figured it was only natural for stronger people to bear the responsibility. Zhang Yi and Liang Yue had brought them to Xu Family Town; they should be responsible for their safety.

“Zhang Yi? So it really is him,” Xiao Honglian muttered, her gaze turning cold and murderous.

Killing Gao Yuan was tantamount to declaring war on her and Yangsheng Base.

As the leader of Yangsheng Base, she could not let Zhang Yi go unpunished. Failing to take action would undermine her authority in the base.

“Tell me, how many people does Zhang Yi have, and what are their abilities? How much weaponry and resources do they possess?”

Her piercing gaze locked onto Wu Chengyu as she demanded answers to the critical questions.

This line of questioning left Wu Chengyu and the others frozen.

Although they had lived in Xu Family Town for a while, they had never set foot across the river where Zhang Yi’s shelter was located. The two groups lived entirely separate lives.

They knew nothing about Zhang Yi’s strength, abilities, or the capabilities of his followers.

Even though they had interacted with Liang Yue, they had focused solely on gaining her sympathy to secure more food—or, better yet, gain entry to the shelter. They had never bothered to ask about Zhang Yi or his team.

And even if they had, it wasn’t certain Liang Yue would have told them anything.

Now, stumbling over their words, the students relayed what little they knew, piecing together fragments of information.

“I think I’ve heard that Zhang Yi’s ability is spatial…”

“His followers are really strong. One of them, Yang Xinxin, is a top-tier hacker!”

“There’s also someone named Lu Keran, who’s great with machinery.”

“Oh! And there’s Yang Siyah, the celebrity. She’s with him too!”

“Our teacher, Liang Yue, is also by his side. She’s incredible—she’s a national-level martial artist who once served as a high-level bodyguard!”

Their fragmented statements painted a scattered picture.

Xiao Honglian instructed Zhuge Qingtian to record all the information.

Despite the volume of details, most of it was useless. For instance, while they mentioned Zhang Yi was a spatial Superhuman, they couldn’t elaborate on what that entailed.

As for Liang Yue, her ability was of the common enhancement type—using Superhuman energy to strengthen her already impressive physique and martial arts skills. This information was somewhat useful for planning future combat strategies against her.

However, regarding the shelter’s defenses and the abilities of Zhang Yi’s other followers, the students were completely clueless.

“With just this information, it’s difficult to gauge the true strength of Zhang Yi’s team,” Zhuge Qingtian remarked, shaking his head.

Xiao Honglian drummed her long, pale fingers on the edge of her chair.

She understood this as well. The limited intelligence she had wasn’t enough to justify launching a war.

Yet this was a battle she could not avoid.

“Do you have any other information? Think carefully. If this is all you can provide, it won’t be enough to save your lives,” she said calmly.

The students felt a dizzying wave of despair. Were they really going to die here?

“No! We have other uses! Don’t kill us!”

“Keep us alive! Teacher Liang has a soft heart. You can use us to negotiate with her! No matter what demands you make, she’ll agree!”

“Yeah, Teacher Liang cares about us deeply. She won’t just watch us die!”

“If you’re planning to attack Zhang Yi, we can guide you to his location!”

Hearing this, Xiao Honglian’s lips curled into a mocking smile.

She stood up, clearly uninterested, and waved her hand.

“Lock them up. Give them some time to think about what value they have. If they can’t come up with anything, we’ll use them as sacrificial pawns when we go to war.”

Her refinery needed capable workers, not these frail, pitiful students who would only waste resources.

Zhuge Qingtian approached her and said, “Perhaps we could try something.”

“Try what?” Xiao Honglian asked indifferently.

“These students are Liang Yue’s pupils, and Liang Yue is currently working for Zhang Yi. Their bond might still be strong!” Zhuge Qingtian explained.

“We don’t know Zhang Yi’s true strength. Using these students as leverage, we could feign a negotiation with him. That way, we might uncover some of his hidden cards.”

Xiao Honglian raised an eyebrow at him in surprise.

“You think threatening Zhang Yi or Liang Yue with these useless students would work?” she asked with a derisive smile.

“Don’t be foolish. This is the apocalypse. Everyone is fighting tooth and nail for their own survival. Only those with value deserve to be ransomed. These kids are worthless—why would anyone pay for them?”

“Even their teacher, Liang Yue, wouldn’t be so foolish.”

Zhuge Qingtian chuckled softly.

“My great leader, not every woman in this world is as rational as you.”

“Perhaps their teacher Liang Yue is a soft-hearted woman. And judging by the fact that they’ve been allowed to live near Zhang Yi’s shelter, it seems she still cares for them.”

After hearing Zhuge Qingtian’s reasoning, Xiao Honglian found herself somewhat persuaded.

She couldn’t measure others by her own standards; after all, strong, rational women like her were rare.

“You’re suggesting their teacher Liang Yue might be some kind of saint?”

Zhuge Qingtian smiled. “Let’s hope she is. If she is, then we’ll have an opportunity.”

Author's Note