He struggled to suppress his laughter. “No one said we were going to your house. Maybe there are some vacant houses in the community where you live. That would work too. Really, no one is going to your house. Everyone is just unfamiliar with the residential areas nearby.”
This guy was pretty smart, so how had he managed to get so stubborn about this one matter?
Actually, that was not what Quan Xiaoyu meant. He was simply acting on his instinct to seek benefits and avoid danger, refusing to let dangerous people get close to him. That was why he had rejected the doctor following him.
But what Chu Tian said was not wrong either. His own villa community was only twenty percent occupied, so there should be plenty of empty houses. A group of people had even moved in a few days ago…
Thinking about those people of unknown origins who had never shown themselves, Quan Xiaoyu seemed to feel less resistant toward letting the doctor and the others move in.
“But he—” Quan Xiaoyu turned his head and glanced at the doctor. That man was dangerous and uncontrollable. Although he had saved everyone, Quan Xiaoyu firmly believed that if the man became unhappy, he could kill everyone in an instant without even blinking.
“I know he looks very dangerous. But think about it. From beginning to end, he has only killed one person. I’m not saying he’s merciful. I’m guessing that there’s some kind of pattern and principle behind whom he kills. From what we’ve seen so far, as long as you obey him, you’ll be fine. The world has already fallen into chaos. There will be all kinds of people in the future. As long as you make him promise not to invade your territory, what’s the harm in giving him a ride?” Chu Tian analyzed the situation carefully, doing his best to persuade Quan Xiaoyu.
He also had his own selfish reasons. He and Bai Mingxi needed somewhere to stay too. Judging from Quan Xiaoyu’s earlier behavior, it seemed that he intended to leave on his own, with everyone going their separate ways.
Quan Xiaoyu thought for a moment and nodded. “But…”
Chu Tian interrupted him. “I know. We have to make the conditions clear to him beforehand. You say what you want first, and I’ll add anything you miss.”
“Okay.” Quan Xiaoyu agreed. Only then did he support Chu Tian as they walked toward the doctor.
“Have you made up your mind?” The doctor raised an eyebrow. Although he was asking Quan Xiaoyu, his gaze landed on Chu Tian instead, his eyes filled with amusement and aggression.
Chu Tian was completely unaffected. He maintained a perfect smile toward the doctor, and not the slightest hint of his thoughts could be seen on his face.
“There’s a villa community with plenty of empty houses. I’ll take you there,” Quan Xiaoyu said seriously.
The doctor’s eyes lit up when he heard the words “villa community.”
“But—” Quan Xiaoyu changed his tone. “Any empty house is fine, but you can’t take someone else’s house. And you can’t go to my house.”
What he was most worried about was that they would break into houses, rob and kill people. He was afraid that he had invited wolves into his home.
The doctor curled his lips, his face full of disdain. He wasn’t that low-class. So this whole time, that expressionless-faced idiot had been worried about this?
“Relax,” the doctor said lazily. “I won’t do that, and I can guarantee that they won’t either.”
“Yes, yes, yes, we won’t!” Among the group, a white-collar-looking man immediately came up with a clever excuse. This concerned their own safety, so naturally, he spared no effort. “We’re all ordinary people. How would we dare rob anyone?”
“We just want to find a safe place. We won’t cause trouble. Big Brother, you can rest assured.” A young woman immediately followed up. She was still wearing a hospital gown, so she had probably been a patient at the hospital earlier.
When the young woman spoke, Bai Mingxi gave a cold snort, and she awkwardly shut her mouth.
Quan Xiaoyu did not care about their personal grudges. Now that they had reached an agreement, he intended to leave.
There was a certain amount of danger on the highway, and besides, he had been out for quite a while. He was worried that Li Nan might be concerned about being alone at home. He wanted to get back as soon as possible.
“I’ll drive ahead and show you the way. Figure out how to keep up yourselves.” After saying that, Quan Xiaoyu walked straight toward the car he had selected earlier without looking back.
The doctor shrugged indifferently, then activated his ability and quickly cleared out a bus. The bus had previously overturned and still had a few spots of blood on its body, but aside from the shattered windows, most of it was still intact. It should be able to start.
“Can anyone start the vehicle? If not, I’ll have no choice but to leave you behind and follow that expressionless little brother on my own.” The doctor’s smile was filled with malicious teasing.
“I-I can!”
“I can too.”
“And me… I…”
Hearing that they might be abandoned, several people hurriedly volunteered themselves. The doctor lifted his chin, and they quickly climbed into the bus and began fiddling with it.
Bai Mingxi did not want to stay with those people, but he also did not dare chase after Quan Xiaoyu. He could only ask Chu Tian, “Tiantian, what do we do?”
Chu Tian thoughtfully rubbed his chin. Then he pushed Bai Mingxi’s supporting hand away, put on a pitiful expression, dragged his injured leg, and limped after Quan Xiaoyu.
However, as he walked, he quietly said one sentence:
“Follow behind me.”
Bai Mingxi immediately followed him step for step.
When Quan Xiaoyu opened the car door, he saw Chu slowly approaching. He stopped three meters away from the car and looked at Quan Xiaoyu with a pitiful expression, as if he were an abandoned puppy.
Quan Xiaoyu felt that he must have been an idiot. He knew perfectly well that this man was acting. He also knew that this man was no less dangerous than the doctor. Yet in that instant, he still involuntarily softened his tone and said, “Get in.”
Chu Tian immediately broke into a bright, sunny smile. Dragging his injured leg, he climbed into the passenger seat with unprecedented agility.
Don’t be fooled by how useless Bai Mingxi usually looked. At this moment, he was exceptionally quick-witted as well. The speed at which he darted into the back seat was no slower than Chu Tian’s. Open the door, get in, close the door—it was all done in one smooth, clean motion.
Quan Xiaoyu immediately realized that he had dug himself a huge hole.
With a sigh, he started the car.
When it came to playing mind games, he had never been able to outplay anyone in his entire life.
In his previous life, even when Wen Tong came to his house to drive him out, he had been unable to organize his thoughts well enough to argue with her. In this life, he had simply left before Wen Tong could even come looking for him. He was afraid that encountering Wen Tong would only bring him endless trouble.
Dealing with humans was much harder than killing zombies.
Quan Xiaoyu drove off ahead of them.
The bus behind him was not slow either. The few people working together quickly got it running. Once the vehicle started, everyone climbed aboard and immediately followed Quan Xiaoyu.
When they arrived at the villa community again, Quan Xiaoyu slowed down.
Nothing here seemed different from when he had left. Only the barrier gate and the main gate were both open at the same time, like a huge mouth wide open to welcome people inside.
Every time he approached this gate, Quan Xiaoyu felt something strange in his heart.
This time, he clearly sensed it—
Someone was watching them!
Chu Tian sensed it too. Just as he looked at Quan Xiaoyu, Quan Xiaoyu had already stopped the car.
The two exchanged a glance, understanding each other without words.
The bus behind them stopped as well. The doctor got out and walked over to Quan Xiaoyu’s car. He frowned, but his eyes were fixed on the security booth ahead.
It seemed that he had noticed it too.
Quan Xiaoyu opened the door and got out, gripping his samurai sword tightly in his hand.
Chu Tian wanted to get out as well, but Quan Xiaoyu stopped him. An injured person should not get involved in this kind of excitement.
Chu Tian did not insist and obediently stayed in the car.
Quan Xiaoyu stood beside the doctor and glanced at him. No matter what, they currently had the same objective.
The doctor smiled and winked at him before calling toward the security booth, “Friends inside, why don’t you come out and talk? We’re not bad people. We’re just a group of survivors who need some help.”
Seeing that they had been discovered, the people inside did not bother pretending. Soon, Quan Xiaoyu and the doctor saw two dark gun barrels pointed at them.
“Oh, oh…” The doctor let out an exaggerated cry and half-heartedly raised both hands, putting on a deliberately frightened expression.
Only then did two faces appear.
It was that guy called A-Tao and the bootlicking lackey.
“Survivors, huh? You want to move in?” A-Tao raised his eyebrows. A cigarette that had not been lit hung from the corner of his mouth. He arrogantly sized up the two men and the two vehicles. Soon, he recognized Quan Xiaoyu as the young man who had driven out that morning.
He had not expected the boy to return alive from outside, much less bring back a group of people with him.
“How many of you are there? Have them all get out of the vehicles.” A-Tao pointed his gun at the doctor and spoke in a commanding tone.
“I already live here. I’m just going home,” Quan Xiaoyu said coldly.
At a time like this, anyone who could carry a gun was either a police officer or a criminal. Judging by the way this man spoke, he certainly did not look like a police officer.
Quan Xiaoyu remembered the previously damaged gate and the gunshots Li Nan had said he heard.
“Hmm, I’ve seen you before.” A-Tao looked Quan Xiaoyu up and down with a half-smile, his eyes filled with contempt. “I saw you leave this morning. But now, we’ve taken over this community, understand, kid? In other words, around here now, I! We! Decide!”
He emphasized each word viciously.
But his voice softened slightly when he caught sight of the girl poking her head out of the bus.
“However, it’s not impossible for you to stay here. There are plenty of houses inside anyway. As long as you cooperate with our registration and inspection, and our boss gives the okay, this can be settled.”
There were women among them!
And young, fresh-faced women!
Heaven knew how long it had been since they had touched a woman after this damned disaster began.
At first, they had been busy fleeing everywhere and avoiding monsters, so they had no time to think about anything else.
Later, when their boss led them to blow open the home of that damned bald man and snatched that seductive woman, all they saw every day was their boss fooling around with the enchantress. Of course, the brothers were all burning with impatience.
But the boss would not let them casually touch that little temptress. Only Old Wu had made a great contribution and gotten to enjoy himself once. The others could only watch helplessly and stew in their frustration.
So they had broken into another three or four nearby houses, yet had not found a single young woman.
And, unfortunately, yesterday their boss had ordered them not to cause trouble for the time being.
The pent-up lust inside him was practically driving him crazy!
Just now, when he saw that handsome young man, he had even wondered whether he should knock him unconscious, drag him into the house, and make do with him.
He had never expected that there would actually be women among this group.
And more than one.
This was a huge stroke of luck!
Meat delivered straight to their doorstep!