Chapter 74 The Peanut Squad

Chapter 74: The Peanut Squad

Outside Brocade Blossom Gardens, Chen Fei, who had just stepped off his shift for a breather, immediately spotted two bold figures standing inside the community gate, watching the commotion.

Wiping sweat from his brow, he grinned and waved at them. "Boss Lady, Mr. Xie, heading out?"

Hua Diao took a couple of steps forward, her large eyes curiously scanning the panicked crowd fleeing outside the fence. "Yes. Do you... need any help?"

Chen Fei quickly shook his head, chuckling. "No, no need! Boss Lady, you've got bigger fish to fry. We can handle this minor skirmish ourselves."

"After yesterday’s attack by the Werewolf Boss, some of the smarter folks in our community have realized how serious things are. They’ve been clamoring to go out and practice fighting goblins to power up, so they won’t be defenseless when real danger comes. But they were too scared to venture too far, afraid of running into trouble. Now, with a bunch of goblins literally delivered to our doorstep, they don’t even have to go looking for monsters."

"Though those five three-headed dogs are a bit tougher—they can even shoot fireballs. My brother-in-law used *Identify* on them; they’re Lv.3 monsters. But with him and the rest of the security team keeping them in check, they’re not much of a threat."

"Oh, that’s good." Hua Diao nodded, approving of those who were taking initiative and daring to fight monsters.

Chen Fei’s eyes crinkled with a smile as he sneakily glanced at their intertwined hands, happily indulging in the sweet moment. Then, curiously, he asked, "Boss Lady, are you two heading to the Special Operations Bureau? You can take the side gate over there. Just be careful, and those monsters won’t notice you."

Hua Diao followed his gaze downward and jolted, hurriedly yanking her hand out of Xie Tingsheng’s grip. She avoided looking in Xie Tingsheng’s direction, instead staring stiffly at Chen Fei. "I—I’m going to the Special Operations Bureau alone. Weren’t you supposed to come with me to the supermarket to move the rice and supplies? Are you going, or are you sending someone else?"

"Oh, right! How’s my car? It’s parked outside—with so many monsters around, I hope it hasn’t been smashed!"

She stood on tiptoe, craning her neck to peer toward the parking area.

Meanwhile, Chen Fei watched in horror as Hua Diao pulled her hand away. The smile on Xie the Tyrant’s handsome face faded bit by bit, his eyes darkening with a glare so icy it could freeze blood. Chen Fei’s scalp prickled, his body instinctively aching as memories of being beaten to the point of helplessness resurfaced.

He shuddered and quickly backtracked. "N-No, we’re too busy right now. How about this, Boss Lady—you let the Special Operations Bureau know to leave the supplies at the supermarket for now. We’ll go pick them up ourselves once we’re done fighting here."

"As for your car, I checked earlier—it’s fine! Those monsters don’t seem interested in hunks of metal. They’re only targeting people, and they seem dead set on storming into the community."

"Oh, alright then." Hua Diao nodded thoughtfully, deliberately ignoring Xie Tingsheng beside her as she followed Chen Fei’s directions toward the side gate.

Ten minutes later, Hua Diao successfully got into her car. With a wave at Xie Tingsheng, who stood outside watching her, she hit the gas and sped off.

Right after, Zhu Bin pulled up in a gaudy red convertible to pick someone up.

The moment the car stopped, he stuck his head out, watching the audacious SUV that had just zoomed away, leaving his Brother Sheng in a cloud of exhaust. Turning back, he shot Xie Tingsheng a curious look. "Brother Sheng, do you know the person in that car? They’ve got some nerve, daring to leave you in their dust."

Xie Tingsheng opened the door and got in, his demeanor a stark contrast to when he was with Hua Diao—his eyes icy. "None of your business. Just drive."

Zhu Bin let out an "Oh," but his curiosity only grew. Who the hell was in that car? Brother Sheng didn’t even seem angry.

It couldn’t possibly be Hua Diao, right? No matter how bold that woman was, there was no way a pampered young lady like her would dare to drive out alone in such dangerous times.

Excitedly speculating, he started the car.

Five minutes later, after mowing down another goblin wandering the streets, Zhu Bin snapped back to reality and spoke up. "Oh, right, Brother Sheng—our squad’s got thirty people now. Shouldn’t we give it a name? Something like Inferno Unit or First Squad. Those punks next door already picked a flashy name—Roaring Tiger Team. We can’t fall behind. It’ll be useful for negotiations and collaborations later."

Xie Tingsheng narrowed his eyes slightly, thinking. "The Peanut Squad."

"Wha—?" Zhu Bin’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He couldn’t resist rubbing his ears, turning to see if Brother Sheng was joking.

But Xie Tingsheng’s face remained as cold and unapproachable as ever, not a hint of amusement in his frosty gaze. He repeated, "Call it the Peanut Squad."

Zhu Bin’s expression twisted. "Uh… Brother Sheng, don’t you think that name is kinda… weak? I mean—it’s not exactly imposing or impressive. It’s way too down-to-earth. Won’t people look down on us?"

Xie Tingsheng’s reply was merciless. "Then we’ll pound respect into them."

Zhu Bin: "..."

Suddenly, he understood Hua Diao a little better. How could a spoiled rich girl, used to being pampered and flattered, handle an ice king like Brother Sheng? With his cold, domineering, straight-to-the-point attitude, he didn’t seem like the type to sweet-talk anyone. Even if he gave gifts, it’d probably be with a stiff, "Here. Take it."

With that kind of attitude, no wonder Hua Diao preferred Chu Chengling—at least that guy was smooth-talking and sunny, the type who knew how to charm people.

In the end, Zhu Bin surrendered to Xie Tingsheng’s ruthless logic and tearfully christened their squad the "Peanut Squad."

After parting ways with Xie Tingsheng, Hua Diao drove straight toward the Special Operations Bureau.

As expected, the number of monsters today had surged dramatically. New waves of thirty or more creatures kept spawning on the streets—goblins, werewolves, three-headed dogs, and especially the Elite Werewolf Bosses, who wielded morningstars and rampaged through buildings without restraint. The once-pristine shops and structures were now smashed to splinters, a chaotic mess.

The early signs of a brutal apocalypse were already taking shape.

The Special Operations squads on duty were like firefighters, rushing from one battle to the next, barely staying afloat with the endless waves of monsters.

Right now, the Special Operations Bureau was immensely grateful that yesterday’s meeting had approved today’s martial law protocols. Otherwise, dividing their manpower between handling civilian disputes and fighting off the relentless monster hordes would’ve been untenable.