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Chapter285
"Alright, let's go. Let's see if we can trade for some milk or something." Zhang Dingshan took the rope of the cart, placed it on his shoulder, and pulled the armored vehicle by himself.
The farm was vast, with nearly a hundred workers and guards. The exterior boasted tall electric fences and solid rock walls.
At the moment, the farm's manager was pacing anxiously. The room was filled with armed guards, ready to move on command to the back of the "farm" to rescue people.
"What's going on? Shouldn't they be here to collect food by now? It's been over an hour."
"Boss, is it possible they got held up? There shouldn't be any danger inside, right?"
"With hundreds of mutated beasts inside, how could it not be dangerous? What if the food collectors had the misfortune of encountering one? There are some particularly challenging creatures in there."
"Should we send in a team to check?" The one who spoke was met with collective glares from his colleagues. Why would they volunteer for such risk without orders?
"Fine, you all take the food in. More people might handle an emergency better. Remember, no heroics!" The manager reminded them, recalling an incident where an employee tried to help a child in danger and ended up being fed to the mutated beasts that night.
Others recalled the incident and shuddered, wishing they could refuse the task.
As they were preparing to leave with the food, they ran into Zhang Dingshan and his team. Both groups paused in surprise.
Zhang Dingshan was the first to react, making way for them. They passed without a word, creating an eerie atmosphere.
After they left, he asked the employee who escorted them, "Hey, where are they heading?"
"Heh, I'm not entirely sure, probably some task assigned by the manager." The worker led them to a lounge, offering hot tea and meals, saying, "Captain Zhang, our supplies are limited. Please make do with what we have."
"Thank you. We've had worse on our journeys. A hot meal is a rare luxury." Zhang Dingshan and his team had brought in a mutated wild boar, hoping to trade it for dairy products.
It wasn't uncommon for the farm, located in this area, to encounter such trades. The value of the boar would be determined by its weight, and the farm could enjoy an extra meal.
Even though the farm was here, obtaining mutated meat wasn't easy. Their caged mutated animals were carefully selected and hard to capture. They couldn't be slaughtered, and hunting outside was too dangerous. Thus, they welcomed explorers willing to trade meat.
After the meal and the trade, Zhang Dingshan, with a grin, asked, "Hey, since we're here, can we take a tour? We heard that the farm has some pre-apocalyptic common livestock like chickens, ducks, cows, and sheep. It's been so long since we've seen animals from before the end times."
Others were tempted as well and echoed, "Indeed, let us have a look. If there are fowls for sale, we'd love to purchase some for our homes."
The manager didn't think it was a big deal and asked a staff member to show them around, adding only one warning, "Captain Zhang, there are some low-level mutated beasts kept at the back of our farm. Please avoid that area."
"No worries. We had a fruitful hunt this time, and we're not interested in mutated creatures." Zhang Dingshan thought he was being overly cautious. He wouldn't bother with these captive, low-tier mutants – he wouldn't even accept them if offered.
But as the group exited the poultry section, a harrowing scream echoed, prompting everyone to ready their weapons.
"What happened?" They sprinted towards the source of the scream and soon realized it came from the area where the mutated beasts were kept.
"This is bad. Someone must've been attacked. Let's go check it out," Captain Zhang said, leading the way with enthusiasm, only to halt at the entrance.
"What... What's going on here?" Instead of guards being attacked by mutated creatures, Zhang Dingshan saw his old acquaintance, Zhou You, claiming the lives of these guards.
This was his first time witnessing Zhou You take action in real life. He was efficient and lethal; none of the guards stood a chance against him for more than a few moves. And, to his surprise, Zhou was also a psychic manipulator.
"This is bad," he thought. "Will he silence us since we're witnesses?"
He discreetly signaled his team to retreat. If Zhou really intended to eliminate witnesses, Zhang would at least buy some time.
But he couldn't comprehend; why was someone so amiable in the virtual world so ruthless in reality?
Zhou You easily dispatched the guards. He hadn't intended to kill them initially, but they harbored murderous intentions first, mistaking him for a mere trespasser. They not only verbally harassed him but also got physical, so they got what they deserved.
Sheathing his flying knife, Zhou turned to Zhang Dingshan, asking with a hint of confusion, "Captain Zhang, what brings you here? Are you working with the Zhu family too?"
"Accomplice? No, no, no, you've misunderstood, Zhou. We're just passing through on our way back to the city and thought to pick up some supplies. Just pretend we're not here, and we'll be on our way," Zhang replied, prioritizing his group's safety over confrontation.
"Wait." Zhou, guessing they might have vehicles, approached Zhang before he could plead.
"Brother Zhou, or should I say, Mr. Zhou, please spare us. We did collaborate once, and I promise to keep this a secret. Don't kill me!"
Zhou chuckled softly, "Why would I kill you? I just need to borrow a vehicle to transport some kids to the city."
"Oh! I have two spare vans. Would you like them?"