For once, everyone could actually relax. After dinner, the seven of them split into a mahjong table and a Fight the Landlord table, playing like they didn't have a care in the world. Like the apocalypse had never happened.
With Little Orange on watch, any approaching zombies would trigger an immediate alert. No need to keep their guard up.
Besides, being on a mountain meant zombies rarely wandered this far up.
At that moment, at the foot of Xingyue Mountain, over a dozen people arrived and began climbing quickly.
Soon the group reached the summit and was about to head toward the villa when an Orange Cat the size of a tiger materialized in front of them, blocking the path.
"Mutated Beast!"
Weapons came out instantly. Battle stances. Fingers on triggers.
"Put your weapons down. It should be their pet-I remember they have an Orange Cat." The woman at the front spoke calmly. Strikingly beautiful, voice steady.
Hearing her, the others lowered their weapons, though their eyes never left the massive cat.
They'd experienced Mutated Beasts firsthand. Same tier, almost unbeatable.
The woman looked at the Orange Cat and spoke carefully. "Easy. We mean no harm. Is your master home?"
The Orange Cat studied them for a moment, then let out a call toward the villa.
Inside, everyone heard Little Orange and stood up.
Yang Bin activated his True Vision Eye and scanned the group. A strange look crossed his face.
"Her?"
"Not zombies?"
"No. Military."
"They still won't quit? Do they seriously think we won't kill them?" Anger flared across the room. They'd already relocated up here, and these people still tracked them down.
"Only a dozen or so. Doesn't look like a hostile approach."
Yang Bin thought for a second, then called out toward the door. "Let them in."
Little Orange stepped aside, bounded away in a few leaps, and vanished.
The visitors exchanged glances. Shock in every pair of eyes.
A Mutated Beast that obedient. None of them had ever seen such a thing.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. Lin Yifei took a deep breath and walked toward the villa.
At the entrance, she raised her hand to knock-but the door swung open first.
Skinny Monkey stood there. The sight of the gorgeous woman made him blink once, but old habits kicked in immediately. "You bring a door gift?"
"......"
Lin Yifei froze for a beat, then recovered fast. She dug into her pack and produced two Tier-5 crystals, handing them over with visible reluctance.
"How about these?"
They'd killed for those on the way here. Hadn't even used them-originally meant for Zhao Hu and the others. But since the man asked, Lin Yifei offered them without hesitation.
She knew exactly why she'd come. Keeping her posture low was the play.
The soldiers behind her wanted to protest but swallowed it.
Before departure, the Regiment Commander had hammered it home: follow Miss Lin's lead on everything.
So even watching her hand over Tier-5 crystals-crystals they'd been dying to use-as a goddamn door gift, they kept their mouths shut.
Then Skinny Monkey nearly broke them.
"This crap? You actually have the nerve to show up with this?"
"You-"
The soldiers almost snapped. Lin Yifei held them back with a look.
"I'm sorry. This really is the best we have," she said, a flush of embarrassment creeping in.
"You don't have, like... food? Smokes? Booze? Anything?"
"Ah..."
"Yes! Yes yes yes-should've said so earlier!"
One of the soldiers behind Lin Yifei reacted instantly, pulling several packs of beef jerky and two packs of Zhonghua cigarettes from his bag.
"Now we're talking." Skinny Monkey took the jerky and cigarettes with a satisfied nod-and completely ignored the Tier-5 crystals. They had no use for those anymore.
The visitors' faces twisted into the strangest expressions.
This guy... was he an idiot?
They entered the villa. What they saw inside short-circuited their brains.
Four people sat around an automatic mahjong table, tiles clacking. At another table, two people held cards in their hands-and the guy who'd just opened the door sprinted back to grab his hand. Fight the Landlord, clearly mid-game.
"Grab a seat on the couch. Let me finish this round," Yang Bin said without looking up.
"...Okay."
Lin Yifei nodded, slightly dazed. For one surreal moment, she thought she'd time-traveled back to before the end of the world.
The soldiers behind her fared no better. Jaws slack. Eyes wide.
We fight for our lives on the edge of death every single day, and these people are at home playing mahjong and cards?
The gap was absurd.
If half of them hadn't seen Yang Bin in person before, they'd have sworn they were in the wrong place.
"Hu! Self-drawn Thirteen Orphans!"
Yang Bin's shout yanked them back to reality.
"Boss, you used your ability!"
"I did not. I'm a man of principle. Said I wouldn't, so I didn't."
"Bullshit. How do you win big every single time without using it?"
"Exactly. Definitely cheating. Absolutely shameless."
"Too bad. A bet's a bet. My laundry-clothes, underwear, socks-you three are covering it for a month."
"......"
"Alright, we've got guests. Let's be hospitable."
Yang Bin pushed back from the table and strolled over to Lin Yifei's group.
They were all staring at him with deeply peculiar expressions.
Lin Yifei recovered first. Seeing him approach, she stood quickly.
"Captain Yang, sorry to intrude."
"You're fine. Not much of an intrusion-we were bored anyway."
He dropped onto the opposite couch. "So. What brings you all the way up here?"
"Division Commander Liu-the one who met with you last time-is dead." Lin Yifei's voice went low.
"Dead?" Yang Bin's eyebrow ticked up. Genuine surprise.
"Not zombies, I'm guessing."
"No. Assassinated. Ambushed. We believe Mayor Ma Zhongguo was behind it."
"So did you take him out?"
"No..."
Lin Yifei shook her head. "We have no proof. And we don't have the strength. Inside the base, we can't touch him."
"Weak."
"So you came here wanting me to handle your revenge?" Yang Bin's expression stayed flat.
"Not exactly. We've broken away from the official base. Brought our soldiers out and established our own. I'm here to invite you-all of you-to join us there. Food and supplies handled. Absolute freedom, no restrictions. All we ask is that when the time comes to fight them... you lend us your strength. Once." Lin Yifei met his eyes. Sincere. Direct.
"You think your base is more comfortable than this?"
"......"
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