Chapter 596: As If Even Less Than the Grand Fortune
Chapter 596: As If Even Less Than the Grand Fortune
“The big shots in the Grand Fortune… they really want to kill us?” The one asking was a minor captain standing behind Zhou Zheng.
He used to lead a small squad, but now nearly all his men had deserted. Only two or three remained, and they too had brought their families—now all ferried to Hexi by Luo Feifan.
Like Zhou Zheng, his face was etched with grief. Before the apocalypse, they had fought for their country. After the apocalypse, they had bled and sweated for Yaoyang Base.
Now the Grand Fortune turned on them without hesitation—just because they’d concealed matters concerning Hexi?
Everyone had only been struggling to survive. They’d accepted firewood from Luo Feifan in order to live. Fatty in Hexi had gone to such lengths to trade firewood, also just to live. How could the Grand Fortune’s leaders see this as some kind of unforgivable crime?
Had it really escalated to a matter of life and death?
Zhou Zheng and the others couldn’t understand. They looked at Luo Feifan, eyes brimming with tears.
Luo Feifan nodded heavily, his expression somber and tinged with guilt. “It’s us who dragged you into this. You should never have been involved in such danger. We did hear Chen Chaofa personally give the order to have you killed—that’s why we rushed you into hiding. I’m sorry. You’ll have to endure some hardship for now.”
So it was Chen Chaofa who wanted them dead! Understanding dawned across Zhou Zheng and the others’ faces.
Though grief-stricken, they also seemed resigned. If it was Chen Chaofa, then it made sense. The man was rumored everywhere to be a sadist.
“Captain Luo, don’t say that. None of us owes the other anything,” Zhou Zheng said, shaking his head helplessly. “On the contrary, you saved us. We were already abandoned by the base. To the Grand Fortune, we’re just excess baggage. If—just if—you don’t mind, let us contribute our strength here in Hexi.”
“You want to help defend Hexi?” Luo Feifan looked taken aback, then allowed a small smile. “Actually, it’s not necessary…”
But then he thought Zhou Zheng might assume they weren’t trusted by An Ran or Zhan Lian. So he turned back to Zhan Lian and said with a grin, “Your wife’s in charge. See if she’s willing to let Zhou Zheng and the others handle something.”
At this, Zhan Lian looked helpless. Hexi honestly didn’t need defense—there wasn’t even a need for a perimeter line.
Lifting his head from the map, he gave Zhou Zheng and his men a slight smile.
“As for defense, we haven’t organized it yet—my wife’s handling that. You’d have to ask her. But we are short of soldiers to protect the elderly, women, and children. Would you be willing to do that?”
“Leaving defense… to a woman???” Zhou Zheng and the other men stared at Zhan Lian in disbelief. Wasn’t he from the same elite military background as Luo Feifan? This… sounded foolish.
It felt like Hexi valued defense and vigilance even less than the Grand Fortune!
Still, with nowhere else to go, they didn’t dare show their doubts too openly. Since Zhan Lian only shrugged without answering further, Zhou Zheng and the others dropped the subject.
Perhaps in this bitter cold, no one really treated patrols and defenses as a priority anymore.
Zhan Lian assigned Zhou Zheng and his men to protect the old, weak, women, and children. They agreed.
After more discussion, Zhou Zheng led his people out to find a villa to settle in and then report to Fatty.