Beyond Expectations

Tao Yu didn't react to the fleeting sense of danger.

Judging by Jack's attitude towards Cao Shaolin, he had already accepted the newcomer as his subordinate. If Tao Yu were to target Cao Shaolin now, he would face resistance from the entire settlement.

He'd find an opportunity tonight and wouldn't alert them for now.

So, on the surface, Tao Yu also gave Cao Shaolin a friendly smile.

"Let's go. I'm curious too about how they disappeared so suddenly."

"Yeah, let's go take a look together."

Jack translated for Tommy and the others.

The settlement had over twenty people, but only a few had weapons and combat capabilities. There were also about ten elderly, weak, and children.

In this post-apocalyptic environment of seven months, having ten elderly, weak, and children in the group, and with about a third of the total being women, was enough to show that Jack was indeed a person with a strong sense of justice.

As a former CIA task force member, he wasn't exactly a saint, but as a partner, he was more reliable than most pioneers.

Tao Yu assessed the settlement in his mind. The group followed the corridor to the room where the prisoners had been held and entered after opening the door.

The room had already been cleaned once. Except for the window boarded up with planks, it was just an ordinary hotel room. The mattress on the bed looked messy and unmade.

"They were all tied up. They usually sat on the bed. Since we didn't have enough food ourselves, we only gave them some expired supplies to keep them alive.

"But this time, we found they were all gone, and even the ropes they were tied with were gone. There were no signs of escape, and everything looked normal."

Cao Shaolin sounded genuinely surprised as he said this.

"Little Brother Cao, you were in charge of food?" Tao Yu asked casually.

"I have to do what I can. I'm not as good at fighting as Brother Jack, so I can only help with logistics." Cao Shaolin gave a somewhat shy smile.

"They just disappeared?" Jack stood in front of the boarded-up window, looking bewildered, unable to figure out why.

Witnessing such a sudden disappearance of people, it was impossible to understand the first time they encountered it.

"Did these three people say anything? Did they leave any other clues? Why did they attack you?" Tao Yu asked at the opportune moment.

"Their accents were strange, and they had plenty of food, which eased our pressure quite a bit," Jack recalled.

"And they had a strong will to survive. After being captured, they kept begging us for a chance. Now it seems they had planned this all along and were confident they could escape.

"As for the reason for attacking us, they said they wanted to coerce a few ordinary people to scout for them, which is why they didn't kill us. They found a gas station with abundant resources and even told us its location."

Hearing this, Tao Yu's mind raced.

Strange accents were normal; they must have used Wish Power to communicate. As for the resources, it was a normal operation for ordinary Outer City pioneers to transport resources back to sell and draw maps to earn money.

That gas station might genuinely have a lot of resources, perhaps with some trucks, but with many zombies.

Or it could be a temporary settlement for a small group of pioneers.

"They no longer have weapons. Increasing our vigilance should be enough." Jack couldn't figure it out, so he stopped thinking about it. He already had too many things to worry about, and he was losing hair.

"Brother Zhang Wei, you've decided to leave after resting?" Jack turned back and asked Tao Yu.

"Yes."

"May I ask who you are investigating zombie information for? Are there any formal organizations left? The official broadcasts are gone, and now there are only some local broadcasts that have lost contact." Jack saw that the time was right and asked, wanting to know if there were any places that could send people out to investigate.

They were struggling to survive, while some places could send people to investigate; the difference was too great.

"I work for a company. The company is planning to build a settlement in the nearby area. If the conditions are suitable, I think you can join us." Tao Yu carefully gave some information he could share.

Attracting fragmented natives to the settlement was one direction of development. After all, most Outer City people could be considered ordinary people, and there were too few pioneers in the early stages. People like Jack might even stand out when they were needed.

"A settlement? Such a grand undertaking?" Cao Shaolin was also surprised at this moment, a hint of excitement appearing on his face, as if he were very interested.

Jack and the others listened attentively, but while they listened, they only believed to the extent they themselves knew.

"Yes, we are currently scouting for a suitable location. I personally think this area is quite good." Tao Yu wasn't just talking nonsense. They had already discovered frozen worlds in other directions, which were clearly unsuitable. The rainforest required temporary development, and the grasslands had Black Water. Although this area was full of zombies, the buildings were already there.

Especially since he already knew this was a city called Henderson in Nevada, about ten kilometers northwest of the famous Las Vegas.

Although both were surrounded by zombies, these ordinary zombies were far less troublesome than environments like Black Water or extreme cold.

Coupled with the intelligence about the meteorite that could create weapons, which was clearly a powerful Wish Power item, Tao Yu felt that just this information alone would be worth several thousand Wish Power units if he returned now.

"This... you think this place is good?"

Jack couldn't help but feel a bit lost.

"Relatively good. I can't even rule out that those three guys were mercenaries who took a company mission."

Tao Yu brought this up proactively.

In fact, if he didn't say it, others would definitely suspect him of being involved with the previous three people. And so far, it had always been Jack and the other two combat personnel following him, so he hadn't let down his guard.

It was better to be upfront.

"Mercenaries? Is that still a thing?"

Bald Tommy was a little surprised. He had been a mercenary for a while after serving in the former Marine Corps.

And in these difficult times, they weren't particularly bothered by Tao Yu's words. They were all adults and had their own judgments; they wouldn't let one individual represent the whole.

"It's actually hard to explain the company's situation clearly right now. Once we start establishing a settlement, you'll probably understand."

Tao Yu provided some more information appropriately, then hesitated before asking directly:

"Also, besides the zombies, I'm actually investigating something else. You all have some connection to the military, I don't know if you're aware."

"You say it."

Jack was also pondering Tao Yu's words.

"It's a meteorite, a meteorite capable of creating weapons of mass destruction. The company wants to use it to clear the zombie hordes."

Items in different environments have completely different uses!

If it were peacetime, Jack would have been extremely vigilant, as he was almost silenced over this mission back then.

However, later on, because his superior wanted to sell this thing, it wasn't strange that some large corporations knew the intelligence, and people even came to pay.

And in this post-apocalyptic world, something that could clear zombies on a large scale was truly needed!

When the infection first got out of control, someone had even proposed using nuclear bombs for sterilization, but it was surprisingly discovered that the nuclear bombs were ineffective!

Then, there was no then. They didn't have time to research it.

Tao Yu had given some information first, and now he was asking again. Jack hesitated for a moment before actually saying a few words:

"I know about what you're talking about. In fact, the meteorite's current location isn't too far from here. It should be at a military base about a hundred kilometers northwest of Las Vegas."

Hearing this, Tao Yu's eyes lit up slightly.

Originally, he had planned to simply use this intelligence to complete a mission and get some Wish Power.

But now, perhaps he could try to find it himself!

A hundred kilometers might seem long, but with suitable transportation and a route, it wasn't really that far.

Besides people like Jack and Cao Shaolin, the vast majority of people in this world were ordinary humans and zombies, which was perfect for him to show off.

"Mr. Jack knows about it? Then, would Mr. Jack be willing to personally take me there? I have plenty of food, which I'm willing to offer as payment, and I can promise to help the company build connections in the future."

Tao Yu looked at Jack with burning eyes, making Jack hesitate.

As a former member of the CIA task force, and having been betrayed by his superior.

When he heard Tao Yu wanted those meteorites, his first thought was that another inherently evil company wanted to build weapons.

Only after thinking about the current environment did he reveal a little.

Now, Tao Yu sincerely offered food, the hard currency in the apocalypse. Regardless of the quantity, his attitude was undeniable.

He didn't necessarily believe Tao Yu's story about the company settlement and clearing zombies, but at least he felt he could give it a try!

He could determine it by observing things along the way.

"I can try..."

Hearing Jack's words, Tao Yu felt a surge of joy. Having someone with a strong sense of justice, generally trustworthy, and capable of action to lead the way would indeed save a lot of trouble.

However, he then glanced at Cao Shaolin and fell silent.

This prodigal son who found pleasure in killing, if left alone here, might have already wiped out the entire family by the time he and Jack returned.

Tonight, strike first!

In fact, to maximize cost-effectiveness, he should wait until Cao Shaolin made his move, then expose and stop him in front of Jack and the others.

The effect of warning others about a pitfall is far less than pulling someone out after they've fallen in.

But...

Tao Yu didn't want to do that...

"More new food."

"All high-energy foods, at least they'll last a few more days."

"..."

Although Tao Yu brought mostly food to replenish his stamina whenever necessary, it was still only about thirty kilograms of pure food, considering it was carried by one person.

Even so, this batch of food still brought a wave of joy to the people of this small settlement.

Under these circumstances, no one had any objections when Jack temporarily left for a few days.

"I also heard the radio when I arrived. There should be another small settlement over there, right?"

Tao Yu watched the bald Tommy lock up the supplies in the warehouse and asked Jack, who was beside him.

"There are actually quite a few small settlements in the urban area, usually centered around hotels, apartments, or supermarkets. But that radio is from Las Vegas next door."

Jack sighed as he saw the joy in everyone's eyes.

"Now, settlements are attacking and plundering each other. Sometimes humans are more terrifying than zombies..."

"Ha, aren't you afraid I'm a spy sent to infiltrate?"

Hearing Tao Yu's words, Jack rolled his eyes.

"How could I not know the situation in the city better than you? How could they possibly send a spy like you?"

He paused again at this point.

"Besides, even if you were, we'd take the food if you offered it. But you'll have to stay in a room alone tonight, Shao Lin is too."

Although Jack said it nicely, he still maintained necessary precautions.

Just like how the three combat personnel had been following Tao Yu all along.

They weren't as 'naive' as they appeared.

Cao Shaolin had also only recently joined the settlement and was currently staying in a room alone. This brought a smile to Tao Yu's face as he kindly asked Cao Shaolin, "Brother Shao Lin, we'll be neighbors from now on."

"Brother Zhang is right, please take care of me."

Cao Shaolin also put on a fake smile...

As night fell, Tao Yu, who had been leaning against the wall, silently looked out at the night through the gaps in the wooden planks nailed to the window.

The sky seemed to be covered in dark clouds, and the moonlight was completely obscured, making it pitch black.

Reaching out, Tao Yu ran his hand over the gaps in the wooden planks on the window and estimated their size.

These planks served as both defense against the outside and a form of precaution against Tao Yu. However, they were generally sized to block a person, and the gaps were not small to ensure ventilation.

"It should be... enough..."

Tao Yu waited until three in the morning before taking out two Qi Replenishing Pills and holding them in his mouth.

Then, he suddenly melded into the shadows, instantly entering the mottled shadow world. He quickly squeezed through the gaps in the wooden planks, then swiftly moved to the side and entered Cao Shaolin's room.

However, what almost made Tao Yu lose his composure was that the moment he melded into the room, Cao Shaolin, who should have been fast asleep in bed, opened his eyes and sat up, looking around warily!

Even Li Hui, the deputy captain of the Outer City Security Team, had never detected Tao Yu before.

This was also the source of Tao Yu's confidence.

But who would have thought that this arrangement, made solely for caution, would lead to such a situation?

No wonder he felt a sense of crisis along with the malice!

"Who goes there, you scoundrel!"

Cao Shaolin's demeanor completely changed from the amiable gentleman he was during the day. His face turned cold, and he strode fiercely towards the general direction where Tao Yu was.

The standard Eight Extremities Fist stance made Tao Yu break out in a cold sweat. He instantly entered Bullet Time!

He was supposed to be the one ambushing, but the opponent had taken the initiative. What kind of perception was this!

However, looking at the opponent's pupils, Tao Yu could clearly see that the other party hadn't actually seen him but had sensed his presence in that general direction through some unknown means!

Under Bullet Time, Cao Shaolin's originally ferocious and violent rapid-fire punches immediately slowed down.

The contorted expression on his face due to the fierce wind, his vacant pupils, his head-turning sensing motion, and the fist wind that slightly distorted the air all appeared in slow motion before Tao Yu's eyes.

Using the physical acceleration from Bullet Time's stamina consumption, Tao Yu felt his entire Blood Essence being mobilized.

Even with his current powerful physique, he felt a tearing pain.

Blood Essence fueled the Force explosion. Combined with the concise movements of the Crane style, Tao Yu dodged the fist wind by turning sideways. At the same time, he reversed his wrist and fiercely slashed his dog-leg saber towards the opponent's chest and abdomen.

He intended to gut the opponent by crossing their paths.

But what chilled Tao Yu was that even in the extreme clarity of Bullet Time, he saw the opponent's knees and elbows begin to twist abnormally.

Clang~

Raising his knee and pressing his elbow down, Tao Yu's slash, which was intended for the opponent's chest and abdomen, was firmly clamped by Cao Shaolin's raised knee and lowered elbow.

This made Tao Yu almost want to curse.

The art style has changed!

Pfft~

The Shadow Power enveloping Tao Yu poured out, combining with the Force Tao Yu himself unleashed like a hundred rivers merging into the sea. It flowed along the slash towards Cao Shaolin's knees and elbows.

In an instant, the clothing and fabric around his knees and elbows scattered!

His bronze skin was left with ragged bloody marks from across the distance.

In addition, the mental shock from [Basic Weaponry Refinement] caused Cao Shaolin to let out a muffled groan, bloodshot veins bursting in his eyes.

But even so, his defense with the dog-leg saber didn't budge in the slightest.

In fact, due to the entanglement of multiple forces, the dog-leg saber snapped in response.

Crack~

But just as Cao Shaolin, enduring the dizziness in his head and the tearing pain from the physical attack, prepared to disengage and counterattack.

He turned and saw Tao Yu, who had just materialized, holding a handgun with its dark muzzle.

His pupils contracted, and in the nick of time, Cao Shaolin dodged to the side, avoiding the bullet that shot out with the flash of fire.

Seeing that it was Tao Yu, his face contorted in ferocity.

Cao Shaolin never expected that he, who always toyed with others, would be the one to be ambushed this time!

I'll kill you!

But before he could turn his furious thought into action.

The bullet he should have dodged suddenly curved and drilled into his eye.

Damn it! You animal!

"He's not dead yet?"

Tao Yu clicked his tongue, watching Cao Shaolin, whose eye sockets had become bloody holes, merely tilt his head back and retreat, seemingly preparing to flip over and smash through the window to escape. He was completely shocked.

Then he fired a continuous burst of bullets, each shot hitting the head.

On Cao Shaolin's first step to turn, he was shot in the back of the head. The mental shock, combined with the physical impact, made his head swim.

But his reinforced, hard skull actually managed to lodge the bullet, only cracking the bone instead of killing him outright.

Looking at the window blocked by wooden planks before him, he felt a desire to live in his heart.

As long as he rushed over, as long as he smashed through, he could live!

And then he would definitely come back and kill them all!

Toys, actually resisting their master!

However, it was a pity that although his speed and strength were terrifying, his defense was astonishing, and his vitality was tenacious.

But he took a shot with every step, unable to dodge them no matter what. Under the impact of intense mental shock, his last wisp of consciousness dissipated just as his head smashed through the wooden planks.

Finally, his entire corpse was lodged in the broken wooden planks, his eyes wide open in death.

Let alone Cao Shaolin, even Tao Yu's heart was pounding now.

He was sure Cao Shaolin was not simple; that sense of threat was real.

That's why he went all out!

He thought it should have been fine if he attacked by surprise!

Who would have thought that not only did he use all his means, but he almost failed.

If it weren't for [One Proof, Eternal Proof] allowing him to ignore the tearing strain and draw his gun immediately, he would have been in serious trouble if he had been counterattacked by that ferocious individual.

His skull withstood a burst of bullets before dying, what kind of monster was that.

Tao Yu reloaded his pistol. Only after confirming that the Wish Power on the opponent began to gather, and amidst the commotion outside that alerted everyone, did he quickly drag his exhausted body over.

"Not on his body?"

Tao Yu was surprised to find that the Wish Power finally gathered on a golden pistol at his waist, which he hadn't had a chance to use.

Without dwelling on it, he quickly cleaned up the shell casings, bit down on a Qi Replenishing Pill in his mouth to recover quickly, and casually threw Cao Shaolin's corpse out of the broken window to the ground below.

Then he melded into the shadows and returned to the room.

He casually sensed the spoils from the golden pistol.

Simply absorbing the Wish Power yielded over a thousand units.

That was the equivalent of killing more than fifty aliens!