Cooperation?

The bespectacled Tang Chuan stepped forward and called out to the RV with an air of elegance:

"Friend, you've put some serious work into modifying that vehicle. Turning an RV into a mobile fortress-you must be quite a capable player."

"I used to be the chief of surgery at City First Hospital. Now, thanks to the trust my brothers have placed in me, I have the honor of serving as president of the New Light Mutual Aid Association. The gentleman beside me is our guild's vice president."

At that, Tang Chuan gestured toward the dark-skinned man on his right.

He smiled and continued, "We mean no harm. There are simply too many monsters in there, so we sealed this place off for everyone's safety."

Lin Hui lowered his window halfway, revealing a refined, handsome face.

"Oh."

Just one word.

The smile on Tang Chuan's face stiffened, but he quickly restored that fake smile of his, as pleasant as a spring breeze.

"Come on, friend. No need to be so cold."

His gaze casually swept over Su Qingqian in the passenger seat.

Even through the window glass, he could clearly make out the girl's delicate, innocent beauty.

A barely perceptible glint of greed and lust flashed deep in Tang Chuan's eyes.

My luck's really good today. Not only did I meet Liu Xi, but now I've found another top-notch woman?

And this vehicle...

If I could get my hands on both this vehicle and this woman...

He pushed up his glasses to hide the change in his eyes, his tone growing even more sincere:

"To be honest, there really is something in there that we need. But there are more than a dozen White Thorns inside. Your vehicle looks like it packs some serious firepower, brother. Why don't we work together?"

"You can take thirty percent of the supplies in there. How does that sound?"

The dark-skinned man beside him frowned slightly and shot Tang Chuan a displeased look, clearly unaware of this proposal beforehand.

He stepped forward, scrutinizing Lin Hui with a knife-sharp gaze, his voice icy:

"President, we need manpower, not someone we have to bend over backward for. This guy doesn't look like he'll follow orders."

"Come now, Wang Bin. Another person means more strength." Tang Chuan waved a hand, smiling.

Sitting high in the driver's seat, Lin Hui quietly watched Tang Chuan's performance.

In the man's eyes, he saw that familiar, nauseating hypocrisy.

It was a look found only in people who had spent years chasing fame and fortune, accustomed to scheming and putting on an act.

Want to use me as cannon fodder?

And you're eyeing my vehicle and my woman, too?

Lin Hui sneered inwardly.

Still, while they saw him as cannon fodder and a sucker, he was treating them as tools to probe the danger ahead.

After all, he still didn't know what tier the Mutants inside the Aviation Parts Factory were.

If there were high-tier Mutants, having these people around would help draw some of the fire away from him.

With that thought, Lin Hui lightly patted the steering wheel, a smile appearing on his face.

"Thirty percent? Not a bad offer."

Seeing that Lin Hui seemed willing to cooperate, Tang Chuan brightened. He adjusted the glasses on the bridge of his nose and smiled. "Brother, what should I call you?"

"My surname is Lin," Lin Hui replied casually.

"Brother Lin." Tang Chuan pointed toward the abandoned Aerospace Auto Parts Factory ahead. "The White Thorns inside aren't like zombies. Even at the same tier, they're considerably stronger."

At that, he glanced at the autocannon on the RV's roof and flattered him. "We'll be counting on you to do some heavy lifting in a moment, Brother Lin."

"No problem." Lin Hui smiled, then revved the engine. "Bring your people. Let's make this quick."

Vroom!

The RV's engine let out a ferocious roar.

"Such... such boldness."

Tang Chuan took a deep breath and raised both hands, signaling the guild's players to get into their vehicles and prepare to storm the Aerospace Auto Parts Factory.

"Brothers! Prepare to attack!"

At his command, the dozen or so vehicles blocking the road started up.

Without another glance at him, Lin Hui rolled up the window and stepped on the accelerator. Trailing billowing dust, the RV charged brazenly through the parts factory's gates.

"Miss Liu Xi, sorry for the trouble in advance." Tang Chuan smiled at the woman carrying a sniper rifle on her back. "Rest assured, if we take the auto parts factory, I'll personally hand over the high-strength titanium alloy I promised you."

The black-clad woman named Liu Xi nodded, then climbed into her Lv3 modified sports car and followed the convoy.

"That chick's really something!" Watching the woman leave, the muscular, dark-skinned man licked his lips.

In his original world, he had been a worker who hauled bottled water. He usually read novels to pass the time and longed to get intimately acquainted with aloof beauties.

But the gulf between fantasy and reality left him with nothing but late-night daydreams.

After entering this world, once his initial fear subsided, he quickly realized this was his chance.

Relying on the muscles he had built hauling bottled water and a ruthless streak, he had killed quite a few naive players early on, rapidly grown stronger, and formed a guild with Tang Chuan.

Tang Chuan glanced at the muscular man, a flicker of displeasure crossing his eyes. He kept it hidden, however, and said with a smile:

"There's one in that RV, too. When the time comes, we'll each get one! Just stick with me. In this apocalypse, what kind of woman can't we get?"

"Heh heh..." The muscular man chuckled, then glanced at the enormous black RV and asked, "Tang Chuan, that vehicle's firepower obviously isn't ordinary. If we take the auto parts factory, are we really giving him thirty percent...?"

"Heh."

Tang Chuan took off his glasses, pulled a spotless silk cloth from his pocket, and gently wiped the lenses.

At that moment, not a trace of refinement remained in those previously mild, cultured eyes.

All that remained was a venomous snake's malice and cruelty.

"That vehicle's a tough nut to crack. If we try to take it by force, we'll lose a lot of people."

Tang Chuan put his glasses back on, a cruel smile curling his lips.

"Besides, I didn't tell him what we found in there."

The muscular man froze. "What did we find?"

Tang Chuan turned to look at the sinister factory buildings and said softly:

"When I went inside just now, there were indeed more than a dozen tier 1 and tier 2 White Thorns."

"But there's also a tier 3 female White Thorn laying eggs."

At that, Tang Chuan let out a low chuckle that sent chills down the spine.

"One tier 3, plus a whole nest of tier 1 and tier 2 White Thorns."

"I doubt Brother Lin has a clear idea of our strength yet. Once he's nearly exhausted his ammunition and his vehicle's defenses, we'll make our move."

"Then the vehicle will be mine, and the woman... will be mine, too."

Looking at Tang Chuan's sinister profile, the muscular man felt a shiver of dread.

He nodded without saying a word.

Their president, Tang Chuan, was a player who had mastered a Specialization, and he also possessed a powerful extraordinary item.

That was why, even after injecting himself with a Basic Gene Potion, he remained willing to serve under Tang Chuan as merely the vice president.

Tang Chuan raised a hand to adjust his glasses, restoring his cultured smile. "All right. Let's head over and take a look, too."