Chapter Forty-Two: This Kid Suits My Taste

"I've checked the place—it's safe. We can start loading the truck," Huo Bing announced, making a circuit around the pharmacy with her gun raised. Dressed in a bulletproof vest and holding her weapon, she had the air of a seasoned veteran—brave and striking in her bearing.

I relit the half-smoked cigar between my fingers, savoring a rare moment of peace. Here, at last, I could enjoy a few drags undisturbed.

"Wait a second—there's something outside." My ears caught the faint sound of vehicles approaching. I quickly pulled Huo Bing down beside me.

Peering through the pharmacy's glass, I watched as, after ten or so seconds, two more vehicles appeared, pulling up not far from our armored truck.

About a dozen people jumped out, each armed—they looked like a squad out scavenging for supplies.

"Boss, there are already two cars parked outside the pharmacy. Maybe someone beat us to it?"

"Shh! If there’s anyone inside, we need to be careful. These days, guarding against people is harder than guarding against the infected."

A flashlight beam suddenly swept across the window, searching for signs of life inside. I ducked my head, listening intently.

"There are around a dozen people outside. They've seen our cars and stopped. Watch for my signal—get ready to shoot," I whispered into Huo Bing's ear.

Now was not the time for hesitation. If they fired first, we'd lose the advantage.

"Here," Huo Bing said, handing me her rifle and drawing a pistol from her waistband.

"Call it a woman's intuition, but I think you'll use this better," she said, her eyes bright with confidence.

I took the rifle without protest. Honestly, I wasn't nervous about facing people; to put it bluntly, I didn't see them as a real threat.

"Inside the pharmacy, we're from a nearby settlement. Would you come out for a chat?" The leader called out. I’d caught a glimpse of him—a burly, bearded middle-aged man, not unlike myself in earlier days.

I just smiled and leaned back against the wall, saying nothing.

"Liu, go open the truck and see what's inside."

Huo Bing gripped my arm tightly in alarm, but I shook my head at her. Let them look if they want.

Through the glass doors I watched as, unsurprisingly, a dozen guns were now pointed at the pharmacy. These men were certainly not to be trusted.

"Boss! Two more vehicles just showed up!"

"Take cover and prepare to return fire. Two of you—go inside and check if anyone's in there," the leader ordered.

I set the gun down and picked up the bone blade. Only two coming in? They wouldn't be leaving. I was confident I could take them both out in a tenth of a second.

With the blade’s sharpness, taking off a head barely took any effort.

The door creaked open and two men with handguns entered. I held my breath, waiting around the corner.

A muffled groan followed—I’d driven the bone blade straight through one man's heart. He dropped silently, and I eased him to the ground to avoid making a sound.

To be sure he didn’t turn into an infected, I struck his skull again with the blade. That guaranteed no coming back.

For a moment I wondered if it was my imagination, but the bone blade felt less solid than when I'd first acquired it. Perhaps being separated from its source was causing its density to diminish. If I kept using it, it would eventually become nothing more than an ordinary bone.

As for the other intruder, Huo Bing already had her gun pressed to the back of his head. I strode forward and pressed the bone blade to his throat.

One false move and he'd either have his head blown off from behind or lose it from the front.

"Do exactly as I say, or you die now. If you understand, nod," I said coldly.

The man nodded, terrified, and handed over his weapon.

"Who are you people? Why block off the road with your vehicles?" came a voice from outside as two groups faced off.

That voice was all too familiar—the socialite, Shen Dong.

"Sorry, friend, but you'll have to take a detour. We're handling a private matter here," the bearded man called back. Both groups were close enough to keep their voices low; no one wanted to shout and risk waking any infected nearby.

Since it was nighttime, both groups had their flashlights trained on each other. Once again, Shen Dong spoke: "Private matter? That's not right, friend. These vehicles look like ours."

I focused, using my keen sense of hearing to listen in. Shen Dong was sharp—he’d recognized the armored vehicles from our settlement at a glance.

There were only two groups from our settlement—his and ours. He must have guessed we were here.

"Boss, the truck won’t open. Looks like it’s locked from inside. These vehicles are a lot more advanced than ours, and the cab needs to be unlocked before we can access the back. Also, there’s a dog inside," reported one of the men.

"Forget it if it won’t open. Just looking at these rides, they’re way better than ours. The dog doesn’t matter. The harder it is to open, the better the loot inside."

"Friend! You’re claiming these are your vehicles? I don’t think so. First come, first served, and I intercepted them on the way. What have you got to do with it?" the bearded man shouted, then called toward the pharmacy: "Li Bing, anything going on in there?"

I nudged the man I’d disarmed. "No tricks. Move, and you die instantly."

He nodded quickly and shouted, "Boss, nothing else in here."

"And Li Bing?"

"Li Bing’s still inside, checking the medicine."

"As long as everything's fine."

At that moment, Shen Dong’s voice rose again: "Bullshit! These are vehicles from our settlement. If you bastards dare steal from us, I swear, right now, this instant, get lost—or we’ll kill every last one of you!"

I couldn't help but chuckle quietly. "I like this kid, Shen Dong. Knows how to talk—reminds me of myself."

Huo Bing pouted and poked at me, "Don’t forget what we agreed before."

"I’ll think about it. Your father said we’d be better off killing him, but maybe not. Let’s wait and see—he’s a bit reckless," I replied, intrigued by how things would unfold.

In terms of firepower, Shen Dong’s group had at least thirty or forty people, outnumbering the bearded man’s. But if shooting started, it would only invite trouble.