Chapter Forty-Three: Gunshot Wounds Are an Old Acquaintance

"Boss! I just peeked through the windeye in the driver's cabin! Damn, it's all guns in there! Brand new automatic rifles, still sealed! And launchers too! Hell, we're rich!" The bearded man's sidekick whispered excitedly.

Ah, it seems there's no escaping a shootout between these two groups today. The bearded gang won't give up their haul, and Shen Dong is just as uncompromising. Looks like a fight is imminent.

"Heh, brothers, it appears you just can't let me go, can you? Is it really so hard to take a detour? If that's the case, then I'll have to offend you!" The bearded man's tone grew increasingly hostile, and then, bang—a shot fired, launching the attack.

"You bastard! Shooting us by surprise—I underestimated you! Brothers, get him! Damn it, hurts like hell..."

A barrage of gunfire erupted, echoing endlessly as both sides brazenly opened fire right in the street, as if their lives meant nothing. Fortunately, it was the change of the moon, so only nearby corpse species would be disturbed. Otherwise, a surge of corpses would hardly be surprising.

"Boss, there's not that many on the other side, about the same as us, maybe ten or so!" someone at the pharmacy entrance called out, firing from behind the cover of vehicles.

"Enough chatter! Aim and shoot! If there are any inside the pharmacy, you two get out here and support!" The bearded man barked urgently.

"Boss! We're coming right away!"

As soon as the man finished, I slit his throat without hesitation. There was no use keeping him now. He stared wide-eyed in disbelief as he died, as if asking why I killed him without a word.

Huo Bing looked a bit uneasy, but she said nothing, only appearing somewhat downcast.

"What's wrong? Feeling pity?" I sneered at Huo Bing. In the end, she's still just a girl.

"It's not that. I'm wondering when I'll be able to kill as cleanly as you." Huo Bing suddenly looked up, staring at me earnestly.

I was a little surprised—it wasn't what I expected, but now wasn't the time for more words.

I chambered a round in my Type 996 rifle and strode boldly toward the door.

"Brother Cao, isn't it dangerous to go out like this?"

"Dangerous? With these people busy shooting? Relax, they won't notice me. This is the perfect time. Once I've dealt with the ones outside, be sure to greet Shen Dong." I whispered, then pushed the door open and stepped out.

As expected, neither side paid me any mind, fully engrossed in their firefight.

I walked straight toward the bearded man. In the darkness, they relied on portable lights, but I needed none—I was a walking beacon myself.

"Boss, I'm here."

"Good. Why are you alone? Never mind, start shooting!"

"Alright! Here I go!" I grinned, and my rifle spat fire relentlessly. In mere seconds, nearly everyone around had fallen.

Each shot struck a head dead-on—my talent panel's [Firearm Mastery] with the [Headshot Every Shot] perk was true to its name. Even those hiding behind cover corners were dispatched by the accompanying [Gun Combat Technique], the so-called bullet-bending.

For a moment, I felt almost godlike.

"What the hell did you do! Wait—who are you?" The bearded man finally realized, glaring at me in fury and shock, but all that awaited him was a belated bullet.

With the last of the bearded man's crew dealt with, I silently turned my gaze toward Shen Dong's group.

Suddenly, both sides ceased fire. The gunshots faded and the street fell into a deathly silence.

Huo Bing hurried out of the pharmacy, remembering my instructions. As soon as she emerged, she shouted, "Shen Dong! It's Huo Bing! Everything's fine here! Brother Cao killed them all!"

"Xiao Bing!? Xiao Bing, help me over, I'm still good!" Shen Dong's excited voice rang out—seems he was wounded.

Soon, the two vehicles from the other side drove over, carrying the remaining ten or so people. Clearly, their moonlit journey into town had cost them dearly against the enhanced corpse species.

Looks like the scavengers of the Lonely Place were utterly crushed this time, nearly wiped out. Recruitment from the survivors would be inevitable.

"Xiao Bing! Are you alright? Let me see—ouch, damn, that bastard shot me in the leg!" Shen Dong hobbled off the car, supported by someone, nearly collapsing as he reached Huo Bing.

I squinted at Shen Dong, who threw me a challenging glance. Haha, his appearance almost made me laugh.

Still acting tough in that pathetic state.

"Take him into the pharmacy. You all keep watch outside. We need to move fast—the gunfight surely alerted predators," I said as I strode into the pharmacy. The others began to help Shen Dong inside.

But that guy refused, shouting, "I'm not going! Are you kidding? I don't need his help!"

"Leave some of you outside, the rest come in and help move medicine onto my vehicle," Huo Bing said coolly. "Fine, then wait for death. A dog biting Lu Dongbin—can't recognize a good heart!"

Two minutes later.

Shen Dong lay reluctantly in the pharmacy, his thigh pressed with a blood-soaked rag to prevent shock from blood loss.

Luckily, there were disposable surgical tools in the pharmacy. Not a full set, but enough to retrieve a bullet.

I roughly stuffed a wad of cotton into Shen Dong's mouth, forcing him to clench his teeth.

He glared at me in protest, but his mouth was stuffed too tightly to utter a sound.

"If Brother Cao hadn't killed those bandits, who knows how many casualties you'd have suffered. You might have ruined our scavenger team, hothead!" Huo Bing scolded, hands on hips, kicking Shen Dong sharply.

Shen Dong: "Mmmph, mmmph..."

Originally, she and Huo Tian wanted Shen Dong dead, and now was the perfect opportunity. But I intervened—there was no need to kill him outright.

"Tell me, you left with forty people—how did you end up with so few?"

"Mmmph, mmmph..."

The person tending Shen Dong's wound spoke up: "Miss Huo, we ran into a corpse tide just as we left. The corpse species in the city were devouring each other, and after the moonlit strengthening, they became even more powerful. That's why most of our brothers were lost."

Seeing Huo Bing's grim expression, he quickly added, "But we did get good loot—both vehicles are full of medicine, food, and drink, though the price was steep..."

Shen Dong cast a smug look at me and Huo Bing.

I smiled, picked up the surgical knife, and stabbed it straight into Shen Dong's thigh.

"Mmmph! Mmmph!!"