"Crazy Bro, aren't we being overly cautious? It's just one man and three women. What's there to fear?" The underling seemed utterly entranced by their beauty.
However, Crazy Bro shot back with irritation, "Who's in charge here—you or me?"
The underling quickly apologized.
Tang Ze chuckled as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Sun Ting, standing beside him, flicked open a lighter and lit it for him.
"You two, check inside," Tang Ze said casually.
An Bai and Ye Qingyi nodded and headed into the house. Inside, all the food and water had been looted, and several bodies lay scattered on the floor, three of them clad in gas station uniforms.
After all, gas stations were storage hubs for supplies, which made them battlegrounds.
Near the cash register, a naked woman with disheveled hair obscured her face. A buck-toothed man assaulted her with a sinister grin, completely oblivious to An Bai and Ye Qingyi's approach.
Outside, the underling slung a baseball bat over his shoulder and swaggered over. "Hey, buddy, where are you from?"
Tang Ze tapped off some ash and replied indifferently, "None of your damn business."
This response clearly irked the underling. If not for his boss's orders to stay calm, he would've swung the bat at Tang Ze's head right then.
"We're with Boss Huo. That's Crazy Bro over there. Go say hi," the underling said, his eyes greedily scanning Sun Ting's face.
Inside her down jacket, Sun Ting gripped her gun, barely resisting the urge to blow his brains out.
The sudden mention of Boss Huo gave Tang Ze pause. He glanced toward the car nearby and walked over with a seemingly sincere smile.
The underling looked pleased, as if Tang Ze was finally cooperating, and even clicked his tongue suggestively at Sun Ting.
"Crazy Bro, I've heard so much about you!" Tang Ze laughed heartily.
Seeing Tang Ze's apparent friendliness, Crazy Bro stepped out of the car, showing off his Nepalese kukri, which had already claimed ten lives.
"So, where are you headed, buddy?" Crazy Bro asked with a grin, as if catching up with an old friend.
Tang Ze shrugged. "No real plans, just wandering around."
"Just you alone?" Crazy Bro asked curiously.
"My neighborhood's gone mad. Who'd stick around waiting to die?"
Hearing that Tang Ze was alone, Crazy Bro burst into laughter. "Isn't that the truth? These neighborhoods are all fake. Not like us—we stick together through thick and thin, share the spoils, and enjoy the women together."
"Sounds like you've got quite the setup, Crazy Bro."
"Indeed. Ever heard of the Royal Club? Our boss, Huo, handles the goods. He's always willing to take in capable people. I see you've got some skills with modifications. How about joining us?"
Tang Ze had indeed heard of the Royal Club. He'd even delivered food there once. It was a famous high-end club in Hua'an City, known for its young and beautiful hostesses—but also for being pricey. Tang Ze couldn't afford to play there often.
If it weren't for his plans to visit Cao Yu's place, Tang Ze might have considered checking it out. Wherever there were beautiful women, that's where Tang Ze liked to wander.
"How about in a few days? Can I get your WeChat?" Tang Ze's words were sincere, but to Crazy Bro, they sounded dismissive—a blatant refusal.
"So, where are you off to, buddy?" Crazy Bro's smile faded slightly, a hint of malice creeping into his expression.
"Visiting an old friend."
"I see."
Tang Ze noticed the car was empty and asked curiously, "What about you guys? Where are you headed? Didn't find any supplies?"
Crazy Bro didn't answer directly but sighed. "You know how things are these days, buddy. I'm trying to keep things civil, so you should too. Otherwise, things could get messy."
"How am I not being civil?" Tang Ze feigned confusion, his innocent expression almost making Sun Ting burst into laughter.
"Kid, you're asking for trouble."
Tang Ze scratched the back of his head and said innocently, "You're making this awfully tricky for me."
The underlings around them began moving slowly, forming a circle, their knives glinting menacingly.
"Crazy Bro!!" A panicked voice suddenly rang out from inside the house. An underling, pants still down, came running out as if he'd seen a ghost.
The others laughed, with one teasing, "Brother Fish, why aren't you wearing pants? We're not into that."
Brother Fish was probably scared stiff. In the middle of his act, he saw two guns appear and instinctively bolted.
A single gunshot tore through the tense air. Brother Fish collapsed with a bullet in the back of his head. The underlings were stunned, staring toward the door.
Ye Qingyi stood with her arm raised, a wisp of smoke curling from the barrel of her gun.
Crazy Bro was dumbfounded. The woman actually had a gun!
Ye Qingyi walked forward slowly, and the underlings instinctively stepped back, unsure of what to do.
Reaching Brother Fish, Ye Qingyi emptied her magazine into his crotch.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The area was utterly destroyed. The underlings were completely intimidated. They had thought she was just a delicate woman, but she killed without hesitation.
This was indeed Ye Qingyi's first time killing, but she felt no guilt—only satisfaction, especially when she saw the way these men had looked at her.
Ejecting the empty magazine, Ye Qingyi pulled out a fresh one from her pocket and reloaded with a decisive click.
The underlings seemed frozen, then turned to Crazy Bro.
"They've got guns, Crazy Bro! What do we do?"
Tang Ze spread his hands helplessly. "Didn't I tell you this would be tough? You didn't listen. Now my cats are on a rampage, and I can't control them."
Hearing Tang Ze's words, the three women knew exactly what to do. But it felt like no challenge at all—their weapons were laughably primitive.
Crazy Bro's earlier bravado vanished. He forced a smile. "Brother, how about I give you my WeChat—"
Before he could finish, Sun Ting raised her gun and shot him in the head.
"Seriously? He was just offering his WeChat," Tang Ze rolled his eyes. "Did you have to blow his head off?"
Sun Ting pouted cutely. "Sorry."
"Why are you apologizing to me? Apologize to him."
"Alright—"
Sun Ting walked up to Crazy Bro's body and said solemnly, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have shot you in the head." Then she fired another shot into his skull.
The underlings had never witnessed anything so brutal. They watched as Crazy Bro was killed mid-conversation, and even after death, his head was shot again. Were bullets that cheap?
Tang Ze covered his forehead. "You've ruined his face. How are we supposed to unlock his phone now?"
"Crazy Bro's phone uses fingerprint unlock," one of the underlings quickly dropped his knife, proving himself a model of pragmatism.
An Bai gave the underling a gentle smile. "Thank you."
"No problem," the underling blushed. Such a cute girl—surely she was coerced.
Another gunshot rang out.
The underling fell to the ground in disbelief. His final image was of the gentle girl raising her pistol, her smile soft yet resolute.