"Brother Pinghe, just give them the things! These people might really beat you to death…" A woman, curled up beside one of the cars, was crying profusely.
"No… this is all we have left… food… If we give it to them, we'll just have to wait… wait to die…" Xia Pinghe stubbornly refused to let go, fiercely protecting the items beneath him.
"But…" The woman bit her lip, then turned to the men beating Xia Pinghe, begging, "Dear sirs, we are all from the Hunter Squad. Please, spare us our lives…"
"Bah!" A man with a handlebar mustache, currently engaged in the beating, spat at the woman. "You think you're worthy of being a member of our Hunter Squad? If it weren't for that傻大个 (shǎ dà gè - big傻 guy) Xia Pinghe protecting you, what use would you, a frail woman, be in this apocalypse!"
"Yan Hong is also… a member of our club… How could you…" Xia Pinghe couldn't help but speak up for her.
"You still have the energy to care about others? Seems like we haven't beaten you hard enough!" The handlebar-mustached man said, then delivered a forceful kick to Xia Pinghe's face.
A sinister smile spread across the man's face. He squatted down, grabbed Xia Pinghe's hair, and pulled out a knife, holding it to his face. "Since you want to play the hero so badly, then go be a hero in the underworld!" With that, the sharp blade began to move towards his neck.
It was at this moment that Lu Feiguang heard Xiao Wenqiang's voice and stopped the car just in time. In the nick of time, Xiao Wenqiang threw her soul weapon, which transformed into a flying dagger, piercing the handlebar-mustached man's chest with a chilling swiftness.
The flying dagger passed through his chest and then, with a whirring sound, automatically returned to Xiao Wenqiang's hand.
Only then did the handlebar-mustached man look down in astonishment, staring incredulously at the empty, blood-filled hole in his left chest. Clutching his chest, he looked up at Xiao Wenqiang ahead, "You… you… why…" Before he could finish speaking, he fell forward, collapsing onto Xia Pinghe, who was still pinned to the ground.
This sudden turn of events startled the other three men holding Xia Pinghe. They quickly sprang up, each drawing their own weapons and shouting towards the "Sunshine Squad's" car.
"Who's there? Why did you kill someone without reason?"
"Do you know who we are? You're too bold!"
"How dare you kill our boss, you won't be leaving here alive today!"
They were all vociferous, yet they feared Xiao Wenqiang's elusive flying daggers and dared not be the first to approach.
Finally, a muscular man with a flat-top haircut made the first move. Facing the "Sunshine Squad's" car, he used his superpower to unleash a powerful water wave attack.
The moment the water wave was released, An Xin stepped in front of everyone and unleashed her own electrical superpower.
Before the opposing water wave could even reach the car, it was blocked by An Xin's electrical waves. The current then flowed along the water, rapidly conducting into the flat-topped man's body.
This exchange took only two seconds. The flat-topped man convulsed and fell to the ground.
Furthermore, because he was unable to retract the water wave after losing consciousness, a large puddle quickly formed on the ground. The flat-topped man, like a dried-out salted fish, foamed at the mouth, rolled his eyes, and was utterly electrocuted.
The series of events that unfolded in mere seconds plunged the scene into silence.
Seeing this, the remaining members of the "Hunter Squad" turned pale with fright.
A man who appeared to be older quickly clasped his hands in a plea, "This must all be a misunderstanding. Since you wish to help Xia Pinghe, our Hunter Squad will grant you this favor."
The man then turned to his two teammates and said, "Let's go!"
The three men retreated a few steps. Seeing that Xiao Wenqiang and the "Sunshine Squad" members had no intention of stopping them, they breathed a sigh of relief and turned to hurry back to their car.
Just as they let their guard down, Xiao Wenqiang, with lightning speed, threw her soul weapon dagger. It spun and instantly reaped the lives of the three men. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
By the time the soul weapon dagger returned to Xiao Wenqiang's hand, the three men slowly knelt down. Blood gushed from their necks, and they collapsed to the ground, their eyes closed forever.
Although the other members of the "Sunshine Squad" were somewhat surprised by their leader's decisive action at that moment, they still excitedly applauded.
"Boss, you're amazing!"
"Boss, mighty!"
"Worshipped! Bowed down to the ground!"
…
Not a single person questioned why Xiao Wenqiang had killed these three. The members of the "Sunshine Squad" were genuinely convinced of their leader. Even without an explanation, the team members remained unwavering in their belief.
Xiao Wenqiang's display was truly impressive, but Xia Pinghe and the woman named Yan Hong were not in the mood to appreciate it. Although this woman and their squad members had just saved them from the "Hunter Squad," in this apocalypse, hearts are unpredictable. For a moment, they didn't know the other party's intentions, making it hard to distinguish friend from foe.
Xia Pinghe, with Yan Hong's support, managed to stand up with some difficulty. They walked to the "Sunshine Squad's" car and bowed deeply to Xiao Wenqiang and her team.
"Thank you, friends, for your help. I am Xia Pinghe, and this is Yan Hong. We were both previously in the Hunter Squad." Xia Pinghe clutched his chest and continued after catching his breath, "May I ask which squad you are from? We will surely repay your kindness if there is an opportunity in the future."
His words were artfully phrased, clearly indicating that they couldn't offer immediate compensation and that the remaining supplies shouldn't be eyed. However, the kindness would be remembered, and repayment would come when they had the means.
Xiao Wenqiang understood his meaning, of course, but she didn't care about those meager supplies. She smiled and said, "We are all from the Sunshine Squad, just helping out when we see injustice. As for repayment, if we meet again by chance in the future, we'll talk then!"
After saying this, Xiao Wenqiang signaled Lu Feiguang to continue driving.
Looking at Xia Pinghe, who appeared somewhat bewildered in the rearview mirror, Xiao Wenqiang said to herself, "I suppose I've helped you repay this favor…"
Her thoughts drifted back to the original novel, to the time when Xiao Wenqiang was cast out by the female protagonist Ye Yao and the male protagonist Liang Yun.
Within the "Hunter Squad," everyone except Xia Pinghe had tacitly become the lackeys of the male and female protagonists. They simply didn't trust Xiao Wenqiang, with whom they had fought zombies and struggled together, and only believed in the female protagonist, whom they had just met.
When Xiao Wenqiang was thrown out, only Xia Pinghe secretly slipped her some items. "Wenqiang, why would you offend Ye Yao of all people? I don't have much extra supplies either, but take this bottle of water and this bread for the road! Head north, I've heard there's another survivor base there. Take care of yourself!"
Xiao Wenqiang had always remembered this small act of kindness from Xia Pinghe. However, before she could get far, she was pushed into a gladiatorial arena with two zombie hordes by people arranged by Ye Yao. She was ultimately torn to shreds, and she never even got to eat the water and bread until her death…