Apocalypse: The Supporting Actress Made a Comeback
Chapter 640 - 345 reasons_2

Chapter 640: 345 reasons_2

Zhao Qiankun, however, wasn’t fooled at all; because of the distance, he could not confirm whether Bai Ye and his group had used all the antidotes. He just raised his voice and said, "You go ahead to Luyun County and make a probing attack. We will support you from behind." He didn’t use a megaphone, but as an Advanced superpower user, his voice carried far and was very clear, as if he were right next to them.

Bai Ye and Fang Yuxin exchanged a glance, their expressions shifting slightly. Zhao Qiankun’s deliberate move was clearly a display of strength—warning them not to try any tricks! And upon closer inspection, one could see that the troops Zhao Qiankun had brought with him were blocking their retreat. Those men also held submachine guns—should they refuse to attack Luyun County, those gun barrels would likely turn towards them!

After an exchange of looks among several leaders, Bai Zhengli finally said, "Let’s move forward first and look for an opportunity to leave."

Ma Tao glared in the direction Zhao Qiankun had taken, his eyes almost spitting fire. He was impulsive but not a fool. There was something wrong with the antidote—Zhao Qiankun made them spray it on themselves, saying it would mask the scent of living humans and slow down the zombies’ movements. It was clearly an attempt to send them to their deaths!

Ma Tao’s impulsive nature was on full display as he glared at Zhao Qiankun, wishing he could rush over and beat him up, demanding to know why he would do such a thing. Were the lives of the people here worthless? Were they meant to be sent to die for nothing?

Cao Kun forcibly grabbed his arm, glanced at the distant team, and pulled Ma Tao to where Bai Zhengli was, and outright asked, "Captain Bai, you called us for a meeting earlier. You must have known all about this, right? Since things have come to this point, if Captain Bai knows anything, or has any ideas, just say it. We have almost five thousand people here; we have to find a way to survive."

He was astute and put two and two together: the circumstances of the Bai Family, how Fang Yuxin had refused Zhao Qiankun’s attempts to retain her multiple times, and then how Fang Yuxin was the first to detect something amiss, warning them to be careful. He guessed that Bai Zhengli and Fang Yuxin must know something, and very likely, they never planned to return this time!

If that was the case, they must have a way to leave. The question was, how much gasoline did they have on hand? With so many people here, they couldn’t think of leaving the Beishi Base without enough fuel!

The reason the Six Major Forces within the Beishi Base had grown to their current extent was because at the very beginning of the apocalypse, they had gone to great lengths to control vast amounts of gasoline and other essential supplies. Nowadays, Beishi Base instituted a rationing system for gasoline, and the price was extremely high, so many Corpse Hunters had to give up more comfortable sedans in favor of cramming together into trucks of various sizes to save as much fuel as possible.

Since Luyun County was close by, they hadn’t loaded much gasoline for this task. The Base enforced a strict rationing policy on gasoline and diesel—those who went out on missions received only what was deemed necessary for the trip, with no excess fuel given. Cao Kun had never thought much of this before; after all, resources such as gasoline and diesel were crucially important; and, since they were constantly dwindling, it made sense to use them sparingly.

However, now that he thought about it, he realized that the Base’s actions were probably also a preventative measure against people leaving. Beishi Base had a large population, but the number of elite combatants was limited; most of the others were Ordinary People, or either low-strength or non-combat superpower users.

Outside the Base, countless zombies lay in wait. To protect the security of the entire Base and eliminate the zombies outside, maintaining the number of combatants inside the Base was essential. If non-combatants left, it would be one thing, but the departure of a large number of fighters would be a colossal loss or even a disaster for the entire Beishi Base!

The other leaders weren’t fools either, and upon Cao Kun’s questioning, they too started to think of some issues. Now, Zhao Qiankun was obviously forcing them into a death trap. Even if they miraculously survived the zombies, those behind them would never allow them to return alive to the Base! It was better to think of a way to leave Beishi Base than to be sent to death.

However, they had stayed in Beishi Base for a long time, getting used to the relatively safe and ordered life here. They had contributed to the Base’s development to its current size, personally witnessing its transformation—emotional attachments had formed, and they considered it their home.

Leaving would be a tough decision, and some harbored a faint hope, hesitantly asking, "Could it be a misunderstanding? Maybe there was a mistake with those antidotes? We have almost five thousand people here, and a good portion belongs to the Qiankun Mercenary Corps; he can’t really be wanting to kill his own people, right?"

The speaker was the leader of a large Corpse Hunting Team. He wasn’t a fool who couldn’t see the situation for what it was, but he had hope in his heart and didn’t want to leave Beishi Base.

Being an outsider, he wasn’t aware of the internal situation within the Qiankun Mercenary Group, but Cao Kun was well aware. With little speculation, he figured out the reason Zhao Qiankun wanted them to die: they weren’t loyal or respectful enough for Zhao Qiankun. Thinking of this sent a chill through his heart. While he himself was more rational and wouldn’t blindly follow anyone, Zhao Qiankun’s dissatisfaction with him, even to the point of plotting his death, left him speechless. Most of his subordinates admired Zhao Qiankun! Even Ma Tao was thoroughly convinced by Zhao Qiankun and had only spoken out of turn because he didn’t think things through— and yet Zhao Qiankun wanted them all dead!

Seeing that they hadn’t set out yet, Zhao Qiankun urged them again, "It’s getting late; move out!" (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) and vote for it with your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to continue reading.)