Chapter 304 - 258: Stomach Problems

Chapter 304: Chapter 258: Stomach Problems

"Good evening, listeners. Yanhai Radio Station brings you the city’s evening news..."

"This afternoon at 5 PM, strange noises were reported from inside the Twin Towers, followed by bursting pipes. The building’s structural integrity is suspected to have been compromised. Shuangyang Group has announced the temporary closure of the Twin Towers and dispatched a large team of engineers to enter and investigate the problem."

"Residents in the area are advised to keep their distance when passing the Twin Towers and to be mindful of their safety..."

Yin Shuangyang turned the radio down.

"Brother Yu, when we meet Zou Long in a bit, don’t act all high and mighty. He’s the type of guy who... can’t stand show-offs. He spends all his time at sea and has a short fuse. If he says something you don’t like, don’t get mad. He’s a very dependable person, extremely loyal. If I ever got into trouble, he’d do everything in his power to save me."

"Yeah, I figured that out in my past life. It’s a shame I never found out where he went in the end... He just disappeared."

"You said those jumping zombies at sea are dangerous, so it’s no surprise he ran into trouble... But once our big ships are modified, we’ll have nothing to fear."

Over the past few days, Yin Shuangyang had leveraged his resources to make arrangements at the Shanship Heavy Industries Shipyard in Zongshan District. He had already modified two 5,000-ton ships specifically to counter the bloated, jumping, jetting zombies.

It was a massive undertaking, but thanks to his connections and financial clout, Shanship Heavy Industry went all out and completed the retrofits in just three days.

"Your capabilities, President Yin... are truly far beyond those of us ordinary folks."

Yin Shuangyang laughed heartily from behind the wheel at Yu Dong’s compliment.

"That’s why I say you made the right choice. And I’m not just singing my own praises, Brother Yu... Plenty of people could probably get a couple of big ships modified. But did you notice the firing ports I had installed? Especially that heavy machine gun mount in the center. Once Zou Long’s boat gets here and we load up the weapons... these will be two floating fortresses! We’ll be able to go anywhere along the coast! That’s not something money alone can buy. In all of Yanhai City, hell, in the entire Yan Zhao Province, I’m the only one who could pull this off so quickly."

"President Yin, you were truly made for the apocalypse..."

Yu Dong had to admit that Yin Shuangyang had a point.

Those with money weren’t as crooked as him, and those more crooked didn’t have his influence. He had his hands in offshore solar farms, railways, shipyards, even an airport...

He truly had a foot in both worlds, legal and illegal.

His legitimate business achievements were nothing special, but his preparations for the apocalypse were visionary.

At this point, Yu Dong couldn’t think of anyone who could possibly replace Yin Shuangyang.

This was the same conclusion Yu Dong and his apocalypse survival team had reached in his past life: to be as prepared as possible before the end of the world, relying on the so-called righteous ’Leaders’ wasn’t enough. They had to have Yin Shuangyang on their side.

"How come you’re driving yourself, President Yin? This is the first time I’ve seen you behind the wheel..."

"It’s a habit... For the last twenty years, whenever Zou came back from a job, I was the one who drove to the station or the airport to pick him up. After... things changed, I started picking him up from the port. We’d find our old spot, grab some barbecue, and drink till dawn. It’s been our tradition for two decades... and today, you get to join in, haha."

Yu Dong was somewhat moved.

’With a twenty-year friendship like that, it’s no wonder that in my past life, Yin Shuangyang was so sure Zou Long would return to avenge him.’

’But later, the seas became infested with zombies, and then the deep freeze of winter set in. They never went out, and Zou Long never came... I guessed he had either given up or died on the way.’

’But in the last life... Yin Shuangyang sold Zou Long out completely.’

’If it hadn’t been for those bloated zombies, he would have sent a boat to get rid of Zou Long right after the first apocalyptic downpour.’

’So... was this twenty-year brotherhood Yin Shuangyang spoke of real, or was it all a lie?’

’For a sliver of hope in a new life... Yin Shuangyang had been willing to sell out Zou Long in exchange for this current one.’

’And Yin Shuangyang had done it.’

Yin Shuangyang drove to a dimly lit intersection, stopped the car, and waited a moment...

Suddenly, a rear door opened, and a shadowy figure scrambled inside.

"Drive."

In the rearview mirror, Yu Dong could only see dark clothing and a pair of cold, indifferent eyes. Their gazes met in the reflection.

Yin Shuangyang sped away from the shipyard, eventually arriving at a farmhouse-style barbecue stand in an unassuming village.

The woman at the grill, her hair slicked back, broke into a wide grin the moment she saw Yin Shuangyang get out of the car.

"There he is!"

"Sister Yu, the usual."

"You got it! Go on, have a seat, and I’ll get the skewers going. Honey, hurry and get some beers for my guy here!"

Yin Shuangyang, Yu Dong, and Zou Long sat inside the small hut. The table was covered in grease stains that no amount of wiping could remove, and the floor was just as dark.

Not that it was dirty, just... well-worn, showing its age.

"Don’t let the size of this place fool you. It’s authentic Jinzhou-style barbecue, and it’s delicious. Zou and I have been eating here for the last few years."

"Mm-hm."

Yu Dong mumbled an agreement, using the better light inside the hut to finally get a good look at Zou Long. It was the first time he had seen the man in either of his two lives.

’His first impression was... short.’

’Five-foot-five?’

’Maybe not even that.’

’For a man from the north, a height like that... would definitely earn you a few nicknames.’

’In school, he would have been permanently stuck in the front row.’

’Next, he was lean. Zou Long had a wiry build, not the skinny-weakling type like Zhao Wenjie, but a... taut, compact leanness. The kind that looked incredibly agile.’

’His face was plain and his complexion poor. His skin was rough and reddish. If he just sat there silently, he’d blend in perfectly with the village.’

’He looked like a rugged, middle-aged country man in his forties.’

’He was on a completely different plane from Yin Shuangyang, who sat beside him radiating the aura of a big shot. The two of them at the same table... looked like some high-ranking official visiting a rural village on a poverty-relief tour.’