Chapter 124 - 123: Besieging Lu Feng
Chapter 124: Chapter 123: Besieging Lu Feng
Lu Feng felt as if a stampede of mythical beasts had just run through his mind. He had intended to use Lin Nan, but who would have thought Lin Nan was the target?
But he soon felt that something wasn’t right.
Because in the source anime, Lin Nan was killed—and it was clearly by someone from his own faction.
Connecting this to their recent conversation, Lu Feng realized Lin Nan probably had no idea that the very cause of the zombie frenzy was located right inside his own base.
Furthermore, he was also clearly opposed to artificially creating such a crisis.
That must be why he was ultimately killed by his own people at the base.
"Lower your weapons! They’re friends!" Lin Nan shouted to the people who had appeared, raising a hand to show that everything was fine.
Seeing Lin Nan’s gesture, the group lowered their guns in unison. "Yes, Conductor Lin!"
This scene made Lu Feng look over, intrigued.
Lin Nan clearly held a great deal of prestige within this faction.
’If this faction’s fate is the same as in the source anime—to be ultimately overrun by zombies—then once the Hexagonal Beast is dealt with, I might be able to use Lin Nan’s prestige to absorb this faction and strengthen Qingfeng Base.’
’In the apocalypse, people are crucial.’
’Besides, when disaster strikes and a base falls, the terrified survivors—aside from a few ambitious types—will all want to find another stable base.’
Just as Lu Feng was thinking this, a bald man stepped out from the group.
This bald man carried a longbow on his back. The moment he emerged, he said with concern to Lin Nan, "Lin Nan, it’s great that you’re okay! As soon as I got your message, I brought them here to back you up at the first opportunity."
Seeing the bald man, Lin Nan also smiled brightly. "Guo Qi, I knew it. If I was ever in danger, you’d be the first one to come."
As he spoke, he gave the bald man a big hug.
Lu Feng watched this scene, stunned.
’In the Rampaging Zombie Arc of the source anime, it was this very bald man who killed Lin Nan. And he did it cruelly, strangling him to death and hanging his body outside the walls.’
’Yet here they were, acting like the best of friends, sworn brothers through life and death.’
’The thought of that ending was just nauseating.’
’Or perhaps, this bald man was just too good at pretending. Who could imagine someone being so ruthless to a dear friend?’
At that moment, Lin Nan pulled the bald man over to Lu Feng and made the introduction. "Guo Qi, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Lu. He’s the one who just saved me. Otherwise, I might have died at the hands of those zombies."
"Mr. Lu, hello. Thank you for saving him. Otherwise, I would have lost a good brother." Guo Qi looked at Lu Feng, his brow furrowing. It was unclear what he was thinking.
Lu Feng, however, put on a performance of his own and smiled. "It was nothing, really. I just happened to be in the area."
Lin Nan then turned to Guo Qi with a serious expression. "Guo Qi, I learned something from Mr. Lu. It’s possible that the zombie hordes appearing around us are man-made, and that the increased proportion of mutated zombies is also due to human intervention."
"Maybe we should change the direction of our investigation. If it really is man-made, we have to find the person behind this."
"Mm, I’ll support you. I’m with you," the bald man nodded. At the same time, he cast a subtle, cryptic glance in Lu Feng’s direction.
Lu Feng clearly noticed the bald man’s gaze, but he pretended he hadn’t seen a thing. Instead, he said to Lin Nan, "Lin Nan, since the zombies have been dealt with, we should get going. If you uncover the human element behind this and need help, you can find me to the east. There are a few buildings there with special flags on them."
This stunned Lin Jiao and the others. Qingfeng Base wasn’t in that direction; their boss had clearly just made up the location on the spot.
But Lin Jiao and the others also knew their boss must have a reason for saying it, so they kept their mouths shut.
Lu Feng had, of course, just blurted it out. He’d spoken loudly and deliberately for a very specific reason.
Even his earlier offer to support Lin Nan had been said offhandedly.
After he finished speaking, he shot a deliberate look at the bald man, then beckoned to Lin Jiao and the others and started heading east.
Lin Nan also said to the bald man, "Guo Qi, let’s head back too. We need to report what we’ve learned to Teacher Hu."
Teacher Hu had been a university professor before the apocalypse. He was a man of great foresight, and it was thanks to his planning that they had all been able to gather together and establish a base.
Lu Feng led Lin Jiao a considerable distance before stopping at a place with a few buildings. He then said to Lin Jiao, "Raise the flags on the roofs of these buildings."
Hearing this, Lin Jiao immediately ordered her people to do it. Only then did she ask curiously, "Boss, are we setting up a temporary base here? Will that Lin Nan really need our help and come find us?"
Lu Feng shook his head. "Lin Nan won’t come, but that bald man, Guo Qi, will. And they will come to attack us. So, tell everyone to get ready."
Lin Jiao was bewildered. "Boss, that Guo Qi seems to have a great relationship with Lin Nan. Besides, we saved Lin Nan. They should be grateful to us. Why would they attack us?"
Lu Feng smiled and said, "Lin Jiao, how about we make a bet? That Guo Qi will be here soon, and he might even bring a zombie army with him."
"Boss, do you think I’m stupid enough to bet against you?" Lin Jiao paid him no mind and went straight to arranging her people.
She knew her boss was something else; it was as if he could see many things in advance.
Perhaps the boss even had some kind of precognitive ability.
After all, the boss already had so many abilities, what was one more?
Soon, under Lin Jiao’s arrangements, the people from Qingfeng Base concealed themselves and waited quietly.
...
Meanwhile, at the base marked with red leaf symbols, Guo Qi and Lin Nan had returned. Guo Qi exchanged a few pleasantries with Lin Nan before having him sent off to get the wound on his back treated.
Guo Qi himself, however, headed to an office. There, he saw a man with glasses emerge from a secret room hidden within the office wall.
Upon seeing the man with glasses, the bald man said, "Teacher Hu, the situation has gotten a little messy. The trap we designed for Lin Nan was ruined by someone, and he made it back to the base."
"It seems Lin Nan is also close to finding out what we’re doing. He knows it’s man-made. Given his attitude, I’m afraid he’ll be a huge problem."
"What’s more, he seems to have found outside help. They have a decent number of people. If he ever finds out that the people who died in the base were a result of our experiments, I’m afraid he’ll really turn on us. After all, his wife was one of them."
Teacher Hu frowned. "Lin Nan’s prestige in the base is too high. If I want my experiments to proceed unhindered, he is indeed a problem. And as for the outside help you mentioned, we must get rid of them first."
Guo Qi immediately said, "They let their guard down and gave away their location when they left. I know where they are. I can take people to deal with them. However, you need to give me a control device. If I can use the zombies, it will be much easier to eliminate them."
Teacher Hu nodded, took out a device, and handed it to Guo Qi. "This is Instrument Three. Take people to deal with them, but don’t use any of Lin Nan’s men, lest you tip him off."
"I understand!" Guo Qi nodded. After leaving the room, he secretly gathered his forces, and the fully armed group left the base. He headed in the exact same direction Lu Feng and his people had taken.