Retribution in this world comes swiftly—3

Compared to an armored vehicle, an ambulance is of course far less impressive. However, this sort of vehicle, converted from an ordinary mid-sized passenger van, was more than sufficient to plow through the city streets. Niu Laoshi’s driving skills were exceptional; he rarely struck the zombies head-on, instead using the side of the vehicle’s front to sweep aside these slow-moving corpses, making it easier for the vehicles behind to crush them under their wheels.

As the detention center came into view, the driver of the second ambulance began to daydream about the carefree days and beautiful women that awaited him upon arrival. Suddenly, he felt an odd vibration from the engine. The next moment, the engine began to cough violently like a dying old man, then lost all power and stalled completely.

Adding sugar to the gas tank was just that effective.

At first, the driver wasn’t too concerned about the engine stalling; he assumed he’d let the revs drop too low. He repeatedly twisted the ignition key, but the ambulance only sputtered and refused to start. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

Coincidentally, the third ambulance, idling behind the second, suffered the same fate. Before the second could restart, the third’s engine also died, leaving it completely stranded.

Now, even the slowest among them realized something was wrong. The first ambulance had vanished around the corner, and the fourth, which had been following the third, calmly reversed in full view of everyone, crushed two zombies, and turned away down another street.

The people in the two stalled vehicles were stunned. Only now did they realize that each vehicle was equipped with just a single handgun for the passenger seat, two magazines, and in the back, a semi-automatic rifle with about twenty rounds of ammunition. In truth, the two vehicles together held more than a dozen able-bodied men and women. If they used what equipment they had and scavenged for makeshift weapons nearby, and if they worked together, with four firearms and a handful of melee weapons, they might just make it on foot to the nearby detention center. Even if the place was empty and locked down due to evacuation protocols, surely a dozen people could form a human ladder and scale the wall.

If only they could make it inside, their chances of survival would greatly improve.

But losses along the way were almost certain.

The key lay in the word “losses.” Niu Laoshi was precise with a blade and even more precise in reading people. The fact that he could abandon these people midway meant he’d correctly judged that these selfish men and women would never truly cooperate, never risk their own lives to save someone else’s. More likely, they’d turn on each other for the four guns, wasting their last chance at survival.

And indeed, Niu Laoshi’s prediction came true. Barely two minutes after the first and fourth ambulances disappeared from view, gunfire and screams erupted from the remaining vehicles. The sound of shots and desperate pleas quickly became a cacophony. Within minutes, the final survivors in the two ambulances, each clutching a nearly empty firearm, found themselves surrounded by dozens of zombies drawn by the commotion. Faced with this, they were left with only two choices.

Be devoured by the zombies, or end their own lives quickly.

Of course, there was a third, more extreme option: feed on the corpses of the dead to eke out a few more days, and when the bodies began to rot, smear themselves with rotting flesh and fluids, then look for a chance to escape the ambulance and slip away alive. However, eating raw meat might cause their health to deteriorate, leaving them weak and vulnerable to the zombie virus. That possibility was likely greater than their odds of escaping alive.

In any case, Niu Laoshi and Jiang Fangli had no interest in the fates of these people. Even if any of them did manage to survive, these two hardened criminals had the confidence and ability to deal with any future retaliation.

The two reunited at the end of the street, still driving one after the other. The three women in Jiang Fangli’s vehicle didn’t dare make a sound, watching as he abandoned their former companions and drove them off to parts unknown. Jiang Fangli’s words still rang in their ears: “The three of you didn’t torment Sister Li or help the others throw her out the window, but neither did you stop Chen and the others from tossing out the child. So, your consciences are only half-devoured by dogs. As long as you behave and keep me satisfied, your lives are safe. But if you don’t, I could hand any number of people over to the zombies without blinking. Taking care of the three of you—heh, that’s nothing.”

The three women had expected Jiang Fangli to take them straight out of the city. Instead, after a circuitous route, the two ambulances parked outside the wall of a kindergarten near the hospital. Compared to the crude barricades assembled by children in the alleyways, the two ambulances made for a much more secure blockade. Their placement was clever, completely sealing off one side of the alley beside the kindergarten. The living could get in and out through the rear doors, but the zombies would have no way to climb over the ambulances and enter the alley.

“All right, we’ll move the supplies later. Bring me that bag. The three of you, grab something kids like to eat and follow me.” Since Niu Laoshi had agreed to let Jiang Fangli take in the three women, he treated them as his own, giving orders without hesitation.

The women, surprised by how Jiang Fangli’s manner seemed to shrink in Niu Laoshi’s presence, knew that silence was their best chance at survival. Without a word, they obediently gathered up some snacks scavenged from the hospital’s convenience store and followed the two criminals. Jiang Fangli, on the other hand, couldn’t keep his curiosity in check and asked quietly, “Boss, I didn’t object when you said we should head to the kindergarten. It’s low-profile, has the necessary equipment for self-sufficiency, perfect for us to lay low for a while. But what’s with all these snacks? By my count, those two women should be dead by now, and there’s just that girl left inside…”

“Enough! You talk too much!” Niu Laoshi cut him off, shouldering the semi-automatic rifle and, after wasting a dozen bullets to clear the few zombies wandering in the alley, finally came clean. “I’m after that girl! Sigh! What’s that look for, you little punk?!”

“No, boss, you’ve got it wrong. The girl is indeed…well, no, that’s not what I meant! I just mean, in a few years… Boss, I’m sorry! I’ll shut up! Don’t point the gun at me, it’s hot!”

Niu Laoshi was at a loss for words with his deputy, whose lust often outweighed his loyalty. He also didn’t want Jiang Fangli or the three women to think he was some kind of pervert. Gritting his teeth, he explained, “You know nothing! I want to take her as my goddaughter! A thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl with the guts to sneak through a horde to the hospital for medicine to save her mother—what character! Someone like that, if we win her over, is as good as a second life for us! Not recruiting her would be a terrible waste! In a few years, she’ll be a great asset to our organization!”

Jiang Fangli thought it over, then gave Niu Laoshi a thumbs-up. “Boss, you really are the boss! You’re right, that girl definitely has what it takes! But, how do you plan to win her over?”

“Simple.” Niu Laoshi pulled a round object from the bag in his hand, ignoring the muffled gasps of the women behind him, and shouted toward the kindergarten window, “Hey, little girl! Are you in there? When you stole medicine this morning, your Uncle Niu pretended to be asleep and let you go. I’ve got a big present for you now. If you want it, open the door!”