Chapter 53: Walking Rations
Unlike Su Chen, who had just vented his frustrations with Meimei, the survivors inside the hotel were in no mood for relaxation.
The days of continuous heavy rain had alleviated the scorching heat and solved the water shortage, but the problem of food scarcity remained unresolved.
Except for Biao and his crew, who kept themselves fed through cannibalism, the rest of the survivors were now so hungry their vision was blurring.
Room 606, 6th Floor of the Hotel
A group of survivors lived in this room. They had banded together as families and friends. Among them were the elderly, the sick, and the disabled. Surviving until now had been no small feat.
"Daddy, I'm hungry…"
"Honey, I really can't take it anymore. You've got to think of something…"
Listening to the pleas of wives and children, the able-bodied men in the group wore helpless expressions. They had tried everything they could to scavenge supplies. But Phoenix Mountain and its surroundings had already been stripped bare by other survivors.
Forget actual food—anything remotely edible, even grass and tree roots, had long been devoured.
If they could, they'd willingly venture into the mountains to hunt. Lions or tigers—it wouldn't matter. They'd risk it. But after the extended heatwave, most wild animals had already perished.
"If there's no other way… maybe we should talk to Biao…" someone murmured.
The man responsible for making decisions in the group was named Sun Yuan. Hearing that suggestion, he immediately shook his head.
"No. I don't care if we starve to death—we're not eating people."
Everyone fell silent. Though disheartened, they didn't object.
"If it really comes to that, I'll take a few people out later and see if we can find anything at all," Sun Yuan said, trying to reassure them.
But just as the words left his mouth, there came a heavy knock at the door.
BANG BANG BANG!
"Hey! Open up in there!"
The group instantly became tense, standing as if facing a life-or-death threat, all eyes on the door.
Sun Yuan tiptoed to the peephole to take a look—but someone outside had already blocked it off, as if they'd expected this.
He signaled to the others to prepare, then asked in a firm voice,"Who are you? What do you want?"
"I'm here on behalf of Brother Biao. He wants to have a little chat with you."
"Not interested," Sun Yuan replied flatly.
Opening the door to a stranger was dangerous enough in this lawless world—but knowing they were sent by Biao? That was a death sentence. For all they knew, Biao and his men were waiting outside, ready to storm in and butcher them like livestock.
"You'd better not refuse this offer," the voice outside threatened darkly.
Sun Yuan didn't respond. He simply gripped the baseball bat in his hands more tightly.
A moment later, the banging resumed—this time, louder and more violent.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The metal door trembled under the blows. The women, children, and elderly inside cowered in fear.
Although the hotel doors were solid, they couldn't withstand a sustained assault like this.
Soon, the door was kicked open!
Just as Sun Yuan feared, Biao's crew stood outside, fully armed. These were not men looking for negotiation—they came to kill.
"You didn't want to open up? Don't blame me for being rude," Biao sneered, signaling his men to charge in.
Under normal circumstances, the narrow doorway would've helped Sun Yuan and his people hold them off.
But Green Forest Hotel had stocked some riot gear in preparation for emergencies—including a riot shield.
Using that shield, Biao's men stormed in, and a brutal melee began.
Sun Yuan's group was already physically weak from hunger, while Biao's people were well-fed on human flesh. Add in the equipment gap, and it wasn't even a fair fight.
Within moments, two of Sun Yuan's companions lay dead in pools of blood.
"Run!"
Seeing the hopeless situation, Sun Yuan roared and swung his bat, forcing Biao's men back with sheer strength and adrenaline. A bloody path opened through the chaos.
The others quickly followed him, fleeing the room.
Due to his injuries, Biao's combat abilities had weakened. Watching Sun Yuan and the others escape, he flew into a rage.
Those weren't just survivors—they were walking rations!
"Damn it! Chase them down! Kill them all!"
His bloodthirsty men followed orders, pursuing the group all the way to the hotel's main entrance.
But Sun Yuan and his people were running on fumes—legs weak, stomachs empty. Biao's men soon caught up.
Just as all hope seemed lost, Sun Yuan spotted the Nomadison in the rain.
An idea struck him.
"This way—go!"
The group stumbled toward the vehicle.
"Su Chen! Please! Help us!" Sun Yuan pounded desperately on the door.
But inside, everything remained still, as if no one was there.
Seeing no reaction from the Nomadison, Biao sighed in relief and waved his hand.
"Surround them. Quick and clean—don't alert that bastard Su Chen."
Just as Biao's men moved in to finish the job—BANG!
A gunshot rang out.
One of Biao's men collapsed, blood spurting from his body and mixing with the rain, turning the water crimson.
The shot sent a jolt of panic through the group.
They froze, then scattered back into the hotel in fear.
Seeing one of his own drop dead, Biao silently thanked his instincts. If he had rushed forward himself, he might be the one lying in a puddle of blood.
Frustrated but unwilling to risk more, he remembered the corpses upstairs—plenty to feed on for a few days.
"Fall back!"
Only after Biao's group retreated did Sun Yuan finally breathe out in relief.
"Brother Su, thank you so much!"
That shot had come from none other than Su Chen.
When Sun Yuan had started pounding on the door, Su Chen had been sound asleep. Thankfully, the Nomadison's built-in sentry mode had roused him in time.
Seeing Biao's aggressive gang approaching, Su Chen hadn't hesitated to pull the trigger.
"There's no need to thank me. I just have a grudge with Biao's crew," Su Chen replied coolly.
He also recalled what He Wang and Liu Ling'er had told him—Sun Yuan was a decent guy. When Biao had incited other survivors to storm the Nomadison, Sun Yuan's group had stayed out of it.
Staring at the cold, imposing Nomadison, Sun Yuan hesitated for a moment before clenching his jaw and asking,
"Su Chen… could you help us?"