Chapter 54: Leaving Phoenix Mountain
Although Sun Yuan hadn't participated in the siege against Su Chen, he had heard from others that Su Chen was cold-blooded and merciless, with a heart of steel.No matter who asked him for help, they were always ruthlessly rejected.
The fact that Su Chen was willing to save them on a whim had already surprised Sun Yuan.But even so, Sun Yuan had no choice but to shamelessly ask Su Chen for more help.
Their team had been lacking supplies from the start.And now, with most of his teammates killed by A-Biao and turned into food, things had gone from bad to worse.Only Sun Yuan and three other relatively able-bodied men remained—but all of them were injured.
If they didn't get food and medical attention soon, they wouldn't survive more than two or three days.
"Helping you isn't out of the question," Su Chen said slowly.
Outside the vehicle, Sun Yuan froze for a moment before his face lit up with joy."Thank you... thank you, Brother Su!"
"Don't thank me just yet. My supplies don't come free."
"Don't worry. Whatever you ask, we'll do it," Sun Yuan promised without hesitation.He understood clearly—there's no such thing as a free lunch.
Since Su Chen was willing to give them supplies, he obviously expected something in return.
Smart guy, Su Chen thought, nodding with satisfaction inside the RV.He gave his instructions, "You know that Youlton Hotel to the north?"
"We do."
"Go there. I'll have Brother He Wang meet you."
"What? Brother He… he's still alive?"Sun Yuan was shocked.
"You'll see when you get there."
"Oh, okay!"
Standing out in this heavy rain for too long could easily lead to fever and illness—Not to mention they were already weakened and injured.Watching Sun Yuan and the others disappear into the downpour, Su Chen picked up his radio.
"Hey, Brother He!"
A moment later, He Wang's voice came through.
Su Chen told him everything that had happened."Take them in and settle them properly—but stay alert.If they do anything suspicious, don't hesitate. Kill them."
"Don't worry. I trust Sun Yuan," He Wang replied with a chuckle.
After a few more words, they ended the call.
Su Chen toyed with the radio in his hand, a thoughtful expression on his face.
He hadn't spared Sun Yuan and his group out of compassion.He had practical reasons.
Whether it was for dealing with A-Biao or expanding his future survival team, he needed manpower.Sun Yuan and his companions had decent reputations.If he could get their loyalty just by offering a bit of supplies, it was a worthwhile trade.
Besides, Su Chen wasn't planning to manage them directly—He Wang would handle that.This way, Su Chen wouldn't have to worry about betrayal.
"Ah Chen, the food's ready!"Liu Ling'er, dressed like a housewife in an apron, called sweetly.
Su Chen put down the radio and got up.At the dining table, he saw an array of delicious dishes already laid out.
With high-end ingredients, even simple cooking methods could yield exquisite results.Using only the stove in the RV, Liu Ling'er had prepared a full table of fragrant and visually appealing dishes.
Just the sight and smell of them made his appetite surge.
"Ah Chen, try my cooking!"Liu Ling'er looked at him with a proud and expectant smile.
To please him, she had spent all her free time watching cooking videos Su Chen had downloaded to his computer.
Su Chen picked up a piece of spicy kung pao chicken, put it in his mouth, chewed thoughtfully, then nodded with a smile."Not bad—tastes great!"
Hearing his praise, Liu Ling'er was delighted."Then don't I deserve a proper reward?"
"Of course."Su Chen grinned wickedly."Tonight, I'll give you a special reward."
Liu Ling'er was no longer the naive girl she once was.Her face turned red, and she nodded shyly."Okay!"
"Then let's eat already."
The two of them sat down and enjoyed their meal in affectionate harmony.
Meanwhile, inside the Green Forest Hotel…
A-Biao's men had almost finished processing the corpses of Sun Yuan's team.
"Brother Biao, we're short one person," Xiao Mei said, frowning in confusion.
"Don't bring it up. That damn Su Chen ruined everything!"A-Biao gnashed his teeth in rage.
If not for Su Chen, Sun Yuan's group would have been completely wiped out and turned into food—and he wouldn't have lost one of his own men!
What infuriated him even more was hearing from Xiao Mei that Liu Ling'er was inside Su Chen's RV.That meant the one who set up the ambush before was none other than that cunning bastard, Su Chen!
"Brother Biao, are we really not going to do anything about Su Chen?"Xiao Mei asked, clearly unwilling to let it go.
"If I had a way, would I be stuck like this?"A-Biao snapped.
Thanks to his strong body, he had somehow survived his burns—But his two injured subordinates hadn't been so lucky.
From a group of thirty-plus, they were now down to just thirteen.And only three of those were A-Biao's original core men.
He blamed it all on Su Chen!
Just then, a subordinate pushed the door open and rushed in."Brother Biao! I'm back!"
"Well? What did you find?"
"We searched the hotel kitchens and surrounding areas. The only usable transportation are two pedal-powered tricycles and a few bicycles."
A-Biao looked dissatisfied but could only nod with a frown."Fine. Where did you put them?"
"In a warehouse. We locked them up."
"Good. You can go now."
After the subordinate left, Xiao Mei couldn't help asking,"Brother Biao, what are you planning?"
"Obviously, we're getting out of here. What, do you expect us to stay here forever?"A-Biao replied irritably.
It had been days since the heatwave ended and the rain began pouring.There'd been no sign of rescue—Even the makeshift radio A-Biao had rigged up hadn't picked up a single signal.
All signs pointed to one thing: complete societal collapse.
Phoenix Mountain was already depleted of resources.Even if he kept hunting and eating survivors, how long could that last?
So, he was planning to leave Phoenix Mountain and head for a nearby city.After all, compared to scenic areas, cities were bound to have more supplies.
But even the nearest city was dozens of kilometers away.On foot, it would take forever to get there.
That's why he had his men search around for any usable vehicles with fuel.Unfortunately, every car nearby had already been drained of gas by the survivors.