Chapter 16: Joining Forces, Preparing for the Mission

After some time had passed, the man who had brought Liang Yu and his group into the shelter found them again.

He told Liang Yu, “Our commander would like to meet with you.”

Liang Yu thought for a moment and replied, “No problem, lead the way.”

The man nodded, and Liang Yu woke up Hong Shan. The group followed the man.

After a short walk, they were led into a room. Liang Yu, walking last, paused briefly at the door, glancing at the adjacent room before quickly stepping inside, not wanting to be seen.

The man turned to them and said, “Please wait here. The commander will be with you shortly.”

With that, the man left the room.

Now alone, Hong Shan leaned over to Liang Yu and asked, “Old Liang, why do you think the commander wants to see us?”

“Because we’re awesome!” Liang Yu casually made up an excuse.

In truth, Liang Yu didn’t know the exact reason, but judging by the skills granted by his system, it was likely that the commander had taken notice of them.

After all, being able to drift a cockroach vehicle through a zombie-infested city was no small feat. Liang Yu was certainly a one-of-a-kind survivor.

In a world like this, people with skills were highly sought after, especially by those looking to solidify their power.

Lai Qingxue, curious, asked, “Why would being skilled make them want to meet us?”

Liang Yu didn’t answer immediately. He stood up, placed his hands on the table, and said, “Do you know what the most valuable resource is in the apocalypse?”

“Medicine?” Lai Qingxue guessed.

Liang Yu shook his head.

“Ammo?” Hong Shan tried.

“Still wrong. Think harder!” Liang Yu wasn’t satisfied with their answers.

Hong Shan rubbed his head in frustration, trying to come up with an answer. Lai Qingxue also fell into deep thought.

Behind Liang Yu, the wall wasn’t actually a wall—it was a one-way mirror. On the other side of the mirror was the room Liang Yu had glanced at earlier.

Inside that room, three people in military uniforms sat at a table—two men and one woman.

The man closest to the door was the one who had led Liang Yu’s group. The man in the middle had a prominent scar running from the top right of his forehead down to his left jaw, giving him a fierce look.

The woman at the far end sat silently, gripping a katana, her expression cold and stern.

The man, whose name was Jiao Xu, spoke to the scarred man, “Old Zhang, that kid’s sharp. He figured out what we were thinking right away.”

The scarred man, Zhang Jian, was a seasoned veteran and the leader of the group.

Zhang Jian tilted his head slightly and said sternly, “He’s probably just read a few more novels and watched a few more movies. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”

“We’re interested in his actual abilities, not his ability to guess our thoughts.”

“Novels?” Jiao Xu scratched his head. “Are novels that detailed these days?”

Clearly, Jiao Xu hadn’t read many novels. After all, being in the military didn’t leave much time for entertainment—most of their time was spent training.

Back in Liang Yu’s room.

Seeing that neither of them could answer, Liang Yu crossed his arms and said, “In the apocalypse, the most valuable resource is people. People like us, who can escape from a zombie-infested city!”

Hearing this, both Hong Shan and Lai Qingxue’s eyes lit up with understanding. They looked at Liang Yu with admiration.

Hong Shan then asked, “So why don’t they just test us directly?”

Liang Yu chuckled and turned to face the one-way mirror, “The test already started.”

“It already started!?” Hong Shan and Lai Qingxue exclaimed in unison.

Liang Yu clenched his fists, pulled back his right hand, and with a powerful punch, shattered the one-way mirror.

Both Hong Shan and Lai Qingxue were stunned, not understanding what Liang Yu was doing.

As the mirror cracked and shattered, revealing the room on the other side, the two groups stared at each other in shock.

Liang Yu casually brushed the glass shards off his fist and said, “If you have something to say, just say it directly. No need for all the secrecy.”

Zhang Jian stood up, clapping, “Well done, young man. Congratulations, you’ve passed the test!”

Lai Qingxue and Hong Shan exchanged confused glances. *That was the test?*

It seemed almost unbelievable. Liang Yu had shattered such a large mirror with a single punch, and he wasn’t even hurt. This kind of strength was rare in the apocalypse.

Liang Yu then said, “I’ll join you, but on one condition: when I want to leave, you won’t stop me.”

“Agreed!” Zhang Jian responded without hesitation.

In truth, even if they wanted to stop Liang Yu, it wouldn’t have been possible. His strength was undeniable, and trying to restrain him would only result in more losses for Zhang Jian’s side.

Zhang Jian continued, “You’ll just need to cooperate with our team to complete missions. We’ll make sure you get your share of resources.”

“And if you want to leave, we’ll even provide you with supplies.”

Hearing these terms, Liang Yu agreed.

Zhang Jian then began explaining the shelter’s situation to Liang Yu and his group. On the surface, it appeared to be a simple shelter, but in reality, Zhang Jian was the one in charge.

The world had fallen, and China was no exception. Human greed had come to the forefront, and the government no longer had control over these matters.

Having grown up with a strong sense of responsibility, Zhang Jian couldn’t stand to see the people of Donghai City suffer. So, he and his men established the shelter, taking control and training survivors to become soldiers.

They were preparing for future resource-gathering missions. In the apocalypse, someone with such a mindset was truly rare.

Despite his fierce appearance, Zhang Jian had a heart full of dedication, and Liang Yu couldn’t help but feel a sense of respect for him.

After the explanation, they stopped in a corner of the shelter. Zhang Jian looked at Liang Yu seriously and said, “Brother, as you can see, this is our situation. And now, we’re running low on food, so…”

Liang Yu smiled, “Brother Zhang, just say it. I may not stay here long, but I’ll help where I can.”

Zhang Jian put his arm around Liang Yu and laughed, “I like the way you talk, brother. Actually, I was hoping you could join one of our teams to clear a path into the city so we can bring back some food.”

Liang Yu smiled, “No problem, but you’ll need to give me ammo. I’m not going without enough supplies.”

“Of course! I’ll give you ammo, and I’ll even assign you a partner!” Zhang Jian said, turning to the woman with the katana.