Chapter 24: No Mercy
1121 Words
The continuous rain mixed with snow made the roads slippery, and had it not been for that, Zhou Caijun wouldn’t have lost control of the pickup truck, and he wouldn’t have been injured.
Zhou Lin put on the red infrared night-vision goggles. Even though the headlights were insufficient, they were enough to help him see the road ahead.
Before he could reach Yangba Kouzi, roadblocks appeared ahead—several construction machines were blocking the way. With their imposing size, if they were hit head-on, the driver and passengers in the front would likely be killed instantly.
The people who set up these roadblocks weren’t after a simple robbery; they were clearly out for blood. Zhou Lin’s anger flared up as he slowed down and looked around, trying to spot where the attackers were hiding.
Before he could stop the car, gunshots rang out.
"Mom!" Zhou Lin shouted.
Without hesitation, he grabbed his submachine gun, jumped out of the car, and ran forward. The sound of gunfire continued, mixed with screams, yells, and the frantic barking of dogs.
As Zhou Lin rounded the roadblock, he saw multiple figures through the night vision goggles. Some were running toward him, others were diving into nearby farmland, while a few were climbing onto the pickup truck, and some were already lying on the ground.
Through the night vision goggles, Zhou Lin could confirm that Zhou Caijun and Cheng Yali were still in the car. The figure in the front passenger seat—Cheng Yali—was relentlessly firing, with bursts of red light flashing from her gun. She was clearly in a murderous rage, taking lives without hesitation.
Since they had already opened fire, Zhou Lin couldn’t allow anyone to escape. He immediately aimed his gun at the nearest group of people and fired. With slight sounds of the shots, each bullet left a clear trajectory in the goggles, helping Zhou Lin adjust his aim until those people were taken down.
The ones running away glanced back upon hearing the gunshots but quickly turned and continued running. Too bad, no one could outrun a bullet.
Having survived the apocalypse, Zhou Lin wasn’t the type to hesitate after killing a few people.
The submachine gun used by the special forces from the United States was very steady, and with the help of the night-vision goggles, Zhou Lin made quick work of them, firing controlled bursts. After emptying three magazines, there were no standing figures left—except for Cheng Yali.
"Son!"
Cheng Yali called out as she greeted Zhou Lin, holding her gun and pointing it at one of the bodies on the car's engine hood.
"Mom," Zhou Lin acknowledged, before calmly taking out another struggling person who hadn’t quite died yet.
"Quick, let’s go."
After regaining her composure, Cheng Yali was now slightly anxious.
"Don’t rush," Zhou Lin said, calm as ever. He had the night vision goggles, which allowed him to clearly distinguish the dead from the ones faking it.
Despite Cheng Yali emptying two entire magazines, only the first two attackers had been killed. Once the crowd began scattering, Cheng Yali’s shooting wasn’t as precise.
Seeing Zhou Lin calmly finish off those faking their deaths, even Cheng Yali felt a chill. Especially when she saw a man, wounded in the ankle, begging for mercy, but Zhou Lin coldly shot him in the head without hesitation. Cheng Yali couldn’t help but turn back to the car.
"Old Zhou... is that still our son?"
"You were shooting too," Zhou Caijun responded softly. Despite not having survived the apocalypse or served in the military, he could see the drastic change in his son. Usually more gentle, Zhou Lin was now showing a cold side that was hard to reconcile.
"I was trying to save you!" Cheng Yali replied, feeling conflicted.
"You did well," Zhou Caijun said, his voice softer now, calling her "wife" as if he hadn’t in a long time. Cheng Yali suddenly held him tightly.
"Be gentle, be gentle."
"Don’t you ever disobey again," Zhou Caijun whispered.
Outside the car, Zhou Lin quickly checked the cargo area. Inside the truck were chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, and quails—livestock that couldn’t be stored in his spatial storage.
He called over Black Dog to help, carrying the cages to his car.
After they finished, Zhou Lin closed the truck and left the bodies behind. Even if an investigation were to occur, no one would be able to trace the incident back to his family without the truck as evidence.
Inside the car, Cheng Yali protected her husband in the back seat, while Black Dog sat in the front, panting. Zhou Lin removed his special forces gear and started the car, smiling as he did.
On the way back, Zhou Lin informed Cheng Yali about Wu Xue, and she approved, saying it was perfect timing. Zhou Caijun’s head wound was serious, but ordinary people wouldn’t have been able to treat it properly.
"Mom, call Li Li, tell her and Wu Xue to prepare, don’t let Dad lose too much blood," Zhou Lin instructed.
A few minutes later, Zhou Lin saw the gates of the community and slowed down. But just as he was waiting for the gate to open, a figure suddenly dashed from the guardhouse, followed by another person.
Zhou Lin almost reached for his gun but stopped when Ai Bing shouted.
"What are you doing here?"
"I’m freezing! Let us in!" Ai Bing stomped her feet, reaching for the car door.
"Wait!" Zhou Lin shouted. He spoke to the guard, telling him to let her in, then hit the accelerator and drove off without looking back.
Ai Bing, fuming, stood there as she watched the car disappear into the underground parking lot. She almost exploded with rage.
"Do you still want to enter?" the guard asked, suppressing a smile.
"I’m going in! I told you I’m one of your residents, but you didn’t believe me!" Ai Bing snapped.
Just as she was about to argue further, Shao Hang came over, overhearing her complaints.
"What’s going on?" he asked.
Ai Bing, clearly irate, turned to face him. "You, you should know! The security guard doesn't believe me! I’m the owner of the 17th floor, Block 8. Get out of my way!"
Shao Hang was momentarily stunned but quickly suppressed a smile. "Miss, our property fees are prepaid. If I remember correctly, the owner of 17th floor, Block 8, Mr. Zhou, has already paid for the next five years in advance. Are you sure you’re the owner?"
"I... I’m his daughter-in-law! Move!" Ai Bing stomped off, dragging Yang Qiqi with her.
Shao Hang stood, a thoughtful expression on his face. "What just happened? Tell me everything."
- Writer
