C145 The Coal Gas Plant Was Ignited and the Dispute Was about Who Was the Leader(1)

Tang Bing paid no attention to the trio, keeping a watchful eye on them while he scoped out the road to the north of the town with his binoculars.

He saw Zhao Dagang approaching in his car after noticing the explosion's glow and allowed himself a moment of relief.

"Hey buddy, mind if I take a look through your binoculars?" Jiang Feng, who claimed to be an ex-soldier, seemed intrigued by the inferno raging in the south and approached with the request.

Tang Bing, without a word, stowed his binoculars and sidestepped Jiang, hurrying down the stairs.

"Jiang, this kid's got no manners!" Liu Chen grumbled, clearly irked by Tang Bing's wariness, "Why be so courteous with him?"

Jiang Feng dismissed the concern with a wave, "The kid's no simpleton, not if he can stage a spectacle like that. Surviving here is no mean feat – it takes more than your average Joe."

"But still, we've got years on him, don't we?" Liu Chen complained, "Just look at how he carries himself!"

"In times like these, can you really expect there to be no caution among people?" Jiang Feng beckoned, "Let's head down and link up with their group."

Exchanging glances, Liu Chen and Xu Rou nodded and quickly followed Jiang Feng down the stairs.

Tang Bing reached the ground floor and stood by the entrance of the town hall, waiting.

Jiang Feng, Liu Chen, and Xu Rou emerged shortly after.

"Are your people coming?" Jiang Feng asked, maintaining a careful distance from the highly alert Tang Bing. The mace in his hand seemed far more threatening than the crowbar they had. Still, Jiang was confident he could take Tang Bing down if it came to blows.

"Just wait," Tang Bing replied tersely, turning to eye the three survivors smeared with zombie gore, his guard never dropping.

Jiang Feng wasn't fazed by Tang Bing's standoffish demeanor, but Liu Chen and Xu Rou were visibly displeased. They kept their feelings to themselves, though, their discontent evident only in their expressions.

Sensing the tension, and perhaps to break the uneasy silence, Jiang Feng spoke up, "Friend, I got a good look from upstairs. Based on the blast's impact, it did significant damage to the zombies, but it wasn't enough to finish them off. If we let them be, about a third will survive. Since we've got a way to herd them together, why not go the extra mile? Let's take out the rest of the zombies once and for all. That way, we won't have to worry about a zombie threat in this town for a while. And even if zombies from neighboring towns converge here, we'll have time to gather supplies and make our getaway before they arrive."

Tang Bing glanced back at Jiang Feng, finding his idea strikingly similar to his own. "We're short on materials!"

"Do you mean the materials for the explosion?" Jiang Feng pondered briefly. "I'm aware of a gas plant nearby, brimming with gas! If we can devise a plan to draw them there and set off the gas, we can certainly eradicate all the remaining zombies! The challenge, though, is figuring out how to bait them into the gas plant. It's not going to be easy."

A gas plant? Tang Bing couldn't recall seeing one on his virtual map; it must have been constructed after the map was released. If Jiang Feng's information was accurate, it could indeed be useful.

Still, Tang Bing hesitated to trust him. They were mere strangers, after all, and it was unclear whether they were allies or adversaries.

Noticing Tang Bing's silence, Jiang Feng spoke up again, "Here's a thought: Liu Chen and I will head to the gas plant. Can you manage to draw the zombies there? If you can, I assure you, we'll take them all out in one go!"

"You're quite confident?" Tang Bing regarded him with a hint of skepticism.

Jiang Feng chuckled heartily. "I'm a military man; I don't make empty promises! The real question is whether you can lure the zombies to the gas plant. Once they're inside, I guarantee they'll be wiped out!"

Tang Bing felt a spark of intrigue and scrutinized the map on the virtual interface. "I'm not certain of the gas plant's location, but the town is outfitted with public loudspeakers in every direction. Even if we can't get directly inside, we can certainly get close."

"That'll work!" Jiang Feng slapped his hands together enthusiastically. "As long as we can get the zombies near the gas plant, I can figure out a way to draw them in. What do you say? Are you in for a collaboration?"

Tang Bing furrowed his brow, weighing whether to trust Jiang Feng.

"Look, my friend, in all honesty, in these times, if we survivors don't band together, facing off against the zombies will be a daunting task. Unity brings strength, and with more hands, we stand a better chance of survival. Wouldn't you agree? I'm a soldier, and it's my duty to protect the people. You can trust me on that."

Tang Bing mused that in the face of the apocalypse, predicting human behavior was the most challenging task. Whether one was a soldier, a police officer, or even a thief or bandit, who could truly know what thoughts lay hidden in another's mind?

Yet, Jiang Feng's proposal struck a chord with him.

"Friend, now is the prime opportunity!" Jiang Feng pressed on, seeing Tang Bing deep in thought. "If we don't act fast and take care of the zombies while they're still clustered together, it'll be a bigger hassle once they disperse. How about this—you come with Liu Chen and me to scout the gas plant. If it looks doable, we'll go ahead with the plan. The gas plant isn't far, just a seven to eight-minute walk. By the time we return, your team should be able to arrive by car. We'll have Xu Rou stay here to coordinate. What do you say?"

Despite his distrust for them, Tang Bing found the idea appealing. If they could indeed wipe out the horde of zombies, the few stragglers left in town wouldn't be much of a threat. He could then swiftly secure the town's entrances and create a safer zone in no time.

Besides, regardless of whatever these three might be plotting, once the zombies were cleared, the town was large enough to provide ample resources for all.

And then there was his own crew—Zhao Dagang, Qin Mengli, and Liang Hui. They had only left Xu Rou, the least formidable among them. Even if there were any malicious plans afoot, Zhao Dagang alone could handle the situation, particularly since both he and Qin Mengli were armed.

Jiang Feng and Liu Chen were unaware of the pistol in his virtual backpack, only wary of his spiked club. Should they attempt any surprise moves, he would be ready to catch them off guard. After all, in a country where civilian gun ownership was banned, it was unlikely for others to anticipate that survivors might be armed.

With these thoughts, Tang Bing nodded decisively, "Alright! The three of us will check out the gas plant."

Upon Tang Bing's agreement, Jiang Feng's face lit up with a smile, "A wise choice! Let's join forces to eliminate the zombies here and claim this town as our own!"

Tang Bing couldn't help but be skeptical about the man's bravado; he wondered just how capable he really was. "Lead the way!"

"Xu Rou, stay here," Jiang Feng instructed, turning to address the sole female member of their group. "Explain the situation to our friend's teammates when they arrive."

"Got it!" Xu Rou affirmed, gripping her crowbar with a decisive nod.

Tang Bing glanced from Jiang Feng to Xu Rou, thinking to himself that it was quite a risk to leave the only woman in their team behind. If his own team were full of men, and not the trustworthy kind, could she really be safe? Even if she camouflaged herself with the gore of zombies, she was still a young and vulnerable woman at heart. And what if other zombies appeared en route and launched a surprise attack?

But meddling in the affairs of another team wasn't Tang Bing's style. If they were confident enough to leave her, he saw no reason to interfere.

True to form, Jiang Feng and Liu Chen were comfortable leaving Xu Rou by herself at the town hall as they, along with Tang Bing, made their way swiftly toward the gas factory.

Scattered zombies emerged from the buildings along their path, but they posed no real threat to the trio of Tang Bing, Jiang Feng, and Liu Chen.

Tang Bing held his own against the zombies, leveraging his powerful gear and agility. Jiang Feng, with his crowbar, moved with a practiced ease that betrayed his military background. Liu Chen, though fierce, was more rough around the edges, much like Tang Bing.

Together, the three fought their way through, arriving near the gas factory without incident.

"This is the place!" Jiang Feng declared, pointing to the gas factory. He turned to Tang Bing, "What do you think? Any chance there's a usable loudspeaker around?"

"Yes!" Tang Bing confirmed after a quick glance at the virtual map. "There's one about three to four hundred meters from here."