C73 They Were Honest with Each Other, and When They Met a Robber, They Pulled out Their Guns in Ange

Tang Bing and Zhao Dagang were clad in makeshift armor, their bodies encased in metal plates, maces in hand, and handguns at their waists. They fought their way through zombies, making a beeline for the supermarket.

Their earlier strategy of drawing the zombies away paid off. Now, they only needed to dodge a few zombie squads; the scattered undead roaming the streets were no match for them.

Once they picked the lock and got inside the supermarket, they wasted no time in ransacking the place.

"Bing, that's not the food section!" Zhao Dagang called out when he noticed Tang Bing heading towards the feminine products.

Tang Bing was well aware and gestured for Zhao Dagang to leave him be. He grabbed a shopping cart and began dumping stacks of packages into it.

When Tang Bing emerged with a cart brimming with feminine products, Zhao Dagang finally caught on. "Ah, so that's why Ms. Meng was whispering to you earlier. She needed these things!"

"Just remember it and zip it," Tang Bing shot back with a glance and grabbed another cart to fill.

"Bing, let me lend a hand!" Zhao Dagang transferred a cart's worth of food into the 'shopping train' and hurried after Tang Bing, grinning. "How much should we grab?"

"I'm not sure. As much as we can, I guess," Tang Bing sighed. "With so many women in our group, it's a real headache."

"I think it's great!" Zhao Dagang chuckled. "Some folks would give anything to have a woman's company."

"You're that thrilled?" Tang Bing asked, looking over at him as he loaded goods. "By the way, do you actually have feelings for Liang Hui?"

"Cough! Why bring her up, Bing?" Zhao Dagang mumbled, his face flushing with embarrassment.

"If you like her, you like her. No need to be bashful," Tang Bing said casually. "You're not a kid anymore! Plus, in these times, status and money don't matter. There's no reason to feel inferior. If you're into her, go for it. Everyone can pretty much tell how you feel."

"But I'm scared," Zhao Dagang admitted, shaking his head. "She won't even give me a second glance. I'm worried I'll get rejected right off the bat!"

"Coward!" Tang Bing shook his head, "If you lack even that bit of courage, she won't give you a second glance. In this apocalyptic world, women are looking for a man they can depend on for protection. Without showing your strength, you'll never stand a chance!"

"What about you, Bing?" Zhao Dagang retorted.

"Me? What's with me?" Tang Bing replied nonchalantly.

"Your situation with Miss Qin..."

At the mention of Qin Mengli, a sharp pang of pain shot through Tang Bing's heart. If she were out of sight, he could gradually let go and bury the memories deep. But with Qin Mengli present every day, forgetting their heart-wrenching, unrequited love story was impossible.

Yet, his face betrayed none of this as he calmly stated, "My relationship with her may be over, but I gave it my all, persevered for four years! Perhaps we're just not destined to be together, and being friends is all we'll ever be. If you had my determination, maybe Liang Hui would be moved by you."

Zhao Dagang hung his head in silence while the two men rummaged through the shopping cart, pulling out packs of sanitary pads.

After a moment, Tang Bing spoke up again, "Teacher Lin doesn't seem to mind you, especially the way you look at her daughter. She hasn't interfered, which suggests you've still got a shot."

"Bing, enough about me!" Zhao Dagang turned to face him, "What about you?"

"What do you mean?" Tang Bing looked puzzled.

"I'm saying," Zhao Dagang paused to think, "if there's no chance with Miss Qin, have you thought about Ms. Meng? She's really taken with you, and you're a catch—strong and dependable. The whole team looks up to you. Chasing Ms. Meng should be a breeze! Honestly, I reckon all the women in our group wouldn't be a challenge for you. In these times, it's all about strength and reliability, and women will naturally gravitate towards that."

"You make it sound like following me is a mistake," Tang Bing glared at him with a hint of annoyance.

"Bing, you know that's not what I meant!" Zhao Dagang quickly shook his head to clarify, "I was just saying..."

"Enough already! I get your point," Tang Bing interrupted, waving his hand dismissively, "But I'm not dwelling on that stuff right now. As for Ms. Meng, she probably doesn't have feelings for me. She likely thinks that getting on my good side will help her survive in a world overrun by flesh-eating zombies. And she's not the only one—the other women are probably thinking the same thing."

"But you can't deny that if you wanted, any of these women would say yes to you!" Zhao Dagang insisted.

Tang Bing gave him a look. "Sure, but what's the point? Even if they're willing, it's just to secure their survival. Except for Qin Mengli, of course."

"Why's that?" Zhao Dagang asked, puzzled.

"I know her extremely well," Tang Bing explained, "The others might bend to my will, but not her. That's just who she is. Coercion is pointless with her. If I tried, she might even take drastic measures to protect herself."

"You really think so? At a time like this, I'd expect everyone to abandon their old limits and pride just to stay alive," Zhao Dagang said skeptically.

"Some personalities are unchangeable," Tang Bing replied, turning to push a cart of supplies out the door. "Nobody understands her better than I do."

"Aren't women supposed to be changeable?" Zhao Dagang challenged, "What if she's had a change of heart now?"

"Let's drop it, okay? Don't bring her up again," Tang Bing cut him off, "There's no chance for anything between her and me. That ship sailed even before the apocalypse. And right now, my only goal is to ensure we all make it through this alive."

"Got it, I'll drop it," Zhao Dagang agreed, though he seemed to hold back further comments.

Tang Bing noticed his hesitation and let out a light laugh. "Relax! Take it easy. I've told you, I'm not interested in these distractions. You're worried about Liang Hui, right? Don't be—I'll keep my distance. Focus on what matters, Dagang. You're the only one in this group who can really back me up, got it?"

"Ah, I get it now!" Zhao Dagang finally cracked a smile. "Bing, what do you think girls like for gifts?"

"You mean what Liang Hui likes?" Tang Bing chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't know her at all, how would I know? But in these times, food is the most valuable thing. Maybe you could sneak her some tasty treats. It might just increase her fondness for you a bit."

"Thanks, Bing!" Zhao Dagang's eyes sparkled, thinking it was a great suggestion.

"I just threw the idea out there; I can't promise it'll work!" Tang Bing said with a laugh. "Now, let's get moving! We need to take as much of the food and daily supplies from these shelves as we can."

"You got it!" Zhao Dagang, energized, pushed his cart towards the checkout.

The two men kept loading up the modified shopping cart train, nearly filling it to the brim.

With just one spot left, Tang Bing decided to grab a few more bags of rice. As he lifted the heaviest one, he suddenly heard Zhao Dagang's roar from the cashier's area. Unsure of what had happened, Tang Bing dropped the rice and dashed over, mace in hand.

Reaching the cashier, he saw Zhao Dagang, mace in his right hand, pistol in his left, his face seething with rage. Before him stood four or five male survivors brandishing fruit knives and metal pipes.

These survivors were eyeing the shopping cart train, apparently aiming to steal the hard-earned supplies, but Zhao Dagang had caught them red-handed.

Tang Bing was taken aback. He had assumed the city was nearly empty of survivors, with most having fled to the military sanctuary in B City. Encountering so many at once was unexpected, especially since he'd been meticulously scanning the surrounding buildings and hadn't spotted a single soul.

"Drop everything!" Zhao Dagang bellowed at a survivor clutching several packs of instant noodles.

"Who are you trying to intimidate? Dude!" retorted the survivor, dressed like a student, unimpressed. "Waving a toy gun around? We live in a gun-free country. You really think you can fool us with that?"

"Don't waste time yakking! Load the food into the car, quick—we're on the clock!" barked the man in a suit and glasses, brandishing a watermelon knife.

"Hey big guy, it's five against two. You really want to tangle with us?" chuckled a young man with a colorful scarf tied around his head. "This supermarket isn't your personal pantry. Everything's up for grabs! We're just grabbing some essentials and hitting the road. No need for hard feelings, okay?"

"Enough chit-chat. Grab the stuff and let's go!" the bespectacled man in the suit pressed.

"Bing, they're looting!" Zhao Dagang turned and hollered at Tang Bing, "Should we take them on?"

"Hold your fire!" Tang Bing moved next to Zhao Dagang.

"Exactly! Don't shoot. Blowing our cover would be bad news," the student said with a grin. "Just stay put, and we'll be sure to leave you something."

Tang Bing's brow furrowed. These people had no manners! He wasn't against other survivors scavenging from the supermarket, but when they ignored the goods inside to steal his, it really got under his skin. "Drop the stuff, now!"

"What's your problem?" the student sneered. "You looking for a fight? Do you even know who we are?"

"I don't care who you are. Put the stuff back, now!" Tang Bing drew his silenced pistol.

"Bing..." Zhao Dagang, puzzled, noticed Tang Bing had told him not to shoot, yet here he was, gun in hand.

"Your gun's too loud without a silencer. It'll draw zombies from miles away!" Tang Bing explained coolly, pointing his weapon at the student.

"Hey! I told you, no one's impressed by a toy gun. You really looking to get hurt?" The student looked over at the man with glasses. "What's the play? We gonna fight?"

"Stop wasting time," the man with glasses replied coldly.

"Hehe!" The student's smirk widened at the response. He signaled the other two survivors to advance on Tang Bing and Zhao Dagang. "This won't take long."

"Bing?" Zhao Dagang shot Tang Bing a questioning glance.

Tang Bing knew talking was futile. Without hesitation, he squeezed the trigger.

"Bang!" His target wasn't a person, but the water cooler next to the cash register. The jug shattered, sending pure water cascading across the floor. In that moment, the smugness vanished from the faces of the five survivors before him, replaced by expressions of shock and fear.