Wasteland Rebirth

Gu Hai said, "Who said I would let them slip away? However, this matter requires careful planning. I am not the kind of person who risks life for greed. Hou Shan, are you truly familiar with the Golden Museum of Jishi City?"

Hou Shan, like Sun Gaoqiang, was a later addition to the team. He ingratiated himself with Gu Hai, "Brother Hai, would I dare deceive you? I've lived in Jishi for over twenty years—I could find the door with my eyes closed."

Gu Hai nodded and said, "Alright, then tell me all the details…"

Sun Gaoqiang interjected, "Boss, let's forget about the gold for now. The city center is crawling with zombies. If we go in, there's no guarantee we can get out. Don't be fooled by their slow movements. When there are too many of them, we'll be helpless. Besides, we still don't know if we'll encounter those particularly powerful zombies again."

Gu Hai squinted and turned his gaze toward He Er, who was walking from another team, "I have my ways. You don't need to worry about it."

He Er walked over, hunched with his sleeves rolled up, greeting everyone with a smile, "Heh, everyone's by the fire, huh? It's so cold tonight. Let me go gather some more firewood."

Gu Hai spoke, "There's no need. I asked you to keep an eye on Chu Xiang. Has there been any sign?"

He Er replied, "Not yet, but it seems he's caught a cold—his body is shivering. The symptoms appear different from infection. The virus infections I've seen before turned people into zombies immediately."

Gu Hai nodded, "Don't let your guard down. Go back and keep watching him. If he turns into a zombie, shoot him on the spot. This cursed weather… A-choo… I think I might be coming down with a cold too."

He Er took a few steps and then turned back, "Boss Gu, about the treasure I mentioned to Chicken Brother…"

Gu Hai waved him off, "He mentioned it to me. What's a broken dragon head worth? I have other plans."

He Er quickly defended, "It's not just any copper dragon head. It's the head of the twelve zodiac animal sculptures from the Yuanmingyuan Royal Garden. Remember? The media made a big fuss about it before. The country attached great importance to it and even sent a team of soldiers to escort it. But now, only a soldier with a broken leg is left. There's nothing to fear."

Gu Hai waved his hand dismissively, "Alright, I know. We'll talk about it tomorrow. Go back to watching him."

Why was He Er working so diligently? Because he was a murderer and a criminal of heavy sentences. Having escaped death, he now only wanted to enjoy life. But Chu Xiang and Song Jun were honest and upstanding men who not only refused to let anyone harm Su Yulian, but also intended to return the treasure to Beijing. This clashed with He Er's principles, but Gu Hai's group was daring and decisive. If it weren't for Xie Shanshan's unexpected intervention, perhaps he might have joined in the fun with Su Yulian.

Now, let's leave Gu Hai's scheming aside. Chu Xiang was currently in a state of both suffering and delight. He was unconscious, yet his mind still lingered, even though his body lay still. The warmth from the soft body he held in his arms was undeniably comforting. The occasional squeeze of his hand made Chu Xiang nearly moan in pleasure, but the discomfort was overwhelming. His entire body ached, and yet, he couldn't pinpoint where the pain originated—it was just... unbearable!

The agony and pleasure coexisted, and slowly, the awareness in Chu Xiang's mind grew stronger. Gradually, he gained control of his thoughts. Suddenly, he felt like a lion breaking free from its cage. With a sudden movement, he sat up with a bang, "Ouch!" Chu Xiang realized he had been sleeping in the car and had just bumped his head, leaving a large lump. To his surprise, the roof of the Pajero was bulging out.

"You're awake," said Song Jun's voice, his half-burned face appearing outside the window. To others, it might look terrifying, but to Chu Xiang, it seemed oddly endearing.

Chu Xiang rubbed his head and climbed out of the car, saying to Song Jun, "I'm still alive, right?"

Song Jun chuckled, "What do you think?"

Seeing the sun rising in the east and the others still sleeping around the fire, Chu Xiang grinned, "That's right, I'm alive! It feels so good. Last night nearly killed me. I must have worried you, huh?"

Song Jun patted Chu Xiang's shoulder and said, "First hot, then cold. I'm afraid next time you'll come up with some new trick."

Chu Xiang scratched his scalp and said, "I can't guarantee that. But after going through the heat and the cold, the next time should be normal, right?"

Song Jun replied, "Last time you fainted for three days, and when you woke up, your strength had more than doubled. I hope this time won't disappoint me. By the way, Zhang Jingyao took care of you all night. She went to prepare breakfast at dawn."

Chu Xiang looked up and saw Zhang Jingyao walking toward the fire with a pot of water. At first, he thought he had mistaken her for someone else. In his memory, Zhang Jingyao was only notable for being unattractive and having large breasts. But as she removed her oversized coat, her figure was revealed, and it rivaled even Su Yulian's.

She bent down to add more wood to the fire, her curvaceous hips and slender waist contrasting sharply with her proud chest. If anyone had seen this, even Liu Xia Hui would have trouble resisting the temptation. The only flaw was that Zhang Jingyao's face was too unattractive—almost frightening, in fact. But Chu Xiang had seen her photos before and knew that beneath the unattractive face, there was a beautiful and charming one. Of course, her face might never return to its original state, but there was still hope for recovery, and Zhang Jingyao herself had said her face had improved in the past few days.

Song Jun had quietly walked away, as words couldn't describe the bond between him and Chu Xiang. They had been through so many trials together that they had become brothers, bound by adversity. Song Jun silently did what needed to be done, offering his life to support Chu Xiang. A brother like that was something Chu Xiang knew he would never encounter again.

"You're awake," Zhang Jingyao said, sensing the shift. When she turned and saw Chu Xiang standing behind her, a smile crept onto her face. But when she realized he was looking her up and down, that smile quickly turned to embarrassment. She lowered her head, twisting awkwardly, "You scared me last night when you were so cold. Fortunately, you started to recover by the second half of the night. How are you feeling now?"

Though Chu Xiang had been unconscious last night, he wasn't entirely unaware. With years of experience from movies and books, he could easily guess who he had been holding. The soft and fragrant feeling still lingered in his fingers. His eyes couldn't help but wander to Zhang Jingyao's chest, where a sense of satisfaction bloomed. She was the first woman he had been so intimately close to, and he was quite pleased—until he suddenly thought of Xie Shanshan, which dampened his mood.

"I really should thank you. I feel fantastic now! I could even take on a couple of tigers!" Chu Xiang raised his fists to reassure Zhang Jingyao, hoping to make her feel at ease. It seemed Zhang Jingyao was a bit shy, so it was probably best not to mention what had happened last night.