Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Reckless Offspring of an Official

Gu Sha arched his brow, shrugged his shoulder to shake off Zhang Chuping’s hand, and said, “I have no interest in being your lackey. Besides, it’s the apocalypse now—I advise you to drop that young master act. No one buys it anymore!”

Zhang Chuping’s face turned pale and dark by turns, fury simmering within. Yet, recalling Gu Sha’s skills and the firearm at his side, he suppressed the urge to lash out and forced himself to say, “You’d better think this through. There are limited spots to enter the bastion—not just anyone can get in. Even if you manage a lucky break, without someone to cover you, you'll be nothing but trash at the bottom.”

Gu Sha shot Zhang Chuping a disdainful glance. He’d seen plenty of rich second-generation types like him in his previous life—not just in the early days of the apocalypse, but even years later, there were still those who couldn’t see reality, always posturing as if they were above everyone else.

Ignoring Zhang Chuping, Gu Sha strode to the window and opened it, climbing out. With a few agile leaps, he scaled up to the rooftop.

Once atop the roof, Gu Sha quickly surveyed the area below. The wide, open view allowed him to take in the entire park at a glance. Soon, he spotted a crooked-necked tree leaning beside a public restroom.

To Gu Sha’s delight, there were indeed two Source Pearls nestled in the tree's branches. That comrade from his previous life had been telling the truth!

Heart pounding with excitement, Gu Sha leapt down from the fifth floor and sprinted towards the crooked-necked tree.

Back in the hotel room, after Gu Sha’s abrupt departure, Zhang Chuping was so enraged he felt as though his lungs might burst. He grabbed something, intending to smash it, but worried the noise might attract zombies, he could only curse explosively, “Damn it! That ungrateful bastard!”

When had he ever suffered such humiliation? Everyone treated him with deference—even in the apocalypse, once people knew his identity, they fawned over him.

But this guy… how dare he!

“I’ll make him regret this!” Zhang Chuping seethed, desperate to vent his anger. He wanted to hit someone, but though arrogant, he was no fool—he still needed the other survivors. Even if they were eager to curry favor, until he reached the bastion, they still had their use.

So, his rage turned on the two naked women in the room. He unleashed a savage beating, kicking them until blood spilled from their mouths before finally stopping.

Just then, a man at the window shouted, “Young Master Zhang, look! What’s that guy doing?”

Zhang Chuping and his companions rushed to the window, catching sight of Gu Sha climbing the crooked-necked tree, pursued by a horde of zombies.

“Hahaha…” Zhang Chuping burst into laughter. “That ungrateful bastard—trapped, climbing a tree? Ha! Thought he was somebody, but turns out he’s an idiot. Up there, nowhere to run—he’ll either starve or be torn apart by zombies!”

But the next moment, all of them froze.

They saw Gu Sha retrieve two Source Pearls from the tree’s branches.

“There are Source Pearls there?! Damn it, damn it! Damn it all!” Zhang Chuping’s eyes were bloodshot as he screamed, all pretense of poise gone. There were Source Pearls on that tree—right in front of him—and he hadn’t noticed.

In this world, almost everyone understood the significance of Source Pearls. The authorities, hoping to accelerate human evolution and prevent zombies from benefiting, broadcasted everywhere about Source Pearls and the concept of supernatural evolution as soon as communications were restored.

Zhang Chuping knew well how precious Source Pearls were, often dreaming of becoming a supernatural warrior himself.

But now, the Pearls had been right there, and he missed them. With a Source Pearl, he wouldn’t have to tread so carefully—he’d become a supernatural warrior, locate a rescue team alone, and wouldn’t need to waste time recruiting these idiots around him!

Bang! Bang! Bang! Zhang Chuping pounded the stone wall, swearing like a machine gun, his mind consumed by jealousy and frustration.

Why? That ungrateful bastard—the Source Pearls should be mine! Damn him, damn him!

Glaring at Gu Sha, Zhang Chuping’s fury almost erupted. Suddenly, his gaze fell on the two women moaning softly on the floor.

His pupils narrowed. He looked at the other men and barked, “Throw those two women down!”

“What?” The men were stunned.

Zhang Chuping sneered, “Throw them out the window! Don’t you understand? Do it!”

Without waiting, Zhang Chuping grabbed one woman by the hair and dragged her to the window. She struggled desperately, but the other two men pinned her down. Ignoring her cries and pleas, they shoved her out.

A sickening, thunderous crash followed as the woman fell from the fifth floor, blood splattering everywhere.

The second woman was tossed out next, her blood pooling on the ground—instantly attracting swarms of zombies. The scent of blood was irresistible to them, especially those that had evolved several times; their sense of smell was razor-sharp. Soon, the guttural roars of zombies echoed from all directions, and masses of them appeared.

At the same time, Zhang Chuping grabbed a stool and hurled it toward Gu Sha, smashing a window near the crooked-necked tree.

The loud crash drew even more zombies, who surged toward the tree in a frenzied tide. Where before only a dozen zombies clustered beneath it, now hordes gathered.

Meanwhile, Gu Sha calmly stowed the Source Pearls atop the tree. He was fully aware of what Zhang Chuping was doing.

“Courting death,” Gu Sha muttered coldly. He pushed off the crooked-necked tree, leaping down and brandishing his blade, hacking through the zombie horde in a wild frenzy.

“Ha! Bite him! Tear that bastard apart!” Upstairs, Zhang Chuping was elated, watching Gu Sha besieged by zombies. The thrill of vengeance filled him with satisfaction. Once Gu Sha was dead and the zombies dispersed, he’d claim the Source Pearls and become a supernatural warrior—his mood soared at the prospect.

But as he laughed, his smile froze.

He witnessed a scene that shattered his beliefs—Gu Sha, beset by hundreds of zombies, carved a bloody path straight toward the hotel.

“How…how…is this possible…?” Zhang Chuping’s face twisted with terror as he saw Gu Sha already entering the hotel’s ground floor. In panic, he shouted, “Go! We have to hide somewhere else—he knows where we are! Let’s change location!”

But just as they reached the living room—

Bang!

The door was kicked open!