Chapter Seventy-Five: Behind the Ambition

As Xie Han listened to the sound of them pouring wine, he couldn’t help but lick his lips. “Damn it, why is it that all these so-called elite types always quench their thirst with wine? Tsk tsk… In this hellish weather, what month is it already, and still not a hint of coolness? If only I had a glass of iced sour plum juice right now, that would be perfect.” Though his mind wandered, Xie Han still paid close attention to the movements of Gao Tianhao and the others.

Soon, Gao Zaitian’s voice rang out: “Uncle, do you think Yang Xingjun will agree to lend me the Z-299 cluster rocket launcher?”

“That depends on whether Governor Sun can put in a little more effort,” Gao Tianhao replied coolly. “But honestly, I think it’s unlikely. Though the cluster rocket launcher isn’t the most advanced weapon in the base, it’s enough to threaten the base’s safety. Yang Xingjun isn’t a fool—he understands this perfectly well. On the surface, old Governor Sun is the base commander, but in reality, it’s Yang Xingjun, the deputy commander, who really calls the shots. He controls the military power in the base.”

Gao Zaitian spoke bitterly: “So there’s really no way? Damn it, we’ve worked so hard for Sun Yinren, and now, with just this one small request, he still can’t get it done? And he thinks he can seize real power in the base? Hah! Let him keep dreaming!”

“In your mind, do you really think Sun Yinren doesn’t want to get his hands on the Z-299 cluster rocket launcher? It’s just that Yang Xingjun refuses to budge. Who wouldn’t want a weapon that could strengthen their own position?” Gao Tianhao’s perspective was broader. He went on, “Zaitian, do you really think with just a few hundred armed police under Sun Yinren, he can take power from Yang Xingjun’s nearly two thousand troops? If Yang Xingjun weren’t still loyal to the government, clinging to his ideals, his title of deputy governor would be worth nothing in this post-apocalyptic world.”

Just a few exchanges had already given Xie Han a wealth of information. It seemed that Gao Tianhao was working for this Governor Sun—Sun Yinren. No wonder Gao Tianhao had managed to convince the administration to change the hunting regulations within a day of his arrival. But it made sense: someone like Gao Tianhao, heading a major conglomerate, would surely have dealings with high-ranking officials. It was no surprise that Sun Yinren had sought him out.

Yet, at the moment, it appeared that Gao Tianhao himself was not content to stay in the background.

After half a minute of silence, Gao Zaitian spoke cautiously: “Uncle, do you think Sun Yinren is going to such lengths to rent out weapons to the hunting convoy just so you can bring all the base’s teams under your command? Does he really believe a few thousand irregulars can stand up to two thousand regular troops?” At this point, Gao Zaitian couldn’t bring himself to imagine further. The base’s regular troops were superior in both training and equipment, even if they too were a patchwork force.

Gao Tianhao let out a cold laugh. “That’s exactly what Sun Yinren is hoping for. But I think the likelihood of the two sides actually clashing is slim. After all, in times like these, survival depends on unity. If the factions start fighting, the base will be doomed even without the zombies.”

“Then what’s his real plan?” Gao Zaitian, not skilled in political machinations, could only seek answers from his uncle.

“Deterrence,” Gao Tianhao replied. “As long as the hunting convoy bears Sun Yinren’s insignia, he can bargain for more power with Yang Xingjun. Sometimes, politics doesn’t require real bullets or blades to achieve its ends.”

Gao Zaitian was indignant. “Damn it. Isn’t Sun Yinren just using us as pawns? Does he still think it’s three and a half years ago, when he was deputy governor of Wangtian Province? Why doesn’t the XR virus infect scum like him? He didn’t take enough of our money in the past? And now he wants to use us as his tools!”

Gao Tianhao, however, was unmoved. Hadn’t he also set out to use Sun Yinren for his own purposes, stirring up trouble in the hunting convoy? He said calmly, “Sun Yinren uses us, but aren’t we also using him? In the whole hunting convoy, everyone only knows the name Gao, not Sun. In this apocalypse, everything depends on strength. If the situation weren’t so precarious now, I wouldn’t be keeping such a low profile.”

“Uncle, isn’t the situation looking pretty good right now? Damn, if we hadn’t lost dozens of vehicles in the freight yard today, your prestige would be at a new high.”

Gao Tianhao smiled bitterly. “It’s not the loss of vehicles and a few hundred men that worries me. There are plenty of people eager to join the hunting convoy. What really concerns me is Xie Han and Chen Liu. According to the guards, they left before us. I suspect the reason there were so many zombies at the freight yard was because of their handiwork. But that’s not even the most serious issue. The real problem is the horde of zombies drawing closer to the base. I fear their target is this very place.”

Gao Zaitian was slightly taken aback. “How… how is that possible?”

“There’s nothing impossible about it,” Gao Tianhao said. “Three and a half years ago, who could have imagined X-rays, the XR virus, zombies? This information was reported by Xie Han and Chen Liu—I only heard about it by chance these past few days.”

“Uncle, do you really trust what they say?”

“Zaitian, have you looked closely at the sides of the highway? It’s practically a sea of zombies. What baffles me is why they’re not attacking the road itself, but leaving it open for us to enter and leave Wangtian City. Could it be they’re trying to lull us into a false sense of security?” The more Gao Tianhao thought about it, the more uneasy he became. “If that’s really the case, it’s terrifying. Millions of zombies—there’s no way the base could withstand them. And with all the recent hunting, our ammunition stockpile is already more than half gone. If this continues, we’ll have to end the hunting operations.”

The prospect of running out of ammunition was catastrophic. Gao Zaitian, flustered, said, “What do we do then? We finally found a relatively safe base and just started to build something here—are we supposed to give it all up?”

Gao Tianhao was silent for a moment, then suddenly seemed to have a revelation. “Could it be Xie Han and Chen Liu are planning to evacuate the base?” He paced restlessly, muttering, “That must be it. That’s what they’re planning. But why gather so many useless people? Is it really to preserve human civilization and technology? Zaitian, tomorrow, whatever it takes, find out what this Apocalypse Company is really about.”

Outside, Xie Han listened to Gao Tianhao’s analysis with a hint of surprise. He hadn’t expected the other man to deduce his true goal from scattered clues. It seemed this was no ordinary opponent. Now that he’d been partially exposed, it looked like the plan would have to be accelerated.

As for whether to kill Gao Tianhao, Xie Han hadn’t considered it. He wasn’t a cruel person, and for now, there was no real conflict between them—no reason to risk it. After all, there were dozens of bodyguards inside the villa; who knew if he could make it out alive after assassinating Gao Tianhao?