Chapter 38: The Staccato of Hooves
The relentless rattle of the Gatling gun shattered the silence, its bullets pouring out in a torrential storm, casting an iron rain over the farm. The scum within barely had time to scream before projectiles ripped through the walls, cutting their bodies in half.
Wielding a Gatling gun single-handed—was that even possible? Oh, God.
Sean stood frozen, dumbstruck. In all his years as a patrol officer, he had never encountered such a fearsome weapon, nor had he ever seen anyone as formidable as this man. He could only gape in awe. Had he confronted Li Changsheng just moments ago, would he not have ended up like those others—torn in two?
It was terrifying. Cold sweat poured down his back.
Li Changsheng had become the very incarnation of death, mercilessly harvesting every life before him.
The battle ended swiftly—less than a minute passed before the farm was silent, save for Sean and Li Changsheng. Yet, ever cautious, Li Changsheng inspected the place several more times, confirming that not a single wretch had survived. Only then did he join Sean.
“Well done.” Li Changsheng clapped Sean on the shoulder.
Sean, who had just gunned down two lookouts and a few fleeing enemies while covering Li Changsheng’s back—most importantly, without firing a treacherous shot at him—felt his body tense up. “Thank you…” he stammered.
Relief washed over him; Li Changsheng’s demeanor moments ago had truly frightened him.
Li Changsheng casually tossed the Gatling gun into the back seat and instructed Sean to drive up to the power station’s control room on the hill.
Back in Civilization City, Li Changsheng had made a thorough study of the station—its operation and every piece of equipment were no mystery to him. He led Sean through an inspection and, to their luck, found the wind farm’s transmission lines intact.
However, the wind farm’s braking system had been engaged, which explained why the blades no longer turned.
Once the brakes were released, the turbines finally began to spin again. Even with early 2000s technology, each rotation generated two kilowatt-hours of electricity, and every dozen seconds or so, the blades completed a turn.
Li Changsheng finally allowed himself a smile.
The mission was accomplished at last. As long as the control room remained secure, Civilization City would have no shortage of power for the foreseeable future.
Night had fallen.
The two men began their journey back.
Throughout the drive, Sean dared not look back, stealing only the occasional glance at the rearview mirror.
Li Changsheng found his fear amusing. Where was the defiant Sean now? Where was the infamous next-door neighbor?
Thinking of that, Li Changsheng suddenly recalled the very origin of the conflict between Sean and Rick. He couldn’t help but imagine a scene in his mind:
[Sean: I’m going to be a father!]
[Rick: I’m going to be a father!...]
The thought made Li Changsheng laugh aloud.
Hearing his laughter, Sean was bewildered and silently resolved to keep his distance from this man in the future. Wherever he appeared, Sean would withdraw without hesitation.
Lost in thought, he suddenly heard Li Changsheng speak. “Sean, did you know Lori is pregnant?”
“Lori? Pregnant?” Sean was so startled he forgot to steer, only correcting himself after Li Changsheng’s reminder. Flustered, he glanced back and blurted, “Whose is it? Rick’s? Or don’t tell me you—”
“Cut the nonsense,” Li Changsheng interrupted. “You and Lori were always disappearing into the woods by the quarry under the pretense of gathering mushrooms. Don’t think no one noticed. Do the math—who else could the father be but you?”
For once, Sean blushed, his eyes darting away. “I thought Rick was already dead...”
Li Changsheng waved a hand to silence him, his tone growing serious. “I don’t care to know about your messy affairs. I’m just telling you—Lori is carrying your child. But no matter how you pine for her, you know as well as I do that even in death, she’ll never return to you. If you and Rick insist on conflict, even to the point of a duel, then prepare for your child to lose a father—or a mother. Do you have any idea what that means in this damned world?”
Sean gave no reply, only running a weary hand through his hair.
Sean was a double-edged sword; used well, he could be an immense asset to Civilization City. And as for Sean, Rick, Lori, and their future daughter Judith—she was a promising child, one who would someday make a fine worker.
At that thought, Li Changsheng smiled thoughtfully. “Sean, if you help me build Civilization City honestly, I promise your child will have a bright future.”
Sean struggled inwardly, then finally, with a sigh of resignation, replied, “As long as you can keep my child safe, I’ll work for you from now on—just like Merle. You’re the boss.”
“Good.”
Back at the farm, Rick was already waiting at the door, having heard the news.
Once Li Changsheng and Sean arrived, Rick and the others hurried out to meet them. Sean recounted what had happened at the farm, even showing them the half-eaten thigh he’d recovered from the villains, provoking a wave of fury among the group.
Rick said only, “Good work, brother.”
Even Dale, known for his compassion, said little—just heaved a long sigh.
Li Changsheng gave him a consoling pat on the shoulder. It seemed Dale would no longer wander off at night and fall victim to the walkers. Though the old man had his bleeding-heart tendencies, he was, outside of combat, exactly the sort of person Civilization City needed more of—far preferable to those who lurked in the shadows, waiting to stab others in the back.
After parting ways with Rick and the others, Li Changsheng returned to the bedroom that had once belonged to Maggie.
It was only eleven at night—still early.
He took a shower, rinsing away the stench of blood and violence, then flung himself onto the bed. Suddenly, a gentle tapping came from the window.
Li Changsheng poked his head out to find Beth peering in, tapping his window with a plastic rod.
“Hey, dear City Lord, can you tell me about Civilization City?”
Beth had heard him return next door. Though she’d planned to sleep, ever since Hershel had told her about Civilization City that morning, her mind had been spinning with curiosity and questions.
“No time,” Li Changsheng replied, shutting the window and collapsing onto his soft bed. The past few days had left his body resilient, but mentally he was drained. He had no time to tell stories.
“Hmph.” Beth snorted, undeterred, and continued to tap on his window.
“Alright, alright!” Li Changsheng, exasperated, reopened the window and shot her a glare. “Half an hour, no more. My room or yours? We can’t talk through the wall, can we?”
“Uh, let me think,” Beth stammered, a blush rising to her pale cheeks as she reconsidered her impulsive request. Finally, she bit her lip and said, “Come to my room. But keep your voice down—don’t let Maggie hear.”
“Fine, let’s make it quick.” Without further thought, Li Changsheng grabbed the window ledge and, to Beth’s soft yelp of surprise, vaulted across.
Beth squeaked, scrambling onto the bed and pulling the covers over her bare legs—she was still dressed in nothing but a pair of white shorts. “Why do you always use the window? Isn’t there a door?”
“You think the door is more convenient? What if someone sees?”
As he spoke, Li Changsheng took a deep breath. In the dim night, he could just make out the cartoon pattern on Beth’s pert little shorts.