Chapter 80: Locusts

Wang Baoquan sensed something was wrong. He knew his own capacity for alcohol—on any normal day, half a jin would not be an issue. So why, after just one cup tonight, did his head feel heavy, his steps unsteady, and his mind clouded? Could it be that something had been added to the wine? Forcing himself to keep his eyes open, Wang Baoquan glanced around at those present.

The soldiers were already beginning to slump over, one after another. He looked at the policemen: there was a look of malicious glee on their faces. Something was very wrong. Wang Baoquan was just about to leap up from his seat when one shifty-eyed policeman beside him clapped his hands and said, “Down they go, down they go!” Before the words had even faded, Wang Baoquan’s head lolled to one side and he collapsed face-first onto the dining table.

Anyone with the slightest experience could guess what had happened—someone had drugged the wine. In that moment, Peng Sha understood everything. These men were not good people at all. But by the time she realized this, it was already too late. The cold muzzle of a gun was pressed against her forehead; any hint of resistance, and her life would be forfeit.

“Is it necessary to wave your guns around at the slightest provocation? What kind of behavior is that? Put the guns away, don’t frighten my sister-in-law.” Li Zixin’s face was still wreathed in a smile, but it was a sinister, chilling smile.

“What are you trying to do?” Peng Sha sat in her chair, knowing that resistance was now pointless. It was better to remain calm and try to discern their intentions before making any plans.

“Good question, ha ha.” Li Zixin let out a dry laugh, picked up his chopsticks, pinched a piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, then said, “What am I trying to do? To be honest, even I don’t know. Brothers, what do you think I want?”

The group erupted in laughter, paying her no mind at all. With a glance from Li Zixin, his men understood, and began to drag away the unconscious soldiers, taking out handcuffs and ropes to bind them securely.

“We took you in out of kindness, saved your lives, and this is how you repay your benefactors?” Peng Sha’s face was flushed with anger. Wang Baoquan and the soldiers were now all tied up and unconscious. The ones on guard duty outside had no idea what was happening here. This group was clearly up to no good—today’s events were spiraling out of control.

“Ha ha, saved our lives? It’s actually the other way around!” Li Zixin laughed as if he’d heard a great joke. “You’d long since run out of ammunition. If we hadn’t come, you’d all be dead within two days, wouldn’t you? Ha ha!”

“You—shameless!” Peng Sha spat angrily onto the floor. These beasts—she had taken them in out of kindness, never imagining she’d let wolves into the fold.

“Let me tell you, your guns have been empty for some time. An empty gun is less useful than a stick. Save us? It’s us who saved you. We have men, guns, and bullets. When would we ever need you to rescue us?” Li Zixin laughed to himself.

“Bah! My husband must have been blind to make friends with a beast like you in human skin!”

Li Zixin narrowed his eyes at Peng Sha. The smile on his face turned cold as he said, “You’re Zhao Qiang’s wife, aren’t you? Heh, I owe this look of mine to your husband!”

With that, Li Zixin yanked down his collar, revealing a grotesque, throbbing tumor on his neck.

That day, Li Zixin and his group had been cornered by Wei Tao in a building. By the time they realized it was a trap, it was already too late; zombies were swarming in from all directions. As the saying goes, good people die young while villains live forever. Against all odds, they broke through the undead horde’s encirclement. That day, Li Zixin lost his hand.

After escaping with their lives, Li Zixin and his men only grew worse, emboldened by the guns in their hands. With so few survivors left, Li Zixin scoured several police stations for more firearms and bullets. Once they were resupplied, they committed every imaginable atrocity, ravaging the land like a plague of locusts.

Survivors were already few and far between, scattered in isolated groups. When Li Zixin’s gang encountered small, unarmed groups, they stormed in openly and killed them. When they found larger groups or those with weapons, Li Zixin used his police identity to win their trust, gather intelligence, and then distributed food and wine laced with powerful sleeping drugs. The obedient ones were kept alive; the uncooperative were killed. And if there were women, they never let any escape. After Li Zixin had satisfied his lust, those poor women invariably met a gruesome end.

Wherever these human locusts passed, nothing was left behind. Their destructive power was even worse than that of real locusts. Survivor camps fell one after another, while Li Zixin’s ranks swelled. There were always those willing to serve as accomplices; in a world like this, the ugliness of human nature was magnified to the extreme.

Some courageous souls dared to resist Li Zixin and his men, but what chance did flesh and blood have against guns? The brave were gunned down, their bodies riddled with bullets, while the cowardly could only watch helplessly as their loved ones, their wives, were abused. Most thought the gang would leave after their crimes, but they never imagined their own lives would be taken as well.

Those who were used to currying favor, or who had always been lazy and idle, saw how things stood and immediately betrayed their friends and family, assisting the gang in their atrocities. In their desperation to survive, they became even more ruthless than the original villains. Some even stripped their own wives naked and delivered them to the gang.

Li Zixin kept such people close at hand. He ruled his men with an iron fist; anyone who dared challenge his authority was either killed or thrown to the zombies. He knew that brute force alone wouldn’t ensure obedience, so whenever there were spoils—women, food—he never kept them for himself. Anyone who contributed was rewarded without hesitation.

Because of this, Li Zixin’s gang grew ever larger and more vicious. His ambitions ran high; he wanted to become a local despot, answerable to no one. A few dozen followers were not enough. Anyone who got in the way was killed without mercy as they rampaged across the land, seeking ever better and larger places to settle.

The prison was no longer an option, but an airport, with its relatively enclosed environment, was a decent refuge. Eventually, they arrived at Huanghua Airport. When they entered, there were several hundred unarmed survivors inside. Li Zixin’s twisted psyche was immensely satisfied.

His men were well-practiced in such operations. Without needing orders, they had already used opportunities to befriend the soldiers and learn everything about the place. Most of the soldiers guarding the airport had empty guns; those with ammunition were all outside on duty. As long as nothing too loud happened, those outside would know nothing of what transpired in the hall.

The information quickly reached Li Zixin. The guards had just changed shifts, so there was no fear of unexpected incidents. Under the guise of a communal meal, these wolves subdued most of the soldiers without spilling a drop of blood.