Chapter 39: Extreme Heat, the Deal

“Swish, swish, swish—”

Suddenly, several men in special uniforms emerged from the surroundings, quickly surrounding them in all directions.

These were government troops!

Everyone stood back-to-back, faces full of caution.

Soon, flickering firelight and the rhythmic sound of footsteps approached in waves.

A tall, lean young man in military uniform appeared in their field of view, his eyes sharp and commanding.

Beside him stood a familiar face.

Jiao Weisong immediately flattered the man, saying,

“Commander Kuang, it’s them. They’ve been hiding firearms and even set up traps to kill people. That other group is definitely connected to them—just look at their guns, they match exactly!”

Commander Kuang Luying looked down at them from a position of authority. His gaze scanned the group before landing squarely on the most eye-catching face—Qin Shen.

His tone was imperious:

“Hand over all your weapons!”

Qin Shen stood motionless like a mountain, his cold, indifferent gaze locking with Kuang’s in a flash of tension.

At this early stage of the apocalypse, the government still held control.

Head-on resistance would be suicidal.

Even if they escaped now, they might be hunted relentlessly.

Jiang Si grabbed Qin Shen’s wrist, trying to prevent him from acting on impulse. She tossed the gun to the ground and addressed Kuang Luying calmly:

“These guns weren’t hidden by us. We took them from a group of poachers and were about to hand them over to you. If you don’t believe us, ask the forest rangers.”

Kuang’s eyes shifted toward her as she spoke, a faint smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

Qin Shen stepped in to block his gaze.

Kuang sneered,

“If you were going to hand them over, why did you run?”

Jiang Si immediately explained,

“We thought those poachers were coming after us again. We’re just ordinary civilians—we ran because we were scared.”

Jiao Weisong jumped in angrily,

“Commander, don’t listen to her lies! The survivors we rescued from this village all testified that their family had hidden weapons long before, and they even killed several people!”

Jiang Si’s eyes turned cold.

“Serious accusations require solid evidence. They say we were hiding weapons—where’s the proof? Any recordings?”

Jiao Weisong pulled a bullet from his pocket.

“This was found in the body of one of the villagers—you fired it! This is evidence!”

Jiang Si calmly repeated,

“Like I said, the guns came from a group of poachers who shot and killed people. That has nothing to do with us.”

“You’re just making excuses!”

“Excuses? We held onto the guns for self-defense, just to scare people off while we figured out how to report them. You keep insisting we’re murderers—did you actually see us fire the guns? Did you witness us kill anyone?”

“Those people accusing us? They’re just jealous we’re still alive. They wanted our food supplies—just like that last time when a bunch of fools were incited to rob our house.”

Jiao Weisong, clearly being called out, turned red and pale with rage.

“Our captain ordered you to open the door—why didn’t you?!”

Jiang Si scoffed,

“We’ve been tricked so many times—people pretending to be relatives or friends. You had a large group. What if you weren’t really government? If we opened the door, we’d just become cannon fodder!”

“Then why didn’t you go to the refugee shelter? Why insist on staying here?!”

Jiang Si gave him a cold glare.

“We had hidden food and water—why go to the shelter? And like I said, how could we be sure you’re actually from the government? The government comes demanding our supplies—who wouldn’t be scared? Who would dare open the door? Would you?”

Then she turned back to Kuang Luying.

“I trust that this leader knows how to judge character.”

Kuang picked up one of the hunting rifles and asked darkly,

“Then how did you get these poachers’ guns?”

It was clear—if she couldn’t explain herself, they’d be detained on the spot.

Jiang Si answered calmly:

“We stumbled upon them in the forest. The poachers found out and nearly killed us. Luckily, we ran fast.”

She had already prepared her family for this exact scenario—trouble from having firearms.

Even if Zhang Xianchao was captured and gave conflicting statements, as long as they didn’t confess, there was no way to convict them.

Kuang studied her for a moment. Soon after, Lu Zhifeng and Niuniu were brought over.

Kuang questioned Lu Zhifeng separately, and his story matched Jiang Si’s.

Then he turned to Qin Shen.

“If you had food and water stored, why go into the forest?”

Qin Shen remained calm.

“Because we’ll eventually run out. Are we not allowed to help ourselves? Should we just go rely on the shelter?”

His firm tone seemed to dispel Kuang’s final doubts.

Kuang then took out a dried-up mushroom and asked:

“Have you seen this mushroom before?”

Niuniu couldn’t hide her expression. Kuang caught on immediately and confirmed:

“So you stayed behind because you knew this mushroom could block solar radiation, didn’t you?”

Jiao Weisong’s eyes lit up.

“Take us to find the mushrooms and that group of poachers—only then can we confirm you’re telling the truth!”

If they could locate and cultivate these mushrooms, he would be credited for a major discovery.

But to his surprise, Jiang Si flatly refused:

“We don’t need to prove anything. Turning over the weapons isn’t even recognized as a contribution—and now you expect us to risk our lives taking you into the forest?!”

Her reasoning was airtight. They had no right to force her to lead the way.

Kuang Luying paused for a moment, then said,

“If you guide us, I can apply for you to be rewarded.”
Then added,
“Your supplies must be running low, right? I can grant you a cartload of food.”

Lu Zhifeng showed a hint of excitement—this was government-issued rations.

He was tempted. After all, once they turned over the guns, they’d have no way to protect themselves. He instinctively looked at Jiang Si’s group.

Jiang Si, of course, couldn’t let them know her family had no shortage of supplies, so she pretended to hesitate, looked to Qin Shen, and asked:

“What do you think?”

Qin Shen, ever calm, replied:

“I’ll follow your lead.”

It sounded like they had some deep relationship—but his calm voice stirred something in Jiang Si.

She glanced at him quietly, then turned to her parents, who gave her silent approval with their eyes.

Only then did she look back at Kuang Luying and say,

“We’ll give you the general location, but we won’t lead the way—it’s far too dangerous. And besides the food… I want something else from you.”

Kuang raised a brow.

“What is it?”

“A guarantee,” Jiang Si said.
“That no one will take our house from us, or force us to leave!”

Once Kuang found the mushrooms and dealt with Zhang Xianchao, he might discover their water source too.

In a world of water scarcity, this area might become a new human base.

Their house—well-built and fortified—could easily be targeted by others.

In her previous life, this had happened more than once.

Right now, Jiang Si had no plans to move her parents. The official presence might help maintain some order—and at least, for now, ensure basic safety.