Chapter 48.1

This wasn’t the first time Xue Ling had been chased by a car. On the journey to Yu City with Wen Jiuze, they had encountered several robberies and had been chased more than once.

But today felt different.

Although Wen Jiuze’s expression remained unchanged, Xue Ling, who knew him well, could sense the underlying tension beneath his calm demeanor.

Gripping the handrail, Xue Ling looked back. The car pursuing them was similar to their own, but it looked newer and was clearly faster than their battered old vehicle.

After a while, Xue Ling could clearly make out a lion head emblem on the car behind.

She recognized it—this was the same group that Wen Jiuze had once fought during a fierce gunfight on the road.

It was an old enemy.

“Wen Jiu!” Someone from the car shouted, followed by several mocking calls.

“Wen Jiu, why did you run when you saw us?”

“Think you’re so tough? Why are you running?”

The wind carried faint shouts and laughter from the men, their tone unmistakably threatening.

Another shot was fired, but it missed. The shot seemed more like a provocation than an actual attack.

Xue Ling glanced at Wen Jiuze again. Noticing her gaze, he gave her a brief smile and said, “Sit down.”

He withdrew his hand, sharply turned the steering wheel, and veered off the road.

From the sound, he could tell that at least five people were behind them, and they were armed.

They couldn’t continue on this road. Their speed couldn’t match that of the pursuing car, and if they didn’t act soon, they would be caught.

Once off the road, the surrounding landscape was nothing but wasteland. There were no large buildings in sight, only faint outlines of some houses to the left, resembling a small town.

Wen Jiuze changed course, heading toward the town.

He knew well that in an open area like this, they had no chance of escaping the people behind them.

These weren’t just roadside robbers with shovels and sticks. They were well-armed, ruthless criminals who didn’t hesitate to kill.

Every time Wen Jiuze had dealt with them before, he had used the complex terrain and buildings to his advantage, hiding and picking them off one by one.

What had seemed like easy victories were the result of careful planning and patience, and every encounter was a battle for survival.

But in this barren landscape, he was at a serious disadvantage.

No matter how skilled a person was, they couldn’t take on multiple armed opponents in a place like this.

Realizing this, Wen Jiuze made a swift decision.

Ignoring the shouts behind him, he focused on the outlines of the buildings ahead.

If he could reach the town before they caught up, they might have a chance. He wouldn’t die today if he could just make it there.

But if they were unlucky enough to be caught before that… he hoped Xue Ling wouldn’t be angry.

As the small town came into view, Wen Jiuze muttered, “It’s your turn to drive.”

Xue Ling, startled by the request, hesitated. She had learned to drive but had never taken over in the middle of a chase.

Seeing the pursuing car getting closer, she realized Wen Jiuze must be preparing for a confrontation. Without hesitation, she squeezed into the driver’s seat.

There was no time to worry about safety. She had to act.

Wen Jiuze, tall and broad, made the exchange difficult, but Xue Ling finally took the wheel.

She had barely relaxed when Wen Jiuze spoke again, “When they catch up, I’ll jump out. You keep driving toward the city, okay?”

Xue Ling: “?”

She couldn’t believe her ears.

If she could speak, she would have scolded him for being crazy.

The enemy was closing in, and Wen Jiuze was willing to sacrifice himself to give her a chance to escape. It sounded like something out of a TV drama.

Wen Jiuze pulled out his gun and glanced out the window. “If they see me, they’ll probably stop chasing you. If they go crazy and still pursue, just hide among the zombies. I don’t need to explain this to you.”

Xue Ling reached out, intending to stop him, but the car suddenly jolted.

She pulled her hand back, trying to steady herself.

Ahead, the road had been dug up, filled with potholes and obstacles. There were rocks and debris scattered all over.

It looked like the scavengers had done this to prevent zombies from escaping the city, but now it was making driving much more difficult.

The road was treacherous, and the car was bouncing around. Xue Ling focused all her attention on steering, unable to catch her breath. She locked the car door, thankful that Wen Jiuze hadn’t jumped out yet and was still watching the rear.

The car behind them drew closer, and a shot rang out, striking their rear bumper.

Then came several more shots. Bullets seemed to fly at them from every direction. Wen Jiuze stayed calm, waiting for the right moment before returning the shot.

As soon as the gunfire stopped, the man who had been shooting at them ducked back into the car and cursed, “Damn it! My hand’s scratched. Luckily, I dodged quickly!”

“Why the rush? He can’t escape. Don’t waste any more bullets!” someone else called out.

But it was only quiet for a moment. As the two cars got closer, another person leaned out of the window, eager to take another shot.

Wen Jiuze turned and looked at Xue Ling. After a brief silence, he started to speak, “I…”

Before he could finish, the car jolted again as the front wheel sank into a pothole and the car came to a halt.

There was no time to stop and push the car.

Xue Ling and Wen Jiuze exchanged a glance.

Xue Ling: “…”

Wen Jiuze: “…”

The car behind them caught up.

Wen Jiuze ordered, “Stay in the car and don’t get out.”

He opened the door and braced himself as several gunshots rang out.

Five men got out of the car. The fourth brother led them, with the honest-looking Brother De by his side. The other three young men looked about the same age as Wen Jiuze.

Wen Jiuze sized them up and aimed his gun at the fourth brother.

The fourth brother met his gaze slowly and grinned coldly. “It’s really you. We have come to the right place.”

“You seem to have been doing well these last two years, while I’ve been suffering, brother.”

When Wen Jiuze first used the name Wen Jiu to infiltrate the Yishi base, he fought with the fourth brother, who had lost.

At the time, the fourth brother had been upset. Among the brothers, he was the best fighter, but he had lost to an outsider.

But the eldest brother had admired Wen Jiu, and since they were supposed to become brothers, the fourth brother suppressed his competitive spirit for a while.

Who would have thought that Wen Jiu would disappoint the eldest brother’s expectations and cause such trouble?

Now that Wen Jiuze had nowhere to run, the fourth brother could easily kill him, but doing so wouldn’t erase the resentment he felt.

The fourth brother glanced over Wen Jiuze’s shoulder at the car behind him.

“I heard you brought your girlfriend with you. Why don’t you call her out to introduce her to us?”

The three young men laughed.

“If you’re not going to shout, let the brothers help you out. Yongsheng, you go.”

One of the young men stepped forward, and Wen Jiuze immediately aimed his gun at him.

Just then, the car door behind Wen Jiuze opened, and a figure stepped out. Under the watchful eyes of the men, she walked slowly to Wen Jiuze’s side.

In this weather, the men only needed one layer of clothing, but she was dressed in a long windbreaker, a hat, a mask, and glasses, covering herself completely, leaving no skin exposed.

The fourth brother only took one glance at her and turned to Wen Jiuze. “You went to the Yishi base looking for someone, a woman named Xue Ling. Could it be her?”

The base had become chaotic, and after Wen Jiuze’s escape, his second and third brothers had investigated Wen Jiuze’s identity and motives.

They found out that he was looking for someone, a woman named Xue Ling.

“You went through a lot to find this woman in our Lioness Camp.”

The fourth brother’s expression darkened as he gritted his teeth. “If she had died in our Lioness Camp, you could have come for revenge, but she’s not there, and there’s no grudge between you and the Righteous Lions Gang, so why start a fight?”