Chapter 59: The Slap and the Ambush

When Wang Lili mocked Bai Xia, Bai Xia didn’t get angry. Instead, she smiled. Only after Wang Lili finished speaking did Bai Xia retaliate. As soon as she spoke, her right hand shot up eagerly, slapping Wang Lili across the face.

Even before the apocalypse, Wang Lili had been scheming against Bai Xia, trying to send her to Brother Li’s bed multiple times. But Bai Xia always saw through her plans. Their friendship had long ended, but Wang Lili’s relentless pestering and her insistence on calling them best friends had made Brother Li pursue Bai Xia incessantly.

Despite his efforts, Brother Li always failed. Yet, he never gave up. Even after the zombies appeared, he still couldn’t forget Bai Xia and sent his henchmen to capture her. Now, old and new grievances surfaced, and seeing Wang Lili’s unrepentant attitude, Bai Xia struck without hesitation.

Wang Lili hadn’t expected Bai Xia to attack. She smirked, thinking a woman couldn’t hit hard. She stood there, waiting for the slap. Knowing Bai Xia’s soft heart, Wang Lili thought that after the slap, she could apologize and persuade Bai Xia to return to the factory to serve Brother Li.

Brother Li had always been powerful, and with ** in his hands, he was even stronger now. Everyone in the factory obeyed him, and even if he wanted someone else’s wife, they would willingly send her to him. Those who disobeyed were easily subdued and fed to the zombies.

Wang Lili’s thoughts were interrupted by the slap, which deformed her face and filled her eyes with terror. The next moment, time returned to normal, and Wang Lili was sent flying two or three meters, landing with a thud and fainting instantly. Bai Xia, an awakened ability user, had a strength far beyond ordinary people, though not as extreme as Bai Han’s. Slapping Wang Lili was easy.

****

I sat in the car, looking out the window. When I saw Bai Xia slap Wang Lili, I admired her. Although Bai Xia seemed arrogant, she was actually simple-minded. Normally, people wouldn’t be fooled twice by the same person, but Bai Xia was different. She had been tricked by Wang Lili many times but always forgave her after an apology. This made her vulnerable to danger. I had to keep her safe, train her in survival skills, and teach her to be more cautious.

As I thought about this, Bai Xia’s one-sided victory ended. Big Gold Tooth carried the unconscious Wang Lili and followed Bai Xia back to the car. Seeing Wang Lili, I knew Bai Xia’s soft heart had gotten the better of her again.

“Brother, can we take her with us?”

“Why bring her? You two aren’t even friends.”

“We were friends for two years, and I can’t bear to leave her here to be eaten by zombies. I’ll kick her out when she wakes up.”

“… Fine, do as you wish!”

“Thank you, Brother! You’re the best!”

Seeing Bai Xia’s happy face, I shook my head and patted her head. Big Gold Tooth threw Wang Lili in the back seat with Curly. I didn’t mind if Wang Lili came along, as long as Bai Xia was happy. If she became a burden, I could always kill her. More importantly, if Wang Lili ever threatened Bai Xia, I would protect her and maybe cure Bai Xia of her softness. That was the main reason I let Wang Lili join us. Only when betrayed to the point of death would she learn her lesson.

Big Gold Tooth started the car, and Little Seven, who had fallen out, rubbed her bruised butt and got back in. Everyone was ready to go!

Just as Big Gold Tooth was about to drive off, I felt a sudden chill. I turned to look out the window, my expression turning serious. In the distance, something terrifying seemed to be hiding.

“Big Gold Tooth, stop the car. Everyone out! Stay back and don’t follow me.”

I didn’t have time to explain. I shouted and ran about a hundred meters ahead. When I stopped and looked to the right, the others had gotten out of the car, looking anxious but not daring to approach. They didn’t know what had made me so tense.

I couldn’t explain. Just as the car was about to start, I sensed a strong life force hiding nearby, waiting to attack the moment we drove off. As an ability user, I was sensitive to life forces, especially strong ones. It was like a radar, detecting life signs. The stronger the sign, the more powerful the ability user.

Bai Xia hadn’t noticed because she was new to her powers. But for me, who had lived through a decade of the apocalypse, sensing life forces was second nature. I could do it anytime. The hidden figure’s strong killing intent warned me of impending danger. If it was a person, I wouldn’t be so worried. But if it was a zombie, that would be bad. A smart zombie meant a high-level one, capable of strategic thinking. It would know our fighting power was limited in the car and would attack the vehicle, leading to certain death. Such a zombie would be a human killer, unstoppable even by ordinary ability users.

I took a deep breath, my eyes calm and focused on the hidden figure. A faint smile played on my lips. Whether it was a person or a zombie, daring to ambush me meant they had to pay the price.