Chapter 76: The Fisherman's Gain
Xia Bowen, Gao Xiangjun, and the others didn't respond immediately; they fell into silence, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.
After a while, Xia Bowen was the first to speak up.
"Sorry, Boss Gao, I'm not interested in this matter."
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
After saying this, he stood up and left with his men.
Before anyone else could react, Song Linfei also spoke calmly,
"My stance is similar to his. Our team doesn't intend to get involved."
After the two left one after another, others gradually departed as well.
After all, none of them had so little supplies that they were willing to risk everything fighting Su Chen.
By the end, only Zhao Xiong, Gao Qiqiang, and a few smaller survivor teams remained.
Seeing this, Gao Qiqiang breathed a sigh of relief.
If everyone left, things would be pretty awkward for him.
"Boss Gao, you say it—what's the plan?"
Zhao Xiong urged.
Gao Qiqiang glanced at the few remaining people and said gravely,
"All together, we have about two hundred people! Taking over the Yuelton Hotel should be a piece of cake."
"Without Song Linfei, Xia Bowen, and the others, there are fewer people to split the supplies."
"First thing tomorrow morning, we'll gather our forces and prepare to attack Su Chen!"
The reason Zhao Xiong and the others stayed was simple: their supplies were running low.
So when Gao Qiqiang spoke, they didn't hesitate and nodded in agreement.
...
"Brother Song, why don't we join forces with Gao Qiqiang? Together, we can take down Su Chen."
After leaving Gao Qiqiang's territory, Zhou Shixian couldn't wait to ask.
"Our supplies may not be plentiful, but we won't run out anytime soon. Why should we team up with Gao Qiqiang?"
Song Linfei retorted.
"But... who doesn't want more supplies?"
Though Zhou Shixian said that, inwardly, he was eager to take out Su Chen.
The reason was simple.
Though he acted like a sycophant, he sensed some hidden connection between Su Chen and Lin Yingying.
Initially, under his persistent affection, Lin Yingying's attitude had softened.
But after seeing Su Chen, she reverted to her previous coldness.
This nearly drove Zhou Shixian crazy.
"You need to understand, this Su Chen is definitely no ordinary man!"
Song Linfei said meaningfully.
During their negotiations, Su Chen had been calm and confident.
Even upon hearing Gao Qiqiang might gather hundreds to attack, Su Chen showed no sign of worry.
Such composure could mean only two things:
Either he was crazy,
Or he had some powerful backing.
Su Chen had predicted the apocalypse and survived until now, even forming a team.
He couldn't be crazy; it had to be the latter.
"No matter how tough he is, he has only about forty or fifty men. How could he stand against Gao Qiqiang's many hundreds?"
Zhou Shixian sneered but also worried aloud,
"What if Gao Qiqiang actually takes him down? What then?"
"If they manage to defeat Su Chen, they'll pay a heavy price."
Song Linfei sneered,
"At that point, we'll be the ones to reap the fisherman's gain!"
"Otherwise, do you think someone as cunning as Gao Xiangjun would miss this golden opportunity?"
"If they fail to take Su Chen, we can use that chance to negotiate with Su Chen ourselves!"
"In short, we'll be in an unbeatable position!"
After hearing this, Zhou Shixian's face lit up with understanding.
"Brother Song, you really are brilliant!"
...
After suffering heavy losses, Gao Qiqiang originally had just over thirty men left.
But after a few days, his numbers had swelled to eighty or ninety again.
Adding Zhao Xiong's team, they nearly reached two hundred strong!
Confident, Gao Qiqiang didn't opt for a night attack this time but chose to openly assault Su Chen.
At dawn, Gao Qiqiang, Zhao Xiong, Gao Xiangjun, and others gathered their men outside Yuelton Hotel.
The massive crowd blocked the entire street.
Gao Qiqiang stopped at the intersection, looking at the Yuelton Hotel in the pouring rain, a cold smile appearing on his face.
"You, go deliver a message for me."
"Tell them this attack is only against Su Chen!"
"If anyone inside surrenders, I won't make things difficult for them!"
The designated subordinate was a bit reluctant but had no choice but to grit his teeth and head toward the hotel.
The guard booth was empty.
He proceeded further inside.
Just a few steps in, a sharp whistle cut through the rain—a lethal arrow pierced through the air and pinned him to the ground!
Watching his struggling body go still, Gao Qiqiang instantly exploded in rage.
"Damn it! Reckless fools! Brothers, charge!"
At Gao Qiqiang's command, the massive crowd surged toward the hotel!
Meanwhile,
The leaders of the survivor teams on Phoenix Mountain had nearly all brought their men to nearby rooftops to watch the battle.
Like Song Linfei, they intended to profit from the fight without getting involved.
On the rooftop of Green Forest Hotel,
Su Chen, wearing a windbreaker, watched the zombie-like assault below, his eyes flashing with murderous intent.
"Brother Sun, start!"
Sun Yuan, in the hotel lobby, received the message via walkie-talkie and immediately sprang into action.
He commanded his men to fire compound crossbows wildly at the attackers outside!
Gao Qiqiang's survivors charged forward, holding iron plates, riot shields, and other makeshift defenses.
Although the crossbows easily pierced the armor, their slow reload speed and the sheer number of attackers were a problem.
After killing or wounding about twenty or thirty attackers, the enemies still surged into the hotel courtyard.
When they were less than ten meters from the lobby entrance, Sun Yuan suddenly ran out holding a torch.
Su Chen had long anticipated being besieged.
So he had He Wang, Sun Yuan, and others dig a shallow trench inside the hotel.
The trench was filled with various debris and normally covered by plastic tarps and wooden boards.
If things got heated, they'd pour gasoline over it and set it ablaze, creating an impassable barrier.
As Sun Yuan ignited the fire, "Boom!" The wooden boards and plastic sheets instantly burst into roaring flames.
Despite the heavy rain, the fire wouldn't go out anytime soon.
The leading survivors were immediately blocked by the raging flames.
Before they could retreat, another wall of fire appeared behind them!
The trench was circular, and once burning, it encircled the courtyard entirely.