Chapter 84: A Bleeding Heart
After finishing the hotpot meal with Liu Ling'er, Su Chen left the mess for her to clean up and headed to the bathroom for a hot shower.
Feeling refreshed, he returned to the couch and sat down, admiring the snowy view outside.
The snow was falling even harder now, accompanied by howling winds, as if the entire world were being buried.
Through the window, Su Chen could see the snow had already formed a thick layer on the ground.
If nothing changed, this blizzard would last for three full days and nights.
By the time it stopped, the snow would be at least two to three meters deep.
And the temperature would drop to its lowest point, hovering around minus forty to fifty degrees Celsius.
Turning his head, Su Chen looked at the control panel beside him.
With a thought, a white screen instantly appeared before his eyes—displaying the current status of the Normadison.
Just a couple of days ago, Su Chen had made an unexpected discovery.
Even when he wasn't standing near the control panel, he could summon the system interface using only his thoughts.
On top of that, he could remotely operate most of the RV's functions.
As long as he willed it, no one could enter or start the RV without his permission.
This feature was extremely useful to Su Chen.
It meant he no longer had to worry about Liu Ling'er trying to sneak away with the RV while he was out.
Su Chen yawned. Just as he was about to go back to bed for a nap, the intercom crackled to life.
"Brother Su! That woman from Song Linfei's group is back again!"
Great. So much for a moment of peace.
Su Chen shrugged, stood up, and started putting on his down jacket.
Having just finished tidying up the kitchenware, Liu Ling'er rushed over to help him get dressed, speaking with a hint of annoyance,"Ah Chen, what's up with that woman? Why does she keep coming to bother you every day?"
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't be asking. Got it?" Su Chen said calmly.
"Got it. I'll wait in the RV," Liu Ling'er nodded quickly and gave him a loud smooch on the cheek.
Su Chen opened the door and stepped once more into the snow-covered world.
The snow was already knee-deep, making walking a bit difficult.
Before long, Su Chen arrived at the meeting room and saw Lin Yingying again.
"Mr. Su," she greeted him proactively.
Su Chen didn't reply. Instead, he added a few logs to the nearby fireplace, ensuring the flames stayed strong and the room warm.
Only then did he speak, his tone rather impatient,"Even though we used to be on decent terms, I'm very busy now."
"If you don't have anything important, please don't come bother me again."
Seeing how distant and unwelcoming he was, Lin Yingying felt a pang in her chest. Still, she composed herself and said seriously,"I came today on behalf of Brother Song... to negotiate with you."
"Talk then. What do you want?"
"Brother Song means that we're willing to join your team and follow your command," she said slowly."But we do have some conditions—"
Before she could even finish, Su Chen laughed. It was a mocking, cold laugh.
"Why do you all assume I'd be eager to accept you?"
"This is the apocalypse. You have fewer than fifty people."
"Say what you will, but if Gao Qiqiang manages to rally all the remaining survivors, you won't be able to handle it alone."
"If we join forces, we could rival him," Lin Yingying reasoned.
She thought her logic was solid and that Su Chen would consider it seriously.
But he simply shook his head.
"I repelled Gao Qiqiang's attack last time without any help from you."
"And honestly, I think your group would only drag me down."
That last phrase—drag me down—was especially harsh.
Lin Yingying's face changed slightly.
She had come hoping to negotiate on equal footing, but Su Chen didn't even see them as valuable.
Still, she had a mission to complete. She clenched her jaw and said firmly,"As long as you let our group join you, we'll accept whatever terms you set!"
"I don't need more people. And don't forget—you still owe me a favor you haven't fulfilled yet."
Su Chen chuckled indifferently.
"All right then. It's freezing out. I'm going back to rest."
As he stood to leave, Lin Yingying gritted her teeth and blocked his way.
"Su Chen, I'm begging you... If you agree, I'll be yours from now on!"
"Sorry. Not interested," Su Chen said, pushing her aside and walking out.
Although he had enough supplies to last a lifetime, that didn't mean he should bring in Song Linfei's group.
The survivors currently in the Youldon Hotel—people like He Wang, Sun Yuan, Zhou Xinhong—had been tested.
Even so, there had still been traitors like Wang Ye and Zhang Ying.
Song Linfei's team had more than double the numbers, and their situation was even more complicated.
Taking them in rashly would only introduce instability.
As for Lin Yingying herself—
Su Chen did admire her personality and capabilities.
But the fact that she was willing to use herself as a bargaining chip to save the elderly members of her group revealed one major flaw—
She had a bleeding heart.
In the apocalypse, that kind of kindness was the most dangerous thing.
Not only could it get you killed, it could drag others down with you.
If he ever considered taking her in, he'd need to teach her a serious lesson first.
After Su Chen left, Lin Yingying, feeling humiliated and defeated, reluctantly turned to go.
Back at the camp, Song Linfei immediately rushed to greet her,"Yingying, how did it go?"
"Su Chen was firm. He rejected our offer," she said with a bitter smile.
"What? That..." Song Linfei sighed in disappointment.
As the leader, he knew how hard it was to ensure survival in the apocalypse.
Teaming up with Su Chen would have made things far easier.
He hadn't expected such a direct refusal.
"This is my fault," Lin Yingying said, clearly blaming herself.
"How could this be your fault? Don't take it to heart," Song Linfei said, sighing.
"By the way... where are Zhou Shixian and the others?" Lin Yingying changed the subject, noticing several people were missing.
"I sent them out to keep chopping wood," Song Linfei explained.
Even though they'd stockpiled a decent amount of firewood by copying Su Chen's example,
In this freezing weather, no one knew how long the cold would last.
Firewood was one thing they couldn't have too much of.
Lin Yingying nodded, then hurried over to the fireplace to warm herself.
Meanwhile, back at the Green Forest Hotel...
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Gao Qiqiang narrowed his eyes, staring at Zhou Shixian in front of him.