Zhao Ze starting ranting hysterically, so much so that the veins in his neck popped out. His eyes were filled with hatred and anger. He wasn't thinking straight. In his frenzy, the only thing he could focus on was his desire for revenge, for bloodthirsty revenge. He wanted to kill Shen Chen! To kill everyone!
Lin Qianqian, Li Jing, and the rest of the girls stared at Zhao Ze incredulously. How could he be so vicious, wanting to kill everyone because of something trivial? How could he be so bigoted? So twisted? This perverse?
Shen Chen stared coldly at Zhao Ze, a despicable scumbag who was seemingly trying to mess things up for everyone because he couldn't amount to anything himself.
The previously hostile atmosphere suddenly quieted down. Everyone was waiting for the final verdict!
Zhao Zhen took a step forward and asked Shen Chen, "Boss, how shall we deal with him?"
"Deal with him?"
Everyone was looking at him expectantly, as if saying, "Yes, such a demented person ought to be dealt with!"
"You guys! What do you all want with me?" Zhao Ze screamed in fear.
Shen Chen smiled and took a little step forward, stopping in front of Zhao Ze. "Do you remember what I told you before? If you had come clean about everything, I would have made it easier for you. Too bad…"
He shook his head, and a loud "crack" was then heard. Zhao Ze let out a loud cry, the kind that pigs make when they're about to be slaughtered.
His left wrist was broken from Shen Chen's trampling. Zhao Ze was lying on the ground like a pile of mush. Everyone's eyelids twitched in response to the violent act.
"This is for Zhao Zhen. He almost died on the fourth floor behind the fire door you locked!"
Shen Chen took another step.
Crack!
His other wrist was broken.
"This is for Pan Di. He almost died at the hands of zombies you attracted with the blood."
Crack, crack!
Both ankles were broken at the same time!
"That's for Guo Yuan! He would have died next had your plan succeeded!"
Everyone gasped when they witnessed how Shen Chen ruthlessly broke Zhao Ze's wrists and ankles. Their hearts trembled with trepidation! This man was no softie! He was certainly a force to be reckoned with!
Much to everyone's shock, Shen Chen then proceeded to place his foot on Zhao Ze's face. Had he applied just a little force, Zhao Ze's face would have ended up looking like a smashed watermelon.
Zhao Ze spasmed on the ground, as if he had just been struck by a thunderbolt. He let out a huge wail and started producing copious amounts of tears and snot. "No! Don't kill me! My family is very influential and well-off! Don't kill me… I know I've done wrong… I know it's my fault!"
Unfortunately, no one gave a d*mn. Everyone's expression reflected disgust. Even Lin Qianqian, who had been protective of him all this time, looked away.
"Help me please, Qianqian! Please help me! Li Jing… Li Jing, you're my girlfriend. Please help me! I was wrong. I really shouldn't have done it…"
Shen Chen stared coldly at this wretched man. He wasn't bad-looking. He must have seen better days. He might have even been a hot commodity among women. However, the apocalypse had made him show his true colors—that of a twisted, perverse coward…
No one said anything. No one was willing to help a scumbag like him. But it was hard not to feel a tinge of sympathy for someone who had had all four of his limbs maimed.
Shen Chen looked around, a smile hanging on his face. "Today is our first official team meeting. What do you guys think about this?"
It was apparent from his tone that he wasn't actually asking for their opinion; rather, his tone dripped with judgement.
"This…" Zhang Xiaoya looked as if she had been put on the spot.
"How about… we give him another chance?" Lin Qianqian asked respectfully.
"Did you have a thing with him, Lin Qianqian?" Ye Xiaoyu couldn't help but ask. "This man got Li Qi killed. Had it not been for Shen Chen, Zhao Zhen and Pan Di would have died as well! You still wanna let him off the hook? Are you in love with him, or what?"
Lin Qianqian's face was as red as a beetroot. She had more to say but decided to keep it to herself after seeing the displeasure in Pan Di's eyes. "Then… let's kill him, then…"
"Yes! Kill him!" Pan Di said through gritted teeth. Next to him, Guo Yuan and Zhao Zhen nodded.
"Killing seems a bit too cruel… We could... let him go?" Li Jing suggested. After all, Zhao Ze was her boyfriend.
"Don't kill me… Please let me go! I guarantee I'll never do it again!" Zhao Ze whined as his bravado crumpled.
"Kill him!"
The person who spoke was Zhang Hongtao. He looked calmly at Shen Chen and said, "Boss, it's dangerous to keep someone like this in the team. To let him go is to breed calamity in the future. What if he survives? He'll become a threat to us."
Shen Chen raised an eyebrow as he looked between the two of them. The corners of his mouth lifted as he mused to himself, 'Hadn't Zhang Hongtao and Li Jing reached a truce?'
He set down his foot and slowly sat back down in the chair. "Well, if you say so, carry out the punishment, then!"
Zhang Hongtao's body quivered as he fixed his eyes on Shen Chen. The others probably weren't aware why Shen Chen had asked him to kill Zhao Ze, but Zhang Hongtao understood right away. It was in that moment that he realized how scary Shen Chen truly was.
If he dared lay a finger on Zhao Ze, it would mean breaking the truce between him and Li Jing and consequently being ostracized by the ladies. He and his child would end up having to rely on Shen Chen instead. However, if he didn't do it, then Shen Chen would never truly accept him and Duoduo! Shen Chen wanted him to kill Zhao Ze as proof of his allegiance! It was all dependent on the choice he made!
After three seconds, the middle-aged man smiled wryly and said, "All right, let me do it, then…"
Zhang Hongtao was well aware that what he had just said indicated whose side he was on. Li Jing stared at him in disbelief, and what had originally been a look of amicability morphed into one of enmity.
Zhang Hongtao laughed somewhat bitterly. 'This boy—no, this man... is he really only twenty years old? When did he realize that Li Jing and I had an alliance?
He knew the entire team way better than he had expected. If that were really the case, Shen Chen, someone who was younger than him by more than a dozen years, was definitely someone worth relying on.
A smart person would choose to focus on survival! And there was no doubt that sticking to Shen Chen would be the best decision!
Zhang Hongtao finally made up his mind. He picked up the fire axe that Zhao Zhen had passed over, the weight making him stumble. As he looked at the frail mess in front of him that was Zhao Zhen, he blinked in bewilderment, but there was no time for him to ponder. He slowly raised the fire axe.
"No! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"
Zhao Ze screamed like a madman. A foul stench emanated from the lower half of his body as urine and feces soaked through his pants. In his fear, he had p*ssed himself and lost bodily control, as if he were a madman locked up in an asylum.
Why was he remorseful only now? Why did he have to vie for the role of leader? Why didn't he realize his mistakes? Why…
His regret and remorse no longer mattered at this juncture. No amount of remorse would bring Li Qi back or justify the loss of an innocent life.
Just as Zhang Hongtao's axe was about to fall, something else attracted their attention, something that made everyone scream!