Inside the room where Kevin and the others gathered, a sense of unease lingered.
Aaron, visibly awkward, spoke first, "Kevin, about what happened today..."
Donny quickly added, "We can't take on Luther and his crew. We need to hold back for now. Luther is ruthless, and if we push them too far, we won't even be enough to serve as appetizers for them."
Everyone knew that Thomas had covered for Jack today.
But what of it?
If you're too weak to confront them, you must endure. Even though it was clear that Thomas had lied, his reasoning made sense. Who could argue?
If you didn't like it, step forward and challenge them!
Kevin looked at the two of them, his voice cold, "You two are just cowards. What difference does it make if we fight? We have more than thirty brothers in our dorm!"
Donny chuckled bitterly, "Thirty people? What are we compared to Luther's crew of hardened fighters? One Jack could take out the three of us without breaking a sweat. What do we have to fight back with?"
"Then we fight!"
Kevin retorted sharply, "We didn't know before, but now we know exactly how much food we're getting. How much do you think we're being given? You really don't want to eat your fill?"
"Of course I do! Who the hell wouldn't want to eat until they burst?"
"Then let's do it!"
"Do what with, exactly?"
Kevin was momentarily silenced but quickly recovered, "Tomorrow, I'll talk to Charles. This situation needs to be addressed, or we'll starve to death."
"Charles? Isn't he with Luther? Do you really think he'll help us?"
"They're all a bunch of idiots. Charles only joined Luther because Luther knocked him down a few pegs. You think he's genuinely loyal?"
...
The next day, as usual, the group set out to hunt zombies.
Luther's men stayed together, while Charles was sent on a separate mission, ostensibly under the guise of "searching different areas," allowing him to lead his own team.
Kevin and the others seized the opportunity to join Charles's squad.
After searching the surrounding neighborhoods for a while, Kevin, waiting for the right moment when Charles was alone, quietly approached him.
"Brother."
"Hmm?" Charles, crouched in a sheltered spot, absentmindedly chewed on a dry root.
"I don't want to work with Luther anymore."
Kevin clenched his teeth, his voice low and intense. "Those assholes are clearly bullying us. They take more than their share of food and treat us like dirt. I'm done with it."
Charles glanced at him, a faint smile playing on his lips. "And what do you think will happen if you're not happy about it?"
"Brother, back at school, we were with you. Now, even though Luther's the leader, our hearts are still with you."
"Stop playing games. Just say what you mean."
"Why don't we make a move?"
Kevin looked around, then whispered, "You can talk to the people at the mansion. If we go our separate ways, we might stand a chance. We won't be weaker than Luther's crew."
Charles scoffed.
He shifted his gaze, spitting out the root from his mouth. "Make a move? What the hell for? I've got food and drink. Why would I risk angering that brute, Luther?"
Charles had fought Luther more than once for the position of leader, but Luther was stronger, and with Thomas by his side, strategizing for him, Charles knew he stood no chance. Eventually, he had resigned himself to being the nominal "second-in-command."
"And what makes you think that the people at the mansion would even accept us?"
Charles's tone remained indifferent. "We've clashed with Anthony's people before, even drawing guns. Do you honestly think they'd take us in if we just walked up to them and begged for mercy?"
As an outsider, Charles knew well the precarious position they were in.
Kevin murmured, "The fights with Anthony were between Luther and him, not between you and them. And if we go over there, with Anthony's forces growing, they won't fear Luther anymore."
Charles hesitated for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "You think we can just stroll over there and join forces? After everything that's happened, do you honestly believe they won't turn on us after they've dealt with Luther?"
"But—"
Kevin tried to persuade him again, but Charles waved him off. "Let it go. We'll talk about this later. Now, focus on the task at hand."
"Alright…"
After Kevin left, Charles remained crouched, watching the others in the distance, his mind working through the possibilities.
...
At the mansion.
Anthony and Nathan had just met.
"So, what's the plan?"
"Just keep playing it out. This is only the first episode. There's a whole damn series ahead."
Anthony chuckled, cursing under his breath. "Damn it, are you trying to play cosplay with me? I'll take two men and launch a night raid on Luther. That'll be the end of their little show."
Nathan shook his head. "Miles doesn't want the city to fall into chaos. Do you really think those guys are a threat?"
Everyone knew what Miles was capable of, especially after the incident where he used his vehicle to crush two zombies. That story had spread throughout their ranks.
Anthony nodded, acknowledging Nathan's point. "I get what Miles wants, but those guys are no pushovers. If they've got their act together, we might end up in a worse position."
A fight involving four hundred or more soldiers—what kind of scene would that be?
Nathan, however, responded coolly, "Once you eat at Miles's table, you work for Miles."
"Found one!"
At that moment, a shout came from not far off.
The two men exchanged a brief look. Anthony, muttering under his breath, added, "Let's go. Time to work."
...
Around the outskirts of the Cloud City, the zombies had been nearly hunted to extinction. Finding a zombie now was harder than finding a cheating spouse.
But Nathan's team seemed to have some sort of divine luck.
"Damn it, why are those idiots shouting so loudly?"
Nathan kicked one of his men, swearing, "Weren't you supposed to be dead yesterday? What the hell, are you back from the grave? Get back in line!"
The man, who had "died" the day before in Anthony's gunfire, grinned and said, "Brother, I think I've developed a passion for acting. I can't stand not performing!"
"Get lost! You're messing things up! I'll strip you and make you perform in the snow if you keep this up!"
Nathan shoved the man away, then, with five others in tow, dragged a zombie from District D. They took a detour before accidentally running into Anthony.
"Well, lucky us!"
Anthony, playing the part with his usual laid-back style, waved them over. "Alright, someone take this zombie away."
Several of Anthony's men moved forward and snatched the rope from Joseph's hands.
"What the hell? Are you addicted to stealing?"
Joseph, flustered, kicked the man away.
"Are you kidding me?"
Anthony's eyes widened in surprise, then he pulled out his pistol, aiming it at Joseph's temple. "You think you're tough, huh? You want to test me?"
"Nathan, what the hell do you want?"
Nathan, furious, shouted back, "We already gave you that zombie two days ago. Is that not enough? We need to eat too, don't push us too far!"
"Push you? Why, you want to take a swing at me?"
Bang!
Anthony fired a shot into the air, causing Nathan and his men to instinctively take a half-step back.