Chapter 33: Madman

Wang Gang stopped his aggressive flailing, unconsciously rising to his feet as he stared with a grave expression toward the exterior of the factory. The others, who had gathered around, were still confused about what had transpired, but they followed his gaze with curiosity.

"Ptui..."

Lu Kailin stood up, spat a mouthful of blood onto the ground, and scanned everyone before him with a provocative look, including the 'brother' lying in the corner.

"So, I'm eating alone?"

Accompanying Lu Kailin’s retort was a tremendous sound of rushing wind. Heavy, ragged breathing finally cut through the red mist, and a four-legged chimpanzee charged directly into the factory!

Lu Kailin’s expression turned manic as he beckoned to the crowd. Standing over two meters tall, the chimpanzee stood behind him, bowing its head to nuzzle his back affectionately.

"So what if I am? Even if I kill you all, so what?!"

The chimpanzee hadn't even stood fully upright, yet it was already a terrifying two meters tall, its body bloated and massive. Its pitch-black fur was matted with streaks of fresh, scarlet blood, and its fists, pressed against the ground, resembled two massive iron disks. Perhaps sensing Lu Kailin's agitation, the large eyes set deep within the creature's sockets began to glare at the crowd in a show of intimidation, emitting low, rumbling growls.

"Old Lu, calm down. Everyone just didn't want to see you lose your way."

"That's right, and it was only Wang Gang who hit you earlier; I was actually trying to hold him back."

"It's all just a misunderstanding. We all worked together at the zoo; let’s stay united..."

The crowd retreated repeatedly, including the hulking man standing over six feet tall. Hearing the voices behind him, he turned his head in anger to glare at them, but it was futile; many still cowered within the crowd, shouting their pleas.

What a joke. That chimpanzee stood there like a small mountain; surely only a superman could withstand such a creature...

Holding this thought, Wang Gang, who had been the undisputed leader of this factory since the apocalypse began, was betrayed by the group without a second thought. As Lu Kailin stepped forward, the chimpanzee followed, and the crowd that had surrounded him stepped back, gradually exposing Ding Shun'an, who was leaning against the corner wall.

Lu Kailin looked at his 'brother' with an amused expression and opened a blood-stained bag.

"Here, you guessed right. Venison."

"Big Black helped me hunt it this afternoon. Well? Do you want some?"

Lu Kailin held the small piece of meat in front of Ding Shun'an, asking with a mockingly affectionate tone.

Ding Shun'an looked at Lu Kailin hesitantly. Despite himself, his mouth began to salivate, and he slowly opened his lips.

"Smack!"

The sharp, resounding slap startled those standing nearby.

"Did I tell you to open your mouth?"

A bruise struggled to form on Ding Shun'an's gaunt cheek. He looked at Lu Kailin with sorrowful eyes, as if asking, "Why?"

Lu Kailin seemed amused, stepping firmly onto Ding Shun'an and pinning him to the floor.

"Why are you just like my ex? I hate you self-righteous, 'pure-hearted' hypocrites the most!"

"Give me a break, it's the apocalypse now! Survival of the fittest; the strong rule. So what if I kill you right now?"

He held the blood-soaked piece of venison high and shouted to the crowd not far away:

"You all want to eat, right?"

"I'll give you a chance!"

"Someone come over and beat him up. Half-dead is fine. This piece of raw venison from this afternoon is still tender."

Wang Gang frowned, watching the chimpanzee behind Lu Kailin with trepidation, as if calculating how to neutralize it. Hearing Lu Kailin's words, many swallowed hard, their desires stirred.

Seeing that no one moved, Lu Kailin’s expression darkened, and he gave a slight wave of his right arm.

"Big Black, go."

The chimpanzee behind him leaped forward, landing right in front of Wang Gang. The giant creature swung its iron-disk-like fist just once, and Wang Gang’s six-foot-plus frame was sent flying backward as if it were made of paper.

"Ah!"

The crowd behind screamed, scrambling to retreat and scatter. Wang Gang lay helplessly on the ground, his limbs motionless, only a low, painful groan escaping his throat—like a small, dying beast in the wild.

Lu Kailin walked over and stepped on Wang Gang's chest. Looking at the crowd, he pointed toward Ding Shun'an and asked sincerely, "Do I need to repeat myself?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, many people stepped out, trotting over to kick and punch the dying Ding Shun'an. Seeing this, Lu Kailin nodded with satisfaction. He had always enjoyed this sense of absolute authority, even back before the apocalypse, when he treated his ex-wife Lu Sijia and daughter Lu Xuening with violence...

Ding Shun'an let out a bitter laugh, looked at Lu Kailin with contempt once more, and used his final ounce of strength to utter three words: "Poor, pathetic wretch."

The scornful words pierced Lu Kailin’s chest like a sharp blade. He flew into an unprovoked rage, walked to Ding Shun'an’s side, and kicked down viciously with his right leg.

"You think you’ve seen through me?"

"You feel smug?"

"You think you were saving me? I’m alive because Heaven won't let me die! You were just an accidental pawn arranged by fate!"

Words that shattered the values of those listening poured from his mouth, causing the few who had stepped forward to stop in fear, leaving Lu Kailin to vent his rage as he pleased.

Not until Ding Shun'an's chest had caved in did Lu Kailin stop. He looked down, panting, at the motionless corpse and suddenly began to laugh in a deranged manner.

"Come on, keep resisting me?"

"Brother, didn't you seem so clever just a moment ago? Hahahaha."

His laughter echoed, accompanied by the lifeless body beneath his feet, making everyone present shiver in terror.

...

Li Ye stood at the entrance of Jiangning Zoo, deep in thought.

In the western district, there was a small hill called Lingxiu Mountain, no more than a hundred meters high, located not far to the west of the zoo. The 'immortal fruit' Li Ye had been thinking about was on that mountain. As to whether it was ripe at this time, he would need to confirm it himself.

"The mutant tiger that ravaged the Jiangning city area in my past life—that was from here, wasn't it?"

After retrieving the memory, Li Ye walked into the zoo without hesitation. Even if mutant animals rarely provided the same drop rates as mutant zombies, once they did, it was guaranteed to be a tiered Blood Crystal Marrow! This was the exact opposite of mutant zombies, and it was enough to make him risk his life to improve his strength during these urgent times.

Upon entering, he was met with a wide path. Most of the surrounding buildings had collapsed during the earthquake that marked the start of the apocalypse, and under the glow of the bloody red mist, they appeared desolate.

Looking at the shattered glass structure, Li Ye judged that the area closest to the entrance must be the bird exhibit. As he stepped into the glass house, unbeknownst to him, a raptor with sharp, piercing eyes was staring at him intensely from beyond his line of sight.

A pair of massive wings spread out, ready—like a bowstring pulled taut, moments before the arrow was released.