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"What's wrong?" Jiao Ziqian suddenly questioned his own intelligence, feeling as if everyone understood the situation while he remained in the dark. This thought made him lose some confidence, and he hesitated, saying, "Did you all forget what that old guy said about their camp having guns? Not the kind we have, and judging by their ample supplies, we can't outnumber them either. I'm just puzzled where you all get the confidence to challenge them. Isn't our usual style to bully the weak and avoid the strong? What's going on this time?"
Xin Mengfan quickly calmed the agitated Jiao Ziqian and asked, "Let's hear what Brother Jiu has to say first. Why are you so anxious? Brother Jiu, don't make us guess. According to Ziqian, we really don't have an advantage."
Song Jiu waved his hand and said, "Ziqian's concerns are valid, but he hasn't grasped my point. I was thinking about it on the way back, and I have a rough idea now."
Upon hearing this, Jiao Ziqian felt completely deflated and pouted, "Great, you have a plan and still want me to play the fool. It makes me look like an idiot."
"You were already clueless," Xin Mengfan teased as she poked Jiao Ziqian's forehead and turned to Luo Yu, asking, "Have you figured something out too?"
"Probably. Since Jiu Jiu is so certain, he must have a plan," Luo Yu replied as he tossed a cigarette to Jiao Ziqian. "So what's the plan?"
"I'm thinking of sneaking a few people in. Luo Yu, you take the rest to check along the riverbank and see if there are any of their people over there. If there are..." Song Jiu paused and made a slashing motion across his throat.
"What then?" Luo Yu frowned.
"Then wait for my signal," Song Jiu said nonchalantly. "The specific timing will depend on the situation; at most a week."
"Wait, wait! I still don't understand anything!" Jiao Ziqian hurriedly interrupted their cryptic conversation. "First off, forget about Luo Yu's side; how do you plan to sneak in? We just saw that there aren't even any zombies around here. If a few living people suddenly show up, how can we get in?"
"Haven't I told you? They exchange supplies with survivors and also take in those who seek refuge with them."
"You mean we pretend to be displaced refugees and surrender?"
"Exactly. What else?"
"..."
"You'll take a few people," Luo Yu counted quickly. Besides Song Jiu and Jiao Ziqian, there were thirteen young men in total.
"Three or four should be enough; too many would be inconvenient," Song Jiu rubbed his palms together and said. "There should be some rules inside; just in case, we need to proceed cautiously. The main thing is your side, Luo Yu. It would be best if there’s no one across the riverbank. If there are people, make sure no one slips through."
"Don't worry, not a single one will escape," Luo Yu nodded, giving a firm reply.
"You're just bragging. What if they have guns?" Jiao Ziqian chimed in, unable to offer any useful suggestions and instead pouring cold water on the plan.
"You don't need to worry about that. If you're going with Jiu Jiu, just keep that mouth of yours in check." Luo Yu shot him a glare, throwing in a couple of sarcastic remarks for free.
"That's basically it. Let's eat something first, then discuss the details. We'll take action tonight," Song Jiu squinted as he thought it over, confirming that nothing important was overlooked before decisively issuing the order to prepare food.
"Wait a minute, Brother Jiu," Xin Mengfan said after a moment of silence, frowning as she asked, "Can I go with you?"
"Sure."
"Dream Fan, stop messing around. This isn't some group of petty thieves at the train station," Jiao Ziqian stood up and advised. "When it comes down to it, there will be fighting, and you'll just complicate things."
"Mind your own business." Xin Mengfan ignored Jiao Ziqian and turned serious. " Brother Jiu, what if they don't accept you?"
"Go on," Song Jiu said, slightly taken aback. He gestured for everyone to continue with their tasks, leaving only Dream Fan and the three others.
"I heard from people at the station that most Survivors go there to trade for necessary supplies. It seems rare for anyone to actively seek refuge; rumors are just rumors—what if they're not reliable?"
"I've considered that. I'm planning to bring a gun along; it's a bit risky, but it's still a gun—it should be fine," Song Jiu shared his thoughts, subtly guessing what Dream Fan was getting at.
"If you go in alone, two guns might be useful, but with four or five people, that's definitely risky," Xin Mengfan glanced at Luo Yu, who nodded encouragingly for her to continue.
" Brother Jiu, didn't you say that the camp's purpose in accepting Survivors is to increase their labor force? You guys eat more than you work; if you all go together, it'll be easier to stick together. The leaders wouldn't want a Squad like that."
"Then it's simple; we'll drive the car over as our dowry," Jiao Ziqian chimed in, finally getting into the groove of things.
Luo Yu spat at him and scolded, "What if you take the car away? What are we supposed to do? The riverbank is so wide; what if you signal us and we can't catch up?"
"So," Song Jiu raised an eyebrow and probed, "Dream Fan, are you planning to..."
"That's right. A stunning beauty like me is definitely more useful than two guns," Xin Mengfan said, twirling her dress and striking a seductive pose. She smiled and added, "It's the same old rule: you handle the killing, and I'll take care of the bed."
"No way," Song Jiu shook his head. "Dream Fan, I understand what you're saying, but women should also be considered resources in this situation. Even if you get in there, your impact won't be greater than ours. We still don't know if that little girl has been traded as a resource. If they toss you aside too, that would be a huge loss."
"I've been thinking about it," Xin Mengfan lowered her head for a moment and then said seriously, "Even if you guys sneak in, you'll just be doing menial labor. The larger camps we've seen before have their own power structures. What can you few laborers do? You can't just slaughter everyone inside. You're good at killing and arson, but seducing men? That's my specialty."
"That makes sense; it actually sounds reasonable," Jiao Ziqian listened in confusion and couldn't find a point to refute, so he reluctantly became a sycophant.
"You can treat me as a condition for loyalty exchange. For one week, you handle the perimeter while I try to gather internal information. Just like before, we’ll work together from the inside and outside, and Luo Yu will wrap things up perfectly," Xin Mengfan said excitedly, snapping her fingers.
"The only risk is with the Zombies," Luo Yu added. "So if we're really going to do this, you need to hurry up. Last night you saw how the number of Zombies in the county town surged; it must be related to those few Zombies. This place isn't far from the county town, and if the Horde comes over, I'm worried: the wooden walls probably don't have fireproof coating, and manually fetching water from the river won't keep up with the fire's spread. It would be a shame to burn it down; we still need those walls for protection."
"Look at that! We haven't even started yet, and you're already worried about the furniture," Jiao Ziqian teased.
"Of course! I like it; it's mine," Song Jiu waved his hand dramatically, revealing his rogue demeanor.
"Thank goodness no women have caught your eye; otherwise, we'd have to help you abduct them," Xin Mengfan ladled out bowls of meat porridge for everyone from the large pot and joked, "I really want to see what Brother Jiu looks like when he's stealing women."
"Hahaha! With you two beauties around—both you and Luo Yu—my standards have definitely risen!" Song Jiu was in high spirits and joined in on the jokes while Luo Yu sat on a tree stump, smiling silently as she diligently sharpened Song Jiu's short dagger beside her.
"No need to bother with that; it would be useless if it's confiscated anyway," Song Jiu called out. "Let's eat first. We'll scout again later when it gets darker to familiarize ourselves with the terrain."
"What a pity; we should have gotten a telescope," Jiao Ziqian made a gesture as if holding one. "It's too far away to see clearly."
"It doesn't matter; we'll adapt as needed. The larger the area, the easier it is to create chaos. Just focus on taking down the leader; everyone else can be ignored," Song Jiu said. They weren't new to this kind of operation; they had developed a certain level of understanding in their methods, even though this target was much stronger than before.
"Capture the thief by catching their king; I understand that too," Xin Mengfan tidied her hair and boasted, "I was the one who captured the king at the train station."
"Don't forget, you must be extra careful this time. Try not to act unless absolutely necessary," Song Jiu reminded seriously, recalling the unfortunate soul who had his throat slit at the train station. "Don't do anything reckless."
"I know," came the reply.
As night fell, the desolate wilderness was shrouded in silence. There were no cicadas singing, no frogs croaking, only the gentle breeze rustling through the trees and the distant sound of the river flowing.
Several shadows darted swiftly through the forest, stopping behind a tall mound of earth. Two pairs of eyes peered out, watching the brightly lit wooden fort on the riverbank. Compared to the daytime stillness, Riverside Camp at night resembled a refuge bustling with living people. From their distance, they couldn't hear the imagined clamor of voices but could only guess what those inside were doing from the flickering lights reflecting off the river's surface.
"That's quite ostentatious, isn't it? So bright, aren't they afraid of attracting zombies?" Jiao Ziqian licked his lips, feeling like an assassin in the dark.
"Those with great skill are often fearless for a reason," Song Jiu replied quietly. "That's why we can't give up this place."
"Are we going over now?" Xin Mengfan had changed into simpler clothes, washing away her usual heavy makeup. Bathed in the soft moonlight, she looked pure and beautiful.
"Let's wait a bit longer." Song Jiu glanced around and signaled to A Hai and another young man. The two understood and pulled out a paper tube about the length of a palm and as thick as a cucumber from their pockets. They wrapped it in plastic and smeared it with something shiny before crouching down and moving down the slope.
"Will it work?" Xin Mengfan turned her head and whispered, "What if it gets damp? We only have two flares."
"Stop worrying; it's not like you're going to rain on us," Jiao Ziqian said with a smirk, but before he could finish his sentence, he received a slap on the back of his head.
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