Chương 109: Chapter 109、I Have A Modest Appetite
"Redeeming Prisoners?"
Yi Bai raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but smile. "Interesting. It seems like they're relying on the reputation of Xiao Bai Xiong (Little White Bear) and think that just because they've been captured, nothing will happen to them."
"Let Xiao Ci take a look at this prisoner. She knows what to do."
Yi Bai waved his hand, and Lin Yue quickly received the order and left.
Since the apocalypse began, Xiao Liu Ge had felt like nothing was going his way.
First, he and his brother had encountered Xiao Bai Xiong, who forced them to join his ranks, and their shelter was destroyed. Just when they thought they'd have to depend on someone to survive, things took a darker turn.
One night, while out gathering supplies, a group of women killed his brother.
Xiao Liu Ge would never forget that night. He'd waited by the back door of a mall all night, but those women never returned. When he couldn't wait any longer, he went to the front, only to find the women's tracks completely gone and dozens of decapitated corpses scattered on the ground, including his own brother.
In his panic, he fled with his people back to his older brother's shelter and reported the incident to Xiao Bai Xiong.
But, unfortunately, this was when the powerful figure in the city center was rising to prominence, and Xiao Bai Xiong had no time to deal with such trivial matters.
In the apocalypse, death was a constant, and countless scavenger groups went out daily, many of them getting picked off by hostile survivors. Some of these survivors might not have huge factions behind them, but they were individually powerful, with strange talents.
And in the end, what was two more deaths in a world on the brink of collapse?
Xiao Bai Xiong couldn't care less about the Liu family's issues. Xiao Liu Ge had no choice but to stew in uncertainty, enduring the chaos of the apocalypse.
Not long ago, a new rumor spread around the city. It was said that a strong new group had appeared near the mall, with modern military forces at their disposal. Hundreds of armed soldiers, along with fully equipped armored vehicles, were reportedly guarding the area.
Within a few days, this new group had nearly encroached on Xiao Bai Xiong's territory.
Although Xiao Bai Xiong had noticed the rise of this new rival, he was already embroiled in conflicts with the leader of the city center. There was no room to deal with this new contender.
It was then that Xiao Liu Ge remembered: someone from his group had mentioned that several people had died near the mall area.
While Xiao Liu Ge was contemplating how things had changed so quickly — with the strong factions now controlling the city — he suddenly received an order from Xiao Bai Xiong to take a team back to the area.
This time, their objective was to make contact with the group holding modern military power.
Xiao Liu Ge couldn't refuse. He led his team back, and as soon as they entered the area in the afternoon, they were immediately captured by scouts.
The military forces were exactly as the rumors said — fully armed and shockingly powerful. The sight of the armored vehicles left Xiao Liu Ge feeling helpless.
What frustrated him even more was that these soldiers didn't seem to care about his claims. Even when he mentioned Xiao Bai Xiong, it didn't faze them.
A few officers came to ask him a few questions, but then they simply took him and his men to their camp and locked them in an empty room.
"Xiao Liu Ge, do you think we're going to be okay?"
A trembling voice broke the silence in the dark room.
Xiao Liu Ge sighed and tried to reassure them. "Don't worry. They're soldiers, not the kind of people who kill without hesitation. Just wait. They must have a reason to keep us here."
He tried his best to maintain calm. The situation was dire, but he still believed that, as long as they didn't encounter the faction from the city center, they'd be okay.
"We're just messengers. We don't know the details. They'll come to us soon enough."
Xiao Liu Ge forced a smile, trying to comfort the others — and himself — as he spoke.
Suddenly, a voice interrupted. "I think you're very important."
A cold, female voice, tinged with a faint smile, echoed through the room.
"Who? Who said that?" The prisoners began looking around in panic. It was pitch-black in the room, and the windows had been sealed tightly.
"Don't worry," Xiao Liu Ge responded quickly, trying to reassure them, "There's probably surveillance. This group must have powerful talents."
Then he raised his voice. "Lady! We mean no harm. We're just messengers!"
"We come from Xiao Bai Xiong's shelter, and our boss wants to make contact with you. He's coming with good intentions."
"As the saying goes: 'A messenger is not to be harmed in times of war.' We're just the middlemen here. We don't know any insider information or intelligence, so there's no need to take it out on us."
"If possible, can we have a proper conversation? What kind of arrangements do you expect from us?"
Xiao Liu Ge swallowed his fear, his voice steady despite his growing anxiety.
Not long after, the door creaked open with a loud creak. Blinding flashlight beams flooded the room, forcing the prisoners to squint and look away.
"You're quite clever," a woman's voice came from the doorway.
Xiao Liu Ge, though his eyes ached from the bright light, squinted in an attempt to make out the figure standing before him. His eyes widened in recognition.
"It's you!"
His expression changed drastically when he realized who it was. It was Jiang Xiaoci.
"Heh, what a coincidence," Jiang Xiaoci said with a faint smile as she gracefully entered the room, escorted by several soldiers. Her elegant presence contrasted with the harsh environment.
"I heard from the chief of staff that you've told a story about your brother being killed by a group of women nearby. Then, you came to investigate the situation, hoping to resolve the misunderstanding."
Jiang Xiaoci's cold voice cut through Xiao Liu Ge's story, exposing the lie he had told to cover up the truth.
Xiao Liu Ge's face turned pale, and he fell silent.
At first, he had used his brother's death as an excuse to bring up Xiao Bai Xiong's name, hoping to intimidate the military group into sparing them. But now, he was face-to-face with the very person involved in that incident.
Given her status, she was clearly an important figure in this group. If she held a grudge, Xiao Liu Ge knew that even if Xiao Bai Xiong tried to intervene, it wouldn't make a difference.
His body trembled in fear as the silence stretched on.
"I hear Xiao Bai Xiong has been busy with someone else recently," Jiang Xiaoci asked, her voice cool and clear as it rang through the room.
Xiao Liu Ge dared not meet her gaze, lowering his head and admitting, "Yes."
The news of the escalating conflict between Xiao Bai Xiong and the faction in the city center had spread through the nearby districts. Many survivors knew about it, so there was no point in denying it.
The battle for territory between these two major figures had already escalated to multiple small-scale skirmishes.
"So, he wants to ally with us?" Jiang Xiaoci tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "What does he propose? Alliances are always about mutual benefit."
"He said... as long as we help him deal with the city center, we'll get to choose half of the resources and population," Xiao Liu Ge said, his voice low.
"Half, huh…" Jiang Xiaoci chuckled. "That's not enough for me."
Xiao Liu Ge, feeling bolder, asked, "Then, what do you want?"
She smiled, a serene expression on her face. "My appetite isn't large. I'm easily satisfied."
"I heard that Xiao Bai Xiong's shelter has a large population. Is that true?"
"We have over ten thousand!" Xiao Liu Ge quickly responded. He didn't hesitate to give this information, understanding that showing strength was key in negotiations.
"Over ten thousand, huh…" Jiang Xiaoci murmured, her smile widening. "Then that means Xiao Bai Xiong must have a lot of resources. Enough to feed all those people?"
"You want... food?" Xiao Liu Ge asked cautiously.
"Not much," Jiang Xiaoci said lightly. "I want enough food for 20,000 people, enough to last a month. Do you have that?"
Xiao Liu Ge's expression instantly changed.
Twenty thousand people's worth of food for a month!
That wasn't a small request. That was a huge appetite.
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