Chapter 239: The Phoenix Man Who Soared Before the Apocalypse (44)

Father Su drove the bus back to Liuan Mansion.

The lackeys guarding the entrance of the residential complex gaped in shock when they saw the vehicle, their mouths forming perfect O’s.

Little Blondie saw it too… Hmm? He couldn’t be called Little Blondie anymore. His head of yellow hair had long since been burned off by Shen Xiuyan. Now he sported an unflattering buzz cut, so “Little Buzzcut” it was.

The moment Little Buzzcut saw the bus, he turned and ran into the villa to shout for Brother Lei.

“Brother Lei! Young Master Shen really found a vehicle—and it’s a bus!!!” he yelled excitedly. “It looks brand new! No idea where he got it from.”

“Seriously?” Brother Lei jumped to his feet, thrilled. “Come on, let’s go check it out!”

By the time Brother Lei arrived, Father Su had already gotten off and gone home.

Shen Xiuyan happened to see him coming and immediately waved him over. “We got the bus. Do you have anyone who knows how to drive one?”

“Yes, yes, yes! A few of our guys used to drive trucks before the Apocalypse.”

Brother Lei ran his hands over the bus, clearly reluctant to let go. He examined it from every angle, growing more satisfied by the second.

He hadn’t expected Young Master Shen to find a bus. Now, with so many of them, they wouldn’t have to split up—they could stick together on the road.

“Young Master Shen, where did you find this thing? It looks brand new, still has the keys, and it doesn’t even look like it was just parked on the street. Wait a minute… this bus doesn’t even have license plates?!”

Shen Xiuyan crooked a finger, motioning him to come closer.

Brother Lei obediently walked over.

Shen Xiuyan slung an arm over his shoulder and smiled faintly. “Don’t ask questions you shouldn’t be asking.”

Brother Lei was instantly reminded of the fear Shen Xiuyan had once instilled in him. He nodded like a pecking chicken. “Got it, got it, got it.”

After all, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. These rich folks had all sorts of connections before the Apocalypse, and their access to information and resources was far beyond what ordinary people could imagine. Even now, they could still tap into intelligence others didn’t have.

Brother Lei tactfully mimed zipping his lips, then turned around and waved.

“Wang Qiang! Go get the others and start loading the supplies we organized onto the bus. No need to scramble tomorrow.”

Little Buzzcut nodded and ran off excitedly to gather the group and start moving things.

“Whoa, bro, what’s in these cans?” someone asked as he opened the luggage compartment to organize things, spotting that it was already partially filled with supplies.

Shen Xiuyan glanced back and replied casually, “Oh, that’s gasoline. We’ll need it on the road.”

Everyone turned to look at him with admiration in their eyes.

What kind of leader had they just pledged themselves to? He was so thoughtful—he’d even prepared gasoline for the trip.

Did this mean they wouldn’t have to get out of the vehicle and risk their lives on the way? Could they reach their destination safely?

They’d only known him for less than two days, yet he was already treating them so well.

Thinking about what they’d done to his father-in-law just a few days ago, they felt like absolute scum…

Boohoo, from now on, they were going to follow him loyally.

Feeling their burning gazes, Shen Xiuyan fled the scene.

If they stared any harder, they were going to bore a hole through him.

He wasn’t nearly as good as they thought. He was just worried they’d slow him down along the way. Besides, with the bus being so spacious, it made sense to store gasoline in advance. It would be convenient for him to use later. He couldn’t exactly pull fuel out of thin air in the middle of nowhere…

Sigh. He’d done it for his own convenience, but somehow in their eyes, it had turned into him being considerate of them?

Shen Xiuyan shook his head.

Humans… really shouldn’t have such vivid imaginations. They’d just PUA-ed themselves.

After returning, Shen Xiuyan didn’t rest either. He called Young Master Huo and A Cai to head out again.

Back at the same clearing, two off-road vehicles now sat parked.

Young Master Huo blinked. “Young Master Shen, what’s this?”

Shen Xiuyan replied, “Our own rides. Unless you want to squeeze onto the bus with the others?”

Young Master Huo shook his head at lightning speed. Of course he didn’t.

He didn’t trust those people. Without Young Master Shen keeping them in check, who knew if they’d riot halfway through the trip?

Young Master Huo was just a little moved. He’d thought their family would definitely have to ride the bus with the rest. He hadn’t expected a sudden turn for the better—Young Master Shen had actually thought of them and even found two vehicles for them to use.

A Cai, having served in the military, was more detail-oriented. He stared at the two identical off-road vehicles, confusion written all over his face.

“Young Master Shen, where did you find these? They’re the exact same model. Isn’t this the same as the one you were driving?”

Shen Xiuyan pressed a finger to his lips and gave a mysterious smile. “Best not to ask about things like this.”

Though A Cai was curious, he wisely dropped the subject after hearing that.

After all, turtles live long because they mind their own business.

In the Apocalypse, ask only what you need to ask. If it’s not your place, keep your mouth shut.

And so, Shen Xiuyan arranged things by family—one car per family.

Each vehicle was equipped with a radio for communication, and stocked with enough food, water, and other essential supplies.

As for the bus, it was much more bare-bones. Since Shen Xiuyan wasn’t involved, they only brought what little personal luggage they had before setting off.

The rain-washed asphalt glistened under the sunlight. Three brand-new off-road vehicles sped down the road in a neat line, with a bus trailing not far behind. On this empty stretch of highway, the convoy stood out starkly.

“Zzz—”

Brother Lei’s walkie-talkie crackled to life. He immediately sat up straight, waiting for the message.

Soon, Shen Xiuyan’s voice came through.

“It’s getting late. Keep an eye out for a secluded spot nearby so we can stop and rest.”

“Got it, Young Master Shen.” Brother Lei stood up and signaled the driver to slow down.

The convoy’s speed visibly decreased, and everyone on board turned their attention to the windows, scanning for a place to stop.

Before long, they set their sights on a two-story house by the national highway.

The vehicles pulled over by the roadside. Shen Xiuyan said, “All supernatural ability users, get off and clear the area. Once it’s safe, we’ll let the others out.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the ability users got out and began sweeping the area. Not a single one of them complained.

After all, this scene had played out many times already during the journey. They were used to it.

With so many people working together, no one had been injured so far.

Everyone was gradually realizing just how important it was to have a capable leader making the calls.

As for Brother Lei?

Forget it…

The way he led them before was nothing like how Shen Xiuyan did. It was the difference between a militia and a professional army.

This area was fairly remote, but there were still plenty of zombies. To be safe, Shen Xiuyan didn’t let them clear too far out.

Once the immediate vicinity was relatively secure, he picked a slightly larger house for everyone to rest in and settle down for dinner.

— Translator’s Notes —

• a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse: A Chinese idiom meaning that even in a weakened state, someone or something of high status or former wealth still possesses advantages over ordinary people.

• PUA-ed: Acronym for ‘Pick-Up Artist,’ used here metaphorically to mean they manipulated themselves into feeling indebted or loyal without external pressure.

• turtles live long because they mind their own business: A Chinese proverb suggesting that longevity and peace come from avoiding unnecessary involvement in others’ affairs.