Chapter 26: Hard Currency

Gao Zhe paused, turned around, and fixed his cold, sharp gaze on Su Huan. "The reward?"

"The canteen is preparing breakfast. How about a piping hot meal?" Su Huan replied.

The corner of Gao Zhe's mouth twitched into a mocking smile, and he turned to walk away. Su Huan's missions were never easy to complete; thinking he could be bought with a breakfast was insulting. Did he really take him for a slave?

"There's steak, pasta, roasted sausages. If you don't like those, there are steamed buns, fresh porridge, freshly squeezed soy milk..." Su Huan called out behind him, rattling off the menu.

Gao Zhe did not look back.

...

Gao Zhe stepped into the mud, frowning as he looked at the pile of bodies on the ground. He shouted to Su Huan on the vehicle, "Do I just need to verify their status and toss them into the cargo bed?"

"Yes. If you capture them perfectly alive, there will be a glass of wine included with dinner," Su Huan said with a smile.

Gao Zhe took a deep breath of the damp air, gripped his steel bar, and walked toward the men on the ground. The one closest to him was an acquaintance—the burly man known as "Brother Dog."

*Useless waste.*

A flash of darkness crossed Gao Zhe's eyes. He swung the steel bar directly onto the man's thigh with a dull thud. Brother Dog instantly curled up like a shrimp, clutching his knees as he let out a silent, gaping roar.

"No threat here."

Gao Zhe picked up the rope Su Huan had tossed down, bound the man like a hog, and threw him into the cargo bed. Liang Kuan took over, checked the knots, and stuffed a rag into the man's mouth.

Gao Zhe proceeded to strike them one by one. Whether they were truly unconscious or faking it, he gave each a solid whack. The air was filled with muffled thuds followed by the sickening sound of breaking bones.

Hearing the abrasive crunching getting closer, the man with the slanted eyes lying on the ground felt a surge of hatred. He had been planning to feign unconsciousness and launch a counterattack, but that bastard had electrocuted him four times! His brain felt like it was smoking. If not for the incredible physical resilience he had gained as an Evolved, he would have been down like the others.

It had taken him a long time to recover, and he had finally decided to surrender when Su Huan arrived. But the man hadn't come over; instead, he had sent this beast. He was going to wipe them all out!

The man with the slanted eyes didn't dare stand up. As the footsteps grew closer, they sounded like a death knell. He roared, tore his face from the mud, and lunged forward to grab the legs in front of him.

*This sensation... a Creator. What a waste.*

Su Huan immediately identified the man's background and felt a twinge of regret. What he lacked most on his vehicle right now were Creators, but unfortunately, this one was unusable.

"Capture this one alive."

Hearing Su Huan's voice, Gao Zhe froze, his steel bar mid-swing. He frowned, his muscles tensing, and with a sudden jerk, he shook the man's hands off. He kicked the man in the chest, sending him tumbling like a gourd. The man sat there, gasping for air.

Gao Zhe didn't pursue him. He pulled up his pant leg to reveal red splotches on his skin.

"Don't worry, it'll fade in a couple of days. It's weaker than a common skin disease," Su Huan said calmly from the vehicle.

His "Pan-Energy Perception" allowed him to sense energy fluctuations within objects, though it couldn't pinpoint a specific profession. However, Gao Zhe’s status as an Evolved appeared to him like a lantern in the dark. It was plain to see, impossible to hide. Today had just been a way to gauge the direction and speed of the man's evolution. It would be a disaster if the shepherd were ever trampled by the sheep.

"Thump!"

Gao Zhe tied up the man with the slanted eyes and tossed him onto the truck. "Remember the meal." He then climbed into the back, limping slightly.

Su Huan looked down at the disheveled man and placed a hand on Liang Kuan's shoulder to keep him at a distance. If one were to ask which type of Evolved was the most powerful in the apocalypse, it would be a matter of debate. But if asked which was the most insidious, the "Creator" would be the clear choice. Due to their core skill, "Pan-Energy Erosion," they could alter the properties of matter and trigger new mutations, making them the first to cross the forbidden lines.

The red splotches on Gao Zhe's leg were caused by this erosion. Since Gao Zhe was an Evolved—specifically a Defender with high physical resilience—he could tough it out for a couple of days. But Liang Kuan was just an ordinary human; if he were eroded, it would be problematic. One day it might be a red patch, the next a new eye, and by the third, it might start talking.

"...Don't kill me, I surrender! I have half a year's worth of food in my water plant, purified water, cars, plenty of gasoline, and women—lots of women! Just let me go, and they're all yours!" The man with the slanted eyes spat out a mouthful of mud and spoke rapidly.

Su Huan acted as if he hadn't heard. A red glow shimmered over his hand as he fished a pistol from the man's waistband. He ejected the magazine, revealing eight 9mm rounds—gleaming, golden, and beautiful. These were precious items, even years later when mutated creatures roamed the earth.

The distinct smell of gunpowder still lingered in the air. Moreover, these weapons were durable and reliable, far more so than the "Pan-Energy" firearms manufactured by the big corporations. They were the hard currency of the apocalypse and a survivor's best friend.

*Click-clack.*

After a brief inspection, Su Huan chambered a round and gestured with the muzzle at the man's head. The man's eyes bulged in terror, his lips trembling.

"D-d-don't kill me..."

"Where did you get this?" Su Huan asked with curiosity.

"I picked it up at the Bureau of Law Enforcement."

Su Huan flipped the gun over and saw the spot where the serial number had been filed off. "Are there more bullets?"

"There are in the water plant. Sixty rounds."

"Does the water plant have a water purifier?"

The man hesitated for a second, then nodded frantically. "Yes, yes! Big ones and small ones, we have them all."

Su Huan smiled. It seemed he wouldn't need to resort to stronger methods. He pointed to the sixteen survivors in the cargo bed. "I'll give you a chance to live. Pick the two most loyal ones from this group. I'll let them go, and they can dismantle a small, integrated water purifier and bring it to me. Then, you live."

The man's eyes lit up. "Understood! I'll get it done for you immediately."

"What's your name?" Su Huan asked suddenly.

"Hu An. You can just call me Little Hu," the man said, fawning, his eyes crinkling.

Hu An...

A flash of surprise crossed Su Huan's eyes. He hadn't expected to run into someone he recognized. In his previous life, only three convoys had escaped the high-temperature zone, and this Hu An was the third-in-command of the Mojiang Mutual Aid Convoy—the largest of the three, with several thousand people.

However, he had heard the management was chaotic, so he had never joined them. They didn't have many powerhouses, but they had a higher density of Evolved than the other two groups. If he needed labor, they might be worth targeting. But with him around in this life, it was unclear if that convoy would even form.

What Su Huan was truly interested in was another group: the Workers, Farmers, and Doctors United Convoy.