dognovel Chapter 18 The Three Major Forces!
Chapter 18 The Three Major Forces!
"Robbery?" The scarred man's eyes turned cold as he stared at Chen Hai. "You mean robbery?"
Before he could finish speaking, the bald man next to him darted forward, yanked open Chen Hai's unlocked car door, and stretched out his thick arm to pull the thin Chen Hai out of the driver's seat!
"Dad!" Xiaoya screamed in terror.
"What are you doing! Let me go!"
Chen Hai struggled fiercely, but as an ordinary office worker who sat in an office all year round, he was no match for this bald man with a body full of fat.
The bald man grabbed him by the collar, slammed him hard onto the cold, rough ground, and then raised his big foot, clad in heavy work boots, and kicked him without warning!
boom! boom! boom!
The dull thud of flesh colliding and Chen Hai's painful groan rang out.
"Why should I? I'll tell you why!" the bald man shouted, kicking and cursing.
"Based on the state of the world! Based on the knife in my hand! Based on the number of brothers and the size of our vehicle! We set the rules, you disagree? Then get lost! Or, leave your life behind!"
"Daddy! Don't hit my daddy! Waaaaah... You're bad people! You're all bad people!"
Xiaoya cried and climbed down from the other side of the car, trying to rush over, but was grabbed by the arm and lifted up by another member of the "freight gang".
The little girl struggled and kicked in vain in his hands, crying her heart out.
The other drivers who had just arrived and were initially about to argue all turned pale and fell silent upon seeing this scene. They instinctively took a step back, afraid of getting into trouble. Some had already quietly started their cars, intending to reverse and leave this place of trouble.
Chen Hai was kicked and curled up on the ground, his forehead was cut, blood was flowing from the corner of his mouth, he felt a sharp pain in his ribs, and his vision was going black.
Humiliation, anger, despair, and fear for his daughter's safety nearly consumed him.
Through his blurry, tear-filled eyes, he saw his daughter being held in the arms of a man with a狰狞 (zhengning - ferocious/hideous) face, crying and screaming; he saw the cruel and mocking smiles on the faces of the "freight gang" members; he saw the cold, lifeless gas stations in the distance that should have brought hope...
Is this... the end of the world? No rules, no reason, only naked violence and plunder?
"Alright," the scarred man, "Brother Hai," finally spoke, stopping the bald man. The bald man spat at Chen Hai again before retreating, cursing under his breath.
"Brother Hai" walked up to Chen Hai, who was slumped on the ground, coughing and groaning. He squatted down, poked Chen Hai with his finger holding a cigarette, and spoke calmly, but his words were more chilling than the beating he had just endured.
"See? These are the rules. We, the brothers of the 'Freight Gang,' have been making a living in freight transportation before the apocalypse. We're bold and united. The apocalypse came, and we were lucky enough to randomly get trucks that could carry and load. Sticking together is the only way to survive, and to thrive."
He stood up, glanced at the other car owners around him who dared not speak out, and raised his voice:
"The gas at this gas station is part of the game, but it's not free. We brothers have taken over this spot to maintain order and collect a small 'management fee'—it's only fair! Don't want to pay? Fine, go find another gas station, or try to snatch it from us!"
The twenty-odd men behind him stepped forward simultaneously, striking the ground or the vehicle with their weapons, producing a rhythmic and menacing "bang bang" sound, their fierce eyes sweeping over every incoming vehicle.
"Now," the scarred man, "Brother Hai," said coldly, glancing one last time at Chen Hai, who lay on the ground barely alive, and the little girl who had been laid down and was crying uncontrollably beside her father.
"Those who want to refuel, line up! Follow the rules and hand over your supplies! If you don't, get out immediately! Another noise..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over Chen Hai as if he were looking at a dead dog.
"...This is how it ends."
The cold announcement, accompanied by the little girl's helpless cries and the seriously injured father's faint groans, echoed in the air above this gas station that should have brought hope.
In the distance, new car lights appeared, heading this way. I wonder what those hopeful newcomers will feel when they see this.
The fangs of the "freight gang" gleamed coldly under the glow of the gas station's safety zone. The rules were being rewritten by violence.
……
……
After learning about the gas station, Cao Shuang felt relieved.
Just as he had previously analyzed for Chu Yao, the establishment of a fixed source of fuel signified the beginning of order, or rather, the start of a new chaotic order.
For him, a cheater with unlimited energy, this is both a challenge and an opportunity.
He wasn't in a hurry to rush to the gas station. Unlimited energy was his biggest trump card, and he couldn't reveal it easily.
If everyone else is busy scrambling and scheming for fuel, while he can leisurely enjoy himself, that would be too conspicuous.
Therefore, he had to go to the gas station to "refuel" "normally" like everyone else, even if it was just for show.
He maintained his leading position in the first tier, but no longer surged ahead as recklessly as he had a few days ago.
The fog advances 30 kilometers per day, while the new resource blind box deployment range, based on the experience of the previous two deployments, fluctuates within a range of approximately 500 to 1000 kilometers ahead of the fog.
This means he can't run too far, otherwise he might miss resource refreshes or waste more "fuel" to turn back.
Maintaining an appropriate distance is the optimal strategy, allowing you to avoid the threat of the fog while acquiring new resources as soon as possible.
So, while the regional channel erupted in jubilation and chaos over the release of gas station coordinates, Cao Shuang calmly adjusted his driving pace.
He even stopped by the roadside to rest for half a day, letting Chu Yao use a water purifier to collect some of the dew that had condensed on the roof of the car overnight, and then checked the supplies and weapons again.
Only after he estimated that the first group of anxious people had arrived at the gas station and that a conflict had likely broken out over the fuel rush, and that order had been initially "established," did he resume his journey and head towards the coordinates.
As he drove his dusty but brand-new Wuling Hongguang slowly into the 30-kilometer "safe zone" of the gas station, it was already evening.
Under the leaden sky, the outline of the gas station area in the distance was particularly clear. Thousands of vehicles of all kinds, like a herd of animals gathering at a water source during their migration, crowded densely around the gas station.
The lights from car headlights, flashlights, and even campfires twinkled, while voices, engine noises, and occasional arguments and shouts blended into a noisy background.
The road leading to the gas stations was completely blocked by vehicles, forming several long, crooked, and disorderly lines.
Many of the cars looked to be in extremely poor condition, with scratches and dents all over their bodies, broken windows covered with plastic sheeting, and some even emitting faint black smoke. They had clearly fought their way here with great difficulty.
Most of the car owners looked pale and thin, with anxious eyes, constantly craning their necks to look ahead, cursing the slow pace of their journey.
Cao Shuang frowned, found the tail of a relatively loose convoy, and slowly followed it.
He wasn't in a hurry; in fact, he looked around with a hint of curiosity. This was a microcosm of the struggles for survival among millions of survivors in the apocalypse.
However, the tree may wish to remain still, but the wind will not cease. He had only been waiting in line for less than five minutes when a modified sedan behind him, which looked to be in slightly better condition and adorned with exaggerated anime decals, rudely turned its steering wheel and forcefully cut in front of him.
Cao Shuang's eyes turned cold. He hated trouble, but he hated being treated like a pushover even more.
With a light touch of the accelerator, the Wuling Hongguang suddenly lurched forward, its sturdy alloy bumper slamming into the side front of the modified sedan with just the right amount of force.