The Post-Apocalyptic Big Farm Owner

Chapter 43: Trouble Comes

Knocking Just as Li Ba was walking over, Yan'er happened to step out of the store. The moment she spotted Li Chao, her expression immediately changed. She remembered all too well that this man was her Uncle Li’s arch-enemy. After a moment’s thought, Yan'er pursed her lips; a look of determination flashed across her face as she followed after him. “Brother Chao, it’s been a long time. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you.” Li Ba stepped forward with a laugh. Gone was the servile, fawning demeanor he’d once shown toward Li Chao. The other man was his arch-enemy; even if he showed weakness, it wouldn’t deter this guy from causing trouble. Better to meet force with force and take each move as it comes. “Fat Pig Li, I thought you’d been eaten by the zombies outside the city. I never expected… not only did you make it into the city, but you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself.” Li Chao walked up to Li Ba and said slowly. His tone carried an indescribable contempt and disdain. “Thanks to my friends’ support, I’ve opened a little shop—just to make ends meet,” Li Ba said with a smile, completely unfazed by the other man’s insulting words. He was actually curious to see what tricks this scumbag would pull today. “Uncle.” Yan'er crept up quietly, cradling a puppy, and tugged at the hem of Li Ba’s shirt, her little face filled with worry. When Li Ba saw her, he furrowed his brow. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Li Chao staring at Yan'er with a pensive expression, and he knew this guy had likely figured out her true identity. “It’s you!” Li Chao had indeed caught on. The last time he’d seen Yan'er, her face had been covered in grime, but her facial features and build were unmistakable. After a few close glances, he immediately recognized her as the little boy he’d deliberately given a generous tip of bran buns to that day. Now that little boy had turned into a beautiful young girl, and she was acting so intimate with Li Ba. It didn’t take much to figure out that the two of them had been putting on a show to deceive him that day. The irony was that he’d thought he’d humiliated Li Ba, only to end up falling into that fat bastard’s trap! “Daring to team up with that fat pig Li to trick me—you’ve got some nerve, little girl!” A flash of ferocity crossed Li Chao’s face. He actually took a step forward and reached out to grab Yan'er by the collar. “If you dare lay a finger on her, I’ll blow your head off!” Li Ba was already on guard; he darted forward to block Yan'er’s path. His movements were lightning-fast as he drew two Type 54 pistols from his waist and pressed them directly against Li Chao’s forehead. Almost at the same moment, Li Chao had his hands locked around Li Ba’s throat. “Put the guns down!” “You fat pig Li, if you dare lay a finger on Brother Chao, I’ll take your life!” Li Chao’s henchmen, led by Xue Lin, finally snapped out of it and all drew their guns, aiming them at Li Ba. “Everyone, put your guns down!” “Anyone who dares touch the boss, I’ll blow their brains out!” Zhao Hongyun and nine other security guards arrived. Looking menacing, they raised their guns and surrounded Li Chao and his group. At first, they hadn’t paid much attention, assuming Li Chao and his men were guests there to offer congratulations. It wasn’t until the other side got into a confrontation with their boss that they realized what was happening and immediately rushed over to intervene. Li Chao had only four companions; surrounded by Zhao Hongyun and his men with guns drawn, each of them looked panicked. The crowd that had been lining up outside had now scattered far away, yet they hadn’t left. Survivors of the apocalypse were bold; faced with such a heated scene, they weren’t about to leave easily—they were here to feast their eyes on the spectacle. “You bunch of cripples, do you know who I am… Ouch!” Xue Lin, relying on his connections and the presence of Li Chao—an Evolver—was a bit afraid deep down, but he didn’t hold back with his words, spouting arrogant threats. Unexpectedly, before he could finish his sentence, Zhao Hongyun kicked the gun out of his hand and followed up with a punch, knocking the guy to the ground. As soon as he made his move, the other security guards sprang into action, seizing the guns from the remaining three men and knocking them to the ground. Don’t let their physical disabilities fool you—Zhao Hongyun and his men were remarkably agile, their moves ruthless and precise. In just a few swift moves, they subdued all of Li Chao’s henchmen. “Fat Pig Li, do you believe it or not, I’ll twist your head right off!” With his men subdued, Li Chao’s face remained just as vicious as ever as he spoke, enunciating each word clearly. Li Ba shifted slightly as the gun pressed against Li Chao’s forehead and sneered, “The moment my head gets twisted off, I’ll definitely blow your head to pieces first, you piece of shit!” At this point, it had become a matter of life and death. Li Ba no longer needed to back down; if Li Chao dared to make a single move, he would definitely pull the trigger and take out that damned scumbag. Yan'er stood behind Li Ba, her heart racing with anxiety. The little puppy she held in her arms seemed to sense the tense atmosphere; it opened its eyes, glanced around, and immediately bared its teeth at Li Chao, letting out a high-pitched yelp. “Let go of the boss!” After subduing Xue Lin and the others, Zhao Hongyun walked straight up to Li Chao, drew a combat knife from behind his back, and glared at Li Chao menacingly: “I’ll count to three. If you don’t let go, I’ll cut it off for you!” Before he even started counting, he had already swung the bayonet, aiming to slash at Li Chao’s arm. Li Chao was startled and quickly pulled his hand back. By then, he and his men had all been subdued. On his forehead, Li Ba was pressing the black muzzle of a gun against his forehead. “I’ll admit defeat today!” Li Chao was extremely shrewd; knowing he wouldn’t come out ahead today, his tone softened. “Li Ba, killing an Evolver in the settlement is a grave crime. I advise you to cut your losses now—otherwise… it won’t end well for anyone!” Li Ba, of course, knew that Evolvers enjoyed a special status within the settlement. For ordinary people to attack an Evolver was considered a grave taboo. But if an Evolver started the trouble first, that was a different story. “You’re nothing but a strength-type Evolver—haven’t you even broken through to Level 2?” Li Ba stared at Li Chao with utter disdain, his words dripping with sarcasm: “Just look at how pathetic you are—it’s obvious you haven’t. A measly Level 1 strength-type Evolver—you’re only slightly stronger than an ordinary person, yet you spend all day acting like a big shot. I’ve had it with you for a long time!” The more he spoke, the angrier he grew, as old grievances and fresh resentments welled up inside him. He swung the butt of his gun back and smashed it hard against Li Chao’s forehead. With a agonized scream, Li Chao collapsed to the ground, clutching his head as blood streamed down. “That was a bit rash!” Li Ba watched the scene and thought to himself. This was within the settlement—injuring an Evolver was no small matter. If it were investigated, he’d surely be in trouble. But with that pent-up anger unable to find an outlet, he felt utterly frustrated. That bastard had tormented and humiliated him countless times in the past, and now he dared to come here causing trouble—even threatening Yan'er. Yan'er was Li Ba's Achilles' heel; anyone who dared lay a finger on her would face his full wrath, even if it cost him his life. “Boss, let us handle this!” Zhao Hongyun stepped up beside him and whispered. Li Ba nodded. It was best for them to handle this matter. If trouble arose, as long as Shitou Feng Xiaoyang stepped in, it would surely be resolved. Just as Zhao Hongyun was signaling his men to drag Li Chao and the others away, the crowd erupted into chaos. Dozens of men in police uniforms appeared, each wielding a weapon, and charged forward with menacing expressions. “You dare to gather a mob to cause a disturbance and commit acts of violence—you’ve got some nerve!” A hint of smugness flashed across Zhao Shoudong’s face. Before the Apocalypse, he had been the head of the Security Section at the Xibu Town Government—a position he owed entirely to his maternal uncle, Zhao Laifu. After the settlement was established, he was placed in the Public Security Brigade as captain of the East City Squadron, commanding several dozen men. Though he wasn’t well-liked by Brigade Commander Xiao Liang, he’d managed to make quite a name for himself in the settlement. All of this was thanks to his uncle, Zhao Laifu. As a result, Zhao Shoudong obeyed Zhao Laifu’s every command and served as the latter’s trusted confidant within the Public Security Brigade. Today, having received instructions from Zhao Laifu, he and his men had arrived early but hadn’t yet found a reason to act. Just then, Li Chao showed up to cause trouble, and the ensuing clash between the two sides gave him the perfect excuse to stir up trouble. “Everyone, drop your guns, put your hands on your heads, and get down on the ground!” Zhao Shoudong shouted arrogantly. His dozens of men had already surrounded Li Ba and his group. Each held a Type 56 semi-automatic rifle—the standard issue of the Public Security Brigade—with the muzzles trained on Li Ba and his men; anyone who dared to make a move would be shot on the spot. Within the settlement, the Public Security Brigade had the authority to execute anyone who caused disturbances or disrupted public order. With dozens of men under his command, Zhao Shoudong didn’t believe this group would dare to resist. “Captain Zhao!” As soon as Li Chao saw Zhao Shoudong, he shouted as if he’d seen a long-lost relative: “Take them out! I’ll take full responsibility for any consequences!” He stood up, clutching his head with both hands; blood streamed down his face, and he looked utterly bedraggled. “Captain Li, it’s you!” Zhao Shoudong feigned surprise, hurried over to ask after his well-being, and ordered someone to escort Li Chao to the hospital. He and Li Chao were fairly well acquainted; Li Chao belonged to the Evolver Brigade. Although he was just an ordinary member, his status was not that of an ordinary survivor, so Zhao addressed him respectfully as “Captain Li” upon meeting him. “That fat bastard and this bunch of cripples dared to lay a hand on me—that’s a violation of the settlement’s rules! Kill him! Kill them all!” Li Chao was on the verge of a rage. As a high-ranking Evolver, he’d been beaten in broad daylight by ordinary survivors—and by his sworn enemies, no less. He simply couldn’t bear to let this go. “Don’t worry, Captain Li. These guys didn’t just offend you—they offended my uncle too… Today, we’re not going to let them off easy!” Zhao Shoudong bellowed at the top of his lungs. Then, turning to look at Li Ba and the others—who were still standing there holding their guns—he flew into a rage, waved his hand, and ordered his men to disarm Li Ba and his group. Just as dozens of security officers closed in, Zhao Hongyun raised his gun, pulled the trigger, and fired three shots into the air. Bang! After the three gunshots rang out, Zhao Hongyun flipped his palm—and a hand grenade suddenly appeared in his hand. With a savage grin, he said, “Anyone who dares take a single step closer, I’ll make sure there’s not a single bone left of them!”