Chapter 17: Encountering a Robbery

Lin Cheng was delighted with his father's actions. While he could be soft-hearted, he was by no means naïve. Helping others was only on the table if their own safety was guaranteed.

Being able to make such a decision meant that Lin's father was now qualified to continue surviving in the apocalypse.

However, the moment they took out the bottled water, it was noticed by those lurking in the shadows, who had ill intentions towards the black pickup truck.

A few shadows moved swiftly nearby, quickly gathering together and heading toward the truck.

Just as the father and son were preparing to drive back to the shelter, five middle-aged men, appearing to be around forty or fifty years old, suddenly emerged from somewhere.

These men seemed about the same age as Lin's father, but the menacing expressions on their faces made it clear they weren't friendly.

"This truck, it's mine now."

"If you want to stay alive, you'd better move out of the way and hand over all the supplies you have!"

The leader of the group had a scar on his face, which appeared to be a fresh wound, not yet fully healed, likely from a recent injury.

"Supplies?"

"Don't play dumb. I saw you take a few bottles of water from under your seat. Since you have so much, why not share with us?"

After speaking, the scar-faced man waved the steel pipe in his hand, which still had some bloodstains on it. Clearly, this group had already looted before.

Robbing others for supplies during the Great Reckoning was nothing new. Supplies were limited, and some people, having acted too late, missed their chance to gather what they needed.

Now, no rules could restrain these people. Their only goal was to survive this reckoning.

Some were willing to use violent methods to take what they wanted.

Lin Cheng had seen even worse than this group—those who didn't even bother with words, immediately attacking and beating anyone who resisted to make their point clear.

Sometimes, the robbers would encounter fierce resistance, and some might even be killed. But the onlookers wouldn't intervene; they'd just clap and cheer.

These thugs didn't deserve any mercy. People who found themselves in such situations often had some fault of their own.

Lin's father was shaking with anger. He had lived his entire life honestly and had never been robbed before.

"Did you hear me? Stop stalling!"

"If you're not going to move, we'll make you!"

The scar-faced man waved his hand, and a few of his lackeys rushed forward, attempting to forcibly open the truck's door.

Lin Cheng, expressionless, pulled a gun from his pocket and fired a shot into the sky.

Bang! 

The deafening sound of the gunshot terrified the approaching men, causing them to fall to their knees, their steel pipes clattering to the ground.

The gunshot not only frightened the robbers but also made those hiding in the shadows abandon any malicious thoughts.

The ones who hadn't yet acted breathed a sigh of relief, glad they hadn't revealed themselves—dealing with this kind of resistance wouldn't have ended well for them.

The scar-faced man was dumbfounded. He never expected these two seemingly honest people to have a gun!

Lin Cheng quickly pointed the gun at the scar-faced man. "I don't care who else you rob, but don't even think about messing with me."

Gulp! 

The scar-faced man swallowed hard. He had robbed many people but had never encountered someone with a gun before.

"P-Please don't shoot!"

"Hand over everything you've stolen."

The scar-faced man hesitated for a moment. They had come out to rob someone, and now they were the ones being robbed!

"Brother, we don't have much. If we give it all to you, how will we survive?"

"How you survive is none of my concern. Did you worry about others' survival when you were robbing them?"

Lin Cheng had no intention of wasting time talking with them, nor did he feel any pity for this group.

If he hadn't had a gun, they would have taken all his supplies, including the truck.

"I'll count to three. If no one moves by then, your life ends here."

The scar-faced man gritted his teeth and signaled for his lackeys to leave.

"Stop. Where do you think you're going?"

"We'll go back and get the supplies for you!" the scar-faced man said through clenched teeth, unable to believe how badly things had gone.

"You stay. The others can go get it."

A playful smile appeared on Lin Cheng's face. "This is the moment to test how deep the bond is between you and your brothers."

"If they don't come back in five minutes, I'll put a bullet in your head and end this nightmare for you."

Panic flashed in the scar-faced man's eyes. He knew all too well what his so-called brothers were capable of. If leaving him behind meant saving themselves and their supplies, they wouldn't hesitate to abandon him.

"You can't do this!"

"Why not?"

Lin Cheng sneered. "If you rob others, you can expect to be robbed in return. Do you really think you can take from others but no one can take from you?"

"Boss, stay here and wait for us!"

"We'll come back with the supplies to save you!"

The scar-faced man's face was flushed with embarrassment. He couldn't afford to anger Lin Cheng, but he also couldn't trust his so-called brothers. He was stuck in a tough spot.

The scene fell into a tense silence, so quiet that the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.

The scar-faced man hesitated while Lin Cheng thought about how best to deal with these criminals.

"Here's an alternative. Besides handing over your supplies, you can also throw your weapons into the back of the truck, and I'll spare your lives."

Lin Cheng pointed at the steel pipes on the ground, which were clearly their favored weapons.

To keep their supplies, the scar-faced man clenched his teeth and decided to surrender their weapons.

As the steel pipes were loaded into the back of the truck, a cruel smile appeared on Lin Cheng's face.

These men had often used their numbers to terrorize nearby survivors.

Now, without their weapons, those they had once robbed wouldn't show them any mercy.