The true boss

Wang Gang gave a slight nod, signaling that they were free to leave.

Today, he had been merciful—only taking their weapons and armor.

In countless zombie films, Wang Gang had seen villains who, upon encountering survivors, not only stripped them of all their belongings but even turned them into preserved meat.

What's more, it was these people who had attacked first.

Zheng Lun and the others hastily expressed their gratitude before turning away and fleeing into the distance.

Yet as Zheng Lun turned his back, a venomous glint flashed in his eyes. Inwardly, he seethed with hatred:

"Wang Gang, you've brought disaster upon yourself! You dared to kill Zhang Biao? I'll make sure his brother and father know about this. Just you wait—you're as good as dead!"

Zhang Biao came from a prestigious martial arts family.

The Zhang clan owned twenty-eight martial arts academies across Pinglu Province, with their Lubei City branch being the largest.

Zheng Lun was certain that Zhang Biao's brother and father, both formidable fighters, had likely evolved into warriors by now—perhaps even reaching the second tier.

If they learned of Zhang Biao's death, they would undoubtedly seek vengeance.

Wang Gang gestured toward the weapons on the ground. "Take what you need," he told Qi Hui and the others.

Overjoyed, they eagerly picked up weapons suited to their strengths.

Then, Wang Gang selected two sets of armor and handed them to Zhao Yong and Zhang Jingjing before storing the remaining sets in his dimensional space.

He had no intention of distributing them to Qi Hui and the others.

After all, he never planned to take them in as subordinates.

Qi Hui and his group felt a deep sense of resentment when they saw that only Zhao Yong and Zhang Jingjing had received armor.

But they dared not voice their displeasure.

Not long ago, Wang Gang had effortlessly slain two men in front of them—one of whom was even a first-tier warrior.

"Let's head to the school cafeteria. There's food there," Wang Gang said to Zhao Yong and Zhang Jingjing.

As for Qi Hui and his group, they could follow if they wished, or go their own way.

Zhao Yong and Zhang Jingjing nodded and followed him toward the cafeteria.

Qi Hui and the others hesitated only briefly before trailing behind.

Though they yearned for independence, they lacked the strength to survive alone and had no choice but to rely on Wang Gang's protection.

Still, Qi Hui had already made up his mind—once he reached the first tier, he would part ways with Wang Gang.

On their way, they encountered numerous zombies.

But before Wang Gang could act, Zhao Yong had already charged ahead.

Driven by the desire to grow stronger, Zhang Jingjing and Qi Hui's group followed suit, engaging in battle.

Before long, they arrived at the cafeteria building.

The structure stood four stories tall.

The first and second floors served standard meals, while the third catered to a more refined palate.

The fourth floor, however, was off-limits to students and reserved exclusively for school administrators.

After a moment's thought, Wang Gang decided to head for the fourth floor.

Its elevated position made it easier to defend and harder to breach—even in the event of a zombie horde, it would take time for the undead to reach them.

However, the fourth-floor entrance wasn't in the same place as the lower floors; instead, it was located at the back of the building.

Wang Gang led the group around to the rear of the cafeteria.

Just as they prepared to ascend, a swarm of zombies suddenly burst forth from the small grove behind the building.

Leading the pack was a hulking figure—towering over the others by half a head, with a frame nearly twice as broad.

Wang Gang instantly recognized it as a second-tier zombie—stronger than the one he had slain the previous day.

Zhao Yong hesitated for only a brief moment before stepping forward, volunteering to take it on.

But Wang Gang grabbed his arm. "That's a second-tier zombie. You won't stand a chance. Let me handle it."

Drawing back the string of his Sun-Slaying Bow, Wang Gang took aim.

With a sharp whoosh, the explosive arrow shot forward, piercing the zombie's forehead.

The towering undead staggered for a moment before collapsing.

"The rest are yours," Wang Gang said, putting away his bow.

With a battle cry, Zhao Yong brandished his cleaver and charged into the horde.

In mere moments, the battlefield was littered with the mangled corpses of the undead—only one remained standing.

With a final, decisive strike from Zhang Jingjing's Cold Moon Whip, the last zombie fell.

At that very moment, Zhang Jingjing felt an immense surge of energy course through her body—she had broken through, ascending to the first tier.

"Wang Gang! I did it! I've advanced!" she exclaimed, her face radiant with excitement. "Thank you!"

As she threw a few experimental punches, she marveled at her newfound strength and speed.

"Good. Very good," Wang Gang said with satisfaction. Now, both of them had the ability to protect themselves.

Qi Hui and the others looked on, their expressions a mixture of envy and resentment.

Upon reaching the entrance of the fourth-floor cafeteria, they were blocked by two security guards.

One of them cast a contemptuous glance at Wang Gang and sneered, "This is our turf. If you know what's good for you, turn around and get lost."

"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" Before Wang Gang could respond, Qi Hui stepped forward indignantly. "Apologize to my boss immediately! Our leader is a second-tier warrior—do you have a death wish?"

Wang Gang knew Qi Hui was simply trying to ingratiate himself.

Still, having someone like him around wasn't entirely useless.

Zhao Yong was the action-driven type—clumsy with words and reluctant to engage in verbal disputes.

If danger arose, he would charge in without hesitation.

Zhang Jingjing, on the other hand, was reserved and ill-suited for confrontations.

Moreover, as a woman, Wang Gang wasn't keen on having her handle such matters in the first place.

He made a mental note—he needed to recruit someone articulate, skilled in verbal sparring, and of decent character.

A dedicated mouthpiece to handle these kinds of petty conflicts.

"A second-tier warrior? Hah!"

The two security guards burst into laughter, clearly unconvinced.

The apocalypse had only begun the day before—barely twenty-four hours had passed. Even their captain had only reached the first tier.

How could a mere student possibly have advanced to the second?

After all, their captain had trained relentlessly even before the world fell apart—he was a graduate of the Armed Police Academy.

"Hmph! Ignorant fools!" Qi Hui scoffed before turning to Zhao Yong. "Brother Yong, show them what you're made of!"

The way he addressed Zhao Yong had changed—no longer calling him by name, but respectfully referring to him as "Brother Yong."

Zhao Yong nodded and, without hesitation, drove his fist into their chests.

The moment they had insulted Wang Gang, he had already been seething.

Wang Gang was his leader—he wouldn't tolerate anyone disrespecting him.

The two guards were sent flying backward, crashing into the cafeteria with a resounding thud.

Without missing a beat, Zhao Yong charged in.

Surrounded by his followers, Wang Gang strode into the cafeteria.

The moment his eyes fell upon the scene inside, he was momentarily stunned.

He had anticipated chaos.

But he had not expected to witness the depths of human depravity laid bare in such a grotesque and abhorrent manner.