Chapter 17 Unexpected Guest

Outside, a woman spoke in an overly sweet and affected tone, "Hey handsome, open up. I'm Qianqian from the neighboring team, sent by our leader to chat with you."

Chen Du frowned. He hadn't expected the neighboring team to approach him so soon.

"If it's about teaming up, I'm not interested. Please leave," Chen Du replied without opening the gate, outright rejecting her.

For others, forming a group might make it easier to gather supplies and deal with zombies, increasing their chances of survival. But for him, other people were the biggest threat.

"Come on, don't be so quick to turn me away. Let me in first... Look, my backpack's empty, nothing threatening inside..." Qianqian opened her backpack to show him.

True to her word, there was nothing inside that could threaten Chen Du's safety, demonstrating her sincerity.

After a moment's thought, Chen Du opened the door slightly, ready to shoot if necessary, and cautiously let Qianqian slip in.

She was a woman with a curvaceous figure but an ordinary face. Her clothes were torn, revealing glimpses of her skin—whether due to poor conditions or intentional seduction was unclear.

Chen Du smirked inwardly. In the past, he might have given her a second glance. But after spending so many days with Xie Li, his standards had skyrocketed in just a short time.

"Wow, is this the gold-level blueprint? So you're 1945..." Qianqian said with admiration.

Chen Du remained expressionless. This was his greatest concern.

The moment the Fortress Wall was built, Ethan's team had immediately figured out his identity.

Although Chen Du didn't expect to keep his identity hidden forever, he hadn't anticipated it being revealed so soon.

If Ethan's team posted his identity in the chat channels, Chen Du, still unprepared, would be in a very vulnerable position. After all, everyone knew he had plenty of supplies, and some would surely harbor ill intentions.

Chen Du narrowed his eyes, forcing a smile, "So, is your team only interested in my identity?"

Qianqian covered her mouth and giggled, "Don't be so distant. We might even become teammates. Aren't you going to invite me in for a chat?"

Chen Du watched her carefully, unsure of her true intentions. But he still smiled and said, "Well, a guest is a guest. Since your team has shown sincerity, I won't be stingy. Come on in."

In another villa, Ethan and his team received a message from Qianqian in their team channel.

"Successfully entered 1945's shelter, beginning reconnaissance!"

Qianqian had successfully infiltrated Chen Du's villa. As she reported, she was there on a mission—to probe Chen Du's situation.

The fact that 1945 had spent six hundred essential supplies to purchase the gold-level blueprint was something they couldn't miss. After all, they had once considered the Fortress Wall themselves but lacked the strength.

When they saw Chen Du build the Fortress Wall, they knew his identity. He was the elusive player with the ID 1945!

Ethan's subordinates had once suggested selling Chen Du's information to other forces or players interested in him or the gold-level blueprint. But Ethan had outright rejected the idea, even scolding the fool who suggested it.

Instead, he revealed his own plan. Ethan intended to send someone to probe Chen Du's situation, then take him down himself.

He had clearly seen that only Chen Du and Xie Li had entered the villa. This meant they were just two people. On the other hand, Ethan's team had eight members!

Although Chen Du had abundant supplies, two against eight wasn't a fair fight. Once they understood the layout of Chen Du's villa, they could quietly scale the Fortress Wall and easily capture them.

By then, they would no longer have to worry about supplies. The plan was flawless!

So, the night before, Ethan called Qianqian over. After some small talk, he asked, "Qianqian, how has Ethan treated you?"

Qianqian replied coquettishly, "Ethan has been wonderful to me. He saved me from the zombies, gave me food and drink. I'll follow Ethan for life..."

Ethan laughed heartily. Then, slowly, he said, "Qianqian, tomorrow, go and scout out 1945's situation. Don't carry any weapons. Once inside, gain his trust by any means necessary."

Qianqian looked at Ethan in shock. She understood his meaning but hesitated.

"Ethan..."

Ethan cut her off, his eyes cold, "Do I need to repeat myself?!"

Qianqian had no choice but to nod bitterly, "Yes, Ethan..."

Ethan's anger turned to satisfaction, and he chuckled, "That's my good girl..."

Thus, the next day, after Chen Du returned, Qianqian took the initiative to visit.

After leading Qianqian inside, Chen Du first instructed Xie Li to stay put on the second-floor balcony, occupying the high ground to observe if Qianqian's teammates made any suspicious moves.

Then, he had Qianqian sit in the living room.

"Qianqian, right? Let's sit and talk. I haven't eaten yet; would you like some fried rice and orange juice?"

"Sure, since you're offering, I can't refuse."

Chen Du nodded, taking the items out of his backpack and placing them on the dining table.

The aroma of the fried rice made Qianqian involuntarily swallow. Since arriving in this post-apocalyptic world, she'd struggled to even fill her stomach. Fried rice and orange juice were things she only dreamed of.

It felt as if the past few days were just an illusion, and she was still the goddess pampered by her admirers.

After a few bites of rice and a sip of orange juice to moisten her throat, Chen Du got straight to the point.

"Qianqian, you mentioned wanting me to join your team. Now that you know my identity, what makes you think you can recruit me?"

Qianqian wiped her mouth, still savoring the meal, and smiled, "We're a solid team of eight. You must have seen us clear out the zombie horde in the villa area. Not every team can pull that off."

Chen Du nodded.

"I admit, your strength is impressive. I've seen it firsthand."

Before, he hadn't fully grasped the strength of Ethan's team. But after hunting zombies alone, he realized just how powerful they were.

Seeing his reaction, Qianqian continued, "Though we lost half our team clearing the villa area, we'll rebuild."

"Given time, we can become a dominant force in the region."

"By then, everyone in the team will enjoy immense benefits..."