Tang Kezhi could not sleep after returning to Beigao.
Remembering the overwhelming feeling of helplessness Lu Dongnuan had given her, the blood in her body felt as if it had turned ice-cold.
In the past, that sense of oppression had not been so strong, but as time passed, it had become increasingly uncontrollable.
She lay on the bed, her long legs spread out like the character for “great.”
Looking at her fair skin, she felt a momentary daze.
She only remembered herself being tanned dark by the sun in her previous life, having almost forgotten her original skin tone.
The principal’s office was not small, measuring about 60 square meters and it was divided into two layers.
The outer layer was an ordinary office, filled with almost identical decorations and potted plants, while the inner layer contained a bed and some daily necessities, making it convenient to live there while working.
After the Apocalypse arrived, she had killed the principal first and seized the place, successfully intimidating the first batch of teachers and students.
She had killed a group of people who attempted to resist, and after continuous screening, she had managed to pull together her own core circle.
With the subsequent rise of Beigao, this shelter had also become famous.
The consequence of fame was constant trouble.
Of course, she was not afraid of such trouble.
Although she did not have a “plug-in” mechanism like Lu Dongnuan, she had her own stats.
Combined with the martial arts and methods she had learned from years of surviving the Apocalypse, she could be said to have no rivals in the area.
Even Mutated Infected—as long as they were not the particularly large ones—would take a beating from her.
Her personality was relatively lazy.
In her previous life, after fleeing Ruerke City with the military, she had joined some civilian gold-hunting teams and later used her experience to build her own squad.
But it was a pity.
Her team had encountered the monster codenamed Duzi.
Almost in a single encounter, everything had been reduced to nothing.
Guns, cannons, and martial arts had all been useless.
Miss Li, Li Shangyu, knocked on the room door.
After Tang Kezhi signaled for her to enter, Li Shangyu brought in a glass of water.
She had arrived later as a refugee.
Tang Kezhi did not know which wealthy family she belonged to, only that the woman had no airs or temper, and her ability level was significantly higher than the others.
After observing her for a period, Tang Kezhi had promoted her to be her deputy.
Tang Kezhi took the glass but set it aside.
“How did the talking go with them?” Li Shangyu asked.
Tang Kezhi shook her head and replied, “They have already begun establishing a Safe Zone,” she paused.
“It is different from a shelter; they are a Safe Zone.” She emphasized the term again.
“Oh, then should we join them later?”
Hearing this, Tang Kezhi nodded.
“Fine, I will tell the others about this,” she handed the water to Tang Kezhi again and asked, “The current priority is to retrieve those weapons, right?”
Tang Kezhi took it and replied, “That batch of guns will be dropped by drones, scattered across various parts of the City. But I know that one of the crates is very special. It contains not only weapons but also a ticket.”
“A ticket?” Li Shangyu frowned.
“What kind of ticket?” she asked.
Tang Kezhi gave a mysterious smile and placed a finger against her lips, “Shh, it’s a secret…”
Li Shangyu’s lips twitched.
Seeing her reaction, Tang Kezhi’s mood improved slightly.
“Oh, right. When the time comes, we need to bring them along.”
“Them? Those two?”
“Mm. I estimate there will be many people trying to snatch it.”
“Such as…”
“Datou from the western Crane Factory, Wang Zihao from the South Port, Ge Changlin from the countryside, and perhaps some other small groups.”
Li Shangyu looked thoughtful.
Then, she stood up.
“Understood. I won’t disturb your rest any longer.”
Li Shangyu closed the door gently as she left, the heavy solid wood door muffling the outside sounds into a blurred background.
Tang Kezhi remained lying down, her gaze fixed on the ceiling.
There was a patch of tiny cracks there, resembling the patterns of a dried-up riverbed, which had existed since before the Apocalypse.
Moonlight squeezed through the gap in the curtains that were not fully closed, just enough to illuminate those cracks and slice a cold white light across the floor.
She did not drink the water.
After pouring it into a nearby potted plant, her gaze gradually turned icy.
She watched the water slowly seep into the dry soil, the last trace of warmth fading from her eyes.
Trust was a luxury in the Apocalypse.
She had given it to Li Shangyu, but certain details were like tiny thorns beneath the skin—they did not hurt if left alone, but once touched, they reminded you of their presence.
The water itself might not have been the problem.
But the way Li Shangyu had twice handed the water to her was too natural, yet too deliberate.
Once was care.
Twice… it carried a hint of subtle urging.
It was as if she were confirming whether Tang Kezhi would drink it.
‘I should find an opportunity to kill her.’
Li Shangyu was very useful.
Her management skills, her calm mind, and even that aura of being born to give orders—which seemed so out of place in the Apocalypse—had all brought benefits to the stability and development of Beigao.
But “useful” and “trustworthy” were two different things.
Especially at this point in time, with the “ticket” appearing, various factions stirring, and the shadow of Lu Dongnuan always looming in the depths of her consciousness—any trace of uncertainty could lead to a fatal rift.
Tang Kezhi sat up and stopped looking at the plant that had absorbed the suspicious liquid.
She walked to the window and pulled the curtains wide, allowing more of the pale moonlight to flood in and illuminate her expressionless face.
How should she kill her?
She could not do it inside Beigao.
Li Shangyu was now the deputy; a sudden death or disappearance would inevitably cause turmoil, especially at the juncture of joining the Safe Zone when they needed to show internal stability.
She had to use an external force or create a plausible “accident.”
The battle for the air-drop would be the best stage.
Chaos, casualties, a mix of different people… the death of one person would be perfectly normal.
It could even be presented as a heroic sacrifice “to protect everyone,” which would help win over the people’s hearts.
But Li Shangyu was no fool; she was certainly on guard.
Perhaps she was also waiting for an opportunity to “clean up” Tang Kezhi?
A very faint, cold curve touched the corner of Tang Kezhi’s mouth.
‘Then let’s see whose blade is faster, whose net is denser, and whose heart is the cruelest.’
Outside, the night seemed to fade slightly, and a faint grayish-white appeared on the horizon.
It was not far from dawn.
Now, she needed to perform.
She had to act as if she still trusted her, even appearing slightly dependent on her, while simultaneously laying a bait.
She sat up from the bed, walked to the desk, and spread out a crude map of the urban area.
Picking up a pen, she drew circles on several possible air-drop locations.
Then, her pen paused for a moment as if she were hesitating.
Finally, near the old Pier 3 on the west side of the South Port, she drew a mark slightly heavier than the others and wrote a small question mark next to it.
This mark matched the location recorded in her notebook with a “47% probability,” but with a slight deviation.
‘If Li Shangyu had a chance to see this map and pass the information along…’
She left the map spread out like that without putting it away.
Then she walked to the door, listened to the movement outside, and gently pulled the door open.
The hallway was empty.
She checked the room again.
She actually checked the room every time she returned, but since someone had just entered, she had to do it again for safety.