Chapter 009: Inquiries

Liang Zilian beamed with delight and said to Xu Peng with a flattering expression: "Brother, you don't mind if I take them along, do you? People from our hometown are poor, and it's not easy to earn some money"

Xu Peng smiled and said, "It's up to you, I have no objections!" After all, as long as Liangzi took him into the grassland to find the living area of the white wolf pack, that was all that mattered. The rest of the matters, he would handle on his own, and it did not matter whether these few people accompanied him or not.

Upon hearing Liangzi's words, the two women were infuriated, yet they could not find any reason to refute him. What he said was indeed correct; they had not mentioned anything about wanting him to be their guide. Momentarily distracted, the two women turned their gaze towards "Young Master Heng" sitting nearby, seemingly hoping that he would speak up for them.

Puh! As Xu Peng's words fell, Liang Zi looked at him with a strange expression, his demeanor exaggerated, and said: "What did you say? To kill the Wolf King with bare hands? Are you joking? There is no one like that in our village!"

Upon entering the room, Liang Zi began to tidy up, while Xu Peng sat to the side, observing Liang Zi as he organized the space.

At this time, the old man's meal was also ready. He set up the chairs in the living room, and the few people from "Heng Shao" were indeed hungry, eagerly gathering around the table to start enjoying the farmhouse meal.

Is that so? If not, then forget it! Xu Peng said. He was merely inquiring, wanting to get a glimpse of that legendary figure from the previous life. He did not intend to have any interaction with that Number 1 leader; since Liangzi did not know, he chose not to say anything more.

Zheng Zhu turned to look at "Heng Shao" and, seeing "Heng Shao" nod, then spoke to Liang Zi: "Alright, it's a deal"

Seeing Liang and the appearance of the bookish youth, the woman beside "Heng Shao" regained her earlier arrogance, looking at Liang with a smug expression. A country bumpkin is just a country bumpkin; having never seen much of the world, he was easily intimidated by a few thousand yuan.

The two fashionable women beside "Heng Shao" could no longer contain themselves. The one with a somewhat enchanting appearance stood up, pointed at Liang Zi, and said with a hint of anger: "Hey! How can you be like this? We clearly arrived here first, and you just took our money. If you are going to take someone, you should take us too. How can you agree to someone else? Do you have any principles or bottom line? There should be a sense of order, right?"

This... Liangzi felt somewhat troubled. Taking such a sickly person to the vast grasslands for hunting was certainly not a good job. However, having just accepted someone else's money and made grand promises, it would be somewhat unreasonable to go back on his word now. Although he was a rural man who liked to take a little advantage, he still had his own principles in life.

Such individuals without principles and boundaries are something Xu Peng has encountered frequently in the apocalypse

Upon hearing this, Liangzi was somewhat taken aback. He stopped his actions, turned around to look at Xu Peng, and asked with a puzzled expression: "Special? In what way is it special? There are plenty of young people in our village. If you are looking for someone, you should at least tell me how old that person is, how tall they are, or what their name is."

Xu Peng thought for a moment and said: "That person is probably in his twenties now, um... his skills should be quite strong, capable of killing the Wolf King with his bare hands! I don't know his height or name."

"Heng Shao" smiled slightly, signaling the two of them to calm down. He then looked at Zheng Zhu, giving him a knowing glance. Zheng Zhu nodded, understanding "Heng Shao"'s intention. He took out a stack of money from his backpack, which seemed to be around four to five thousand, stood up, and walked in front of Liang Zi, saying: "Friend, we are also going to the grasslands for hunting and need a guide. If you are willing to accompany us, this money will be yours. Of course, you will not be responsible for our safety"

The rural youth before him indeed possesses a certain individuality, exhibiting the qualities of a formidable leader, while also adhering to his own principles of conduct. Once the apocalypse arrives, the likelihood of survival for someone like him is quite high, and he may very well become a leader in his own right

"It is like this, I need to go into the grassland early tomorrow morning. I wonder if anyone in your village is familiar with the terrain of the grassland. I would like to find a guide to accompany me," Xu Peng said.

Suddenly, Xu Peng recalled that the commander of the only surviving human base in the last life was none other than a person from Hailong Village

Upon thinking of this, Liangzi spoke again: "I can accompany you, but I must make it clear beforehand that once we enter the vast grassland, you must follow my instructions. If we encounter any ferocious wild beasts, you cannot act recklessly. Furthermore, in your current state, you may even have trouble walking once we enter the grassland. If danger arises, I cannot be responsible for your safety. What do you think? If this is not acceptable, then we can discuss nothing further, and I can return your money."

"Liangzi, wait a moment!" Xu Peng called out to him and said, "There is no need to rush with tidying up the room; I have a few matters I would like to inquire about you!"

The terrain in the vast grasslands is complex, and the wild beasts are fierce. With Xu Peng looking so sickly, if he were to go hunting there, it would be tantamount to seeking death

Just as Xu Peng and Liang Zi reached an agreement, the few individuals sitting in the living room, known as "Heng Shao," were somewhat displeased. They had also come to the grasslands for hunting, and it was they who had entered this room first. Their guide had not yet been found, yet unexpectedly, Xu Peng had gotten there ahead of them

If Xu Peng agrees, then this more than 4,000 yuan will be considered secured by Liang. If Xu Peng does not agree, Liang will definitely return the money to Zheng Zhu. Although he likes money, he has his own principles, after all, he made a deal with Xu Peng first

However, there is one thing that Xu Peng did not anticipate: when a person finds themselves in a desperate situation and wishes to survive, they often unleash some incredible strength, enabling them to accomplish things that they would normally be unable to do.

Another young woman, who was somewhat petite and named Xinya, quickly chimed in, saying: "Sister Shaofen is right; I think you are just someone who is greedy for money, wanting to take advantage of both sides."

"What? You want to go to the grassland?" Liangzi was taken aback for a moment, then looked at Xu Peng with a proud expression and said, "Then you have found the right person. In the entire Hailong Village, who knows the terrain of the grassland better than me, Liangzi? Don't worry, I will accompany you there tomorrow morning." At this point, as if recalling something, he looked at Xu Peng with a strange expression and asked, "By the way, what are you going to the grassland for? Could it be that you, like them, also want to go hunting?"

The meal is ready! The guests can start eating now

Such situations are not uncommon in the apocalypse

The sarcasm in the words of these two women was quite evident. Upon hearing this, Liang Zi immediately became angry, letting out a cold "hmph" and retorting, "As for you two, the money you provided is for meals and accommodation; it was never stated that I would take you to the vast grasslands as your guide." He then turned to Xu Peng and continued, "And this elder brother here has indeed made a request, which I agreed to and accepted his payment. Is there any problem with that? Is there any conflict with you?"

"You are absolutely right!" Xu Peng said with a smile, looking Liang Zi up and down before continuing, "Since you are familiar with the terrain of the vast grassland, I will need to trouble you tomorrow morning!"

Zheng Zhu understands the thoughts of "Heng Shao" very well; isn't it all about money? They have plenty of it. Since the other party likes money, wouldn't it be better to use money to solve the problem? Why insist on arguing with a country bumpkin and let it affect one's mood

The young man took a look, probably around two or three thousand yuan, and with a cheerful smile, stuffed the money into his pocket. He said to Xu Peng, "Big brother, my name is Liangzi, you can just call me Xiao Liang! Please wait a moment, I will go tidy up the room for you right away. In our countryside, we don't have much, but we do have plenty of rooms. Even if you bring a few more people, there will be enough space for everyone!" After saying this, he turned around and was about to go tidy up the room for Xu Peng.

Brother, let me take you to the room; you can tidy up and then rest! Liangzi knew that Xu Peng and "Heng Shao" and his group were not on the same side. Seeing that they were all eating, he did not want to neglect Xu Peng, after all, it was because Xu Peng agreed that he earned several thousand more from "Heng Shao" and his group.

Thinking of this, Xu Peng immediately asked, "Liangzi, is there a relatively...special young person in Hailong Village?" In his previous life, Xu Peng had never seen the true face of Leader No. 1; such a prominent figure was not someone Xu Peng could meet at will. His understanding of him was limited to what was passed around among the people in the base, so he did not know how to describe him to Liangzi, and could only use the word 'special' to characterize him. Xu Peng had never seen the true face of Leader No. 1; such a prominent figure was not someone Xu Peng could meet at will. His understanding of him was limited to what was passed around among the people in the base, so he did not know how to describe him to Liangzi, and could only use the word 'special' to characterize him.

After hesitating for a moment, Liang Zi gritted his teeth, took the money from Zheng Zhu's hand, and said, "Alright, I agree!" He then glanced at Xu Peng beside him and added, "However, this brother is ahead of you all. I have also accepted his money. If we are going, we should go together. If you are unwilling, I can return the money to you!"

Although he said so, Liangzi was holding onto the money tightly, clearly reluctant to return it to them

This ... ... Liang Zi hesitated; four to five thousand yuan is not a small amount. For him, it could allow for a comfortable year. After all, who would want to go against money

Xu Peng re-evaluated the person in front of him, then smiled and said, "Alright! I agree! If danger arises, you don't need to worry about me!" At that moment, Xu Peng regarded this person with a newfound respect. Initially, he thought he was merely someone who loved to take advantage and enjoyed playing petty tricks. Unexpectedly, this person clearly laid out these ambiguous issues for him. If it had been someone more cunning, they would not have shared such information with Xu Peng; they would have prioritized their own escape in the face of danger.

What is it? Speak! Liang Zi came to a stop

Alright! Xu Peng nodded, then followed Liang Zi out of the hall

You

After glancing at the young man who had just come out of the room, Xu Peng stepped forward and said, "This young man, I am not with them, so I will not be having dinner. Could you help me arrange a room to rest for one night?" After saying this, he took out a stack of money from his bag and handed it to the young man.