Chapter 270: Wasteland Jackals Nobles
This timing of appearance was naturally not a coincidence.
Su Huan’s shot had indeed created a nice show of force, so Mister Shu did not appear immediately.
Letting Black Kite’s young man and Su Huan make contact first, whether it led to conflict or mutual ignoring, would deflate Su Huan’s aura.
Waiting for an appropriate moment to appear, then saying something from an elder’s perspective that was neither too close nor too distant—this combination of softening and striking would steadily suppress Su Huan’s arrogant aura.
No matter if Su Huan flew into a rage out of humiliation or silently accepted the mute loss, the momentum he had built up earlier would dissipate right here.
Thinking of this, Mister Shu couldn’t help but let out a soft hum in his heart.
A subtle smile hung on his face as his deep eyes stared fixedly at Su Huan below.
Wanting to see what reaction this young man would have.
Although he couldn’t use General Energy Perception on a large scale, at such close distance, Su Huan could still discern that Mister Shu was an ordinary person.
He carried a slick and steady official air, but his advanced age brought a heavy air of twilight, making people feel annoyed at first glance.
He casually glanced around and his gaze fell on Wang Yi nearby.
Finally understanding whose fierce eyebrows and eyes Shu Wei had inherited.
Yu Jing and Yu Yue resembled each other most in those eyes, provided Yu Yue was holding a sniper rifle or being serious.
As for Shu Wei and Wang Yi, this mother-daughter pair resembled each other most in their bone structure.
Their eyebrows were sharp and keen, bridge of nose high and straight, almost carved from the same mold.
It was just that Wang Yi had a bit more of a noblewoman’s pampered plumpness compared to Shu Wei, and this touch of plumpness added much nobility, without Shu Wei’s overpowering intensity.
But when standing in a high place, the arrogance in that bone structure became increasingly evident.
If put more directly.
It was glamorous, not like someone harmless.
While Su Huan was sizing her up, Wang Yi was also sizing up this bastard who had captured her daughter. Although she had indirectly met him through abilities, the moment she saw Su Huan with her own eyes, a flash of amazement still inevitably passed through her eyes.
This flash of amazement was the highest praise for evolution.
It was just that his mentality was rather malicious.
Combining some information data on Su Huan, a bit of contempt inevitably arose in Wang Yi’s eyes.
Although the evolutionary ability was good, his mentality was too poor; in this changing era, he wouldn’t go far. Evolution wasn’t just about who progressed fastest—force, resources, mentality, none could be lacking.
And for Su Huan, aside from this body, the rest were all inferior in her heart.
So what if the armored train defeated the Steel Council? It was just snatching chestnuts from the fire.
Whether Steel Council or Black Kite, both had countless chances to start over, but the armored train had none—they had no qualification to lose. A force of this level was just duckweed in the water, unreliable.
But thinking of her own daughter being eaten by this playboy, Wang Yi’s gaze toward Su Huan turned even more disgusted.
It wasn’t that she was overthinking; she knew well how great the attraction her daughter, who resembled her so much, had for men.
No man would let fat meat that reached his mouth slip away.
Wang Yi glanced at her obediently lowered-head daughter nearby, thinking to ask her daughter’s intentions later when there was a chance. If she nodded, after dismantling the armored train, she’d spare this bastard’s life and let him stay dutifully by her daughter’s side—his evolutionary potential was qualified to protect her daughter.
If her daughter was unwilling, drag him out and chop him up to feed the fish after it was done!
……
Seeing Su Huan staring at his ex-wife in thought, Mister Shu felt faintly uncomfortable.
But on the surface, he still maintained an elder’s demeanor. “Since you were invited in my name, this isn’t any formal negotiation— no need to be so tense.”
Shu Wei nearby tugged at the corner of her mouth.
Tense?
Was it tense when forcing them to dig pits as the flash flood came, or tense when leading millions of zombies to slaughter the city?
That manic smile clearly showed he was enjoying it.
As for now…
Shu Wei sneaked a glance at the train conductor, whose brows were tightly furrowed, eyes slightly unfocused, as if pondering some profound problem.
An inexplicable unease surged in her heart, her heart leaping to her throat.
Su Huan couldn’t understand his overt and covert suppression; at the moment, he was recalling his limited socializing experience.
‘If the other party is an elder, greeting you very politely…’
‘Don’t sarcasm people’
‘Don’t be sarcastic’
‘Tone should be even’
‘Expression should be sincere’
‘Praise others’
‘……’
He weighed his words, and after a while, as if thinking of a brilliant response, he said seriously to the two, “Your wife is really beautiful.”
When the clear and magnetic voice echoed in the hall, even the bubbles in the champagne stalled.
Tan Yunxi’s lips parted slightly, the constant muttering curses in her heart paused, unable to recall the next line no matter what.
Bo Qingqing looked at Su Huan with a ghostly expression.
Originally somewhat disdainful, now the hostility was completely dropped—in a place heavily guarded by Black Kite forces, to so blatantly flirt with Director Number Three’s ex-wife right to her face!
Where on earth did Shu Wei find this lunatic?
Many shared Bo Qingqing’s thoughts.
Director Number Three was no joke—this was Black Kite’s true powerholder!
Although Black Kite had only about a hundred thousand people at most, with its highly concentrated talents and various resources, it was enough to wage a war of extermination against a small pre-apocalypse country!
And Director Number Three was the third-in-command in this “organization,” currently the temporary top leader!
This was also the main reason everyone abandoned their comfortable safe lives to attend this salon at the flood zone boundary.
Everyone tried to slow their breathing as much as possible, afraid it was their own hallucination.
Zhong You was full of astonishment; he admitted Su Huan was very strong, even stronger than himself.
But to publicly insult Mister Shu like this—didn’t he fear being killed on the spot?
What puzzled him more was, what exactly was Shu Wei’s relationship with this man? Why hadn’t she said a word until now, and even seemed to defer to him?
What level of force was the armored train, exactly?
As the person involved, Wang Yi’s face flickered between expressions. In this setting, she certainly wouldn’t take that as praise; her disgust toward Su Huan intensified in her eyes.
Su Huan keenly sensed the atmosphere was off, then reviewed his own words.
‘Should be no problem, but why the illusion of familiarity…’
He turned to Shu Wei nearby. “Did I say something wrong?”
Seeing Su Huan’s genuine confusion, Shu Wei’s suspended heart fully relaxed—not serious was good.
From observations over this time, though Su Huan seemed playboyish, there weren’t many women on the train. Yu Jing and Lin Xi could only count as half; the ones with substantial relations were only herself and Yu Yue.
From an apocalypse moral view, he could be considered chaste.
But summarizing the common traits of those two.
Twenty-nine, lightly mature, older woman, plus Yu Yue and Yu Jing’s overt statuses…
So when hearing the train conductor’s praise of her mother, Shu Wei really panicked.
She didn’t want this long-awaited reunion with her mother after so many years to be in such an awkward atmosphere.
Fortunately, the other party had just had an episode.
No intentions in that regard.
“Then I’ll thank you for the praise on her behalf.” Mister Shu’s old face was somewhat gloomy, each word’s pause like slicing his flesh with a knife.
“Since the guest has arrived, let’s officially begin.”
Mister Shu took Wang Yi’s arm and turned to leave.
Only after their backs disappeared did the hall regain some whispers. Music drifted from somewhere, melodiously weaving through the hall, and the waiters, like mechanical puppets, began to move.
But the gazes fixed on Su Huan not only didn’t decrease, but grew heavier.
Bo Qingqing looked at Su Huan with a trace of pity. “I don’t know if you’re truly foolish or truly courageous. Hope you live to see the roast suckling pig served, Train Conductor.”
Hearing the familiar tone, Su Huan’s eyes lit up, pointing at Bo Qingqing. “Who’s this?”
Shu Wei glanced faintly at Bo Qingqing. “A bitch who loves to wag her tongue.”
“Oh, but she got the title right…”
“You!”
Bo Qingqing was stunned by the curse, then her face flushed red and pale.
Previously, though Shu Wei had some friction with her, she’d never cursed her like this in front of everyone. What mind-bending drug had this man given her—insulting her father and still siding with him like this?
“Shu Wei, can’t you tell good from bad?”
Bo Qingqing said sharply.
“But I can tell closeness from distance.”
As people in the same circle, Shu Wei naturally knew her situation, and her knife strikes were precise and ruthless.
“……You’ll regret this!”
Bo Qingqing, at a loss for words, could only shout furiously at Shu Wei.
Then she turned and headed to the inner hall.
Her slender waist twisted, high heels clacking loudly on the ground.
‘They’ve torn faces now?’
Tan Yunxi listened to their dialogue, her delicate little face with a hint of excited flush; if looked closely, a thumbprint was visible on the right side.
Seeing a waiter approach, Shu Wei stepped forward half a pace, taking the waiter’s place to lead Su Huan to the inner hall.
Leaving behind a group of young people with gossip madly flashing in their eyes.
The noise in the hall immediately rose.
Zhong You frowned at this scene; things had happened too densely—from the cannon shot, Su Huan entering, to multiple verbal clashes, all within ten minutes. He’d wanted to say a few words to Shu Wei but never found the chance.
Though Shu Wei hadn’t had close contact with Su Huan, always keeping two body lengths away at closest, her attitude toward him made Zhong You faintly uneasy.
Like building a tower only to have dawn break and the moon vanish.
Zhong You quickly followed.
Just in time to see waiters blocking the two bodyguards Su Huan brought.
The two sides were about to clash.
Zhong You stepped forward, coldly saying, “You are armed personnel and can only stay in the outer hall.”
Giraffe tilted his head; though sensing this kid was somewhat formidable, he still refused to back down, smirking as foul words poured out, “***……Even retreating ten thousand steps, who knows if you have good intentions.”
White Deer chimed in from the side, glaring his eyeballs as he cursed, “What’re you looking at? Just by your pretty boy face, you’re no good thing!”
Don’t think they were all submissive in front of Captain He; outside the barracks, who wasn’t a sly old soldier?
One sentence per person, like a comedy duo, cursing in the ugliest and trickiest ways, nearly enraging Zhong You to explode.
Who was the pretty boy?!
His was clearly a healthy wheat skin tone—did he think everyone was tanned like black ghosts like them?!
“Who’s the pretty boy?”
Hearing the cursing, Su Huan turned to look.
Just in time to see the two deer hopping mad, intensifying their attack on ashen-faced Zhong You.
Giraffe retreated half a step, under the train conductor’s cover, sneering, “Train Conductor, this kid looks down on us and won’t let us in!”
White Deer, not as glib, just nodded vigorously nearby.
Watching these two blatantly twist right and wrong, Zhong You’s face turned from green to red with anger, but without Mister Shu’s order, he could only counterattack if they struck first.
So he could only forcibly suppress his rage and explain, “Armed personnel cannot enter the inner hall.”
Su Huan realized. “Oh, like that? Then they just don’t go in, right?”
Though somewhat surprised by Su Huan’s easygoingness, Zhong You’s expression eased considerably.
Giraffe nearby slapped his hand, loudly proclaiming, “Should’ve said so earlier—if you’d said so, we wouldn’t have gone in. We’re not the type to make trouble!”
Hearing this, a group of waiters clearly with general energy fluctuation looked at Zhong You’s face, noses to mouths, choosing silence.
This was treating him like a fool!
Zhong You saw through it and sneered coldly repeatedly.
“Then you two just eat whatever outside; I’ll head in first.” Su Huan instructed.
Giraffe subtly gave him a cautious look, dragging the still-wanting-to-add-more White Deer toward a table beside the hall.
It was laden with plenty of food: besides common pastries, there were even unmutated fruits. Those rich kids were busy yapping, no one touching those—he’d been drooling over them.
Giraffe muttered while walking, “First time hearing you curse; your mouth’s pretty slick, and lots of those words are mine.”
White Deer, “(`へ*)ノ”
Giraffe, “How come I never saw you so sharp in front of Captain He?”
White Deer, “Didn’t you learn from him too?”
Giraffe, “True…”
Watching the two start gorging outside, Su Huan chuckled and turned toward the inner hall.
Hongmen Banquet, fraught with crises?
What he was eating today was a Hongmen Banquet!
……
The inner hall was smaller than the outer hall, but the decor was even more luxurious, tones richer than the outer hall. Many things didn’t look like they’d been unattended for four or five months.
In the corner, a band of over a dozen began playing music untouched by the train conductor’s influence.
Honestly, not as energizing as the train’s wake-up bell.
The outer hall had over a hundred people, but only about a dozen entered the inner hall—fewer than the waiters. They whispered in corners, occasionally casting contemptuous and greedy glances.
This familiar feeling made Su Huan feel like he was back in the wasteland.
Those gazes were just as hot and greedy.
The people here were no different.
Just with an extra layer of outer hall skin.
(Brothers, announcing a piece of good news: I’m getting engaged on the 31st. There might be a lot of things going on this month. Announcing another piece of good news: I haven’t taken any leave this month, so the engagement won’t cause any breaks in updates either, but if I really can’t make it occasionally… I’ll figure something out.)
