The most ruthless person in the apocalypse

Chapter 1167 Always stay ahead of it!
Zhang Su watched the two walk away into the distance, then turned to Chen Hanzhou and said, "Be honest, are you planning to get your hands on the mutated zombies?"

Without beating around the bush, they got straight to the point, but their tone wasn't accusatory; it was just a normal discussion.

Chen Hanzhou had stopped eating, gripping his chopsticks tightly, looking somewhat troubled, his brows furrowed as if he were having a fierce internal struggle.

Zhang Su could naturally sense the change in Chen Hanzhou, and he encouraged him, "Little Chen, we're all brothers who came from the city together. Just say what you're thinking, don't always think about it on your own!"

After thinking for a while, Chen Hanzhou slowly said, "Brother Su, you know my situation. It's really painful to see a path that can help me grow stronger but not take it."

Zhang Su raised an eyebrow slightly; he understood the meaning of those words perfectly, because he himself felt the same way.

"How can you be sure that the growth of that mysterious power within you requires mutated zombies?"

"It's a feeling, and the thought it conveyed to me was very clear: it craves the energy source of the mutated zombies."

Chen Hanzhou's personality was changing, but he did not hide anything from Zhang Su and truthfully explained his situation.

"Okay, let's take a step back. Even if your feeling is right, do you know how to use mutated zombies?"

Zhang Su raised the core issue.

Chen Hanzhou paused for a moment, then shook his head with a strange expression and said, "I'm really not sure about that, but I think... since that energy craves it, there must be a way, right? I guess it's absorption?"

To what extent can your communication reach?

Zhang Su had a feeling that the cold energy that everyone else possessed was "dead," while the mysterious power within Chen Hanzhou was "alive" and possessed a certain degree of consciousness!

"How much? Without any communication, it's just a strange feeling, how should I put it..."

Chen Hanzhou thought for a moment and said, "It's like when you're hungry and thirsty, you send a signal to your brain to eat and drink. That's roughly the feeling. If we could really communicate like you described, what else would we need to say?"

"In other words, that mysterious power seems to be gradually becoming a part of your body, giving you an extra organ that can provide you with power, and the growth of that organ requires the energy source of the mutated zombie."

Zhang Su summarized Chen Hanzhou's situation, and if that's the case, then it's not bad.

“Yes, Brother Su, what you said is spot on, that’s exactly the feeling!” Chen Hanzhou nodded repeatedly.

"I understand!" Zhang Su picked up his chopsticks again, took a bite of food, and continued, "You can feel the changes this 'organ' is causing you, right?"

Chen Hanzhou said in a slightly somber tone, "It was Lanlan who told me that I noticed it. I didn't take it seriously before, just considering it a natural change in a harsh environment. I've realized the problem exists and will pay attention to it in the future!"

Becoming increasingly taciturn with one's own people and increasingly ruthless with enemies is reminiscent of a distorted mentality in a post-apocalyptic world, but this situation mostly occurs in extremely harsh survival environments.

The living environment on Tianma Island does not provide the conditions for psychological distortion, so among the core members, only Chen Hanzhou is undergoing a change, which makes him stand out.

"If you can control that mysterious energy, you are its master, and it is your aid. If its growth surpasses yours, your will may be destroyed. Have you considered this possibility?"

Based on the information he had obtained, Zhang Su had roughly deduced the situation of the mysterious energy within Chen Hanzhou's body. As an observer, he saw things more clearly than Chen Hanzhou himself.

Chen Hanzhou's eyes darkened, and with reluctance, he nodded, agreeing with Zhang Su's point of view, because it was the truth, and it was also the truth that he was unwilling to admit.

Seeing Chen Hanzhou's attitude, Zhang Su secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that he could recognize the problem and face its existence.

"So, if you want it to become stronger, the prerequisite is that you have to stay ahead of it and always maintain control! Are you sure there are still two mutated zombies in that horde?"

Faced with the sudden question, Chen Hanzhou paused for a second, then nodded vigorously. "I'm sure, my intuition is correct, no, I should say its senses are correct... Both are emotional zombies, located in the middle of the horde. Given the current state of the zombies, it's unlikely we can pick them out directly; we can only clear them out little by little from the outside!"

Zhang Su pondered for a moment and said, "The task of clearing out the zombies will not be changed temporarily. You will be in charge to the end, but we need to agree in advance that you must guarantee that no more than two members will be lost during the clearing process! Can you do that?"

After hearing Zhang Su's words, Chen Hanzhou nodded confidently and said, "Don't worry about that, Brother Su. Not to mention two, not a single one will be missing!"

"Confidence is a good thing. In short, my requirement is that no more than two people can be lost. After completing the mission, you can collect a mutated zombie!"

"Oh!" Chen Hanzhou's eyes lit up instantly. He braced himself on the edge of the table, then suddenly realized they were in a restaurant with people all around. He quickly relaxed and eagerly asked, "Really?"

"You're asking that... like a child, right? Of course it's true. But things aren't that simple."

Zhang Su glanced at Chen Hanzhou, then said seriously, "As I said before, if you don't improve, you won't be able to suppress that energy. During the day you lead the team to clear out zombies, so at night you must go to the port to train and make up for the lost time yourself!"

Zhang Su believed in Chen Hanzhou's potential, and that suppressing him would not yield good results; perhaps a balanced approach would be better.

He wasn't sure if the decision was right or wrong; he could only take things one step at a time and live with the hope of a good outcome.

"Okay, sure, Brother Su, no problem! As soon as the mission at the Haihe River is over, I'll go straight to the port, have a meal there, etc. It'll save some time, ensure the mission's progress, and also ensure my own improvement!"

Chen Hanzhou knew what Zhang Su was worried about, so he made a direct promise: he knew whether he could control that energy.

"You're quite tactful with your words. Since you've agreed, I believe you can do it. Remember, you must firmly maintain control of the situation, understand?"

"I know, I know!"

Chen Hanzhou felt a surge of excitement.

"Go ahead... Oh, and don't forget to explain things to Pei Lan, so she won't worry at the camp."

Zhang Su gave a few words of advice, shook his head, and gestured for Chen Hanzhou to take care of the household chores.

"Okay, Brother Su!"

"Xiao Shuai, come here for a second."

Chen Hanzhou left his seat, and Zhang Su waved to Qi Xiaoshuai, who was laughing and joking with Wu Lue and Pang Dakun. He had been too busy before and hadn't had time to ask about Meng Changwei's situation. He could take advantage of the meal to have a good chat.

"Brother Su, what can I do for you?"

Qi Xiaoshuai happily sat down in the seat that Chen Hanzhou had previously occupied.

"Your mission went smoothly today. What do you think of Lao Meng?"

“Mongke, let me think, he…”

Qi Xiaoshuai gave a concise account of Meng Changwei's involvement, without incorporating any personal opinions, leaving the judgment entirely to Zhang Su.

Meng Changwei, as the former leader of a small force, is very steady in his work. He is more capable than Zhang Xin. His overall performance is unremarkable, but he also makes no mistakes. He is very stable.

Today, four prospective cadres were assessed. Zhang Xin and Meng Changwei both performed well, and Li Zongkai was exempt from the test. Only Xie Guangfa remains. The cleanup task has not yet officially started, so we do not know their situation.

(End of this chapter)