Chapter 151: Reversal of the Situation
The yard had very few people.
All around, there were only low shanties.
The conflict at the gate quickly drew the attention of those hiding inside, each peering out curiously at the scene unfolding.
Peng Liu coldly watched the two people in the car.
He tilted his head, and immediately someone stepped forward to pull Big Beard out.
But before the person could even get in, they threw their hands up and retreated backwards, followed by a gun pressed against their chest coming out from within.
It was a very old-fashioned revolver.
Simple in structure, one could even see the springs inside at a glance.
But it was this seemingly inconspicuous gun that caused the faces of the men surrounding the business car to change drastically, instinctively stepping back a few paces.
Including Peng Liu who aimed his shotgun at the people inside the car.
At the same time, Hou Shubin took advantage of the moment when everyone's attention was focused on Big Beard and jumped out from the back of the car.
"Don't move!"
"Everyone, freeze, or I'll shoot him dead!"
The first thing he did after getting out of the car was to draw his gun and point it at Peng Liu, who had not yet reacted.
Then he promptly took advantage of the momentary shock of the crowd to disarm his shotgun.
In the blink of an eye, the two had effectively turned the tables.
And Peng Liu had become their hostage.
But the situation on the field did not change with the actions of the two men; the subordinates following Peng Liu saw their boss captured and immediately became tense.
Far from stepping aside, they each took on a fierce look and closed in again.
"Let go of Brother Liu!"
"Damn it, let's go together!"
"I don't believe they can kill so many of us!"
It was unclear who shouted from among the seven or eight people, and then a brash young man yelled and charged forward, only to be decisively shot in the thigh by Big Beard before he could get close.
The cries and screams that followed immediately livened up the whole yard.
In the darkness, countless pairs of eyes gleamed dangerously.
"Peng Liu was captured?"
"Who are those two? They don't look familiar."
"Heh heh, serves him right for bullying people all the time, he's met his match now."
Some reveled in schadenfreude, some watched from the sidelines, while others hurried into the dorms to call for reinforcement.
Soon, a dozen or so people wielding steel rods and machetes gathered.
Meanwhile, Wang Wei and his companions were completely afraid to speak.
They just squatted on the side, trembling.
Hou Shubin looked at the scene unfolding before him and felt his legs starting to shake.
There were not enough bullets in their guns.
Even if there were, at such close range, they definitely couldn't stop more than a dozen people rushing at them at once.
And the gate at the back was already firmly shut.
They had no room to retreat.
Big Beard was also somewhat nervous; he had just wanted to take a look inside, thinking at worst they'd only get kicked out if discovered.
Who would have expected that this Peng Liu would come at them so aggressively as if intending to take their lives?
This directly led to them being forced to resist.
As a result, the situation spiraled out of control in an instant.
What to do?
As he was thinking, Peng Liu, whom he was pointing the gun at, seemed to sense their nervousness and fear and suddenly sneered:
"Brothers, I advise you to release me sooner rather than later."
"Otherwise, when my brother arrives—"
He stopped there, just chuckling continuously.
But as he laughed, he was suddenly struck in the chest by an elbow from Hou Shubin, and he began to cough painfully, taking a good while before he could stop.
During the time that Peng Liu was coughing, the crowd outside suddenly dispersed.
A middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties approached.
Several others followed behind him.
The moment they saw this man, everyone around began to lower their heads, their glances filled with awe when they occasionally looked up at him.
The five people who approached were brothers from the Peng Family.
The leader among them was Peng Yue.
The captain of the Excellence Fleet.
And this courtyard, spanning over two thousand square meters, was the base of the Excellence Fleet, equipped with all the essential facilities.
It had tall walls and dormitories, as well as independent power equipment.
There was even a well.
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The location of the fleet's compound was conveniently situated near a suburban area with sparse pedestrian traffic, which kept it from being besieged by the hordes of corpses found in the city.
Moreover, as captain, Peng Yue's ruthless and decisive personality quickly drew many fleeing survivors to this place.
Thus, this compound naturally became one of the few settlements in the suburbs.
"Brother, let's talk this over," Peng Yue said.
"He doesn't know any better. If he has caused you any offense, I will apologize on behalf of Peng Liu!"
Before Big Beard could even confirm his identity, Peng Yue's face, which showed signs of age, already displayed a smile.
His eyes were sincere, making him look nothing like a ruthless man.
On the contrary, the several men following beside Peng Yue nearly all exuded a fierce aura.
The four of them surrounded him, their vigilant eyes constantly sweeping the surroundings, only showing a hint of relaxation when they confirmed that there were just these two people in front of them.
"Are you the Big Boss Peng?" Big Beard suddenly asked.
Hou Shubin's eyes tightened, his body tensing up even more.
Having worked in the company for over a month, they had seen no less than five or six settlements, and there was a common understanding about the survivors who became leaders.
That was, appearances can be deceiving, and one should never judge a person solely by how they look.
Anyone who could become a leader was typically not easy to talk to.
An apology for Peng Liu?
It was clear there was no such simple matter.
They feared that the moment they released their hold, the other side would immediately pounce and capture the two of them.
Meanwhile, the men around them wielding weapons suddenly began to shout again, and the whole courtyard was filled with noisy voices.
"Our boss is here, hurry up and let go of Brother Liu!"
"Damn it, we'll skin you alive later!"
"Release him quickly!"
Amidst the shouting, the human wall closed in tighter and nearer.
A strong sense of oppression made the two men feel like they had been drenched with water, even causing their vision to blur from sweat, their palms gripping the pistols growing clammy.
"What should we do now?"
"Should we, should we just let the person go?" Hou Shubin finally couldn't help but whisper, tilting his head to the side.
But he nervously waited for a long time and did not receive a response from Big Beard. Just as he was about to turn his head to check, he noticed that the voices around him had suddenly quieted down.
He saw Peng Yue raising a fist in the air.
He was smiling at the two men.
"Do you see?"
"Here, people do listen when I speak."
"No matter who sent you, as long as you release Peng Liu, I guarantee that you can leave here alive."
Hou Shubin got somewhat excited upon hearing this, anxiously looking towards Big Beard, who continued to maintain a silent facade.
Agree to him!
Hurry up and agree, Beard!
If they missed this chance, who knew if the man would go back on his word later?