90: Judgment on the Throne and the Black Messenger

The asphalt road under the wheels began to show an eerie cracking, like the skin of the earth after it had died.

As the domineering golden light of the "fog-piercing bright lamp" tore through the haze, a ruined city composed of collapsed buildings and twisted steel suddenly burst into view.

Su Chen held the steering wheel with one hand and pressed the massage button on the leather seat a few times with the other; as a soothing vibration came from his back, he narrowed his eyes comfortably.

This feeling of driving a mobile palace through the apocalyptic wasteland was indeed addictive.

"Stop the car," Su Chen suddenly said, lightly tapping the brakes.

The immense inertia caused the vehicle to lean forward slightly, coming to a steady stop in the middle of a relatively open intersection.

"Teacher Qin," Su Chen looked at Qin Ya through the rearview mirror as she was recording the consumption of supplies in a small notebook, his tone as flat as if he were instructing a class representative to collect homework, "There's too much Time Devourer bodily fluid stuck on the wheels. It's highly acidic and will corrode the tires over time. Have Zhao Zihao and Li Qiang go down and clean it off."

The tip of Qin Ya's pen paused. She pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of her nose, her gaze sweeping across the terrifying silhouettes flickering in the darkness outside the window. Ultimately, she nodded submissively: "Should they use tools?"

"Use their hands." A wicked curve hooked the corner of Su Chen's mouth. "If the tools break, they have to be repaired. If their hands break, they'll just grow back. Anyway, the only value those two useless pieces of trash have right now is to serve as the automatic windshield wipers for this vehicle."

Five minutes later.

Within the fan-shaped area illuminated by the headlights, Zhao Zihao and Li Qiang were kneeling on the gravel-covered ground.

Enduring intense nausea, the two used their fingernails to pick at the green slime that had long since solidified in the tire treads.

With every touch, a burning sting shot through their fingertips; it was the strong acid corroding their cuticles.

As Zhao Zihao scraped, he stared fixedly at Su Chen, who sat high above in the driver's seat, with bloodshot eyes, a beast-like low panting coming from his throat.

Just then, the darkness ahead suddenly fluctuated.

There was no monster's roar. A thin man wearing a black tight-fitting rubber suit appeared out of thin air at the edge of the golden circle of light, like a ghost.

Su Chen's pupils constricted slightly.

An acquaintance.

It was the "The Infiltrator" who had tried to ambush him on the highway a few days ago, only to be sent back with two broken ribs to deliver a message.

This man had clearly learned his lesson. He showed no killing intent; instead, he knelt respectfully on one knee, holding a pitch-black letter high above his head with both hands.

A faint scent of sulfur lingered on the surface of the envelope, making it seem out of place under the golden light.

"Interesting." Su Chen turned on the loudspeaker, his lazy voice projecting outside the vehicle. "Delivery boy?"

The The Infiltrator didn't dare look up, his voice raspy: "My master, the captain of the 'Ghost', sincerely invites Mr. Su to the 'Execution Square' ahead to participate in a survivor resource exchange meeting."

Su Chen pushed open the door and jumped out with a stride of his long legs.

He wasn't in a hurry to take the letter. Instead, he strolled casually over to the The Infiltrator, his powerful pure Yang Energy field causing the other man to tremble.

He reached out with two fingers and pinched the letter.

Sizzle—

The moment his fingertips touched the envelope, Su Chen keenly felt the warm Holy Sun Inner Qi inside his body jump violently, as if it had encountered something filthy.

An extremely subtle spiritual fluctuation was trying to burrow into his skin through the envelope; it was some kind of high-level "tracking brand."

As long as he held this letter, no matter where he hid, he would be locked onto like a torch in the night.

"A Hongmen Banquet..." Su Chen chuckled to himself, though his face remained expressionless.

He didn't even bother to open it. With a flick of his wrist, the letter—which was currently more dangerous than a hot potato—floated down in front of Zhao Zihao, who was kneeling by the wheel with filthy hands.

"Take it."

Zhao Zihao was stunned and looked up in bewilderment.

"Since it's an invitation from the 'Ghost', that's a major power." Su Chen looked down at him, his tone full of mockery. "Haven't you all been feeling that I'm a dictator? Here's your chance. This letter is your certificate of loyalty. If you want to go and seek refuge with that black coffin, I won't stop you. I can even reimburse your travel expenses."

After saying that, Su Chen waved his hand as if disgusted by the murky air and turned back to get into the vehicle.

"Remember to wash your hands after cleaning. Don't dirty my door handle."

With a "bang," the door closed, cutting off all sight.

Inside the cockpit, the laziness on Su Chen's face vanished instantly.

He skillfully cut off the external audio and tapped rapidly on the console, pulling up the infrared thermal imaging surveillance from the side of the vehicle.

On the screen, the green fluorescent images were clearly visible.

After confirming Su Chen had entered the vehicle, Zhao Zihao's previously cowering face instantly became hideous.

He looked around like a thief, then quickly used the shadow of the massive tire as cover to tremblingly tear open the black envelope.

Although the writing on the letter wasn't clear, Su Chen could plainly see the changes in Zhao Zihao's micro-expressions—from initial confusion to shock, and finally to a suppressed sliver of wild joy and malice.

The fellow even greedily licked his lips, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the rear of the vehicle where the goddesses were located.

A few seconds later, Zhao Zihao made an extremely old-fashioned but practical move: he took off his heavily worn leather shoe, folded the letter, and stuffed it under the foul-smelling insole.

"Tsk, doesn't even mind the discomfort." Su Chen sneered, his fingers rhythmically tapping the steering wheel.

"Su Chen, that messenger..." Shen Qingqiu, who had been staring at the monitor with furrowed brows, spoke up. As a former criminal investigation enthusiast, she instinctively felt something was wrong. "There must be something wrong with that letter. You just gave it to Zhao Zihao like that?"

"Just recycling waste." Su Chen picked up an unopened pack of Chunghwa cigarettes from the storage rack and sniffed it, but didn't light one. "By the way, tell Meng Yao to give Zhao Zihao and Li Qiang an extra meal tonight. I saw a few expired ham sausages in the storage box; boil them all for them."

Shen Qingqiu looked at him in disbelief: "Are you crazy? The look in his eyes just now made it seem like he wanted to eat you alive, and you're giving him an extra meal?"

"Not only an extra meal, but I'll also allow them to sleep inside the cabin tonight. Clear the aisle and lay out two soft mats for them." Su Chen turned his head, his deep eyes sparkling with the playfulness of a hunter watching a beast fall into a trap.

"If people don't eat their fill, how will they have the strength to act?"

"Furthermore..." Su Chen pointed at Zhao Zihao on the screen, who had already put his shoe back on and was trying hard to put on an act of "honest reformation." "Since that's a tracking device, it needs a carrier to bring it into our slaughterhouse, doesn't it?"

Looking at Su Chen's profile, which appeared exceptionally eerie under the cold light of the dashboard, Shen Qingqiu felt a chill run down her spine.

This wasn't giving a traitor a chance; this was clearly fattening a pig for slaughter.

"Sit tight." Su Chen shifted gears again, the accelerator roaring beneath his foot.

The heavy truck bus let out a low roar, carrying a vehicle full of schemes and human intentions as it sped toward the "Execution Square," which was marked blood-red on the map.