34: Dark aspects of human nature

In the swirling smoke and dust, Zhang Lei's tall figure appeared like a god of war born from fire, his body still surrounded by a lingering scorching aura as he slowly stepped into the warehouse. His sharp gaze swept across the room, taking in everyone's terror and numbness, as well as the viciousness and panic on the faces of Liu Xu and the others. The dozen or so thugs instinctively gripped their weapons, their eyes darting away.

The thug who had just stepped forward flatteringly suppressed his fear and squeezed out a smile that looked worse than crying: "Sirs... you're here to... to collect supplies, right? Please... take whatever you want, take whatever you want..."

Zhang Lei didn't even look at him, directly kicking him over. The thug screamed as he rolled a long way, crashing into a shelf. Zhang Lei's voice was cold, like a chilling wind blowing through the warehouse: "Everyone, Yongjiang Base takes in survivors, provides shelter, and supplies two meals a day for only eight hours of work. Those willing to leave can follow us now."

The warehouse was deathly silent, filled only with heavy breathing and suppressed sobbing. The numb survivors had hollow eyes, and no one dared to respond. Zhang Lei's gaze was like a physical ice pick, instantly locking onto the pale-faced Liu Xu in the center of the crowd. He pointed at Liu Xu, his voice brook no argument: "You, come here! Explain the situation here!"

Being called out, Liu Xu's heart pounded wildly! Thoughts raced through his mind: exposure meant death, but fighting back might offer a chance at life! He was a powerful Evolver! If he could take this young-looking officer hostage... he might be able to escape!

A humble and fawning fake smile appeared on his face as he slowly moved toward Zhang Lei: "Of... Officer, we..." Just as he was less than three meters from Zhang Lei, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes! His muscles instantly bulged, his Strength Superpower erupted, and he lunged at Zhang Lei like a cannonball at a speed far exceeding that of an ordinary person, his thick arm clawing violently at Zhang Lei's neck! "Die!"

"Seeking death!" Zhang Lei's eyes sharpened, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking sneer. He didn't even dodge as a scorching flame shield erupted around him with a "boom"! The moment Liu Xu's hand was about to touch him, Zhang Lei's right leg, like a red-hot branding iron, left an afterimage and terrifying heat as a fierce "Blazing Kick" slammed into Liu Xu's chest!

"Bang! Sizzle—!"

The dull sound of impact was accompanied by the terrifying sound of burning flesh! Liu Xu was sent flying as if hit by a high-speed truck, screaming as he crashed heavily onto the warehouse floor! The work clothes on his chest instantly carbonized and vanished, revealing charred, festering flesh underneath that emitted wisps of blue smoke! The intense pain made him curl into a ball, feeling as if his entire chest cavity was on fire!

"An Evolver?" Zhang Lei raised an eyebrow in surprise. The proportion of those who could awaken Combat Superpowers was very low. This was somewhat interesting.

The survivors in the warehouse were all stunned to see Liu Xu, who was as invincible as a demon in their eyes, kicked away and burned so miserably by this young officer! For the first time, a glimmer of shock and disbelief appeared in their numb eyes.

Just then!

From the crowd, a figure crawled out with great difficulty and extreme slowness. It was a middle-aged woman whose legs were twisted at an extremely unnatural angle, obviously broken by brute force! Her pant legs were stained a deep brown with dried blood, and her crawling path left two striking trails of blood. Her face was covered in dirt and tear stains, yet her eyes burned with deep-seated grief and a final sliver of hope.

"Officer... Officer..." She used all her strength to let out a hoarse cry, "I have something to say... I beg you... please give me justice..."

Zhang Lei's gaze fell on the woman's broken legs, and his pupils suddenly constricted! A cold fury instantly surged from the depths of his heart! Animals! How many days has it been since the apocalypse started?!

He stepped forward quickly, carefully avoiding her injured legs, and helped her sit on a relatively clean cardboard box. His voice carried suppressed anger: "Ma'am, don't be afraid, take your time. I am an officer of the army, Zhang Lei. Tell me, who broke your legs? We will definitely get justice for you!"

With hands covered in blood and dust, the woman tremblingly wiped the tears from her face, sobbing uncontrollably: "Officer... my legs... I'm fine... but... my daughter... my daughter, she... she..." The immense grief made it almost impossible for her to speak, and her body shook violently.

Encouraged by Zhang Lei's calm and powerful gaze, the woman intermittently recounted that nightmare: she and her daughter had luckily survived the beginning of the apocalypse. A few days ago, driven by extreme hunger, they ventured to the supermarket to find food, only to be caught by Liu Xu's gang. Seeing the girl's youth and beauty, Liu Xu immediately harbored evil intentions. The girl would rather die than submit, resisting desperately. As her mother, she stepped forward to stop them, but Liu Xu picked her up like a chick and cruelly broke both her legs! Even so, her poor daughter couldn't escape the clutches of those monsters. Right before her mother's eyes, she was repeatedly violated by Liu Xu and those dozen or so subhuman thugs... Eventually, her daughter breathed her last in endless pain and humiliation... The woman's tearful account was like a heavy hammer, slamming into Zhang Lei's heart! It also struck the hearts of every righteous Red Alert Soldier! The air in the warehouse seemed to freeze, leaving only the woman's heart-wrenching sobs and Liu Xu's painful moans.

Zhang Lei slowly stood up, his aura as cold as polar ice, while the fire of rage burning in his eyes seemed capable of incinerating everything! He slowly walked toward Liu Xu, who was slumped on the ground with a charred chest, still spitting blood.

"Good... very good..." Zhang Lei's voice was terrifyingly low, every word sounding like shards of ice squeezed from between his teeth, "How many days has it been since the apocalypse broke out? And you already dare to trample on humanity, ignore the law, and violate all sense of human morality! You guys are truly 'good'!"

He walked up to Liu Xu and looked down at this scum. Under Liu Xu's terrified and desperate gaze, Zhang Lei suddenly kicked out!

"Bang!"

Liu Xu's body flew up again like a broken sack, slamming hard against the warehouse's concrete wall! In the dull impact, the hard wall was actually smashed into a depression, with cobweb-like cracks spreading out, leaving a clear human-shaped crater! Liu Xu slid to the ground like limp mud, blood gushing from his mouth, and no telling how many bones were broken.

"Officer... no... don't kill me... please... spare my life..." Liu Xu felt as if his internal organs had all shifted. The fear of death made him cry and beg for mercy incoherently, "I have superpowers... I can kill zombies... I'm a good fighter... I... I can be your dog... your thug... please..."

"A thug?" Zhang Lei seemed to have heard the most disgusting joke in the world. A cold arc tugged at the corner of his mouth, and there was no warmth in his eyes, "What would I want with scum like you? To pollute my army?"

He clenched his right hand, and the moisture in the air instantly condensed. An Ice Crystal Longsword emitting a bone-chilling cold formed in his hand! The blade was sharp, reflecting a cold light!

"Ah—! No!!!" Liu Xu let out a desperate scream.

A flash of blade light!

"Pshhh!"

A thick arm was severed at the shoulder and rolled to the ground. The wound was instantly frozen, and not a single drop of blood flowed out! The extreme cold even temporarily numbed the intense pain!

"Let me go... I was wrong... I won't do it again... Aaaaah..." Liu Xu clutched his severed arm, howling like a stuck pig.

"Won't do it again?" Zhang Lei's voice was like a cold wind from the underworld, carrying the weight of a sentence, "Do you think you'll have another chance?"

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Lei spread his hands, and dozens of incredibly sharp Ice Spikes instantly condensed in front of him, each shimmering with a lethal cold light!

"No—!!!" Liu Xu's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and he let out a final, shrill scream that went out of tune.

"Go!"

Zhang Lei pointed his finger lightly.

"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh—!"

Dozens of Ice Spikes, like arrows of death, accompanied by the piercing sound of breaking air, instantly pierced through Liu Xu's body! They pinned him firmly to the cracked wall! Blood mixed with ice water slowly flowed down the wall, forming a striking crimson pool of ice beneath Liu Xu.

This tyrant, who had acted with impunity and committed heinous crimes in the warehouse, finally turned into a cold, hedgehog-like corpse covered in Ice Spikes. The warehouse was deathly silent, save for the sound of melting Ice Spikes dripping and the suppressed, finally released crying of the survivors.