Rebirth in the Apocalypse: Third Time's a Charm



Chang Xin Ya looked over at his wife sitting on the lap of his brother as they drove into the night. There really wasn't enough room in the SUV for the six of them, but at the same time, they were more than grateful for it.

"We lucked out," he said softly, turning his attention back to the road in front of him.

"That we did," replied Xing Xin Ya as she looked out the window. It had felt like the biggest weight had been taken off of her shoulder. They barely escaped their compound by the skin of their teeth. In fact, Meng Yu Sheng still flinched in pain if he moved too fast. 

They had gone to that store to make a last stand and instead were given a new lease on life. It was something that none of them would ever be able to repay. Li Dai Lu was like a gift from God, not only helping them with the supplies but also with a vehicle to get away from the enforcers.

"Did you warn her?" asked a quiet man from the back seat. Zou De Ming normally was a man of few words, but in the last month or so he had gotten even quieter. Xing Xin Ya was getting more and more worried about him, but hopefully getting out of that situation would help.

"I did," she assured him.

"What did she say?" he asked, his head tilted to the side causing his long hair to block his eyes from her view.

"She said 'Let them come'."

-----

"You really want to say here for the night?" asked Chen Zi Han confused. This was the first time that they had ever slept in a building that was once a store. Plus, with the front doors broken as they were, it wasn't the most secure place either.

"Maybe not for the night," I admitted with a smile. I was not one of those people that could put up with less-than-desirable sleeping conditions. I had put up with a lot of that in my second life and I was not willing to relive that part for a single second. "Just long enough for them to come."

"Them?" asked Liu Yu Zeng sitting up from where he was laying on a sleeping bag perched precariously on a ledge. 

This particular store had a forest scene with a cross-section of a mountain and trees along with whatever animals could be found there. And Liu Yu Zeng being Liu Yu Zeng, that was where he wanted to sleep. Right between a Eurasian wolf and a snow leopard. 

"Are we expecting people?" he asked as he leaned over the edge and looked down at where I was sitting beside the very fake campfire.

"Possibly," I said with a frown before amending it. "Probably."

"Not going to give us any additional information?" chuckled Liu Wei from where he was sitting across from me. 

"I could, but I don't know if it makes sense, so I don't know if I should."

"Try us," said Chen Zi Han, as he put his arm around me. The two of us were sitting on a 'fallen log' and it was definitely not the most comfortable.

"Apparently there is a compound here that is run by the head of some syndicate or other. They are taking people in, but not letting them leave."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Liu Yu Zeng, no longer joking around.

"All the info I got was from the woman that was here, Xing Xin Ya. Keep that in mind," I said, looking around at my men. I knew that they probably wouldn't like what was coming next.

"She and her men had a farmhouse and land around here where they managed to settle down right before the EMP. After the world went to pot, someone came by and claimed the house and the land as theirs and turned it into a compound," I said, trying to remember what else she had said, but that was the gist of it. 

"Okay," said Liu Wei nodding his head. "And then what?"

"Well, the guy who started the compound claimed that he was the head of the Red Dragon Syndicate, but he wanted to turn over a new leaf and help people. Anyone that was displaced from the surrounding areas and needed a safe place to go was welcomed there, but they were never allowed to leave it."

"Did the woman say why?" asked Wang Chao coming over to sit with us around the fire.

"No, she was extremely vague about that part."

"Any ideas what it could be?" asked Chen Zi Han as he looked at me concerned.

"A few," I admitted with a nod. There was only one compound around this area that I had heard of in my previous life with a similar story. But if that was the case, then I didn't know what I should do about it. Not to mention we still had this device mission hanging over our heads too. 

However, there was one thing that was really confusing me. "But how could the leader of this compound be the head of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate? Isn't that yours?" I asked, tilting my head back and looking at the man over top of me.

"It is," Liu Yu Zeng assured me, the smile on his face causing my skin to break out into goosebumps. Maybe we would be dealing with this compound after all. Liu Yu Zeng did not seem happy at all.

"Well, some enforcers might find their way here later, maybe you can sit down and have a nice, pleasant talk?" I mean, I knew that probably wasn't going to happen, but a girl could dream.

I just wanted to kill them quickly for trying to hunt down a kindred soul. Not torture them for information because their boss decided to claim the wrong syndicate as his.

"Let them come," said Chen Zi Han inadvertently repeating my words to Xing Xin Ya. "I think this place had a back room that doubled as a butcher's shop. It will work well for our needs." 

"And here was me wondering why there was a random drain in one of the floors," I said with a sigh. Leave it to my men to notice the small things like that.

"On that note," I continued and looked at my four men. "Dinner, anyone? I even found dessert!"

Just as I was about to bring the stuff out of my space, The last remaining glass panel on the front door shattered as the echoes of a gunshot rang around the store.

"Never mind," I said with a sigh as my men stood up and took out their own guns. Once again, I took out my blood-splatter mug, because this was a really long ass day.