Chapter 849: Chapter 615: I Have a Plan

In the dimly lit, cramped space, two figures stood in silence, facing each other.

Suddenly, Xia Zhi pursed his lips and, after a wary glance at Mu Chen, quickly reached for the doorknob.

“Stop!”

Mu Chen promptly grabbed Xia Zhi’s arm. “It’s not what you think!”

Just then, a girl’s voice came from outside, seemingly right at the door.

“Hey, where are they?”

This was followed by footsteps and indistinct chatter.

At this moment, Mu Chen had one hand over Xia Zhi’s mouth and nose, and the other gripping his arm tightly, using his body to block him against the wall inside.

He held his own breath, listening intently to the noise outside.

“They must have gone upstairs, right? There’s nothing much here…” Ling Mo’s voice could be heard as well.

The footsteps soon moved upstairs.

Mu Chen’s tense expression eased slightly, and he was about to lower his hand when the old door suddenly made a loud “clang”.

Startled, Mu Chen’s heart raced, and he jerked back nervously.

The old-fashioned spherical doorknob began to slowly turn, and Mu Chen’s eyes instantly focused on it.

Had he… locked it?

Tragically, he couldn’t remember!

But it was probably too late to block the door now…

At that moment, a distant shout came from upstairs: “Ye Lian, hurry up!”

“Oh…” A faint response came from outside the door.

The doorknob stopped turning, and the door ceased its shaking.

But Mu Chen still stood frozen in place, barely holding his breath, until he finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Being discovered by Ye Lian might not have been a big deal, but the problem was Ling Mo was nearby…

“Mmmph!”

A muffled groan suddenly startled Mu Chen again.

He quickly realized, however, that the sound was coming from Xia Zhi.

Xia Zhi, caught unprepared and forcibly muffled for so long, had turned a shade of ashen blue.

“Ah… sorry about that.” Mu Chen quickly released Xia Zhi.

Xia Zhi, holding his neck and struggling to breathe, leaned against the wall.

“The way that guy pops in and out, I just panicked and…” Mu Chen started to explain, but upon realizing Xia Zhi wasn’t listening, awkwardly shifted the topic to what was important. “Actually, I’ve been looking for the right opportunity all along, hoping the three of us could avoid Ling Mo and have a private talk.”

“But ever since he turned the tables on us at Team F, he hasn’t given us a chance. Luckily, after several days and having reached our destination, he finally let his guard down a bit.”

After finishing, Mu Chen noticed Xia Zhi’s shocked expression and the intense stare fixed on him.

“…Okay, discussing this in the restroom doesn’t exactly scream ‘letting his guard down.’ But I was looking for an opportunity!” Mu Chen said, irked. “Are you reassured now? I said it wasn’t like that. There has to be a limit to sulking!”

Xia Zhi just smiled noncommittally and shook his head, which made Mu Chen’s anger flare up.

However, after a moment of glaring and wrestling with his frustration, he managed to suppress his anger and said:

“I wanted to call Xu Shuhan in too, but three’s too big a target. We don’t have much time left, so let’s make this quick.”

“I’ve been trying to get in touch with Number 0 the entire way, but I’ve had no success, all thanks to Ling Mo’s meddling. So up to now, the branch doesn’t understand our progress or situation, meaning the agreement we’ve set with Ling Mo is private, and whether it’ll be acknowledged by the branch is entirely uncertain.”

Mu Chen sighed. “Ling Mo must have considered this, but why doesn’t he bring it up? Because he’s using us as hostages; to him, we’re the guarantee the agreement holds. We all know this, no need for me to elaborate. But the question is, how will the branch decide? Can you be sure? I don’t think any of us can be… And most importantly, we can’t just sit here caught in the middle and do nothing! So here’s what I’m thinking…”

“Two of us could distract Ling Mo and his crew while the third seizes the chance to escape back to Niepan Branch. This way, we can stop being passive. What do you think?” Mu Chen sought an opinion.

Xia Zhi seemed a bit dazed, staring blankly at the corner of the wall, probably deep in thought.

Mu Chen didn’t rush him, because even though the plan sounded simple, it posed a significant dilemma.

Who stays? Who goes?

The two who stay might not be immediately eliminated by Ling Mo after the plan is exposed, but that’s only because they are of value to him.

However, that doesn’t mean they will remain safe indefinitely. If Niepan Branch rejects Ling Mo’s proposal, the fate of those two would be uncertain.

In essence, deciding to stay means their lives continue to be controlled by Niepan Branch and Ling Mo, hanging by a thread at their whim.

This feeling of one’s fate being in someone else’s hands is undoubtedly terrible for anyone.

The one who escapes faces the risk of traversing through hordes of zombies alone to return to Niepan Branch and the inevitable intense questioning that follows.

Most importantly, this person bears the responsibility for the other two’s fates, and whether they can convince Niepan Branch hinges on this individual.

So, another question arises: among the three, who can earn the trust of the other two to take on this critical role?

After pondering for a while, Xia Zhi gestured with his hand.

Blinking, Mu Chen responded, “All three of us run? …Don’t be foolish.”

Xia Zhi’s head drooped in resignation. Compared to his suggestion, Mu Chen’s plan was indeed more viable.

The gap in strength between the three of them and Ling Mo’s group was too apparent.

The likelihood of all three successfully escaping was just too low.

Moreover, if they reveal such intentions, the chances of Ling Mo going on a rampage would skyrocket.

From their time together, they had come to understand Ling Mo’s personality.

Although he usually seemed easygoing and smiled often, always particularly fixated on supplies, he was not someone to be taken lightly. Once angered, Ling Mo was known for not holding back.

These days, most people have become tough-hearted and ruthless.

Just thinking about trying to run and then pleading for mercy if caught is a fool’s errand.

“I’ll hold them off for a day, which is roughly…” Mu Chen glanced at his watch, “not many hours from now. Use this time to think it over.”

In conclusion, Mu Chen added with some hesitation, “I trust you both, even though you haven’t called me captain… but, after all, I am the captain, and I will respect your decision.”

Before Xia Zhi could speak, Mu Chen scratched the back of his head, “Being this formal really is embarrassing for me…”

After cautiously opening the door, Mu Chen peeked out to ensure the coast was clear, then slipped out on tiptoe.

However, just as he was nearing the stairs, a sudden shout nearly scared him out of his wits: “Hey!”

Mu Chen froze in his tracks then slowly turned his head: “What’s up?”

Shana, with her distinctive scythe in hand, stood on the stairs looking down at him: “Where are you off to? And what about the quiet one?”

“I… We…” Mu Chen hesitated, then blurted out, “Xia Zhi said he needed to use the bathroom!”

“Ha… So you’re monitoring his bathroom break?” Shana nodded.

“No, no, no!” Faced with Shana’s scornful and scrutinizing gaze, Mu Chen panicked, “It’s not… I mean…”

“Does it make any sense to tell me all this?” Shana huffed and turned to head upstairs.

“I… That…” Mu Chen ruffled his hair in frustration, “Right! Why am I even explaining this to her!”

“Hey, weren’t you looking for water? We found some upstairs, come up and help carry it,” Shana called out from above.

Mu Chen was on the verge of tears: “So they just needed a pack mule, I should’ve known it wasn’t just small talk…”