Chapter Eighteen Departure

  Zhang Hao's eyes narrowed, and he suddenly looked at Tang Tian. His mind was racing with thoughts, but it was unclear what he was thinking. He then gently patted Zhang Ling's shoulder and slowly walked towards Tang Tian.

  "Zhang Hao, I knew you'd come to save me!" Just as Zhang Hao was about to reach Tang Tian's side, a sudden joyful and pleasant voice rang out.

  All of a sudden, Shen Yun rushed towards Zhang Hao with excitement and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly while crying pitifully. She looked like a frightened wife who had just been reunited with her husband returning home.

  Shen Yun's performance caused Zhang Hao's eyes to flash with excitement, and he hurriedly held Shen Yun gently, patting her back to comfort her, temporarily forgetting about Tang Tian.

  Seeing this scene, the expressions of the people present were different. Zhang Ling's eyes flashed with a hint of sharpness, but it was well concealed. Tang Tian furrowed his brow and then relaxed, as if nothing had happened.

  Judging from their behavior, it's clear that Shen Yun and Zhang Hao know each other, and they seem to have a very close relationship.

  However, Tang Tian is not considering these things now. The arrival of these people has instantly caused his own group to collapse, and these people are too powerful, while he is still too weak.

  There are two roads in front of me now, one is to surrender to them, and the other is to think of a way to leave these people and go out on my own. However, either road is full of unknowns.

  Let Tang Tian be someone else's subordinate, if it were before the end of the world, then there would be no problem, people like him can only work silently for others. But now the world has changed, as long as one works hard, anything is possible, but letting Tang Tian be someone else's subordinate is almost impossible.

  Now the only way left for Tang Tian was the second path. It was clear that with these people's arrival, they would definitely occupy the cafeteria, and there would be no room for his own survival. So Tang Tian had to go out and venture into the treacherous world.

  Tang Tian secretly congratulated himself, as more than two-thirds of the food and supplies on the second and third floors of the cafeteria had been taken away by him, leaving only a small portion behind. With these things, he would not only be able to live well for a period of time but also attract a group of people in times of material scarcity.

  But things didn't seem as simple as Tang Tian had imagined. Zhang Hao comforted Shen Yun and handed her over to the people behind him, then walked straight towards Tang Tian.

  And somehow, at some point, everyone else had moved to Zhang Hao's side, including Wang Baozi who was thrown aside. At this time, only Tang Tian stood on the opposite side of Zhang Hao.

  Zhang Hao looked at Tang Tian with a kind of condescending arrogance, as if it was an innate nobility, and said: "Are all the zombies in this cafeteria killed by you? And are these people also saved by you?"

  "Yes", Tang Tian replied very calmly.

  Seeing Tang Tian's completely unmoved appearance, Zhang Hao smiled and said: "Thank you for saving my younger brother and the others, I'll take care of them from now on."

  Hearing his words, Tang Tian was no fool, this sentence meant that these people would all belong to him from now on, and it was clear that he was stripping Tang Tian of his power.

  Tang Tian couldn't resist, his own strength was too weak. Thinking about it, it's really sad that his team was established for less than half a day and was swallowed up by others. To say that he didn't feel resentful in his heart would be false, but what could be done about all this?

  In this chaotic world, without great power, you can only be manipulated by others!

  "I understand the meaning," Tang Tian smiled and said, "No need to thank me, the world has changed, everyone helping each other is what should be done. Besides, now that they have you taking care of me, they can also relax a bit."

  Tang Tian's words were so open and aboveboard that Zhang Hao couldn't fathom what he was thinking. As his mind turned rapidly, he considered how Tang Tian could adapt quickly to the sudden changes in the world, and thought he must be a remarkable person. With this in mind, he decided to try to win him over, saying: "Now that the world has changed, what are your plans?"

  Intelligent people speak in such a way that they absolutely do not express their own meaning so clearly. It depends on the individual's understanding. If they understand, how to respond is one thing; if they don't understand, it proves that this person has no value worth winning over.

  Upon hearing Zhang Hao's words, Tang Tian's pupils constricted. This was going to be a gamble. He said: "The world has become completely unrecognizable. Look, those towering trees that grew overnight outside are like a primitive forest. So I think it's better to go out and take a look, understand this world, even if it means dying halfway, it's worth it."

  Tang Tian's words had two meanings. Firstly, he was saying that overnight, so many people became stronger, and Zhang Hao was just one of them, like a single tree in the forest, with many others being even stronger than him. On a deeper level, it also meant that Tang Tian himself was also just one of those trees, and would eventually grow taller and become a strong person as well. Secondly, based on the first point, he flatly rejected Zhang Hao's offer to join forces. The meaning behind this was that the outside world was vast, and you couldn't keep him here.

  Zhang Hao understood the meaning behind Tang Tian's words, his eyes turned cold, and a murderous intent arose in his heart. There was no other way, for people like them who were among the first to awaken in this chaotic world, if others couldn't be used for their own benefit, they would become enemies in the future. They had to be strangled in the cradle, or else it was uncertain who would destroy whom after they grew up.

  Maybe it's because the world has only changed for a day, and I haven't seen true cruelty yet. There is still a good intention in human nature. Zhang Hao considered that Tang Tian had saved his own brother and his own lover, and was half grateful to him, so he wouldn't repay kindness with ingratitude. So he spoke up: "It's good to go out and experience it for yourself, when are you leaving?"

  The meaning of this sentence is, if you don't want to work under me, then disappear from my sight as soon as possible. A deeper meaning is that this cafeteria has already become my territory, and those who are not my people have no right to stay here.

  Tang Tian wasn't stupid, he understood the meaning behind the words. With a hint of resentment, he glanced at what was supposed to be his place of ascension and said lightly: "Since it's early, I won't disturb you all anymore. Hehe, let's meet again if fate permits."

  Tang Tian walked downstairs without hesitation, carrying his long knife on his back, out of the cafeteria, and finally disappeared into the woods.

  Watching Tang Tian's disappearing back, Zhang Hao's eyes flickered, unsure of what he was thinking.

  "Big brother, are you just going to let him leave like that? This kid has a very mysterious subordinate who can sneak up on people without making a sound, and no one will even notice. If we let him go, he'll become our greatest enemy in the future," Zhang Ling said as she arrived at Zhang Hao's side.

  "After all, he did save your life, didn't he? Alright, now that you're both fine, I can rest easy too. Quickly gather some people and take stock of the cafeteria's supplies - this is our foundation for survival and where we'll rise up in these chaotic times. Then get someone to cook, knowing we haven't eaten all night," Zhang Hao said with a heart full of ambition.

  Seeing Zhang Hao say that, Zhang Ling didn't say anything else, only occasionally glancing in Shen Yun's direction, wondering what she was thinking...

  Leaving the cafeteria, Tang Tian walked into the bushes and took a last look at the direction of the cafeteria, muttering to himself: "Now you are stronger than me, forcing me out. In the future, I will have the opportunity to pay you back."

  Tang Tianyi turned back resolutely and left, starting a mysterious and exciting adventure in the chaotic world...