Chapter 1100 - 1088

Chapter 1100: Chapter 1088

After Hua Biao and the other two left the base, the village immediately quieted down.

Everyone went back inside and sat down again.

Because of his condition, Tang Xiaoquan hadn’t been asked to join the send-off just now.

So when he saw everyone come back, he hurriedly asked, "So? Did Huazi and the others leave?"

"Yeah, they’ve already left."

"Did they take all their gear and stuff?"

"They did."

"Food, water, supplies?"

"Heh, don’t worry, Xiaotang. You still don’t know what kind of background Huazi and the others have? You don’t need to worry about how they prep." Old Lin lifted the kettle and added some hot water for Tang Xiaoquan, then sat down and asked with concern, "So, how do you feel now?"

Tang Xiaoquan took the hot tea, sipped twice, then forced out a little smile. "Much better. When I first got back I was freezing to death. Now I’m finally warming up."

"Good, that’s good! This whole way back really was tough on you guys. How long were you on the road?" Just now, because they were busy discussing the rescue plan, Old Lin hadn’t had a chance to ask about Tang Xiaoquan’s trip. Now that he was free, he took the chance to chat.

Tang Xiaoquan held up three fingers, made a little gesture, let out a light breath and said flatly, "Three days. We walked for three days."

As if he’d thought of everything they’d gone through over the last three days, Tang Xiaoquan’s face clouded over again.

"Holy crap, Quan! You... you guys in this damn weather... walked for three days!?" With his face full of disbelief, Wen Quanxin tried to picture what Tang Xiaoquan had gone through trekking in the snow. You had to know, these last few days he’d nearly frozen just shoveling snow outside, let alone walking on foot for three full days like Tang Xiaoquan.

"Heh, it’s fine. I’m back in one piece, aren’t I?" That’s what he said, but only Tang Xiaoquan himself knew how grueling the process had been.

"Sigh, I really didn’t think Old Xu and the others would run into something like that. But speaking of which, what exactly is the story here?" Wu Chao asked casually, but his question piqued everyone’s interest.

Especially Old Zhao and Lin Junfu. Just now things had been urgent so nothing felt off, but now that they thought it over carefully, they realized there were a lot of oddities.

Why do I say that? Because no matter how you look at it, Old Xu and Lei Tong’s strength was above that of the rest of the group on this trip.

Yet the final result... Old Xu and Lei Tong ended up trapped, while the others were fine.

It’s not that Old Zhao wanted to see others in trouble, it’s just that, by common sense, things shouldn’t have played out like this.

So Old Zhao couldn’t help speaking up: "Xiaotang, what exactly happened out there this time? How did Old Xu and the others end up trapped in a residential building?"

Questions came one after another. Everyone was curious about Old Xu and Lei Tong’s situation.

Faced with this kind of question, Tang Xiaoquan stayed pretty calm. After making eye contact with each person, he started explaining what had happened.

After about five minutes, once he’d finished recounting the whole incident, Tang Xiaoquan’s mouth and throat were parched.

But compared to Tang Xiaoquan’s dry throat, everyone else’s shock was clearly greater.

Yeah. Who would have thought the outside team would run into so many deadly situations on this trip. Old Xu and Lei Tong had almost lost their lives.

Fortunately, heaven still had some mercy. Even though the process had been full of dangers, in the end Old Xu and Lei Tong had dodged the disaster. Even if they still couldn’t say for sure yet, at least the outcome for now was a good one.

But what really puzzled Old Zhao was, why did Old Xu decide on that bandit-wiping plan in the first place?

You have to understand, with how steady Old Xu normally was, he should’ve known what kind of unpredictable consequences his decision might bring to the team.

Going in to wipe them out at the start was still understandable—after all, those people made the first move. But the later lure-the-enemy plan, and then taking Lei Tong along to attend that "Hongmen Banquet"—none of that sounded like the kind of decisions Old Xu would make.

If you’d said it was Wang Qiang, Wei Dazhuang, or even Luo Baochun, Old Zhao might not have found it strange. But with Old Xu being the one who made the call, it did seem a bit...

"Xiaotang, you just said all the decisions on this trip were made by Old Xu?"

Hearing this, Wen Quanxin joked with a hint of teasing, "Uncle Zhao, you really are getting old, huh? Quan just explained it so clearly—didn’t you hear? And besides, it’s not like you don’t know Old Xu’s authority. If he hadn’t agreed, how could everyone have gone along with it?"

"Yeah, Uncle Zhao, don’t tell me you think Old Xu went too far this time? Heh, I think it’s normal. With those sons of bitches, there’s no such thing as killing too many. Don’t forget, we’ve suffered enough in the past because our hearts were too soft." Wu Chao chimed in, clearly a bit indignant.

At that, all the Survivors nodded in shared agreement.

"Yeah, Uncle Zhao, all the decisions were Old Xu’s. You heard that right." Tang Xiaoquan gave a meaningful little smile, then lifted his teacup and continued drinking.

They chatted a bit more after that, and then Old Lin told Tang Xiaoquan to go back to his room and rest. The gathering ended there.

Only, once everyone else had left, Old Zhao and Old Lin almost simultaneously went into the inner room.

As soon as he saw the two of them come in, Tang Xiaoquan immediately smiled and said, "Heh, Uncle Zhao, Old Lin, I’m guessing there’s still something you want to ask me?"

At that, Lin and Zhao exchanged a glance, and then Lin Junfu let out a light sigh. "Sorry, Xiaotang. We know you’ve had a hard trip and you’re exhausted, but if we don’t clear up a few things, the two of us just can’t feel at ease."

Tang Xiaoquan waved his hand. "Old Lin, listen to you. We’re all on the same side here. If you’ve got something to say or something to ask, just ask. In the middle of the day I can’t sleep even if I lie down. I’d rather chat with you. Come on, sit."

Old Zhao and Old Lin weren’t the type to stand on ceremony. They each pulled over a stool, and once they sat down, Old Lin gathered his thoughts and said, "The reason I came is to ask just one thing."

"What is it?"

"I want to know, on the way there and back, from your point of view, did you feel there was anything off about Old Xu? Like..." He seemed to be trying to find a word that could explain it properly, but after thinking for a long time, he still couldn’t come up with one.

But with Tang Xiaoquan’s intelligence, how could he not understand what Zhao and Lin meant.

Strictly speaking, from the way they’d kept pressing him with questions back in the living room, he’d already guessed the two of them would come find him later.

"Old Lin, do you feel Old Xu’s decisions this time don’t really fit common sense?"

Tang Xiaoquan’s counter-question made Zhao Yunhai and Lin Junfu exchange another look. Then Lin Junfu nodded and, without denying it, replied, "That’s right, Xiaotang. We all know Old Xu’s way of doing things. I can understand him killing people—but killing them and then ’wiping the pot clean’ too... To be honest, when I heard you telling it just now, I really had a hard time believing that decision came from Old Xu."

"Yeah, it’s way too unlike Old Xu’s style. Not only did he hit their base and take their supplies, you guys actually went to meet their leader afterward. That’s just insane! You guys didn’t try to stop him?"