"Is that really happening?"

This was the first Leo Hale had heard of it.

"Because they present well-reasoned arguments, many people can only swallow their anger and hand over their supplies, or they’re forced to join."

That was why Arthur couldn’t help but warn them.

A few Superpower Users had been tricked at this small supply point just a few days ago.

He didn’t expect to pass by today and find Nina Jacobs’s group here.

Once those people latch onto you, they’re like leeches you can’t shake off.

"Especially for groups like yours with so many women..."

Isabelle Quinn trailed off, her meaning clear.

"No wonder the Crawford Army has grown so strong."

The question in Chase Gallagher’s mind was finally answered.

According to what he had gathered over the past few days, the treatment in the Crawford Army was quite poor.

And yet, it was growing faster than any other faction.

"So this place is a trap."

Nina Jacobs guessed that someone was probably watching this place from the very beginning.

Celandine Young and his people were waiting nearby to provide support.

No wonder she’d felt something was off after entering the small store earlier.

The supplies had indeed been planted there later.

"Forget about us. Won’t they cause trouble for you, too?"

Wendy Marshall asked.

"It’s fine. We don’t have many supplies anyway, and the new base is big. We can just hide if we need to."

The young man behind Arthur said.

"You just said there are other places like this nearby?"

Nina Jacobs asked with interest.

Arthur nodded.

"We know of a few more, but usually, everyone gives them a wide berth when they see the mark,"

"except for people like you who don’t know any better."

"Interested in a little cooperation?"

As soon as Nina Jacobs spoke, Arthur noticed the eyes of the people behind her light up.

He froze.

’Cooperation?’

’It couldn’t be what I’m thinking, could it?’

...

It was a scorching afternoon.

On a deserted street.

Two men sat in their car, observing their surroundings with an air of boredom.

The sound of someone fighting zombies came from not far off.

The two looked over and saw it was a few Superpower Users.

"Looks like another fish is about to take the bait."

The area was full of abandoned buildings, with only a small convenience store diagonally across the street.

Anyone killing zombies here was only doing it for the supplies in that store.

"This must be the fourth group in the last few days."

"They don’t even think about it. How could a place like this possibly have supplies just waiting for them to collect?"

The man beside him took out a signal flare.

Thanks to the cover from the buildings, those people would never notice if he fired a signal from this position.

"Tell me about it."

"But that last fish was a big one. All it took was a little scare, and they coughed up so much good stuff, hehehe..."

While the two were talking, the man in the passenger seat had already gotten out of the car with the signal flare.

But the driver quickly noticed something was wrong.

"Hey, what’s wrong with you?"

Seeing his companion collapse on the ground, he quickly got out of the car to check on him.

A sudden sharp pain shot through his side, and he too collapsed, unconscious.

Not far away, Leo Hale looked at the syringe in his hand with an excited expression.

"Where did you get this thing? It works way too well!"

In less than three seconds, the two men were completely unconscious.

"City J. From a veterinarian, I think,"

Nina Jacobs answered.

"A vet..."

Leo Hale suddenly felt a bit of sympathy for the two guys on the ground.

But he still followed Nina Jacobs’s instructions and threw the two men back into the car.

In an inconspicuous alley, Arthur and his group sat anxiously in a minibus.

"Is it really going to be okay?"

"It’s just them."

Isabelle Quinn looked out the car window in the direction Nina Jacobs’s group had gone.

"Don’t worry, they’ll be fine,"

Holden Shaw said from the driver’s seat.

Sure enough, in less than half an hour, Nina Jacobs and her group returned, completely unscathed.

"Done. On to the next one."

Hearing Leo Hale’s words, Holden Shaw let out a cheerful whistle and started the car.

"These are for you."

Yvonne Willow took out several boxes of supplies from her space.

This was Nina Jacobs’s idea.

After discovering the lookouts, they each coordinated their roles.

Nina Jacobs and Leo Hale went to deal with the lookouts, while Yvonne followed Wayne Warner and the others to collect supplies.

She had collected all the supplies from that convenience store.

"This... but we didn’t do anything."

Isabelle Quinn was suddenly embarrassed.

They had just waited here for Nina Jacobs and her group.

"Since we’re cooperating, this is what you’ve earned,"

Nina Jacobs said.

"Don’t worry, they’ll have no idea who did it."

"How did you find their lookouts?"

Arthur asked curiously.

"It’s not hard to find them if you observe your surroundings carefully,"

Nina Jacobs replied. She had used her Five Senses Enhancement, making it easy for her to hear any movement nearby.

「By the end of the afternoon.」

Arthur and his group felt like they were in a dream.

Nina Jacobs and her group had somehow, without anyone noticing, cleared out a full seven of the Crawford Army’s supply points.

Although they were all small shops,

the combined supplies were quite substantial.

"Remember to lie low for a few days after you get back."

"If anyone asks, just say you don’t know anything. If you run into trouble, come find us at Building 72."

Nina Jacobs wasn’t worried about Arthur’s group saying anything.

None of them seemed like deceitful people.

Besides, even in the worst-case scenario, they had taken supplies and led the way. That put them in the same boat as her group.

"Don’t worry, we’ll take it to our graves!"

Isabelle Quinn made a zipping-the-lips motion.

These supplies were enough for their small group to live on in the base for half a year. Only a fool would talk.

To prevent anyone from getting suspicious,

Nina Jacobs also found a small, working minivan for them.

In a deserted spot, they parted ways with Arthur’s group and took separate routes back to the base.

"Today was so awesome."

Even after getting home, Leo Hale was still savoring the feeling.

’Turns out being the bad guy feels pretty good.’

"Did something good happen?"

Vera Coleman asked.

"Nothing much. Just a pretty good haul."

Leo Hale didn’t dare say more.

Daniel Hale was home on leave and was currently in the kitchen helping Walsh.

"Uncle Hale, could you come here for a moment?"

Nina Jacobs walked in. She had decided to tell him about the incident with Celandine Young.

However, she didn’t mention Arthur and his group.

"None of you were hurt, were you?"

Daniel Hale instantly grew anxious upon hearing that his group had been cornered by the Crawford Army.

"No, no."

"Don’t worry, Dad. We just..."

Leo Hale glanced at Nina Jacobs’s expression.

"Killed a few of them?"

Daniel Hale had already guessed from his son’s expression.

"Yeah, Dad. Someone was shooting at us with a gun."

"If it weren’t for Wayne Warner and Nina Jacobs, we would’ve been in real danger."

Leo Hale was trying to make the killing sound as justifiable as possible, but he was surprised when Daniel Hale simply stood up after hearing him out.

"Don’t worry. No one will give you trouble over this."

"I’m going out for a bit,"

Daniel Hale said.

"Where are you going?"

Leo Hale asked, confused.

Daniel Hale paused and said, "To beat them to the punch and file a complaint first, of course."

’Beat them to the punch and file a complaint first?’

Leo Hale blinked.

’Uncle Hale is going to file a complaint? With who?’

"When something like this happens, you have to seize the initiative,"

Vera Coleman explained.

"Uncle Hale has become more and more decisive."

Nina Jacobs could see the change in Daniel Hale recently.

Compared to before, Daniel Hale now had more of the calm and composed aura of someone in a position of power.

"If he knew you were praising him, he’d probably be too happy to sleep tonight,"

Vera Coleman couldn’t help but laugh.