Zhao Cheng's face instantly showed a satisfied expression, but he discreetly took a step back, widening the distance between them.
Zuo Lin'an noticed this detail but didn't pay it much mind.
Still, although this Zhao Cheng was physically strong and highly skilled, he seemed to be quite a coward who valued his life immensely.
Never mind that Zuo Lin'an wasn't actually the one who had poisoned his roommates.
Even if he had, to anyone else, he was just a newly arrived criminal who had just been thrown into Sin Hunter City, with nothing on him but a prison uniform and a backpack.
Let alone poison.
Yet Zhao Cheng still quietly backed away.
“Good, good, good. Such ruthless methods at such a young age—you truly are models for our generation. With you two joining us, my settlement will definitely grow stronger.”
“How about this? As long as you stay, I'll take some supplies from my own warehouse to give to you, helping you settle down here. What do you think?”
Facing such a straightforward recruitment from Zhao Cheng, Zuo Lin'an didn't hesitate at all and immediately agreed.
“No problem, we're definitely in. We have to thank Boss Zhao for taking us in, otherwise we probably would have...”
Zhao Cheng waved his hand, seemingly nonchalant. “Alright, no need to be overly polite. Since you're willing to stay, I'll have someone take you to choose a house. Settle in and make yourselves at home.”
After sending the two off, the smile on Zhao Cheng's face faded significantly.
He pointed at one of his men.
“Go to my warehouse right now and get them two sets of daily necessities, plus fifty... no, one hundred catties of rice!”
“Yes, Boss, I'm on it.”
The complete set of daily necessities Zhao Cheng mentioned included pots, pans, bowls, plates, mattresses, and a four-piece bedding set, basically covering everything a person needed for daily life.
If it were before, he definitely wouldn't have given so much, but now...
Right now, there were only eighty-some people left in the settlement.
Whether it was the initial twenty people who went to Wang Hu's side, or the ones he sent afterward to check on the situation, not a single one had returned!
He felt that they had most likely met with disaster.
With so many people missing from the settlement, he felt absolutely no sense of security!
If Wang Hu brought his men over right now, he would undoubtedly lose.
So even if they were just two young newcomers, he had to win them over. After all, every bit helped.
It was just...
“Poison, huh?”
“That's a bit dangerous. Unless absolutely necessary, I must never let them get close to me in the future.”
He sat back in his chair, looking somewhat exhausted.
“Forty people... and not a single one could make it back?”
“Wait!”
Zhao Cheng suddenly stood up. A possibility had just occurred to him.
“Could they have all joined Wang Hu's settlement?”
“Wang Hu already had nearly a hundred people. Adding forty more would make it a hundred and forty!”
Although he felt it was unlikely, once the thought popped into his head, he couldn't stop his mind from racing.
Meanwhile, Zuo Lin'an and Xu Youyou had already chosen a place to stay.
Actually, they hadn't been very picky; they had simply chosen the most remote spot where no one else lived nearby.
Such a choice perfectly fit the behavior of newcomers. Having just arrived, they wouldn't trust anyone, and living far and isolated would reduce unnecessary interactions.
In reality, Zuo Lin'an and Xu Youyou just felt that a more secluded location would prevent anyone from discovering the bodies too quickly after they killed them.
Besides, they didn't have high standards for the house anyway, since they wouldn't be staying long.
After all, Zuo Lin'an only needed thirty more kills to reach his quota of ninety. Thirty people meant thirty hours, which added up to just over a day.
Naturally, Tang Jiu had been the one to guide them to choose the house. Once they settled on one, Xu Youyou caught him off guard, launching a sneak attack from behind to knock him unconscious before tossing him into the bathroom.
Xu Youyou had already spoken to him, triggering his rule, so they absolutely could not let him go.
Earlier when they met Zhao Cheng, Zuo Lin'an had done all the talking while Xu Youyou hadn't uttered a single word.
This was because Xu Youyou lacked the absolute confidence to kill Zhao Cheng, so he refrained from letting the man trigger his rule.
Just as Xu Youyou finished tossing Tang Jiu into the side room and was thinking of looking for a basement, he heard a knock on the door.
The expressions of both men changed.
Had someone come for Tang Jiu?
So fast?
They had only just made their move. Could there be surveillance cameras installed around here?
Zuo Lin'an approached the door.
“Who is it?”
A voice came from outside.
“Boss Zhao sent us to deliver some things to you.”
Zuo Lin'an let out a sigh of relief and opened the door.
Standing outside were two men, each carrying a mountain of supplies.
They set the items down on the ground.
“All of this is from Boss Zhao?” Zuo Lin'an asked.
“Yes, the boss is very generous to newcomers. You definitely won't regret staying here!”
Despite their words, the two men stood several paces back from the doorway.
Zuo Lin'an could tell that this wasn't out of wariness toward them, but rather a habit.
“Then please thank Boss Zhao for us. By the way, brother, there's a small favor I'd like to ask of you.”
“Just say the word. We help newcomers out whenever we can.”
“You know we've just arrived,” Zuo Lin'an said. “While these things solve our immediate problems, they're still far from enough to meet our daily needs.”
“We can't just freeload forever, right?”
“So, is there any way for us to get some more food?”
He had almost suggested trading clothes for supplies.
But he quickly remembered that he and Xu Youyou were currently posing as newcomers.
How would two fresh arrivals to Sin Hunter City, who hadn't interacted with anyone else yet, know they could trade clothes for food?
Fortunately, he hadn't spoken those words aloud.
“Oh? You want more rice?”
The man stroked his chin, his gaze sweeping over the backpacks they had tossed aside.
“If you're willing, you can trade new clothes for it, or even the backpacks themselves.”
Zuo Lin'an feigned surprise. “We can do that? How much can we get?”
The other party thought about it. “One set of clothes—shirt and pants—can be traded for thirty catties of rice.”
Zuo Lin'an's expression remained unchanged. “No problem, we'll trade. One set each, so two sets in total.”
Though his face showed nothing, he was internally scoffing.
Back in Wang Hu's settlement, that guy named Zhou Hang really was a scammer.
He had started by offering ten catties, then raised it to twenty-five, but the actual rate was thirty!
Fortunately, Zuo Lin'an had taken him out right away.
“You want to trade two sets of clothes? What about the backpacks? Are you selling those too? Backpacks have a large capacity and are very durable, so they're worth more. One can be traded for a hundred catties of rice.”
“You have two backpacks, so I suggest trading one. Along with the two sets of clothes and the hundred catties of rice Boss Zhao sent, you'll have two hundred and sixty catties of rice. That's enough to last you two a very long time.”
“Besides this, are there other ways to get food?” Zuo Lin'an asked.
“Of course. There are dangerous ways, and there are safe ways.
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