Apocalypse: Why did you provoke her? She's a cultivator.

Chapter 120 Recruiting Li Hongbo

Ye Qiumian and Nan Shaohua went downstairs.

Chu Qingyang immediately moved aside, leaving the best spot for her.

"Sister Ye, sit here."

After Ye Qiumian came over and sat down, Chu Qingyang and Nan Shaohua sat down next to her.

Shen Yujie and Fang Jun sat down opposite each other.

At this moment, the charcoal fire in the hot pot was blazing, the red oil was churning in the pot, and the Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers were swirling in the boiling soup.

Ye Qiumian picked up a few slices of vegetarian tripe and put them in, cooked them for a little while, then took them out and put them in her mouth.

A burst of fresh, fragrant, spicy flavor instantly filled my mouth, and a sense of satisfaction welled up inside me.

After Ye Qiu Mian started eating, the others also stopped being polite and picked up their chopsticks to put their favorite dishes into the pot.

Five people sat around a steaming hot pot, their foreheads glistening with sweat. Their chopsticks moved between the red and white broth, and when they scooped up a piece of vegetarian tripe, they rolled it in sesame oil and minced garlic before stuffing it into their mouths with a satisfied hiss.

Nan Shaohua also prepared five bottles of beer, but unfortunately they were at room temperature. They would have tasted better if they had been chilled.

"Come on, let's have a bump."

Nan Shaohua held up a beer bottle, his face flushed red from the glow of the charcoal fire.

Before even taking a sip, he already seemed a bit tipsy.

Ye Qiumian was the first to pick up a beer, and the others followed suit.

Five cans of beer clinked together crisply on the scalding hot pot.

As time passed, Nan Shaohua and Shen Yujie argued and bickered over the last piece of dried bean curd.

Night gradually fell outside the window, while the spicy broth in the pot continued to boil, filling the air with the lively aroma of cooking.

Amid the lively atmosphere, Ye Qiumian's usually cold face gradually softened, taking on a warm and gentle tone.

……

"General Li, Deputy Commander Mu has arrived."

Upon hearing the visitor say that Mu Zhenzhong had arrived, Li Hong's thick eyebrows immediately furrowed.

Some time ago, he brought the army from Lincheng to Xin'an City, where they were taken over and placed under the unified management of the Xin'an City military.

He and Feng Weihua went from being leaders in Lincheng to generals in Xin'ancheng.

Fortunately, the military force brought by Lincheng was still under his and Feng Weihua's command.

They were a newly recruited army and were not yet affiliated with anyone.

Everything is done in accordance with military orders.

After the Lincheng army had rested, the people he sent out to gather information returned.

The news brought back information about the discord between Chief Wu and his deputy in Xin'an City. Undercurrents were swirling throughout the city, and many factions were watching to see who would prevail.

The two sides are evenly matched, their strengths fluctuating and their influence balancing each other out, so neither can gain the upper hand for the time being.

Therefore, the forces that poured into Xin'an City during this period became the target of both sides' efforts to win them over.

In the past two days, both leaders have sent people to openly and covertly try to win him over.

He really didn't want to get involved in their conflict, so he politely declined the people they sent.

Unexpectedly, Mu Zhenzhong came to find him in person.

"Just tell them I'm not here," Li Hongbo said, and then tried to leave quickly.

I had just taken a step when I heard a cheerful voice coming from outside the door.

"General Li, I knew you'd be here. Looks like my trip wasn't in vain."

Mu Zhenzhong walked in from outside, laughing loudly. His informant had said that Li Hongbo hadn't left the building all day. So Mu Zhenzhong had come specifically to find Li Hongbo while he was there.

How could I possibly let him avoid me?

In the past two days, Wu Heshu has won over two forces and recruited a number of people with superpowers.

He had to win over this group of people from Lincheng to his side.

When Li Hongbo saw Mu Zhenzhong, his brows furrowed even more deeply.

"Deputy Chief Mu, what brings you here?"

Mu Zhenzhong pulled up a stool for himself and sat down. "You sit down too."

After gesturing for Li Hongbo to sit down, Mu Zhenzhong continued, "I have long heard of General Li's heroic deeds in leading the army to repel several zombie hordes in Lincheng, and I admire him greatly."

Unfortunately, I've been so busy lately that we haven't had a chance to meet, even though General Li has been in Xin'an City for quite some time. So today I've come specifically to ask General Li for his strategic plan to repel the zombie horde, so we can work together in the future. What do you think?

Mu Zhenzhong stated his purpose directly, and his personal visit this time showed his determination to secure Li Hongbo's allegiance.

Regardless of whether Li Hongbo agrees to become Mu Zhenzhong's man, after Mu Zhenzhong's journey, he has no choice but to become Mu Zhenzhong's man as well.

Li Hongbo naturally knew what Mu Zhenzhong was planning.

Moreover, he emphasized the word "we" in his last sentence.

Without even thinking, Li Hongbo understood his purpose.

He thought for a moment, then said tactfully, "Thank you for the praise, Deputy Commander Mu. It was my duty to lead the Lin City army to repel the zombie horde. The reason we were able to repel it was simply because the zombie horde was not large, and the army and the Lin City's ability users were very capable. We were just lucky to win."
"Deputy Chief Mu should seek out a more powerful superhuman; perhaps then everything will be resolved."

Li Hongbo meant that his abilities were limited and not worth Mu Zhenzhong's effort to recruit; he should go and recruit other forces instead.

Mu Zhenzhong understood what he meant, and looked at Li Hongbo with a solemn gaze.

Li Hongbo remained calm and composed, determined not to get involved in this mess.

After a moment, Mu Zhenzhong suddenly laughed and said, "Alright, since General Li has said so, I won't force him. I'll head back now."

Mu Zhenzhong's easygoing demeanor left Li Hongbo completely bewildered.

But seeing that Mu Zhenzhong didn't seem to be going to hold him accountable, he breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank you for your understanding, please take care." Li Hongbo smiled and saw Mu Zhenzhong out the door.

Just then, a figure in the distance suddenly and quietly left.

Mu Zhenzhong glanced in that direction meaningfully.

It seems he will surely get what he wants this time.

Thinking of this, Mu Zhenzhong felt particularly happy.

Turning around, Mu Zhenzhong said with a smile, "General Li, please wait. This is enough."

As soon as he finished speaking, a military armored vehicle stopped behind Mu Zhenzhong.

Mu Zhenzhong turned and got into the car. With Li Hongbo seeing him off with a smile, the armored vehicle quickly drove away.

As he watched the car disappear around the corner, Li Hongbo's expression softened into a relaxed smile.

If he simply refuses Wu Heshu's offer, he can protect himself in the struggle between the two sides.

In the car, Officer Chen noticed that Mu Zhenzhong was in a good mood and couldn't help but feel curious.

He said, "Deputy Commander Mu, didn't General Li just refuse us? Why do you seem to be in a pretty good mood?"

Shouldn't you be worried when you're rejected by the person you want to recruit?
Mu Zhenzhong chuckled softly, “Whether he likes it or not, from today onwards, in some people’s eyes, he is one of ours.”

Officer Chen's eyes lit up. "You mean, General Li and his men are already on our side?"

"That depends on their performance."

One more chapter, to be posted at 11:30.