Chapter Twenty: Two Masters of Performance! Gaining Trust!

Watching the madman’s self-assured demeanor, Chen Yi sneered inwardly. In less than two days, he would utterly wipe out the forces that the madman had built.

At that moment, the madman turned nonchalantly to Hu Sanhan and said, "Old Hu, tomorrow I’ll come with sincerity. I hope you keep your word and don’t play any tricks."

"Otherwise, I can’t guarantee your son will remain intact."

The smile on Hu Sanhan’s face froze instantly. He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of fury bubbling in his chest. Yet, even so, for the sake of ensuring his son’s safe return, he forced himself to hold back and replied coldly, "You’d better not lose your mind over this."

"If you dare lay a finger on my son, I’ll drag you down with me, even if it costs my life!"

The madman grinned cruelly. "Heh… relax. As long as you submit, everything can be negotiated."

Just then, a commotion erupted outside. The office door was pushed open by a breathless subordinate, who hurriedly reported, "Boss… boss! Something’s wrong!"

"A huge swarm of zombies suddenly appeared outside. The entire building is surrounded!"

"The zombies keep attacking. The main gate won’t hold much longer!"

Hu Sanhan was stunned by the news. He sprang to his feet, pointed at the madman, and shouted angrily, "Madman! You’re crazy! It’s one thing for you to show up, but now you’ve deliberately led the zombies here. Are you trying to die with us?"

"You think you can pressure me like this? You’re something else!"

The madman frowned, annoyance flickering across his face. "What nonsense about dying together? This has nothing to do with me!"

"I have no idea what’s happening!"

Chen Yi watched it all with cold eyes, rapidly planning his next move in his mind. He glanced at the other members in the room, their faces tense, and calmly suggested, "Now isn’t the time for arguing! We need to figure out how to deal with these zombies immediately."

Hu Sanhan gritted his teeth, forcibly tamping down his anger to steady himself.

"You’re right."

"Madman, I’ll remember this. We’ll settle it later!"

The madman’s gaze lingered on Hu Sanhan, sensing something was amiss. The sudden appearance of so many zombies was far from normal. He might be crazy, but he wasn’t foolish enough to do something so reckless.

Seeing the madman still dazed, Hu Sanhan barked, "If the zombies take this place, what good is it to seize this base?"

"If you don’t want this place to become a useless ruin, help defend it with my men!"

"I said, it has nothing to do with me."

"Remember this: I might be mad, but I’m not stupid!"

The madman gritted his teeth in frustration, but he knew Hu Sanhan was right. He didn’t want an empty shell; he wanted the resources and manpower here.

With that thought, the madman drew his weapon—a pair of razor-sharp claws that could be worn on the hands, exuding a chilling aura.

Chen Yi glanced at them, immediately recognizing them as items the madman had obtained from the Cataclysm Roulette.

But the madman also possessed a special gene—the rat gene. This made his temperament even more manic and somewhat cunning, granting him enhanced flexibility in his body’s structure.

With this ability, the madman could launch attacks from impossible angles—a skill Chen Yi had witnessed firsthand in his previous life.

No doubt, it was the same in this life.

Just then, one of Hu Sanhan’s men poked his head into the office and said urgently, "Boss, all combat personnel are in position."

Hu Sanhan stood up at once and turned to the madman and Chen Yi. "Looks like trouble’s come our way."

"But regardless of who the zombies are after, we must hold the gate, or we’re all finished."

He strode downstairs with long, determined steps.

Chen Yi snorted outwardly, but his heart was calm; he knew exactly what was happening—a corpse tide.

Just like that night, when too many people gathered, it triggered a zombie surge.

This Bright Base, being spacious and with tall buildings, had its personnel spread out, making it harder to attract corpse tides.

But with the madman barging in and everyone gathering in one spot, the sudden concentration of human presence alerted the zombies, leading to this crisis.

With that realization, Chen Yi followed Hu Sanhan downstairs, occasionally observing the madman’s expression.

The madman, too, descended, eager to see the situation for himself.

He hadn’t expected the scene downstairs to be so dire.

Outside the windows, the surge of zombies blocked the roads entirely. They clawed and howled, frantically pressing against the main gate, which was nearly collapsing under their assault.

Hu Sanhan’s brows knitted tightly, anxiety simmering beneath his calm exterior. He turned to his subordinates and shouted, "Everyone, descend from the second floor using ropes and clear the zombies at the entrance!"

He paused, his gaze shifting deliberately to Chen Yi, his voice cold and hard. "Chen, you join the fight as well."

Chen Yi shot Hu Sanhan a disdainful look. "Hu Sanhan, I belong to the madman now. You can’t order me around."

He spun his twin-bladed knife in his palm with a playful air. "Now, there’s only one person who can command me—the madman."

Hu Sanhan was taken aback, then feigned annoyance. "Fine, fine! Forget your old master, huh? Let’s see how long you last by the madman’s side."

"Remember, I only let you go because I had no choice."

The madman strode forward, clapped Chen Yi’s shoulder, and laughed exaggeratedly. "Ha! Chen, you’ve pleased me greatly!"

"Ignore his attempts to sow discord. I, the madman, would never trade my brothers like bargaining chips."

"From now on, follow me without worry!"

Feeling the madman’s growing trust, Chen Yi allowed himself a slight smile. It seemed the scene he and Hu Sanhan had played out had worked.

He immediately pledged, "Boss, you go ahead. With me here, I guarantee you’ll come to no harm."

"As long as I’m around, these zombies won’t cause any trouble."

The madman nodded, his face alight with approval.

"Good lad. Then I’ll leave my back to you."

With that, the madman waved for his men to follow, preparing for battle.

At that moment, Hu Sanhan had already leapt from the second floor, executing a graceful roll to absorb the impact.

On the ground, the entrance to the base was packed with snarling zombies, their guttural screams tearing through the air as they surged towards the gate.

Hu Sanhan gripped his golden saber, his figure agile as a tiger. The blade swung through the horde with devastating force, slicing through the zombies like chopping vegetables, sending grotesque limbs flying in every direction.