The End of the World Base Master (11): 

Gu Juntian knew that in the original storyline, Zhou Qinghao most likely died because of Shao Huirui’s schemes.

So after coming to this world, he had always wanted to get rid of Shao Huirui.

At first, however, he wasn’t very sure about his own abilities, so he hadn’t rushed to act.

But thinking about it now, with their current strength, they really could suppress him by force.

Still, dealing with just Shao Huirui alone wasn’t enough.

From what he had learned of H City’s safe base, the ability users there had long since split into two factions.

One group supported Gu Chengming and Zhou Qinghao, wanting a stable and safe home and willing to protect the ordinary people in the base.

The other group believed in ability-user supremacy. They thought this world belonged to ability users, and that ordinary people should be eliminated.

There were many of the latter, and their strength was formidable.

While the first group had been focused on protecting the base, the second had single-mindedly pursued personal advancement, so naturally their strength grew great.

In many bases, the strongest individuals were usually those who believed in ability-user supremacy.

Their base was unusual—its strongest were Gu Chengming and Zhou Qinghao.

Gu Chengming was powerful because he had been appointed as district head of the safe zone from the beginning, had full access to resources, and was relentlessly hardworking.

Zhou Qinghao was powerful because of sheer effort—he took on all the missions others avoided, which led him to encounter many high-level zombies and gain many high-level crystal cores.

But people like them were rare.

After a moment of silence, Gu Juntian said, “Dad, in this safe zone, it’s not just the Thunder Squad who won’t listen. It would be best if we cleaned them all out at once.”

Gu Chengming: “…” His vision was still too narrow.

Gu Juntian said, “Qinghao, call your three subordinates to our house. We need to discuss something.”

Zhou Qinghao looked at him in confusion, and Gu Juntian smiled at him. “Let’s put on a little play. We’ll say you went out alone to kill a sixth-level zombie, but ended up ambushed by a horde and badly injured.”

If Zhou Qinghao were too injured to manage the safe zone, their opponents would definitely leap out. Then they could wipe them out in one sweep.

Gu Juntian didn’t explain much, but both Gu Chengming and Zhou Qinghao understood immediately.

Zhou Qinghao got off at his former residence, while Father Gu drove back with Gu Juntian.

The three subordinates Zhou Qinghao summoned to protect Gu Juntian were his most trusted men, comrades who had been with him from the start.

After separating from him at the base gate, the three found their car parked nearby and drove home.

They were currently living in Zhou Qinghao’s old place.

Housing in the base had always been tight. After Zhou Qinghao moved into the Gu family’s villa, the three moved into his old apartment.

“I’m a bit hungry after being busy all night,” one of them said.

“Busy? All we did was sit in a car all night,” another retorted.

“I still don’t know who that big boss was, but he’s really too amazing!”

“How did the boss even meet someone that powerful?”

…

They had followed Zhou Qinghao for years and knew almost everything about him.

But lately, he seemed more and more distant.

They didn’t know how Zhou Qinghao had come to like Gu Juntian, nor how he had met that mysterious big boss.

As they talked, the wind-ability user manipulated the air around the car, ensuring their voices didn’t leak outside.

Zhou Qinghao had told them to keep the boss a secret, and they were being cautious.

While chatting, they arrived at their building.

The man in the back had just opened the door when someone got into the car.

The three were startled, but quickly calmed down—it was Zhou Qinghao.

Zhou Qinghao said, “Drive to my house. I need to discuss something with you.”

The three felt a bit helpless.

Their boss had only just moved into the Gu home, and already he was calling it “my house.”

“Boss, it’s really late. Won’t we disturb the Gu family if we show up now?” the driver asked while turning the car, unable to hold back.

Zhou Qinghao replied, “Just keep your voices down later.”

Gu Juntian and Gu Chengming wouldn’t mind, but Madam Gu was already asleep. They shouldn’t wake her.

One subordinate asked, puzzled, “Boss, can’t we just talk at the apartment?”

“No,” Zhou Qinghao said.

Though confused, they still drove him to the Gu villa.

There was a garage beneath the villa, so they drove right in. Zhou Qinghao used a key to open the door and led them upstairs.

The villa had an elevator, but with power shortages in the base, Gu Chengming set the example by avoiding electricity use. The elevator had long been shut off.

When they reached the first-floor living room, Gu Juntian and Gu Chengming were eating potatoes.

Zhou Qinghao wasn’t surprised, but his three subordinates were.

It wasn’t odd for Gu Juntian to be waiting up late, but why wasn’t Gu Chengming asleep?

And wasn’t he supposed to be badly injured? He didn’t look it at all.

Gu Juntian was eating the small potatoes grown in the base, which tasted decent.

Gu Chengming carefully peeled them, while Gu Juntian shoved unpeeled ones into his mouth, though he also peeled some at the same time, already filling a bowl.

When Zhou Qinghao entered, Gu Juntian handed him the bowl of peeled potatoes and said quietly, “Qinghao, take these. I’ll go get you some soup.”

He went into the kitchen and soon brought out a pot of tomato and egg soup, serving Zhou Qinghao a bowl.

He also got three more bowls for the subordinates. “You guys eat too.”

Unconsciously, they joined in.

Tomato egg soup, boiled potatoes, along with Madam Gu’s pickles and minced pork with egg sauce… the six of them ate happily.

Afterwards, Gu Juntian lowered his voice again. “Now that we’re full, let’s discuss what to do next.”

He spoke quietly so as not to disturb Madam Gu, and since he did, Gu Chengming and Zhou Qinghao followed suit.

The three subordinates also lowered their voices as they discussed Zhou Qinghao pretending to be injured in order to flush out their enemies in hiding.

But sitting there, the subordinates couldn’t shake a strange feeling.

It was normal for their boss to want to crush the opposition, and normal to discuss it with Gu Chengming.

But why did it seem like the one making the decisions was Gu Juntian?

“You three need to play along with the act,” Gu Juntian said, looking at them.

They nodded reflexively, then all turned to Zhou Qinghao, asking in hushed voices, “Boss, what’s really going on here?”

Zhou Qinghao said, “Didn’t you already hear what we’re planning?”

“But… Young Master Gu is just an ordinary person, and Mr. Gu is still injured. Shouldn’t we avoid dragging them in?”

Hearing this, Gu Juntian glanced at them, then pulled out a black robe and a mask from behind him.

Gu Chengming let out a small chuckle as he looked at Zhou Qinghao’s men.

The three subordinates: “…” That mask and robe look awfully familiar…