Inside the tent, conversation died the moment Kai Zi and his group approached.
A heavy silence fell.
Chen Wan let out a faint sneer and handed Yang Yang over to Jiang Yanxin, already anticipating trouble.
At first, Kai Zi hadn't believed Yang Feng's claim that the women visiting Jiang Wanning were beautiful.
Now—
He was staring, eyes fixed.
The two female alphas alone were enough to catch his attention, their cold, composed demeanor exactly the type his "boss" preferred.
A greedy smile spread across his face.
"Not bad, Yang Feng. You've really done well this time," Kai Zi laughed, his voice echoing in the quiet tent. "I've been looking for good-looking alphas, and here they are—right beside Jiang Wanning. She's really my lucky star."
His gaze swept over them, undisguised hunger in his eyes.
"Once her allergy clears up, I'll take good care of her," he added with a chuckle.
No one spoke.
The silence only made his voice sound more grating.
"What's wrong? Why so serious?" he continued mockingly. "Your good days are coming. Especially you two female alphas—I'll send you to Area A. You'll live well there."
His eyes shifted again.
"As for the others—the beta and the omega—you'll stay with me. Brother Kai will take care of you."
Behind him, one of his subordinates—who had witnessed what happened at the base gate—felt his legs go weak.
He leaned in nervously and whispered, "Brother Kai… these women aren't simple. Er Hu and his group… they were taken down by them."
"Bullshit," Kai Zi snapped, slapping him across the face. "Rumors spread like wildfire in this place. These four women? Taking down Er Hu and eight men? You think I'm that stupid?"
The man lowered his head, not daring to argue further, though he knew it had only taken two of them.
Kai Zi ignored him and continued scanning the group.
Then his eyes landed on Yang Yang in Jiang Yanxin's arms.
His expression darkened.
"At a time like this, you're still dragging around a kid?" he sneered. "Let me deal with that little thing first. I'm not interested in playing father."
He stepped forward.
A seventy-year-old man in the tent couldn't hold back and spoke up, "Young man… the child is innocent. Don't hurt her."
Kai Zi shot him a vicious glare. "Old man, you're half in the grave and still sticking your nose where it doesn't belong? Pay your protection fee first. If you can't, I'll send you there properly."
He raised his leg to kick—
"Stop."
Chen Wan stepped forward, her voice cold.
"If you've got a problem, come at me. Don't drag others into it."
Kai Zi turned to her, his expression dark. "Who do you think you are, talking to me like that? Do you even know who I am?"
Chen Wan chuckled softly, nodding. "Of course I do."
Kai Zi straightened, smug, adjusting his jacket.
But the next moment—
"A low-level thug," Chen Wan continued lazily. "Someone who loafs around all day, bullying others and collecting protection fees with a bunch of useless followers."
She tilted her head slightly.
"Oh, right. You're also a lapdog for someone in Area A. That's your full identity, isn't it?"
Each word struck like a slap.
Kai Zi's face darkened instantly.
Before the apocalypse, he had been nothing more than a street thug—looked down on by everyone.
After arriving at the base, he had clawed his way up, gathered men, and attached himself to someone powerful. People in Districts C and D now called him "Brother Kai."
And now—
This woman had torn all of it apart in front of everyone.
Kai Zi spat on the ground, fury boiling over.
"You're asking for death," he growled. "Brothers—get her."
At that moment, two people rushed into the tent.
"Brother Kai, please—let's talk this out! Don't use violence!"
Jiang Zhaoyuan and Ye Lan had rushed back after hearing the news.
The moment they saw the scene—
They froze.
They hadn't expected to see Chen Wan and Jiang Yanxin there.
Shock, worry, and helplessness flooded their faces.
Kai Zi laughed mockingly. "Back already, old folks? Who are these women to you?"
His gaze turned vicious.
"They're asking for death. Especially her. If I don't cripple her today, I've wasted my life."
Ye Lan hurried forward, grabbing Chen Wan's arm and pulling her back.
"Chen Wan, why are you here?" she said anxiously. "This is our problem. Don't get involved—stand back. Mom is here."
She shielded Chen Wan instinctively.
Jiang Zhaoyuan stepped forward as well, stopping Jiang Yanxin.
"Yanxin, don't come over. It's dangerous. Hold the child tightly."
Then he turned to Kai Zi, bending slightly, his voice pleading.
"Brother Kai… I'll give you all the points we've earned. Please let us go. My daughter—she's allergic, she really can't… please, spare us."
Kai Zi sneered.
"Spare you? Who do you think she is?" He pointed at Chen Wan. "She insulted me just now."
His tone turned cruel.
"I can let the others go—especially those pretty ones. They're worth something. But her? She dies. Or all of you die with her."
A subordinate handed him a heavy baseball bat.
Jiang Zhaoyuan's eyes reddened. He grabbed Kai Zi's sleeve.
"She's my daughter-in-law… my daughter," he said hoarsely. "Take my life instead. Please… let them go."
Ye Lan stepped forward as well.
"No—take mine," she said firmly. "The children still need him. If you want someone dead, take me. But you don't touch them."
Kai Zi spat.
"Your lives? Worthless," he said coldly. "You're already half-dead anyway."
Without warning, he swung the bat.
Chen Wan moved.
She slipped past Ye Lan and caught the bat mid-swing with one hand.
The impact stopped dead.
Kai Zi froze.
So did everyone else.
Chen Wan looked at him, her gaze icy.
"Finished talking?" she said lightly. "Usually, only trash talks this much."
Before he could react—
She twisted.
Crack.
His arm snapped.
A scream tore out of him.
"My arm—my arm! Kill her! Kill her!"
At the same time—
Qin Ke and Yi Yi moved.
Qin Ke lunged at the nearest man, locking her legs around him and tightening her grip until he went limp.
Yi Yi moved even faster, stepping in front of the entrance and cutting off any escape.
A few clean strikes—
Men were sent crashing back, coughing blood.
Chen Wan shoved Jiang Zhaoyuan and Ye Lan aside.
"Mom, Dad—step back," she said calmly. "Stay with Yanxin and Wanning."
The couple retreated in a daze, finally realizing—
They didn't need to protect Chen Wan.
It was the other way around.
A man rushed Chen Wan.
She struck once.
Crack.
His spine broke. He collapsed instantly.
Kai Zi's face turned pale.
In just moments—
His men were falling one after another.
He turned to run.
A hand grabbed his collar from behind.
He was lifted off the ground like nothing.
"Where do you think you're going?" Chen Wan said coldly.
Kai Zi trembled, pain and fear overwhelming him.
"S-sister… spare me," he stammered. "I'm just trash—I'll be your dog! I'll do anything—just let me go!"
Chen Wan let out a short laugh.
"You? My dog?" she said mockingly. "That would be an insult to dogs."
Her voice dropped.
"You're not even worth that."
She looked at him as if he were nothing.
"My family was bullied by you," she continued. "Tell me—how do you want to die?"
"I—I have backing!" Kai Zi blurted out desperately. "My boss in Area A—he's powerful! Even the military gives him face! You can't—"
Chen Wan cut him off with a chuckle.
"So you want me to let you go… so you can run and bring people back?"
Her eyes turned cold.
"Too bad. I don't leave problems behind."
She threw him to the ground.
He tried to crawl away—
A sharp blow landed at the back of his head.
His body went still.
Silence filled the tent.
No one spoke.
Chen Wan and the others showed no change in expression.
To them—
These people weren't worth sparing.
Every one of them had hurt others.
Leaving them alive would only create more victims.
Chen Wan looked around at the stunned onlookers.
"Help move the bodies," she said calmly. "It's hot. Leaving them here will cause disease."
A few quick-thinking people immediately stepped forward.
The short-haired female alpha and her companions joined as well.
One of them hesitated, then asked, "What about their belongings?"
Chen Wan waved a hand dismissively.
"Take whatever's useful. No need to give it to me."
Resources were scarce here.
Anything—clothes, shoes, cigarettes, points—had value.
Those willing to help could take what they found.
Chen Wan didn't care.
The more they exerted effort—
The more they could keep.