Chapter 3 Sean: Do All Chinese Know Martial Arts?
The others couldn't bear to watch either. Ed was six foot three and weighed over two hundred pounds. How could this Asian possibly be a match for such a burly man?
Ed’s punch was fast, but in Li Changsheng’s perception, it seemed as slow as a movie in slow motion. With one hand, he blocked the punch with ease.
Ed’s expression changed instantly; it felt as if he’d struck an iron plate, his fist aching from the shock. But his anger only grew. “Kid, you’ll regret this!”
He swung again, this time even more viciously.
Li Changsheng frowned slightly. Such a ruthless blow—if it landed on an ordinary person’s head, it could be fatal.
‘If you’re this merciless, don’t blame me for being forceful.’
Li Changsheng kicked out suddenly, his movement lightning fast. Ed was sent flying before he could react, soaring seven or eight meters through the air before he crashed heavily onto the sand, causing the onlookers to gasp in shock.
Ed felt as if he’d been hit by a car, his organs rattled and shifting inside him. With a sputter, he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Carol rushed to Ed’s side. “Ed, Ed, are you alright?”
At that moment, Sean and the others arrived, having heard the commotion. Seeing Ed sprawled on the ground, Sean glanced at him groaning in pain, then fixed his gaze on Li Changsheng.
“You owe me an explanation.”
Li Changsheng replied coolly, “There’s nothing to explain about beating up a piece of domestic-abusing scum like him.”
“Alright, alright!” Sean’s facial muscles twitched with fury. He’d long considered himself the leader of the camp, and now he felt his authority had been openly challenged. “Then I’ll deal with you first, and listen to your explanation later!”
Without waiting for Amy or the others to clarify, he charged straight at Li Changsheng.
Li Changsheng let out a cold snort. In a flash, he moved—before Sean could react, Li Changsheng’s fist was already in front of his eyes.
The icy wind from the punch stung Sean’s cheek.
What the hell—is this guy a monster?
Staring at the fist barely a centimeter from his forehead, Sean broke into a cold sweat. With such speed, even with a gun he wouldn’t have had time to react. “It’s a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, brother! Let’s talk this out!”
Li Changsheng lowered his fist. “There’s nothing to talk about. People who steal have to pay the price. For the details, ask them.”
At that moment, Amy hurried forward to pull the two apart, quickly explaining everything to Sean.
“So that’s how it is,” Sean muttered, his face dark and uncertain. He offered a few words of comfort to Amy before turning back to Li Changsheng. “Even if Ed was in the wrong, you shouldn’t have hit him so hard.”
Li Changsheng looked at him with a faint, mocking smile. “So, I deserve to be robbed?” he retorted. Then he added, “Don’t worry, I won’t stay here long. As soon as I gather enough supplies, I’ll leave.”
“But in the meantime, it would be best if certain people among you don’t harbor any ill intentions toward me. Next time, I won’t be so lenient.”
With those words, Li Changsheng walked away, leaving the others staring at each other in astonishment.
“That guy must know martial arts!”
Amy covered her mouth in surprise with her fair, delicate hand. Watching Li Changsheng’s departing figure, she recalled how this seemingly frail young Chinese had stood up for her, and a subtle glimmer appeared in her clear blue eyes.
...
After Li Changsheng left, Sean got the full story from Amy and the others.
Seeing Ed groaning nearby, Sean realized he had brought this on himself and decided not to get involved. He told Carol to take Ed back to camp to rest, then brushed off the matter and headed for the camp himself, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead as he walked.
Damn, that Chinese kid is seriously something else. Could it be that all Chinese really know martial arts?
Jim, who hadn’t been any help at all, felt guilty and found Amy, who was chatting with Andrea. “Amy, I’m sorry...”
Before he could finish, Andrea interrupted gruffly, “No need to apologize. Amy, let’s go!” Then she added, “Stay away from these cowards. That Asian kid has more guts than all of them!”
...
Li Changsheng soon returned to his RV.
He went through his supplies, quietly stashing some of the bulkier items in his mysterious storage space.
After taking inventory, he found there were still two small cans of gasoline left.
“Looks like it's time to head into the city for some gas,” he mused. The quarry was dozens of kilometers from Atlanta’s CDC. While the gas he had would probably be enough, what if something unexpected happened on the way—like a traffic jam that forced him to take a detour?
In that case, these cans wouldn’t be enough.
“I need to go into the city and stock up on supplies!”
This was the first time he’d seriously considered such an idea.
Since escaping Atlanta, he’d only scavenged from abandoned cars along the roadside. Heading into the city had been out of the question.
It was important to remember that these walking corpses were nothing like the slow, lumbering zombies from those old videos. Their speed varied, but the faster ones could easily keep up with an adult jogging.
And they always moved in packs. Any commotion would instantly attract a swarm.
The scene reminded Li Changsheng of the temple fairs he’d attended as a child in his previous life—crowds so dense they were exciting then, but now, just the thought of it was terrifying.
He shook his head, started his vehicle, checked everything was in order, and then began preparing his weapons.
He rummaged through the RV’s toolbox and found a two-meter steel rod. He attached a knife to one end with wire and tied a strip of cloth to the other.
A makeshift short spear was complete.
After all, the zombies’ weakness was their head, but the skull was the hardest part of the body. Firearms could kill with one shot, but ammo was in short supply and the noise would only attract more trouble.
So he decided to reserve guns for dealing with hostile people; for zombies, cold weapons were best.
Besides, he didn’t have a gun at the moment.
He’d thought about finding a machete, but close-combat weapons, while satisfying to swing, were ill-suited for fighting the undead—one swing and you’d get splattered with blood and gore.
...
Once the spear was done, Li Changsheng gave it a few experimental swings in the air, each movement cutting through with a sharp, whistling sound.
The weapon was crude but heavy—at least ten kilos. But with his body enhanced by the G-virus, it felt as light as a toy in his hands.
Everything was ready. Li Changsheng found himself eager to try his luck in the city.
Just then, a waft of fragrance drifted in. He looked up and saw Amy approaching.
It was the first time they’d stood so close. Amy now realized that Li Changsheng was very young—about her own age. Grateful for the help he’d given her, she said, “If it hadn’t been for you, I’d probably have been beaten today.”
“There’s no need to think too much about it. It’s all over now,” Li Changsheng reassured her.
Amy knew that Li Changsheng was on his own. Remembering she still had her sister with her, she couldn’t help but say, “Since you’re alone, why not join our group? We could help each other out.”