Rise of the Wasteland Chapter 60 - Conquer of the Clubhouse

Chapter 60        Conquer of the Clubhouse

Manhattan had a small population. As it was a business district, they were mostly workers. However, there was a huge amount of people staying here at the moment. They had no idea how to deal with the current hardship.

There were people everywhere on the bustling street, panicked and lost. Most of them were the elite people of society, but, they were vulnerable and helpless at the moment.

Many churches in the Manhattan area opened their doors to provide necessary accommodation for those who could not leave. They could fit more than millions of people without relying on charity to fulfill their needs. Panic grew very rapidly and very soon, the ugly sides of humankind would be shown on a large scale.

The distance from the medical centre of Columbia University to the Society of the Divine Word was only around ten kilometres, but Zhou Qingfeng and Lena Fox took two hours to get there. The people who got captured by Zhou Qingfeng doubted if they were currently at the end of the world as they watched the chaotic scene along the way.

They arrived at the building of the society. The mess from Zhou Qingfeng’s confrontation with the police earlier has yet to be cleaned up and a few police cars were still there. Only the door that was hit by the police’s armoured vehicle was blocked by furniture, forming a barricade. There were a few nervous people waiting to enter the church behind the barricade.

“I’m Lena Fox, I’m looking for Mr. Patrick!” Miss Fox yelled at the clubhouse using the loudspeaker.

A silver-haired old man soon appeared from behind the barricade. Patrick was the manager of the Society of the Divine Word. However, the old man, who was usually nice, was not very enthusiastic at the moment. He was standing behind the barricade as he shouted, “I’m sorry, Miss Fox. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the clubhouse is now temporarily closed. We’re not able to serve you.”

As the old man spoke, a shadow secretly slipped along the wall and went into the building. All of a sudden, it jumped across the barricade, went into the clubhouse, and broke the peaceful scene.

“Damn it, there’s a dog!”

“Don’t shoot, it’s on Mr. Patrick.”

“Freaking dog, I nearly got bitten.”

Bang! The sound of a gunshot suddenly pierced through the noise!

The waiters who were walking around stopped what they were doing. Meanwhile, the fierce man who was fighting with the police earlier had crossed the barricade and appeared in front of them. He wore a cold expression on his face.

“Listen, I’m neither passing by nor here to discuss with you or please you. I’m here to save you. I have a better understanding of survival during chaos. So listening to me will do good for you.”

Zhou Qingfeng slowly walked passed the waiters and stared into their eyes with his cold eyes. He looked into their eyes until they avoided his cold and merciless eyes.

Zhou Qingfeng finally stood in front of Patrick. The old man was just attacked by DogMeat and had fallen to the ground. He struggled to stand. With his face full of anger and the reluctance to obey, he said, “This is a secret clubhouse under the protection of the American law. Visitations are not allowed without invitations.”

Zhou Qingfeng laughed with disdain. The demure Lena Fox walked out at the right time and spoke gently, “Mr. Patrick, I totally understand your circumstances, but you weren’t professional enough.”

“I think you should know by now that the people from the government, police, military and foundations have all disappeared. The streets are becoming messier and messier. From now on, you’ll need a powerful person to teach you how to survive.”

Patrick was still very mad and clearly very pissed at Zhou Qingfeng’s invasion. He glared at Zhou Qingfeng then looked at Lena Fox. Gently, he said, “I’m not a cold-hearted man, but I need to safeguard the interests of the club. The situation now….”

At this point in time, the situation was terrible. Not everyone was like Zhou Qingfeng, who had been through deadly challenges; not everyone was like Zhou Qingfeng and expected the cataclysm. As the clubhouse faced the hopeless situation, they needed someone to lead them.

“Alright, I approve for the two of you to come in,” the air in the church was filled with worry so, Patrick had no choice but to compromise. However, he drew a strict line, “But, the two of you must follow the rules here.”

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head and said, “Forget all your rules. They were for times of peace. But now, war is coming. You have to follow my rules.”

“No way! The Sacred Heart Clubhouse is the place for people of the upper-class to gather. We have been established for more than a hundred years and I’ve been working here for more than forty. I can’t leave this place for you to run it as you please.”

Patrick shook his head. He knew that Zhou Qingfeng was trying to take his authority over the clubhouse, therefore, he disagreed. Zhou Qingfeng was impatient and put his hand on the holster.

“Don’t! Victor, don’t do that,” Lena Fox put her hand out to stop Zhou Qingfeng. She spoke again to the old man, “Mr. Patrick, we’ve known each other for so long. You served me when I was only a little girl. I know that you are very experienced in managing, but now, I hope that you could understand the reality of the situation.”

“We aren’t trying to deprive you of your power, we’re just hoping that more people could survive. The way you defend the clubhouse would work temporarily, but, what about after a few days? Have you thought about what if the police doesn’t return? How long could your men stand?”

Looking at the amount of people on the streets who were in hardship, the clubhouse’s defence could fail at any time.

Patrick paused as he heard Lena Fox’s works. The old man who was in his seventies sighed and finally, he cried out loud, “It must be punishment from God for our original sins!”

As Patrick had completely compromised, Zhou Qingfeng stopped being aggressive. He still needed this old man to calm the people. Zhou Qingfeng asked, “Tell me, who’s in this clubhouse?”

The old man leaned and cried on the sofa, “There are over a hundred rooms, four restaurants, two bars, and hundreds of services in our clubhouse. Our aim is to let every customer have a unforgettable experience, therefore, we have more than three hundred outstanding workers.”

“There were many policemen who came here to investigate and collect evidence this afternoon. Everyone was taken aback by their disappearance.”

“Very soon, we received news from the media that the police in the entire US and even in the world had disappeared. This included people from the government, soldiers, and royalty.”

“Yes, royalty. There were more than thirty distinguished customers here but they disappeared too. During such a terrible situation, we had no idea who to ask for help.”

“More than three hundred of our workers in the clubhouse started to worry about their families. It was only a few hours, but, the people that I have now doesn’t even exceed thirty.”

“Ask them to come out, I need to register their identities,” Zhou Qingfeng needed to know how many people he could use.

Twenty-eight of the remaining workers stood in front of Zhou Qingfeng. They were all single and therefore, without worry. There were eighteen women and ten men. There were five chefs, a security guard, three all-rounders, and nineteen waiters and bartenders.

By the way, the women who had been capable enough to work in this high-end clubhouse were all good-looking. They were young and pretty; each of them had their own style. However, these pretty women would only bring trouble when the cataclysm happens!

Chapter end