Song Lian heard Wen Shangyin's words and knew he was saying them to win him over.
As for Wen Shangyin's true feelings, did he really want to be brothers with him? That was debatable.
He was only doing this because his own brothers had turned on him, and he couldn't count on them. Now, he was trying to pull Song Lian to his side.
In this post-apocalyptic world where people had to live in groups, Song Lian, with his intelligence but lack of special abilities, would have a hard time surviving alone.
Although he wanted to rely on Su Ling and Shang Qi for survival, he clearly knew that he had been excluded by them.
Therefore, his only hope was Wen Shangyin. They understood each other and were not strangers; they both knew they needed each other.
And what happened in the prison district today was the best turning point and opportunity, which he would definitely seize.
They each had their own needs. Since Wen Shangyin wanted to win him over, Song Lian would oblige.
After all, he was not the one at a disadvantage.
In fact, Song Lian had overthought things.
Wen Shangyin genuinely wanted to treat Song Lian as a brother, not just to win him over.
After the incident in the prison district, Wen Shangyin had a great realization and understood what he truly wanted.
So, every word he said to Song Lian now came from the bottom of his heart, without any pretense.
"Then—" Song Lian looked up at Wen Shangyin. "Can I call you Brother Shangyin from now on?"
Wen Shangyin was also a bit nervous, worried that Song Lian might refuse him.
Hearing Song Lian's answer, he breathed a sigh of relief. He looked at Song Lian and smiled, "Of course, why not?"
Wen Shangyin knew very well that he was not as smart as Song Lian and needed Song Lian's help in many ways to survive in the apocalypse.
However, he also truly, from the bottom of his heart, wanted to be good to Song Lian.
Because of what happened today, Song Lian had saved his life.
In other words, he owed Song Lian a life, and from now on, they were in the same boat, and he could no longer underestimate Song Lian.
Song Lian also smiled. He lowered his head, flicked off the ash from his cigarette, and then spoke, "They will probably start preparing for the construction of the new base tomorrow. As their allies, should we step forward?"
After all, their relationship had become irreconcilable after the prison district incident.
So, should they continue to provide manpower and resources?
Song Lian's question hit the mark, precisely addressing Wen Shangyin's concerns.
Wen Shangyin's thoughts were exposed, and he stopped smoking his cigar. He swirled his wine glass, watching the red liquid in the candlelight.
"What do you think?" Wen Shangyin asked, turning to look at Song Lian.
In Wen Shangyin's opinion, he didn't intend to provide anything to Shang Qi and Su Ling, neither manpower nor resources.
But he was afraid that Shang Qi and Su Ling would come looking for him, demanding that he fulfill his obligations according to the signed agreement.
He could resist and refuse, but the consequences of resistance and refusal would be dire.
Although Shang Qi and Su Ling had fewer people, their elites were far superior. His side simply couldn't afford to provoke them. Therefore, even if he didn't want to act according to the agreement, he would still have to comply due to Shang Qi and Su Ling's strength.
What Wen Shangyin was thinking was also what Song Lian was thinking.
Song Lian held the cigarette in his mouth, squinting slightly. "Let's take it one step at a time. Anyway, they don't know yet that we've been rescued. If they don't come to us, we'll play deaf and dumb. If they do come to us, we can use the incident of the prison district's inaction as a shield. After all, they themselves said they didn't need our help!"