Chapter 131: The Game of Human Nature

Chapter 131: The Human Nature Game

Half an hour passed. Xia Zheng opened his eyes. Standing atop the pillar, silhouetted against the sun and amplified by his own mental power, he cast a massive shadow that blanketed an area of nearly a hundred meters, further suppressing any urge to resist among the already terrified civilians.

For most of these survivors, the goal was never to engage in a doomed struggle against the military. Their motivations were twofold: to vent the anger of losing their homes, and to secure a better quality of life or a swift return to normalcy.

Xia Zheng gave them a choice: if they insisted on resistance, so be it. The military would not back down, and since the civilians held no tactical advantage, they would face a crushing defeat.

However, if they chose to negotiate and cooperate, the outcome would be far superior. Fools were in the minority, as were those driven purely by impulse; most people simply followed the current. And this current, in Xia Zheng’s view, was the collective will of the people.

Ten individuals—a mix of men and women—were pushed forward by the crowd to stand before, or rather, beneath, Xia Zheng.

Scanning them, he noted that none were elderly; they were generally in their thirties or forties, with the youngest in their early twenties, roughly his own age. In this apocalyptic environment, the elderly, children, and women were vulnerable, while the young and middle-aged were the natural leaders, and the youths served as the vanguard.

"The rest of you, rest where you are. Everyone gets a lunch ration. Line up to collect it. Anyone who causes trouble will face the consequences..." Hearing the promise of a free meal, the civilians erupted in cheers and began to form orderly lines.

Before he had even finished speaking, someone started shoving, using their physical strength to push the elderly, women, and children to the back of the queue.

*Boom!*

A massive foot, composed of solid rock, descended from the sky. It slammed into the ground, crushing the dozen or so rule-breakers directly into the earth. Blood welled up instantly. The surrounding crowd screamed and retched in terror, but the display of raw power ensured that no one else dared to shove, cut the line, or violate the rules. They began to queue with trembling, absolute obedience.

This ruthless act shocked not only the civilians but also the nearby soldiers, who rarely resorted to such extreme, bloody measures.

"Maintain order during the meal. I will speak with these ten representatives privately." Xia Zheng handed the logistics over to the officers. Liu Chuxing and the others, clearly dissatisfied with Xia Zheng’s excessive brutality, chose to respond with silence.

Xia Zheng led the ten representatives to a nearby ruin. With a focused thought, he manipulated the debris to instantly form a simple, roofed assembly area. The representatives witnessed another display of his near-miraculous power and felt a profound sense of helplessness.

Had they known that Xia Zheng could manifest his mental energy into reality, they might have suffered a mental breakdown. Xia Zheng decided to keep things grounded; the foot from the sky was enough to make his point without shattering their perception of reality entirely.

He had soldiers bring in ten free lunches and, taking the head seat, gestured for them to eat.

The ten were surprised. They had expected hostility, but this "Great Demon King" did not seem as cruel as they had feared. While they were hesitant to accept his charity, the gnawing sensation of hunger was too much to bear. Once one person started eating, the others quickly followed suit.

Xia Zheng leaned back in a chair he had fashioned from rubble, watching them with calm indifference.

Among the ten, there were six men and four women. The men included two of Asian descent like himself, one Black man, and one White man. Among the women, there was one of Asian descent, two White women, and one Black woman. They all carried an air of cultivation and refinement, suggesting strong educational backgrounds.

Soon, the meals were finished. The ten wiped their mouths with their sleeves with a grace that would not have been out of place in a formal restaurant.

"May I ask how to address you, Commander?" asked one of the Asian men. He had slightly messy long hair, a scholarly face, and a magnetic voice.

Xia Zheng waved a hand. "I am no commander, but you may consider me one of the leaders of this military force."

The ten exchanged thoughtful glances.

"Pardon the intrusion, then. We have witnessed your iron-fisted methods. We would like to know: what is your stance toward us?" asked another Asian man, younger and wearing glasses, appearing much like an academic.

"Join us. Persuade the other survivors to work together to face this crisis. We will provide food, resources, and housing. You will be assigned roles based on your capabilities, and we will work to restore production, stabilize the Outer City completely, and assist us in entering the Eternal District." Xia Zheng did not haggle. He stated his objectives directly—the hallmark of a superior force that felt no need to fear opposition, because the other side, in reality, had no choice.

However, as people with self-respect and strong personalities, they felt compelled to assert their principles.

A White man spoke up: "Your demands are far too overbearing. We are an independent group. We are here to discuss cooperation, not subservience."

"Indeed. We have gathered nearly a hundred thousand survivors and have our own base. Even without relying on you, we can rebuild the Outer City ourselves."

"Don't think that just because you possess power, you can do as you please. We don't buy it. In the Eternal Night City, it was because of you infected soldiers that we lost our homes. No one came to save us; we saved ourselves. We have no desire to submit to you."

"Not everyone fears death. If you persist in your stubbornness, we are not afraid to die."

The voices rose and fell, turning the assembly into a chaotic marketplace. Xia Zheng was reminded of the parliamentary sessions in the Eternal District. He had seen scenes like this before—far more disorderly than this. It seemed that in the Federation, it was a common belief that only through endless debate could a "reasonable and perfect" solution be found. They ignored a fundamental truth: truth is often held by the few.

Xia Zheng possessed a vision far beyond theirs; he knew the trajectory of this simulation's end. He intended to interfere with their thinking to achieve his own goals. This was his true test before heading to the Eternal Night City. As for the Hegemony Tournament and Ryan of the Hoffman family, they were mere interludes—far less important than this simulation.

When the representatives realized that no matter how they argued, Xia Zheng had no intention of compromising, the mood shifted.

"Are you all finished?" Xia Zheng picked at his ear, blew away the debris, and looked at them with utter contempt. The gesture infuriated them.

An Asian woman stood up. "If you have no interest in negotiating, why waste your breath? Release us and do as you will."

"That's right! We aren't afraid of you!"

"A butcher! A life for a life—a gentleman has nothing to fear!"

"If you have the guts, kill us all!"

Xia Zheng stood up. The group fell silent instantly, cowed by the memory of his brutal methods.

"How many people you can take with you depends on your own capability. I have no interest in negotiating with you." With that, Xia Zheng walked out of the makeshift assembly area.

The people who had been tied to the pillars had been released and were now eating happily along with the others.

"A bunch of fools. They don't even understand the will of the people, yet they think they can negotiate with me." Xia Zheng’s goal was to isolate the opinion leaders from their followers, divide them, and eventually collapse their hierarchy.

Which camp was more beneficial to join was obvious even to a child. Most had already tasted the bitterness of the alternative; now that they had sampled a better outcome, their choice was self-evident.