Chapter 132: Distortion

Chapter 132: Distortion

Xia Zheng instructed his soldiers to guard the venue behind him and ordered the ten representatives to be detained, with instructions to release them only after ten minutes had passed.

The civilians, having eaten their free lunch, were already busy questioning the soldiers, primarily inquiring about employment and benefits. As Xia Zheng had previously orchestrated, a group of articulate soldiers had been specifically assigned to propagate this information, yielding excellent results.

"Quiet!" Xia Zheng infused his voice with psychic energy. It boomed like a tolling bell, instantly silencing the noisy crowd. After all, in the eyes of these civilians, he was already equated to a ruthless demon king, and his presence was terrifyingly intimidating.

Watching the ten sullen representatives being led away, Xia Zheng smiled and said, "I will only say this once. For those willing to stay and return with us, everything you have heard is true, and it may even exceed your expectations. Those who do not wish to stay will go back to the ruins with your leaders in a moment. From then on, we will leave each other alone, and you will be on your own. If you dare to attack the military again in the future, there will be no mercy!"

It was a blatant threat, yet no one dared to doubt his words, for he was exactly the kind of man to follow through.

The military began assigning personnel to oversee recruitment. Those willing to accept the offer signed their names, ages, and areas of expertise to create a record. Once they reached the camp and were officially accepted, they would receive various benefits. Those truly incapable of filling specialized roles would be assigned manual labor or support tasks, ensuring they were fed and provided with basic living conditions, though their treatment would not be as favorable as those who secured professional roles.

In less than ten minutes, nearly ninety percent of the people had signed up. They understood that returning with Xia Zheng meant at least having free meals. Going back to the ruins likely meant starvation—a terrifying sensation they never wanted to endure again. Once a person has truly starved, the memory is etched into their bones, never to be forgotten until death.

"Don't be fooled! If you follow them, you'll regret it sooner or later."

"Everyone, stay sharp! Who is it that caused our suffering? It's these soldiers!"

"We must resist these people and live in freedom!"

Ten minutes later, the returning opinion leaders were protesting and denouncing Xia Zheng and the military with hoarse cries.

"Drag them out!" Xia Zheng picked at his ear, impatient. He had the loudest agitators thrown out, leaving fewer than a hundred people who chose to follow them. These individuals were usually part of the management class, accustomed to having their needs met, and were unwilling to return to the status of the lower class.

Xia Zheng split off a thousand men to escort the thousands of people back to the camp, then continued with the rest of his troops to sweep the next site of unrest. It was simple—following a proven formula. It turned out that a combination of benevolence and force was the most effective method.

By the time they returned to camp that evening, the population under military control had surged by nearly one hundred thousand.

These people were initially quarantined in a separate area, requiring about three days of observation and recuperation before they could be integrated into the workforce. Keynes was pleased with the massive population increase, as it meant his military strength had grown. However, he was also filled with apprehension toward Xia Zheng. As Xia Zheng’s prestige within the army grew, Keynes felt a massive threat, one that often left him feeling as though he were sitting on pins and needles.

Exhausted after a long day, Xia Zheng returned to Luo Bing’s quarters. He enjoyed a refreshing shower and then shared a hearty dinner in her company.

"I heard about your display of power today. Congratulations, Benson," Luo Bing said, raising her glass for a toast.

Xia Zheng took a sip, paused, and asked, "Do you disapprove of my methods?"

Luo Bing fell silent, offering no answer. It seemed she indeed did not approve.

Xia Zheng pulled Luo Bing onto his lap. She did not resist; the two had already crossed that boundary, and their former reserve had long since faded.

"These are extraordinary times requiring extraordinary measures. We don't have the luxury of time to persuade them. I admit my methods were not honorable, but the results were good. If this made you misunderstand the kind of person I am, I am sorry," Xia Zheng explained sincerely.

Luo Bing sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I know I'm being unreasonable. It’s just that the perceptions I’ve held for so long were shattered by you, so I’m feeling a bit mentally unbalanced. It’s my fault."

"No, it shows you have a kind heart, much better than mine. Sometimes I will stop at nothing to achieve my goals. But the truth of this world is cruel. If we continue to handle this extinction-level crisis using the old rules, I fear..." Xia Zheng closed his eyes, thinking of Eternal City in reality. He was increasingly coming to realize a fact: the Vampires were merely a catalyst; the true cause was likely the long-standing perceptions held by the Federation.

Technology and freedom—the Federation cherished these two things too much. But when a massive crisis descended, relying on these two alone was insufficient; an iron fist was required to compensate.

"Don't think about it so much. Come..." Luo Bing took his hand and led him into the bedroom. Before long, the sounds of their labored breathing filled the room.

Over the next few days, the number of refugees taken into the Eighth Undistricted Zone continued to grow. The resource collection team formed by Xia Zheng and Luo Bing faced immense pressure. Fortunately, as production gradually resumed, the Eighth Undistricted Zone, slowly coming under military control, began to stabilize.

Zombies were cleared in large numbers, and mutant zombies were wiped out like sweeping fallen leaves under the combined efforts of Xia Zheng, Luo Bing, and their team.

On the tenth day after entering the city, the Eighth Undistricted Zone and the Seventh Undistricted Zone were secured. By then, the army's strength had grown to three hundred thousand, with about twenty thousand elite troops.

Xia Zheng, Keynes, and Luo Bing decided to begin a thorough cleanup of the outer city. A few days later, on a certain evening, a communications officer excitedly informed the trio that they had made contact with the military headquarters of the Eternal Grand District.

However, signal interference was severe. Communication was possible for only about one minute every hour, and it was intermittent.

"...Eternal... Eternal... in dire peril... large numbers of high-tier Vampires... General... General Song heavily wounded... Military Headquarters... Parliament... heavy casualties... the district's civilians... many infected... everyone... perhaps... this is... the last... transmission... Long live the Federation! Victory to the Military Headquarters..."

The static of electrical interference took over, and the connection was severed, never to be restored again.

The lighthearted mood that the group had enjoyed during this period suddenly tightened. The content of the transmission signaled that the Eternal Grand District had fallen.

Keynes convened an emergency meeting to discuss the next steps.

"We should launch an all-out assault. Now that we have a certain level of strength, we can consider opening the route to the Eternal Grand District," Xia Zheng proposed.

Luo Bing nodded, not opposing the idea. If the Eternal Grand District was gone, the existence of the outer city held little meaning.

Keynes hesitated. He lit a cigarette. Luo Bing covered her nose in disgust. Xia Zheng looked at Keynes, reached out, and brushed Luo Bing’s shoulder. Instantly, a burst of wind-based energy manifested, pushing all the smoke away from them. Luo Bing looked at Xia Zheng in pleasant surprise; he nodded slightly and held up a finger. Luo Bing nodded in understanding.

Other officers began to argue. Among the dozen or so officers, six supported Xia Zheng and Luo Bing. The other four raised objections, arguing that their elite force was too small and that if they encountered a large-scale Vampire army, it would likely mean the total annihilation of their forces.

After finishing his cigarette, Keynes spoke: "Actually, I have received orders from the advance army of the Military Headquarters outside the city, instructing us to stand by and wait until we can link up with them before attacking the Eternal Grand District."

"Keynes, why didn't you mention this earlier?" Xia Zheng stood up, dissatisfied.

Luo Bing did the same, pointing at Keynes and speaking bluntly: "This concerns everyone’s safety. Why are you only saying this now?"

Keynes looked at the two of them and sneered, "I am the supreme commander of this army. I have the right to decide whether or not to disclose information."

Faced with this declaration, Xia Zheng’s eyes flickered, as if he had realized something. Luo Bing, even more furious, wanted to lash out, but was stopped by Xia Zheng.

"Colonel Keynes, since that is the case, let us do as you say." With that, he pulled Luo Bing and left the conference room. The six officers who supported them hesitated, then rose to request permission to leave as well.

"Bastards!" Keynes slammed his fist onto the table, his eyes burning with rage.