[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un":3,"chapter-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-257":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","After I Fully Prepared for the Apocalypse, the Ungrateful Cried with Regret",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},146421,236,"Chapter 257: Crawford Army Disbanded","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-257",257,"\u003Cp>He sighed and said,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mayor Evander Lewis was someone I personally mentored. He was tragically infected while evacuating civilians...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evander Lewis was the former mayor of City D and Melody Barron’s husband.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Out of respect for their past connection and Evander Lewis’s heroic sacrifice, Justin Lawson gave Melody Barron special treatment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He even allowed her to take part in the base’s administration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he never thought she would do something like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The amount of information Melody Barron had here was even greater than the base’s own internal files.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If someone with ulterior motives got their hands on this, the security of the entire City D Base would be compromised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Heath Chandler’s attention was drawn to an emblem on top of the pile of documents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where did you find this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler asked immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was hers, too. Mr. Chandler, you recognize this?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs had deliberately placed the emblem in the suitcase, but she hadn’t expected Heath Chandler to actually recognize it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s The Aegis Conclave.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could the people meeting her tomorrow also be from The Aegis Conclave?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler murmured.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"He’s been tracking this organization for over three months.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They haven’t just appeared here in City D Base; they’ve been spotted in other places too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justin Lawson explained to Nina Jacobs from the side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler had been investigating The Aegis Conclave, not for any particular reason other than the organization being so mysterious he felt it warranted serious attention.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs nodded. \"I’ve heard of them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler decided to play along. He would temporarily conceal the news of Melody Barron’s death and go directly to the location Nina Jacobs had overheard to try his luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It seems Wyatt Jacobs is very likely a member of this organization, too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are they trying to silence her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I just wonder if he has any connection to this Melody Barron...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He glanced at Nina Jacobs, who was listening to Justin Lawson speak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had come to confess, but here was Justin Lawson comforting her instead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This was an oversight on the base’s part.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If it weren’t for you, she likely would have escaped with these classified documents.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s done is done. You haven’t committed a crime, and you shouldn’t feel any guilt over it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No one outside this room will ever know.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justin Lawson said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Okay. Thank you, Commander Lawson.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs bid the two men farewell and left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler sighed. \"It would have been better if that Melody Barron woman hadn’t died.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They might have been able to get something out of her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justin Lawson chuckled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Believe it or not, even if she weren’t dead, you wouldn’t have gotten anything out of her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What do you mean?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justin Lawson flipped through the documents. \"What do you think this information is?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"This is a defector’s package. Melody Barron was most likely just trying to use this information to win favor with the other side.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In other words, she knew very little about that organization herself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs must have realized this, which is why she killed her outright.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But killing her just like that... it was too reckless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler was a man who had undergone strict, rules-based military training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though what Nina Jacobs did was more beneficial than harmful, he didn’t approve of her methods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If everyone in the base acted first and reported later, wouldn’t things descend into chaos?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reckless?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Didn’t she come here to confess and take responsibility?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Besides, what she did was clearly a great service to the base!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justin Lawson shook his head, his tone filled with disapproval.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’No wonder my own daughter can’t stand him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’He’s even more stubborn than I am.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler was rendered speechless. The look in Justin Lawson’s eyes was clearly one of disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The population of City D Base has surpassed 100,000.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But she’s the only Intermediate Superpower User we have. Faced with a one-in-a-hundred-thousand talent, what good are your rigid rules?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Rules are meant to restrain the majority, not the exceptions.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The strong even have the right to make the rules.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that, Justin Lawson left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heath Chandler was left alone in the office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Justin Lawson’s final words still echoed in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t that Justin Lawson’s words had convinced him, but for the first time, he truly felt how different City D Base was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had visited quite a few bases in recent months.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearly every one of them was just barely scraping by, gasping for air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But City D Base was an exception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed to be gradually forming its own unique way of survival.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The strong within the base, huh? Now this is interesting.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wanted to see for himself whether one or two powerful individuals could truly have any meaningful impact on a base of over a hundred thousand people...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one knew what had really happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But by the next day, almost everyone in the entire base knew one thing—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Crawford Army, which had only been on the rise for a little over a month, had been disbanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only that, but the base had also sealed off Hugo Crawford’s residence, and a number of people were taken away directly by the security patrol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard Hugo Crawford was arrested too. It’s a capital offense, they say.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s about time. They’re all a bunch of bad apples.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I never would’ve guessed. Weren’t they talking about making a move on Stella? Now they’re the ones who got taken out.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s what you don’t know. It’s because they pissed off someone from Stella.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard it’s just a small team of about twenty people. Are they really that powerful?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While the base was buzzing with gossip, Nina Jacobs reopened her little roadside stall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since she hadn’t been open for a few days, business that afternoon was exceptionally brisk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs counted Crystal Cores until her hands ached.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luckily, Fern Spencer found a helper for her, which temporarily eased her burden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You could consider opening a shop in the base. It’s safe, and business would be stable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fern Spencer didn’t understand why Claire Warner was always so secretive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The base’s market street was open now, and the rent wasn’t even expensive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’re right, but I’m just doing this for convenience’s sake.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I might just stop selling one day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had also thought about opening a shop in the base.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that would mean her identity as \"Claire Warner\" would be constrained by others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it was a potential risk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the base was different; she could disappear at any time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s true. Supplies are getting scarcer.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fern Spencer said, understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caleb Carter also showed up and once again bought a large amount of supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Where have you been these past few days?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caleb Carter looked at Claire Warner, his curiosity tinged with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Resting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Claire Warner replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hey, since you weren’t in the base, you must not know about the big thing that happened today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caleb Carter leaned to one side, waiting for his Space Superpower User to store the supplies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you disappointed that the Crawford Army was disbanded?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Claire Warner could clearly see the look of reluctance on Caleb Carter’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You don’t know? I heard the Crawford Army had supplies stashed all over the place. I was hoping the three of us could team up again.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Guess there’s no chance for us to get a piece of that now.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was like discovering a fun new toy, only to have someone else buy it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caleb Carter sighed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’So that’s why.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sherry Renner had told Nina Jacobs about this as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the supplies the Crawford Army had hoarded would be confiscated by the base, so she didn’t think it was a shame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that evening, she noticed an update to her system’s \"Zero-Cost Acquisition\" mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a Five Stars mission.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The location was a parking garage, three levels underground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Could it belong to the Crawford Army?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nina Jacobs remembered passing by here just two days ago, but there hadn’t been a mission notification then.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She even went to ask Sherry Renner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hugo Crawford was very cooperative in his confession, so I didn’t have to use the Talisman Paper on him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sherry Renner replied.\u003C\u002Fp>",1380,"2026-05-29T03:44:18.637Z","2026-06-01T04:29:06.436Z",1,"novelbin.me","e82b2b096a457efa4cc9f6d2a22367e295aeee8eeee49f6217e09dbf27d2b94b","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-258","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-256",312,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-cover.jpg"]