Chapter 227: Notify everyone

The broadcast in the safe zone played continuously for three hours, the news of the Iron Hand Group's destruction being repeated over and over,

and a relevant announcement popped up on every survivor's terminal. Representatives of small factions scattered throughout the safe zone

arrived one after another at the Starfire Group headquarters with calling cards, some bringing supplies, others bringing personnel rosters,

all without exception expressing their willingness to submit.

The landscape, once a three-way standoff between the Iron Hand Group, the Starfire Group, and the Falcon Team, was completely rewritten in a single day. The Starfire Group's flag was planted in every corner of the safe zone, and the patrol members' armbands were uniformly replaced with the Starfire Group's insignia.

Lin Chen sat in his office chair, the ice sculpture opposite his desk shimmering with cold light,

Lin Xiaoxiao's face clearly visible beneath the ice surface. He held a list of power shifts in his hand,

marked with the leaders of each small faction and their terms of surrender. Li Wei stood before the desk,

holding a report, and reported in a steady voice: "Of the twelve remaining core members of the Iron Hand Group,

eight have surrendered voluntarily, and four attempted to climb the safe zone wall to escape,

but have already been intercepted by the patrol team. The Falcon Team leader sent word that they are willing to hand over the three supply points in Chengxi, asking only to retain the Falcon Team's structure."

Lin Chen flipped a page of the list without looking up: "For the eight who surrendered,

investigate their backgrounds thoroughly. Those who have survivor blood on their hands,

lock them up separately. For the four who tried to escape, hold a public trial so all survivors can see. The Falcon Team's conditions can be accepted, but we must send people to station themselves in their camp to monitor their every move."

"Understood."

Li Wei bowed his head to record this, then added, "There are also three small faction leaders

who are unwilling to submit and have gathered in an abandoned factory in the East District,

threatening to unite against the Starfire Group. They are also inciting some survivors who don't know the truth, calling us tyrants and saying we are the same as the Iron Hand Group."

Lin Chen's fingers paused on the list, his gaze turning cold: "How many people? What about their weapons and equipment?"

"About fifty people,

their weapons are just some old pistols and machetes; no heavy weapons," Li Wei replied,

"Their leader is a former squad leader from the Iron Hand Group named Scarface, who got a scar on his face after being slashed while looting supplies."

"Notify everyone,

have the First Squad and the clone soldier detachment assemble; we leave in ten minutes to wipe out their nest."

Lin Chen put down the list, stood up, and casually picked up the ice blade hanging on the wall, "I want to go see for myself who has such guts."

Ten minutes later, fifty Starfire Group members and two hundred clone soldiers

assembled at the East Gate of the safe zone. Lin Chen wore a black cold-weather suit,

walking at the front of the formation, the ice blade flashing with a cold light in the sun.

The formation marched toward the abandoned factory in the East District, and survivors along the way retreated to the roadside,

not daring to look up at them. Some whispered, others showed fear, but no one dared to speak out or block them.

The factory gate was tightly shut, with two burly men holding machetes standing at the entrance.

Seeing the Starfire Group's formation, their faces turned deathly pale. One of the men was about to turn and run inside to report when a clone soldier raised his gun and fired, the bullet piercing his skull, blood and brains splashing onto the other man.

"Open the door!"

Lin Chen's voice rang out, cold and bone-piercing.

The remaining man was so terrified his legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, scrambling to open the factory gate.

Inside the factory, Scarface was standing on a pile of wooden crates, shouting something to the people below.

Seeing the gate open and Lin Chen walking in with his men, his voice stopped abruptly,

his face turning ash-gray. The people below also panicked, retreating one after another, their weapons dropping to the ground with a clatter.

"Scarface,

do you want to rebel?"

Lin Chen took two steps forward, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.

Scarface feigned composure, jumping down from the crates while holding a pistol,

pointing it at Lin Chen: "Lin Chen, don't be too arrogant! We are not lambs for you to slaughter! You killed the Iron Hand Group's people and Lin Guodong's daughter; you will face retribution sooner or later!"

"Retribution?"

Lin Chen sneered, suddenly accelerating. The moment Scarface pulled the trigger, he flashed in front of him, the ice blade slicing across his throat.

Blood sprayed out, and Scarface clutched his throat, his eyes wide, his body collapsing limply.

"The leader is dead. Those who don't want to die, drop your weapons and get out!" Li Wei shouted to the people below.

The crowd instantly erupted in chaos, everyone throwing down their weapons and scrambling toward the gate.

A few who ran slowly were intercepted by clone soldiers. One of them tried to resist,

pulling out a dagger hidden in his clothes and stabbing at a clone soldier. The clone soldier didn't hesitate, raising his gun and firing, the bullet piercing the man's chest.

The man fell to the ground, his body twitching a few times before going still.

The rest were scared out of their wits and ran even faster, soon disappearing from the factory entrance.

Lin Chen walked to Scarface's corpse, looked down, and the blood on the ice blade dripped down the edge,

landing on the ground and pooling into a small puddle. He turned to Li Wei and said: "Clean this place up. Hang the corpses of Scarface and the one who resisted at the factory gate for three days, so everyone can see the consequences of resisting the Starfire Group."

"Yes."

Li Wei responded, immediately arranging for the team members to start cleaning.

Lin Chen walked out of the factory and looked up at the gray sky; the wind and snow had lessened significantly.

The broadcast in the distance was still playing, but the content had changed to the Starfire Group's new regulations:

no private possession of weapons, no gathering to cause trouble, no looting of supplies.

In every corner of the safe zone, Starfire Group members were patrolling, and the once-chaotic streets had become orderly.

A team member ran over and handed Lin Chen a new report: "Team Leader Lin, all small factions have signed the submission agreement,

and the Falcon Team has also withdrawn from the three supply points in Chengxi; our people have already moved in."

Lin Chen took the report and flipped a page, which was densely packed with the supply handover lists and personnel structures of each faction. He nodded,

handing the report to Li Wei: "Keep an eye on it; don't let any trouble arise."

"Don't worry, Team Leader Lin." Li Wei took the report and tucked it away carefully.

Lin Chen turned and walked toward the headquarters, his steps steady. Sunlight filtered through the clouds,

shining on him, yet it brought no warmth. In his office,

the ice sculpture still stood quietly, as if silently telling something.

The landscape of the safe zone had changed, with the Starfire Group becoming the sole dominant force; no one dared to question his authority again, and no one dared to defy his orders. ===== CHAPTER 228 =====