Chapter 552: Execution, Accountability, Punishment (Long Chapter, Please Subscribe!)

Zhang Su was startled by the scene around him; he hadn't expected the emotional contagion to be so potent, and quickly suppressed his anger, keeping it within a suitable range, while pressing his palm downward toward the crowd.

"Your thoughts align with mine—the people of Bajiazi Village are beyond pardon! We lost ten companions, exactly ten. Who were they to the ones who loved them most? Let those most deeply wounded carry out their execution—any objections?"

"No objections!"

The crowd had no dissent toward Zhang Su's decision; they believed those who had lost loved ones would be the most grief-stricken and furious, and it was only fair for them to carry out the executions. Soon, five executioners stepped forward from the crowd. Five people from Bajiazi Village were brought onto the parade ground; the executioners did not use knives, since three of them were women, so they opted for the cleaner method of firearms.

Bang. Bang-bang-bang…

After five gunshots, the nightmare instigated by Bajiazi Village infiltrating the camp was declared over.

No, it was not truly over.

Zhang Su arranged for the five bodies to be removed, then turned to the Combat Division's personnel on standby, his gaze sweeping over the thirteen who had remained behind, his expression grave: "The external invaders are dealt with. Now we must identify those responsible for this incident! Who was the one who ultimately approved opening the gates to let Bajiazi Village's people in? Step forward!"

As he spoke, Zhang Su tried to summon fear from within, but there were few things left to truly frighten him now, and the effect was weak. Through this, he recognized his weakness—he would need to focus on training fabricated emotions in the future.

The fear wasn't strong enough, but it was present, and it had some effect.

Thud!

From the crowd, a man suddenly dropped to his knees, facing Zhang Su and Li Zongkai, his face twisted in anguish: "Yanluowang, Brother Li, I bear full blame for today's disaster. It was me—I agreed to let those people in!"

"He Jun… sigh."

Li Zongkai, seeing the man kneeling before him, was heartbroken. This man had always been steady in his duties; though not the strongest in combat, he was a versatile asset—capable of leading squads, charging forward, and managing internal camp affairs. He never expected He Jun to make such a grave mistake.

"And me…"

Another man dropped to his knees beside He Jun with a thud, his voice choked with grief: "The decision was made together with Old He. If punishment is due, punish me too!"

Most people didn't know that when Bajiazi Village first arrived at the camp's gates, the combat personnel had been divided over whether to admit them. He Jun and Ding Xiaoshuai were the two who had stubbornly insisted on opening the gates.

Seeing the emotional influence take effect, Zhang Su immediately calmed himself, settling into a state of stillness as he regarded the two men before him. When unnecessary, he must cultivate the habit of minimal emotional fluctuation, to avoid unintentionally affecting the crowd. Fortunately, this training wasn't difficult.

But he still needed to find a way to control the switch—right now, he had no time.

"Of the thirteen combat personnel who stayed behind, only you two agreed to admit Bajiazi Village's people. Without others' support, the gates wouldn't have opened. Speak—what else was hidden here?"

Zhang Su thought to himself: if he and Yu Wen had both been absent from Tianma Island, and no temporary commander had been appointed, he'd likely have followed the majority vote—or worse, ignored the matter entirely, thinking it better to avoid trouble.

If he'd known what had happened on Tianma Island, he'd have silently given himself a thumbs-up; Zhong Xiaoshan and the others' decision on the Daqiao Fortress matter had matched his own thinking exactly.

Safety or crisis, survival or extinction—none of it was preordained. It was always caused by human choices.

Zhang Su's question hung in the air, and the crowd fell silent. There was indeed a hidden truth—but no one dared speak it.

The standby combat personnel exchanged glances, clearly struggling to voice what they knew.

The ordinary members' emotions were complex: their lives had been protected by the combat personnel, yet this time they'd nearly died because of a flawed decision. Still, they knew well—they, as beneficiaries of protection, had no right to judge.

"Da Zhuang, you speak!"

After scanning the crowd, Zhang Su finally spotted Da Zhuang, whom he'd met once before.

Da Zhuang stood one meter eighty-six tall—even among the tall northerners, he stood out. His frame was massive, packed with muscle, weighing over two hundred and forty jin. He was Li Zongkai's strongest combatant left behind, and if only close-quarters brawling counted, he was the top fighter in the entire Civilization Guard.

Hearing Zhang Su call his name, Da Zhuang scratched his head, visibly conflicted, then stomped his foot and began speaking.

"We… most of us didn't clearly state our stance, so… so… it was mainly because those people from Bajiazi Village were so convincing. They looked utterly pitiful, and… and when they mentioned Brother Li's policy—'rescue as the priority, assistance as secondary'—we… we just… went along."

Wherever you go, there are always fence-sitters—it's unavoidable. But the policy of "rescue as the priority, assistance as secondary" filled Zhang Su with deep dissatisfaction.

"Mr. Zhang, I bear serious fault in this matter. I must apologize to you!"

At this point, Li Zongkai felt he could not escape blame, and stepped forward to admit his error without hesitation.

If not for Li Zongkai's special status and the 【Mark of Loyalty】, Zhang Su would have suspected this man was deliberately stirring trouble…

"Old Li, what can I even say to you? This is the end of the world, do you understand? Zombies aren't the only ones who eat people—people eat people too, and humans are worse than zombies. Those people from Bajiazi Village betrayed us to survive. Were they wrong? From their perspective, they did nothing wrong! Had they succeeded, their crimes against our brothers would be seen as heroic acts by their own kind. To survive, people will do anything. How could you possibly have set such a stupid policy as 'rescue as the priority, assistance as secondary'?"

Zhang Su was furious, but he poured all his anger onto Li Zongkai, to prevent it from spreading and affecting the crowd. After shouting, he turned to the crowd, his tone resolute:

"My position is clear: no matter how many survivors there are outside—hundreds, thousands, even tens of thousands—if saving them requires sacrificing our own people, there is no negotiation. If someone must die, it must be those outside. Do you agree?"

"Agreed! Absolutely agreed!"

"Right! Brother Zhang is right!"

Everyone around him felt a warm current surge through them. This philosophy differed sharply from the policies Li Zongkai had previously promoted, yet it was deeply welcomed. If you can't even guarantee your own people's safety, what right do you have to save outsiders? After enduring the trials of the apocalypse, all the white lotuses and saintly mothers were dead…

"I believe that no matter what decision you made, your intentions were good. But good intentions cannot excuse mistakes. Responsibility must be held accountable!"

After gaining a wave of goodwill, Zhang Su turned to He Jun and Ding Xiaoshuai.

"I deeply recognize my error. It was my lack of experience—I bear undeniable responsibility!"

Li Zongkai's emotions were complex, but he was the first to step forward and take blame.

"No, Brother Li, you bear no blame. We never consulted you before making our decision. This was our own initiative—the fault lies entirely with us!"

"Yes, Brother Li! Your policy was made under different circumstances. We failed to adapt—it's our fault for causing this tragedy!"

The two men kneeling on the ground did not shift blame. So many comrades had died—this responsibility could not be dodged.

The crowd murmured quietly. Zhang Su's ears twitched slightly, catching most of their words. The ordinary members didn't speak up to plead for anyone, but their tone made it clear: Li Zongkai must not be blamed. At least half the people here owed their place in the camp to his policies.

This was a difficult situation to handle…

It involved the original leader's regulations, democratic voting, tacit approval—all of which, had Bajiazi Village behaved properly, would have been manageable—even if they later rose again in rebellion.

But now, ten people were dead—the problem was grave. Li Zongkai had made a mistake, but a minor one. Policies must adapt to changing circumstances; that's obvious. The entire Civilization Guard's development was built upon the systems he established. Changes would come later, but past actions could not be retroactively punished.

Publicly, privately, and considering public opinion, Zhang Su would not severely punish Li Zongkai. That left only the two who had made the actual decision.

How to punish them now fell to Zhang Su. Too harsh? Inappropriate. Too lenient? Also inappropriate. "You two—look up at me!"

Zhang Su turned to He Jun and Ding Xiaoshuai.

They lifted their heads. He Jun's face was lined with age, around forty. Ding Xiaoshuai was young, barely twenty, similar in age to Qi Xiaoshuai. They were born in the same era, and their parents had given them the same names…

"Did you think being a leader was easy? Making decisions is simple? Now people are dead because of your decisions. What do you propose to do?"

Zhang Su crossed his arms behind his back. Difficult? Then let's kick the ball once. His mind was calm as he carefully sensed their emotions.

"Nothing can bring back our comrades, but I accept any punishment—even death—I won't refuse!"

Ding Xiaoshuai screamed hysterically, his face resolute, as if ready for martyrdom.

He Jun remained silent for a long while, then spoke in a dull tone: "I cannot die. I must atone for my sins. If I die, I cannot atone. I would betray the families of those who died. I must atone."

Zhang Su narrowed his eyes, listening quietly. No one noticed his eyes flicker with sudden insight—he had just seen Ding Xiaoshuai's eyelid twitch, and he'd instinctively glanced toward He Jun, but restrained himself.

If that were the only subtle gesture, Zhang Su wouldn't have thought much of it. But vaguely, he sensed an odd fluctuation in their emotions—an almost mystical feeling.

He Jun's heart was filled with remorse. Though he said he couldn't die, his voice carried no longing for life. His claim of atonement was credible.

Ding Xiaoshuai, by contrast, was emotionally complex. Zhang Su couldn't identify each emotion, but he detected a trace of luck—perhaps because luck dominated his feelings, it had become noticeable.

Without He Jun as a contrast, Zhang Su might never have detected Ding Xiaoshuai's hidden complexity.

Luck.

Zhang Su disliked the emotion of luck—especially under these circumstances. What was Ding Xiaoshuai lucky for? That the disaster hadn't claimed more lives?

That the Yanluo Army arrived quickly to resolve it?

Or was he lucky that his sincere demeanor would win sympathy and spare him punishment? Of the three possibilities, the latter two disgusted him. Combined with Ding Xiaoshuai's micro-expression, Zhang Su already knew how to handle this.

"I respect your own choices!"

Before the crowd could react, Zhang Su stepped forward, chambered a round, and aimed directly at Ding Xiaoshuai's face, filled with shock and disbelief.

Click.

A single shot fired. At less than two meters, there was no chance of missing. The bullet pierced the cotton cap and cleanly ended Ding Xiaoshuai's life.

"Since you're willing to give your life to comfort the dead—farewell." Zhang Su stepped forward, gently closed Ding Xiaoshuai's unyielding eyelids, covering the lingering surprise in his eyes.

As his words faded, the echo of the gunshot gradually subsided across the open field.

The crowd stood frozen, stunned—

That was it? The verdict? Zhang Su's actions told everyone: yes, it was that swift. He stood and turned to He Jun beside him: "You chose to atone with the rest of your life. We'll judge you by your future actions. I believe you won't disappoint us."

Ding Xiaoshuai's execution had been sudden and brief. Aside from a few Yanluo Army members who weren't startled, only He Jun…

He had flinched at the gunshot, his body reflexively trembling—but after that, he didn't move again, as if the life or death of those around him meant nothing to him.

Hearing Zhang Su's words, He Jun lifted his head, looked at Zhang Su, and nodded silently.

"See that? That's the man you think isn't much older than you, who casually holds life and death in his hands. And you, you little brat, still dare to chatter back? Boss Zhang didn't cut you down with a blade—that's giving me face. You'd better watch yourself from now on!"

From the back of the crowd, Ding Yongguo sternly scolded his nephew Zheng Ziwen.

"He… but what's so special about him? I haven't seen anything remarkable."

Zheng Ziwen trembled at Zhang Su's ruthless decisiveness in executing Ding Xiaoshuai, but as a rebellious youth, he was half-convinced, half-resistant.

Ding Yongguo took a deep breath. Had the setting allowed, he'd have slapped Zheng Ziwen across the face. He held back his anger: "Don't you know how to judge things by others' reactions? Hundreds treat him with respect. Do you think you're the only one with brains? Get lost—I can't stand looking at you!"

Zhang Su heard several murmurs in the crowd, and knew Ding Yongguo was scolding his nephew, but he had no time to listen closely. He looked at He Jun's dull gaze and sighed, then raised his hand: "Stand up. Return to your unit."

With the main culprits dealt with, the indirect ones must also be punished!

Zhang Su turned to Li Zongkai, speaking with gravity: "Old Li, you can say you're responsible for today's incident—or you can say you're not. I think you should accept some punishment."

"Deserved. Deserved. Whatever you decide, Brother Zhang, I accept without complaint."

Li Zongkai's attitude was sincere and humble.

"I don't deny your abilities and achievements in internal administration. But you've shown poor judgment regarding survival in the apocalypse. For now, take some rest. Assist Liu Yao and Yang Xinqi. Any objections?"

Zhang Su finished speaking. Before Li Zongkai could react, Liu Yao and Yang Xinqi at the front of the crowd were startled.

After Tianma Island absorbed the forces of the Four Tigers from Beicheng, its population surged past seven hundred. Even if everyone gathered on Tianma Island, integration between divisions would take time. The supreme leader, of course, was Yanluowang Zhang Su.

The managers of each division were likely the former leaders.

Originally, the LeGou Division had been leaderless. Zhang Su had occasionally hinted he'd appoint Li Zongkai to lead it. With the Civilization Guard and LeGou Division combined, nearly four hundred people—over half of Tianma Island's population—meant immense power.

Now it was over: he was stripped of command and reduced to a subordinate assistant. In the past, such a fall would have crushed a man's spirit—some might even have jumped from a building.

Yu Wen frowned, adjusting his glasses in confusion. He'd thought Zhang Su would just scold Li Zongkai and be done. He hadn't expected this—punishment was severe, though not by life-or-death standards.

A murmur spread through the Civilization Guard. Many found the punishment unjust. But no one dared speak up. The current situation was clear to all.

"No objections. Absolutely none. I lack ability—I must train. Only then can I grow. Thank you, Brother Zhang, for giving me this chance!"

The party involved, Li Zongkai, showed the least reaction; after hearing Zhang Su's words, he felt a great weight lifted, a look of quiet triumph appearing on his face.

(End of Chapter)