Chapter 21: Contending for Fame

The sixteenth floor of the bunker, inside the level-seven architecture conference room.

The meeting was still ongoing.

"Such good medicine, are we really going to give it to the people at the bottom? Everyone should be very clear... about the value of these medicines."

"We have plenty of level-five medicines, but they cannot resolve the epidemic at the bottom."

The speaker was the director of the Fifth Bureau of the Bunker Administration Bureau. The director of the First Bureau was her former old superior.

The two had played with many fresh tricks in private, the kind that would make people gasp even in the Desire Tower.

Naturally, this youngest-ever director of the Administration Bureau was very capable of guessing the intentions of the director of the First Bureau.

Level-five medicine can restore injuries, restoring a person's injuries by a percentage.

It could be said that level-five medicine is also precious, but for one, the effect is relatively slow, and for another, it has almost no effect on diseases.

Level-four medicine can only handle minor illnesses and injuries. Starting from level-three medicine, including lower-level medicines, they already belong to the category of medicines in human cognition that only have effects on partial injuries and illnesses.

Of course, level-seven medicine must also exist; some have speculated that it might be the "elixir" that the ancient emperors pursued.

At the moment, this female director in her early thirties, who still retained her charm, had a very clear meaning:

"Are the people at the bottom really worth us spending such good medicine on?"

"Just a short while ago, our people already arrived at the second floor of the bunker; among them are doctors, as well as the order-maintenance troops of the Security Bureau."

"Everyone, although there is a lot of this medicine and it can indeed alleviate this epidemic crisis... but what about next time?"

"This time it's the bottom, what if it's us next time? Our lives are not something the lives of the bottom can compare to."

"If it weren't for us, the bunker would fall into chaos."

Silence.

After the female director finished speaking, quite a few people showed expressions of contemplation.

And the director of the Second Bureau of the Bunker Security Bureau frowned slightly. The director of the Sixth Bureau of the Security Bureau had an ashen face.

After about ten seconds of silence, it was this director of the Sixth Bureau who retorted:

"According to the investigation, this epidemic cannot be eliminated by any previous medicine."

"Everyone, do you know what this means?"

The crowd did not speak.

The director of the Sixth Bureau of the Security Bureau continued:

"This means this is very likely the precursor to the Great Devouring. Otherwise, where do you think this level of epidemic came from!? Before the arrival of the Great Devouring, it is always accompanied by some disasters."

"This is completely different from the past, where some infectious disease was caused by some man messing with another man's asshole."

"Very clearly, this is a natural disaster warning before the arrival of the Great Devouring!"

"Yes, everyone's lives are of course precious, and the lives of the bottom are of course worthless. At least looking at the current situation, if the people at the bottom die, they die."

"But you must not forget, if it weren't for those people... the external affairs department of the Bunker Security Bureau would not have fresh blood."

"At the same time, after the Great Devouring arrives, you, and you, none of you will be able to escape."

He paused specifically, his gaze looking successively at the director of the Third Bureau of the Security Bureau and the director of the Fifth Bureau of the Administration Bureau.

In the past, these directors would not have swallowed the insult, but mentioning the Great Devouring made their faces turn pale.

The director of the Second Bureau knew that there still had to be an external enemy.

Sometimes, human unity still relies on external pressure.

Is the Three Towers pressure? The Three Towers is not. Because the monsters in the towers will not walk into the bunker.

The Three Towers, in the eyes of the high-level, is just a plot of land, or a forest available for hunting.

What they are truly afraid of is the Great Devouring. That is a disaster that can directly affect the bunker.

"Everyone's lives are certainly more valuable than the lives of the people below. But also don't forget one point, the people below also serve us."

"My meaning is, we should save them if we can."

The director of the Second Bureau of the Security Bureau smoothed things over, his gaze looking at the director of the First Bureau of the Administration Bureau.

The director of the First Bureau of the Administration Bureau nodded:

"The Great Devouring is indeed terrifying; we certainly cannot lose the main force of the bottom layer that explores the Three Towers."

"Since that is the case, then arrange for the most knowledgeable doctors to start distributing the medicine as soon as possible, and arrange a diagnosis coming from us, the high-level."

After saying this, the director of the Fifth Bureau of the Administration Bureau understood:

"I understand, I will contact the people from the Bunker Media Bureau to increase the intensity of the publicity for this diagnosis."

The director of the Sixth Bureau of the Security Bureau showed an expression of disgust.

Logically speaking, this medicine was brought by a child named Wen Xishu.

But next, it would likely be promoted as the credit of the high-level.

The director of the Second Bureau of the Security Bureau was all smiles, though everyone knew that this chubby director of the Second Bureau was also a model of hiding a knife in a smile.

The Security Bureau was borrowing flowers to offer to Buddha, and the common people also received treatment, which was good, but the director of the Second Bureau did not want others to know the secret of Wen Zhaohua.

To go one step further at the peak of power, sometimes one must be more selfish. Only then, in this life, would there be a chance to come into contact with the Council of Elders.

He was too eager for advancement.

In the current situation, the Security Bureau and the Administration Bureau both decided to save people. But the attitude of Wen Xishu and the others had not changed.

Therefore, he must find a way to use external force to first let Wen Xishu break free from the control of the First Bureau.

The director of the Second Bureau silently touched the bracelet on his wrist, waiting for the operations of the people below, his smile becoming increasingly amiable.

……

……

Wen Xishu was suffering.

The first stage of interrogation was fatigue interrogation.

The so-called fatigue interrogation was to constantly ask Wen Xishu various questions. Over and over again, and then through one or two slips, gradually destroy the other party's logic.

However, Wen Xishu's logic was not destroyed; on the contrary, he made the interrogator furious.

"Wen Xishu, don't think that playing crazy will work; this time the high-level won't care if your brain will be damaged."

Wen Xishu looked at the other party and suddenly said:

"Are you from the Security Bureau?"

"Of course."

"If you let Liu Jinsen come to interrogate me, the effect might be better."

"I might as well tell you, I am Xie Changfeng of the First Bureau of the Bunker Security Bureau; my rank is higher than Liu Jinsen's."

Xie Changfeng mentioned his rank, quite proud:

"The people from the Second Bureau and the Sixth Bureau are all a bunch of people who only care about climbing the tower and have no bottom line. Especially the Sixth Bureau. They are not qualified to interrogate you."

Wen Xishu nodded:

"Then why don't you just use those things; truth serum is more useful than you, I have nothing to say to you."

"Your interrogation methods are like a woman's."

"Really, either you swap in Liu Jinsen, this thing has nothing to do with rank. Even if you became the Bunker Master, my contempt for your intelligence would not decrease."

"Either you use truth serum, don't force yourself, or you dance to disgust me? I might just say it, but if you want to play mind games with me..."

Wen Xishu did not finish his next words, just let out a rather mocking "pfft."

He already knew some things; just as he thought, the interior of the Bunker Security Bureau was not united, and the positions between the six bureaus were complex.

This meant his chance of survival was greater.

However, he was also clear that this interrogator had some hatred for the Wen family, and he himself might not be able to hold on much longer.

After all, truth serum would instantly destroy his mental defenses.

So Wen Xishu thought about using words to provoke the other party, first creating a logic that if you use truth serum, it means you are incompetent, in order to delay the moment of being broken by the drug.

Xie Changfeng was indeed provoked and started beating Wen Xishu. He cursed with foul language, but... he couldn't out-curse Wen Xishu.

Being beaten was nothing in Wen Xishu's view.

He noted down this Xie Changfeng whose rank was higher than Liu Jinsen's.

In the future, he would just beat him back twice as hard.

……

……

Wen Xishu was being interrogated by people from the Third Bureau of the Bunker Security Bureau.

However, on the second floor, the Third Bureau of the Bunker Security Bureau and the Fifth Bureau of the Bunker Administration Bureau had not forgotten to reap benefits from Wen Xishu.

After the high-level officials in the conference room determined the final policy, very soon, the doctors on the second floor started entering the hospital, and after a brief job assignment, they began to distribute the medicine.

And on the second floor, there was soon publicity.

"Our Bunker Administration Bureau, together with the Bunker Security Bureau, has always been trying to find ways to resolve this epidemic crisis."

"We are heart-to-heart with everyone, we will always serve everyone!"

"Serving the broad masses of fellow citizens at the bottom is our unchanging purpose!"

Twenty-four vehicles, carrying large loudspeakers, were constantly broadcasting.

People also followed the guidance one after another, arriving in front of the level-six facility hospital, lining up in a long queue.

These were patients waiting for treatment.

However, something unexpected by the high-level officials appeared: they were not grateful to the high-level.

No matter how the high-level promoted it, the moment they received the medicine, "belonging to Wen Xishu" could not be denied.

This was the best publicity.

What the higher-ups had not expected even more was that the publicity for Wen Xishu had actually begun earlier than their own decision-making.

This had to start from an insignificant little person.

(End of chapter)