Chapter 136: Warhammer: What Do You Mean You Conquered the Zerg

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

The nobles soon learned of Lin En's attitude.

Because the Governor's Camp had no intention of concealing anything.

No softening or compromise, only greater hardness.

The day after the joint letter was sent, the next batch of house-raiding lists was announced.

The names of dozens of "huddling together for warmth" clans were conspicuously listed.

Panic quickly spread.

"Where is the Supreme King? Supreme King, say something~?"

"Where is Kalmu Adult? He said he would support us!"

"Where is the State Religion? Archbishop Goodwin, why are you only 'verbally condemning'?!"

No one answered.

Karadong never showed his face.

Calum's "support" remained only in words, providing everything except help.

Archbishop Goodwin did speak, but the content was only one sentence:

"The will of the Divine Chosen is the will of the Emperor; you, as citizens of the Empire, ought to obey."

Obey my ass!

In despair, the most radical group of nobles began to take desperate risks.

Upper City West District, also the first noble gathering place Lin En raided.

This place was originally a prosperous noble district, but now it was filled with a tense atmosphere.

Private soldiers were everywhere on the streets, holding weapons, with guarded expressions.

Several key intersections were blocked by sandbags and iron fences, with Heavy Explosive Guns mounted.

"We want to accuse the Governor of his atrocities!"

A noble stood on a temporarily erected Platform, shouting at the gathered crowd.

"He wants to raid our homes, kill our people, and seize our property!"

"If this continues, Brevis will have no place for us!"

"Right!!!" Indignant agreement rose from below.

"We have already appealed to the Empire, and believe the Tribunal will send people soon!"

"The Legal Affairs Department will also intervene! As long as we hold out for a few days, justice will come!"

These words sounded fine, but he himself knew clearly that outside, a Warp Storm was raging now, and news simply could not get out.

But now, he had no choice, and could only bite the bullet to stand at the intersection and give a speech.

When the first batch of elite PDF appeared at the West District boundary, the atmosphere became somewhat frozen.

The leader was a Colonel under Carter, in his forties, with a righteous face.

He stood on a Chimera Armored Vehicle, looking at the trembling private soldiers at the intersection, and raised an Amplifier:

"By order of the Governor's Mansion, confiscate illegal weapons in the West District; those who put down their weapons will not be killed, those who resist..."

"Will be killed without exception!"

The private soldiers looked at each other, someone began to hesitate, and the muzzles in their hands slowly lowered.

"Do not put them down!"

That radical noble rushed out from behind, snatched a private soldier's gun in one grab, and fired a shot into the sky.

"They dare not shoot! We are also citizens of the Empire! They dare not..."

Bang.

A bomb passed through his chest, bringing out a patch of Blood Mist.

The noble widened his eyes, looked down at the smoking hole in his chest, and then fell straight down.

The Colonel put down the Explosive Arrow Gun and continued shouting with the Amplifier:

"Those who resist will be killed without exception."

But the private soldiers did not throw away their weapons; instead, they stared viciously at the Colonel.

When the news reached the Governor's Mansion, Lin En was discussing the next step plan with Carter.

"The nobles in the West District have gathered and are resisting the house raids by force," the orderly said, "one has already been killed."

Lin En put down the Document in his hand and raised his head.

"Looking at this," he said slowly, "they have openly betrayed the Empire."

The Hall instantly fell silent.

Jake·Chake, leader of the Zack Faction, was the first noble to pledge allegiance to Lin En.

He hesitated and opened his mouth:

"G-Governor Sir, were they just incited by someone?"

Lin En looked at him, with only determination in his eyes.

Lin En understood what Zake meant.

This old Noble was afraid, afraid that one day he too would be purged, and end up like those people.

Lin En did not blame him; this fear was only human.

But he had to make things clear.

"No."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked toward Upper City West District in the distance.

"The ones I sent to confiscate property are elite PDF from the Front Line."

"They have bled for the Empire, and are my most elite troops."

He turned and looked at Zake.

"But those rabble even dare to resist elite PDF—they are no longer ordinary Imperial citizens."

Zake was terrified and dared not speak again.

Lin En walked up to him and patted his shoulder.

"Jie, you have followed me from the beginning; I remember this kindness."

His voice suddenly turned ice-cold:

"But those who raised guns in West District—we must strike hard!"

Lin En turned and walked toward the doorway, his cloak billowing behind him like a battle flag about to unfurl.

The great door slammed shut behind him with a boom.

Siti would always remember that day.

It was his first day joining the Vanguard Army.

Before that, he was just an ordinary Qi Diao Zhe in Lower City.

No, not even a Qi Diao Zhe.

At least a Qi Diao Zhe could rummage through debris piles for scraps to trade for food.

And he, having joined no gang, was simply waiting to die.

His mother had starved to the point she could not get out of bed.

His younger brother and sister huddled in the corner, so thin their eyeballs protruded, their lips cracked, unable even to cry out.

Siti divided the last half block of Synthetic Starch Block into four portions, keeping the smallest for himself, looking at those three pairs of eyes, feeling an urge to cry.

But he did not cry; Lower City people did not deserve to cry.

Crying only consumed moisture, and moisture was more precious than food.

Until one day, the Vanguard Army's recruitment team came.

Siti dragged his two legs, soft as caterpillars, and squeezed into that long line.

Several thousand people stood ahead, all young men as yellow-skinned and emaciated as him.

Someone collapsed on the spot, was dragged aside, and no one gave them another glance.

When it was his turn, the recruitment officer looked him up and down.

"How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

The recruitment officer snorted; nineteen, but looking like forty.

The years in Lower City made one year feel like ten.

"Can you fight?"

Siti did not know if he could fight.

He had only fought three times in his life—twice over garbage, once because someone tried to lay hands on his sister.

He won all three, because losing meant death.

"I can," he said.

Afterwards he underwent a simple test and passed the Vanguard Army's assessment.

The recruitment officer tossed him a uniform and a card.

"Put on the uniform, hold the card, go to the Warehouse to collect your rations."

Siti looked down at the card.

Printed on it was a line of text:

Vanguard Army Fifth Legion, Recruit Siti, advance rations, fifty kilograms of standard starch blocks.

Fifty kilograms.

He had never seen so much food in his life.

Even after collecting his rations and returning home, he thought he was still dreaming.

His younger brother and sister clutched those crudely packaged starch blocks as if they were the most precious treasures in the world.

That night, they ate their first full meal since birth.

His mother cried—the first time Siti had ever seen her cry.

"Remember this person," his mother said, pointing to the emblem on the card, the mark of the Brewis Governor's Office.

"Remember who gave you all this."

Siti nodded; he remembered.