Chapter 145: Unexpected Twists!

Although the supplies from thirty carts looked plentiful, they amounted to nothing compared to the entire South City.

In just half a day, they were all traded away.

"I never thought we could actually trade those Energy Crystals for food!"

"Yeah, I thought the authorities were tricking us! Now we finally don't have to worry about having nothing to eat!"

The survivors who obtained the supplies were naturally delighted.

But the survivors who failed to get food immediately protested.

It's not scarcity that worries us but inequality—if you had nothing from the start, that's fine, but now some have and some don't; how can those who got nothing accept this?

Countless people swarmed the trading point, completely surrounding the few guard members in charge of the exchange.

"Why do they have it while we don't? Call out your person in charge!"

"Right! Hand over the food!"

"Hand it over!"

The crowd's emotions ran high, they started shoving each other, and it looked like it would erupt into a massive riot and looting.

The guards tasked with maintaining order sweated on their foreheads, already gripping their waist weapons with extreme tension.

At this critical moment, a clear gunshot cracked through the noisy sky.

"Bang!"

Everyone was stunned by the gunshot, instinctively fell silent, and fearfully searched for its source.

Only then did they see a middle-aged soldier standing on the truck roof behind the trading point, seemingly out of nowhere.

He held a finely crafted automatic rifle, its barrel still smoking, and his icy gaze slowly swept over everyone present.

This was Lin Hai, who had previously been in charge of trading with Xuanwu City.

He was here because Luo Tiancheng had long anticipated this scene and had therefore sent him over.

One purpose was to maintain order; the other was to convey the authorities' decision!

"I know many people are angry because they didn't get any supplies."

His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly to everyone's ears,

"But there's nothing we can do—right now we only have this much supplies!"

Just as the crowd was about to riot again, Lin Hai's following words left them completely dumbfounded,

"You have two options!"

"What options?"

Someone in the crowd asked.

"First, the authorities will provide no less than today's amount of supplies for trade every day starting tomorrow!"

Upon hearing that, many people hesitated.

"What if they can't produce it tomorrow? We can't just starve, can we?"

Lin Hai naturally understood their concerns; if he were in their position, he'd likely have the same worry,

"Don't worry—since I said there will be, there definitely will be, and I have reasons for saying so!"

"And this is my second option for you: you can take your Energy Crystals to Xuanwu City to trade, and the supplies we're offering this time were all obtained from Xuanwu City!"

"Xuanwu City?"

"What place is that?"

"I've never even heard of such a place!"

Many in the crowd began to whisper among themselves!

Then Lin Hai explained the situation and location of Xuanwu City, and only then did all the survivors suddenly understand.

As it turned out, that city which had appeared without warning a month ago in the suburbs of South City was none other than Xuanwu City!

"Good heavens! So that's Xuanwu City? I thought it was just crustal movement from an earthquake!"

"Come on, come on! Why are you standing there? Hurry up and go trade for food!"

"Brothers! Grab your gear! Let's form a team and go 'stock up' at Xuanwu City!"

In an instant, countless survivors, as if injected with adrenaline, surged in groups toward the shelter's exit.

They could already imagine themselves exchanging for mountains of food, from then on living carefree days of plentiful meals.

However, the ideal was lush, while the reality was meager.

For the soldiers stationed at the South City official shelter who rode in armored vehicles, a journey of several dozen kilometers was merely a half-hour drive.

But for these ordinary survivors long suffering from hunger and malnutrition, that distance of several dozen kilometers was no less than an uncrossable chasm.

Never mind the possible mutant beast threats along the way; just this distance alone could cost them half their lives.

"I… I… I can't go on…"

A sallow‑skinned young man had barely walked a few kilometers before he collapsed on the ground, panting heavily, feeling as if his lungs were about to burst.

"Damn it! If we keep walking without getting food, we'll starve to death on the road before we even get there!"

Someone nearby couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath.

More and more people stopped in their tracks.

It wasn't that they didn't want to; they simply couldn't walk any further!

Now they faced two choices: return to the shelter and wait for tomorrow's official supplies to trade, or continue onward to Xuanwu City.

But just thinking about the dozens of kilometers still ahead filled everyone with despair—after just a few kilometers they were already exhausted, let alone dozens more.

Meanwhile, back at the shelter,

Luo Tiancheng also received this news.

"My fault! I didn't think things through!"

He only wanted to quickly establish trade relations with Xuanwu City, but he overlooked the most basic reality faced by ordinary survivors.

"Commander, now is not the time for self-blame."

Lin Hai said in a low voice,

"We must immediately find a way to calm the people's emotions!"

Beside him, the Operations Department Chief Zhang Qishan, who had consistently opposed trade, finally found an opportunity and spoke in a sarcastic tone:

"Pacify? How do we pacify?"

"You…!"

Luo Tiancheng's face turned ashen with anger at his words, but there was nothing he could do—after all, who made the current situation his fault!

"The only way to calm their emotions now is to lift the trade restrictions."

A staff officer proposed.

"I oppose!"

Zhang Qishan rejected it outright without even thinking,

"Our shelter's food supplies are already tight; how could we possibly conduct unlimited trade? If Xuanwu City stops trading with us, who will bear the consequences?"

"Then what do you suggest?!"

"My suggestion is simple."

Zhang Qishan gave a cold chuckle, a flash of ruthlessness crossing his eyes.

"Use force directly—whoever dares to cause trouble gets killed! I don't believe they'd still dare to cause trouble!"

"You're just pushing them onto a dead-end path!"

"In the apocalypse, human life isn't worth much. Sacrificing a small number of people for the shelter's stability is a necessary cost."

"Enough!"

Luo Tiancheng slammed his hand on the table and sprang to his feet.

The loud noise silenced the entire meeting room instantly, and everyone's gaze focused on him.

"I disagree with Chief Zhang's proposal."

"Pointing a butcher's knife at our own compatriots, what's the difference between us and the mutant beasts outside? Our original purpose in establishing the shelter was to save more people, not to sacrifice a few for the sake of stability!"

Although they often disagreed in daily affairs, and he even knew Zhang Qishan wanted his position,

he never imagined Zhang Qishan would have such a crazy idea.

"Hmph!"

Facing Luo Tiancheng's questioning, Zhang Qishan didn't refute; he also knew his proposal was indeed somewhat crazy.

PS: New book, please urge updates and collect!