Chapter 86
I’m unreasonable.
Because you don’t understand what is the reason.
Surrender, or face death.
A simple yet oppressive statement somehow easily solved the problem.
Before Jiang Chen could count to three, the middle-aged broke down and threw the rifle in his hands to the ground. He covered his head and surrendered.
[I won’t let you not surrender. A recoilless cannon had the audacity to resist us? I will gladly trade the vehicle for your thirty worthless lives, do you dare to trade with me?]
His audacity was based on Jiang Chen’s willingness to negotiate, but Jiang Chen no longer wished to discuss.
All the survivors stood outside with faces of humiliation as they looked at the “invaders”. Jiang Chen was not here to capture captives, as he still expected these people to peacefully integrate. Even if they brought them back, there was no place to imprison them. Perhaps it would even cause resistance from other survivor groups.
These survivor groups were not completely powerless to be able to survive this long. If this group had the recoilless cannon, the next group might have laser rifles. That weapon could pose a threat to the power armors as the C plastic steel formed armor could deflect bullets, but it would not be able to withstand high energy laser penetration.
Jiang Chen no longer wasted his time on the middle-aged man called Zhao Baodong as he directly gave out his demand. 50% of your force will temporarily join Jiang Chen’s team.
Zhao Baodong’s eyes immediately popped when he heard the proposition. Just as he was about to refuse, he was met with an icy stare, so he forced a smiled and swallowed his sentence back.
After this, the survivor group led by Zhao Baodong had a number – 02 (?????), the 8 riflemen joined Jiang Chen’s team acquired the numbers 021-028.
It was much more convenient as Jiang Chen was too lazy to remember their names. He could just order them using numbers.
After the stick, for the best effect, it was to throw a carrot. Jiang Chen told them about the “good news”. After the battle ends, they could collect crystals. Since they wielded the power armors, it was troublesome to bend down.
Zhao Baodong became energetic when he heard he was responsible for picking up the money. Even if Jiang Chen added a sentence that half of it will be Fishbone base’s spoil of war, it would not extinguish his passion.
Jiang Chen disdainfully looked at this short-sighted person as he gave him another task. The task was to convince, or, to order the other survivor groups to join the force. If they refuse, it was okay to just beat their a**es.
Jiang Chen didn’t bring his force too close for the remainder of the trip as he only needed to show off his firepower from afar to successfully convince the other survivor groups. Even the stubborn survivor groups surrendered with white flags when the 20mm heavy machine gun shot above them and they experienced the splash of concrete dust.
Their firepower was not on the same level.
Fortunately, everyone was smart. No one held the unrealistic fantasy of “staying behind to scavenge” or “they are too afraid to shoot.” After all, 18th year has passed by since the world turned into an apocalypse.
A total of 154 people, the force suddenly felt cumbersome.
“Why do we need so many people?” Sun Jiao secretly asked Jiang Chen in the private channel.
“Not useful for combat, useful for strategic purposes.” Jiang Chen’s answer was crisp. Although she was confused, she didn’t say anything more.
“To be honest, you were quite manly when you acted fearsomely. My heart was beating really fast,” Sun Jiao teased Jiang Chen in the private channel.
Although it was said in a joking voice, she didn’t lie. When she heard Jiang Chen’s coarse and grim <Machine Gun Armed> in the public channel, her scalp felt a tingling sensation.
She reminisced the first time they met and how much the man she loves grew. She was proud.
That feeling was similar to how Jiang Chen felt when she became more “civilized.”
“…”Jiang Chen ignored her naughtiness. He knew she was teasing him as he will “take care” of her once they return.
–
If the survivors could control the inherent human flaws and stand from the perspective of the entire species. Disregarding the bacteria source, the world would return to human control after a few days.
But it was futile when the elites and powerful all boarded the ship to the distant “land of hope”, leaving a world of chaos. A world no one had the interest to rebuild.
Why was there no interest?
The farming culture’s utmost desire for land was because land produced food. But after the blessing from the nuclear and biological weapons, not a single piece of land was arable on this planet. The mutants didn’t even dare to eat the mutated and crooked plants, what’s the purpose of the land now?
The ironic part was that the ones who started the war left as they didn’t need to bear the consequences of the war. They stepped onto the space colonization ship and carried with them the supposed hope for the civilization, leaving the desolated land for a new world yet to be tarnished.
Of course, it was pointless to say that now.
The point is that there is no purpose in expecting that these people will understand. The people with foresight either got in the ship, suicided, or already became a leader of a piece of land. The refugee like survivors that hid the darkness, although free, only had freedom left.
Jiang Chen, who thought through everything, no longer reasoned with the remaining survivors. He used his suppressive stance to force them to oblige. If he didn’t give them the option to negotiate, it was much simpler.
“In the end, this is for me.” Like this, every survivor convinced themselves.
“There will also be crystals.” Like that, every survivor encouraged themselves.
When they were on the battlefield, there was nowhere to go. Run? Who could out run the zombies without the genetic vaccine? Separating from the force was a death penalty, an internal conflict now meant death.
Everyone, forced to work together, did not encounter many obstacles. Although the zombies howled and dashed at the group, with the help of the buildings as a natural barrier and the armored tank as the main force, the group pushed the sea of zombies back and moved forward.
Between life and death, every survivor was energized with the passion of fighting. No one saved bullets, and no one tried to hide behind their teammates.
The latter part of the combat was hard fought. After leaving behind 17 bodies, the thousands of zombies surrounding the force were all eradicated in the street. The last obstacle to the targeted area was quickly cleared.
The zombies in the area were easily eradicated as most of the zombies were surrounding Fishbone’s base. There were some zombies around the bacteria source, but it was nowhere as “crowded.”
He shook the blood and sticky content off of his armor and ordered the survivors to rest here and collect the crystals.
Hearing the “leader’s” order, the survivors erupted in cheerful joy. They dashed to the already dead or crippled zombies as they pulled out their dagger and started to collect.
It was the time to harvest. There was an estimate of at least three hundred thousand crystals! For the survivors that lived off of a few crystals and ran pettily to the Sixth Street or other survival bases to exchange for necessities, it was an unimaginable amount of wealth.
Even if they had to turn in half of it, why did that matter? Since they were the primary force in the battle, it was already a generous offer.
As to the people who died …
In the Apocalypse, death was an ordinary thing.
The previously sad looking survivors suddenly became grateful towards Jiang Chen.
Some people were weird creatures. If you were nice to them, they would take everything for granted. Even if they were the slightest bit discontent, they would be upset. But if you started off with a gun to their head and gave them a slap in the face when they showed any signs of resistance, they will hate you. Though as long as are nice to them, by just the smallest margin, they’ll immediately act sincerely and thankfully.
It may be an exaggeration, but the meaning stays the same. Clinically, it is called Stockholm syndrome. The deceitful and short sighted has been particularly prone to this disease. A civilized negotiation would only make them think that you were afraid.
Oppress, conquer, and then train.
Seeing the grateful look from the survivors, Jiang Chen wanted to slap himself.
Why didn’t he think through such a simple concept?
Within this half an hour, all the crystals were collected. Jiang Chen generously offered everyone there a piece of compressed cracker. He told them that after eating a piece, drinking some water will make them full. He then stated that all the survivor groups participating in the mission could obtain the privilege to trade for this type of cracker at a price of one crystal on the condition that they maintain a good relationship with Fish Bone.
After finishing the sentence, the survivors were even more ecstatic as they almost took him for a God. Although the Sixth Street sold compressed crackers as well, it was not safe to travel far away from the apocalypse.
The leader of each survivor groups simultaneously expressed that from then on. They will be under the guidance of Fishbone Base.
Sun Jiao felt delighted as she mischievously looked at her man accepting the gratitude and respect from the people.
[It would be perfect if only he were not a player…]
Although she knew that this point was unrealistic.
–
The high spirited team embarked on the road that they previously could only sneak through.
Unafraid of zombies, unafraid of mutants. Under the command of glory and wealth, humans regained their long forgotten dignity.
Although they had encountered Roshans multiple time, Sun Jiao had obviously prepared for that.
She grabbed a 72mm anti-vehicle cannon from the back of the powered vehicle. The two-meter long pitch black barrel had a frightening vibe.
She activated the anchor device as the steel rod penetrated into the concrete road. Sun Jiao fired the cannon. Before the shell hit the ground, the brain was already shattered into pieces of black and white.
She already simulated this move countless times in the virtual reality system as the cannon hit right on target.
In the rural area, the most dangerous mutant would be the Roshan. However, under their oppressive technology, even the Roshan was only a pile of meat. It is rumored that city center has even more powerful and dangerous zombies, but even Sun Jiao has never seen them before since ordinary people would not visit the city center for fun.
The team maintained their speed with the goal of reaching the border of the bacteria source by noon.
But when they were almost there, Jiang Chen had the stop the team.
“The unknown bacteria concentration level already increased to 37. The thick cloud in front is unsettling. The yellowish-green particles look like bacteria stuck together. No one will survive in that condition except for the soldiers in power armor,” With a stern look, Sun Jiao reported to Jiang Chen.
“It is a problem. But before I left, I did somewhat guess we would encounter this.” Jiang Chen’s mouth curled up.
Since it was a bacteria source, there was no reason that the area surrounding it would not be infiltrated with bacteria yet to spread. Although he didn’t know the bacteria would evenly spread around the source of the bacteria in an egg shape, that didn’t change anything.
It was a wise decision to purchase the high energy vacuum bomb.
“Although I didn’t do my research, nor do I know what can counter the bacteria, I do believe that as long as they are carbon based cells, it would be scared of fire. Air is everywhere? Then I’ll even burn the air.