Chapter 538: Chapter 532: Free Choice

Gao Dapang sobbed, "Shijun, my good brother, once I earn some Crystal Cores, I’ll definitely pay you back for all the food I’ve owed you these past few days."

A female classmate with long hair, her eyes red, asked, "The sand worms inside us... can we really be saved?"

Song Shijun nodded emphatically. "Even if you don’t believe me, you have to believe in Dr. Yu’s abilities. If he says it’s possible, it’s definitely possible."

The few classmates immediately brightened up.

Seeing their spirits lift, Song Shijun couldn’t help but smile happily too. "Hurry up and eat. You need to be full to have the strength for what comes next."

"Okay."

Over here, Song Shijun and his classmates ate and chatted boisterously, sharing their experiences since the apocalypse began.

Nearby, under guard and having not had a single drop of water, Chen Jiajia was so angry she could spit blood.

Chen Chong was also starving and miserable. But every time he opened his mouth, a member of Team A would immediately shut him down. After this happened several times, it left Chen Chong with a bit of a complex.

Now, watching Song Shijun give food to his classmates and teachers made them incredibly resentful.

’Why is it that we’re all from Gushang Base, but some get to eat and others don’t? Do they play favorites on rescue missions?’

"Dad!" Chen Jiajia urged, furious and frantic.

Chen Chong braced himself and raised his voice. "Even prisoners of war aren’t left to starve to death, are they?"

"We need water and food! We haven’t had a proper meal in three to five days."

"Captain Gu, since you’re here at Gushang Base on a rescue mission, you shouldn’t be playing favorites!"

His voice was loud, so Gu Chen naturally heard him.

But so what if he heard? He just gave them a faint glance before turning away to deal with other matters.

Chen Chong was so angry he felt faint. He turned to look at the two Team A members guarding them.

"What? Are you trying to starve and dehydrate us to death?"

"I’m so thirsty!" Chen Jiajia screamed. "I want water! Give me water, give me water!"

"Jiajia, my poor child," Chen Chong cried out with a dramatic performance. "Xie Ning, Gu Chen, what exactly are you trying to do?"

The person who’d been called out, Xie Ning, was currently behind Team Two’s captain, Hu Jianfeng, watching the commotion.

She watched them nervously organizing one temporary team after another.

She watched the ordinary people who had come out of the shelter, roaring with all sorts of protests.

Hu Jianfeng was at his wit’s end dealing with all these aunties and uncles, grandmas and grandpas. All he could do was repeatedly try to get them to line up.

Just as Xie Ning was enjoying the show, she heard Chen Chong’s voice calling her name from across the crowd.

The moment Xie Ning turned her head, she smilingly bestowed a Metal Spike upon him.

Because she was standing right next to Team Two’s captain, Hu Jianfeng, the crowd of ordinary people across from him all saw it crystal clear.

The masked girl turned her head, and with an eighteen-meter-long Metal Spike, pierced straight through Chen Chong’s shoulder.

Hu Jianfeng suddenly noticed that the chaotic mess of noise in front of him came to an abrupt halt.

Hu Jianfeng and the members of Team Two silently glanced at their Sis-in-law, not daring to look for long. They quickly averted their gaze and continued to stand guard with straight faces.

"You can all keep arguing." Xie Ning’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was crisp and clear, drilling directly into the depths of everyone’s minds.

"I have to tell you all something, very unfortunately. A massive horde of zombies has gathered to the north of your Gushang Base, including more than a few Fourth Rank mutated ones."

"When the noise you’re making attracts those zombies from the north..." The young girl smiled as she looked at the crowd.

"I can tell you, with full responsibility, that among all you ordinary people here... not even one in ten would survive."

Xie Ning held up a single finger and wagged it at them.

"Right now, you have about an hour to evacuate."

Xie Ning turned to glance at a stunned Hu Jianfeng. "Go make your report."

"Take who you can, leave who you can’t. Why make it so complicated? Have you finished counting your own team’s personnel?"

Hu Jianfeng nodded forcefully. "Our team has all been accounted for. Besides Zhuang Lei and the others, nine more teammates were unfortunately sacrificed."

"The people from X Realm aren’t among them. We can’t find them and don’t know their current location."

"That’s good enough," Xie Ning nodded. "Go make your report."

"Yes, ma’am!"

After Hu Jianfeng turned and left, murmurs of opposition once again rose from the crowd of ordinary people.

"That’s impossible, right?"

"She’s making it sound so dramatic, as if she can predict exactly when the zombies will arrive."

"Exactly. What does she mean, one hour? My mother-in-law won’t even have her bags packed in an hour."

"What’s wrong with us demanding to take our luggage now? Is that really too much to ask?"

A young soldier from Superpower Team One replied expressionlessly, "We’ve already explained this to you. Too many belongings will slow down the journey."

"The situation is critical right now. We can only prioritize getting you all out safely. As for bulky luggage, you can come back to retrieve it later."

’One of the aunties was even carrying her gas stove from home...’

’Where is she going to get gas at a time like this? What’s the use of carrying that thing? And she won’t even listen to reason.’

’It really takes Sis-in-law to handle this. One show of force from her and they all turn into timid little chicks, not daring to speak loudly.’

But when the aunties saw the young soldier, they dared to raise their voices, all of them clamoring at once.

Xie Ning offered a warm smile. "Whether you leave with us is entirely up to you. It’s not like you’re forced to come along."

"Ah, young lady, isn’t that a bit much to say? Gushang Base is already like this, with sandstorms and bugs everywhere. What else can we do but leave?"

Xie Ning blinked. Her smile was gentle and harmless, but the words that came out were exceptionally cold and merciless. "Die. What else is there to do but die?"

"Morons like you, who spew nonsense and make all sorts of demands when people come to save you... Even someone trying to meet a quota wouldn’t want you."

"Don’t waste so much time talking to them. Give them a time limit."

"Everyone has ten minutes to get in line."

"Anyone outside the lines will be considered to have voluntarily given up their right to live."

"Whether you live or die, whether you come with us or not—it’s all your choice. Enough with the nonsense."

"Start the clock. Now."

The members of Team A held back their laughter as they looked at the dumbfounded members of Superpower Team One, giving them a little wink.

The latter quickly caught on and hurried to carry out their Sis-in-law’s orders.

"Wait, you’re starting the clock now? Isn’t that a little sudden?"

"Fuck, don’t step on me! I’m in the line too, why are you pulling me? Don’t steal my spot!"

"Ten minutes is so fast, there’s not enough time to line up!"

The crowd complained and grumbled, but their speed at lining up wasn’t slow at all...

Ten minutes later, the plaza in front of the shelter, which had been a disorderly mob, was now filled with many long and short, crooked lines.

An auntie holding a stainless steel basin, seeing she couldn’t get into a long line, grabbed her old man and formed a short line of two...

Gu Chen walked over and swept his gaze over them, his face devoid of expression.

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