The grassroots people have long risked their lives to do the most arduous manual labor, yet they are often hungry and cold, living worse than dogs, and their lives are getting worse and worse.

Under such circumstances, the base also significantly increased the benefits for its high-ranking officers, allowing them to live a life of extravagance every day.

Even the hot spring plantation, which was the hope of the lower-level fund investors, was turned into a "senior management sanatorium" to provide enjoyment for the senior management of the base.

All of this made the grassroots base members unable to suppress their anger any longer. The lofty slogans and promising futures that the Fireseed Base once gave them no longer mattered.

"This is simply a mockery of us ordinary people!" a young man with a wrinkled face shouted angrily. His hands were clenched into fists, and his eyes flashed with resentment.

“Yes, we struggle to survive every day, while those in high positions only care about their own enjoyment,” a young woman echoed, her voice trembling with a sob.

She once dreamed of eating sweet potato porridge one day, but now it seems that this is just a distant dream.

The news spread rapidly among the grassroots, arousing their strong dissatisfaction.

Some people began to secretly organize rallies, planning to protest this unfair decision.

In order to maintain firm control over all levels of the Fireseed Base, Li Yi planted many spies both overtly and covertly within the base. These spies, like an invisible net, infiltrated every corner of the Fireseed Base, monitoring every possible sign of unrest.

News of the illegal secret gatherings of some grassroots Christians quickly reached Li Yi's ears.

He sat in his spacious, luxurious office, his fingers lightly tapping the desk, his eyes revealing an undeniable determination.

He had heard about the protests by grassroots Christians before, but he didn't expect them to escalate to the point of secret gatherings so quickly.

"These lowly people are getting more and more arrogant." Li Yi snorted coldly, picked up the teacup on the table, and took a small sip.

He then glanced at his secretary Zhang Ying, who was standing respectfully to the side, and said indifferently, "You know what to do, right?"

"Chief, I have already sent people to handle it," Zhang Ying replied, her voice calm and firm, without the slightest hesitation.

"Hmm." Li Yi nodded slightly. "Remember, when dealing with those traitors, the more high-profile the better. That way, you can deter those who are eager to cause trouble."

Zhang Ying nodded slightly, understanding Li Yi's intentions.

She knew that Li Yi wanted more than just to quell the protest; he wanted to use this action to demonstrate his authority and unchallengeable status to the entire Fireseed Base.

“I understand, Chief. I will ensure this operation is swift and high-profile, so that the lower-class citizens see that challenging your authority will not end well.” Zhang Ying’s voice carried a hint of coldness as she turned and left to carry out Li Yi’s orders.

Li Yi watched Zhang Ying's departing figure, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.

He knew all too well that any sympathy or pity was superfluous for these grassroots people.

They are merely pawns in the base, to be sacrificed at will when needed.

He picked up the documents on the table and began to review them.

However, after watching for only a few minutes, he began to feel tired.

I put down the documents, reclined in the luxurious and comfortable office chair, and closed my eyes slightly.

The "personal secretaries" serving him immediately understood and tiptoed over to his front and back to give him a full-body relaxation massage.

…………

Under the command of Li Yi's secretary Zhang Ying, the Fireseed Battle Group launched a swift attack, storming every hidden corner of the Fireseed base with lightning speed, wiping out all the low-level base members who were secretly gathering.

Their actions were swift and efficient, leaving the protesters virtually no room for resistance.

Not only that, the protesters' family and friends were also arrested.

Everyone was imprisoned together in a snow pit dungeon near the central square of the Fire Seed Base.

It is 500 meters long and wide, and 10 meters deep. Although it is a snow pit, the walls on all sides are made of solid ice at least 50 centimeters thick.

In this extremely cold weather, the 50-centimeter-thick solid ice is virtually indestructible, and the 10-meter-high smooth ice wall is an insurmountable chasm. In addition, there are armed personnel guarding the top, so those trapped in the dungeon have absolutely no chance of escape.

Inside the dungeon, the air was chilling. The captured lower-class Christians and their relatives huddled together, their eyes filled with despair and fear.

They thought that protesting could change their fate, but they never expected to be met with even more brutal repression.

Even their own relatives and friends were arrested because of them, and this helplessness and despair made their hearts ache.

In a corner of the dungeon, a middle-aged woman tightly hugged her young child, tears streaming silently down her face. She had once believed that as long as she worked hard, she could bring a better future to her child, but now, all of that had vanished.

"Mommy, when can we go out?" the child asked innocently. He didn't understand what was happening yet, but he could feel the coldness of the surroundings and his mother's sadness.

The woman fought back tears and answered in a trembling voice, "Soon, very soon we'll be able to get out."

"Mom, I'm hungry, I want to eat porridge." The child's words were like a knife, deeply piercing the woman's heart.

She held her child tightly, tears streaming down her face again, dripping onto the child's tender cheeks.

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