Chapter 155 Indulgence
In front of him were several open cloth bags containing 163 second-order crystal cores that had just been counted and were radiating a soft energy glow.
This quantity is enough to drive any force mad in the apocalypse, and enough to ignite the greed deep within people's hearts.
The core members, squad leaders, and some outstanding ordinary members stood on both sides, their eyes fixed intently on the pile of crystals that symbolized power.
As newcomers, Ayan and Xiaowei were placed in the back, their eyes filled with a mixture of unease and curiosity.
"Based on contributions and base needs, these crystal cores will now be distributed to everyone."
Fu Jinxing's voice was not loud, but it clearly penetrated the entire conference room, carrying an unquestionable authority.
He began to read out the list and the allocation amount one by one.
"Why did I only get two out of so many crystal cores?" A voice suddenly broke the brief silence after the distribution was completed.
The speaker was a man named Liu Gang. He was holding two crystal cores in his hand, his face full of resentment.
"You have a problem with that?" Fu Jinxing turned his head to look at him, his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting a cold light.
The man was taken aback, but he still felt he hadn't received enough, so he turned to Qiao Xi and asked, "What about her? How much did she get? Is it because she's pretty and has a special relationship with Professor Fu that she gets more?"
His words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.
Several people who also felt the distribution was unfair began to whisper in agreement, their eyes shifting between Qiao Xi and Fu Jinxing, filled with doubt and resentment.
The air instantly became thick and filled with the smell of gunpowder.
Josie leaned back in her chair, watching the farce unfold with detached indifference.
There was no anger or offense on her face, only a frozen calm.
She found Liu Gang's inflammatory remarks naive and laughable.
She had long been accustomed to this kind of despicable human nature.
If this was the case before the apocalypse, it will only get worse after the apocalypse.
Fu Jinxing's eyes sharpened, and Qiao Xi's cold voice rang out from beside him, "Brother Jinxing,"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it instantly drew everyone's attention.
She slowly stood up and looked calmly at Fu Jinxing. "From now on, leave these kinds of things to me."
Fu Jinxing's deep gaze fell on her face, and something seemed to melt for a moment in the depths of his icy eyes.
Without the slightest hesitation, and even with a decisiveness bordering on indulgence, he nodded: "Alright. From now on, you can make all the decisions regarding the internal affairs of the stronghold, as well as rewards and punishments."
These words shocked everyone present.
This is tantamount to handing over the power of life and death, second only to Fu Jinxing, directly to Qiao Xi!
Liu Gang's face instantly turned ugly. He hadn't expected Fu Jinxing to be so indulgent towards Qiao Xi!
He watched as Josie walked towards him step by step, the sound of her heels striking the cold floor particularly clear in the silent conference room, carrying an invisible sense of oppression.
A chill ran down Liu Gang's spine, but he forced himself to stay calm and deliberately raised his voice, trying to incite more people: "Everyone saw it, right? This is privilege! She can do whatever she wants just because of her face and her relationship with Professor Fu! She definitely has far more crystal cores than us, this is not fair!"
He looked around, hoping to get support.
However, apart from a few accomplices whose eyes were darting around and who seemed eager to make a move, most people lowered their heads or looked away.
Josie stopped in front of Liu Gang, a faint, cold smile curving her lips, as if she had heard an interesting joke.
“It’s my fault,” her voice remained calm and even strangely gentle. “You want as much as I do, don’t you?”
Liu Gang and the other two men and one woman were taken aback by her unusual attitude, exchanging bewildered glances.
“That’s simple,” Josie said, extending her hand with her palm facing up, her posture elegant yet leaving no room for refusal. “Take out all the crystal cores you just received.”
"What...what do you want to do?" Liu Gang asked warily.
“Isn’t it about fairness?” Josie raised an eyebrow. “Take it out, and I’ll give you all the same amount.”
Under Qiao Xi's calm gaze and Fu Jinxing's silent pressure, the four troublemakers hesitated repeatedly, but were eventually driven by greed and wishful thinking. They reluctantly took out the few second-tier crystal cores they had been given, which were still warm from their bodies, and placed them in Qiao Xi's outstretched palm.
Josie didn't even glance at the crystal cores, as if they were just a few ordinary stones.
She turned around and, under everyone's gaze, walked up to Fu Jinxing and gently placed the crystal core in her palm back into the pile of crystal cores in front of him.
“Professor Fu,” Josie’s voice echoed clearly in the conference room, “redistribute these to the other members who have no objections and have worked diligently for the base.”
The entire conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop; everyone was stunned!
Liu Gang and the others were completely dumbfounded.
"Miss Qiao!" Liu Gang was the first to react, exclaiming, "You... what do you mean? Didn't you just say you'd give us the same amount? What about our crystal cores?"
"Yes, where are our crystal cores?" The other three panicked and asked urgently.
Josie slowly turned around, the feigned gentleness on her face vanishing instantly, replaced by a chilling coldness and undisguised sarcasm: "The same? I said you got the same amount as me. I didn't get a single piece."
She pointed to her empty hands. "Now, I've taken yours back too, so it's the same, isn't it? It's all zero."
"Impossible!" Liu Gang's face flushed red. "You're lying to us! How could you not have received a single penny? You must have kept even more for yourself!"
"Heh," Josie let out a short, cold laugh, the sound like an icicle scraping against glass. "Yes, how could I not share a single one? I risked being hunted down, tortured, and dismembered by various powerful forces, navigating the black market, risking my life to obtain these crystal cores, and I'm giving them to you for free. Not only are you ungrateful, but you complain it's not enough? Do you think that now that your stronghold is stable, with food and drink, you've forgotten the days when you were like a rat in a sewer, constantly hiding and living on the edge?"
Her voice suddenly rose, filled with thunderous anger and contempt, striking everyone's hearts hard!
Those who were already looking down lowered their heads even further, their faces burning with embarrassment.
"We...we just want fairness! Is that wrong?" Liu Gang was still being stubborn, but his voice had weakened considerably. "Don't change the subject! You've given so much, how could you not keep a single crystal core for yourself? Prove it to us!"
"Proof? Why should I prove anything to you when I do something? You want fairness? Fine, then tell me first, what earth-shattering contributions have you made to the stronghold that deserve my 'fairness'?"
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