Chapter 457 Slaves?
Suppressed coughs rose and fell from all directions, dry and hoarse, carrying a sense of utter devastation...
Although their group of several dozen people made a very slight noise as they entered, no one curiously peeked out from the shacks on both sides of the road, except for the uncontrollable coughs and groans.
There were no whispers, no frightened inquiries, only a deathly silence, a numb obedience.
It's as if whatever happens outside has nothing to do with them, or that they have long since lost the ability and courage to care about the outside world.
The road was eerily deserted, with only their shadows swaying in the breeze...
Lu Nange led the group straight to a shack near the edge.
Perhaps it was because Lu Nange and her group's overly clean and neat black combat uniforms clashed with the filthy and dirty environment...
Just as they approached, the figure huddled on the haystack closest to the door suddenly jolted and sprang up!
He was a man whose age was hard to discern; his hair was dirty and matted, his cheeks were deeply sunken, his eyes were dark, and his lips were chapped.
He didn't even dare to look up to see the person's face clearly. Instinctively, he bent over sharply, almost breaking his back, his voice trembling with extreme fear and humility.
"M-Sir! What are your orders? I...I am at your service!"
As he moved and spoke, the other figures in the shed, like startled birds, hurriedly struggled to their feet. All were men, emaciated, bent over deeply, afraid to look up, their bodies trembling slightly with fear...
By the dim light outside the shed, everyone could see the appearance of these survivors.
What they called "clothing" could hardly be called clothes; they were just tattered strips of cloth barely hanging on their bodies, leaving them exposed and covered in wounds.
It wasn't just the old and new purplish-red bruises and cracks left by whipping; there were also some obviously branding iron burns, hideous and twisted scars, like ugly centipedes crawling all over their arms, backs and even cheeks.
Most of them were barefoot, their feet turning purple and cracked as they walked on the cold, filthy ground.
Everyone's eyes were empty and lifeless, bearing the marks of long-term malnutrition, overwork, and unspeakable suffering...
This scene was more impactful than any words...
This is not a survivor camp; it is a livestock pen where everything, including life and dignity, can be taken away at any time.
Chi Yanzhou: "Stand up and reply."
The man trembled and almost used both hands and feet to straighten up slightly, but his head remained lowered, and his gaze only dared to fall on the tips of Chi Yanzhou's boots.
"Sir...may I ask you..."
Chi Yanzhou did not immediately inquire about the laboratory and its internal situation, but instead looked at Wen Qing first.
Wen Qing suppressed the tremor in his voice, took half a step forward, and tried his best to make his tone sound calm, but his urgency still showed.
"Has anyone heard of these three names: Wen Jinsheng, Zhang Mei, and Wen Jing?"
The man standing at the front paused for a moment, seemingly not expecting such a question. He tried to search his meager memories in fear, then shook his head in terror.
"M-Sir...I'm sorry...I've never heard of those three names before..."
He was terrified that his answer would bring punishment, and his body trembled even more violently.
Lu Nange's gaze swept over the survivors behind the man, who were still bowing their heads: "And you? Has anyone heard of this?"
The group of people shuddered as if they had been whipped, and hurriedly answered in voices trembling with sobs.
"My lord...no!"
"Never heard of it..."
Wen Qing's heart sank lower and lower, but she was unwilling to give up: "Think about it again! Think about it carefully! Wen Jinsheng, Zhang Mei, Wen Jing!"
Lu Nange and Gu Wan gently supported her body from either side.
The leader explained in a voice barely audible, "Sir...we remember that we don't have names after entering the base!"
We only address each other by our numerical codes... We... we don't dare to greet each other by name in private... really..."
His explanation was filled with helplessness and a deeper fear.
These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing most of the embers of hope in Wen Qing's heart...
Her family, even if they were once in the Rock, may have long since lost their names, leaving only a cold number.
Chi Yanzhou stared at the leading man and changed the subject: "How did you get into the Rock?"
This question seemed to touch a nerve in the man. He suddenly raised his head, and although he immediately lowered it again in fear, his eyes were filled with disbelief and astonishment for a moment.
He tentatively asked in an almost inaudible voice, "M-Master...you...aren't you the Master of Rock?"
He sensed something was wrong; the questions these "adults" were asking were completely different from those they usually encountered with the Rock Guardians.
Chi Yanzhou's voice suddenly became more forceful: "Answer whatever you are asked!"
"Yes! Yes! I was too talkative! I deserve to die!" The man was so frightened by the murderous aura that he immediately prostrated himself and kowtowed repeatedly.
Lu Xici took over the conversation, her tone slightly softening: "To answer the question from earlier, how did you all enter the Rock? Tell us one by one."
Having learned from past mistakes, no one dared to ask any more questions.
The leader answered first, his voice trembling with tears: "I...I was out looking for supplies..."
"They were...captured by the Rock Patrol...their family...we don't know where they were taken..."
A man behind him choked up, saying, "I...I also...came out with the team...and got arrested..."
"I...I came to join the Rock Force because I heard they were powerful...but...but my ability level was too low...it was useless...so I was...assigned to the slave quarters..."
Their experiences outline several ways the Rock absorbs its "population": violent plunder, capturing lone individuals, and internal elimination.
Regardless of the type, they all ultimately became consumables of this rocky base.
Luo Xingyou: "Why are there no women here?"
Since entering this shantytown, all I've seen are men.
The man standing at the very front replied, "Reporting to...Reporting to Your Excellency, we are slaves responsible for the planting and breeding at the base..."
They were doing manual labor, and the women...they...they seemed to be in another slave quarter..."
"like?"
"Yes...yes, Your Honor! We only overheard it from the adults on patrol..."
We lowly slaves really don't know the specifics! We dare not inquire, nor dare we ask any further questions..."
His fear didn't seem feigned; it was an instinctive escape from being spied on, born from long-term subjugation and being tamed by cruel rules.
[It seems they really didn't know any more details.]
[With limited information, asking further questions would be futile and could even cause unnecessary panic.]
Lu Nange, Chi Yanzhou... the group quickly exchanged a glance.
These labor slaves at the very bottom of society were strictly isolated from core information; what they knew was probably limited to the suffering in their own small plot of land.
No one asked any further questions to avoid causing any complications.
"Alright, that's all for you. Go and rest."
After saying this, they stopped looking at the survivors who were still in humble positions and walked out of the shed.
They retreated all the way to the outskirts of the shantytown, back into the shadow of the relatively hidden waste dump area.
Chi Yanzhou: "It's not practical to take them with us, and once we engage the Rock Guards, they have no way to protect themselves and may even be accidentally injured."
He Zhuo, Ji Xian. Use your earth-based abilities to temporarily seal off this shantytown.
"We'll deal with things here after we've eliminated the main threats."
The ground in the shantytown trembled slightly, and thick earthen walls rose from the ground, their color inconspicuous in the darkness...
After doing all this, Chi Yanzhou said, "After exploring the other slave area, shall we head straight for the laboratory area?"
Lu Nange withdrew her spiritual power and nodded slightly: "Yes, on the way!"
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