The helicopter pierced through the clouds and fog, quickly approaching the towering silhouette of the Haidu Center Building.
Two helicopters landed on the rooftop.
A small team of armed men was already waiting on the rooftop.
"Commander." The leading armed man saluted Zhou Xuemin respectfully.
Zhou Xuemin nodded slightly and then walked into the building.
Qian Dong followed closely behind, while Qi Xiaowei and Xu Yun were also escorted by two armed men.
Wu Sen and other "militia fighters" were detained in a small room on the rooftop, awaiting the return of Zhou Xuemin and others for further processing.
Led by Zhou Xuemin, the group descended the stairs to the 98th floor of the building.
This area was a high-end hotel district before the natural disaster, decorated in a magnificent and opulent style. Even in this extremely cold and apocalyptic world, it still maintains its luxurious atmosphere.
The lights were dazzling, and the indoor temperature was carefully controlled to a warm and pleasant range, which contrasted sharply with the harsh cold outside.
Led by armed personnel, the group soon arrived at the outside of a grand hall, where they could faintly hear lively laughter and conversation coming from inside.
Zhou Xuemin's face was gloomy, and he gave the armed men a look.
Two armed men immediately stepped forward and pushed the door open.
The door hinges turned slowly, making a low, heavy sound.
As the doors opened fully, an even richer atmosphere of luxury wafted out, as if from another world.
Inside the spacious hall, a group of men and women dressed in cashmere jackets and looking smart and stylish were sitting around a long table laden with food and wine. They clinked glasses, and their laughter and conversations mingled together, creating an atmosphere of secluded luxury and joy.
However, when Zhou Xuemin and his group suddenly barged into the scene, the atmosphere instantly froze.
"Hehe, what a lively scene!" Zhou Xuemin's voice echoed in the empty hall, carrying a hint of barely perceptible coldness. He slowly entered, his gaze sharp as he scanned everyone present.
"Haha~! Old Zhou, come on, come sit here. It's been so long since we brothers got together!" A middle-aged man laughed and stood up from his seat. He strode towards Zhou Xuemin, put his arm around his shoulder, and seemed completely unaware of the subtle tension in the air.
Zhou Xuemin sneered and gave Qian Dong a look.
Seeing this, Qian Dong steeled himself and slapped the middle-aged man who was holding Zhou Xuemin across the face.
Silence. The scene was deathly silent.
The man was so dazed from the beating that it took him a long time to come to his senses. He pointed at Qian Dong, trembling, and said, "Qian Dong, are you fucking crazy?"
"Li Kang, remember this: when you see the commander, you must behave properly." Qian Dong's voice was cold and hard, without a trace of emotion. He straightened his body, his gaze like a knife, piercing Li Kang's eyes.
“You…” Li Kang’s face turned ashen, his eyes flashing with a mixture of disbelief and anger.
"What? Does Vice Mayor Li have a problem with me?" Zhou Xuemin said calmly.
"How dare you!" Li Kang suddenly roared. "Zhou Xuemin, don't think you can act with impunity just because you control the deployment of armed personnel! Don't forget, your power was given to you by the state! The mayor and Elder Sha are right here; it's not your place to be arrogant!"
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xuemin's lips curled into a cold smile. He slowly turned around and glanced at everyone present.
Finally, our gaze fell upon the head of the table, where a dashing-looking middle-aged man sat—this was none other than Hou Liang, the mayor of Haidu City.
On either side of him sat two elderly men with gray hair; these two were Elder Sha and Elder Tian.
Zhou Xuemin said calmly to Hou Liang, "Mayor Hou, tell me, who should be arrogant here?"
"Hehe, Deputy Zhou... Commander Zhou, we're all serving the people, why be so tense? You're now the commander of Haidu, so naturally we have to follow your orders." Haidu Mayor Hou Liang smiled lightly, trying to ease the tension.
"Haha~! What a fine way to serve the masses! Then I'd like to ask you, which of you here is the masses?" Qi Xiaowei, who was being held captive by Zhou Xuemin's men, suddenly laughed.
Hou Liang was taken aback by Qi Xiaowei's words, but he quickly recovered and said, "Me? I'm just one of the masses! Aren't I right here? Sir, we must not have class consciousness, we must not think that anyone is superior to anyone else. We are all sons of the masses. Whose ancestors didn't come from the masses? Take off your official robes, and we are all just one of the masses."
"Hehe~" Qi Xiaowei sneered.
Seeing this, Hou Liang suppressed his anger and asked Zhou Xuemin with a gentle smile, "May I ask who this gentleman is...?"
Upon seeing this, Zhou Xuemin's heart stirred, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips. He strode over to Qi Xiaowei, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "This one is quite remarkable. I think everyone here knows him."
"Oh?" Hou Liang feigned surprise. "Who is this important figure that Commander Zhou speaks of him so highly?"
The others also looked on with curiosity.
"Qi Xiaowei, once a prominent figure in our Haidu, don't you all remember him?" Zhou Xuemin said with an exaggerated expression.
Everyone shook their heads in bewilderment.
“That’s the anti-drug hero from twenty years ago, who was even commended by the city!” Zhou Xuemin added, looking at Old Sha, “Old Sha, I remember you personally presented him with the award back then.”
Upon hearing this, Old Sha was taken aback for a moment, then put on a look of sudden realization: "Oh, it's Qi Xiaowei! Hello, hello! Ah~! I'm getting old, my mind isn't so sharp anymore, I didn't recognize you for a moment."
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