Chapter 63, Chapter 19: Female Supporting Character in an Apocalyptic Novel
Upon receiving the news and learning what City Lord Su had done, Xu Qingzhou couldn't help but chuckle.
"Your grandfather really is..."
Yu Wanwan glanced at him, and he immediately changed his words.
"A cunning and calculating man!"
Yu Wanwan chuckled and ignored him.
but……
How could such a leader, who was so devoted to the people and so resourceful, have made the decision to abandon Zone E back then?
The thought only briefly crossed her mind before she dismissed it.
It has nothing to do with her anyway, so what difference would it make if she knew?
The people from Zone E arrived very quickly.
With manpower available, the cleanup on the ground can be completed much faster.
These newcomers were afraid of being sent back again, so they all worked very efficiently and dared not slack off at all.
A year has passed, and the protective shield in Zone E is still there; Zhao Kun can still endure it.
Two years have passed, and the protective shield in Zone E still stands strong. Zhao Kun can still comfort himself and continue to endure.
For three or five years, Zhao Kun could continue to deceive himself, but Mr. Wang could no longer tolerate it.
The CD and CD zones had long been turned into exile sites by Zhao Kun.
The main research force in Area A was taken away by Black Three. Those who remained could only maintain the status quo and could not produce anything new.
Zhao Kun has always believed in the supremacy of force. Since they can't produce anything, he's too lazy to collect any resource samples for them. As long as they can keep the underground city running, that's enough.
But the air is constantly changing, and the old equipment is gradually becoming inadequate to keep up with these changes.
Not only zones C and D, but even zone B, it's becoming increasingly difficult to maintain the same level of oxygenation as before, where one can breathe freely without an oxygen tank.
Area A still has some of the *Phyllostachys edulis* that the director and his colleagues left behind in the research institute and couldn't take with them, so it can still hold on.
If these mosses are released, perhaps the other areas can still be saved.
But Zhao Kun wouldn't allow it.
In his view, only he was worthy of using such a wonderful thing as the Pure Breath Moss.
Section B?
That's just his money bag, how could it be worthy of using the Pure Breath Moss!
As oxygen gradually dwindled, the tycoons of Zone B and Zhao Kun eventually drifted apart.
Ultimately, under Mr. Wang's covert direction, this group of tycoons began to gradually transfer their assets, moving them towards Zone E.
Zhao Kun's actions had long since alienated his officers and soldiers, yet he remained oblivious to it.
Some people discovered the actions of these chaebols, but they all chose to remain silent and did not report them.
They are also observing.
If these chaebols succeed, can't they succeed too?
However, when the tycoons arrived in Zone E with their resources and assets, they were dumbfounded.
The protective shield in Zone E has faded away at some point and shatters at the slightest touch.
The greenery inside remains, a scene of springtime.
But there was no one there.
There was no one in the entire E area.
There wasn't a single person in the houses or in the fields!
They opened the houses, and found them completely empty, not even a bench was left inside.
This situation has left these tycoons, who possess enormous wealth but cannot find anyone to take it over, bewildered.
"Where did the people from Sector E go?"
If the houses weren't so clean, as if no one had ever lived there, they might have thought these people were all dead.
But those meticulously clean rooms were clearly telling them something.
They didn't die or disappear; they just moved away.
However, the underground city is only so big. Area E is the last area. Beyond that, there is only thick, undeveloped rock. Where can they go?
Finally, someone, trembling, uttered the answer that everyone knew but dared not believe.
"Did they...go to the surface?"
Everyone fell silent; no one could answer the question.
Even if it is, so what?
They had no idea what the situation was like on the ground, and even if they had guesses, they dared not go out to verify them.
Mr. Wang's eyes were dark and brooding. He glanced at the crowd and stepped forward.
"Everyone, now that the people from District E have left, this place is no man's land. We have money and resources, so why don't we follow the example of what happened to District E back then?"
His words caused the tycoons to exchange glances and fall into deep thought.
No one responded, but Mr. Wang was not in a hurry. He smiled elegantly and led his people into the office building in the city center.
"Please think this over carefully! Or do you want to go back to Area B and suffer under Zhao Kun's thumb?"
These tycoons aren't stupid; they're not in their positions to have risen to such positions.
On the surface, no one said anything, and they each found a place to stay, but secretly, they all had their own ulterior motives.
Ultimately, these conglomerates split into two factions.
One group thought Mr. Wang's words made sense and stayed.
The other group, however, decided to take the risk and go to the surface to take a look.
Mr. Wang watched those who left for the ground with a mocking smile on his lips.
He thought these people were all fools.
Even if Xu Qingzhou and Lin Xiaoman are powerful, can they really be so powerful that they can reclaim the land with so many lowly people from CDE districts?
That's something the dungeons have tried for a hundred years and still haven't been able to achieve!
Innocent!
But he forgot that the current state of E-zone, where people can freely grow crops and breathe air, is something the underground city has strived for for a century without achieving.
But Xu Qingzhou and Yu Wanwan accomplished it in just one year.
By the time Zhao Kun discovered that all the financial tycoons in Zone B had fled, it was too late.
When Yu Wanwan and her group left, they didn't take the equipment from the basement either; they only took the energy source.
That was the path to survival they left for those in the underground city.
Mr. Wang had both energy and manpower, so he easily raised the protective shield again.
By the time Zhao Kun realized what was happening, Area E was already Mr. Wang's territory.
This infuriated Zhao Kun, who, disregarding his subordinates' objections, was about to lead his troops in a forced attack.
He could tolerate Xu Qingzhou and his group occupying territory in Zone E because Xu Qingzhou was not one of his people, and he didn't suffer from oxygen deprivation in Zone A.
But Mr. Wang is different.
Mr. Wang has always been his dog, and now that this dog wants to betray his master and start his own business, he absolutely cannot allow it!
However, things did not go as Zhao Kun had imagined. Over the years, he had risen to power and made Area A his personal fiefdom, where he had been tyrannical and domineering.
If he had someone around to advise him, perhaps he wouldn't have become so foolish and arrogant.
Unfortunately, he had been restrained and suppressed by Lord Su for too long, and once he came to power, he could no longer listen to other people's good advice.
Over the years, the hearts of his men have long since fallen apart, but they have kept quiet because they cannot enter Zone E and still have to live under his command.
However, he was not as dedicated to his work as he had been in the military.
Zhao Kun was able to serve as commander for so many years and still have these people loyal to him and follow him in rebellion, so he was certainly not a fool.
He had at least noticed the current state of morale collapse.
This made him even angrier, but also made him much more sober.
This time, instead of using force to coerce them, he offered a generous reward, promising that if they could take over Zone E, they could move into Zones A and E and leave the oxygen tanks completely.
This energized the soldiers and officers, making them much more willing to participate.
Zhao Kun, eager for action, led his troops toward Zone E.
Before the flames of war arrived, news of life returning to the ground came.
This news caught Zhao Kun off guard and shocked those who had come with him to attack Zone E.
The message was sent by a tycoon who was heading to the ground.
Zhao Kun was able to force Lord Su to retreat so easily because he colluded with the financial magnates.
He recognized not only the people around the tycoons, but also the soldiers below him.
The man was frightened by their display of force. After delivering the message, he scrambled back to the ground.
How come these people are already fighting again after only a few days?
That was terrifying!
This time, no matter what methods Zhao Kun used, whether force or bribery, he could no longer stop these soldiers.
If he tries to force them, these soldiers will even turn their guns on him.
There was nothing that could be done. Zhao Kun could only watch dejectedly as those who had once followed him and flattered him packed their things, left the underground city, and headed to the surface.
He and Mr. Wang thought similarly; they did not believe that Xu Qingzhou and Yu Wanwan could restore the ground.
Sitting on the ground, he viciously cursed those who had betrayed him, wishing they would be poisoned or bitten to death by mutated monsters the moment they touched the ground!
But he was careful to be as disappointed as Mr. Wang.
When the soldiers reached the ground, they no longer saw the thick, sticky fog that seemed impossible to dispel.
The tall trees and bushes are still there, clearly visible, but there are no flickering blue-purple flames in sight.
As former military personnel, many of them had served on ground missions.
This scene is completely different from what they saw back then.
Someone tentatively removed the oxygen tank, while the others stared intently at him.
One minute...
Two minutes...
Three minutes...
Ten minutes later, the person still had a rosy complexion and was breathing smoothly.
He suddenly sat down on the ground, covered his face, and burst into tears.
"It's restored! The ground...it's really restored!"
Further on, through the forest, they didn't see mutated monsters, but a city protected by a shield.
There were no skyscrapers, only rows of small courtyards made of blue bricks, yet these people were incredibly excited.
A watchtower was set up on the city gate, and a huge cannon muzzle was turned towards the group of people below. Some people looked down.
"What are you doing here?"
Without a word, the soldiers threw down their guns and raised their hands in a shout.
"We are soldiers from Dungeon Area A! We have come to pledge our allegiance to City Lord Xu!"
Hei San was stunned for a moment.
"Wait a minute."
He beckoned over, whispered something to someone, and soon that person left.
Not long after, the man returned.
After hearing what this person said, Hei Sancai picked up the megaphone and shouted down.
"The city is full, we're not accepting anyone!"
The soldiers were somewhat disappointed and wanted to say something more, but his words followed immediately.
"The city lord said that the land does not belong to him. As long as you don't try to take our place, you can go wherever you want!"
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