Before Dawn Breaks Over the City: Submit or Die!

Chen Dafu gave Chen Xun a cold glance before asking, "You seem to know a lot about this. You were probably credited with taking down the commander, weren't you?"

"No," Chen Xun replied calmly, his tone unwavering. "When the new commander arrived in Xinchang, I immediately pledged my support to him, wanting to contribute to the disaster relief efforts."

"Didn't see that coming," Chen Dafu said, surprised. "But then why did you join the Brave Alliance? Wait... aren't you supposed to have some incredible abilities? With your intel, how did the commander lose so quickly?"

Chen Dafu wasn't stupid, he just didn't care enough to think deeply.

Chen Xun's talent for intelligence gathering was far beyond the standard A-rank—he could see through even the most cunning and deceptive powers, and that alone made him formidable.

"Brother Xiong, to be honest, many people joined the commander at the beginning."

"Although the commander didn't emerge until the second month of the apocalypse, the people of Xinchang are inherently loyal to home and country. At first, no one had given up hope."

Chen Xun's face remained expressionless as he continued, "But later... the commander went mad. He killed many of his own subordinates, even ambushing and killing S-rank abilities."

"The commander destroyed the foundation himself, and with that, trust shattered. People fled to save their own lives. Some sought refuge in other factions, while others retreated into their shelters."

"Mad?" Chen Dafu blinked, still in disbelief.

Based on Chen Xun's description, the situation with the commander had seemed promising, much like what Mike had faced. The majority of the city had supported him, and in such a scenario, victory should have been certain.

Even if the commander lacked the necessary abilities, there would have been other capable figures from the city to help. Everyone was hoping to survive the apocalypse and restore peace.

Chen Dafu couldn't fathom how such a promising situation had unraveled just because the commander "went mad."

"How did he go mad? Was it a mental breakdown?"

Chen Xun shook his head. Chen Dafu was even more incredulous. "You couldn't figure out the cause? Your ability is supposed to be top-notch, isn't it?"

"My power only lets me detect people's abilities and some information about shelters. I can't tell what caused the commander's madness," Chen Xun replied.

"I suspect it might be due to some higher-level talent or external influence, but it's definitely not the commander's own issue."

Chen Xun spoke with certainty. "The commander is an A-rank ability user. While his rank isn't high, the effect of his power is strong. His talent can ensure everyone's survival capacity, greatly enhancing the group's overall survival rate."

"A survival-type ability like that shouldn't have negative side effects, and I haven't seen anything unusual in his own information or in his shelter."

Chen Xun paused, then added, "I've gone through everything he's said, every piece of intel, every action he's taken since the apocalypse. There's no clear evidence of anything suspicious."

"The only conclusion we could draw was that the commander himself was mentally unstable."

"He's a madman, prone to outbursts."

Hearing this, Chen Dafu let out a hollow laugh. "What kind of nonsense is that? You think someone would choose a mental patient as a commander? Do you believe this?"

"I didn't believe it at first, either. But it's the truth," Chen Xun said in a low voice. "Brother Xiong, I know it sounds absurd, but we tried trusting the commander again. He had three episodes, one after another."

"Each time he broke down, fewer people followed him. After each killing, he would regret it, swear never to do it again, but by then, no one trusted him anymore."

The people were simple-hearted, but they didn't have infinite patience.

Killing people in fits of madness, then regretting it, then killing again... The commander, who was part of the new system, had already exhausted any remaining credibility in Xinchang.

"This doesn't make sense!" Chen Dafu said firmly. Even he could see something was off—there was no way the commander would behave this way.

Regardless of the reason, no leader, even if just managing a small company, would kill their people without consequences.

Chen Xun understood. He had been just as incredulous back then. He still couldn't believe it, but he couldn't deny the facts either.

For survival, he had no choice but to leave the commander.

"After the commander failed to rally his forces, Xinchang returned to normal, but..." Chen Xun's voice softened. "Things got even more chaotic than before."

"Everyone knew the commander's system in Xinchang was finished. People started fighting amongst themselves, with each faction trying to outdo the others. At first, we hoped a new commander would be appointed by the higher-ups, and everyone wanted to be chosen."

"But as the struggles for resources escalated, the mood shifted. No one cared much about disaster relief anymore."

"Now, Xinchang is in chaos. Every day, there's fighting, killing. It's become a mess."

Chen Xun paused before adding, "The Brave Alliance is one of the factions, and we've been doing alright. Perhaps because of our strength, the old leader didn't resort to random killings. That's why I joined, and became part of the leadership."

"Because of my abilities, I'm respected here, with a bit of influence... and then, Brother Xiong, you showed up."

Chen Xun summarized the situation in Xinchang as briefly as he could. Qin Dashan was still frowning. "The commander went mad... This needs to be investigated. Where is he now?"

Chen Xun shook his head. "I don't know. Sometimes I see him speaking in the chat channels, trying to rally people, but no one listens to him."

Chen Dafu sneered.

No wonder, when they first entered the city, people were mocking the commander as a non-entity in Xinchang.

A commander who no one cared about was truly pathetic.

"Let's find him and uncover the truth!" Qin Dashan said, his gaze sharp as he looked at Chen Dafu. "The commander's position is important. He's supposed to be on the same level as the leader, which falls within our scope for rescue."

"Forget it. He's a useless piece of crap," Chen Dafu scoffed, showing his disdain. He had no respect for incompetence. "No matter what the reason was, the commander failed to rally his forces. He's a lost cause."

"Stop wasting time on that madman. We're here for disaster relief. The safety of the entire city is far more important than one commander."

Chen Dafu stretched lazily in the sunlight, his athletic build catching the eye of Lu Nianxin, who couldn't tear her gaze away.

"Those who follow me will stay and join the rescue mission."

"As for those who refuse…"

His tone was light, but there was a chilling undertone. "I'll kill them all. Not a single one will be spared!"