Chapter 69: Exhausted Resources, Fraying Nerves

At the time when Di Ping was setting out from the castle, Vice Mayor Ge Zhongping, along with around ten other base leaders, was convened in a room at the underground base, discussing matters of urgent concern.

Among them were key figures like Lu Hai, the Director of the Municipal Public Security Bureau, a man with substantial influence and authority over dozens of police officers. It could be said that Ge Zhongping's rise to leadership was entirely supported by Lu Hai's backing.

Also present was Vice Mayor Han Zhongguo, who oversaw agriculture, education, and health. He, too, had the support of a small contingent of police officers, which allowed him to maintain some degree of influence within the leadership.

The remaining individuals could be categorized as secondary players—some had directly allied with Ge Zhongping, while most remained neutral. Very few sided with Han Zhongguo, leaving him largely isolated within the group. Had it not been for his small team of armed followers, he would have likely been ousted from the leadership long ago.

Ge Zhongping, cigarette in hand, surveyed the faces of everyone in the room through the smoke, keenly studying their expressions. When his gaze fell upon Han Zhongguo, he paused, a brief flash of murderous intent flickering in his eyes, though it was hidden within the swirling smoke and unseen by the others.

The room fell into a heavy silence, with everyone quietly smoking. The haze of smoke filled the space, obscuring everyone's faces, leaving only the faint glow of cigarette embers visible. The atmosphere was unnervingly still, the only sound being the quiet hiss of cigarettes burning.

Just moments ago, Yang Shusen, the official in charge of resource distribution for the base, had read aloud a report detailing the current stockpile of supplies. The revelation was met with shock and, more significantly, fear. Every face in the room reflected deep concern.

What had caused such a panic?

Indeed, the base's resources were running dangerously low!

The available supplies were insufficient not only to sustain everyone but even to supply the leadership and police forces. There were only enough provisions for two or three more days at most, meaning that in a matter of days, they would face starvation.

While the leadership had fared somewhat better, the majority of the base's population had already been without food for over two days. Many had been surviving on only a few pieces of hard bread, struggling to even fill their stomachs.

Already, there had been reports of people dying from hunger. Over the past two days, there had been at least a dozen casualties, particularly among the weaker individuals who had not had adequate nutrition to begin with. Now, with no food in sight, even the healthy would soon succumb if the situation did not improve. If the hunger persisted for another few days, the base would be overrun with corpses.

While the deaths of these individuals might not concern the leaders, the prospect of the police force, which had already grown restless, becoming a source of unrest was another matter entirely.

The thought of it left everyone uneasy, with Ge Zhongping himself growing increasingly agitated. He felt the urge to wash his hands of the whole affair, but found himself stuck in a precarious position. There was no way out now.

"Everyone, let's put our heads together. One person's wisdom may be short, but many minds can be long. Speak up! What should we do now?" Ge Zhongping spoke, extinguishing his cigarette in the ashtray, while his eyes scanned the room, trying to inspire a response.

However, to his surprise, no one raised their head. They continued to smoke in silence, their eyes fixed on the patterns on the table as though mesmerized by its design. No one seemed willing to offer a solution, and Ge Zhongping's frustration began to grow. How dare they ignore him like this? His authority was clearly slipping.

"Lu Hai, what's your opinion? Speak up!" Ge Zhongping, seeing no one else responding, turned to his loyal supporter, Lu Hai, hoping he would come to his aid.

What Ge Zhongping had forgotten was that Lu Hai was nothing more than a figurehead. A man who had been placed in charge of the police force to ensure Ge Zhongping's control over the system, he was utterly incompetent. What advice could he possibly offer?

"Secretary, your opinion is my opinion. I will follow you without question!" Lu Hai, immediately standing up, gave a sycophantic smile as he addressed Ge Zhongping.

Ge Zhongping almost choked on his own frustration. At that moment, he regretted appointing such a useless individual to such an important position. In hindsight, he realized that his forceful nature had led him to make decisions that, while effective in the short term, would come back to haunt him later.

Seeing that he would get no useful input from Lu Hai, Ge Zhongping waved him off, urging him to sit down. Lu Hai breathed a sigh of relief as he complied, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Enough silence, everyone. Speak your mind. At a time like this, we need to pool our ideas if we are to survive!" Ge Zhongping, no longer bothering with formalities, had come to recognize the gravity of the situation. He was fully aware that if things continued to deteriorate, it would not only be the base's survival at stake but his own life as well.

"Alright! I'll speak," Han Zhongguo, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke, his voice steady and sharp as he extinguished his cigarette and looked directly at Ge Zhongping.

"Ha! Good! Deputy Mayor Han, please, share your thoughts. Everyone, listen closely!" Ge Zhongping, momentarily relieved to hear someone speak, smiled broadly. However, as soon as he heard it was Han Zhongguo, his expression darkened. Han Zhongguo had always been a thorn in his side. If it weren't for Han's interference, he would have long since taken full control of the base. Instead, Han's influence had led to a divided leadership, with many remaining neutral. Although Ge Zhongping loathed Han, he couldn't afford to show it now. His face shifted into a strained smile as he addressed him.