Chapter 86 – The Removal of Villains to Soothe the Heart of the People

The underground mall was not particularly large, spanning a total area of around three to four thousand square meters. It had three passageways, each about three meters wide, with shops on either side selling various items such as clothing, accessories, and shoes.

The underground mall was already poorly lit, and without the functioning lights, it became even more dim and difficult to navigate. Had it not been for the few LED battery-powered lights scattered around, the path would have been nearly impossible to see.

Through the faint light, Di Ping could see that many of the shops were overcrowded with people. The ground was covered with various items—grass mats, blankets, and torn clothes. People lay haphazardly on the floor, both men and women mixed together, their faces pale and their bodies frail. As Di Ping passed by, their vacant, lifeless eyes followed him, but their bodies hardly moved, as though even shifting their gaze was a Herculean effort.

Some children, with faces ashen and dusty, sat weakly next to their parents, their eyes full of curiosity as they observed Di Ping's group.

The sight of these people tightened Di Ping's throat and brought a sense of acidity to his nose. He had never imagined that, only a few days after the end of the world, people would be so tortured, their spirits nearly broken, resembling walking corpses, utterly devoid of vitality.

As Di Ping walked deeper into the mall, carefully observing every room, he could see that if he had come even one day later, not only would they have been attacked by mutant dogs, but many of them might have starved to death from hunger.

In several rooms, elderly, frail people could be seen on the verge of death, some barely able to make a sound, lying there helplessly. Di Ping felt an overwhelming weight in his heart, especially when he noticed that the leaders of the base, the ones in charge, were still well-fed and well-maintained. Clearly, what Yue Lie and Liu Han had told him was true.

These people had hoarded food primarily for their own benefit, and the contrast was striking.

Di Ping observed these men closely, his gaze cold and unblinking. It was evident that they were either unaware of, or indifferent to, the suffering around them. Their lack of concern for human life sent a chilling sensation through Di Ping's chest. How cold-hearted and indifferent must one be to ignore such blatant suffering? At that moment, Di Ping felt a strong desire to eliminate these people, but he restrained himself—he knew that he could not act recklessly just yet.

As he continued walking, Di Ping secretly observed the expressions of everyone around him, including Han Zhongguo, whom he had a favorable impression of.

He did not distrust Yue Lie and Liu Han, but he trusted his own judgment more. Everything had to be carefully observed and assessed.

Among the group, Han Zhongguo walked quietly, his gaze scanning from side to side. His brow was furrowed, his face grim, and occasionally, he would stop to check if the seemingly lifeless people lying on the ground were still alive. Pain was evident in his eyes.

In stark contrast, Lu Guoliang, the Secretary-General, was silent and showed no emotion. He simply followed, his lips tightly pressed, his face impassive. However, Di Ping noticed that he kept adjusting his glasses, subtly wiping away tears with his fingers. His tinted glasses concealed his emotional eyes, which seemed to soften when he thought no one was watching.

Meanwhile, Ge Zhongping, the leader of the base, had already moved closer to Di Ping, eagerly introducing him to the situation. He seemed to know the base inside and out, and his words were full of self-congratulation. He took pride in how much effort he had put into managing the base and emphasized that without his leadership, these people would have starved long ago.

Di Ping remained silent, listening carefully, his eyes narrowed. He often glanced at the faces of those around him, as if trying to memorize their expressions. Those who knew him would recognize this as a sign of deep anger, though no one here understood him well enough to realize that. They likely assumed he was simply paying attention.

The group entered a clothing store, which had been converted into a meeting room. The space was large enough to accommodate many people.

Ge Zhongping enthusiastically gestured for Di Ping to sit on a sofa to the side, but Di Ping ignored him and confidently walked to the main seat, sitting down with a decisive thud.

Ge Zhongping stood frozen for a moment, his arm awkwardly outstretched, his face filled with embarrassment and anger.

"Ah, hehe, Xiao Di, I think you made the wrong choice. This seat is quite hard and uncomfortable," he said with an awkward laugh, trying to hide his displeasure.

Di Ping pretended not to hear him. At this point, Ge Zhongping had become as inconsequential to him as a lifeless corpse. Although Di Ping could not act immediately, he knew that now was not the right time to strike—he did not want to give others the wrong impression that he was a bloodthirsty person.

Before arriving, Di Ping had considered bringing the thousand or so people in the underground base under his command, but his own base was not yet ready to accommodate them. Moreover, with so few people at his disposal, transporting such a large number was not a simple task. The journey would be fraught with danger, and Di Ping was not about to risk losing his hard-earned followers to mutated beasts.

Thus, consolidating this base was inevitable, but he could not afford to provoke too many enemies. Ge Zhongping, however, was another matter. A person like him was a ticking time bomb—both capable and seasoned in politics. The most pressing issue was that he had already corrupted beyond redemption. After hearing Yue Lie's report, Di Ping had no favorable feelings toward him whatsoever. Keeping someone like him around was akin to harboring a poisonous snake. He had to be eliminated, but in a way that wouldn't incite unrest among the others. Finding the right opportunity was key.

At this moment, Ge Zhongping remained unaware that his fate had already been sealed by Di Ping. Seeing that Di Ping refused to rise, he reluctantly sat next to him on the sofa. His eyes flickered with intense hatred, as he silently vowed to make sure that this arrogant young man would regret his actions and meet a tragic end when the time came.