Chapter 87 – Mission Complete, A Bountiful Harvest

Han Zhongguo and Lu Guoliang exchanged a glance, both of them thinking the same thing: this young man is incredibly strong-willed. There was a trace of dissatisfaction in both of their hearts.

Although they both had many grievances with Ge Zhongping, he was still a high-ranking official, and with the two of them behind him, they held significant power.

This young man, while undeniably strong, showed them no respect. Without a word, he took the main seat. The question in their minds was whether such an assertive individual would bring blessings or disaster to the base.

After a moment's pause, both men sighed, their thoughts darkening. Had they forgotten their own situation?

They had been like lost dogs, fleeing from mutated creatures, only to find temporary safety in the underground mall. But even here, they had been trapped by mutant dogs for days, their lives constantly at risk. What right did they have to think about power?

Both were exceptionally clever individuals, and they had already witnessed the overwhelming might of the giant mutated Tibetan mastiffs and the formidable and mysterious strength of Gina and Di Ping.

This made them realize: the world had changed.

It had become a world where the strong dominated, and the weak were devoured. It had become even more brutal, even more naked in its cruelty. If they didn't adapt their mindset, they, too, would be eliminated.

The two of them had risen to their positions because of their sharp minds. They were capable of grasping the critical points with just a little thought, and it was clear to them how they needed to proceed.

In that moment, they seemed to understand exactly what to do. They exchanged a knowing smile and casually took their seats.

Di Ping wasn't inherently a forceful person. His actions today had a purpose. To seize control of the base, he needed reliable people around him, but at present, his only subordinates were Yue Lie and Liu Han, two inexperienced individuals who couldn't contribute much. The rest of the people here were too much for them to handle. Without asserting dominance over them, it would be difficult to gain absolute authority.

By taking the main seat earlier, he had hoped to gauge everyone's reactions, to see if they understood that the world had changed. The strong now ruled, and without power, one could only become food for others. When he saw that Han Zhongguo and Lu Guoliang calmly took their seats, Di Ping felt a sense of satisfaction. He knew that some among them understood the new reality.

Most others, however, showed clear signs of displeasure, but were intimidated by Di Ping's strength and the mysterious beauty in the black cloak following him. They didn't want to end up like the mutant dogs, charred to ashes. Despite their distaste, no one dared to speak out. Most people simply found a seat, some without even reacting, having already claimed their places.

The majority of these individuals belonged to Lu Guoliang's faction. This faction had little influence in the base, so they didn't care about who sat in the main seat.

If Han Zhongguo and Lu Guoliang understood the situation, why had Ge Zhongping, the political veteran, failed to grasp Di Ping's intentions?

It wasn't because Ge Zhongping lacked political wisdom—his skill was superior to both Han Zhongguo's and Lu Guoliang's, or he wouldn't have taken control of the base so quickly.

But today, Ge Zhongping had been ignored and suppressed by Di Ping, and his pride had been wounded. His mind was filled with anger, and he couldn't focus on analyzing the situation. Instead, he was obsessed with finding a way to eliminate this arrogant young man. How could he think about anything else?

Especially after enjoying the power of absolute control—having women at his beck and call, taking whatever he desired with a bit of food, without any constraints from the pre-apocalyptic world. He had become addicted to this feeling, like a poison. Now, with Di Ping threatening to take that power from him, he was unwilling to let it go. His mind was entirely consumed by desire, leaving no room for other thoughts.

Di Ping sat in the main seat, his eyes gently closing. The battle earlier had exhausted him. He realized that he had revealed many flaws during the fight. While his strength was far superior to that of the mutated Tibetan mastiff, he had still been forced to retreat in disgrace, and his sword had been broken. There were many lessons to be learned from this experience.

Leaning back on the sofa, Di Ping reflected on the outcomes of the battle. Gina stood behind him, her blue eyes occasionally glinting as they swept across the room, scanning the people present.

The senior members of the base were momentarily stunned. Never had they seen such behavior—this young man closed his eyes and relaxed, leaving them to wait on their own.

But seeing his bloodstained figure and the mysterious, beautiful woman behind him, no one dared to move. They could only sit in silence, unwilling to speak.

Ge Zhongping lit a cigarette and leaned back in his seat, letting out a puff of smoke to hide his face. His mind seemed preoccupied with something. Han Zhongguo and Lu Guoliang exchanged another look, sharing a bitter smile before each lighting their own cigarette.

At this moment, Di Ping wasn't intentionally ignoring them. He had simply closed his eyes to take a brief respite. He thought it would only take a few seconds to collect his thoughts. However, just as he settled into his moment of rest, he heard the familiar "ding" of the system's notification.

"Ding... Rescue mission completed. Earned 500 Crystal Coins and a Wujin Battle Knife."

"Ding... System equipment obtained. Backpack function activated."

"Ding... Backpack activated. 50 slots available. The Wujin Battle Knife has been placed in the backpack, occupying one slot."

A series of notifications echoed in Di Ping's mind. It suddenly dawned on him that the rescue mission had been part of a task, and now the system was informing him that it had been completed. He had earned 500 Crystal Coins and a Wujin Battle Knife, which was a perfect replacement for his broken sword. The timing couldn't have been better.

But what excited him the most was the activation of the backpack system. This was a truly magical item—no longer would he need to carry a physical bag around.