Chapter 90 – The Terrifying Shift in Mentality

In this area, which had gathered tens of thousands of people, a chaotic and deadly stampede ensued. People were trampled underfoot, and countless lives were lost in the ensuing chaos. Meanwhile, the mutated crocodile rampaged like a wild, unbridled beast. Everywhere it went, there was a bloodbath.

Around them, other mutated creatures, including mutated dogs, rats, cats, snakes, tigers, and leopards, launched their attacks. Humanity, at this point, was akin to helpless chicks being chased in all directions. The most desperate thought for many was how they wished their parents had given them one more leg to run faster.

With no chance of outrunning these mutated animals, thousands of people fell victim to their attacks. The mutated crocodile's massive jaws claimed countless lives, and the bloodshed stained the entire land. The blood flowed into the lake, turning the water red. In response, mutated fish began to surface, fighting over the human corpses that had fallen into the lake.

It was a scene straight out of hell: the air was filled with screams, roars, gnashing of teeth, and animal howls, while blood and severed limbs littered the ground. The horrific and bloody scene was unimaginable. Even hearing about it later, Di Ping could feel the overwhelming terror that permeated the atmosphere.

At this point, the entire meeting room fell into a deep silence. Many people were visibly trembling, as though they were still trapped in that nightmare, unable to escape.

The individuals present in the meeting had been at the frontlines during the attack. After the chaos broke out, they had managed to flee the crowd and evade the attacks of the mutated creatures. They were among the few who had gathered in this underground base, barely clinging to life.

They had all witnessed the devastation firsthand. The army's bullets had been ineffective against the giant crocodile, and although a tank fired two shots, it failed to penetrate the creature's thick hide. Before the third shot could be fired, the giant crocodile had leapt onto the tank, crushing it with a single blow of its claw.

Seeing this, the army had no choice but to retreat quickly. Some of the people had followed the military, while the majority were either killed or, like the individuals in the room, managed to escape by pure luck.

They were fortunate to have survived the onslaught of mutated creatures and to have found refuge in this underground base. Many others, however, were not so lucky.

After hearing all of this, Di Ping sighed deeply, feeling an overwhelming weight on his chest as if it were hard to breathe. He could not imagine the sheer brutality of that day. However, it was clear to him that the situation would have been disastrous, with tens of thousands of people crowding together, unable to escape. With creatures like the giant crocodile rampaging like a bulldozer, anyone who managed to escape was truly fortunate.

According to Han Zhongguo, the death toll from that incident exceeded 10,000. Most of the people were scattered, and it was uncertain how many had survived. A few thousand had managed to retreat with the military, but those in the room were unable to follow. They had to hide in this underground mall to survive.

Di Ping clenched his fist tightly, filled with both anger and sorrow. It was heart-wrenching to see humanity so weak in the face of the apocalypse, reduced to helpless victims, slaughtered by mutated creatures with no ability to defend themselves. All they could do was watch in despair as people were torn apart.

While Di Ping was not a saint, this sight deeply affected him. It only strengthened his resolve to grow stronger and save as many people as possible, to give these struggling survivors a glimmer of hope. He realized that he could no longer just focus on enhancing his own strength, finding his parents, and securing a safe place for his family and friends. With the aid of the system and everything he had experienced during the apocalypse, his mentality began to shift. He had a greater ambition now: not just to provide safety for his loved ones, but to transform his fortress into a sanctuary for humanity, to give more people the opportunity to survive.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was thick with silence, a chilling sense of despair permeating the air. Regardless of their roles—whether good or evil—no one spoke, their faces filled with genuine sorrow and hopelessness. It was as though they were all mourning the death of a rabbit, uncertain of how long they themselves would survive in this apocalyptic world.

Knock knock.

Suddenly, a knock at the door broke the tense silence, startling everyone. The door swung open, and Lu Hai entered, sweating profusely. This action roused everyone from their grim thoughts, some hastily wiping away tears from their eyes.

"Mr. Di, the meat has been stewed. Would you like to take a look?" Lu Hai asked, having learned to address Di Ping directly, avoiding Ge Zhongping this time.

"Ha! That's great! I've been smelling the aroma already. Let's go take a look!" Di Ping laughed heartily, placing his empty teacup down and rising to his feet. He then gestured to Han Zhongguo and the others to join him.

Upon hearing Di Ping's words, everyone stood up eagerly, noses twitching. Although the door had been closed earlier, they hadn't been able to smell anything, but as soon as Lu Hai opened it, a rich, savory aroma of stewed meat wafted into the room. The air was filled with an irresistible, mouth-watering scent.

"Ha! That smells amazing! Let's go try it! Mr. Di, after you!" Han Zhongguo's loud, cheerful voice filled the room again as he clapped his hands in delight and stood up, motioning for Di Ping to lead the way.

"Ha! Yes, let's go together!" Di Ping responded with a hearty laugh, taking the lead and stepping toward the door. Lu Hai quickly stepped forward to guide the way, and the others followed behind. Ge Zhongping, however, stayed back, his expression darkening as he observed Di Ping and the others from behind, a faint, cold smile creeping onto his face as he watched them leave.