Virus King - Chapter 96

Chapter 96: Camp Chaos? In Turbulent Times, Use Heavy Punishment!

TL: Yang

Excitedly, he opened his eyes.

The sound of rustling echoed around him.

Chen Bai glanced downward, exhaling a long breath before speaking:

“Where’s Qiuqiu?”

“Wuu… shattered…” Qin Lingyu mumbled incoherently.

Chen Bai nodded.

“You’re not suited for combat. From now on, just stay at the settlement and focus on some clerical work,” he said.

“Y-yes… seems… right…”

Chen Bai’s smile deepened as he picked up the bun of hair she wore and quickened his pace, continuing:

“But leveling up is also essential. When your secret realm cooldown is over, the settlement will arrange for someone to escort you inside to help you level up safely. Put all your free attribute points into constitution!

With your constitution improved, your body’s aging will slow down, and your stamina will increase.”

“Mm… yes…”

Releasing Qin Lingyu, Chen Bai watched as she began to roll her eyes, and he chuckled:

“You see, this is why improving your constitution is so important!”

As she returned from her dazed, satiated state, she cast him a charming glance before nodding.

“Yes, I understand…”

Chen Bai rose, frowning slightly as he glanced toward the door:

“What’s going on outside? Why is it so noisy?!”

Qin Lingyu wiped her mouth and swallowed the last bit before answering:

“Sister Qiong said yesterday that all Evolvers entering East Mountain must pay a copper coin each day as a protection fee. Some people are making a fuss about it now!”

The protection fee was Chen Bai’s decision. This was also the groundwork for establishing a city in the future!

In the post-apocalyptic world, it had become a common rule in cities to impose fees like these.

Chen Bai’s brows knitted together. “What’s there to protest?! Those people don’t actually think we’ve formed a settlement and trained so many Evolvers to risk their lives just so they can freeload, do they?!”

In this settlement, you either worked or paid.

It was that simple!

“Moreover, what’s the security team doing? Letting them cause such a scene? Throw out everyone who won’t pay!”

Qin Lingyu shrugged.

“If they were just regular people, we’d have thrown them out ages ago. But among them, there are some who claim to be your classmates…”

Chen Bai raised his eyebrows, a cold smile crossing his face.

Classmates?!

He stood up and strode toward the villa’s entrance. Outside, a chorus of unruly voices and the guards’ reprimands reached his ears.

“We want to see Chen Bai!”

“Yeah! Chen Bai said this settlement could protect us, but he never mentioned we’d have to pay for it!”

“That’s right, copper coins are expensive! Just one can buy two packs of compressed biscuits and two bottles of water. I’ve been eating nothing but biscuits for two days, and I’m already constipated! And now they want us to pay more?”

“Get Chen Bai out here to explain!”

“He’s just a classmate. Why does he get to live in a villa, eating and drinking whatever he wants, with all those girls around him…”

Before the words finished, the gate in the courtyard wall swung open.

The Evolvers on the security team finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They hadn’t dared to do anything rash against these people claiming to be Chen Bai’s classmates—what if he took issue with it later?

But now, Chen Bai had finally come out!

Almost instantly, the uproar quieted, and all eyes locked on Chen Bai as he emerged.

Truth be told, aside from those he’d saved in the Jiangcheng University gymnasium, there were quite a few vaguely familiar faces from the university among them.

Yet, at this moment, these people were no longer the dear, familiar classmates they once had been. Instead, they’d become a resentful mob, filled with enmity over trivialities.

Chen Bai’s gaze shifted to the few figures at the front, who had just been leading the clamor.

“Chen Bai! Explain yourself! We came here because of what you promised, so why should we have to pay…”

“Yeah!”

Once again, the area in front of the villa erupted into a chaotic clamor.

Chen Bai, however, ignored them entirely, turning instead to a familiar-looking member of the security team nearby.

“Where is Song Ziqiong?!”

The guard responded promptly, “Sir, Madam personally led a team to hunt down and clear out zombies. She hasn’t returned yet!”

Chen Bai nodded.

The few individuals leading the crowd fell silent; none of them dared to cause trouble with Song Ziqiong.

After years of holding a high position, Song Ziqiong exuded a natural authority—one that an ordinary student wouldn’t dare challenge.

But, it was clear they were even more oblivious to the fact that Chen Bai was far more terrifying.

“What did Song Ziqiong say?” Chen Bai asked.

The security Evolver, who was clearly fed up with the students, answered, “Madam stated that anyone staying in the settlement must pay one copper coin per day. Those who paid previously don’t need to pay again upon entry. If they refuse to pay, they’ll be kicked out!”

The Evolver added, “She also said that anyone who dares to resist will be either expelled or executed on the spot!”

At these last four words, a trace of fear appeared in everyone’s eyes.

Things weren’t as they were before, when the imperial government and local authorities maintained order. With the apocalypse upon them, the collapse of governmental and local rule had come so rapidly it left people reeling.

And besides, in chaotic times, strict rules were essential. Even if there were any remaining authorities, whether they’d actually intervene was anyone’s guess!

Chen Bai chuckled, then suddenly reached out…

He grabbed the throats of two somewhat familiar faces!

The scene in front of the villa fell silent. With cold, emotionless eyes, Chen Bai stared at these two figures, who could only tremble in terror, unable to utter a sound.

With a crack, he snapped their necks.

Black and red mycelium tendrils enveloped his hands, writhing over them.

This grotesque display sent a chill down the spines of the other students, who had hoped to leverage their “classmate” status to gain privileges. The naïve students from the ivory towers quivered, realizing how out of place their assumptions were here.

In moments, Chen Bai opened his eyes, and the two figures had disappeared without a trace.

A hint of amusement curved his lips.

“Li Chen, Lu Kou, Sun Youhuang, Zhao Ziyan…”

As he called out each name, a figure in the crowd shuddered violently.

Chen Bai regarded them with a cold gaze, then turned to the guards beside him and ordered:

“Round up these people and execute them all. Hang their heads along both sides of the mountain path leading to camp! As for anyone else daring to lead an uprising, kill them on the spot! If anyone can’t or won’t pay the copper fee, they can either take on assigned tasks or leave!”

His icy gaze swept over them once more. He didn’t even bother wasting another word.

He had given them a chance to survive, yet these fools had secretly conspired to stir up trouble?

They had neither the courage nor the skills to fight zombies outside, yet they were plenty adept at plotting tricks and petty bureaucratic schemes here. Unfortunately for them, Chen Bai didn’t play by those rules.

Little did they know that his Devour ability allowed him to clearly see the memories within—making it all crystal clear to him.

Executing them was, in fact, Chen Bai being merciful.

If this had been like his past life in White Demon City, he would’ve ordered his men to either break their limbs, seal their abilities, and throw them into a horde of zombies, or hang them from a flagpole to attract mutant crows and insects for a feast. There would have been no idle chatter.

In chaotic times, one must wield harsh measures! Mercy had no place in the quest to build a nation! The ancients did not mislead him!

However, rule through both rewards and punishments was the ultimate way.

Chen Bai exhaled, turning back into the villa. It was time to show these Evolvers and survivors exactly why East Mountain’s survivor camp had the right to charge this price, wasn’t it?

The timing was just right. Over the past few days, the trench outside the settlement had been nearly completed, and soon the Flesh Mountain Wall would begin construction.

The initial construction of the settlement was about to commence.

And this, too, would become the most crucial foundation and origin of the future White Emperor City!