Chapter 45 – Dividing Forces (Part 1)

Chapter 45 – Dividing Forces (Part 1)

Li Wanshan’s eyes flickered with emotion. The punishment Cheng Yang mentioned seemed far too lenient in his eyes, considering it involved a human life. But Li Wanshan didn’t realize that in this apocalyptic world, human lives were the least valuable commodity.

Cheng Yang continued, “Now that this passage has been cleared, entering Xiangcheng City won’t be difficult. However, the city itself isn’t peaceful. We need to discuss our next steps.”

Cheng Yang instructed the deputy captains to have all combatants rest while he, Yu Kai, Liu Hao, and Li Wanshan moved aside for a brief meeting.

Yu Kai asked, “Yang, do you know anything about the situation inside Xiangcheng City?”

Cheng Yang replied, “I wouldn’t say I know much, but I can make some educated guesses. The military has taken control of the main city, but their number of combatants is likely still limited. They’re probably still operating around the main city, and city-wide rescue operations have just begun.”

Yu Kai frowned, “By main city, do you mean something similar to our Luofeng Village?”

Cheng Yang nodded, “Exactly. Currently, Xiangcheng’s main city is probably only four to five square kilometers in size. The military presence there is less than ten thousand, and the civilian population shouldn’t exceed fifty thousand.”

Yu Kai’s eyes lit up, “Yang, what if we take over Xiangcheng’s main city?”

Cheng Yang rolled his eyes, “You make it sound so easy. Even though Xiangcheng doesn’t have many transformed individuals, they still outnumber our two hundred plus people. Moreover, the military still has firearms, which pose a significant threat to you all.”

Yu Kai’s face fell, “Then what should we do? If the military discovers our existence, they won’t tolerate a place like Luofeng Village. Even if they don’t destroy us, they’ll definitely bring us under their control. How can we fight against their strength?”

Li Wanshan immediately suggested, “Then let’s enter quietly without the military knowing. After rescuing our families, we can return to Luofeng Village and focus on improving our strength.”

Cheng Yang said, “Old Li, that’s exactly what I was thinking. If they don’t know about Luofeng Village’s existence, give us a month to develop, and we won’t have to fear Xiangcheng’s military might anymore. You all are people I trust, so I’ll be frank with you. I don’t want my future controlled by others. Since I’ve taken Luofeng Village, I have no intention of giving it up. As for you, staying in Luofeng Village will guarantee you a glorious future. If you go to the military, think about what kind of future you’d have.”

Liu Hao smiled wryly, “I won’t say much else, but we brothers are determined to follow you. One thing I know for sure is that if I want to save my family in the future, I can’t rely on the military. They wouldn’t mobilize forces for a small fry like me. Right, Kai?”

Yu Kai’s smile held a hint of bitterness, “I feel the same. I just hope my family survived this disaster.”

Although they had called their families as Cheng Yang instructed, that only increased their chances of survival. If they had managed to enter the light barrier immediately after the earthquake ended, it would have been a tremendous opportunity, greatly increasing their survival chances. But if they hadn’t entered the light barrier during that time, they wouldn’t have any significant advantage over others.

Li Wanshan added, “The leader knows my thoughts. I’ve lived an ordinary life until now, but given this opportunity, I want to make a grand impact in my remaining years.”

Cheng Yang nodded, “In that case, let’s plan our next steps.”

He paused, then continued, “If our entire team enters Xiangcheng City, we’ll be too conspicuous and easily noticed. So I suggest selecting team members with family in Xiangcheng to go with the four of us. The rest, led by their deputy captains, should return to Luofeng Village and focus on clearing the monsters around Huimin Town and Luofeng Village. What do you think?”

Li Wanshan and the others exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.

Cheng Yang then said, “Old Li, I estimate that most people with family in Xiangcheng are from the group of drivers and laborers you brought earlier. There might be a few from the people we rescued from Huimin Town. After gathering everyone, you’ll be responsible for compiling information on where their families might be. Although most buildings in the city have been destroyed, due to the threat of demonized beasts, people are likely staying close to where they were before the earthquake.”

Li Wanshan nodded, “Don’t worry, leader. I’ll handle the compilation.”

Yu Kai suddenly asked, “Yang, how long will we stay in Xiangcheng City? Will we return to Luofeng Village tonight?”

Cheng Yang replied, “We’ll definitely return. The exact time depends on how many people we rescue, but we won’t stay past 6 PM.”

Yu Kai and the others understood Cheng Yang’s reasoning – it was all about maximizing the efficiency of upgrading the territory. This was necessary because only Cheng Yang and Li Wanshan could upgrade the territory statue in Luofeng Village. Since both needed to go to Xiangcheng City, they naturally had to return at night.

Afterwards, Cheng Yang and the others dispersed to gather information about the combatants in their teams, separating those with family in Xiangcheng City. The remaining members would return to Luofeng Village under their deputy captains’ leadership.

The only complication was in Li Wanshan’s team, as his deputy captain was one of the drivers who came with him and also had family in Xiangcheng City. Facing this situation, Li Wanshan temporarily appointed another combatant as team leader.

The overall leader of the returning group was Zhao Chuan. After several days of interaction, Cheng Yang had developed some trust in him. Of course, with such a large group, Cheng Yang couldn’t let Zhao Chuan make all the decisions alone. The other deputy captains also had some decision-making power. As for temporary command of all teams after returning to Luofeng Village, that authority belonged solely to Niu Bing.

Although Cheng Yang wouldn’t be gone for long, these arrangements were necessary. In this apocalyptic world, emergencies could arise at any moment. If command became chaotic, it could lead to the entire group’s destruction.

After Zhao Chuan led the main group north into the forest, Cheng Yang turned to look at the remaining people.

There were thirty-one people left, plus Cheng Yang and the other three, making a total of thirty-five.

Cheng Yang stood before the group and said seriously, “You all have family in Xiangcheng City, right?”

“Yes!” came the unified response.

Cheng Yang said, “I understand your feelings. The main purpose of clearing this passage was to go to Xiangcheng City and rescue your families.”

“Thank you, leader, for your great kindness,” one person spoke up, followed by others expressing their gratitude. Some clever individuals even took the opportunity to show their loyalty.

As for how sincere these declarations were, Cheng Yang didn’t bother to investigate. He never considered himself some natural-born ruler who could command instant loyalty with a mere show of strength. However, loyalty could be cultivated. As long as they developed a sense of belonging to Luofeng Village, the likelihood of them leaving would decrease significantly.

Cheng Yang nodded with a satisfied expression, “I’m honored by your sentiments. But regarding this operation, there are some things I must say upfront.”