Chapter 110: An Unexpected Situation

As expected, a few individuals clearly displayed looks of resentment. However, most people had joined the commotion only because they wanted to escape their current dire straits. Now that someone had arrived—looking healthy, well-fed, and promising to take them to a better life—who wouldn't want to go?

The mere prospect of being able to take a shower was a massive incentive. Consequently, most people began to compete for this chance at a better life, vying to show off their best sides.

Seeing a few people who remained rooted to the spot, Jiang Huan glanced at them and spoke directly into her megaphone: "Administrator, come here and register the names of these few."

"By what right? Who do you think you are? Do you think everyone is a sycophant who will lick your boots and fawn over you? I’m not going! I won’t participate in this selection of servants! We are human beings, and we want to—"

"Moron." Jiang Huan held up the megaphone. "Did I say anything? Did I suggest you had no chance to come with me? Why are you being so self-important? You were just causing trouble, so I asked the administrator to note it down. Internal matters are handled by internal management; why are you playing the victim? It’s laughable."

Her two sentences caused the agitated troublemakers’ faces to flush, turning almost purple.

Jiang Huan sneered and put the megaphone away. When those few people tried to rush forward to push her, Old Zhang, Wang Ping, and the others drew their guns.

The men couldn't stop their momentum in time and were so terrified that they fell backward, piling up on top of one another in a humiliating heap. The personas they had been trying to build collapsed instantly, leaving nothing behind.

The administrator saw that only a few were causing trouble and had them dragged off to a holding room. Turning back to Jiang Huan, he noted that if she truly intended to select people to take away, she would likely need the base director's approval.

Jiang Huan laughed. "It was just an expedient measure. Besides, if there are suitable candidates, my taking them away would actually lighten the base's burden."

The man finally realized that Jiang Huan’s earlier act had been nothing but a ruse. He couldn't help but give her a thumbs-up. She hadn't preached, nor had she used violence; though her methods were unconventional, she had dismantled the unrest without spilling a drop of blood.

Jiang Huan and her group were taken to a large room that had been temporarily cleared out. It was roughly thirty square meters, but given the base’s strained living resources and the short notice, there was no way to provide more space. Jiang Huan didn't mind; in the apocalypse, one couldn't be too picky—it wasn't a business trip.

They took off their backpacks and laid out water, food, and even cigarettes and alcohol on the table. The administrator clicked his tongue when he saw this before leaving. If he hadn't known Jiang Huan was just putting on a show, he would have been tempted himself. It was no wonder the higher-ups had suddenly sent someone like Jiang Huan—a woman, no less—to stabilize the base. She clearly had the resources to back it up.

Jiang Huan’s group set up sleeping mats and turned in for the night. Because the conditions were so harsh, everyone already felt like going back after only a few hours. They had always felt that no matter how good their own shelter’s facilities were, they were still suffering in the extreme heat. It was only after arriving here that they realized their little shelter was practically a heavenly palace.

When they woke up, no one felt refreshed; their heads felt heavy. Jiang Huan led her group out of the room, only to find many people leaning against the walls outside or sitting on the floor, seemingly waiting for them to emerge. Imagine waking up, opening the door, and finding a crowd of dark, gaunt, suffering people in various dirty clothes, squatting, standing, or hunched over, staring at you.

Jiang Huan didn't change her expression, though she cursed internally. This scene was truly comparable to a horror movie.

"Morning," Jiang Huan waved at the crowd.

Everyone immediately began calling out, "Good morning, Miss Jiang!"

Jiang Huan couldn't out-shout so many people, so she pulled out her labor-saving tool—the megaphone.

"Thank you all for being so proactive. However, for the first day, I need to consult with the administrator about your daily situations. We will first filter out those who have records of violence, disobedience, or bullying. For now, please carry on as usual or go get some rest."

To distract them, Jiang Huan pulled out a large bag of candy. "Later, any child under twelve, regardless of gender, can line up. I have an assistant here who is also around that age; he understands children well and will give each child a piece of candy as a greeting gift, provided they have no record of bullying."

Free candy! Everyone immediately went to get their children. Some even brought infants who were only a few months old. Jiang Huan frowned at the sight of babies in this kind of weather. Just as everyone thought she was annoyed by this, she went into the room, grabbed a bag of powdered milk, and said to Monkey, "For the infants, give them each a cup of milk."

Monkey nodded solemnly.

First, attract their attention, then provide a sweet treat, keep up the air of mystery the next day, and finally hold out until the supply-gathering team returns. Perfect.

That was how Jiang Huan planned it. But by the third day at this large base, the armed group had still not returned. Meanwhile, people were already starting to grumble about Jiang Huan having not yet begun the selection process.

Some troublemakers in the crowd began to stir things up again, claiming that Jiang Huan was just a lackey for the base, working in tandem to deceive everyone. This incited those "bad seeds" who had done wrong over the past two days and had been excluded from any benefits—those who knew they had no chance of being selected. They wanted to tear Jiang Huan down or drive her away so that no one could participate in the gathering. If they were suffering and had no chance at a better environment, why should anyone else? Either everyone suffered together, or they would be the ones on top. Otherwise, regardless of what good things Jiang Huan had, if they couldn't have them, no one would!

This unexpected turn of events caught everyone off guard. It is easy to incite the emotions of ordinary people, and the scene quickly descended into uncontrollable chaos.

However, Jiang Huan simply raised her binoculars to observe the clamoring crowd.

Observe? Huh? Observe?

She had said from the start what she was looking for in candidates: obedience—yes, obedience.

Just by the mere act of observing, half of the survivors fell silent. They hadn't done anything wrong in their daily lives, and when the base had mobilized everyone to work together to build their home, they had responded actively. In other words, they could wait to be selected with a clear conscience; why would they want to annoy Jiang Huan by siding with those who had no chance?

Even if they took a step back and assumed Jiang Huan was just acting, it was still authorized by the base. Why would they want to go against the base? During the Ice Peak period, some people thought the base was bad and tried to convince others to strike out on their own and build their own factions. Others had made a ruckus about wanting to be kings and tyrants now that the apocalypse was here. As it turned out, several people who held such views were found frozen to death outside, or were killed near the city police station, where a gang had once entrenched itself before being wiped out by the base.

So, they decided it was better not to cause trouble. In fact, the base was also implementing a work-point system and rationing, which was somewhat similar to measures from a certain era intended to prevent waste and black-market reselling.

With half the crowd silenced, the radicals stood out starkly. Jiang Huan lowered her binoculars and pointed her finger. "You, you, and you. According to my investigation, the three of you performed outstandingly during the reconstruction work. This gentleman, during the extreme heat, you broke the skin on the back of your neck to save a child who had fallen, right? Your neck is quite easy to recognize."

The person pointed out looked stunned, but Jiang Huan had already beckoned him to come over.