"Excellent! Brilliant! It seems like you're determined to see my son die in vain. Fine, I refuse to believe that murdering within the base will go unpunished. If you won't help me, I'll create chaos daily at the city lord's mansion, keep putting up broadsheets, escalate my grievances at every level. I refuse to believe everyone is corrupt. If this approach fails, I'll spend my entire fortune to hire assassins. Don't think I'm unaware of what Qianji Hall does. Those people are loyal to money, not individuals. Give them enough, and they'd even target Xu Yintian!"

"Insolence!" Xu Jingyi stood up in rage, "Dare you repeat that? Your recklessness has limits. What good will come of this uproar? Do you even know who he is?"

"Who cares who he is? My son's uncle is a brigadier general, his aunt is the city lord's sister, and he has a bunch of influential relatives. Yet, he's to die mysteriously while his murderer goes scot-free? It's a joke! Aren't you afraid of retribution?"

Zhu Rongwei, too, was enraged, "Sister-in-law, how many times have I told you? There's always someone bigger and better. There are plenty of brigadier generals in Yang City's military, and above them, there are major generals and generals. The city has many experts. Where do you get the audacity to think you can act with impunity? Do you think achieving what the Zhu family has today was easy? Our favorable position is jeopardized because of this incident. Do you believe you can dominate public opinion with an online mob?"

Both families parted on bad terms. Zhu Rongwei, shaking off his previous anger, calmly said to Xu Jingyi, "It's okay, don't be upset. I'll have someone watch over them to ensure they don't cause trouble. We must avenge Shikun's death, but there's a saying: 'A gentleman takes his revenge even after ten years.' If need be, we can settle scores with them once they leave the base."

Xu Jingyi snorted coldly, "We've indulged them for far too long. They think too highly of themselves, utterly foolish. They should remember who brought the Zhu family its current status. I won't tolerate their tantrums. Don't help them this time. One less troublemaker will be one less troublesome relative for our son, saving him from any potential disgrace."

Zhu Rongwei's eyes flickered. The veins on his hand, gripping the armrest, were pronounced. After a pause, he replied with a smile, "Alright, I'll try to convince our elder brother and sister-in-law."

Xu Jingyi nodded assertively, "They should wrap up the funeral soon. It's not proper to have the coffin at home for so long. My younger brother is in seclusion, so don't send the notice there. Stay low-key. There are plenty of nosy people online, and we shouldn't give them a reason to mock us."

Chapter 134: Give Up, It's Hopeless

No one expected that online sentiment would reverse dramatically in just half a day. Shao Qi, who committed the murder, not only avoided criticism but was hailed as a hero. Most netizens supported him, even willing to petition the court on his behalf.

After seeing these updates, Zhou You looked into Zhu Shikun's background. Within a short span, netizens had uncovered all his dark secrets. Beyond the severe crimes of murder and assault, videos of him bullying classmates were shared, each incident stoking public anger.

Zhou You was more convinced that Shao Qi knew who he was targeting. Clearly, the reckless Zhu Shikun wasn't his ultimate goal; there must have been a mission behind his visit to Yangcheng Base.

Zhou You mused, "Mr. Shao, if you keep making rounds like this, people might fear you everywhere you go. You'll be like those ancient emissaries wielding imperial swords."

Shao Qi replied nonchalantly, "Those emissaries could act first and report later. I don't have that kind of power."

"What if I hadn't chosen to come to Yangcheng? Would you have parted ways with me?" Zhou You recalled that at the time, Shao Qi seemed indifferent about the destination. He had chosen Yangcheng, and Shao Qi had no objections. Had they been in sync?

Shao Qi chuckled confidently, "The Jiangnan Base is closest to Yangcheng. You always intended to come here. Why would you take a detour? Especially in the cold of winter, where it's snowing north of the Yangtze River."

Zhou You pulled up the map. Currently, the map only showed domestic bases. There were dozens of them, but fewer than ten with populations exceeding a million.

"In the south, aside from the Southwest Base, there are many smaller bases. Hasn't the central government thought of relocating populations or consolidating bases? We know larger bases are relatively safer. In these survival conditions, people are the most valuable resource."

"They've considered it. Many experts have suggested it. But it's challenging. Building a base for millions is a massive undertaking, especially with dense forests in the south. Even if a base is built, moving scattered populations is a herculean task, not feasible within five years.

So, we pivoted our approach. In the end, surviving the apocalypse relies on adaptation and self-improvement. Empowering humans to survive is more effective than any rescue effort. But this new strategy is even more challenging. With the protection of tall walls and elite troops, life inside the bases feels unchanged. Over time, people forget how to face danger."

It clicked for Zhou You, "So the game we're playing is state-sponsored? The government aims to familiarize players with the wilderness and mutated creatures through the game. The next phase might be real combat training?"

Linking this to the man Shao Qi killed, who had military ties, this surely involved the military on some level. Could there be an issue with General Zhu?

No matter, it wasn't his concern. Shao Qi would have a detailed plan. For now, he'd just follow along. After all, he wasn't a soldier, had no official designation, and hadn't even undergone martial arts evaluation. He felt like a mobile asset, deployed where needed, a secret weapon.

Cheng Yuran emerged from the game room, feeling dazed. Spotting Zhou You and Shao Qi chatting, she pouted and loudly exclaimed, "Guess who I ran into in the game today?"