Chapter 863: Survival Is Everything
Outside the SUV, the torrential rain was still pouring and thunder was rolling.
The interior of the SUV was soundproof, and it had the highest defense. There was no sound of rain or thunder inside, only Lu Fanghui’s hoa.r.s.e voice that was filled with endless regret.
“Father and the other eight gang leaders fought off all the Apocalyptic Beasts, and the number of superbeasts they killed number in the three digits. They also killed countless monsters and saved Lei Zongchao as well as everyone else.”
“It was a pity that too many members of the Red Heart Society were killed in the battle. Even the bearded guild leader was sacrificed. More than eighty percent of the houses in the territory collapsed too. Countless people were killed or wounded.
“More importantly, the Red Heart Society’s modus operandi had been proven in practice to be unsuitable for the new war of monsters. It would only kill everybody.
“The Red Heart Society, which was once prosperous, fell apart and vanished without a trace.
“As the survivors, no matter how ashamed we were to see our fathers, we could only return to our original families and gangs.
“I returned to Sky Pillar’s territory.
“I was surprised to find that, although they were also attacked by the monster horde, most of the residents there were still alive!
“Yes, they did not seem to be rich. After defeating the Blood Alliance, my father reformed Sky Pillar’s system and established a cruel compet.i.tion system to distribute resources. Only the strong were qualified to get more resources, and the weak could only live on with no dignity.
“But it was precisely because of this system that the strong continued to grow in strength. That was why they could stand up when the beast horde attacked, and they defeated the monsters’ wild offensive. It was to ensure that the weak could continue to live on with their lives.
“Yes, in order to compete for the Blood Alliance’s heritage and precious resources, Sky Pillar and the other gangs engaged in fierce compet.i.tion. They fought each other and tore each other apart. They did not have a sense of the big picture and solidarity at all.
“However, the fierce compet.i.tion among the gangs stimulated the major gangs. They built a large number of underground fortresses and war fortresses in their respective areas. They also racked their brains to organize everyone in their areas of jurisdiction for military training so that they could be trained into cold, merciless killing machines.
“The area under the Red Heart Society’s jurisdiction had been filled with cheers and laughter, and we had thought about how to expand the living s.p.a.ce of the citizens and improve their comfort. In contrast, the areas under the jurisdiction of Sky Pillar and the other gangs were filled with fortresses.
“Yes, the higher-ups of the gangs had to be busy with training and building fortresses, while other heavy physical work had to be borne by the ordinary citizens. In the absence of sufficient crystals and food, the high-intensity military training was also rapidly draining the lives of the lower-level gangs and ordinary citizens.
“Many ordinary citizens in the area under Sky Pillar’s jurisdiction had to carry out heavy earthwork during the day. They suffocated from the pressure of the reinforced concrete, and they did not have sufficient safety guarantees. The slightest carelessness would lead to accidents, turning them into piles of bones among the broken walls.
“At night, they have to carry out military training again. Many of the training subjects have been copied from the Blood Alliance. They are eager for quick success and quick profits, which is not scientific at all. It is simply a ‘seven-wound fist’ that hurts others and hurts oneself.
“Many people were so tired that they vomited blood and died. Some died in construction accidents and training accidents.
“During that period of time, the death rate of the citizens in the districts under the jurisdiction of the nine major gangs was more than 10% higher than that of the districts under the Red Heart Society’s jurisdiction.
“This is also the reason why many citizens who could not endure the torture snuck into the districts under the Red Heart Society’s jurisdiction.
“After discovering that a large number of people had fled from the districts under their jurisdiction, the nine major gangs did not think about how to improve the lives of the people and adjust the training subjects. Instead, they used even crueler methods to control and exploit the citizens. Many of the methods also came from the Blood Alliance.
“During the peaceful period when the Blood Alliance was defeated and the monsters had yet to appear, my companions and I were indignant. We thought that our parents, the higher-ups of the nine major gangs, were too cruel to the lower-level gangs and ordinary citizens. They simply treated them as slaves…
“And the area under the Red Heart Society’s jurisdiction was a peaceful paradise. It was a paradise that everyone yearned for.
“However, when the monsters attacked, the districts under the jurisdiction of the nine major gangs were more likely to survive under the claws of the monsters than the districts under the jurisdiction of the nine major gangs. The ordinary people in the districts under the Red Heart Society’s jurisdiction were too well-protected by us. As a result, they lost their combat ability and their ability to respond to crises.
“In the end, more than 70% of the population of the districts under the jurisdiction of the nine major gangs survived the first wave of the civilization of monsters.
“However, less than 10% of the survivors of the former Red Heart Society survived!
“Also, living in the territories of the nine major gangs, the citizens had to undergo arduous work and harsh training. They often had to partic.i.p.ate in b.l.o.o.d.y conflicts. They were willing to fight to the death even for the rotten canned food.
“The cruel struggles gradually hardened their will and made them completely accept the rules of the game in the apocalypse.
“It was not a big deal even if they encountered monsters. After all, life in the apocalypse was made up of all kinds of suffering. Monsters were just one of the countless suffering.
“Therefore, after the first contact with the monsters, the citizens under the jurisdiction of the nine major gangs were obviously more mentally stable or ‘numb.’
“In the districts of the Red Heart Society, the citizens all believed in the ‘beautiful tomorrow’ that we had described. They did not expect that they would encounter something like ‘monsters,’ which only appeared in nightmares. Many of them suffered heavy damage to their souls. Even if they were lucky enough to survive, their spirits had completely collapsed.
“Such a stark contrast made us deeply reflect on ourselves while feeling ashamed.
“No matter how cruel the rule of the nine major gangs was, they at least stimulated or exploited their greatest potential. They also transformed their limited resources into their strongest combat ability, which allowed most of the people to survive.
“No matter how perfect the governance of the Red Heart Society seemed, it could not withstand the storm that was bound to exist in the Other World.
“In times of crisis, the means of survival are the most important thing in the apocalypse. Everything should be made for ‘living!’
“Other than our deep reflection, the Red Heart Society’s destruction greatly affected Battle G.o.d Lei Zongchao.
“As far as I know, Lei Zongchao once seriously considered joining the Red Heart Society and promoting the collaboration between the Red Heart Society and Golden Tooth.
“Lei Zongchao, the Red Heart Society, and “Domineering Saber” Jin Wanhao’s Golden Tooth formed the ‘Iron Triangle’ to fight against the nine major gangs and fight for the leadership of Dragon City in the future!
“However, in the first wave of the monster civilization, even Lei Zongchao himself was saved by the leaders of the nine major gangs.
“Lei Zongchao was, after all, a straightforward man who had a clear distinction between grat.i.tude and hatred. The reason why he wanted to fight for the leadership of Dragon City was not because of his ambition, but because he sincerely believed that the Red Heart Society’s ideology could create a bright future for Dragon City.
“In the end, the weakness of the Red Heart Society was a great blow to him. After learning from the painful experience, he turned to work with the nine major gangs and endorsed them with his powerful military force and high prestige. In the end, he established the Survival Committee.
“I don’t think that Lei Zongchao, such a tough man, made a choice that many people, including Jin Wanhao, could not imagine and approve of, not because his ideology had changed.
“But because he deeply realized that without the support of power, no matter how great, bright, and correct his philosophy was, it would all be empty words.
“Plus, power would not fall from the sky just because of your ‘justice’ or ‘kindness.’ Many times, in order to obtain the power of transcendence and sanctification, we have to give up something… or even many things.
“The so-called ‘dragon-slaying warrior’ is a fairy tale that lies. A warrior can never kill an evil dragon. Only an evil dragon can kill an evil dragon.
“Rather, you can only choose to be a ‘good dragon’ or an ‘evil dragon’ after you devour and evolve into a dominating dragon by any means necessary. If you are just a small lizard, it is meaningless for you to choose between good and evil!”
Btoom!
The goblet in Lu Fanghui’s hand suddenly exploded without any warning.
However, influenced by his spirit energy, the broken goblet remained in its original state. Not a single drop of liquor leaked out of it.
Since the walls of the goblet were covered with complicated cracks that looked like ice crystals, it appeared more translucent and mysterious.
Lu Fanghui took a deep breath and shook the broken goblet gently. Watching the liquor flow down the cracks like streams of blood, he gradually calmed down.
“Meng Chao, looking at you today is like looking at myself from yesterday. I was once young and frivolous, so I know exactly what you’re thinking.”
Lu Fanghui calmly said, “I know that you have a prejudice against the nine mega corporations. It’s normal for someone like you, who’s come from a humble family and worked hard to get to where you are today, to have some opinions about the sons of the wealthy families. They seemed to have had everything since birth.
“The nine mega corporations are not charity organizations that specialize in benefiting others. Of course, the rules of the game that are enforced by the nine mega corporations are not perfect either. Therefore, it’s understandable that you want to change the current situation and create a more fair set of rules. It should also be supported. Any young man in his early twenties who is full of vigor and vitality would have no conscience if he didn’t think like you!
“However, before you hastily use your own will to transform this world, you must first have power.
“Without power, you and your ideas are just a joke.
“Yes, in the past two years, you have risen miraculously and gained all the limelight. You have climbed all the way to a height that many disciples of n.o.ble families can never reach in their lifetime.
“But I’m afraid that even you don’t believe that you can control Dragon City’s future with your current power.
“Besides, you have shown your sharpness and already stood in the eye of the storm.
“You must obtain even greater strength.
“Otherwise, you will be crushed by a more monumental strength.
“Now, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you to rise to the top, soar to the sky, and… get the strength you want!”
Lu Fanghui once again pushed the Heavenly Dragon Club’s membership card to him.