Chapter 138: Cruel Reality

Ni Mengxue smiled. "That’s not a big deal. I can do that for you."

Giga continued, "Not only that. We want a guarantee that after we relocate there, we won’t suddenly be asked to leave the land or the base. No one should be allowed to throw us out and use us as zombie bait whenever a crisis happens. We’re not willing to sacrifice any of our brothers."

He paused before adding, "And if someone is accused of committing a crime, we want a proper investigation before any punishment is carried out."

Ni Mengxue narrowed her eyes. Instead of answering immediately, she asked,

"So you’re saying that in Silent Knight Base, random people can be accused of crimes and thrown outside the walls to serve as bait or sacrificed to zombies when a zombie tide hits the base?"

Giga fell silent.

Ni Mengxue’s expression remained calm. "I assure you, nothing like that will happen in Fair Shallow Land."

Hearing this, Giga finally relaxed a little.

Although he looked bulky and intimidating, Ni Mengxue could now see that much of his appearance was simply a way of protecting his people.

He had survived in the slums for years and had clearly learned not to trust outsiders easily.

After a moment, Giga said,

"There’s one more thing. Many of our people haven’t awakened superpowers. Even if you take us with you, we’ll probably be nothing more than a burden. Would that be okay?"

"As long as you’re willing to work hard, follow the rules, and don’t commit any crimes, I assure you that we will never consider you a burden."

Giga’s eyes brightened.

"If that’s the case, then we’re willing to relocate. Please tell us when."

Ni Mengxue discussed a few more details with him before finally leaving the slums.

As she walked away, a boy suddenly came running toward her.

He crashed into her leg.

Ni Mengxue instinctively stepped back and looked down at him.

’Is this kid trying to scam me?’

Before she could say anything, she heard guards shouting from behind.

"You little bastard! Stop right there and let us catch you! Just wait and see how we’ll deal with you!"

Ni Mengxue looked up and saw two guards running toward them.

The little boy immediately hid behind her.

The guards stopped when they saw Ni Mengxue.

They glared at her at first, but their expressions quickly changed when they noticed her appearance.

They exchanged a look before laughing.

"You must be this boy’s mother, right? Your son stole a piece of bread. He needs to pay one high-grade zombie crystal as compensation. Hand it over, and we’ll let this matter go."

The guard’s gaze turned lecherous.

"But if you don’t have one, then you’ll have to pay with your body. The City Lord has been lacking women lately."

Ni Mengxue raised an eyebrow.

’They are fighting over a piece of bread?’

She glanced toward the boy, wondering just how large the piece of bread had been.

The guard laughed when he saw her expression.

Meanwhile, the little boy clutched the fabric of Ni Mengxue’s pants tightly.

"I only took one piece... one slice of bread," he hurriedly explained. "It was my salary! I didn’t steal it. My employer refused to pay me after making me work double shifts for three months!"

Ni Mengxue was speechless.

’What kind of robbery is this?’

She quickly composed herself and looked at the two guards.

"Since the child claims that the bread was his unpaid salary rather than something he stole, shouldn’t you investigate the matter first?"

Her gaze fell on their bulging stomachs. Clearly they have been living a good life for quiet some time now.

The two guards exchanged glances before bursting into laughter.

"Oh, so now we’re supposed to trust a slum boy? Someone like him is destined to become a bad person anyway. Hand over the crystal, or don’t blame us for enforcing justice ourselves."

Ni Mengxue smiled faintly.

"Take one more step, and you’ll regret it."

By now, several people had gathered around to watch.

The guards’ expressions darkened. One of them stepped forward and suddenly rushed toward Ni Mengxue.

The next second, a shocking scene appeared before everyone.

The two guards froze in place like statues. Ice covered them inch by inch until they resembled an artisan’s work rather than humans.

Everyone fell silent.

They waited for some kind of fierce reversal, but nothing happened.

The guards simply remained frozen.

Ni Mengxue calmly waved her hand.

The next second, both guards vanished.

The entire slum fell silent.

The people who had previously looked at Ni Mengxue with suspicion and disgust now stared at her with awe.

Previously, they had assumed that Fair Shallow Land was recruiting them because it needed more cannon fodder.

But who would have thought that the person inviting them was actually this powerful?

For the first time, their bleak future seemed to have a glimmer of hope.

Suddenly, everyone rushed toward Ni Mengxue, showering her with praise.

Ni Mengxue waved her hand.

"There’s no need for all these compliments."

With another wave of her hand, two warm steamed buns appeared in her palm.

She knelt down in front of the little boy and handed them to him.

"Take them. You don’t need to go back to that place anymore."

The boy stared at the white, fluffy steamed buns.

He subconsciously remembered the tiny piece of bread he had stolen earlier.

Compared to the steamed buns in his hands, that piece of bread seemed painfully insignificant.

Tears began streaming down his face.

He suddenly hugged Ni Mengxue’s arm and sobbed.

"Thank you... Thank you so much."

His voice trembled as he clutched the steamed buns tightly, as though they were the most precious things he had ever received.

Ni Mengxue waved her hand and said goodbye before preparing to leave.

Just as she was about to walk away, Shu Tian suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Let’s talk," he said.

Ni Mengxue glanced at him before nodding. "Sure."

The two of them walked through the inner gate and stopped at a relatively quiet place.

Shu Tian turned toward her and asked, "What would it take for you to let me go?"

Ni Mengxue stared at him for a moment before laughing.

"You really do take yourself too seriously."

[Ding! Mission: Recruit Shu Tian within 10 days. Reward: Unlock Solar Panels.]