Shen Feng appeared and quickly dodged various zombie attacks, charging into Rongcheng with extreme speed. The time it took him was merely five minutes! Currently, Shen Feng's speed was comparable to the world's fastest sports cars. Shen Feng felt his speed could still break through; perhaps, in the end, his speed could reach the speed of sound!
Shen Feng passed through the zombie horde and entered the defense line. At this moment, he deactivated the "Wind King's Barrier." Since he needed to converse with people, he directly revealed his identity: "I'm one of ours. I need to enter the city to understand the situation. Bye."
Before the frontline commander could stop him, Shen Feng vanished in the blink of an eye. At this moment, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Such incredible speed, like a ghost."
Of course, the most fortunate thing was that the person possessing such speed was not a zombie, otherwise, the defense line would likely have been breached.
At this moment, Shen Feng prepared to go home to check on his family. If his family was safe, he would continue to fight outside the city. However, as Shen Feng entered the city, he was suddenly shocked by the scene before him. He saw people coming and going on the streets, all frantically smashing doors. Some were even using torches to set fires, and the entire city seemed to have gone mad!
"How could this be? Why are these people causing trouble?" Shen Feng stared blankly at the scene. Before entering Rongcheng, he had always believed that the chaos in Rongcheng was caused by zombies, but now it seemed that was entirely not the case.
At this moment, many people on the streets were carrying bags of various sizes on their backs. Some bags had holes, from which rice and flour were leaking. Others were carrying gold, silver, jewelry, and precious stones in large packages. Even more surprisingly, they were moving appliances, from rice cookers to computer mainframes, all being carried away!
This was not the city Shen Feng remembered. In his memory, no matter how much neighbors disliked each other, they would at most gossip or be a little petty. They weren't bad, just worldly. They wouldn't be this crazy, robbing? Arson? This was completely unlike the people of Rongcheng he remembered.
Those smashing and looting included men and women, grabbing anything valuable. On the streets, many vulnerable people were crying with their heads in their hands, forced to watch their property being stolen without daring to intervene. This was because anyone who dared to step forward had already fallen to the ground, dead. The many corpses on the ground were mostly those who had been killed for stopping these people from looting.
Shen Feng walked up to a little girl clutching a doll and crying uncontrollably, and asked softly, "Little sister, where are your family?"
The little girl looked up at Shen Feng, timidly pointed to a corpse on the ground not far away, and said while crying, "My dad is here, they beat him to death!"
"Where is your mother?" Shen Feng continued to ask.
"She disappeared two months ago, I don't know where Mom went!" The little girl holding the doll looked only five or six years old. Her innocent words answered Shen Feng. Upon hearing this, Shen Feng felt a pang of sadness. He hadn't expected the world to be so chaotic, and such a well-behaved little girl had so easily become an orphan.
Shen Feng stood up blankly, looking at the chaotic scene on the street, and murmured to himself, "Didn't they say when the apocalypse descends, we should unite? Why are they still doing evil!"
Shen Feng seemed to be questioning others, and also himself, but no one answered him at the moment. He could only find the answer himself. He slowly drew the steel pipe from his waist, looked at the chaotic street, and understood that not everyone had a kind heart. These people in front of him, while soldiers were fighting with their lives on the line, were stirring up trouble behind their backs, creating chaos, and profiting for themselves. Therefore, these people should not exist because they harmed everyone's interests!
"If there is no peaceful era, then I will fight for one!" Shen Feng rushed out, the steel pipe in his hand flying. At this moment, these people causing trouble within the city were his enemies! Even if they were human, they had no reason to exist anymore.
Shen Feng broke the legs of everyone he saw looting. If he found someone killing, he would decisively kill them on the spot.
Shen Feng considered himself to be clear about right and wrong. For the crime of robbery alone, breaking their legs was sufficient for subsequent handling. However, those who killed and set fires had to be killed to prevent the chaos from escalating.
In the past, Shen Feng felt that killing was wrong because they were all the same species. If they fought without distinction, they would be no different from zombies. Zombies would bite their own kind, but now, Shen Feng suddenly realized that some people deserved to die!
People infected by the zombie virus did not distinguish between good and bad, so they killed good people and bad people alike. However, among those who remained alive, there were also wicked people. While soldiers were fighting with their lives on the line, these people were taking advantage of the situation to cause trouble. Perhaps many soldiers had family members living in the city. They thought they were defending their country, but so many lawless individuals were smashing, looting, and even killing and setting fires!
At this moment, Shen Feng, holding his steel pipe, began to subdue the rioters present. He was already a fourth-tier esper. Dealing with ordinary people was not difficult for him. With a sweep of his pipe, he broke the legs of hundreds of people looting on one street. Afterward, Shen Feng continued to other streets, his eyes cold. He believed in using force against force for rioters, as these people could no longer be reasoned with.
While Shen Feng was stopping the rioters, the planes dispatched from Guanzhong finally arrived. Hundreds of military aircraft landed at the airport, and then five thousand soldiers quickly assembled on the tarmac. After a headcount, they swiftly departed for their designated locations.
The person sitting in the last helicopter also slowly disembarked. The person walking at the forefront was a plump middle-aged man who looked very kind. He was the person dispatched by headquarters and would take over the command of Rongcheng. At this moment, his face showed no anger, just a normal expression as he walked behind. However, many military officers standing beside him clearly had unpleasant expressions.
The officers were whispering amongst themselves: "We had originally planned to retake all areas of Guanzhong, but now Rongcheng has had an incident, so the plan has to be postponed. I wonder if we can attack the zombies in winter. We've really been held back."
"Exactly! They're just causing trouble. It's only three million zombies, yet they've broken through six defense lines consecutively. I really don't know how they're fighting!"
"I think Rongcheng's positioning was problematic. It was originally intended as a rear base, so no weapons of mass destruction were left behind. Now, with the zombies from Yuzhou arriving, they were caught off guard!"
"That's not an excuse. Haven't we all fought with insufficient troops? Yet we still defeated millions of zombies?"
At this moment, Xie Bateng, who was leading, turned his head. His plump face still held a smile, but his words were exceptionally cold: "You all have insightful opinions. I'd like to know, have each of you defeated four million zombies during the defensive battles?"
At this, the officers following behind dared not speak, for they all knew that General Xie was already losing his temper.
Xie Bateng's voice suddenly became gentle: "Therefore, let's not spread such gossip; it's not conducive to unity. The most important thing now is to eliminate the three million zombies outside the city! Then, we'll have the confidence to say anything."
Afterward, Xie Bateng prepared to quickly support the defense line outside the city.
However, at this moment, a message came from the command center of Rongcheng: there were many rioters appearing at the city's edge, all engaged in smashing and looting! Thousands of people had already been victimized, and many buildings were on fire. If the fires were not extinguished promptly, the flames might spread to several blocks!
Upon hearing this news, Xie Bateng smiled and said, "It seems we have to quell a rebellion before we even kill zombies. Speaking of which, it is indeed a chaotic world now!"
After speaking, Xie Bateng notified the soldiers to change direction and spread out in four directions to kill all the rioters causing trouble at the city's edge. Whether they were looting or setting fires, they were to be shot without mercy!
After the reinforcements from Guanzhong arrived, Rongcheng's news immediately reported it. Dedicated reporters came to interview, and the television station quickly broadcast the news. Instantly, upon learning that aid had arrived, the people in the city felt reassured!
Shen Feng swiftly moved against the looting rioters, breaking all their legs. At this moment, his eyes were also gradually turning red. He had not lost his mind but was extremely enraged. Thus, in his extreme anger, he rushed out from three streets, leaving behind groups of rioters.
However, just as Shen Feng was about to continue stopping the rioters, he heard the sound of footsteps coming from within the city. Turning his head, he saw many soldiers emerging from the city.
Shen Feng walked forward, intending to explain his identity and actions. But at this moment, when the soldiers saw Shen Feng approaching, his eyes were red, and he was holding a steel pipe stained with blood. A misunderstanding immediately arose: "This is a rioter, shoot quickly!"
Saying this, dozens of guns were pointed at Shen Feng, and in an instant, these soldiers opened fire to kill the person in front of them.
Shen Feng reacted quickly. When these people raised their guns, he leaped up, employing "Rushing Wind," transforming into a shadow and constantly dodging among the nearby buildings.
The soldiers saw the rioter in front of them flash and disappear. The bullets fired from their rifles clearly missed the target, causing them to panic. They quickly took out their walkie-talkies and shouted, "An esper has been found among the rioters, requesting support!"
The soldiers were aware of the power of espers. Such individuals could kill hundreds of people in an instant, with extremely cruel methods. Therefore, the soldiers dared not delay and immediately reported to their superiors, hoping for reinforcements.
At this moment, Shen Feng stood on a tall building and shouted, "I am not a rioter, I am Shen Feng, one of yours! Don't shoot!"
The soldiers heard Shen Feng's voice and were stunned, but they still kept their guns pointed in Shen Feng's direction, ready to fire at any moment.
Soon, a car arrived, and Xie Bateng personally came forward, telling the soldiers to lower their guns and shouting loudly, "Shen Feng, come down. I guarantee your safety. It was all a misunderstanding."
Shen Feng suspiciously jumped down from the building and asked, "Who are you? We don't know each other, do we?"
The soldiers personally witnessed Shen Feng jump down from a building more than twenty meters high, and were greatly astonished. They never imagined that this person possessed such strength, jumping from such a height without any harm.
An ordinary person would easily sprain their ankle jumping from a height of two meters, yet the young man opposite them jumped down from a tall building with such agility, it was almost inhuman.
Xie Bateng walked up, patted Shen Feng's shoulder, and smiled, "Many people know your name, Shen Feng. Who else could reclaim a city of a million people using only cold weapons? As for me, for the next month, I will be your new superior!"
Shen Feng didn't expect the other party to be so amiable and felt a sense of closeness. After all, many military personnel had treated him as an outsider before, not even consulting him for meetings. Yet, this person came up and patted his shoulder, acting like an old acquaintance, making him seem very easy to communicate with.
Moreover, the meaning of these words was simple: the people guarding Rongcheng would be replaced, and Luzhou was within Sichuan Province, meaning the person standing before Shen Feng was his future superior.
Shen Feng explained, "I just came in from outside the city and found many rioters burning, killing, and looting. So, I broke the legs of everyone who was looting. These people are still lying on the street. If you don't believe me, you can go and see. I guarantee I haven't harmed any good person!"
"Of course, I believe you. Let's go and see together!" Xie Bateng said with a smile and walked towards the street ahead. The soldiers quickly followed to protect him, fearing that the general might be in danger.
At this moment, the people on the street were either groaning with broken legs or crying loudly by the roadside. Among these crying people were the elderly and children, as well as some women in disheveled clothing, who had likely suffered inhumane treatment.
Xie Bateng saw this scene, his smile unchanged, as if accustomed to it. He simply turned to the soldiers and said, "Except for the survivors, kill all the rioters! You don't need to ask my permission!"
Shen Feng couldn't help but say, "Isn't this too harsh? Some people were just looting; they shouldn't be sentenced to death, should they?"
Xie Bateng looked at Shen Feng and smiled, putting an arm around his shoulder. "Young man, you still lack experience. Considering the timing of these people gathering and causing trouble, killing them ten times over wouldn't be enough to atone for their mistakes! Think about it, if the soldiers on the front lines learned that someone was causing trouble in the city, wouldn't they worry? Wouldn't they feel their families were in danger?"
"Uh, yes," Shen Feng replied honestly. In fact, he was also worried about his family's safety, which was why he entered Rongcheng. Otherwise, he would be outside the city directing the battle.
Xie Bateng continued to put his arm around Shen Feng's shoulder, appearing like a teacher guiding a student. "You think their crimes are not enough for the death penalty, but you've overlooked one point: the current law has little effect! This is a chaotic era, and in chaotic times, one must be decisive! I don't have time to distinguish whether these people are murderers or robbers, nor do I need to. Kill them all! This can both deter wrongdoers and provide comfort to the victims' families, can't it?"
Shen Feng nodded somewhat blankly and said, "I understand."
At this moment, Shen Feng suddenly realized that he might have been too merciful. He hadn't directly killed these rioters but had merely incapacitated them! It was Xie Bateng's guidance that made him understand what he should do, and Xie Bateng truly acted like a teacher.
Xie Bateng patted Shen Feng's shoulder and said seriously, "You should go outside Rongcheng. I guarantee that with me here, Rongcheng will be safe! Also, there will be a decisive battle tonight. You take your people away from the battlefield, and I will show you how soldiers should fight!"
Shen Feng asked blankly, "The decisive battle is tonight? So soon? I'm not ready yet."
"You don't need to prepare; you just need to sit on the bench and watch the army perform!" Xie Bateng said with a smile.
At this moment, Shen Feng looked at Xie Bateng's round face beaming with confidence. He suddenly doubted whether the army could really resolve the battle tonight, given Rongcheng's precarious situation.
Finally, Shen Feng chose to believe General Xie's words and nodded, replying, "Then I will await good news!"
Shen Feng turned and left. Now that Rongcheng had rescue forces, it seemed he didn't need to get involved anymore. Moreover, his mother and sister were both in the city, and the chaotic areas were always on the city's outskirts. It was likely they hadn't encountered danger within the city.
After Shen Feng left this street, an officer couldn't help but ask, "General, why are you being so nice to this young man? He's not a soldier; there's no need for such an attitude, is there?"
Xie Bateng smiled and said, "You don't understand. Precisely because he's not one of ours, I must treat him well. If we constantly keep our distance, he will only drift further away. If our attitude is sufficiently good, perhaps we can even recruit him!"
Xie Bateng's intention was simple: he didn't want to create opposition but actively sought to win over people like Shen Feng. If he could win Shen Feng's sincere conviction, then Shen Feng would be a great asset to the military in the future. Constant opposition would eventually lead Shen Feng to become disheartened and drift away.
If Wei Laixian's strategy was to suppress civilian power, Xie Bateng's strategy was the exact opposite: to recruit civilian power.