Chapter Fifteen: A Tentative Foothold, Divergent Hearts

His eyes flickered, and his smile grew even more radiant as he said, “Hmm... With an off-road vehicle and a supply of food, your sincerity is evident. We can work together.”

“How about this, Brother Chen Yi? We’re short of a supervisor here. Would you be interested in the position?”

“It’s simple—just keep an eye on the people below, make sure they go out to gather resources on time and in the right quantities.”

“Supervisor?” Chen Yi chuckled inwardly. As expected, this was an old fox—trying to win his service so easily, expecting him to work under his thumb. Yet, since things had come this far, he knew better than to appear too eager. He answered readily, “Very well. Since you hold me in such esteem, of course I’m happy to serve.”

Wang Dong nodded in satisfaction, choosing for now to believe in Chen Yi’s sincerity. He then put on a helpless expression. “However, we’re very short on weapons here, so for the time being I can’t allocate any to you. I hope you understand.”

“Of course, I understand,” Chen Yi replied, his face as calm as ever.

Their conversation continued with an easy exchange, and the atmosphere gradually lightened. Yet Wang Dong remained wary. This Chen Yi was feigning composure, but those eyes of his radiated danger. He was not just ruthless—he was exceptionally ruthless. In the future, Wang Dong would have to keep a close watch, and if Chen Yi made any suspicious moves behind the scenes, he would have to be eliminated. Then, that pretty little lady would be his.

After thinking through his strategy, Wang Dong glanced at Lu Kai beside him and instructed, “Xiao Kai, take Supervisor Chen around and help him get familiar with things.”

“Yes, sir!” Lu Kai responded with a nod.

Soon, they were brought into the heart of the settlement. Life here was clearly rough and barebones—nearly everyone slept piled together in the warehouse. Dim light filtered through the space, and two long rows of metal shelves stretched into the distance, cluttered with all manner of disorganized daily necessities. The air was thick with dampness and the stench of rot, while the mottled stains on the walls bore witness to past outbreaks of violence.

People huddled on the ground beneath thin, shabby blankets, desperately trying to ward off the cold. A few feeble, yellowed bulbs flickered on either side, barely illuminating the gloom. The residents’ eyes were hollow, their faces exhausted, and despair hung heavy in their gazes.

Chu Yunxi instinctively moved closer to Chen Yi, her heart sinking. She had never seen anything like this before.

“Chen Yi, do you really think we can help them?” she asked, her worry plain.

Chen Yi surveyed their surroundings with a faint, cold smile. Scenes like this were all too familiar to him from his previous life. He lowered his head and whispered to Chu Yunxi, “We can help, but not everyone.”

He turned to Lu Kai. “Lu Kai, do you know how many people originally lived here?”

“At least two thousand,” Lu Kai sighed, his face full of sorrow for the current state of things.

Chen Yi felt little sympathy; instead, he was already considering how to filter these people. That, after all, was his real purpose in joining this place.

“What’s your plan, brother?” Lu Kai asked quietly.

“I’ll make arrangements once I’ve understood things,” Chen Yi nodded slightly. He glanced around again—the environment here was simply too poor. To maintain a healthy mind and body, survival here was impossible. He needed to secure better living conditions for himself if his plans were to succeed.

“Let’s go. We should ask Wang Dong for a place to stay,” he said to Chu Yunxi.

Lu Kai understood that Chen Yi was about to act, so he did not interrupt. He returned to his own corner and sat quietly.

“Boss Wang, we need a place to stay.”

“You’re not going to make me and my girlfriend sleep in those conditions, are you?” Chen Yi went straight to the point as soon as he saw Wang Dong.

Wang Dong glanced at Chu Yunxi, his pupils narrowing as thoughts raced through his mind. He pretended to ponder, then nodded. “Of course, you deserve a better place than that.”

Though Wang Dong didn’t care much about Chen Yi, he had to consider the beautiful woman’s situation. If she had to stay in those filthy quarters with the others, it would be a real waste.

“Thank you, Boss Wang,” Chen Yi replied, his face still calm, though he had already seen through Wang Dong’s calculations. That greedy, covetous look was impossible to miss.

Soon, Wang Dong sent someone to lead them to a makeshift room behind his quarters.

Chu Yunxi followed obediently, whispering to Chen Yi, asking why he hadn’t requested a room for Lu Kai as well. Chen Yi certainly knew Lu Kai’s predicament, but to avoid arousing Wang Dong’s suspicion, he had to be cautious—especially at such a critical time. Even so, he couldn’t overlook his old friend entirely.

“Boss Wang, could we add an extra meal for Lu Kai? The rations are a bit meager.”

Back before Wang Dong, Chen Yi put forward his request.

Wang Dong gave him a surprised look. “You seem to care about Lu Kai, don’t you?”

Sensing Wang Dong’s suspicion, Chen Yi explained, “It’s nothing. I’m just someone who repays kindness with kindness, and vengeance with vengeance. He helped me find such a good place to stay; I can hardly deny him an extra meal, can I? If not, just take it out of the food I contributed.”

At this, Wang Dong was reassured. “Good! I appreciate a young brother like you. Work hard, and I promise you won’t be shortchanged.”

Chen Yi maintained an expression of sincere gratitude, his face steady and composed as he replied, “Thank you, Boss Wang, truly. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to help resolve any worries here.”

Wang Dong put on a hearty front, clapping Chen Yi on the shoulder. “It’s all right, brother! We’re all in the same boat—helping each other is only right.”

Despite the words, Chen Yi inwardly scoffed at Wang Dong’s hypocrisy. The old ‘smile in front, stab in the back’ routine—he’d seen it too often in his previous life.

As he turned to leave, Chen Yi kept a careful watch on his surroundings. Based on a rough count, he estimated there were about twenty-five people under Wang Dong’s direct command, with perhaps ten armed with guns. Whether more weapons were hidden, or if that was the full arsenal, he couldn’t yet be sure.

He pondered silently. Wang Dong’s group was not small. It seemed likely that Wang Dong had managed a weapons warehouse before the apocalypse, otherwise he couldn’t have gotten so many guns so easily. Extraordinary indeed.

After a long wait, someone finally came to inform them that their room was ready. Chen Yi and Chu Yunxi followed their guide to a shabby little room, its walls patched together from old wooden boards that groaned when the wind blew. Inside, there was just one rickety bed covered with a threadbare sheet, and in the corner, a small table with a dim bulb.

“This is it. You can settle in here,” their guide said before leaving.

Chu Yunxi looked up at Chen Yi and whispered, “This room may be simple, but it’s much better than those filthy places, isn’t it?”

Chen Yi nodded, reassuring her. “Once we establish our own power, everything will get better.”

“I’m not such a delicate girl,” Chu Yunxi replied, smiling sweetly and nestling against his arm. “Besides, I know what matters most right now.”

Feeling her gentle presence, Chen Yi was deeply gratified. This time, he really had rescued an extraordinary campus beauty.