Chapter 557: Intent to Kill Becomes Flame (This chapter is very long~~)
Late July.
Juzi Island.
Three days since Gan Shang had halted the food supply to Ju Tianrui and his group.
Ju Tianrui came to visit once, but contrary to Gan Shang's expectations, Ju Tianrui did not back down, nor did he divulge the whereabouts of Xiao Jun and the others.
That night.
In the room where Gan Shang was.
With a grim face, he stared at Hai Chao and asked word by word:
"What are you guys good for if you can't handle such a trivial matter?"
Hai Chao hung his head low, daring not to reply.
The task assigned by the boss was exceedingly difficult, and he had not completed it.
Seeing Hai Chao remain silent, Gan Shang grew even more furious and yelled:
"I told you to find out where they're hiding the food. After searching for so long, you've found it but still haven't made a move. What good are you?"
"Boss, they are on very tight guard, watched over day and night, our people simply can't get close.
After being discovered last time, they've tightened their security. Under these circumstances, the only option is to force our way in.
But forcing our way in would inevitably lead to a confrontation."
"A confrontation? Are you still afraid of them? We have more people. What's there to fear? Damn it, a bunch of bastards!"
Gan Shang was incredibly angry and grabbed a cup from the table, hurling it to the ground.
Crash—
The cup shattered into pieces.
Hai Chao, meek and timid, dared not move. Hearing his boss say this, he immediately fell silent, returning to a state of utter silence.
These people, though numerous, had witnessed the combat ability of Ju Tianrui and his group.
If they really decided to take them on, even outnumbering them by several times might not be enough.
Worst case scenario, both sides could be heavily damaged, with no good ending for either.
Whoosh whoosh—
After venting his anger, Gan Shang regained some composure.
He naturally knew that a direct confrontation with Ju Tianrui and his men would be disadvantageous for his own people.
There was only one method left.
To target the commoners.
The women sent over last time were generally well-received in the west, and Gan Shang had privately traded them for some resources.
He did not believe Ju Tianrui could remain indifferent this time.
Waving his hand, he beckoned Hai Chao to come over.
Hai Chao slowly approached, all ears.
Gan Shang's eyes displayed ruthlessness as he said to Hai Chao:
"Go to South District later, lure some people over with food again. Also, tell those in charge that I want at least two hundred people this time."
"So many?" Hai Chao's eyes widened in shock.
"Without giving them a ruthless push, Ju Tianrui and his gang won't budge," said Gan Shang.
Previously, they had mostly adhered to a voluntary principle. But this time, they planned to put the pressure on the refugee camp managers to gather these 200 people.
What would be the end fate of these two hundred people?
In the west, a slave market trend was already taking shape.
Although it had not scaled up massively, a small portion of people had begun to engage in this practice.
With just a small quantity of food, one could acquire a living person.
For some, this was too good of a bargain to resist.
But it's only been two years since the end times started, and many Survivors still held strong beliefs in independence and autonomy; some couldn't bear these actions and there were instances of owners being killed by their slaves.
After two such incidents, the management and sale of these people became even stricter.
Acts of inhumanity became increasingly vile.
Hai Chao hesitated, unsure if this would spark unrest in South District.
After all, many there had been deceived into coming,
lured with the prospect of food and shelter for joining.
But those who joined found themselves trapped instead.
Due to Ju Tianrui's interference, very few outsiders were now entering the refugee camp.
This was one reason for Gan Shang's dissatisfaction with Ju Tianrui.
It interfered with his profits.
"Hurry up and get to it," Gan Shang said to Hai Chao, who was still standing in place.
Hai Chao couldn't help but speak up: "What if this causes unrest?"
Gan Shang thought for a moment and said:
"If there's unrest, then give them some food. If one is willing to strike and the other is willing to endure, Ju Tianrui and his group can't say much."
Although Hai Chao still held some concerns, he no longer knew how to dissuade his boss.
Deep down, he still had some conscience.
He was pained by the idea of trafficking humans.
After all, he had been to the west and seen the trade market.
The kind of life led by those who were sold.
It was worse than death.
These four words summed up their reality.
He sometimes wondered: is evil on an individual level a mistake?
But if a whole group is evil, then what exactly is the mistake?
Is it this post-apocalyptic world?
He too had climbed from the bottom, had experienced all kinds of hardships.
If not for Gan Shang giving him a chance, he might have spent his whole life in jail.
He had an indescribable bitterness; he was just trying to save an innocent girl.
He had injured a man with money and influence.
Was it wrong to act righteously?
Yes, because he couldn't bear that man's rage.
Yes, because this is a world where the strong prey on the weak.
Tragic and lamentable.
After being pulled out by Gan Shang, he had awakened.
Without strength, one was worse off than a dog.
A rage seemed to burn inside him.
An intent to kill, blazing.
Having fully succumbed to darkness, he found that those past deeds seemed so simple.