53: Can I kill them?

As the population of the Safety Tower grew, food became the biggest problem.

At first, the base was self-sufficient, but now it was completely inadequate, especially with the lack of meat; having even a single bite of meat was becoming increasingly difficult.

For the pigs, chickens, and other animals raised by the base, one could originally have a meal once a month to satisfy a craving; now, a family could only get five taels of meat every three months, which was gone after just two bites per person.

The breeding cycle for animals was quite long and simply couldn't keep up with the demand; as a large number of people arrived, the Safety Tower soon reached saturation and stopped accepting newcomers.

In view of this, to ensure the people in the base didn't lack protein, the researchers finally turned their attention to the maggots in the septic tanks and various other insects.

As long as it was harmless, any creature became a dish on people's menus.

Although maggots were disgusting, they were rich in nutrients and a rare source of food; after overcoming their psychological barriers, people discovered that their texture was the best among all insects, and they briefly became a highly sought-after food.

To provide food diversity, the base also encouraged people to go out and search for animals that survived the acid rain and edible plants.

But after the acid rain, the earth was corroded and destroyed; only a few corrosion-resistant plants could grow, and most of them were inedible.

Animals were even scarcer; after several natural disasters, only a very small number survived, and they generally lived deep in the mountains.

Fortunately, nature was repairing itself quickly, and it was believed that before long, the earth would surely recover.

Ai Yue didn't feel others' troubles at all, continuing to live the mundane days she had before the Apocalypse—days that were now precious beyond measure.

However, on this day, Ai Yue's peaceful life was shattered.

Early in the morning, while her parents were at work, Ai Yue was training Dawang in her narrow home when a rapid knocking sounded at the door.

Ai Yue told Dawang to stay in the room and not come out. She put on a hat and a mask, preparing to open the door; in that brief moment, the person outside grew impatient and began knocking even harder.

Ai Yue threw open the door, and three well-dressed, plump young men came into view. They were cursing with irritable expressions, and one of them was constantly fiddling with a dagger.

It seemed they hadn't come with good intentions!

Seeing Ai Yue come out, the leader of the young men said arrogantly, "Is that marauder in the parking lot yours?"

Ai Yue nodded.

"This young master has taken a liking to it. Name your price—how much to hand it over to me?"

"Not for sale," Ai Yue replied indifferently.

"What? Do you know who we are? You dare refuse to give us face?" The slightly thinner young man beside him stepped forward and shouted sternly.

"Oh? And who are you?"

"My grandfather is the Minister of the Logistics Department of the Safety Tower. All the supplies in the entire Safety Tower are dispatched by him. If you don't give me the marauder today, I'll have my grandfather stop issuing your family's supplies and starve you to death."

"My dad is the Captain of the Patrol Team. You'd better be careful when you go out."

"Wow, I'm so scared. And what about you?" Ai Yue asked the youth playing with the knife, feigning a terrified expression.

"Don't you worry about who I am. Just hand over the car keys quickly. Otherwise, if you offend the three of us, believe it or not, we'll have you kicked out of the Safety Tower," the knife-wielding youth glared at Ai Yue and threatened.

"Haha, kick me out? Stop my family's supplies? Be careful when I go out? Very well! It seems the three of you have been lording it over everyone in the base, using your elders' power to bully the weak. I think the ones who should be kicked out are you three.

Tsk tsk, look at your fat faces. Your grandfather must have funneled a lot of supplies to your own home. If people found out he was stealing supplies from the entire base, do you think he could still sit securely as a Minister?"

Ai Yue said with a sneer.

"Psh, who do you think you are? Your words are just a fart. How could the top leaders lower themselves to smell your fart? Haha!

I might as well tell you—do you know how many people in this base once had the same naive thoughts as you? Do you know where they ended up?"

The leader lowered his voice and intimidated her, "They're all outside the base in the soil, acting as fertilizer."

Then he laughed arrogantly again and continued, "Are you scared? This is my territory. I advise you not to cross me, or the consequences will be more than you can handle."

"After all that talk, don't you just want me to hand over the car? Hmph, you'd better go home, wash your filthy mouths, and keep dreaming," Ai Yue retorted mercilessly.

"You..." The leader pointed at Ai Yue in anger. "You bitch... fine! Just you wait. I'll make you regret being alive."

Seeing that Ai Yue was unmoved, the three of them left angrily after making their threats.

"Hmph, scum!" Ai Yue closed the door and took out her walkie-talkie to call Gu Xiheng.

After a long while, Gu Xiheng finally replied, "Do you need something?"

"I just wanted to ask, if someone in the Safety Tower management is embezzling, threatening and oppressing ordinary people, or even killing them and dumping their bodies, what would the punishment be?"

"If the situation is true, they are kicked out of the Safety Tower. In serious cases, they are executed immediately. Why? Have you discovered something?" Gu Xiheng said.

"A few young men just used their fathers' power to threaten me, wanting me to give them my marauder, or else they'd make me regret it. I didn't agree, and they told me to wait. If they threaten my family's safety, can I kill them?"

"No, you'll get yourself into trouble. Leave this matter to me. I'd like to see how many pests are in my territory."

Ai Yue curled her lip. "Fine, I'll wait for your good news."

"Mm."

Since Gu Xiheng had taken over the matter, Ai Yue stopped thinking about it. She put down the walkie-talkie and continued training Dawang.

Meanwhile, the three punks were furious that Ai Yue dared to disobey them, so they each went home to complain.

When the fat leader's grandfather heard his precious grandson's words, he was enraged. Ever since he became the Minister of the Supplies Department of the Safety Tower, no one had dared to refuse him face. For someone with no background to dare ignore him was simply too much.

"Yanyan, don't worry. Just watch how Grandpa handles her. I'll make her beg to give the car to you," Li Qiang promised his beloved grandson.

The other young man's father, the Patrol Team Captain, said to his son with a sinister look, "Don't worry, a small matter like this won't stump your father. Now that those refugees are coming in in increasing numbers, they'll do anything for a bite to eat. I'll make this woman regret not being obedient sooner."

Having received their elders' promises, the three were secretly delighted. That cool marauder would soon be theirs.

Two peaceful days passed. Gu Xiheng sent no news, and Ai Yue didn't take the matter to heart. As she sat on the floor meditating, she suddenly heard a click from her door's keyhole.

Ai Yue jumped up instantly. She took a pistol from her space and aimed it at the door, but after a thought, she put it back and replaced it with an electric baton.

With a creak, the door opened quietly, and two filthy, wretched-looking men entered.