13: Chapter 13 Su Qingyu's Awakening

The heavy sound of the Fortress gates closing felt as though it weren't just shutting out the Bizarre Monsters, but rather... humanity itself.

In the open space before the resource distribution point, the scent of blood had not yet fully dissipated. Those few brief, shrill screams still echoed in everyone's ears. The survivors kept their heads down, their hands moving nimbly as they collected their portions of food and water. No one dared to say a word or spare a second glance at the figure standing in the center of the area.

In the absolute silence, there was only the sound of suppressed breathing and the subtle rustle of supplies being handed out.

Su Qingyu felt her stomach churn and her throat tighten. It wasn't that she hadn't seen death before; in the apocalypse, death was the norm. But the way those living people had just been casually tossed out to be torn apart and devoured by Bizarre Monsters... such cold efficiency sent a chill deep into her soul.

She looked at Lin Chen. He stood there with a straight posture and a cold profile, as if he had just thrown away a few bags of trash rather than deciding the life and death of several human beings. This indifference, treating human life like grass, made him feel like a stranger to her, even... a bit terrifying.

“Continue the distribution. Follow the rules,” Lin Chen said to the veteran employee in charge of the supplies. His tone was devoid of emotion. He then turned and walked toward the Core Control Room.

Su Qingyu bit her lip and quickly followed him.

In the corridor, only the sound of their two sets of footsteps remained.

“Lin Chen,” Su Qingyu finally couldn't help but speak, her voice carrying a slight tremor she hadn't noticed herself. “Those people just now... their crimes didn't warrant death, did they? Maybe they were just desperate with hunger, or didn't understand the rules yet. You could have taught them a lesson, locked them up...”

Lin Chen didn't stop or even look back. He simply asked indifferently, “And then?”

Su Qingyu faltered. “And then... make them realize their mistake. They could have been made to atone through labor...”

“Wasting food, wasting the guards' energy, and bearing the risk of them causing trouble again or stabbing us in the back.” Lin Chen's tone was as calm as if he were stating a simple fact. “In the apocalypse, resources and manpower are precious. There's no need to waste them on uncertain factors.”

He stopped and finally turned around. His deep eyes looked at Su Qingyu, devoid of any emotion, filled only with pure, cold logic that made one's heart turn cold.

“Su Qingyu, where do you think this is? A charitable organization in a civilized society?” The corner of his mouth curled into a cold arc. “Outside is a world that eats people. Inside, if we don't use the harshest rules to control people, it will quickly turn into another hell.”

“But...”

“There are no buts.” Lin Chen interrupted her, his tone decisive. “My rules are the only rules for survival. Obey and live. Challenge them and die. It's that simple.”

He looked at Su Qingyu's pale face and continued, “You think I'm cruel? Then tell me, if I hadn't acted just now, or if I had let them off lightly, what would happen next? More people would think the rules can be challenged, and more troublemakers would jump out! By then, even more people would die, and the Fortress would collapse from within!”

“Order must be forged and maintained with blood.” Lin Chen's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable power. “You must be ruthless to enemies, and even more ruthless to those among our own who don't follow the rules! Only then can the majority survive and this Fortress keep running.”

Su Qingyu opened her mouth but found herself unable to argue. She knew Lin Chen was telling the truth—the naked law of survival in the apocalypse. It was just that deep down, she still harbored a lingering fantasy, or rather... a wish, for the old order.

“Put away your unnecessary sympathy.” Lin Chen gave her one last look, his tone carrying a faint hint of warning. “In this place, being emotional won't just kill you; it could drag everyone else down with you. Including those people you work so hard to manage.”

With that, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

Su Qingyu stood alone in the empty corridor, feeling a chill throughout her body. Lin Chen's words were like a cold chisel, shattering the last of her unrealistic fantasies.

Indeed, in the apocalypse, where was there any room for warmth? To be alive and have a relatively safe place was already a massive stroke of luck. To maintain that luck required an iron fist, absolute authority, and a fear that no one dared to cross.

She thought about those people who were thrown out. If they had succeeded in stealing the supplies, what would have happened? More looting, more violence, and the Fortress would have quickly descended into chaos... would that outcome have been any better?

No. Lin Chen was right.

Though his methods were extreme and cold, this was perhaps the most efficient way to survive in this damn world.

She took a deep breath, forcing down the discomfort in her chest. Her gaze gradually became firm.

Just then, a timid voice sounded behind her.

“Sister Su... are you okay?”

Su Qingyu turned and saw Qin Weiwei walking over, her face showing a well-timed mixture of worry and lingering fear.

“That was... truly terrifying.” Qin Weiwei patted her chest, looking shaken. “How could those people dare to do that... It's a good thing Brother Lin Chen was decisive, otherwise, who knows what kind of mess would have broken out.”

She stepped forward and gently took Su Qingyu's hand, her voice soft. “Sister Su, were you frightened? Don't take it too much to heart; Brother Lin Chen did it for everyone's safety. In times like these, being soft-hearted really can ruin things.”

Qin Weiwei's “comfort” was like a carefully prepared poison. It seemed considerate, but it was actually a subtle validation of Lin Chen's cruelty, an attempt to get closer to Su Qingyu and dull her vigilance.

If it had been a few minutes ago, Su Qingyu might have felt a bit of solace from this “understanding.”

But now, looking into Qin Weiwei's seemingly clear and innocent eyes, Lin Chen's warning flashed through her mind, along with the memory of the cold, malicious expression on the girl's face in the surveillance footage while she was transmitting information.

A deeper chill rose from the bottom of Su Qingyu's heart.

Compared to the visible Bizarre Monsters outside and the fools causing trouble openly, this kind of hidden viper was far more lethal.

She quietly withdrew her hand, forcing a weary but calm smile. “I'm fine. Just a bit... unaccustomed. You're right, extraordinary times require extraordinary measures. I'm going to see how the inventory count is going.”

She turned and left, her steps much steadier than before.

Qin Weiwei watched Su Qingyu's retreating back, a flicker of doubt crossing her eyes. She felt that something about Su Qingyu was different, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

But it didn't matter. As long as she continued to play the role of the “caring little sister,” she would eventually find an opportunity.

As Su Qingyu walked toward the warehouse, she had already made her decision.

She understood. In this Fortress, her job wasn't to question Lin Chen's rules, but to understand and execute them.

Lin Chen wanted order and efficiency, so she would help him maintain that order and efficiency.

As for sympathy... she would save it for those who truly followed the rules and worked hard to survive.

For instance, that old woman who was pushed down—she could go check on her later and allocate a bit more easily digestible food for her.

This was the path Su Qingyu chose after finally seeing reality for what it was.