356: There is still salvation

Pan Han was all too familiar with this script; he had watched countless TV dramas of this kind before.

“Is what he said true?” Pan Han looked up, staring at Cheng Xiao.

If there was a slight possibility that Qin Zhong and the others might deceive him, Cheng Xiao certainly would not.

“Reporting to Commander, it is true,” Cheng Xiao said seriously after a slight hesitation.

“Miss Cheng, at least you have some conscience,” Wang Xiong said impolitely after hearing her, a clear hint of resentment in his tone.

“Is this kind of situation very common?” Pan Han lit a second cigarette, his mood somewhat heavy.

How many days of good life had the base enjoyed?

Yet some people were already starting to become corrupt.

If they unified All States, wouldn’t they turn against the heavens?

With just a little power in their hands, they found ways to maximize their personal gain.

“Hmph!” Wang Xiong snorted, “I won’t speak of others, but that dog Wei Monk alone has exploited at least a hundred people.”

After speaking, he glanced sideways at Cheng Xiao.

“Are you unaware, or do you not want to say?” Pan Han felt a little uneasy seeing his gaze.

If Qin Zhong, Cheng Xiao, and the others also exhibited such behavior, it would be difficult to handle.

If it were low-ranking officials, Pan Han could deal with them without batting an eye.

But the members of Dawn Squad, these were his most steadfast comrades since the apocalypse began.

They were like the flesh of his own hand, both palm and back!

“I’ve heard some rumors, but I haven’t truly encountered it,” Wang Xiong was honest, and clearly an upright person; he wouldn’t make accusations without evidence.

Hearing this, Pan Han felt a slight sense of relief.

“Cheng Xiao, did Wei Monk really oppress over a hundred people?”

“Reporting to Commander, yes,” Cheng Xiao repeated the same phrase. Pan Han understood her meaning; she didn’t want to say more in front of Wang Xiong.

“And that dog of a monk, he didn’t just occupy my sister; there were seven or eight other women he also threatened into submission.”

“Alright, if what you say is true, I will investigate thoroughly. I will give you an explanation then.”

“Commander Pan, I hope you will keep your word. I have already come with the determination to die. But Dawn Base is not easy to build; if these woodworms (moths) ruin the base’s great plan, then my sister and I will have died in vain.” Wang Xiong lit another cigarette, looking at Pan Han with sincere eyes, full of hope and trust.

“Is there anything else you want to say about Dawn Base?”

“It’s a good place. I hope it thrives. This world was originally hopeless, but your appearance has given everyone hope.”

“Cheng Xiao, take him away first and lock him up. Then come back and find me.”

“Yes! Commander.”

After the two left, Pan Han smoked in silence, his mind filled with Wang Xiong’s words.

It seemed that the matter of Wei Monk was true. Then his death would not be regrettable!

Although Wei Monk had a good relationship with Pan Han, and Pan Han liked him very much.

But compared to the great plan for the base’s development, he was nothing.

Pan Han could vaguely understand what it felt like to be an emperor.

In essence, he was the emperor of Dawn Base.

Ultimately, he was a lonely man.

The only one who could truly be of one heart with him was probably Cheng Xiao alone.

Now the base had just over ten thousand people, and something like Wei Monk was already happening.

When the population reached millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions in the future, who knew what else might happen.

Moreover, relying solely on Pan Han to investigate would kill him from exhaustion.

Anti-corruption must be high-pressure, normalized, and institutionalized!

Thinking of this, several terms appeared in Pan Han’s mind — the Censorate, the Anti-Corruption Bureau, the Independent Commission Against Corruption.

These institutions had similar functions, and Pan Han ultimately chose the Censorate, as it had to manage things other than just corruption; anything that violated rules would be investigated.

“It seems necessary to establish this institution,” Pan Han extinguished his cigarette butt, quietly waiting for Cheng Xiao’s return.

A few minutes later, Cheng Xiao returned and, without a word, sat directly in front of Pan Han.

“You ask,” Cheng Xiao spoke first.

“Are there any incidents like Wei Monk among the Dawn Squad members?”

“No, we absolutely do not bully the people below. However…” Cheng Xiao suddenly paused.

Pan Han’s heart tightened; was there something even more messed up?

“However, there are opportunities to accept gifts,” Cheng Xiao said.

“Accept what kind of gifts?” Pan Han asked in surprise.

“People often ask us for favors. Of course, there are opportunities to accept gifts.”

“For example?”

“For example, if someone is sick and cannot work, but if they don’t work for more than a few consecutive days, they won’t get food. So they will find connections to ask us if we can record fewer days of sick leave.” As she spoke, Cheng Xiao actually lit a cigarette herself, her expression much more relaxed. It seemed this matter had been weighing on her mind for a long time.

“This…” Pan Han recalled what he had said before, that the base would not support idlers.

As the base lord, once he uttered those words, the people below would certainly formulate detailed plans. He also didn’t have time to manage these minute details.

“Some people also want to do easier jobs and will send gifts through others.”

“This…”

“Some people are afraid of death and don’t want to go on patrol, and they will also send gifts.”

“Did all of you accept them?”

“I haven’t accepted any, but Qin Laoda and the others would accept some.”

After listening, Pan Han fell into deep thought again.

On the good side, these members of Dawn Squad could still uphold the major principles.

On the bad side, they definitely accepted gifts because of personal connections; if someone who had followed them for a long time came to plead, it would be hard to refuse. This meant that everyone was starting to have their own spheres of influence.

Overall, it was still within an excusable range.

Because these few members of Dawn Squad now each managed a different area, they had to have power; otherwise, asking Pan Han about everything would not be realistic.

Additionally, they were all in charge, and if something went wrong in their area, they definitely couldn’t escape responsibility.

Since he entrusted them with responsibility, he had to appropriately delegate power and give them space for self-adjustment.

“Why don’t you accept them?”

“This base, ultimately, is yours. Having you is enough for me. Other things are useless,” Cheng Xiao said calmly.

Pan Han was absolutely certain of this statement; even a blind man could see how loyal Cheng Xiao was.

“What about lower-level managers?”

“The situation of accepting gifts is more common. But there aren’t many cases of bullying men and women like Wei Monk.”

Pan Han felt a little better after hearing this, but then asked, “Do you usually manage these things?”

“We hardly have the energy to manage them. In the past six months, our base has had heavy tasks. Currently, everyone is focusing their energy on construction, development, and external campaigns,” Cheng Xiao answered truthfully.

“I understand.”

Pan Han recalled the many things that had happened since he arrived in the apocalypse six months ago.

Moreover, they had just occupied All States, and the various defense and integration tasks were heavy. Even if something like Wei Monk’s incident occurred, there would certainly be no energy to manage it.

The most important point was that even if the bullied people were miserable, they could at least be guaranteed food every day, which was countless times better than wandering outside.

As long as most people’s lives were steadily improving, no one was willing to openly fall out.

Like Wang Xiong, he only rose up in resistance because his sister died unjustly. Before that, he hadn’t actively reported any problems.

In fact, according to the survival rules of the apocalypse, if his sister hadn’t died, he wouldn’t have resisted.

Outside the base, a cockroach biscuit could buy a woman’s service once.

“There’s still hope!” After much thought, Pan Han came to a conclusion.