Apocalyptic Reincarnation: Start with a 30-million Bonus

Chapter 673: Chapter 552: Everything is Going Backwards!_2

The man named Dong Tai nodded and said, ”Okay.”

Gan Shang not only did not believe Ju Tianrui because of his posture, but instead left even angrier, saying ”No need for that, we will send people to search on our own.”

Staring intensely at Ju Tianrui, he huffed and turned to leave.

After they had left, Dong Tai glanced outside before closing the door and asked, ”Camp Commander, do we really need to dispatch people to search for Xiao Jun and the others tomorrow?”

Ju Tianrui hesitated for a long time before responding, ”Don’t go for now, let’s see how many people they send out tomorrow. That old fox may have realized something is wrong.”

Dong Tai, slightly irritated, glanced towards the direction where Gan Shang and the others had departed and suggested, ”Camp Commander, why don’t we just leave this place? Instead of putting up with this here, we could go somewhere else or even join up with Xiao Jun and the rest.”

Ju Tianrui sighed and said, ”If we all leave, what happens to the refugees? If we’re gone, their lives will become even harder than now.”

A conflicted expression crossed Dong Tai’s face as he said:

”You escaped from the East, and along the way, we have rescued so many refugees, but for their sake, we’ve also lost many brothers.

Over the course of this past year, we’ve done enough. Continuing on like this, our brothers won’t be able to bear it.”

A look of struggle appeared on Ju Tianrui’s face. Initially, even when he found out that Gan Gaojie and his group were not scientists, he still chose to join Gan Shang’s group, with the condition that the refugees would be taken in as well.

Gan Shang had food, which could save people, and help them survive this harshest of times.

He had thought that once they had enough people to build a wall around Juzi Island, they could focus on production, eventually cultivate crops, and in time free themselves from dependence on Gan Shang.

However, as the apocalypse progressed, extreme weather and zombie attacks repeatedly destroyed the crops.

Such events made Ju Tianrui feel desperate, but he still did not want to give up.

When the apocalypse first erupted, they could scavenge supplies and food from the outside, but as time went by, it became increasingly difficult to gather resources.

And just then, Gan Shang, in a change from his usual behavior, started to admit a lot of refugees into the area.

Taking them in would have been fine, but Gan Shang did not provide any food for them, he simply allowed them to enter without any management.

Many refugees, driven by hunger, became playthings for Gan Shang.

All of this deeply troubled Ju Tianrui.

Recently, crops that were nearly ready for harvest were destroyed by some individuals who breached the wire fence, with refugees swarming the fields, slicing and cooking the crops directly.

Food! Food! Food!

An eternal topic in the apocalypse, and the most vital necessity.

The year’s interactions with Gan Shang had exhausted him.

He was starting to understand that in the current environment, he could not save everyone.

This feeling of helplessness pained him the most.

Now, Gan Shang was becoming more and more excessive in his actions.

The recent food shipment from the West solidified Gan Shang’s position even further.

With food, people, and weapons,

From Gan Shang’s viewpoint, why wouldn’t he use a small amount of food to secure hundreds of fully armed troops to protect Juzi Island?

Ju Tianrui’s expression was complex, and he looked at Dong Tai’s equally troubled face, saying, ”The South District is nearly turning into a living hell. In the future, if more refugees want to enter, tell them not to come.

They might still have a chance outside, but once they enter, they are entirely under Gan Shang’s control.”

After thinking for a moment, Ju Tianrui added, ”Let’s wait for now, wait for the right moment, and we’ll also leave this place.”

This was the first time Dong Tai had heard Ju Tianrui mention leaving, and he was excited yet quickly regained his composure to ask, ”What about the refugees then?”

Ju Tianrui replied, ”When the time comes, we’ll let them out. It’s better than staying here and becoming playthings for Gan Shang.”

Dong Tai said angrily, ”Last time, I saw Gan Shang and his people taking away hundreds, mostly women, then transporting them to the West.

I saw a family who forcibly sent their daughter away just for less than half a pound of rice.

....

I suspect they’re involved in some improper dealings.”

Ju Tianrui said, ”Next time, remind those refugees not to be sold without even realizing it.”

Dong Tai spoke painfully, ”I told them, but once they hear there’s food, they don’t care about anything else.”

Silence.

Ju Tianrui fell silent for a full minute.

Unable to utter a single word, as if suffocating in his chest.

”It’s not their fault; they too are just trying to survive. This damn apocalypse makes people lose their humanity,” Ju Tianrui muttered to himself, as if talking to himself.

They could only do so much; even their own brothers were short on food, let alone help the refugees - they were helpless. They wanted to help, but they couldn’t.

This feeling of helplessness, of having the will but not the power, made their hearts ache as if they were being stabbed.

...

Gan Shang left again filled with rage and returned to his own area.

Entering his room, just as he stepped through the door,

a woman wearing scanty clothing helped him take off his shoes.

Without warning, Gan Shang viciously kicked the woman.

The force of the kick sent her flying several meters away.

Another woman holding a towel, trembling at the sight, wanted to help her up but dared not move.

The woman who was kicked to the ground kept her head down, a flash of hatred in her eyes, but more than that was fear. Sitting on the ground, she didn’t dare to get up, not knowing what she did to anger Gan Shang.

Gan Shang, seeing her motionless, cursed, ”Get over here and help me with my shoes.”

Hearing this, the woman shakily made her way over, her body quivering like a sieve.

She slowly bent down to change Gan Shang’s shoes.

Gan Shang looked at the woman with a pleasant face in front of him, grabbed her chin with his right hand and said, ”Gao Jie that kid, really causes me too much worry.

With so many options right here, he still prefers seeking thrills out there.”

As he spoke in anger, he squeezed harder, causing the woman’s face to turn purple, but she still dared not say a word.

A lesson learned from the past.

The last two who were here resisted, and their terrible end was unbearable to witness.

But she had no regrets; as long as she could stay one more day here, her family could live another day.

...

Nearly two years into the apocalypse.

Social order, moral standards, everything was regressing.

To survive, some people bowed their heads.

While others couldn’t stand it and chose to leave this world.

And many more people, in some small corners, were struggling to hang on.

....