Resurrection Empire

Shi Xuan was unwilling to say more, and Ren Zhong didn't press further. He simply changed the subject, saying, "Mr. Shi, why did you kill the Mayor?"

Shi Xuan hesitated slightly before he began speaking, recounting the story in detail.

Back then, his town, though not as large as Chromium Carbon Town, was home to nearly eighty thousand people and was quite prosperous.

But everything was destroyed by a Ruined Beast frenzy one evening.

At that time, the Mayor did not organize any effective resistance. Seeing the dire situation, his immediate decision was to join forces with the Resource Recycling Company to evacuate the Citizens.

This decision was understandable.

But the Mayor demanded that all members of the Guard accompany the evacuation.

There was nothing wrong with that either.

The problem lay with Shi Xuan himself.

He was a native Scavenger who grew up in the town.

Throughout his growth to become the strongest Professional in the town, Shi Xuan never received any support from the Association.

He fought his way up from the bottom, risking his life every step of the way.

He took over the vacant position of Guard Captain after completing a contract with the Resource Company, essentially joining with his own skills.

He owed nothing to the Mayor, nor to the Business Association.

He did enjoy some benefits as Guard Captain, but he felt that his work deserved such treatment.

In the end, although he had become a Citizen, he never integrated into the Citizen class.

As the town's Guard Captain, Shi Xuan did not want to avoid the battle and flee.

Moreover, he believed that Citizens escorted by Armed Airships had nothing to fear and didn't need the protection of Professionals.

The Mayor was overly cautious but placed little value on the lives of Scavengers.

Yet, the Mayor repeatedly pressured Shi Xuan, even threatening the lives of those temporary Scavengers who had followed him into the Guard.

On Shi Xuan's communicator, some of his old Scavenger acquaintances were desperately asking for his help, while the Mayor in the Town Government Office kept pressing him.

In his rage and desperation, he acted out violently.

In the end, he led over thirty thousand people to break through the Ruined Beast's siege and survive the disaster.

After a long and arduous journey, with stops and starts, the group traveled thousands of kilometers and finally found refuge in the ruins of Qi Mountain.

Sadly, of the more than thirty thousand who trusted and followed him initially, only a little over a thousand remained.

Some died from the Ruined Beasts, some from exhaustion and illness during their journey, others from unexpected deaths from continuous overnight travel, and many more fell to the Hunters they encountered along the way.

On the run, Shi Xuan adopted a rotation system often used in ancient times.

The vast majority stayed up all night once every three days, yet people still suddenly collapsed.

After hearing Shi Xuan's story, Ren Zhong spoke up, "I think, Mr. Shi, you and I are alike."

Shi Xuan remained silent.

The young Shi Lin next to him couldn't hold back, saying, "You are not qualified to compare with my father! My father is the greatest man on Source Star!"

Ren Zhong was startled but then laughed.

He didn't argue.

Although he wanted to achieve many things, aside from eliminating Lin Wang, he currently had little to prove himself.

Comparing himself from the viewpoint of a representative of the proletariat, he admitted he wasn't like Shi Xuan.

Shi Xuan waved his hand, signaling his hot-tempered adopted son to calm down, and continued, "Though this is our first meeting, we have great mutual understanding. I do see some similarities between us. Shi Lin, apologize."

Shi Lin gritted his teeth and grudgingly said, "I'm sorry."

Ren Zhong shook his head, "No harm done. In any case, Mr. Shi, do you trust me?"

Shi Xuan: "Personally, I can trust you, but I have to consider the lives of seven thousand people. Without you telling me the specifics, I lack confidence in this matter."

Ren Zhong asked again, "Leaving aside the method for the moment, just assuming I succeed. Starfire Town gains a future. Then, your people also have a future. You can come out from underground and return to the world."

"Alright, assuming you can pull it off. But how can you guarantee life in Starfire Town will be better? The people there now are in a terrible state, as you should know."

"Hasn't Brother Wang told you about the new situation with Starfire Resources Company yet?"

"Boss Wang hinted that, going forward, our Ruined Beast yields will not lack buyers, and the new boss will be easy to deal with. Our hunting gains can be sold at beneficial prices equivalent to ordinary town Scavengers."

Ren Zhong nodded, "Yes, the new boss is indeed easy to deal with."

"Mr. Ren, you know them? I can't figure why someone would be so foolish as to take over a town destined to be abolished."

Ren Zhong twitched his lips, "Unfortunately, I'm the fool you mentioned. The new boss, it's me."