At the Third Military Factory, Li Deng had already become a hero!
After all, if it weren't for his words, their treatment wouldn't have improved.
Uncle Song smiled at Li Deng and said, "Xiao Li, we really have you to thank. Otherwise, we would still be living those bitter, miserable days."
The others quickly echoed his sentiments.
But as Li Deng looked at the workers' happy faces, he couldn't help but feel a bit incredulous.
Is this all it takes to satisfy them?
Sure, their treatment has improved slightly—they can now eat proper meals, and their working hours have been reduced a bit.
But they're still essentially slave laborers!
And yet, these people are already so grateful?
Li Deng was someone with a strong sense of resistance. He was never content with the status quo.
He believed that the world shouldn't be like this.
In the face of the apocalypse, all of humanity should unite tightly, rather than letting a small few at the top of the pyramid lord over everyone else.
A little bit of charity from above, and those below are overwhelmingly grateful.
Having once seen the light, how could he endure the darkness?
Still, Li Deng was in a relatively good mood because, at least, this was a good start.
That young aristocrat seemed easier to communicate with than other powerful figures. Perhaps he could start from there.
Li Deng quickly devised a plan in his mind. He had gained some prestige and influence among the workers.
If he could rally the workers' strength and negotiate with that young aristocrat, perhaps he could once again improve the status of the common workers.
He might even be able to establish a union!
Of course, Li Deng never considered resorting to violence.
The tens of thousands of troops in the Eastern Capital were entirely under the control of the authorities, and with the emergence of Evolvers, any resistance would only result in bloodshed and more brutal suppression.
Using non-violent, peaceful methods would be better.
Li Deng started to imagine the future. Given that young aristocrat's positive attitude, could they ask for even more?
Maybe even establish a democratic council?
Just as Li Deng was lost in his dreams of the future, Hu Weimin walked into the workshop with a smile on his face.
Li Deng saw him and a trace of annoyance and regret flashed in his eyes.
It's a pity that the young aristocrat didn't deal with Hu Weimin.
But after today's events, Hu Weimin should be more restrained, right?
Hu Weimin walked up to Li Deng with a cheerful smile and said, "Xiao Li, come out for a moment. I have something to discuss with you."
The smile on his face was warm, even friendly to the point of being intimate.
Li Deng let out a disdainful sneer and nodded.
He followed Hu Weimin out of the workshop and into his office.
Hu Weimin's office was stocked with canned beer and other food, even air conditioning and a bed, a far cry from the conditions the workers endured!
Li Deng snorted coldly, "What, are you here to discuss how to improve our working conditions?"
Hu Weimin looked at Li Deng, who seemed confident and fearless, and felt a surge of scorn.
This fool, could he really believe that just because Qin Jun treated him kindly, he had found a backer?
Hu Weimin sneered and clapped his hands. Immediately, two burly men with fierce expressions walked in from outside the door, glaring at Li Deng with ill intent.
It was only at this moment that Li Deng started to panic.
He took a few steps back, flustered, and asked, "What do you want?"
A cruel smile appeared on Hu Weimin's face as he calmly said, "Nothing much, just making sure you disappear forever."
With that, the two burly men began to approach Li Deng.
Although Li Deng had been a troublemaker, often clashing with Hu Weimin, he hadn't expected that Hu Weimin really intended to kill him.
Now, he was truly afraid!
At the core, the reason Li Deng was so rebellious, so full of resistance, was that he still hadn't adapted to the apocalypse.
His mindset was still stuck in the old era, where everyone was equal, and he harbored a deep resentment toward the wealthy.
But the apocalypse was cruel, and anyone who couldn't adapt to this era would be eliminated, with no second chances.
Li Deng cried out in despair, "Hu Weimin, you dare to harm me?
Young Master Qin Jun has a good impression of me. How will you explain it to him if you kill me?"
Hu Weimin grinned widely at his words.
"Kid, I'll let you die knowing the truth. The one who ordered your death... is none other than Young Master Qin Jun."
"What?"
Li Deng could hardly believe his ears!
How could this be?
Wasn't Qin Jun supposed to be gentle and kind?
Didn't he just improve the workers' conditions?
Shouldn't he be someone easy to talk to, someone open-minded?
How could this be?
Why would he praise me to my face and then turn around and order my death?
Li Deng, like a chick being strangled, was held by the burly man, and he began to struggle frantically.
My plan hasn't even started, and I'm about to die like this?
His struggles were in vain. The suffocating feeling washed over him like a tide, enveloping him.
His consciousness gradually blurred, leaving him with only one final thought.
When the workers discover my death, they will surely be furious and revolt, won't they?
...
Li Deng died, strangled to death.
Hu Weimin looked at Li Deng's corpse, a mocking expression on his face. Then, he casually instructed, "Take his body and bring it to the workshop."
The two burly men nodded, lifted Li Deng's corpse, and followed Hu Weimin back to the workshop.
When the workers in the workshop saw Li Deng's body, their eyes widened in shock.
But not one of them spoke up; they merely stared in silence.
"Li Deng is dead, and I killed him!"
Hu Weimin sneered, openly admitting it, and looked disdainfully at the silent workers.
"Does anyone have a problem with that?"
Still, no one spoke. Even Uncle Song, who had been the closest to Li Deng, was deeply saddened, but fear outweighed his grief.
Seeing the workers' timid gazes, Hu Weimin nodded in satisfaction.
He sneered, "Young Master Qin Jun has improved your conditions. From now on, you'll be able to eat rice, and your daily work hours will be reduced to ten hours.
This will start tomorrow!"
Upon hearing this, the workers immediately began to cheer. None of them cared about Li Deng's death anymore.
"Thank you, Young Master Qin Jun!"
"Thank you, Supervisor Hu!"
Some workers even knelt down, crying tears of gratitude.
"But," Hu Weimin's tone shifted, "because of Li Deng's troublemaking, I'm very dissatisfied. So, your performance points for this month will be reduced by twenty percent.
If anyone dares to cause trouble in the future, I'll apply to have your conditions reverted."
"No, no!"
"I never liked Li Deng!"
"If anyone dares to resist the factory again, we'll beat them to death ourselves!"
Terrified, the workers rushed to assure him, and some even spat on Li Deng's corpse, suddenly harboring intense hatred for him.
If it weren't for Li Deng, why would their performance points be docked this month?
Even though, just half an hour ago, they had regarded Li Deng as a hero...
Watching this scene, the smile on Hu Weimin's face grew wider.
But at the same time, a sense of disgust rose in his heart...
These pigs!
---
Li Deng's death didn't cause the slightest ripple.
The third armaments factory continued its operations as usual—even with slightly improved efficiency.
The workers were deeply grateful to the Qin family, simply because they were now allowed to eat enough food that they should have been able to in the first place.
But none of this was of any concern to Qin Jun.
In the age of modern weapons, the power of ordinary people became minuscule, with virtually no chance of affecting those at the top.
Let alone in the apocalypse. On the one hand, the emergence of evolvers further weakened the voice of ordinary people.
On the other hand, the baseline of ordinary people became extraordinarily low—as long as they can survive, their capacity to endure hardship will become astonishingly high.It must be said, after the apocalypse struck, the Qin family secured an undeniable advantage.
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