"I don't know," the nephew said, shaking his head, his face full of confusion. "I've heard of it, but I didn't ask too many questions."
"I know a bit," Wang Daniu spoke up suddenly, lowering his voice. "They say there's a big boss in the city center, someone with a lot of resources, and he's been expanding his influence."
"This boss seems pretty formidable, with strong methods, but he's in desperate need of manpower. Otherwise, he wouldn't be sending people out, using food to recruit others."
"I also heard the strategist who stopped the fighting between those four factions is one of his men, someone tasked with finding more people to join him."
"A while ago, he even came to the police station to meet me. He's a pretty polite university student, tried to recruit me, but I turned him down."
"From what he said, those four factions might be thinking about heading to the city center. It seems they've been convinced to join this boss."
After Wang Daniu finished speaking, the chief of staff suddenly asked, "The boss in the city center? Xiao Bai Xiong?"
"Chief, you even know about Xiao Bai Xiong?"
"Focus! Answer the question!" the chief of staff snapped.
"Yes, sir!" Wang Daniu quickly nodded, then shook his head. "I'm not sure if it's Xiao Bai Xiong, but it probably isn't."
"Right now, Xiao Bai Xiong is the most powerful person in the city. Well, there was someone who recently stole his spotlight for a few days. But Xiao Bai Xiong's strength is well known; everyone recognizes him."
"If it were really Xiao Bai Xiong, he'd use that reputation to attract more people, especially if he's short on manpower."
Wang Daniu paused for a moment before continuing. "The thing is, in these chaotic times, a lot of people are desperate, and they'll latch onto any big name to survive. Even if Xiao Bai Xiong is ruthless, it's still better than starving or dying from the heat."
After Wang Daniu spoke, the chief of staff nodded. "Seems like it's not Xiao Bai Xiong, but someone else."
Yi Bai, who had been listening in from behind the scenes, could hear everything clearly through the monitoring system in Lin Yue's command vehicle.
"It doesn't seem like Xiao Bai Xiong," Yi Bai mused. "His strategy has been about destroying shelters, and you don't need much manpower for that."
Yi Bai stroked his chin and smiled. "Xiao Bai Xiong is probably feeling pretty stifled lately. He's been at the top for so long, and suddenly I took the lead for a few days."
Although Yi Bai's points were now exhausted, and he wasn't the top anymore, it served as a reminder to the survivors in the city. Many of them had survived the toughest times with the help of national aid, and now, many survivors were beginning to develop their talents and abilities. The so-called "top survivor," Xiao Bai Xiong, might not even be the strongest anymore.
"Besides," Yi Bai thought, "I've been following the city's chat channels closely, and there's not a single mention of the mysterious boss in the city center. That's odd."
Yi Bai was, after all, a reclusive guy, and he spent more time than anyone scrolling through the city's chat channels. Days had passed, and no survivor had discussed any information about the power dynamics in the city center.
"Something's off," Yi Bai thought. "It's clear that this mysterious guy has exceptional methods."
"Maybe it's not just him," Yi Bai continued, "There's been a surge of talented individuals lately. A lot of new faces are starting to shine."
"I only have the advantage of shelter level at the moment," Yi Bai mused, "But beyond that, things aren't looking great."
"Even with a 500-man army, what if—just what if—there's an SSS-level combat talent in Jinling? 500 men might not be enough."
Yi Bai's thoughts were interrupted as Wang Daniu climbed onto the army truck, grabbing the loudspeaker. He stood up and began shouting over the street, his voice booming across the area.
"Army entering the city! Rescue operation underway!"
"All armed factions, put down your weapons and submit to investigation!"
"All surviving civilians, please contact us immediately!"
"In order to ensure unified management of survivors and guarantee supply, we will take control of all resource points in this district!"
"If any insurgents resist, they will be shot on sight! Don't say you weren't warned!"
Wang Daniu felt exhilarated, his voice echoing through the street.
Damn, he never imagined he'd one day be an officer!
This was the speech prepared by the chief of staff to show the army's authority and power while giving potential enemies an escape route. The idea was to avoid labeling them as terrorists outright, which would lead to a deadly confrontation. Instead, they were to present themselves as a force of rescue and supply collection.
The chief of staff, standing behind a pair of binoculars, surveyed the surroundings. He noticed a few windows opening up in the nearby buildings, and shadows flickering as people watched the army's movements.
The road was littered with abandoned cars and debris, slowing down the army's progress. Soldiers cleared obstacles, making sure there was enough time for the survivors to think about whether or not they wanted to show themselves.
"Chief, why don't we just ambush them? Why go all out like this? We're just walking into a target zone."
Wang Daniu asked hesitantly.
The chief of staff gave him a side glance. "You're not worried about a few bullets, are you? You've got triple the strength, and triple the healing ability. Are you scared of a handgun?"
"Not exactly, but it would hurt," Wang Daniu scratched his head. "I'm just worried about our men."
"Don't worry," the chief of staff reassured him. "We've got snipers along the way, ready to take action. Everyone's wearing bulletproof vests, and we've got armored vehicles for cover."
"Most importantly… this is the commander's decision."
The chief of staff turned toward the command vehicle. "Team leader Lin said we are the righteous army. We need to be open and aboveboard. If we're sneaky about rescuing and collecting supplies, how can the survivors trust us? The insurgents will think we're weak and can be bullied."
"Let's be bold and fearless. That's how we intimidate them!"
Wang Daniu was convinced. "Right, right. I wasn't thinking clearly. We're soldiers! We do things the proper way!"
What Wang Daniu didn't know was that this was actually Lin Yue's strategy. She used the deep-rooted respect the Chinese people had for their military to implement the most effective psychological warfare. The more upfront they were, the more they could scare off potential enemies.
Half an hour passed, and no shots were fired. Instead, survivors began emerging from their buildings, eagerly approaching the army.