The end of the world is approaching, I'm handing myself over to the country.

Xiao Li was so overwhelmed by Qian Lao's imposing presence that he could hardly breathe, and his whole body stiffened.

He knew Qian Lao's temperament; if you stroked his hair, he'd be happy even if you plucked his beard.

But once they get going, they're like a stubborn ox, the kind that ten people can't pull back.

After much hesitation, Xiao Li finally gave up resisting.

He sighed resignedly and handed over the tablet computer he had been holding in his arms.

"Mr. Qian, this is it."

Mr. Qian snatched the tablet and looked down at it.

Several videos were playing on the screen, the images were shaky, and they were obviously filmed with a mobile phone.

The video shows crowds gathering on the streets of many cities.

They held up makeshift signs and shouted at someone in an agitated manner.

"We want freedom! Why can't we go out?"

"This zombie virus thing is a lie! This is a restriction of our personal freedom!"

"My child still needs to go to school! You're ruining the next generation!"

Below the tablet, there is a line of eye-catching text summarizing the information.

According to incomplete statistics, small-scale protests have occurred in thirteen cities, mainly involving some students' parents.

[They either don't believe the official announcements, thinking the stay-at-home order is a lie, or they've received large sums of money remitted from abroad and are inciting more unsuspecting people to resist.]

Xiao Li cautiously added, "Some parents got very agitated when they heard they had to stay home and couldn't go out. They were resisting, and some even formed small groups to protest in the streets."

After reading this, Mr. Qian was no longer angry.

He was so angry he laughed, his laughter filled with icy fury and piercing disappointment.

"Hehe... Hahaha..."

"We're fighting those bastards up front, giving it our all for a chance to survive!"

"This is how they repay us!"

"A bunch of idiots!"

Old Qian's chest heaved violently, and his knuckles turned white from gripping the tablet too tightly.

The sturdy metal casing creaked under his force.

Xiao Li was terrified by his appearance and whispered another word.

"Mr. Qian, I suggest we tell Mr. Chi about this, and let him..."

Xiao Li hadn't finished speaking.

"roll!"

A thunderous roar exploded in the corridor.

Old Qian suddenly raised his head, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Xiao Li, the surging anger within them seeming to burn everything in front of him to ashes.

"Take your things and get out of here!"

"A bunch of idiots who're asking for it! We gave them a chance to live, not for them to court death!"

"Since they're so eager to die, then let them die!"

Mr. Qian's voice became hoarse with extreme anger, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"Once they get infected and turn into monsters, I'll personally lead a team to collect their corpses!"

After saying that, he shoved the tablet back into Xiao Li's arms.

The hard, flat edge bumped against his chest, causing a sharp pain, but he couldn't care less about that at the moment.

He dared not spread these words.

Xiao Li's lips trembled, his face was deathly pale, and he mustered all his courage to squeeze out a single, barely audible sentence.

"Mr. Qian... this... this isn't right..."

"What's wrong with it?" Old Qian suddenly turned his head, looking as fierce as if he wanted to devour someone.

"What could be wrong with that!"

"They're brainless, they'll make money off anything, and we're expected to treat them like royalty?"

"What are you dreaming about?"

"Let me tell you, these are critical times! Every ounce of strength is meant to fight those monsters, not to be wasted on fools like this!"

As Mr. Qian spoke, he grew angrier and angrier, the fire in his chest burning so intensely that it hurt his internal organs.

He pointed at Xiao Li's nose, spitting everywhere.

"Go and spread my message right now! Ignore all those protesters in the streets!"

"Let them make a scene! Let them shout! Let them act up!"

"Once they really turn into monsters, let's see if they can still cause any trouble!"

Mr. Qian even believed that they wouldn't even need to wait until then; once they saw those monsters with their own eyes, they would disperse on their own without any persuasion.

Xiao Li was so enraged by the roar that he almost lost his mind. He instinctively took a step back, his hands and feet turning ice cold.

Xiao Li's throat felt dry, and he swallowed with difficulty.

He knew that Mr. Qian was angry, but he dared not pass on this order no matter what.

This responsibility is too great for him to bear.

"Mr. Qian...this...this is against the rules..."

"Rules? My rules are the rules!"

Old Qian glared at him and took a step forward. His menacing aura almost suffocated Xiao Li.

"It's just that no one wants to take responsibility! Just say it was me who arranged it! That I gave the order!"

"If anything happens, just let them pin the blame on me!"

Mr. Qian's voice echoed incessantly in the empty corridor.

Xiao Li's heart was pounding wildly.

That being said, how could he dare to do such a thing?

Seeing that he was still dawdling, Old Qian's last bit of patience disappeared, and he shouted impatiently, "What? Do you want me to write you a guarantee?!"

"So indecisive, like a woman!"

Just then.

The conference room door at the end of the corridor creaked open.

The commotion outside eventually caught the attention of those inside.

Chi Zhengyang walked out from inside the door.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

Chi Zhengyang's voice was calm yet powerful, carrying a calming force that instantly eased the tense atmosphere in the corridor.

He looked at Mr. Qian and shook his head with a hint of helplessness.

"Old Qian, no offense, but I could hear your loud voice from inside."

Upon seeing Chi Zhengyang emerge, Xiao Li's eyes lit up instantly, as if he were a drowning person grasping at a last straw.

Our savior has arrived!

He could no longer pay attention to the furious Old Qian. He quickly grabbed his tablet, ran a few steps to Chi Zhengyang, and spoke urgently.

"Elder Chi! I have an urgent matter to report to you!"

As he spoke, he handed over the tablet computer with both hands, his movements respectful yet slightly trembling.

Chi Zhengyang didn't answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at Old Qian, who was red-faced and furious, before lowering his gaze to the tablet screen.

On the screen, the protesters continued to shout, their faces contorted with excitement, a stark contrast to the clamor that followed.

Chi Zhengyang glanced at it calmly, for no more than three seconds.

He then returned the item to Xiao Li and gently shook his head.

He spoke softly, his tone so steady it was completely flat.

"If that's the case, then we don't need to worry about it."

A simple sentence, yet it struck Xiao Li like a thunderbolt, exploding in his mind.

He froze, his hand still in the gesture of handing something over, and looked up at Chi Zhengyang in disbelief.

He even thought he was experiencing auditory hallucinations due to extreme anxiety.

"what?"

Xiao Li's mouth opened slightly, and he made an off-key sound.

Chi Zhengyang didn't look at him, but instead turned his gaze to the window in the corridor, where he could see busy soldiers coming and going.

"We're all adults, so naturally we have to take responsibility for our decisions."

"We have done everything we could and should have done."

Chi Zhengyang spoke slowly, and every word was clearly audible to Xiao Li and Qian Lao.

"The official announcement has been issued, and the danger has been repeatedly emphasized."

"It's their business if they don't take their own safety seriously."

"To me, our soldiers are extremely precious."

"Their lives are not meant to atone for the karma of foolish people."

As he spoke, Chi Zhengyang patted Xiao Li on the shoulder.

"I know you're not a good fit, so you don't need to worry about it anymore. Just leave it to me."