Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

Lu Heng looked at Lin Chen with some surprise upon hearing his words.

In his view, crystal cores could be obtained simply by going out and killing zombies; there was no need to exchange them for precious food.

Food at their base is now rationed, and every bite has to be carefully calculated because no one knows when this disaster will end.

Nothing can grow on the snowfields outside anymore; food is becoming increasingly scarce.

"Is that really true?" Lu Heng stood up, supporting himself with his hands, his tone tinged with uncertainty.

Lin Chen smiled slightly: "Of course."

Lu Heng and the people behind him exchanged glances, their faces beaming with barely suppressed joy.

Their base has far more ordinary people than other factions, with the elderly, children, and women making up 70% of the population, making food consumption their biggest challenge.

If they could really exchange crystal cores for food, they wouldn't have to worry about food anymore.

"If that's the case, then of course there's no problem." Lu Heng's voice was a little lighter than before.

Taking advantage of the momentum, Lin Chen also revealed his plan to gather ordinary people and completely eliminate the zombies.

He spoke simply, but his meaning was clear—he wasn't there to do a one-off deal, but to completely revitalize the entire urban cluster surrounding Shanghai.

As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Heng and the people behind him could no longer sit still.

The girl with the ponytail had strikingly bright eyes and was whispering something to the person next to her. Another boy wearing glasses clenched his fists, his lips trembling.

"Mr. Lin," Lu Heng stood up, his lips trembling slightly, "Could... we go in and take a look?"

Lin Chen glanced at him, thought for a moment, and nodded.

This group of students has gathered far more ordinary people than other forces, and they are methodical and have a sense of purpose, unlike those local tyrants who only care about their own pleasure.

He admires people like that. People generally admire those they can't become.

In a flash, everyone was standing on the outskirts of the new Guangzhou.

The setting sun cast its warm rays, bathing us in its gentle glow.

In the distance lies the "New Guangzhou," which is under construction, with countless farmers flowing from the fields to their respective villages.

In the crisscrossing city streets, countless people emerge from various factory areas and head towards their respective canteens.

The air was filled with the scents of earth and grass, and the aroma of food wafting from the distant canteen.

Inside the makeshift school, countless children cheered and jumped for joy, a scene straight out of an apocalypse.

Lu Heng and the others stood still, looking at the distant city and village, their eyes beginning to glaze over.

Are we dreaming?

"It's real grass..."

"The temperature here is so comfortable; I haven't felt this warm in a long time."

Lu Heng didn't speak, he just stood there, took a deep breath, and his chest heaved several times.

They were much more receptive than the military officers; in less than half an hour, they had asked most of the questions, seen what needed to be seen, and touched what needed to be touched.

Lu Heng pulled Lin Chen aside and asked him several questions seriously about the resettlement of ordinary people. After receiving the answers, he nodded.

After asking the question, Lu Heng nodded solemnly: "We agree to your request. We will also fully cooperate with your plan."

When everyone returned to the camphouse, the atmosphere was completely different.

Lu Heng and the young men behind him all had flushed faces and bright eyes.

The little girl who had been standing behind Lu Heng pulled Lu Heng and the others aside, and the group whispered among themselves.

Lin Chen didn't urge them, and sat in his seat drinking water.

After a long while, Lu Heng and the others came to Lin Chen's side, took a deep breath, and said something that left Lin Chen stunned.

"Boss Lin, could we... pledge our allegiance to you?"

Lin Chen's mouth gaped open as he glared at Lu Heng: "You're siding with me?"

Lu Heng nodded, looking a little embarrassed, but his eyes were very serious.

"Actually, the reason we banded together was just to survive; we never thought about building any major power."

He pushed up his glasses, his tone tinged with weariness, "This base is entirely sustained by my S-class superpower, but I don't have any great ambitions, and I feel exhausted every day."

He paused, then lowered his voice: "Moreover, we originally thought the disaster would pass eventually, and we took in too many ordinary people in the early stages. Now, food is actually running low."

He looked up at Lin Chen, his expression somewhat complicated: "So..."

Lin Chen understood somewhat. He wasn't showing loyalty; he was shirking his responsibilities.

We can't support so many people anymore. If this drags on, and the food runs out, those ordinary people will probably call us saints. We helped them, but ended up with nothing but resentment.

He leaned back in his chair, looking at the "leader" who was even younger than himself.

Tell me about the situation here.

Lu Heng immediately began his report, his points clear and his data detailed. He spoke for almost half an hour, and Lin Chen grew increasingly speechless as he listened.

This person's tactics are exactly the same as what he did in Guangzhou in his early days—using work relief instead of financial aid.

They worked in exchange for food, and no idlers were allowed to stay, so the entire camp was clean, tidy, and orderly.

The problem is that Lin Chen did it that way because he had trillions of resources he had stockpiled before the apocalypse as a backing, so he could create whatever he wanted.

Lu Heng? He was barely holding on while searching for supplies.

In the early stages of the apocalypse, things were easy to find, and his actions didn't cause any trouble. Instead, his team grew bigger and bigger, and he became the overlord of the south of the city.

There are six or seven hundred thousand ordinary people alone, and more than one hundred thousand people with superpowers.

But now it's the fifth month of the apocalypse.

They've searched everything they could, and supplies are becoming increasingly difficult to find; they're already running a deficit.

In Lu Heng's own words, an "economic crisis" has occurred.

If Lin Chen hadn't come today, this group of idealistic college students with pure hearts probably wouldn't have lasted long before they fell apart.

After explaining the situation, Lu Heng and his classmates stood there, so embarrassed that they didn't know what to do with their hands and feet.

They gathered the most people, did the most work, and almost ruined themselves in the end. It's a joke, really.

Lin Chen listened without saying anything. The "Holy Mother" was just putting on a brave face, but he was different; in his eyes, these people were all treasures.

"I can help you send the ordinary people into the space first," he said solemnly. "As for you superhumans, you can report to the Financial City and stay outside to kill zombies. If you agree, we can start organizing the manpower now."

Lu Heng was taken aback for a moment, then beamed with joy, nodding his head like a chicken pecking at rice: "Agreed! Agreed!"

Lin Chen glanced out the window; it was almost dark. "I can only give you one night. I have to leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"That's enough!" Lu Heng had already walked out, but when he reached the door, he turned back, bowed to Lin Chen, and then ran away.

The men behind him also ran out, their footsteps making a loud clattering sound.