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

"Enough!" A clear and forceful female voice rang out, interrupting the chaotic accusations.

Bai Xin walked over from her post and stood next to Li Ya and the twins, looking directly at Teacher Zeng and the others. Her face was slightly flushed with excitement, but her eyes were unusually firm.

"Teacher Zeng, and a few other teachers," Bai Xin's voice wasn't loud, but it quieted the surroundings considerably, "I'm Bai Xin, a teacher in the Fine Arts Department. I want to remind everyone, and myself—we're only able to stand here breathing because Captain Lin and his team just risked their lives to clear this building, and they're still working tirelessly outside to buy us more space to survive and save more people."

Her gaze swept over the other survivors, her tone gentle yet clear: "We all experience hunger and fear; I'm hungry and scared too. But if we lose our composure first, and use our past identities and principles to pressure our own people, then we'll truly have no way out. Captain Lin left us here to maintain order, and I think the first step to maintaining order is to recognize reality, stay rational, and wait for them to return."

Teacher Zeng had never been lectured like this before, and she immediately became displeased: "What gives you the right to talk to us like that? You're just a lecturer, while we're all professors. What right do you have to criticize us?"

Bai Xin scoffed, "Is this a case of resorting to using one's status to intimidate others when one can't win an argument?"

After she finished speaking, she stopped looking at Teacher Zeng's flushed face, nodded slightly to Jiang Yingxue and Jiang Yingyue with a look of comfort and reminder in her eyes, then gripped the metal easel leg in her hand and retreated back to her guard position with her back straight.

Bai Xin's words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the blind anxiety in many people's hearts. Many students lowered their heads, and some teachers looked ashamed. Teacher Zeng opened her mouth to refute, but under Li Ya's cold gaze and Bai Xin's frank words based on facts, she ultimately remained silent and simply turned her head away angrily.

Just as the atmosphere was delicate and had just begun to calm down—

A voice, so cold it seemed to freeze the air, came without warning from the direction of the main entrance to the dance hall:

"What happened?"

The voice was not loud, but it carried a strange penetrating power and an undeniable authority.

Everyone seemed to be put on pause; all sound ceased abruptly. Everyone turned around abruptly, their hearts pounding in their throats—

Lin Chen was already standing silently at the doorway, half of his figure shrouded in the shadows of the corridor, the other half outlined in the dim light of the hall, revealing his cold, hard features. Behind him stood Su Yun and several other team members, also standing silently.

His gaze, like a quenched blade, slowly swept across every face in the hall—whether panicked, ashamed, or still filled with dissatisfaction—finally settling on Li Ya, Bai Xin, and the teachers led by Teacher Zeng, each with their own distinct expressions.

The air seemed to be completely sucked out and frozen into solid ice. Even the faintest breath became cautious and tentative.

No one noticed when he returned.

Lin Chen's figure reappeared at the door, and all sound in the hall instantly disappeared.

It was a silent oppression, a heavy weight crushing down on everyone's nerves. The survivors who had been arguing just moments before were now as if they had been choked, holding their breath.

Human nature is laid bare on the brink of life and death—bullying the weak and fearing the strong, seeking advantage and avoiding harm. The toughness of women like Li Ya could still be applauded, but when Lin Chen's even more ruthless figure appeared, all arrogance vanished.

His gaze, sharp as an ice blade, swept over the teachers who were surrounding Li Ya. Teacher Zeng was the first to be hit; when that gaze swept over her, she involuntarily took a half-step back, her forced "righteous indignation" shattering into fear. The others who had spoken up for her all lowered their heads.

Lin Chen walked straight into the hall without saying a word.

Behind him, Su Yun, Zhou Xiaomin, Zhang Jing and other team members filed in, bringing with them a new batch of rescued survivors.

The influx of people quickly filled the once-empty dance hall. At this moment, the number of people inside was approaching two thousand, encompassing almost all the remaining living people in this teaching area.

This art academy was known for its "female dominance," and now, looking around, young women made up more than 70% of the students, many of them quite beautiful. But in the dim light of the apocalypse, only a sea of ​​pale, terrified faces remained.

Lin Chen walked straight to the center of the hall, casually pulled over a scattered wooden gymnastics bench, and stood steadily on it. His figure was infinitely replicated and extended by a huge floor-to-ceiling mirror wall, as if a thousand troops stood behind him.

Li Ya, Jiang Yingxue, Jiang Yingyue, Su Yun, Qi Wei, and others, armed with guns, silently guarded the various entrances and exits.

"Listen up," Lin Chen said, his voice low but sharp as a slap on the eardrum. "First of all, you need to understand—we are not an official rescue team, and we have no obligation to save you."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over the dark mass of people below the stage.

"This is the apocalypse. There are hordes of zombies outside, and the bloodshed hasn't stopped. We've already done our utmost by risking our lives to clean up the campus and rescue survivors." His words were devoid of any sentimentality, only the coldness of stating facts. "In the apocalypse, every resource is incredibly precious, especially food. It's no longer something you can obtain with a simple 'I'm a teacher' or a 'respect for teachers' gesture."

A faint, chilling smile played at the corners of his lips: "However, I do have food. Plenty."

Before he finished speaking, he casually waved his right hand—

"Splash!"

In the center of the hall, a small mountain of supplies had sprung up out of nowhere! Crates of compressed biscuits were stacked high, canned goods reflected a metallic sheen, vacuum-packed cooked food, and bottles of mineral water... The dazzling array of goods exuded an irresistible allure to the hungry.

A suppressed gurgling sound suddenly rose from the crowd, and countless gazes were ignited, filled with naked greed and desire, but intimidated by the imposing presence, no one dared to move.

"But—" Lin Chen's tone suddenly turned cold, "If you want something, you have to offer something of value in return. It could be labor, a skill, or absolute loyalty. Don't expect to take anything without giving anything in return."

He surveyed the room: "Now, those who cannot accept these rules can leave. The doors are open. I do not tolerate short-sighted, ungrateful, or out-of-touch burdens here."

The air seemed to freeze. Some bowed their heads in shame, some bit their lips in resentment, and some had shifty eyes.

Just then, as if stung by the word "burden," Teacher Zeng suddenly pushed aside the person beside her and stood up, her voice sharp and distorted with agitation and fear:

"If anyone's leaving, it's you! This is our school! Our territory! Who do you think you are, an outsider, daring to boss us around and even try to negotiate?"

A sliver of hope lingered in her heart; she was certain that, under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lin Chen wouldn't dare do anything to a "highly respected" associate professor. She tried to incite the surrounding teachers and students to unite against him: "Look at him! He's so few people, and there are so many of us! Why should we listen to him? The school's resources belong to all of us!"

However, she was met with deathly silence. Most people avoided eye contact or lowered their heads. In just two short days of the apocalypse, many had already realized that numbers are sometimes meaningless in the face of true power and harsh reality.

They forgot—or rather, refused to acknowledge—that the apocalypse had already torn apart all the false crowns and armor of identity from peaceful times.

Lin Chen's face remained completely expressionless, as if he were merely watching a boring farce. With a cold face, he stepped down from the gymnastics bench, his steps steady, and walked towards Teacher Zeng.

"W-what are you going to do?" Teacher Zeng tried to remain calm, but her voice began to tremble, and she unconsciously took a step back. Two male teachers next to her subconsciously wanted to step forward, but they were rooted to the spot by Lin Chen's cold gaze, and cold sweat dripped down their backs.