Chapter 287

The gold bars, illuminated by the firelight, were almost blinding. Like the apple of Eden, they lured countless complex gazes from the darkness.

Shi Lei knew that countless eyes were lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce. Although Patriot and Hegre wanted everyone to pledge their loyalty, he needed to take this opportunity to filter and select them.

He can make as many of these gold bars as he wants.

If someone can be bribed with a single gold bar, they are a risky person, and it's best not to recruit them.

Shi Lei acknowledges that humans are inherently greedy. But what distinguishes humans from animals is their ability to control those desires.

If they can't overcome the financial hurdle, the newly established city will be easily corrupted by external forces. It's not that they will necessarily betray them, but Shi Lei prefers quality over quantity.

He would never want someone who doesn't work together towards a common goal and is always thinking about how to benefit themselves.

Shi Lei glanced at the greedy eyes lurking in the shadows, but noticed that no one came forward to claim the gold bars. He quickly realized what was going on and dispelled their concerns about social repercussions:

"If you're afraid of being recognized, take off your clothes or cover your faces with something else. Come up and take a gold bar, and you can leave. Don't worry, this is a trap; I can make them both swear a solemn oath."

Bozoskati and Hegre had already guessed Shi Lei's true intentions. They cooperated fully, publicly swearing an oath to the infected present. These words, through the messenger team, began to be passed on and spread.

Not long after, someone came up.

He covered half his face with his rumpled clothes, took the gold bars, and bowed deeply to Hegre. He didn't dare utter a word before fleeing as if his life depended on it.

Seeing that someone had set a precedent, the other infected individuals who were initially hesitant began to take action. They all covered their faces, took the gold bars, bowed, and left the scene.

Most of the people who came up to collect the gold bars were patients from the Azazel Clinic. Some of them were from impoverished families, while others came from middle-class families, but their family's financial situation deteriorated after they became infected with Originium-related illness.

Shi Lei respects these people's choices and never forces them. Since they make a choice, they must bear the consequences of that choice.

As more and more people came to collect their gold bars, Hegre began to feel embarrassed. He had thought that these patients, who had shared hardships together, could build a better home together. It turned out that it was all wishful thinking on his part.

But Hegre didn't blame them, because everyone had been through tough times. He just felt a deep sense of regret seeing the patients repeatedly bowing and apologizing as they left.

Everyone has their own destiny, it's a pity...

Broca stood behind Shi Lei, a hint of smugness in his heart. He thought to himself that his elite guerrilla force, whom he had diligently trained, would never be tempted by money.

Before he could gloat for long, members of the guerrilla force actually came up. They bowed deeply to the Patriot, their attitude extremely sincere.

"I'm sorry, I really need this money. My family is still in Ursus, and I want to go back to take care of them."

Broca didn't speak, but hot air was being emitted from the vents of his Antler Helmet.

Several more members later took the gold bars and left, but they were all family members of the guerrillas. They wanted to take the money to other countries to stay with relatives.

If someone were observant, they could actually discover the secret of the rock box. Shi Lei would close the box after distributing the gold bars each time, and then refill it with gold bars when he opened it again later.

But infected individuals driven by greed don't pay attention to these details at all. They are only happy about the windfall and want to grab the gold bars and leave as soon as possible.

Seeing that fewer people were coming up to collect the gold bars, Shi Lei relayed a message to those who hadn't left the scene.

As the saying goes, things shouldn't happen more than three times; he asked three times in total and then stopped. Those who wanted to leave, those who wanted to stay, and those who were still hesitant all made their decisions.

Shi Lei Psychic Scan, and only after confirming that nothing had been missed did he give the order again:

"Mr. Hegre, please bring in the infected people who have retreated outside. I want to treat them. Patriot, you should know how to arrange things on the scene."

"Understood, Lord Zhong."

Those who haven't taken the gold bars yet can be considered, to a lesser extent, one of our own. Even if they could still be bought off in the future, they're at least safer than those who are taking the money now.

There were originally over a thousand Originium-related illness willing to follow Hegre. More than half chose to take the gold bars and leave, leaving only a little over three hundred.

This is both a bad thing and a good thing.

Broca guerrilla members to urge the patients at the scene to form a long queue. Then someone found steel needles to prepare for the treatment to come.

Most of these guerrilla members have received one or two treatments. Their current infection status is good, and they do not require repeated removal of Originium Particles from their blood.

Hegre had never seen Shi Lei's medical skills before, so he stayed where he was out of curiosity, wanting to observe them firsthand.

The guerrillas then pulled out steel needles and pricked a wound on the little finger of each infected person's left hand.

Shi Lei casually created a rock table and chairs, much like an experienced traditional Chinese medicine doctor taking a patient's pulse. He would take the patient's pulse with one hand, then quickly guide the Originium Particles out of their bodies through the blood vessels and out through the wounds.

The squeezed-out Originium dripped into the rock box that had previously contained gold bars; the medical waste would be disposed of later.

Seeing such a simple and brutal treatment method, Hegre gaped in astonishment.

Is this even possible???

Before he could ask about the results, an infected person who had expelled about half a pound of Originium knelt down with a thud.

Not only did he exclaim that a miracle Divine Doctor was alive, but he also kowtowed deeply to Shi Lei.

Whether a treatment is effective or not, the patient knows best.

How could one not be thrilled to have someone directly remove the Originium that had troubled them for years from their blood vessels?

Hegre stood there dumbfounded, speechless for a long time. Patriot had said that Master Zhong could cure Originium-related illness, but he hadn't taken it too seriously at the time.

After all, on this land, Originium-related illness is synonymous with incurable disease. When people talk about 'treatment,' they usually mean taking medication to relieve the symptoms.

Who knew he could cut a wound and directly separate the Originium from the blood vessel? That's just too outrageous!

Even though guerrilla members added that the infected organs were beyond treatment, the infected individuals who had received treatment remained deeply grateful to the masked man.

This is more than just Divine Doctor, he's practically a god!

They desperately wanted to repay the kindness, but they had nothing of value to offer. So they followed the example of the patients before them, kneeling down and kowtowing to the miraculous Divine Doctor who had saved their lives.

Shi Lei did not stop them, lest they repay the favor in other ways after he refused, which would be a real hassle.

"Next."

More than 300 infected people, and it took a lot of time.

After the long queue disappeared, Shi Lei looked at the last infected person who had not received treatment:

"Mr. Hegre, it's your turn."

"Ah, okay!"

He was pricked with a needle by a guerrilla fighter, and with mixed feelings, he stretched out his left hand. Feeling the rough particles moving through his body, Hegre asked in confusion:

"Lord Zhong, I'm very curious. Since you have the ability to save all the people in the world, why didn't you save all those infected people just now?"

This kind of saintly statement made Shi Lei raise an eyebrow and glance at it warily, while simultaneously quickly drawing out Originium Particles:

"Those who believe in me will live, those who don't can get lost. What's the point of saving people if they don't believe in me? I have the ability to save whomever I want, I don't owe them anything."

After the treatment was completed, he gathered everyone together again.

It's time to head to the new city.

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The guerrillas on site hadn't gone far. Upon hearing the news of the assembly, they quickly came to the front. They were arranged in several orderly square formations according to their different military branches.

The infected patients at the Azazel Clinic followed suit, forming three irregular lines. However, they were still noticeably different from the guerrillas.

It must be said that the soldiers trained by Broca are extremely disciplined. This kind of force is the backbone of the future defense of the new city.

Before setting off, Shi Lei prepared to award new equipment to the guerrilla members who passed the test. Only in this way could they enjoy the attribute bonuses.

Six or seven hundred people had just left, but there were still about two thousand people on site. Most of them stood in the shadows, looking up at the man who had brought them hope and faith.

Faced with a barrage of gazes directed at him, Shi Lei looked around. After a moment's pause, he spoke:

"Although you swore an oath yesterday, I did not immediately agree. After communicating with Broca and Hegre, I formally accept your allegiance."

Considering the guerrillas' past involvement with the Rhodes Island, but the organization's poor reputation among the people, I think we should give your team a new name, symbolizing a fresh start.

Your will is as hard as rock. With several thousand men here, let's call ourselves the Qianyan Army. All the patients remaining at Azazel Clinic will be added to the logistics roster. The guerrillas are a thing of the past; I hereby declare the Qianyan Army officially established!

"Yes, sir! I will obey Lord Zhong's orders!"

The guerrillas were overjoyed to receive a name from Zhongli, as it signified recognition.

As for how to change public opinion and distance the guerrillas from the Rhodes Island, Shi Lei already had a plan, but he needed to wait until he had more time to work on it.

"I never mistreat my own people. Now, in the formation you're standing in, come to me one by one to collect your new equipment. Consider it a small gift from me to this new army."

Broca one knee, pressing his right fist to his heart, and the former guerrilla members responded in unison:

"Thank you, Leader!"

"Thank you, Leader!"

Shi Lei pressed down with one hand, seemingly stopping. He used the Rock Element and metal minerals he had created to forge new, suitable weapons for the Qianyan Army soldiers who were approaching one after another.

In addition to the Qianyan Greatsword, Qianyan Spear, Qianyan Helmet, and Qianyan Armor, Shi Lei also replicated their existing weapons exactly. For example, he equipped the Shield Guard squad with the thicker Qianyan Greatshield.

The weapons and armor that the Qianyan Army had replaced were already in a terrible state. Even the halberds used by the Patriot were riddled with countless nicks and cracks.

The guerrillas lived year-round in Bitter Cold Land, and were extremely lacking in materials and tools. When their equipment broke, it could neither be repaired nor discarded; they had no choice but to use it anyway.

For a soldier, acquiring brand-new equipment is more valuable than receiving a gold bar.

After receiving their new equipment, each Qianyan Army bowed to Shi Lei to express their gratitude. They then stepped back with great excitement, lovingly stroking their equipment over and over again.

As for the original weapons, most of them were in a terrible state of disrepair. It would be extremely inappropriate to simply abandon them in the wilderness.

Shi Lei built a Rock House and told them to put their replaced equipment inside, saying he would take care of it later.

There were over 400 family members and 300 support staff on site, so they didn't need to collect equipment. However, the remaining 1,000-plus people would need to be rotated in turn, which would take a long time.

The Qianyan Army, who had already received their new equipment, proudly showed it off to their comrades who hadn't. Their happiness was palpable; it was a genuine joy from the bottom of their hearts.

"Hehe, I have a new gun."

"Don't I look incredibly stylish in this armor? The lines and the material are just so damn cool!"

Most of the Qianyan Army changed their address, calling Shi Lei" Leader." However, a small number hadn't quite adjusted and, after receiving their equipment, said, "Thank you, Lord Zhong."

Shi Lei beckoned with his finger, summoning Broca and Hegre, and asked them to relay a message to the rear:

"Here, I want to reiterate. To prevent leaks of my personal information, I will be using different identities from now on. From today onward, please call me 'Leader.' When introducing me to outsiders, you can also address me as 'Mr. L.'"

The "Lei" in Shi Lei's name and the "Li" in Zhongli's name both begin with the letter "L" in Pinyin. It's better to create several different aliases now for future convenience.

Only after the news spread did he continue manufacturing and distributing the new equipment.

After distributing the map, Shi Lei called Broca and Hegre over. He took a map from his pocket, spread it flat on the rock table, and explained to them:

"Next, we need to split up. The main force will go to the Ursus region and be on standby."

I need a small squad of Thousand Originium-related illness Qianyan Army with mild symptoms of Oripathy who are also quick-witted. They will impersonate the Ursus caravan and take gold bars to Lungmen to purchase the supplies you will need in the future.

I've recently been targeted by the Longmen Governor, so I can't make large-scale purchases in public. As for how much supplies you can buy, that depends entirely on your own abilities.

Even if you don't manage to buy them, don't be discouraged. I'll be going to Columbia in a few days to purchase food, seeds, and other supplies, which will then be airlifted over. That should be enough to support you for a long time in the new city.

Furthermore, the new city hasn't been built yet. The location and layout haven't been decided. The Patriot often wage guerrilla warfare in the wild; they certainly aren't as adept at city construction as Hegre. When the time comes, you'll hand over your troops to him, and he can come with me to offer some suggestions."

This reason was flawless, leaving Hegre with no room for argument. In any case, his forces and Bozokas's forces had already merged. It didn't matter who managed the three hundred-plus Thousand Qianyan Army logistics personnel.

"No problem, Leader. Although I don't know much about city construction, I will do my best to help. Shall we depart now? I'd like to go and say a few words to them."

Shi Lei nodded and explained:

"Yes, we'll be leaving soon. Go and give the instructions. You'll stay with me after the new city is built."

"Yes, leader, I'll be right back."

Watching Hegre's hurried departure, his eyes, hidden behind his mask, gradually narrowed.

Shi Lei specifically asked him to go, but there was another reason.

Before distributing new equipment to the Qianyan Army, Hegre made a saintly remark. He asked himself why he didn't save those infected who took the money and left.

Indeed, as the administrator of Azazel, Hegre hoped that all those infected could receive treatment.

Under normal circumstances, this somewhat naive idea might not seem problematic. However, when the setting and context are changed, the situation becomes entirely different.

Shi Lei only accepts people who love peace and want to live a peaceful life. He rejects all those who like to cause trouble, sow discord, and frequently create problems.

Good and bad are too straightforward to be easily distinguished. The difficulty lies in the fact that some bad people are very good at hiding their true nature.

If Hegre were to take charge of the city in the future, and indiscriminately admit infected individuals, or grant entry to those who wouldn't normally be accepted by feigning distress and pity, then displaying a "saintly" mentality in such situations would be extremely dangerous.

To ensure the stability of the initial leadership team, such unhealthy tendencies must not be allowed to infiltrate. Therefore, Shi Lei specifically requested that Hegre accompany him to ascertain the extent of the severity of his thinking.

This isn't an exaggeration by Shi Lei; similar problems are quite common. Adhering to a methodology of bold hypotheses and careful verification, he would preemptively eliminate potential risks. He strives to do things thoroughly the first time, avoiding repeated problem-solving afterward.