Everyone is "Eating People"! (Second update)

Early the next morning.

There was one day and one night left until the Blood Worship Cult invasion and Deputy Han's "next transaction."

Bai Zhou sat in the Cafeteria, eating fried dough sticks and drinking Hu-La Soup.

The fried dough sticks were a bit greasy on their own, and the pickled vegetables were sold out.

So, Bai Zhou paired them with half a steamed bun.

But today was different from usual.

The introverted Bai Zhou took the initiative to find a seat near a colleague.

He chatted casually, seemingly at random, while inquiring about the organization and Deputy Han.

"Everyone has to look forward; you shouldn't be too sad."

"In the Special Management Department, you really have to get used to the sacrifices of your colleagues."

"Besides, often the higher the position, the easier it is to sacrifice."

The colleague sitting opposite him was a burly young man who looked to be nearly thirty.

He was one of the rare people in the Cafeteria not wearing a suit, perhaps because he had no work shift this morning.

His floral shirt and slippers were free and unrestrained; few people in the Special Management Department dared to dress like that.

Even the janitor sweeping the floor looked more presentable than him.

But he was a veteran of the Maintenance Department and one of the eyewitnesses to the "Infirmary Incident."

Hearing the other man's words, Bai Zhou suddenly blinked.

Higher-ups are easier to sacrifice?

He was just wondering why Deputy Han would go to such lengths to take action against his own trusted generals instead of ordinary low-level staff...

"I don't understand." Bai Zhou looked like he was humbly asking for advice.

"The Major said, with great power comes great responsibility!"

The burly young man slurped his Fermented Bean Drink, looking like he was enjoying it immensely.

"Actually, it really wasn't like that before."

"Back then, our base was just like other official organizations; we liked to find death-row inmates to serve as low-level 'expendable personnel'."

"In name, they were called P0.5-level employees."

P... 0.5-level?

"Simply put, they were consumables used to handle some tricky dangers or to record experimental data... anyway, they were all death-row inmates."

"This tradition has always been quite controversial within the Authorities, but at least in our base, it was abolished after the Major arrived."

"The Major respects... human rights?" Bai Zhou recalled for a long time before he could think of how to say the term.

"Not entirely."

The burly young man waved his hand.

He opened his mouth wide and took a bite of the Jiaoquan in front of him, leaving a striking, semi-circular tooth mark with a crisp crunch.

"The boss just adheres to an elite system, feeling that these death-row inmates would corrupt the overall atmosphere and make other Commissioners afraid to step into danger or stop striving for progress."

"So he carried out drastic reforms to the base, raising the entry threshold and selecting talent without sticking to one pattern."

"As long as you have talent, you can gain the Major's favor, but you must also shoulder more responsibility because of it."

"If something happens within your jurisdiction and the Major finds out that you, the leader, shrank back, you'll be shot!"

"That explains it then." Bai Zhou understood.

"According to that, our Maintenance Department head, that Deputy Han..."

"Does he usually lead from the front?"

He inquired about news regarding Deputy Han without changing his expression.

That effeminate man who always liked to hold a Doll could be considered quite mysterious; he was basically never seen in the base.

If one wanted to understand any trace of him, one really had to start with a veteran of the Maintenance Department like this.

"Not at all!"

However, the other man's answer was without hesitation.

With a "hiccup," he let out a loud burp.

"Deputy Han only concurrently serves as the acting head of the Maintenance Department; his main business is assisting the Major in handling affairs."

"After all, the Major is too busy and often goes on business trips, so Deputy Han usually represents him in public."

As he spoke, he subconsciously lowered his voice.

"Everyone says he and the Major... well, have that kind of relationship."

"But honestly, he's actually a pretty good guy; everyone here has received his kindness more than once."

A... pretty good guy?

Bai Zhou narrowed his eyes.

"Speaking of the Major, it feels like everyone really admires him... there must be a reason for that, right?"

He suddenly realized it was necessary for him to gather information about the Major.

Because he was the leader here, the man with the most oppressive presence in this entire base.

If the things Deputy Han had done were at his behest—

Then the resistance and danger Bai Zhou would face would be ten times greater than he had imagined!

Strength, it all comes down to strength...

"You bet there is!"

Mentioning the Major, the burly youth immediately gave a thumbs-up, his face beaming with excitement:

"Because the Major is truly beyond reproach—loyal, generous, and famous enough that any hero who comes here has to call him Elder Brother."

"--Because calling him Elder Brother gets you silver!"

As he spoke, he winked at Bai Zhou.

Bai Zhou was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

"Look at this, then look at that."

The youth pointed at the Fermented Bean Drink and Fried Ring in front of himself, then pointed at the Hu-La Soup in front of Bai Zhou.

"The cafeterias at other bases aren't free; the food is expensive and tastes terrible, but you take it or leave it."

"--Our base's cafeteria is completely free, all reimbursed out of the Major's own pocket!"

"Out of his own pocket?"

A cafeteria this big, feeding over a thousand people... he pays for it all himself?

"You might not believe it."

"Aside from the necessary funding subsidies, most bases are actually dirt poor."

The youth nodded, downed the Fermented Bean Drink in his bowl in one gulp, and wiped his mouth with satisfaction.

"--'Live simply and endure hardship'—that used to be our slogan."

Live simply?

You all certainly have a life, but it's hardly simple.

Bai Zhou shook his head.

When they went out to cruise the streets, the eyes of every Passerby nearly popped out of their sockets.

Seeing Bai Zhou's confusion, the youth chuckled.

"The Major comes from a famous financial conglomerate in Tinghai City; he's a proper young master from a prestigious family."

"He isn't short on money."

"And it's precisely because he's willing to spend that everyone has the good life we have today!"

"--The Major's kindness? It's a debt we can never repay!"

The free cafeteria, the luxury of their outings... Bai Zhou had experienced all of this.

But he never imagined that this wasn't the standard configuration of the organization, but something provided by the Major.

No wonder not just Section Chief Liu, but almost every Commissioner spoke of the Major with such reverence.

When you're eating and taking from someone, it's hard not to respect them!

But... why?

Bai Zhou never believed in free lunches.

He didn't believe in them before.

And now, he was inclined to suspect that the lunch was hiding a bomb disguised as a cherry.

"Fundamentally, someone who isn't stingy with money must have higher pursuits, and the Major is no exception!"

Having eaten his fill, the burly youth sat sprawled on the cafeteria bench, shaking his head.

"He thinks the Special Management Department is too rigid, and that the efficiency of the entire Authorities is too low."

"You can't fight the supernatural like this; look at the Blood Worship Cult—they haven't been able to solve it after all this time."

"So, the Major has his own blueprint; he wants the entire Special Management Department to run on the model we have now."

"--He wants to make the official departments great again!"

After a brief pause, he added:

"To that end, he needs to rank first in performance among the thirty-six branches of the Special Management Department, so he can be promoted to a higher position."

"--He can provide us with everything outside of our work, but in exchange, we have to strive to earn merit and hoist him up."

"It's mutual benefit, after all."

He winked at Bai Zhou:

"The Major isn't my idol, but I don't think there's anything wrong with that."

"It's better to let him go up than anyone else."

"--Besides, who told him to pay the most?"

"That, indeed." Bai Zhou felt a sense of reverence and had to agree with this.

Having eaten someone's food, it would be excessive not to do things for them.

Moreover, they only asked you to do your job well.

--This sounded like there was absolutely no problem at all.

It was too problem-free.

--If the person is so problem-free, would the adjutant be someone like Deputy Han?

Bai Zhou did not think so.

Was it that this Major was disguised well enough to deceive everyone...

Or was he a young master from a chaebol background, with high standards but low abilities, who had been hollowed out and deceived by Deputy Han without realizing it?

After all, wasn't the Major often busy with affairs, frequently leaving Deputy Han in charge?

Bai Zhou hoped it was the latter, but the possibility of the former was not non-existent.

He would observe a bit more...

At the same time, he was also quietly observing the man in front of him.

This talkative Elder Brother who loved drinking Fermented Bean Drink and eating Jiaoquan, might represent the views and attitudes of a considerable number of ordinary Commissioners.

There was a high probability that their Sense of Belonging to the organization was actually quite strong, and they genuinely felt from the bottom of their hearts that the Special Management Department was an organization secretly fighting against the mysterious for the citizens of the Federation.

This might at least indicate that the vast majority of Commissioners had nothing to do with Deputy Han's affairs...

This made Bai Zhou heave a sigh of relief.

That was good.

At least not everyone had rotted away...

Distinguishing who was an enemy and who was one of his own was very important to Bai Zhou right now.

--He couldn't really be an enemy of the world, could he?

"Clatter, clatter..."

The sound of a large cart sliding across the floor rang out with a creak, as if it were struggling under the weight of heavy items.

Following that was a series of crisp, rhythmic footsteps.

The Cafeteria suddenly erupted in a clamor, becoming lively all at once.

"Deputy Han is here!"

A voice from somewhere unknown made Bai Zhou's muscles tense up as if his fur were standing on end.

Rising slowly along with the burly youth in front of him, he looked up calmly—

"Greetings, everyone."

The effeminate voice was quite iconic, sounding like a man without an Adam's apple.

Accompanied by several burly men in suits, Deputy Han, still clutching the Black Cat Detective Doll, scanned the Cafeteria and nodded.

"Let's start with you all; no one will be left out."

As he spoke, the burly men in suits behind him began to move the boxes from the huge cart onto the floor.

"The Major knows you've all been working hard lately."

"First, you had to deal with Section Chief Liu's funeral, which was heavy on the heart, and then you had to face the subsequent invasion by the Blood Worship Cult, leaving your spirits strained."

"To reward everyone, and also to encourage each of you to be like Section Chief Liu, disregarding your own life and death to fight for the Federation..."

Deputy Han blinked, "The old Rules apply; I'm handing out some little things for everyone."

As his voice fell, the boxes were opened one by one.

Golden light bloomed.

One box was neatly stacked with shining gold bars.

One box was piled high with dense, large-denomination shopping cards.

There was also a chest stuffed full of expensive watches and car keys.

Stacks of bright red property deeds were neatly arranged on the floor.

Things of that nature, a miscellaneous assortment.

There was nothing you couldn't imagine, and nothing that wasn't there.

The most primal desires stimulated the nerves of every Commissioner in the Cafeteria.

Heavy breathing gradually began to rise and fall throughout the room.

"The base will certainly be under martial law for the next few days."

"But once the lockdown ends, everyone gets two days off—go out and have whatever fun you want!"

With a light chuckle, Deputy Han waved his hand.

"Come on, take it!"

"Take whatever you like, there's plenty to go around!"

"—This is all thanks to the kindness of the Major!"

Whoosh—

The crowd erupted.

"Long live the Major!"

"Long live Deputy Han—"

"..."

People shouted until their faces were red and their necks were thick.

So, this was the reason for Deputy Han's popularity.

Who doesn't love a god of wealth?

"Ah~"

But their cheers were promptly corrected by the smiling Deputy Han.

"Not 'Long live Deputy Han'."

He gently raised the new Black Cat Detective doll in his hand into mid-air, his expression pious as he spoke, "It is for the Major."

"—For the Federation!"

As these two sentences fell, it was as if a giant boulder had crashed into the heart of a river.

Waves surged, and hearts were stirred.

Everyone followed suit, cheering and repeating the words.

The waves of "For the Major" and "For the Federation" rang incessantly in their ears.

The burly youth standing before Bai Zhou was also cheering along.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished, squeezing into the crowd in front of Deputy Han, terrified that if he were too late, there wouldn't be anything left for him.

"..."

Only Bai Zhou remained frozen in place, his face pale.

He had originally intended to blend in with the others and go over to claim some items as well.

But at a single glance, he saw... several open, massive suitcases on the carts.

Everyone was currently dividing the contents of those suitcases.

Dividing them with fervor, snatching them with madness.

It was as if everyone had completely forgotten that they had attended a sorrowful funeral just yesterday; their spirits were abnormally high.

This was a self-forgetful carnival.

Looking at how skilled and unreserved they were while grabbing the items, it was clear this wasn't their first time participating in such an event.

No wonder everyone loved the Major, and everyone praised Deputy Han.

—Whoever treated them this well, they would naturally keep it in their hearts.

Of course, the temptation was indeed great enough that their behavior was beyond reproach.

...But Bai Zhou recognized those suitcases.

At the Resting Mausoleum, what Deputy Han had traded for so-called "talent," what he had traded "Liu Zhen" for...

—Wasn't it these very suitcases?

Bai Zhou shuddered, looking down at the "free" breakfast on the table, and suddenly felt a wave of nausea churn in his stomach.

At this moment, everything he saw before him seemed to have become alien.

Even the half-eaten steamed bun in his hand...

It felt as if it were stained with human blood.

A frigid, sinister aura surged straight toward his crown.

The scene, like a chaotic dance of demons, made Bai Zhou dizzy.

Previously, Bai Zhou had spent ages screening and testing...

All to determine exactly who was an accomplice of Deputy Han, and which Commissioners were innocent.

Yet, only now did he vaguely realize.

This base...

Perhaps there had never been anyone truly innocent here to begin with.

Everyone...

Everyone—

Was "eating people"!