Chapter Twenty-Six: Everyone Is "Eating People"! (Second Update)

Early the next morning.

There was still a day and a night before the Blood Worship Cult's invasion and Deputy Han's "second deal."

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

Eating only fried dough sticks was a little greasy, and the pickles had 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 his colleagues.

He appeared to make casual small talk, asking about the organization and Deputy Han.

"People have to look forward. Don't be too upset."

"At the Special Management Department, you really have to get used to your colleagues sacrificing themselves."

"Besides, the higher one's position, the more likely one is to sacrifice oneself."

The colleague sitting across from him was a burly young man who looked close to thirty.

He was one of the few people in the Cafeteria who did not wear a suit, perhaps because he had no work assignment that morning.

His floral shirt and slippers were carefree and uninhibited. Hardly anyone in the Special Management Department dared to dress like that.

Even the janitor looked more presentable than him.

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

After hearing him, Bai Zhou suddenly blinked.

Those in high positions were more likely to sacrifice themselves?

He had been wondering why Deputy Han had gone to such lengths to attack his trusted general instead of an ordinary lower-level employee...

"I don't understand." Bai Zhou looked eager to learn.

"Major said that the greater one's ability, the greater one's responsibility!"

The burly young man took a slurping sip of Fermented Bean Drink, looking thoroughly satisfied:

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

"Back then, our base was just like the other official organizations. We liked finding death-row prisoners to serve as expendable personnel at the bottom."

"Officially, they were called P0.5-level employees."

P... 0.5-level?

"Simply put, they were expendables, used to deal with some thorny dangers or record experimental data... In any case, they were all death-row prisoners."

"This tradition had always been controversial within the authorities, but at least our base abolished it after Major arrived."

"Major respected... human rights?" Bai Zhou racked his memory for a while before recalling the term.

"Not entirely."

The burly young man waved his hand.

He opened his mouth wide and bit into the Fried Ring before him, leaving a conspicuous semicircular tooth mark. It crunched loudly.

"Major simply followed an elitist system. He believed those death-row prisoners would damage the overall atmosphere, making other Commissioners afraid to face danger and unwilling to improve themselves."

"So he carried out sweeping reforms at the base, raised the entry requirements, and selected talent without restricting himself to conventional standards."

"As long as you have the ability, you can earn Major's favor, but you also have to bear greater responsibility."

"If something happens within your jurisdiction and Major discovers that you, the person in charge, shrank back instead of advancing, you'll be shot!"

"That explains it." Bai Zhou understood.

"Going by that, our Maintenance Department's director, Deputy Han..."

"Does he usually lead from the front as well?"

He inquired about Deputy Han without revealing his intentions.

That effeminate man who was always hugging a Doll was extremely mysterious. He could hardly ever be seen around the base.

If Bai Zhou wanted to learn anything about him, he really could only start with a veteran of the Maintenance Department like this.

"No!"

The man's answer was utterly decisive.

With a loud "burp," he belched.

"Deputy Han only serves concurrently as the acting director of the Maintenance Department. His main job is assisting Major with his affairs."

"After all, Major is far too busy and often travels on business. Deputy Han usually represents him when appearing in public."

As he spoke, he instinctively lowered his voice.

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

"But he's actually a pretty good person. Everyone's benefited from his generosity more than once."

"A pretty good person?"

Bai Zhou narrowed his eyes.

"Speaking of Major, everyone seems to admire him quite a bit... There must be a reason for that, right?"

He suddenly realized that it was very necessary to ask about Major.

He was the leader here, the most intimidating man in the entire base.

If the things Deputy Han had done came from his will—

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

Strength...

"Of course!"

At the mention of Major, the burly young man immediately gave a thumbs-up, his face animated.

"Major really is beyond reproach. He's loyal, generous, and renowned. Any hero who comes along has to call him big brother."

"—Because calling him big brother gets you money!"

As he spoke, he shot Bai Zhou a meaningful look.

Bai Zhou was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Look at this, then look at that."

The young man pointed at the Fermented Bean Drink and Fried Ring before him, then at the bowl of Hu-La Soup in front of Bai Zhou.

"The Cafeterias at other bases aren't free. They're expensive and terrible, but you eat what you're given."

"—Our base's Cafeteria is completely free because Major pays for it out of his own pocket!"

"Out of his own pocket?"

For a Cafeteria this large, feeding more than a thousand people... one person paid for it?

"You might not believe this."

"Aside from the necessary funding subsidies, all the bases are actually so poor they can't afford a thing."

The young man nodded, drained the Fermented Bean Drink in his bowl, and contentedly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

"—Live simply and endure hardship. That used to be our slogan."

Live simply?

You did live, but there was nothing simple about it.

Bai Zhou shook his head.

When they had gone out and caused a stir, the passersby had nearly popped their eyes out of their heads.

Noticing Bai Zhou's confusion, the young man chuckled.

"Major comes from one of Tinghai City's famous financial magnates. He's a genuine scion of a prestigious family, a noble young master."

"He isn't short of money."

"And it's all because Major is willing to spend that everyone has the wonderful life we enjoy today!"

"—We could never repay Major's kindness!"

Bai Zhou had experienced the free Cafeteria and all the luxuries they enjoyed when they went out.

But he had never imagined that these things were not standard benefits provided by the organization, but came from Major.

No wonder nearly every Commissioner, not just Section Chief Liu, spoke of Major with admiration.

When you ate and took things from someone, it was hard not to respect him!

But... why?

Bai Zhou had never believed that pies fell from the sky.

He had not believed it before.

And now, he was inclined to suspect outright that the pie concealed a cherry-shaped bomb.

"At heart, anyone who isn't stingy with money must be pursuing something greater. Major is no exception!"

The burly young man, full from eating and drinking, sprawled across the Cafeteria bench and rocked his head from side to side.

"He thinks the Special Management Department is too rigid, and even the entire authorities operate too inefficiently."

"That won't do when fighting the mysterious. We can't even deal with a mere Blood Worship Cult after all this time."

"So Major has an ideal blueprint. He wants the entire Special Management Department to operate under the model we use now."

"—He wants to make the authorities great again!"

After a brief pause, he continued.

"For that, he needs to achieve the best performance among the thirty-six branches of the Special Management Department and rise to a higher position."

"—He can provide us with every kind of support outside our work, but in return, we have to fight desperately to earn achievements and lift him up."

"It's mutually beneficial."

He winked at Bai Zhou.

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

"Having him rise is better than having anyone else rise."

"—Besides, who else would give us as much as he does?"

"That is true." Bai Zhou straightened solemnly, forced to agree.

After eating someone else's food, refusing to work would indeed be going too far.

Besides, all he asked was that they do their jobs well.

—There was nothing wrong with that at all.

Too nothing-wrong.

—Could someone this blameless really have Deputy Han as his adjutant?

Bai Zhou did not think so.

Was Major simply pretending well enough to deceive everyone...

Or had the young master from a financial magnate family overestimated himself and been unknowingly sidelined and deceived by Deputy Han?

After all, wasn't Major often busy with official business, leaving Deputy Han to manage things in his stead?

Bai Zhou hoped it was the latter, but the possibility of the former could not be ruled out.

He would observe a little longer...

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

This talkative big brother who loved drinking Fermented Bean Drink and eating Fried Rings

might represent the views and attitudes of a considerable number of ordinary Commissioners.

There was a strong possibility that they actually had a powerful sense of belonging to the organization and sincerely believed that the Special Management Department was an organization secretly fighting the mysterious on behalf of the Federation's citizens.

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

Bai Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness.

At least not everyone had rotted away...

Distinguishing friend from foe was extremely important to Bai Zhou right now.

—He couldn't really become an enemy of the whole world, could he?

"Clatter, clatter..."

The sound of a large cart sliding across the floor rang out, accompanied by creaking, as if it were buckling under the weight of its heavy cargo.

A series of crisp, orderly footsteps followed.

The crowd in the Cafeteria suddenly erupted, instantly becoming lively.

"Deputy Han is here!"

The voice came from somewhere, making Bai Zhou's muscles tense like a startled cat.

He slowly rose with the burly young man in front of him and looked up without revealing anything—

"Here I am~ everyone."

That feminine voice was highly distinctive, like that of a man without an Adam's apple.

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

"Let's start with you, then. No one will be left out."

As he spoke, the suited men behind him began unloading boxes from the enormous cart.

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

"First, you had to attend Section Chief Liu's funeral with heavy hearts, and then you had to face the Blood Worship Cult's invasion, leaving you all on edge."

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

Deputy Han blinked.

"Just the usual. A little something for everyone."

As soon as he finished speaking,

the boxes were opened one after another.

Golden light burst forth.

One box was filled with neatly stacked, gleaming gold bars.

Another was piled high with densely packed high-denomination shopping cards.

There was another suitcase stuffed with expensive watches and car keys.

Stacks of bright-red property deeds had been neatly arranged on the floor.

And all sorts of other miscellaneous things.

There was nothing they couldn't think of, and nothing they didn't have.

The most primal desires stimulated every Commissioner's nerves in the cafeteria.

Heavy breathing gradually rose and fell throughout the cafeteria.

"For the next few days, the base will definitely be placed under martial law."

"But once the martial law ends, everyone gets two days off. You can go out and have fun however you like!"

With a soft chuckle, Deputy Han waved his hand,

"Come on, come and take them!"

"Take whatever you like. There's more than enough!"

"—This is all thanks to Major's kindness!"

With a "whoosh"—

The crowd erupted.

"Long live Major!"

"Long live Deputy Han—"

"..."

People shouted with flushed faces and thickened necks.

So this was why Deputy Han was so popular.

Who wouldn't like the God of Wealth?

"Ai~"

But Deputy Han promptly corrected their cries with a beaming smile.

"Not 'long live Deputy Han.'"

He gently raised the new Black Cat Detective Doll in his hand above his head, his expression devout, and said,

"It's for Major."

"—For the Federation!"

As the two sentences rang out, it was as if a giant rock had crashed into the heart of a river.

Waves surged, stirring everyone's spirits.

Everyone joined in the cheering, repeating the words.

The chants of "For Major" and "For the Federation" rolled on without end.

The burly young man in front of Bai Zhou was cheering along too.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished, squeezing into the crowd before Deputy Han, afraid he would arrive too late and miss out.

"..."

Only Bai Zhou stood rigidly in place, his face pale.

He had originally intended to pretend to be like everyone else and go over to claim a share.

But with one glance, he saw... the several enormous open Briefcases on the cart.

Everyone was dividing up the contents of the Briefcases.

They divided them feverishly and snatched them frantically.

Everyone seemed to have completely forgotten that they had attended a sorrowful funeral only yesterday. Their emotions were extraordinarily high.

This was a self-forgetting revelry.

Judging by how practiced and unrestrained they looked while taking things, it was clear this was not their first time participating in such an event.

No wonder everyone liked Major, and everyone praised Deputy Han.

—Anyone who treated them this well would naturally remain in their hearts.

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

...But Bai Zhou knew those Briefcases.

At the Resting Mausoleum, Deputy Han had taken the so-called "Human Material" and "Liu Zhen" as payment in a deal...

—Weren't these the very Briefcases?

Bai Zhou shuddered. He lowered his head toward the "free" breakfast on the table, and suddenly his stomach churned.

At that moment, everything before his eyes seemed to become unfamiliar.

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

seemed to be stained with human blood.

A bone-chilling gloom shot straight to the top of Bai Zhou's head.

The scene, as if demons were dancing wildly, made his vision swim.

Previously, Bai Zhou had spent ages distinguishing and probing, all to find out exactly who Deputy Han's accomplices were and which Commissioners were innocent.

But only now did he vaguely realize it.

This base...

perhaps no longer had any truly innocent people in the proper sense.

Everyone...

everyone—

was "eating people"!