Chapter 171
One of them struggled to get up, but Hoshiguma's boots slammed heavily onto the ground beside him, sending pebbles flying and rendering him unable to move.
"Let anyone try to move again?" Her deep voice carried an undisguised threat, and her clear yellow pupils swept over the restless crowd, the chill in them causing many to instinctively take a step back.
Refugees, in particular, were her primary targets for surveillance.
In her mind, the citizens of the slums were a higher priority than the refugees who brought chaos.
After all, she knew who her core supporters were.
Chapter 11: Speechless [1st Update]
With Hoshiguma's ruthless and violent intervention and Chen's cooperation, a rift was forcibly torn open at the center of the chaotic vortex.
Those at the forefront were knocked down or forced back, and the crowd behind them lost their leader, gradually slowing down.
The riot, like a wild beast being choked, barely managed to stop.
The square was a scene of devastation, and the pain of the injured replaced their roars.
The two groups were forced to separate, but the hostility and anger in their eyes did not dissipate.
The citizens of Lungmen looked at the refugees being subdued by Hoshiguma, their faces showing a mixture of relief and lingering anger.
The refugees, clutching their wounds, stared intently at Hoshiguma and the Lungmen Guard Department members, their eyes filled with humiliation and resentment, while also glaring at the citizens opposite them.
"The current situation has deteriorated to the point of bloodshed."
Hoshiguma narrowed her eyes, and even Chen's gaze turned unfriendly as he looked at the crowd below who were shouting the loudest.
If the goal is to suppress the riot, then the natural course of action is to capture the loudest protesters, who are suspected of being the ringleaders.
Furthermore, some members of the Lungmen Guard Department disguised as civilians were placed among the crowd to create antagonism and divide the two groups of people, causing them to collapse on their own.
This is part of the normal procedure for riot control.
It's just that Lungmen hasn't experienced such a conflict for far too long, to the point that they have very little experience with it.
At this point, due to the intervention of the Lungmen Guard Department, the two sides abandoned physical contact and instead began hurling insults at each other.
"You ungrateful bastards!" A Lungmen owner pointed to his bandaged arm, his voice hoarse. "We gave you food and shelter, and this is what we got in return: robbery and knives? Go back to your Chernobog!"
"Food? Lodging?" An old man from Ursus stepped forward, trembling, and roared, brandishing his cane. "That moldy bread, that shack even livestock wouldn't sleep in? In Chernobog, we had our own homes, our own jobs! It was the Reunion Movement that destroyed all of that, and you Lungmen won't even spare a shred of genuine compassion!"
"Pity? Look at my shop!" another citizen roared. "Your people smashed it to pieces! Is this how you repay us?"
"That's what you forced us to do!" a young Ursus woman shrieked. "My child is sick, and your doctors refused to treat us because we're refugees! Is this Lungmen's so-called 'order'?"
"Who knows if you guys are carrying Originium Disease! Is it wrong for us to protect ourselves?"
"We are law-abiding citizens in Chernobog! We are not beggars, much less criminals!"
Would a law-abiding citizen steal? Would they use a knife?
"(Ursus curses), you started it by hitting that child first!"
Both sides firmly believed they were the victims and thought the other was unreasonable.
Chen Huiye pressed her throbbing temples, realizing that this was no longer a problem that could be solved simply by maintaining order.
Just as Chen was about to give the order to take some violent measures.
A red-haired Angel quietly appeared on the scene, and she said something a little hesitantly.
"Excuse me, could you please calm down a bit? Could you please tell me exactly what you want?"
Her voice wasn't loud, yet it was remarkably clear in the noisy setting.
This drew everyone's attention to her.
To be honest, Xiao Huasheng didn't really care what the situation was like here, but for the sake of his future living environment, the more stable the better.
The citizens of Lungmen below immediately recognized Xiao Huasheng; after all, she was the person directly featured on the promotional posters, making it difficult not to notice her.
Of course, the person on the promotional poster was Xiao Le. The two looked so alike that they simply used Xiao Le for the promotional video.
It's her!
"Hero-class of Lungmen!"
"Get these ingrates out of here!"
The refugees from Chernobog on the other side had also heard of Xiao Huasheng to some extent, and they instantly became excited.
"They attacked first!"
"We're already in a terrible situation, and now this so-called Hero-class has to come and deal with us?"
"Let me go back to Ursus! This godforsaken place is no place for a human being!"
The members of the Lungmen Guard Department who were following Xiao Huasheng also felt somewhat troubled by the situation.
Public opinion is now so strong that it cannot be suppressed by simply using any title.
"Hmm, how about you two quiet down for a bit? I'll give you an answer in three days?"
Those who were about to speak suddenly realized that their voices had disappeared.
With their ability to Reality Warping, they have no chance to speak out, even if they wanted to.
This is already a gap on a different level, a force that is difficult to overcome.
Great power resides within itself; no matter how fiercely they cause trouble, it will be of no use.
"I'm sorry, please calm down," Xiao Huasheng said, clearing his throat twice.
It wasn't that she thought she could persuade these people to leave with just a few words; rather, she genuinely possessed that power.
Soon, the forces of Reality Warping took effect again.
The public's initial excitement vanished instantly, as if doused with a bucket of cold water.
It's like the feeling of arguing with your closest old friend, and then suddenly, at some point, both of you realize it was pointless and laugh with relief.
The people on both sides didn't notice anything unusual. However, after Xiao Huasheng lifted the censorship, the profanities they were about to utter suddenly seemed unnecessary.
One of the citizens of Lungmen opened his mouth, considered his words carefully, and then spoke.
"Since this person has said so..."
The Chernobog refugees nodded. "Then let's talk about it in three days."
There were no more arguments, no more angry roars of resentment.
The crowd dispersed spontaneously and silently, like the receding tide.
Residents of Lungmen righted the fallen signboard and cleared away the broken rubble.
The Chernobog refugees helped each other with their wounded and silently retreated to their temporary shelters.
Traces of the conflict still linger in the square, but those who instigated it have lost the motivation to continue and have returned to their daily routines.
Those who need to pack up their stalls should do so, and those who need to go home to take care of their children should go home to take care of their children.
This abrupt and complete change left the Lungmen Guard Department, who were on high alert, completely dumbfounded.
They gripped their shields and batons, bracing for a possible secondary conflict, only to see the crowd rapidly disintegrate in an almost eerie harmony.
Several members of the divide-and-conquer team, disguised as civilians and preparing to stir up trouble as planned, were stunned and at a loss.
Their script hadn't even begun, yet the actors on stage had already taken their bows.
The scene was so bizarre that no one expected it to unfold like this.
The instigator, however, was now somewhat dissatisfied.
Chapter Twelve: The landlord has a magical artifact, come quickly! [2 updates]
"It consumed 15% of its energy? Does such a small person really need to expend that much energy?"
[After all, Supervisor, you've temporarily Distortion their minds like a Chaos Gods, haven't you?] Angela responded.
"The homeowner has a magical artifact, doesn't he? If only he were truly invincible." Xiao Huasheng couldn't help but mutter in frustration. She also wanted to play in creative mode directly, but her energy wouldn't allow it.
Chen Huiye and Hoshiguma exchanged a glance, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.
This was even more terrifying for them than a fierce battle.
The red-haired Angel's casual remark was far more effective than all of the Lungmen Guard Department's military deterrence and mediation efforts.
Their gazes toward Xiao Huasheng were now filled with an incredulous fear.
As expected of an entity capable of waging a war, it even handles things like manipulating people's hearts with ease.
No matter how determined a warrior is, no matter how strong their belief, everything will vanish into nothingness once they are manipulated Reality Warping.
There's not even a need for dialogue; a mere thought is enough to neutralize all enemies, leaving no room for even the thought of resistance.
The Angel gradually mastered the terrifying use of real -Reality Warping, though she was still quite immature at the moment, and at most, it remained a thought that could help people calm down.
A short while later, after eating several energy bars given by the Emperor to restore his energy, he...
Xiao Huasheng then went to the room where Wei Yenwu was and met the city lord of Lungmen once again.
As if he had anticipated Xiao Huasheng's arrival, he turned his head and looked at the Angel without any surprise.
And what greeted them was a question.
"What exactly are you trying to do? Why do you cause such a mess as soon as you get back..." The red-haired Angel complained, unusually firm.
Wei Yenwu was not angered by Xiao Huasheng's questioning; he slowly put down his pipe.
"Ms. Xiao, you possess the power to shake a city, but rule is not based on brute force."
He raised his hand to stop the Angel who was about to retort, "The lady asked me why I don't help those refugees. Well then, tell me, how should I help them?"
"At least don't let these people go hungry. I could tell from just one look that they were starving," Xiao Huasheng said without hesitation.
"And then?" Wei Yenwu leaned forward. "When refugees and citizens enjoy the same treatment, what will the originally law-abiding citizens of Lungmen think? They will ask: 'Why can these outsiders reap without sowing?'"
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked down at the entire city.
"Classes must exist, Ms. Xiao, not out of cruelty, but for the sake of order. Citizens need to feel superior to refugees in order to tolerate their existence. Refugees need to struggle for survival to have no time to plan riots. This is the differentiation of contradictions."
Xiao Huasheng frowned, not understanding why he would say that.
"This is true mercy." Wei Yenwu turned around, his gaze sharp. "If we put both sides on equal footing, the conflict will only become more brutal. As a leader, you should also understand that sometimes you have to make choices. Saving everyone is just a beautiful fantasy."
He approached Xiao Huasheng, his voice low.
"You promised a three-day deadline. Now, what will you choose? Will you side with the citizens to expel the refugees, or will you side with the refugees to confront the citizens? Either choice means you must sacrifice the rights of one side."
"Why not? Just give them what they want..." Xiao Huasheng couldn't help but shout.
Despite witnessing the cruelty of the Warhammer Universe and the Foundation's massacre of humanity, she has always maintained a heart that does not wish to harm anyone.
As Wei Yenwu gazed at this being who transcended all reason, he truly realized for the first time the difference in thinking between gods and humans.
He remained silent for a moment, slowly turning the pipe between his fingers.
"Since you insist on this..." After a long silence, he finally spoke, his tone carrying a hint of compromise, "Then, let's make a deal."
"I will resolve the refugee problem in the city in three days; you, in turn, will provide me with some small assistance."
Xiao Huasheng looked at him in confusion, realizing that the turmoil in Lungmen City had nothing to do with her.
"This is a matter within your city, it has nothing to do with me..."
"But three days is too tight, isn't it? This is enough of a headache, especially since you made that promise on my behalf."
"..."
Upon hearing this, the red-haired Angel finally shut her mouth.
For the sake of harmony in Lungmen... Xiao Huasheng convinced himself to work for Wei Yenwu.
Upon seeing her appearance, Wei Yenwu nodded.
He then walked to his desk and took out a yellowed document.
"Lungmen has a batch of important supplies that were forcibly left behind in the Ursus Tundra during the Chernobog Incident. If you can retrieve them, the value of these supplies would be enough to resettle all the refugees and also provide an explanation to the citizens."
"Is it really that simple?" Xiao Huasheng tilted his head.
"Hmm, simple? Perhaps." Wei Yenwu's lips curled into a wry smile. "The location of those supplies is now a stronghold of the remaining Reunion Movement. Even you would probably have to go through some trouble."