Hypocrisy

Lu Chen's voice was like a venomous snake flicking its tongue at midnight, cold and raspy, carrying a chill that made one's skin crawl.

In the laboratory, Professor Zhao's corpse lay sprawled on the floor like a heap of mud, his eyes wide open, as if condemning this fucked-up apocalypse.

A burnt smell hung in the air. It was the last smell Professor Zhao had left behind before his death, and it made Lu Chen's stomach turn.

Lu Chen pulled out a handkerchief he had lifted from some unlucky bastard and slowly wiped his fingers, as if they had been stained with something filthy.

His SSS-grade [Gene Control] was finally his. The old man's death had served a purpose, making use of a piece of trash.

"Ding! Congratulations, host! You have obtained 1,000 Plunder Points!" The system notification sounded as punctually as an alarm clock, and Lu Chen's mood finally improved just a tiny bit.

"Next, it's time to take out the trash..." Lu Chen spoke softly, but with an unquestionable air of authority.

He turned and was about to leave the laboratory, thick with the scent of death, when a chaotic burst of gunfire and roaring came from outside. From the sound of it, the Zhao Family's private soldiers had fallen into complete disarray without Professor Zhao's command and had begun attacking indiscriminately.

Lu Chen stopped and looked back at Professor Zhao's corpse, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. "No, this might... only be the beginning."

"Boom!"

A tremendous crash rang out, and the entire base began shaking violently, as if an earthquake had struck.

Cracks spread across the walls, and dust rained down. Lu Chen narrowed his eyes, knowing the base was about to collapse.

"Looks like this show is ending early." An amused smile curled Lu Chen's lips. He had no desire to be buried in the rubble.

As soon as he stepped out of the laboratory, he saw that the base was a mess. Ruined walls and debris were everywhere, smoke filled the air, and wails rose from all around.

The Zhao Family's private soldiers, left without a commander, scurried around like headless flies, attacking anyone they came across. They had completely lost their minds.

"Rat-a-tat..."

A burst of gunfire swept toward Lu Chen. He flashed aside and dodged it with ease.

He watched the private soldiers with cold eyes, feeling nothing at all. He even felt like laughing a little.

Just then, a familiar figure appeared in Lu Chen's sight-it was Captain Lin.

He was leading a squad of the remaining soldiers, trying to organize an evacuation.

Captain Lin's face was covered in blood, and he was wounded as well, but he still stood straight, doing his best to maintain order.

When he saw Lu Chen, fury flared within him. He rushed over in a few strides and seized him by the collar.

"It was you! You destroyed this place!" Captain Lin roared at the top of his lungs, his eyes bloodshot.

Lu Chen smiled faintly and casually brushed his hand away. "Destroyed it? No, I only sped up its demise. This place had rotted long ago. It just needed a fire to burn it clean."

"Who the hell are you? Why are you doing this?" Captain Lin roared.

Lu Chen shrugged and said indifferently, "Who I am doesn't matter. What matters is-whoever controls power makes the rules."

His voice was not loud, yet everyone present heard him clearly, along with a suffocating sense of pressure.

"Power... rules..." Captain Lin muttered, as if he had suffered a devastating blow.

Just then, a feeble voice called out, "Lu Chen... please, save us..."

Lu Chen turned to see the doctor, Su Wan, supporting a middle-aged man as she struggled toward him.

The man was pale and breathing faintly. He was clearly badly injured.

Beside him was the little girl Xiao Lu, clutching tightly at the hem of Su Wan's clothes.

"Su Wan? Why are you here?" Lu Chen asked, somewhat surprised.

"I... my father is hurt. Please, take us away from here..." Su Wan pleaded, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

Lu Chen looked at Su Wan, feeling somewhat hesitant.

His original plan had been to look after himself alone, but Su Wan was the only person at the base who had genuinely helped him. He couldn't just stand by and let her die.

"All right, I can take you with me." Lu Chen nodded, agreeing to Su Wan's request.

Hearing Lu Chen's words, Captain Lin immediately grew anxious. "No! You can't take them away! There are still plenty of people here who need help!"

Lu Chen gave him a cold glance, his tone icy. "Not everyone is worth saving."

With that, he ignored Captain Lin and walked straight over to Su Wan, helping her father up.

"Ding! A-grade talent [Tactical Command] detected. Copy it?" The system notification sounded again.

Lu Chen's lips curved into a smile, and he chose to copy it without hesitation.

"Ding! A-grade talent [Tactical Command] successfully copied and automatically elevated to SSS-grade [War Dominator]!"

A powerful stream of information flooded Lu Chen's mind. In an instant, the situation across the entire battlefield appeared clearly in his head.

It was as though he had become a general directing the battle from his command tent, intimately familiar with every detail on the battlefield.

"So that's how it is. This is the power of [Tactical Command]..." Lu Chen murmured, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Seeing Lu Chen ignore him and prepare to leave with Su Wan and the others, Captain Lin was instantly beside himself with rage.

He abruptly drew his pistol, aimed it at Lu Chen's back, and was about to pull the trigger.

"Die!" Captain Lin roared.

"Bang!"

The gunshot was especially piercing amid the noise of the battlefield.

However, the bullet did not hit Lu Chen. Instead...

Lu Chen slowly turned around and looked at Captain Lin with icy eyes. A flickering flame ignited in his hand, like ghost fire rising from hell, giving off a chilling aura.

"You..." Captain Lin's eyes widened.

"Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish." Lu Chen's voice was as cold as ice.

He waved his hand gently, and the flame in his palm instantly became a wall of fire that swept toward Captain Lin.

"Ah..."

Captain Lin let out a shrill scream as the flames swallowed him whole.

In a matter of seconds, Captain Lin was reduced to a pile of ashes, with nothing else left.

A burnt smell filled the air, the smell of life burning.

Lu Chen looked at the spot where Captain Lin had disappeared. There was not a trace of pity in his eyes, only endless indifference.

"Not everyone is worth saving..." he repeated. His voice was soft, but it carried a chilling edge that made hearts tremble.

He turned, picked up Su Wan's father, took Xiao Lu's hand, and headed for the base's exit.

"Let's go. We're leaving this place," Lu Chen said softly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of tenderness.

Su Wan followed silently behind Lu Chen, looking at his back with a complicated expression.

She didn't know whether the choice she had made was right or wrong.

The three of them gradually receded into the distance. Behind them, the base burned like a giant grave, burying countless lives and hopes.

"Xiao Lu, are you scared?" Lu Chen asked softly as they walked.

Xiao Lu shook her head, gripping Lu Chen's hand tightly. Her voice was childish but firm. "As long as I'm with Brother Lu Chen, I'm not scared."

Lu Chen smiled without speaking. He knew the road ahead was still a long one...

"Where are we going next?" Su Wan asked softly, breaking the silence.

Lu Chen paused for a moment, then raised his head and looked into the distance, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "To... plunder," he said softly.

Lu Chen carried Su Wan's dad. The old man was as skinny as a beanpole and light as a feather.

He freed one hand to hold Xiao Lu's. The little girl's hand was ice-cold, and she gripped his tightly, afraid the apocalypse would swallow her up if she let go.

"Off we go! The VIP passage is open. Passengers, please fasten your seat belts-we're about to take off!" Lu Chen whistled, trying to lighten the somber mood.

Behind them, flames soared into the sky, and waves of heat rolled over them, making their eyes sting.

The air was thick with a pungent burnt smell, just like grilled meat without cumin. One star!

Su Wan followed close behind him, glancing back at the ruins from time to time, her expression as complicated as an overturned paint palette.

She was probably wondering whether Lu Chen was a savior or a demon king out to destroy the world.

"Stop looking. Keep staring and even the gate will burn away," Lu Chen said without looking back or slowing down.

He could feel the SSS-grade [War Dominator] stirring inside him, countless tactics churning in his mind, as if he had activated a map hack.

"Next, it's our turn to take the stage." Lu Chen's lips curved slightly into a faintly wicked smile. He quickened his pace, his figure disappearing into the darkness, leaving only the raging flames behind him, as though they were announcing the arrival of a new era.

Next, the real show began!