76: Public execution, escorted to the execution ground

Two hours later, the Mechanized Infantry Company and the rescue team that arrived later gathered and returned together to the Songshan Town Survivor Base.

Today's outing was quite bountiful.

In addition to collecting a large amount of supplies, ensuring the base wouldn't have to worry about resources for the next half year.

They even rescued over three hundred survivors, bringing the total number of people in the base to 436, including the original inhabitants.

With only 64 more people needed, Lin Zhi would be able to complete the second phase of the mission and receive the reward of an Infantry Company, plus a small automated Armory.

Lin Zhi was looking forward to this day immensely.

Presumably, if he went out to sweep the nearby towns again tomorrow, it would be enough to complete this mission.

However, even though they had returned to the base, it was not yet time to rest.

Because Lin Zhi had more important matters to attend to next.

That was to put Snack Big Qiao and that group of armed criminals on trial according to the law!

Lin Zhi gathered everyone in the base on the square in front of the Town Government building.

The crowd of over four hundred people was vast, with no end in sight.

Lin Zhi stood on a slightly elevated platform.

Looking at the survivors below, he waited until everyone had arrived before picking up a megaphone.

The survivors below were very curious, seeing Lin Zhi making such a big scene, and wanted to know what he was going to do next.

Lin Zhi didn't waste any words and conveyed what was about to happen.

"I apologize for gathering everyone so late."

"However, I have my reasons for doing this."

"Everyone knows the current state of the world."

"The current living environment is very difficult."

"But we cannot let such difficulties cause us to act against our moral and legal bottom lines."

"People cannot, at least they shouldn't!"

"However, such people exist within our base."

"Their existence is a security threat to everyone in the entire base."

"Therefore, for the sake of everyone's safety and the future development of the base, I must now impose the following penalties on those who have disregarded the lives and personal rights of others."

After speaking, Lin Zhi waved his hand.

He ordered his soldiers to bring up all the detained personnel, including Snack Big Qiao.

He then took out a notebook and opened it.

One by one, he introduced their crimes.

"Qiao Kuaisan, 21 years old, female, from S Province..."

"Wu Cheng, 37 years old, male, from H City..."

"Lin Dayou..."

By the time Lin Zhi finished reading the thousands of words of the indictment from the document in his hand.

The crowd below was immediately filled with righteous indignation.

After all, among these survivors, apart from the locals of Songshan Town and the over one hundred people from other small towns, nearly two hundred other survivors had previously been coerced by Wu Cheng's armed gang and dared not resist.

They hated Wu Cheng and his cohorts to the bone.

Previously, they lacked the strength to resist and could only bury this hatred deep in their hearts.

But now, with the soldiers backing them up, that monstrous hatred, suppressed for who knows how long, erupted in an instant.

Besides, even without considering that.

In the Apocalypse, after surviving for a long time, everyone feels oppressed to some degree.

If this repression is not released and bottled up for too long, a person's mental state will suffer.

And the detained criminals on the stage became the perfect outlet for them.

Consequently, the indignant shouts erupting from the over four hundred survivors in the square echoed throughout the entire town.

They all demanded that these lawbreakers pay with their lives, saying they deserved to die.

Lin Zhi naturally welcomed this outcome.

After all, he never had any fondness for these heinous criminals.

By bringing this matter out into the open and letting the masses judge them.

Besides setting an example, it also served as a warning to these survivors.

As the number of survivors grew, the four hundred-plus group was already enough to form a small society.

Without the constraints of relevant regulations, chaos would inevitably arise.

Lin Zhi did not have mind-reading abilities; other than his own soldiers, he could not know the mental states and personalities of the other survivors.

By punishing these criminals with the harshest penalties in front of everyone.

He was sounding an alarm for them, making them think about whether they could withstand punishment from the military if they ever wanted to commit violations.

Of course, Lin Zhi was also indirectly establishing his own prestige and authority.

After the survivors had vented their emotions sufficiently.

Lin Zhi finally issued the final order.

"In troubled times, heavy codes must be used. We cannot let this group of black sheep destroy the survivor base we have worked so hard to build."

"Therefore, after our deliberation, we have decided."

"We order the execution by firing squad for the above-mentioned criminals, to be carried out immediately without delay."

As Lin Zhi's voice fell.

Cheers and support immediately erupted from the crowd of survivors below.

"That's right! Officer Lin did well!"

"These scoundrels should pay with their lives!"

"That bastard Wu Cheng, he didn't even spare my teenage daughter!"

"These guys deserve to eat lead!"

They spoke with righteous indignation.

These survivors looked at Lin Zhi with eyes full of respect.

After all, who wouldn't want an upright, fair, and impartial leader to lead them?

People who survived after enduring certain oppressions no longer expected to be treated favorably.

The only thing they hoped for was that the people in charge would act according to the rules and be fair.

Even before the Apocalypse broke out, many people felt this way.

Looking at the masses below, Lin Zhi nodded.

As he waved his hand.

Immediately, over twenty soldiers walked up.

Each soldier escorted a criminal, ignoring their pleas and vicious curses, put black hoods on them, and took them to two vehicles that had been prepared outside the square.

This public execution could be considered the first major event since the establishment of the Songshan Town Survivor Base.

Therefore, Lin Zhi naturally had to supervise it completely.

Ten minutes later.

The convoy carrying the criminals arrived at a plain outside Songshan Town.

The ground here was uneven and somewhat soft.

This was exactly the place previously used to burn zombie corpses.

As the twenty-plus criminals were lined up separately by the soldiers and forced to kneel on the ground.

Lin Zhi looked at the watch on his wrist and issued the order without a moment's hesitation.

"Execute the firing squad!"

As his voice fell.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of over twenty gunshots rang out instantly.

Snack Big Qiao and the other criminals finally left this world at this moment, their souls returning to hell.