226: Chapter 226 Ten Thousand People Petition? Chen Chen Establishes New Rules on the Spot

The crowd in front of the abandoned ammunition depot grew larger and larger.

Gu Ci'an stood on a makeshift platform welded together from scrap metal. His white shirt was excessively clean, sleeves rolled up to his forearms, and he held a megaphone in his hand.

His stage name before the apocalypse was Lin Jin.

A top-tier male idol.

He did it all—singing, dancing, variety shows, and movies—the kind whose fans could paralyze an airport.

Even though he was now shoved into the Lower Deck, his face remained striking among the crowd.

"We are not against the Lord."

Lin Jin kept his voice steady, making it sound as if he were suffering grievances on behalf of everyone.

"The Lord killed the Tier 6 and saved this city; no one denies that."

"But we, too, are moving shells, clearing pipes, and enduring gravity and radiation in the Lower Deck."

"We are not trying to loot."

"We just want a fair chance to climb higher."

Young women in the crowd began to cry.

"Brother Lin Jin is right!"

"We have worked for the territory too!"

"Why is there a hot spring, private suites, and medical pods above, while we are forced to cram into the Lower Deck?"

"The elderly and the wounded should go up too!"

As these words spread, more people in the peripheral areas pushed toward the central elevator.

Iron Wall stood in front with a squad of soldiers, heavy machine guns already mounted. His face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

"Back off!"

"One more step forward, and you will be treated as attacking the core area!"

But Lin Jin did not shout for them to charge.

He pressed one hand to his chest and bowed toward Iron Wall.

"Captain Iron Wall, everyone just wants to petition."

"Even a petition requires a line!"

Iron Wall's voice was cracking.

"You bring ten thousand people to block the elevator, and you call that a petition?"

Lin Jin did not argue back; instead, he turned to the crowd.

"Everyone, don't charge."

"We will wait on our knees."

"We will let the Lord see the voice of the Lower Deck."

Swish.

The hundreds in the front row actually knelt down.

Swept up by the atmosphere, those behind followed suit.

The central passage was instantly blocked.

In the master control channel, the voice of Yi Chang rang out first.

"Lord, I suggest cutting off the crowd immediately."

"Arrest all twenty-seven core organizers around Lin Jin, and disperse the peripheral personnel."

Jiang Jiuyou joined the channel.

"We could suppress them by firing directly, but that is exactly what the Grey-White Sanctuary wants."

"The Lower Deck has only just stabilized; a suppressed petition of ten thousand would be edited by them into a public opinion bomb."

Shen Wanbing's projection appeared beside Chen Chen.

Her white shirt sleeves were rolled up, and her fingertips traced Lin Jin's body scan.

"No mechanical modifications."

"The spine, brainstem, and heart are all clean."

"But his Spirit wave pattern is too flat."

Chen Chen stood before the master console, buttoning up his tactical jacket.

"Too flat?"

"In a situation like this, a normal person's heart rate would be chaotic, and their Spirit wave peaks would tremble."

Shen Wanbing zoomed in on the curve.

"It's as if someone has smoothed out every emotional outlet of his."

"It's not control; it's more like polishing."

Blood Rose leaned against the door, a short jacket draped over her red dress, exposing her snow-white shoulders and neck. Her tone was lazy.

"A male fox Spirit?"

The landlady immediately bristled in the remote channel.

"Don't insult foxes."

Su Xiaoqi poked her head in, holding her pot.

"Can you eat a male fox Spirit?"

Mio had already learned to mute her mic, and her projection drifted away silently.

Chen Chen raised his hand and turned off the unnecessary channels.

"Jiang Yanxue."

"Here."

Jiang Yanxue walked out from the shadows, carrying her blade. Her black tactical bodysuit clung to her waistline, and she carried the scent of blood.

"Come down with me."

Iron Wall was immediately anxious.

"Lord, I'll deploy two hundred men to protect you."

"No need."

Chen Chen walked toward the elevator.

"If I take people down there, he'll look even more like a victim."

...

When the Lower Deck elevator opened, the area where ten thousand people were petitioning suddenly fell silent.

Chen Chen brought only Jiang Yanxue and Iron Wall.

No artillery vehicles.

No secret service squads.

Even Su Xiaoqi did not follow.

But as soon as he stepped out of the elevator, the crowd automatically stepped aside.

The few young people who had been shouting the loudest felt their throats constrict, unable to squeeze out a single word.

Lin Jin paused on the metal platform for two seconds.

Afterward, he put down the megaphone, stepped off the platform, and knelt on one knee.

The movement was graceful.

The angle was also perfect.

As if he had practiced it in advance.

"Lord."

"Please give ordinary people a path to climb higher."

With his action, many people around him also lowered their heads.

"Please give us a chance, Lord!"

"Please open up the upper-level resources!"

Iron Wall gripped his gun, his jaw tightening.

Jiang Yanxue lightly spun her blade.

"This guy knows how to act."

Chen Chen ignored the crowd and stopped three meters away from Lin Jin.

"You say upper-level resources should be opened."

Lin Jin lifted his face, his voice carrying just the right amount of exhaustion.

"Yes."

Chen Chen looked down at him.

"Name one first."

Lin Jin seemed to have been waiting for this sentence.

"Medical pods."

"There are wounded, elderly, and children in the Lower Deck."

"They need treatment more than the core area."

Someone in the crowd immediately shouted.

"That's right!"

"My dad's leg is broken!"

"My sister has been running a fever for two days!"

Lin Jin continued.

"The hot spring circulation pool should also be partially opened."

"Long-term high pressure will cause the personnel in the Lower Deck to break down."

"And the private suites."

"With so many rooms empty above, why can't they be given to pregnant women, the elderly, and the severely wounded?"

After these words were spoken, many in the crowd had red eyes.

Lin Jin was very clever.

He didn't mention enjoyment, only the elderly, the wounded, and children.

Anyone who argued back would seem heartless.

Iron Wall almost cursed out loud.

Jiang Yanxue pressed her fingers against the hilt of her blade.

Chen Chen still didn't move.

Just then, a small head popped up from the back of the crowd.

Su Xiaoqi had snuck down at some point, holding a pot in her arms.

"The hot spring pool is for Brother to strengthen himself."

She blinked.

"Can you fight a Tier 6 after soaking in it?"

The whole scene froze.

The women who had been crying so intently stopped their sobbing.

Lin Jin's prepared words also faltered for a beat.

In the remote channel, the landlady laughed until her abacus beads fell to the floor.

"Hahahaha! Su Xiaoqi's retort is worth a thousand points!"

Shen Wanxing's voice came through softly.

"Su Xiaoqi, don't be so blunt about everything."

Su Xiaoqi replied earnestly.

"I already didn't mention whether it could be stewed."

Chen Chen raised his hand, signaling Su Xiaoqi to step back.

He looked at Lin Jin.

"You want a path."

"I'll give it to you."

Lin Jin's eyes flickered, and he immediately lowered his head.

"Please enlighten us, Lord."

Chen Chen opened the Lower Deck's public projection.

Four large characters slammed down on everyone's heads.

[Contribution Promotion]

Four paths unfolded below.

[Combat Merit: Killing enemies, defending the city, escorting, reconnaissance.]

[Technology: Repairing artillery, building furnaces, maintaining pipelines, energy calibration.]

[Management: Stabilizing the people, registration, dispatching, resolving conflicts.]

[Production: Food production, water purification, medical care, logistics.]

Chen Chen's voice spread through the Lower Deck broadcast.

"If you can repair artillery, go to the Engineering Zone."

"If you can kill enemies, join the Combat Team."

"If you can stabilize the people, take up management."

"If you can produce food or purify water, you get a spot in the Ecological Pods."

"Whoever has enough contribution goes up."

"Whoever wants to seize resources by crying and inciting others, go to the outer cleaning zone."

The crowd became restless.

Someone immediately shouted.

"Then we can also enter the upper level?"

Chen Chen opened the points panel.

"The ranking list is public."

"Settled daily."

"Yi Chang audits, Shen Wanbing reviews, Jiang Jiuyou monitors."

"Whoever isn't convinced, let their contributions do the talking."

Lin Jin knelt on the ground, the composure on his face fading slightly.

But he reacted quickly.

"The Lord is wise."

He raised the megaphone and turned to the crowd.

"Did you all hear that?"

"The Lord is willing to give us a chance."

"If the Lord trusts me, I am willing to form a Civilian Comfort Group to soothe the Lower Deck on the Lord's behalf, explain policies, and reduce misunderstandings."

"I don't want special privileges."

"I just want a position to speak for everyone."

As soon as these words were out, the crowd that had just calmed down came alive again.

"Brother Lin Jin can do it!"

"He understands us!"

"Let him be our representative!"

"With him here, we can rest easy!"

Iron Wall's face turned green.

"This brat is climbing the pole."

Jiang Yanxue chuckled softly.

"He's much harder to kill than those who rush the door with blades."

Lin Jin lowered his head to Chen Chen again.

"Lord, the Lower Deck needs a voice that can be trusted by ordinary people."

Chen Chen looked at him without responding.

The next second, Shen Wanbing's projection unfolded above the Lower Deck.

"Lin Jin."

She played the records directly.

"In the past three hours, you have used seven different channels to send guiding messages to the Water Tank Zone, Medical Zone, Girl Group Application Zone, and Family Cabin Zone."

Images popped up.

In the Water Tank Zone, when someone fought over water, Lin Jin's people were the first to lead the cries of unfairness.

In the Medical Zone, when someone cut the line, Lin Jin's people pretended to mediate.

In the Family Cabin Zone, someone spread news that "there are empty rooms in the upper level."

Every time a conflict escalated, Lin Jin would appear.

Soothing them gently.

Pleading for others.

Then reaping a wave of gratitude.

Shen Wanbing didn't speak quickly, but every word was pressed clearly.

"You are not resolving conflicts."

"You are creating conflicts and then emerging as the savior."

Many in the crowd were stunned.

The young woman who had just shouted "Brother Lin Jin" changed expression.

Lin Jin's fingers tightened, and the megaphone emitted a harsh noise.

"This is an organizational tactic."

He looked up at Chen Chen.

"Lord, you need to manage over a million people; someone has to turn chaos into order."

"I did it."

"The process wasn't pretty, but the result was useful."

Chen Chen finally moved.

He took a step forward.

Four hundred points of Mental Power pressed down.

No light.

No sound.

Ten thousand people simultaneously felt their chests being pressed, their knees going weak, and sweat breaking out on their backs.

Lin Jin was the first to fail to hold on.

His originally graceful kneeling posture collapsed; his elbows slammed into the ground, and cold sweat dripped from his forehead.

"Lord..."

Chen Chen looked down at him.

"You have no modifications on you."

"So you think you're safe?"

Lin Jin's throat bobbed, trying to speak, but his voice went out of tune.

"I... just..."

Zzz—

A grey-white noise burst from the megaphone.

A thin grey line emerged at Lin Jin's throat.

That thing was not in the bones, nor in the flesh.

It vibrated against his vocal cords.

Shen Wanbing's voice immediately came through.

"Exposed."

"Mass Belief Amplification Protocol."

"As long as enough people believe in him, support him, and obey him, he can gain temporary Spirit weight."

"If it spreads further, he could bypass the lower-level dispatch and seize command of local crowds."

Mio screamed to add.

"The Grey-White Sanctuary's old trick!"

"They don't use machines to control people; they let people lock themselves to an idol!"

The crowd exploded.

"What does that mean?"

"We were used by him?"

"He made us kneel just now to collect trust?"

Lin Jin's expression changed completely.

"No... it's not like that..."

Jiang Yanxue was already behind him.

A flash of the blade.

The fabric on his back tore, and a grey-white signal wire, so thin it was almost invisible, was plucked out.

Jiang Yanxue did not kill him.

The tip of her blade pressed against the wire, slowly cutting it.

Lin Jin screamed, his whole body trembling on the ground.

Chen Chen raised his hand.

"Send Lin Jin and the core organizers to the public trial zone."

Iron Wall immediately led his men forward and dragged out all twenty-seven key members hiding in the crowd.

Someone tried to run, but Jiang Yanxue kicked and broke their leg.

Chen Chen scanned the people of the Lower Deck.

"How to deal with them, you vote."

"Life of hard labor."

"Or execution."

Those who had been incited just moments ago were all bewildered.

Lin Jin looked up abruptly.

"You can't do this!"

"If you let them vote, they will be controlled by emotion!"

Chen Chen crouched down and patted his face.

"Isn't that exactly what you were making a living off of just now?"

Lin Jin's throat tightened, unable to speak.

The Lower Deck voting panel lit up.

At first, no one moved.

Then, the elderly man with the broken leg who had been used by Lin Jin to fight for water pressed "Hard Labor."

Then, the young mother who had almost been pushed over pressed "Execution."

The vote count jumped faster and faster.

The anger in the crowd finally found an outlet.

Yi Chang's projection unfolded synchronously.

[Contribution Promotion System officially written into Territorial Law.]

[Those who incite petitions, create conflict, or fabricate public opinion will be treated as accomplices of the Grey-White Sanctuary.]

[Lower Deck Propaganda Group established.]

Xu Qingzhi stood on the edge of the crowd, her white dress still stained with black marks from being stepped on in the Water Tank Zone.

She had been the first to point out Lin Jin's identity, and now she was named by the projection.

Chen Chen looked at her.

"Xu Qingzhi."

She quickly straightened up.

"Here."

"Temporary head of the Lower Deck Propaganda Group."

"Responsible for publishing the Contribution Ranking, Punishment Ranking, and Promotion Ranking."

Xu Qingzhi's face flushed red, her fingers gripping the megaphone tight.

"I will do it well."

Yi Chang added a sentence from the side.

"If you dare to set up a private fan club, you will be demoted to washing pots."

The excitement that had just risen in Xu Qingzhi instantly stalled.

"Understood, Vice City Lord."

Su Xiaoqi came over, hugging her pot.

"Washing pots is also quite important."

Xu Qingzhi looked at the pot, which was bigger than half of her body, and her face went even paler.

"I will definitely not set one up."

The restlessness in the Lower Deck was completely suppressed.

Chen Chen had just turned around when Shen Wanbing's communication suddenly forced its way in.

"Chen Chen, there is an echo in the East."

She projected a piece of footage into the air.

Eight thousand kilometers away.

A huge mobile stage fleet was driving across the wasteland.

The exterior of the fleet was covered in starlight signs, and concert-level loudspeaker towers were mounted on top.

A woman stood in the center of the main stage.

Silvery-white long hair, a black dress, and her exposed shoulders and neck were blindingly white.

She held a microphone, singing to the survivors outside the fleet.

Shen Wanxing had just poked her head out from the remote channel, and seeing that face, she froze.

"How is it possible..."

Chen Chen looked at her.

"You know her?"

Shen Wanxing hugged her blanket tightly, her voice weak.

"Her name is Luo Yunwei."

"The only international diva who surpassed me before the apocalypse."

Shen Wanbing zoomed in on the core fluctuation of the stage fleet.

A remnant scroll symbol lit up in the stage base beneath the lead singer.

Her voice sank.

"The Second Remnant Scroll."

"It's in her fleet."