88: The law clearly establishes order, and the people's hearts firmly secure the nation.

Chapter 91: The Code Illuminates the World, The People's Hearts Forge the Nation

The gunshots that executed Wei Mingyuan and his accomplices completely cleared the gloom that had hung over the Central Hub Base. Cheers in the square lasted for a full hour; the tear stains on the survivors' faces were not yet dry, but they were already brimming with the hope of a new life.

Just three days after the public trial concluded, Lin Zhou ordered the formation of an Apocalypse Code Compilation Committee. Its members included legal scholars among the survivors, military generals, grassroots administrators, and representatives of ordinary citizens. The core principle of the compilation was singular—to establish order through law, to protect the people's hearts with rules, ensuring that every inch of Dawn City's land was bathed in the sunlight of fairness and justice.

Half a month later, tall announcement boards were erected once again in the square of the Central Hub Base. Soldiers carefully mounted alloy plates engraved with black characters. The title was unmistakable—'The Apocalypse Survival Law of Huaxia Dawn City'.

Soon, the area in front of the announcement boards was densely packed with crowds. Those who could read recited the laws aloud, while those who couldn't listened intently. Each law was like a seed, planted in the hearts of everyone present.

"Article One: All citizens under the jurisdiction of Dawn City are equal, regardless of race, origin, or past. No organization or individual may oppress or enslave others through force, resources, or authority."

In the crowd, a young man rescued from the Changbai Mountain fortifications couldn't help but tear up upon hearing this article. He had been beaten and abused in the fortifications due to his humble origins. Now, he could stand as an equal with the former 'upper class.' This shock made him clench his fists tightly.

"Article Five: Strategic resources are publicly owned by all citizens. Private hoarding and profiteering are strictly prohibited. Food, medicine, and energy are centrally allocated by the base, prioritizing the needs of the elderly, children, and the wounded. Those who hoard resources beyond reasonable personal use will have all excess confiscated; in severe cases, they will be sentenced to labor reform."

As soon as these words were spoken, cheers erupted across the square. Over three years of the apocalypse, how many had turned against kin over resources? How many had starved by the roadside due to hoarding? This law directly severed the root of greed.

"Article Ten: All individuals aged sixteen or older have the obligation to serve in the military and participate in base construction. Those serving in the military receive priority in resource allocation and medical care. Those who evade their obligations will have their base welfare privileges revoked; in severe cases, they will be expelled from the city."

"Article Fourteen: Any form of human experimentation or Mutant cultivation is strictly prohibited. Anyone found to be a remnant of the Serpent Skeleton Research Institute or conducting experiments privately will, upon verification, be sentenced to death and executed immediately."

This law brought the crowd's emotions to a peak. How many compatriots had died tragically on the Serpent Skeleton's experimental tables? This ironclad law was a warning written in blood, a thunderous deterrent to all evil forces.

"Article Eighteen: Establish a People's Oversight Committee to accept reports and appeals from all citizens. Whether military generals or grassroots officials, anyone who violates the law will be severely punished without leniency."

In front of the announcement boards, applause thundered. An elderly man with white hair trembled as he touched the cold alloy plate, tears streaming down his face: "With this law, we finally have a true home!"

The promulgation of the code acted as a watershed, completely ending the disorder and chaos that had prevailed since the apocalypse.

In the base's granaries, food was precisely allocated according to population, with no more looting or withholding. In the factories, workers were paid according to their labor, and the principle of 'more work, more reward' energized everyone. In the military, recruitment proceeded orderly, with countless passionate youths volunteering. They no longer fought merely for survival but to protect the law and their homeland.

Even more inspiring, the code clearly outlined incentives for scientific innovation and plans for universal education—scientists who developed new weapons or crops received both material and honorary rewards; all school-aged children received free education, learning not only to read and write but also survival skills and combat techniques.

The first apocalypse school of the Central Hub Base broke ground in the same month the code was promulgated. At the groundbreaking ceremony, Lin Zhou personally shoveled soil. Watching the cheering children around him, his gaze was unwavering.

The law is the skeleton; the people's hearts are the flesh. Only when the two complement each other can an impregnable fortress be built.

One day, Lin Zhou was in the Code Compilation Committee office, reviewing modification suggestions from the public. An Adjutant hurried in and handed him a report: "Division Commander, good news! The people of the Five Great Bases have spontaneously organized 'Apocalypse Survival Law' propaganda teams. Even Qiming City on the Korean Peninsula has sent people to request a full copy of the code!"

Lin Zhou took the report, a faint, gratified smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

He walked to the window, looking at the orderly scene in the base—rice waves rolling in the fields, machines roaring in the factories, children chasing and playing in the streets, soldiers patrolling with heads held high.

This vibrant picture was precisely the future he had dreamed of.

"Notify everyone," Lin Zhou turned, his voice steady and forceful, "to translate 'The Apocalypse Survival Law' into multiple languages and broadcast it via radio to all nearby survivor settlements. We must let everyone know that on this land, justice and order will never be absent."

The Adjutant accepted the order and left.

Lin Zhou looked out the window again, his gaze passing over the walls of the Central Hub Base, toward the distant west.

The Serpent Skeleton Research Institute still lurked on the European and American continents; new storms would inevitably come.

But he was fearless.

Because behind him, there was a luminous code, the hearts of millions, and a city of steel as solid as a rock.

The afterglow of the sunset gilded the base's silhouette with a layer of gold.

The road ahead might be long, but the dawn had already illuminated the path forward.