Abyss Summoner-Chapter 165 - 162: The Art of Weighing Choices
After three rounds of drinks.
Wang Feng’s face was flushed, and he seemed more relaxed between the brows, unlike his previous caution!
In this vast environment, resource scarcity had reached an alarming level. Feng Zhiyong was a very honest person, strictly ordering the subordinate officers to set an example. So, although Wang Feng didn’t normally go hungry, having meat like today was something that hadn’t happened in a long time.
The room’s decor wasn’t luxurious, yet it gave a highly orderly impression, with everything neatly arranged, showing the owner’s meticulousness.
Now, only Chen Feng and Wang Feng were left in the room together, while the others, busy with their tasks, had withdrawn.
"Phew..."
Wang Feng took a sip of hot tea and slowly exhaled a breath of hot air.
"Wang Feng, how about it here? Any thoughts on staying? You have capabilities, yet you’re just a small leader in the exploration department. It’s a bit beneath your talent."
Chen Feng sat beside him, speaking casually.
"..."
Wang Feng was speechless. He hadn’t expected that even before formal discussions began, Chen Feng would recruit him to stay and work.
This place is great.
With Skeleton Warriors available, it’s possible to continuously slay insects and make jerky, even allowing ordinary people to fill their stomachs.
In Bridge East, however, there is no Undead Mage in charge. To hunt insects, humans must do it themselves. Ordinary people won’t do; encountering a Bronze Tier insect could lead to total annihilation. Even professionals have their limits, needing recovery time after hunts.
Therefore, hunting in Bridge East cannot form a scale at all. Professionals mostly hunt High-tier Insects, eliminating monsters as the main force, unlike Order, which is for stocking food for the survivors.
Moreover...
The Economic Development Zone is just a newly developed area, in a corner of the city, while Bridge East and Bridge West are old districts, ten times larger than the Economic Zone. Naturally, the number of monsters and insects is at an alarming level.
In such a situation, even professionals like Wang Feng need to be cautious. A slight mistake could lead to being surrounded by swarms of insects, with no chance of escape.
Upon hearing the offer from Chen Feng, Wang Feng couldn’t help but be tempted. After all, everyone wants to live well, but... Wang Feng is a confidant of Feng Zhiyong and a supporter of the main battle faction. He shook his head and said softly, "Thank you, Lieutenant Chen, for your kind offer. However, you have no shortage of talents here, and I’m not necessary. I prefer to serve under the Colonel, sorry."
Chen Feng waved his hand and didn’t pursue the matter further.
Although Feng Zhiyong was just an ordinary person, he was much loved by the soldiers. Recruiting Wang Feng was more of a casual mention; he hadn’t expected much hope from the beginning.
"Wang Feng, I don’t like hypocrisy. You followed Zhang Jianxiong to Order for a reason. Speak it out, let me hear it." Chen Feng’s face remained expressionless, his tone unchanged.
Upon hearing this, Wang Feng’s face became solemn, and he said, "Lieutenant Chen, Colonel Feng did have a message for you. Though the Economic Development Zone is peaceful, the survivors in Bridge East are still in dire straits. Recently, the insects’ movements are unusual, originally scattered but now gathering together. It’s not a good omen."
Listening to Wang Feng’s description, Chen Feng’s fingers softly tapped on the chair, producing a "tap tap" sound.
This was a sign of an impending insect swarm. Humanity was gathering survivors, and the Insect King was rallying its forces. Instead of internecine conflict, the insects were gathering, quietly awaiting the moment to erupt.
The Economic Development Zone had only one Three-winged Demon Fly as its Insect King, but over in Bridge East, four Insect Kings were hidden in the vast terrain. The situation had become severely dire.
Seeing Chen Feng silent, Wang Feng seemed urgent, speaking once more, "Lieutenant Chen, now two voices have emerged in Bridge East. Colonel Feng is the leader of the main battle faction. We insist on fighting; peace can’t bring peace. Only by hitting the insects with fear, crippling, or death can survivors live securely on this land. But..."
Wang Feng clenched his fist, his face turning slightly red: "But... now the camp is dominated by conservatives. They advocate for recuperation and reclama, deeming it unsuitable for battle. Reckless warfare will only cause unnecessary casualties!"
"Bang!"
As emotions rose, Wang Feng’s fist slammed on the chair, teeth clenched as he spoke in a deep voice: "The conservatives are selfish and petty people, yet they grasp people’s fear of death tightly. Consequently, they hold sway, even causing some officers to defect and go against Colonel Feng."
"Colonel Feng knows you are loyal and brave. Back then, you risked yourself for the rescue of everyone, so the Colonel wants to ask for your help. The conservative faction can’t be counted on, but we must go out of the city to kill the enemy and win a pure land for humanity!"
Listening to Wang Feng’s flattery, Chen Feng’s face showed a strange expression.
Loyal and brave?
The reason he saved them back then was just to make them leave quickly so he could use the corpses on the playground for a Blood Sacrifice. There was no good intention involved.
However, Chen Feng wouldn’t reveal this, as, in the eyes of Wang Feng and others, it was a great favor.
Pro-war faction, conservative faction.
Chen Feng has some understanding of the grievances between these two forces. Wang Feng is not wrong; in the past life, the mainstream consciousness that eventually occupied Bridge East was the conservative faction.
No one wants to die.
Ordinary people are unwilling, and the professionals who have obtained abilities are even more reluctant to risk their lives in battle. In this situation, the conservative faction finally won, controlling seventy percent of the camp’s power.
However, it was precisely because of this that when the insect tide broke out, people were still believing in so-called peace. By the time the insects broke through the defenses and started devouring the survivors, it was too late. In just a few days, tens of thousands of people became food in the stomachs of the insects.
For Chen Feng, he certainly knew that supporting Feng Zhiyong was the right choice, but the other side was not under his control. Supporting them would mean making wedding dresses for others, and the conservative faction, although somewhat timid, gathered most of the strength of the camp and even had a Silver Peak presence. Once the facade is torn, a counterattack is highly likely, making it a loss rather than a gain.
What Chen Feng needs to do now is to sit back and watch the tigers fight. When it’s time to strike, he’ll hit the snake’s vital point and kill it in one blow!
The apocalypse is a quagmire. Every step Chen Feng takes must be cautious. A wrong step, and there’s no chance to start over.
Thinking of this, Chen Feng said, "Well, now that the great enemy is before us, humanity should unite. You go back and tell Colonel Feng that in a few days, I will visit in person, and we can discuss it further then."
Hearing Chen Feng’s response, Wang Feng felt a bit disappointed. The other party deeply understood the art of balance and didn’t even make the most basic commitment. However, he had done his best. If Chen Feng didn’t say it, he dared not force a decision. He could only wait a few days for Colonel Feng to persuade him personally, hoping for a miracle.
If Chen Feng could really support the pro-war faction, then Colonel Feng would be like a tiger with wings. Aside from that, just his ability to control skeletons was equivalent to thousands of elite soldiers. Skeletons could replace warriors in battle, saving many lives.
Chen Feng didn’t care about Wang Feng’s thoughts. At this moment, he seemed to remember something and said again, "Wang Feng, you said you’re usually involved in exploration work. I want to ask if you’ve seen any extraordinarily powerful monsters or insects?"
"Hmm?" Wang Feng didn’t expect Chen Feng to bring this up, showing surprise on his face, but quickly became calm: "Lieutenant Chen, this matter is a secret of Bridge East. I can’t..."
"One hundred pounds of jerky." Chen Feng directly extended a finger.
Wang Feng was suddenly stunned. A hundred pounds of jerky was no small amount. Even for a lieutenant-level professional, obtaining so much meat at once is unheard of.
A thought sprouted in Wang Feng’s mind. However, the distribution of monsters is camp confidential, and as a member of the exploration department, how could he break the law by knowing it?
"Two hundred pounds!" Chen Feng saw Wang Feng’s hesitation and increased the stakes again.
"I..." Wang Feng was tongue-tied, apparently not knowing what to say,
"Three hundred pounds!" Chen Feng gave him no chance to catch his breath.
Food is now the most important resource in the camp. In the black market, some women even sell their bodies for food. Two buns equate to a night. Imagine the value of this jerky, which, if converted into currency, would be an astonishing figure.
Wang Feng was stunned, first in shock, then solemn, and finally pale, heavily exhaling a breath.
Seeing this expression, Chen Feng sensed an opportunity and said, "I won’t hide it from you. My subordinates have strange abilities that require the lives of some powerful beings as a sacrifice to become stronger. Confidential? I’m not colluding with monsters. My goal is also to kill it and obtain its corpse. Both publicly and privately, this only benefits Bridge East and does no harm."
Chen Feng continued, "You’re not leaking secrets; you’re contributing to the public. If I can kill that powerful monster, Bridge East won’t even have to act. How many people’s casualties can be reduced then? Have you thought about that?"
Listening to Chen Feng’s persuasion and thinking of the jerky, Wang Feng raised his head as if he finally understood and said word by word, "Northeast of Bridge East, a giant insect was found at West Mountain Cemetery. This insect has an impressive aura and likes to emerge from underground to attack. No one knows its length because its body has never been fully exposed. It’s not afraid of knife slashes or gunfire. Back then, a lieutenant led a team of thirty for reconnaissance, and none survived. Since then, that area has been heavily guarded, with the camp planning to send experts to investigate later."
Hearing this, the light in Chen Feng’s eyes slowly whirled, and his heart secretly exclaimed: "One of the five Insect Kings, the Earth-Boring Giant Worm!"
