Apocalypse: I Have A Multiplier System-Chapter 512: Club

The leader turned from the window slowly, his smile growing wider, darker. His eyes gleamed like a hungry wolf.

"You know," he said, voice calm and cold, "maybe we can use these ungrateful fools."

The nephew blinked. "Use them? How?"

The leader chuckled and stepped closer, lowering his voice like he was sharing a secret. "There’s a zombie horde heading toward us, right? Next wave comes in maybe tomorrow or the day after."

"Yeah," the nephew said. "That’s what the scouts said."

"Perfect," the leader hissed. "When those fools get ready to leave for Hope Base, we’ll help them pack. Maybe even give them some supplies to look kind and generous."

The nephew narrowed his eyes. "That doesn’t sound like you..."

The leader raised a finger.

"But before they leave, we drug their water. Knock them out cold. Then, in the middle of the night, we tie them up, load them on a broken supply truck, and dump them far away from here.

Somewhere, the zombies will pass through and hire someone from the base to make sure that their drugged bodies are placed in directions opposite to ours. Far enough so they can’t crawl back."

The nephew’s mouth fell open. "Wait, you mean... use them as bait?"

The leader smiled like a villain from an old movie. "Exactly."

The boy looked confused.

"But... won’t people suspect something? What if someone from Hope Base actually comes to look for them?"

He expected them to inform the base leader of the Hope Base, so that Boss Su could make some kind of preparations for them.

The leader waved his hand.

"Let them come. We’ll just say they left on their own. We even gave them food and supplies. We can act innocent, say we didn’t know what happened. We’ll say it’s all Hope Base’s fault for not protecting them."

The nephew scratched his head. "But what if someone finds their bodies? What if they see rope marks or the drug we used?"

"Simple," the leader said, folding his arms. "We cut the ropes after the zombies are done. And the zombies will tear the bodies so badly, no one will know how they really died. If they even find the bodies."

The nephew still looked unsure. "What if someone sees us dragging them out?"

The leader laughed quietly. "We’ll do it during the night. You, me, and a few trusted guards. The others will be asleep. No one will know."

"Not to mention, we can also blame the base leader of the Hope base and extort some nanobots in return." A sleazy smile appeared on the leader’s face.

"How much?" The nephew was excited to hear the base leader’s words.

"How about two nanobots per person?" The base leader asked with an expression of deep thought. "We can also ask for 100 tons of rice, 20,000 meat cans, and 200 tons of cotton."

The nephew’s face scrunched up in worry. He leaned closer and whispered,

"But... uncle, do you really think the leader of Hope Base—uh, Boss Su, right?—do you think she’ll actually give us all of that? Two nanobots per person, rice, meat, cotton... That’s so much!"

The base leader chuckled darkly and waved off his concern.

"Of course she will," he said confidently.

"I’ve seen her before. At the alliance summit last year. That woman’s an old hag with a soft heart and too many supplies for her own good.

She acts all high and mighty, helping the weak, giving food and medicine. She’ll fall for our story the moment we act sad and broken."

He leaned in, lowering his voice even more.

"And once she gives in, we keep asking. Again and again. She becomes our golden chicken—the kind that lays golden eggs whenever we want!"

The nephew’s eyes lit up. "And if she refuses?"

"We threaten her," the base leader said with a smug grin.

"We say it’s her fault all those people died. We say she promised to protect them but didn’t. One little rumor, and her shiny perfect image? Gone."

The nephew clapped his hands. "Uncle, you’re amazing! I wanna be just like you when I grow up!"

The base leader ruffled his hair proudly.

"Scheming, my boy, is an art. And your uncle is a master artist. That’s how I became the leader of this base, even with nothing. I tricked, twisted, and outsmarted everyone who stood in my way."

...............

In Hope Base, things were much calmer and brighter.

Inside a high-tech room filled with screens and glowing panels, Su Jiyai sat cross-legged in a comfy chair, sipping warm herbal tea.

Base leaders from small surrounding zones were gathered in a simple but neat room, sitting at a long table.

There were men and women of different ages, most of them tired-looking but hopeful. A speaker was placed in the center of the table.

They couldn’t see Su Jiyai, but they could hear her clearly.

Her voice came from the speaker, calm and polite.

"I have reviewed your joint proposal. Each of you wants to join Hope Base along with your people, but also keep your titles and rule your groups as independent leaders. Correct?"

The base leaders looked at each other and nodded.

One of them spoke into the mic,

"Yes, Boss Su. We want to contribute, follow your base rules, but still manage our own people as we’ve always done."

Su Jiyai’s voice turned just a little firmer.

"Unfortunately, Hope Base does not accept separate leadership structures. This is not a loose alliance. You are welcome to join, but only as tenants of the base. There can be no dual rule."

A heavy silence filled the room.

Some leaders lowered their heads. Others looked frustrated but didn’t dare argue.

But right then—ding!—a soft chime rang through Su Jiyai’s control room.

A blue square popped up in front of her eyes.

System Notification:

[A new base feature has been unlocked: Clubs

Clubs allow the creation of dedicated buildings for specific community groups. Each club can have its own leader and inner group rules, but must fully belong to the Hope Base system. All club members must accept Su Jiyai as the true base leader. Also, they will have to give you a membership fee every month.]

Su Jiyai blinked, then smiled slowly.

"Interesting timing..." she murmured.

She picked up the mic again and spoke calmly to the people in the conference room. "Actually... something new just happened."

The leaders perked up.

"There is a fresh feature now active in Hope Base. It’s called Clubs. Think of them as special buildings where your group can live together, have your own customs, manage daily matters, and even have a leader among yourselves."

She paused for effect, then added,

"But—" her tone turned serious, "—all clubs are still part of Hope Base. That means I am the base leader, and your clubs must follow the base’s main laws and contribute equally."

The leaders began whispering among themselves excitedly.

"So we can still stay together?" one asked.

"Yes," Su Jiyai replied smoothly. "You may keep your people close. But there will be no second leaders in this base. You’re either part of Hope Base... or not at all. Also, you will have to give me a membership fees."

"How much?" One of the base leaders asked curiously.

"10 million coins per month plus the rent of the building you are living in." Su Jiyai said.

The room went quiet.

Really quiet. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

All the base leaders blinked at the speaker like they had just heard the wrong number. A few of them leaned toward each other, whispering fast and worried.

"Ten... million?" one of them finally said. "Boss Su, isn’t that a little too much?"

Su Jiyai tilted her head, sipping her tea with a calm face. She spoke again, voice steady and a little cold.

"You asked to keep your people together. You asked for your own rules, your own mini-leader, and a whole building for your group. That takes space, food, electricity, water, protection—resources from Hope Base."

She paused and gave them a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

"Clubs are a privilege, not a right. If you can’t afford it, you’re welcome to join like everyone else—as normal tenants."

One man grumbled under his breath. "It’s like buying a tiny kingdom..."

Su Jiyai heard him. "Exactly. And every kingdom must pay its tax."

A younger leader stood up. He looked unsure, but he spoke anyway. "Boss Su... what if we pay a smaller fee? We can’t all collect that kind of money every month. We’re just trying to protect our people."

Su Jiyai’s eyes didn’t change. "Hope Base protects people, too. That’s why we don’t accept disorganized power games. If I let everyone make their own rules, this base will break in a week."

She leaned forward in her chair, even though they couldn’t see her.

"I’ll make it simple," she said. "You can either:

A. Join Hope Base as normal tenants. No extra payments. Just follow our laws.

B. Join as a Club. Keep your group and your leader, but pay 10 million coins every month, plus rent.

Or C. Walk away."

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