Chapter 317: Chapter 316: It’s a Good Thing (Please Subscribe)
In the blink of an eye, a quarter of an hour was about to pass.
Under the city tower, it was overcrowded; not even a single bird, let alone a fly, could hope to fly through.
The nearly thirty-meter high city wall caused many to strain their necks until stiff.
Even so, there were still people who glanced upwards occasionally, hoping to see when the main figures would appear.
Suddenly, the noisy clamor vanished instantly.
Because atop the city gate, at some unknown point, a few figures appeared, standing conspicuously among the uniformed guards surrounding them.
"It’s the Awakeners!"
Someone said.
Whoosh.
Groups of people knelt down in swathes, within less than three seconds, four to fifty thousand people knelt on the ground, their eyes staring at the earth below, not daring to make a sound.
Even children as young as three or four did the same.
The several D-level Awakeners on the city wall exchanged glances, pride gleaming in their eyes.
In the eyes of ordinary people, they were gods!
The leading figure was none other than Hua Jun.
Looking at the tens of thousands kneeling down, he felt a sense of light-headedness.
This was the Awakener, holding the power of life and death over ordinary people. It’s no exaggeration to say, even if he were to kill hundreds or thousands in front of them now, the rest wouldn’t dare to do anything about it.
However, when the image of a stern figure flashed through his mind, a chill went down his spine, and he had a foreboding feeling that if he did that, Chairman Li would never let him off.
"Ahem."
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Li Ping cleared his throat and said, "Rise, all of you."
The crowd below was stunned.
It seemed like they hadn’t heard clearly, or perhaps they had, but did not dare to rise.
"Are you deaf? The Chairman asks you to get up!"
An Awakener shouted loudly from behind.
His voice spread throughout the area, and only then did the crowd stand up trembling, eyes full of dread, looking at the few on the city wall.
"Today we’ve gathered you here to announce something, something great for you," Hua Jun said.
The people below looked at each other, faces filled with suspicion.
Their feelings towards Awakeners consisted mostly of fear; they did not expect any benefits from them. As long as those Awakeners in the city didn’t trouble them, they would be grateful.
Something great from the Chairman to them might not necessarily be a great thing.
"Before we begin, remember one person, our Awakened Association’s Chairman Li, got it?"
There was a brief silence before scattered voices echoed.
"Got it, Chairman Li."
"Chairman Li."
"Even if you haven’t remembered, you will from now on." Hua Jun’s gaze swept over everyone.
Under his gaze, everyone, regardless of age or gender, was trembling, including Lin Hui and others.
"Alright, now I’ll say the main matter, listen carefully. From now on, all of you no longer need to live outside the city."
"What! No need to live outside the city?"
"If we don’t live outside, where do we live?"
"Is the Chairman going to drive us away?"
Upon hearing this, it felt like the sky was falling for the crowd.
Many among them had exhausted their savings to establish themselves in the outside settlements.
Yet now, the Awakeners in the city, with just one word, were turning everything they had into nothing, stripping them of their foothold, and what awaited them next was self-evident.
Even so, they dared not complain, instead pleading incessantly, and a large number knelt down again, continually kowtowing towards the walls.
Some guards atop the wall were inwardly pleased.
They had long disliked these outsiders who frequently entered the city.
Driving these refugees away would make their work much easier.
Several D-level Awakeners were puzzled.
What’s going on?
Why isn’t the Chairman saying the end part?
Hua Jun looked at the crowd kneeling again, his lips tightly shut.
Yes, he did it on purpose.
People don’t cherish things they obtain easily; if he were to simply tell them, they might feel grateful but not overly so.
So, he intended to plunge them into despair before lifting them to the heights, ensuring they would never forget the Chairman’s benevolence till their dying days.
Though the Chairman didn’t specifically instruct this, as his subordinate, he had to consider it.
"Please, Chairman, allow us to stay?"
"We’ll do anything as long as you don’t drive us away."
"Chairman, if we leave here, we’ll be homeless and doomed. Please, have mercy on us."
Wails echoed to the heavens, heart-wrenching and tear-inducing.
"That’s enough."
Feeling the time was right, Hua Jun signaled an Awakener beside him.
"Quiet!"
As the man spoke, his voice drowned out everyone at the scene.
In a flash, silence fell, nobody daring to make a sound, looking pleadingly at the figure on the wall.
"I haven’t finished speaking. Why are you all crying?"
Hua Jun said in displeasure.
"Indeed, from today, you can no longer live outside the city, but there is more to the sentence."
"More to the sentence?"
Thousands looked at each other in confusion.
"Yes, the rest is, after I finish this statement, all of you should pack up and move into the city."
As his words fell, those inside the city, the guards on the wall, and the outsiders below were stunned, time seemed to freeze.
"Indeed, you heard correctly, and I am not joking with you."
Hua Jun continued, "Honestly, you wouldn’t be qualified to move to the city. Don’t believe me? Ask people from other cities what price they must pay to move inside.
But our Chairman Li is compassionate and can’t bear to see you suffer outside. He’s willing to let you move into the city for free. This is why I gathered you here, understood?"
Not a sound came from below.
They couldn’t believe such good fortune would fall upon them.
Just then, someone gathered the courage and asked, "Chairman, is it true? Can we really move in for free?"
"Do you think I need to deceive you?" Hua Jun sneered.
He scanned the crowd and said, "I will say it one last time; soon, someone will come to guide you. Everyone, regardless of age or gender, can move into Anshan City without paying anything,
because this is Chairman Li’s gift to you. If anyone refuses, it’s voluntary, but once inside, everyone must follow the rules, otherwise, face the consequences!"
With that, Hua Jun turned and disappeared from sight.
"You heard it, go pack up."
"Remember to thank Chairman Li properly, or you wouldn’t have this chance."
"Go on, quickly."
Several D-level Awakeners gave brief instructions and left the wall.
However, the crowd remained in shock.
They couldn’t believe it was true; that they could actually move into the city?
Is this a trick?
Impossible, these were Awakeners after all, and many witnessed it.
Is it a trap?
With the Awakeners’ power, why would they need such methods to harm them?
Was it truly Chairman Li’s generosity, letting them move into the city?
"Thank you, Chairman Li! Thank you, Chairman Li!"
Someone realized and began to kowtow and shout.
Others followed suit, desperately kowtowing.
Inside the city, the safety level alone was ten times better than outside!
Not to mention living conditions.
They had worked hard outside, risking their lives hunting to save enough money, hoping for qualification to live inside the city.
But now, Chairman Li was giving them city residence en masse for free, how could they not be grateful?
Tens of thousands shouted Chairman Li’s name, the voices persisting endlessly.
Even Lin Hui’s eyes were filled with tears.
Of course, not everyone thought that way.
Many inside the city were stunned, minds blank.
Those refugees outside could also move in? And without any cost?
Impossible, impossible!
Outside, hidden in the dark, a few people were stunned.
"Brother,"
Bearded man turned wide-eyed, asked, "Am I dreaming? Or hallucinating? Li Ping is letting outsiders move inside?"
"I heard it too." The woman swallowed nervously as she listened to the tsunami-like chanting ahead. "These are ordinary people; even martial artists don’t matter much. Why move them inside without charge?"
"Indeed, and for free." The fat man bit into some beast meat.
"I have no idea either."
Xie Ming’s face showed confusion.
Not to mention anything else, letting so many outsiders in for free, how would the insiders react? Did Chairman Li consider this?
Moreover, there’s no need! Ordinary people dying outside, what’s the big deal?
Only Third Brother was excited, "Brother, Chairman Li doing this is immensely beneficial for us!"