Ling Xuan nodded slowly, a faint look of satisfaction passing through her eyes. Things had gone more smoothly than she had expected.
"At ease." She said.
The n straightened instinctively, their weapons lowering just a fraction. Their eyes studied Enzo’s expression as they could not figure out the sudden change in power.
Enzo had been running the organization for more than twenty years now, how could he easily step down from power? They all wondered.
"From today onward, I’ll be the head of this organisation, and Enzo will remain second in command." She said, her gaze sweeping across the room, a ripple of unease passed through the crowd, but no one spoke.
"As your new leader," she continued, "I’ll give you three things. Protection, shelter, and power." Ling Xuan said, her sharp gaze studying their expressions.
Her words finally caught their attention.
Ling Xuan paused, letting the words sink in before turning her head toward Enzo. He had just pushed himself upright, his breathing uneven, his body still stiff from the earlier exchange.
Before he could fully react, Ling Xuan stepped close. Her hand moved fast, gripping his jaw and forcing his mouth open while her other hand pressed a small capsule past his lips. She tilted his head back sharply and covered his mouth until he swallowed.
The entire action took less than two seconds.
By the ti the n reacted, it was already over.
Enzo stumbled back, coughing harshly as he glared at her, fury blazing in his eyes. "What did you just give ?" he demanded, his voice low and strained.
Ling Xuan leaned in close enough that only he could hear her.
"Poison." Ling Xuan whispered. "I don’t trust you, this is the only way to keep you in check. You’ll get the antidote every month... miss it and you suffer a very painful death." Ling Xuan added calmly.
Enzo’s face twisted in anger, his jaw clenched so tightly that it beca sharp.
She stepped back and turned to face the rest of the room before he could speak again.
"I don’t expect blind loyalty," Ling Xuan said, her tone firm but controlled. "I expect results. Those who follow will live, and those who don’t... I don’t need to spell that out, do I?"
Murmurs broke out among the n, the tension rising again.
"You all are aware of the situation right now," she went on. "The extre heat wave, has destroyed thousands of crops, leading to famine. Houses burnt, and lives lost."
Ling Xuan continued. "You all must have heard about the rumours of the world coming to an end." She paused. "It’s not just a rumour, it’s real."
Chatters echoed through the room as the n discussed amongst themselves. They knew the heat wave was strange, but the world was coming to an end, that they didn’t believe.
"The world you know is collapsing," she continued. "Money, status, laws, none of it will matter soon. What will matter is strength, resources, and preparation."
She gestured slowly around the underground base.
"You are mafias," she said bluntly. "You know how to fight, and how to survive in perilous tis. That already puts you ahead of most people."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"In the coming chaos, this is your chance to rise, not as scrap collectors. But as the ones who control territories, supplies, and power."
One of the n finally spoke, his voice cautious. "And why should we believe you?"
Ling Xuan t his gaze without hesitation.
"Because the signs have already started," she said. "And because I am already preparing. This is a golden opportunity for you all."
She turned slightly, her expression cold and unwavering.
"My base is already under construction. Supplies are already secured."
She paused.
"Follow , and you survive long enough to take what the new world offers. Refuse, and you’ll be fighting over scraps with everyone else."
No one spoke this ti.
Ling Xuan nodded once, satisfied.
"I’ll take that as you all have agreed." She said, "Now, we clean up the house, secure the periter, and identify the traitor among us. Anyone who interferes will be dealt with imdiately."
Her gaze flicked briefly toward Enzo.
"This organization is changing locations tonight, or else we risk another attack, take the injured and get them treated, as for the dead, bury them with respect."
Enzo’s hands tightened by his sides as he nodded. He imdiately barked orders for the n to follow.
....
After Ling Xuan had established her position, she drove straight to the warehouse. It was early evening now.
Laurel who had been watching everything finally realized how much difference they had.
"Sister Ling Xuan, I thought we were only going to recruit people with awakened powers?" Laurel asked inside her head.
Ling Xuan parked the car at the right outside the valley. "We are, but what we need first is security. We don’t even know who is going to awaken their powers, I’d suggest we start taking them in after the apocalypse. In that way, they would stay loyal if we save them in the face of a crisis."
Laurel thought for a while. "I agree with you, but I can’t stop pondering on your choice of taking the mafia as yours, we could easily get Alexander or Chris to assign soldiers to protect our base."
Ling Xuan’s eyes darkened slightly. "That is their own manpower and they answer to them. If we want to be independent and unstoppable, we need a force we can call our own.
And you should know never to trust anyone, be it friends or family. They can easily snitch on you.
If Chris and Alexander’s manpower is stationed in our base, if they want to usurp control, they can easily do so. But with our own force, it wouldn’t be easy for them or anyone to do so."
Laurel kept quiet for a mont.
When Ling Xuan got to the entrance of the valley, a huge wall surrounded it, stretching far to the periter. The height was about 10 ters, and the towers were half-built.
A huge tal gate stood at 10 ters high, it was intimidating and impregnable.
Ling Xuan curtly nodded her head in satisfaction.
[Ti remaining: 24:30:12]
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