It was indeed a reasonable thought: only in situations of inadequate combat strength would they allow these survivors to join the battle.
Due to the strict information blockade imposed by the Red Alert Base, these survivors were unaware of the situation outside. They believed that the army was engaged in a challenging struggle against the Zerg.
Many of the willing individuals who wanted to enlist were all met with rejection; Red Alert Base had no shortage of manpower.
Lu Gang's lips quivered, but he ultimately refrained from voicing his doubts. He knew that the young man before him held the power of life and death over everyone. If he wanted someone dead, that person would have to die!
Besides, as long as he wasn't the one sent into battle, he was fine with it. With his authority, he could easily make it happen.
"I understand. I'll inform them immediately," Lu Gang said.
Ju Ling and Tanya didn't quite comprehend Su Chen's actions, but Yun Ru had a faint inkling of what was happening. She didn't object; if this unconventional approach could lead to uncovering the hidden mastermind behind all of this, it was worth it.
Su Chen's thinking was straightforward. Since the other party wanted to observe discreetly, they wouldn't easily reveal their identity. However, once they died, they would lose their opportunity to observe, which clearly didn't align with their original intentions.
So, there was a possibility that, in a life-and-death situation, they would unavoidably expose their true strength and identity. When that happened, Su Chen would be the first to discover their presence and then... negotiate.
They could probably wipe everyone out before even making a move, right?
If this operation didn't reveal the identity of this person, Su Chen would have to temporarily give up.
As for leaving this planet, that was impossible. The existence of the Space Channel had left Su Chen with no way out.
Sure enough, when Lu Gang passed on this message, it caused a panic.
"Lord Lu, did Commander really say that? Does it mean our army can't hold on any longer?" someone asked anxiously.
All the survivors lived together, forming a city, and Lu Gang was the Lord of this city. All previous systems had been abolished, and they had a new hierarchy.
"Commander did not specify the exact situation, but I've thought about it carefully. It might not be as it seems," Lu Gang replied.
Initially, Lu Gang's assumption was that the Red Alert Base might not be able to defeat the Zerg. However, on their way here, he saw no fear on the faces of the soldiers around him. Everything seemed normal, and he believed that Commander's actions must have had another purpose.
"How so?" Everyone looked at Lu Gang, awaiting his explanation.
"The reason is simple. You are all survivors from various places. If the army couldn't reach that area, would they have been able to rescue you? Such a massive operation, the Zerg couldn't have missed it. But did any of you see any Zerg on your way out?"
As they thought about it, it was true.
"To achieve this, I believe that the Red Alert Base, even if it hasn't completely defeated the Zerg, is probably not far from it. The strength of this army is more formidable than we imagined. To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that they are all humans, I would even suspect... they might be extraterrestrial beings!"
Laughter filled the gathering. Humanity had always yearned to discover extraterrestrial life, but they had never actually seen any aliens. Well, except for the Zerg, who could arguably be considered extraterrestrial.
To say that the army protecting them were extraterrestrial beings was something no one believed.
Lu Gang himself couldn't believe it either. His casually spoken words had turned out to be the truth!
"In general, Commander might want us to understand that protecting this planet requires more than just soldiers; it also requires us. After all, to have survived until now, there can't be many weaklings among us," Lu Gang's gaze swept across the people around him.
The corners of their mouths quirked up; there was truth in his words. Those who had managed to survive until now were far from ordinary.
"But when it comes to going into battle against the Zerg, can our weapons really handle them?" someone questioned.
"Idiot! Our weapons might not be up to the task, but you've seen the weapons from Red Alert Base, right? Even a regular AK-47 can penetrate the thick Zerg carapace, not to mention those shells that can blow up those massive Zerg. Do you think it's feasible?"
"Weapons-wise, I'm not worried. But I'm concerned that some people might cause trouble behind the scenes. After all, not everyone wants to go to the battlefield," someone sighed.
Lu Gang's eyes flashed with a cold light. "If those people don't cooperate, you know what to do."
Soon, a group of representatives was selected to gather in a square and start a live broadcast so that all the survivors in the city could see what was happening.
"Just now, Commander issued a new order. All survivors must take up weapons and join the fight. Those who refuse to fight will no longer enjoy any benefits and will be expelled from here, left to fend for themselves."
Instantly, the crowd below erupted in uproar. They hadn't expected Lu Gang to come out and deliver such a bombshell.
Seeing the chaotic scene, Lu Gang immediately sent his subordinates to quell it. As the people glanced at the firearms they had just received, they hesitated.
"I've already explained the consequences. But as long as you go into battle, just like the soldiers, you can earn military merit, which can be exchanged for many things at the Red Alert headquarters. You can take a look for yourselves. If anyone doesn't want to go into battle, they can leave right now."
Lu Gang gave these people ten minutes to think it over. When the ten minutes were up, everyone who stayed would receive an issued AK-47. However, a very small number of people still didn't want to go into battle and didn't want to leave either.
Facing these individuals, Lu Gang had them all escorted outside. This made the people who held weapons feel fortunate that they hadn't made a foolish decision.
However, with so many people, conflicts were bound to arise. Some individuals felt more confident with guns in their hands.
A bald, burly man stood in front of Lu Gang, a sinister smile on his face. "Old man, you won't live much longer. You might as well give up your position as City Lord voluntarily, or should I take it by force?"
Surprisingly, there were hundreds of people standing behind the bald man!
It was clear that the bald man, Jinya, had harbored intentions for a while. Lu Gang wasn't surprised by this.
"Jinya, do you know what you're doing?" Lu Gang's face showed no signs of fear.
Jinya, the bald man, was visibly annoyed. He had a gun in his hand, and yet, this old man dared to be so cocky?
Suddenly, Jinya opened fire, and the firepower of the AK-47 erupted! (To be continued...)
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