“What should we do now?”
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances as they surveyed the eerily silent supermarket, unsure of their next move.
“Here’s what we’ll do…”
After a moment’s thought, Chen Chen, the group’s leader, spoke up:
“First, send a few people in to scout the area. If there’s any danger, they’ll retreat immediately. The rest will stay here on standby. If it’s safe, we’ll all go in together to gather supplies. How does that sound?”
“That’s a great idea!”
Zhao Zitian was the first to raise his hand in agreement as soon as Chen Chen finished speaking.
“Chen Chen, isn’t that unfair to the students taking the risk?”
Song Xue’er frowned, her voice laced with disapproval.
“Xue’er, you can’t think like that. If there’s real danger inside and we all go in, what if we suffer heavy losses? At most… we can give those who enter a larger share of the food later.”
“But…”
Song Xue’er seemed ready to argue further.
“Enough, Xue’er. Sacrifices are inevitable when securing supplies. I’m the chairman—this is my decision.”
Repeatedly contradicted by Song Xue’er, Chen Chen couldn’t help feeling irritated.
He liked her, but only for her looks and family background.
That didn’t mean he had to indulge her at every turn.
He was the chairman, the leader of this group.
Anyone who defied him—except Song Xue’er-had died without exception…
His gaze drifted to Lin Mo, who had remained silent in the group.
“But since you brought it up, Xue’er, I’ve thought of something else. This mission is extremely dangerous, so we should send in students with better combat skills-like that Lin Mo from yesterday. Don’t you agree?”
“Chen Chen, you…!”
Song Xue’er stared at him in disbelief.
His words were clearly targeted, and she wasn’t foolish enough to miss it.
“What about me?”
Chen Chen smiled faintly in response.
“Lin Mo is exceptionally skilled—you said so yourself. As the saying goes, with great power comes great responsibility. Since Lin Mo is so capable, shouldn’t he contribute more to the group? And Wang Zihao, Zhao Xin, and you…”
Chen Chen pointed at seven or eight people in succession-all those who had opposed him or held grudges against him.
His intention was obvious: to eliminate dissent.
“Hmph. A bunch of trash daring to defy me? Then go die! This apocalypse is a golden opportunity for me. Once these obstacles are gone, this group will be entirely under my control.
Then… I’ll be king! These schoolgirls will be mine to play with as I please. And you, Song Xue’er- you’ll submit to me whether you like it or not…”
Narrowing his eyes, Chen Chen lost himself in fantasies of the future, already envisioning Song Xue’er’s despairing expression as she struggled beneath him…
“Chen Chen, if you say that with great power comes great responsibility, then why don’t you go yourself and instead send these classmates?”
Song Xue’er grew increasingly furious.
She felt Chen Chen had changed the old him, though arrogant, had been kind to their classmates.
But ever since the apocalypse arrived, he’d become more selfish, more authoritarian…
“Chairman Chen Chen is the core of our team-how could we let him take such risks? Just as the general is the backbone of an army, he’s our pillar of strength. Don’t you understand this basic principle?”
Without Chen Chen needing to speak, Zhao Zitian immediately stepped in to defend him.
Many around them quickly voiced agreement, including a figure Lin Mo found strangely familiar—Zhang Yu.
“You… Chen Chen, you’ve changed!”
Song Xue’er stared at him, her dislike for this person growing by the minute.
“Changed? How have I changed?”
Chen Chen chuckled. This was who he’d always been-what change was there to speak of?
“Alright, alright, we’re all classmates here—no need for such conflict. Lin Mo, and the rest of you, since Chairman Chen has made his decision, it shows his trust in you. You should head in quickly. This is for everyone’s benefit, isn’t it?”
At this moment, Zhang Yu, who’d been blending into the crowd, stepped forward.
Adopting a tone of earnest wisdom, he made it seem as though Lin Mo and the others were causing trouble by refusing to prioritize the collective good.