Wherever there are densely populated settlements, there is always a plaza.
Cities have their municipal plazas.
Villages and towns have their central squares.
Long ago, when communication was underdeveloped, plazas served as gathering places for residents—spacious enough for the speaker’s voice to carry to the farthest corners.
The Ancient Burial District also had a small plaza, located between the Xinhuo Encampment and Wu Xiaomi’s home.
As previously arranged, the new members were gathered in the plaza.
“Thank you all for your hard work. Please wait here for a moment; the Commander has something to say to everyone.”
The journey to the Ancient Burial District had not been peaceful. Most were dusty and weary, some bearing wounds.
A breakfast stall was set up at the edge of the plaza, offering food to these travelers.
Discounts were available, but nothing was free.
“Here I come~”
Kang Jie arrived at the plaza in quick, small steps, grinning cheerfully.
He stumbled once in the middle, nearly face-planting.
He glanced at the time.
Noon—just right.
“Hello everyone!” He waved. “You all should know me by now. I’m Kang Jie, currently acting as the Xinhuo Commander—basically the person in charge around here.”
The crowd responded with awkward smiles.
Among them, Syndicate’s assassin Xie Luote quietly raised a hand.
Hidden beneath his clothes was a powerful crossbow.
“Hm~ I’m not sure when any of you assassins might make a move, so I’ll keep this brief.”
Kang Jie smiled kindly as he swept his gaze over the audience.
His eyes landed on Xie Luote.
Suddenly, a cold sweat broke out on Xie Luote’s back.
—He knows?!
“First, let me briefly introduce the Ancient Burial District.”
“The district is made up of four strategy groups: Xinhuo, Bi An, Arche, and Jifeng. Yes, just these four—no Syndicate.”
“Welcome to this place. You’ve already seen how different the Ancient Burial District is compared to outside.”
“I believe that as long as you’re a sane Earthling, none of you would like the outside world.”
The crowd chuckled.
Indeed.
“Getting the Ancient Burial District to where it is today was no easy feat. We have Niao Xiaomi to thank—she preserved the flame and eradicated the Syndicate’s budding threat, buying us the time to build.”
“I sincerely hope that every strategist who arrives here can share in these peaceful days with us.”
“Unfortunately…”
Kang Jie sighed softly.
“Some don’t want peace.”
“The existence of Xinhuo makes certain people feel ashamed. Because they crave privilege, they want to lead one group to plunder another, to drag us back to the era of slavery.”
“They don’t want to see us band together for warmth; they don’t want to see everyone fighting honorably for their freedom, their survival, and quality of life.”
“They just want to treat us like dogs.”
“So, they can’t stand Xinhuo’s success—they want me dead.”
Kang Jie’s gaze swept over Xie Luote once more.
Xie Luote couldn’t hold back.
He felt completely exposed under that look—his hidden murderous intent betrayed without cover.
The psychological pressure was overwhelming.
His fingers pressed down on the crossbow’s trigger.
Now was not the best moment—there were people in front of him. If he moved to attack, he would have to shift his position, risking alerting others.
But judging by Kang Jie’s expression, he seemed aware of the assassination attempt. If Xie Luote delayed any longer…
At that moment, Kang Jie’s gaze shifted away.
The pressure eased.
Xie Luote breathed a little easier.
“Listen, I don’t care if you’re killers or what you’ve done in the past,” Kang Jie shrugged. “In this damned world, if you want to live, you have to kill. If you don’t kill, someone else will kill you.”
…
“Within human genes remains the instinct of beasts. Deep down, we crave killing, yearning to dominate all.”
“This is the result of natural selection, just as Chade Dawkins expressed in The Selfish Gene—that ‘we are all slaves to our genes; nature has selected our current forms simply because this form best perpetuates our genes. We are all merely reproductive vessels for our genes.’”
The Selfish Gene wasn’t exactly a must-read for a physics teacher.
But Bai Xiaozhi urged him to read more.
When confused, he read it.
“We can’t deny or eliminate our instincts. Like you all, I’ve had many dark thoughts.”
“Danger activates these genes, helping us adapt to this Jungle Law world.”
“So I don’t blame you. I just hope… you’ll stay.”
The man on stage had only one emotion in his eyes.
Sincerity.
Genuine, unvarnished sincerity—like his pristine white shirt, pure and simple.
“No matter what you’ve done before, no matter what your purpose here is—you now have a chance to choose again.”
“You can cage the beast within, discard the flaws left by evolution in our bodies, and from now on, choose the life you want.”
“In exchange, from today on, you will find friends here, comrades who share your ideals.”
“You will never be alone again. You won’t have to wake up in the morning with a knife pressed to your throat, forced to give up your points.”
“You can visit Snack Street, where authentic delicacies from all corners await—tastes of home.”
“For every mission, you will no longer have to go it alone.”
“Here, all your efforts will have great meaning!”
“Stay, and become Xinhuo! You will see fields blooming with flowers, the vast blue sky—we will shape the future we want with our own hands.”
“Not coerced by genes, not enslaved by the world—your future is in your hands!”
…
If Niao Xiaomi were here now, she’d probably yawn endlessly, drowsy.
After all, she’d heard Ar Kang’s pumped-up speeches before.
The first time was pretty good, but after too many, her heart went numb and she’d even want to sleep.
But for these ragged, hungry drifters now…
They didn’t often hear such words.
Suddenly, it was as if a priest had told them: God has forgiven you; you need not suffer nightmares or guilt for your past.
They had thought that in this utopia-like place, they’d be despised, morally condemned for what they had done.
But no.
No one here cared about anyone’s past.
“But what if you die?”
A youth stood up.
His age was about that of a high schooler, but at this moment his hand was hidden inside his clothes, the front of his shirt slightly bulging sharp.
—A crossbow!
Xie Luote’s eyes narrowed.
There were really other assassins here!
“I’ve heard about Xinhuo. The cohesion here exists only because of you. But what if you die?”
The youth shouted with a choked voice, angry.
“If I die, then I die~” Kang Jie replied nonchalantly with a smile, “Look around you—do you think I’m the only one in the Ancient Burial District?”
“You’re wrong. You underestimate the power of a leader.”
“No, you’re wrong. I’m not a leader at all.”
“If not you, then who?”
“Heh~”
Kang Jie drew a short knife.
At the sight of the weapon, the youth panicked and hurriedly pulled the trigger on his crossbow.
A hasty shot, but Kang Jie was prepared—how could it hit?
The bolt was effortlessly deflected by the short knife.
“I said, I’ve never been a leader.”
Kang Jie spoke seriously, raising the short knife high.
Then, before everyone’s stunned eyes—
He drove the blade into his own chest.
“If you don’t believe me… just watch…”