EDEH Chapter 93.2

“…”

If Huo Yanji died, there would certainly be turbulence, but after so many conflicts and hardships, would the people still be so fragile?

Ling Gen couldn’t help saying: “Are you really not worried at all? General Huo is your biological younger brother.”

“He never acknowledged me as his brother.” Huo Jiangmian smiled mockingly: “Besides, what use is worry?”

Ling Gen: “…”

Fu Xi, who had been reinstated, tried to change the subject: “There are quite a few people gathered in the square now, demanding restoration of the supervisor system. What do you think?”

Everyone whispered and expressed opinions.

Ling Gen, being a deviant, exhaled lightly and closed his eyes: “Setting everything else aside, deviants not having monthly checks won’t work—it easily causes unnecessary casualties.”

“All these years the people didn’t understand, but we saw that after General Huo took office, city order got better year by year.”

Tang Bai snorted coldly: “If we’d implemented General Huo’s proposal earlier and inserted protective steel plates under the city walls, this casualty could have been avoided. The main gate only cracked less than fifty meters of outer wall, with much fewer military casualties.”

Fu Xi smiled bitterly: “That couldn’t be helped. Initially the council blocked the proposal from passing, then when it passed, developing underground required too much human resources—there really wasn’t capacity.”

“Forget it, don’t keep dwelling on old matters. Think positively—fortunately most of the city walls already had protective steel plates installed underground, which prevented complete annihilation.”

“General Huo really had foresight… just like the wilderness aid stations. I really think they can be expanded on a large scale. Humanity can’t always cower in safe zones.”

“So should the supervisor organization be rebuilt or not? Public opinion is divided…”

“How about this—let’s vote to understand everyone’s opinions first.”

Huo Jiangmian leaned back in his chair, saying nothing, coldly observing.

The voting results were surprisingly half split between agreement and opposition, and most of those in favor were actually deviant higher-ups. They knew deeply the harm caused when deviants fell into chaos, so even knowing the supervisors’ existence had always proclaimed former illusory beliefs and lies, they still hoped Huo Yanji could return to his original position.

Major General Isaac said: “But even if we restore the supervisor system, it’s only under the premise that General Huo is still alive. After all, what the people want now is supervisors led by General Huo, not others.”

“That’s true…”

Tang Bai said: “I still disagree with restoring the supervisor system. What does this make of General Huo’s previous words? Childish talk, a joke? Don’t let it backfire—the people might think everything before was just an act. A new order system has already begun to be established. The monthly deviant checks can be reconsidered, but the supervisor system cannot be restored—it was an organization built on the foundation of the Dawn Plan!

“We sit in these positions and can ignore lies and shame, but the deviants below are also your people. You must treat them as human!”

Tang Bai’s words were sharp, directly addressing the core issue.

Plainly speaking, they still treated deviants as sacrificial offerings without continuation, including the deviant higher-ups themselves.

They had already accepted reality, even accepting it on behalf of ordinary deviant citizens.

After a long while, Ling Gen said: “Then if General Huo is still alive and the new order department construction is completed, should he still manage it?”

Someone questioned: “Won’t this make residents think the new department is just supervisors in a different shell?”

“Probably not. Didn’t we say deviants can also enter the new department? As long as recruitment isn’t biased and the ratio of deviants to ordinary people is consistent, no one will question it.”

“When we have news of General Huo, we still need to discuss monthly checks with him. We can’t ignore those who lose control and those infected…”

Just as everyone was chatting heatedly, Huo Jiangmian suddenly stood up, his chair making a loud “bang” against the table.

Everyone instantly fell silent.

They unanimously remembered Huo Jiangmian’s previous statement—equally despising all humans including himself.

But in this battle, Huo Jiangmian, who had already staged his death, still turned back halfway to stabilize the situation, making people momentarily think his previous words were just jokes.

Huo Jiangmian had already reached the door, a flash of disgust in his eyes.

He was even too lazy to pretend to smile: “The ones you treat least like humans aren’t the people, aren’t the deviants, but Huo Yanji. He’s a person with only twenty-four hours in a day and only a few decades of life. How do you have the face to put all the burdens you can’t bear on his shoulders?

“What, will humanity be finished without Huo Yanji maintaining order?”

“…”

Huo Jiangmian looked back, coldly scanning everyone: “If he’s still alive, the time he’s been missing is probably the most relaxed he’s lived.”

“…”

The conference room was silent. With a “bang,” Huo Jiangmian slammed the door and strode away, his cold footsteps disappearing in the outer corridor.

The others looked at each other. After a long while, the old general rubbed his wrinkled brow: “Let’s first announce the manor and Yanji’s disappearance.”

“Yes.”

“What about General Huo? Reinstate him or…”

The old general lowered his eyes and sighed: “I’d like to reinstate him, but he has to be willing.”

On the third day after the battle victory at noon, all building television screens in still-safe areas began a live broadcast of a reporter entering a manor.

Everyone saw what the manor looked like inside—not what they had imagined. There was no lawn for recreation and sports, no entertainment facilities, no swimming pool, no golden palatial houses… only wall after wall engraved with the names of the sacrificed.

The reporter’s camera passed over name after name of the sacrificed. She didn’t speak, and the manor was very quiet, only the sound of wind blowing could be heard, like whispers of the dead.

Everyone who saw this stopped what they were doing. Some watched old televisions at home, others stopped under tall buildings, staring at the big screens without daring to blink, looking at those unfamiliar or familiar names.

A deviant suddenly stared in disbelief when seeing a certain name in the camera, excited tears streaming down: “That’s my lover! Do you know that’s my lover!! His name is Lin Zhen, born in year 296, died in year 317! No, no, he didn’t die—he sacrificed—”

Many people didn’t know that all personnel who sacrificed in the city had detailed lists, which would be compiled and passed through supervisors’ hands, finally reaching Huo Yanji for personal review.

Then if there was time, Huo Yanji would work with informed supervisors to carve new names on the manor’s columbarium walls.

At this moment, all residents’ breathing was constricted, looking at name after name—strange or somewhat heard of—unknowingly becoming teary-eyed.

Previously there were no graves, no funerals. They had treated death as commonplace, long numb.

Now seeing these lists of the sacrificed, their hearts seemed suddenly pierced by something, aching terribly.

The big screen camera continued. The columbarium walls for the sacrificed seemed endless, name after name in a length that even photographic memory couldn’t retain.

Only then did they clearly realize how much humanity had already sacrificed for the dawn.

A deviant who had entered the manor during the antlion battle wiped his eyes and boasted to those around him with apparent pride: “Let me tell you, I was in the manor just a few days ago. That manor was defended by me!”

“Look at you bragging. You alone could defend it?”

“At least I did my part!”

…

At the same time, the old general’s hoarse voice came over the broadcast: “You all must have seen it. All these years, regardless of others’ motives, at least General Huo has been wholeheartedly devoted to us, working tirelessly until death.

“But now, General Huo faces danger—

“I apologize for concealing this from everyone before. General Huo is actually not in the city. When he learned that the main city was under attack, General Huo immediately dispatched troops back to support the city, but he himself became trapped in a mountain fire while investigating the underground city incident. His fate is currently unknown.”

The entire city was in uproar.

Besides the sensation caused by General Huo’s disappearance, the hint about trouble in the underground city also brought underlying unease.

Though people didn’t yet know what had happened to the underground city, they all felt an urgent sense of impending storm.

However, things didn’t develop as the higher-ups had imagined—the people were far stronger than they had expected.

First, within an hour of announcing Huo Yanji’s distress, a spontaneous search and rescue team formed in the city, requesting to go support the underground city.

Wei Lan, who was already prepared to depart, had to stop and discuss with others whether it was necessary to bring ordinary mercenaries.

“Searching for the general doesn’t require too many people,” Wei Lan said calmly. “We’re going to handle the underground city’s hidden dangers. Perhaps it won’t be long before the underground city residents have to move to the surface.”

“Do you know what happened to the underground city?” Ling Gen, still completely unaware, asked in surprise.

Wei Lan slowly explained: “When the general reached the underground city, he sent us a message telling us to prepare for action, but didn’t specify the nature of the underground city’s disaster.”

“What exactly happened?”

The old general closed his eyes, having suspected for some time: “Yanji encountered the mountain fire on his way to the solar base station… It’s nothing more than problems with the underground city’s magnetic field. Radiation, disease… probably one of those.”

“Thinking of the worst outcome, the underground city may no longer be able to provide new ‘seeds’ like before.”

Fu Xi hesitated: “But the number of residents the underground city has provided to the safe zones hasn’t decreased these past few years…”

The old general was silent for a moment: “So I suspect the ones affected are all newborns.”

“…”

Underground city children are only sent to live on the surface at age twelve. If it was truly due to disaster aftermath from that solar storm six or seven years ago, and newborns were affected by radiation or magnetic fields, it would mean that at most in five or six years, humanity’s new generation would be cut off.

From now on, every additional person sacrificed would mean one less hope for humanity.

This speculation was too heavy. Everyone felt weighted down and fell silent.

Wei Lan calmly stood up and saluted: “Sorry everyone, I must lead the team to depart for the underground city. Please comfort the people’s emotions. The most important thing now is post-disaster reconstruction. As for the general—”

“Knock knock.” Urgent knocking suddenly came from outside the conference room.

It was Liao Te, who had been maintaining order. Without waiting for a response, he pushed the door open, his mouth corner distorted by terrible scars twitching: “One good news, one bad news.”

“…What’s the bad news?”

Liao Te said hoarsely: “The rift near District Five has erupted. Within a week, we’ll likely face a monster wave attack. Major General Murphy has sent a support request.”

After supporting District Seven last time, Murphy had experienced a series of events and accumulated achievements, being promoted to major general a month ago.

“…And the good news?”

“General Huo is safe and has already joined the underground city search and rescue team—”

Before Liao Te could finish, Ling Gen pushed past him and rushed toward the communications room like the wind.

Liao Te completed the second half of his sentence to the others: “…General Huo’s companion Sang Jue somehow also appeared in the underground city.”

The old general suddenly looked up: “Wasn’t Sang Jue supposed to be dead?”

In front of the communications room, Ling Gen steeled himself and took the headset from a soldier, taking a deep breath: “General Huo, very glad you’re still alive.”

Huo Yanji’s crisp voice came through: “Mm, how’s the city?”

“Not bad. Your troops provided timely support, with much fewer casualties than expected. But…” Ling Gen closed his eyes, “Sang Jue had an accident a few days ago, no remains left… please accept my condolences.”

“…” There was an eerie silence on the other end.

“I didn’t do it, no one in the city did it, I can guarantee that.” Ling Gen gritted his teeth: “But I won’t shirk responsibility either. It was indeed my poor management of militia recruitment that allowed Sang Jue to mix into the deviant team and reach the surface where he fell into danger. Whether you want to kill or punish me is up to you.”

Outside the Thousand Wolf Mountains, in the search and rescue tent.

Sang Jue, who had just cleaned himself, still stubbornly insisted on wearing Huo Yanji’s clothes. Since everyone’s clothes didn’t fit anyway, his wife’s clothes smelled better.

Standing in front of Huo Yanji, his two legs were straight and pale. The shirt could have covered half his buttocks, but was lifted by a tail, revealing the hidden scenery completely.

Sang Jue was waiting for Huo Yanji to hand him pants. Seeing him on a call, he didn’t speak out, just tilted his head curiously as if asking what was wrong.

Huo Yanji threw aside the prepared pants, stepped forward to scoop up Sang Jue with one hand, and directly hung up the call, his slightly rough fingertips parting Sang Jue’s lips.

Ling Gen only heard two “beep” sounds and felt uncertain, saying to the crowd behind him: “Sang Jue is dead… General Huo won’t do something drastic, will he?”

“…”

**