Chapter 124: I Refuse

Seeing the disdain in Cao Fusheng’s eyes, Xun Xin suddenly felt like an idiot. What was he thinking, asking about the man’s gender? Wasn’t it obvious that he was male? It seemed he had gone too long without using his brain.

Xun Xin coughed dryly. “Status.”

“A living person.”

“I mean your status in the old era.”

“Human.”

Xun Xin: “…”

“Are you refusing to cooperate with my work?”

Cao Fusheng’s expression remained calm. “Do those questions really matter?”

“Of course they do. If you’re eventually permitted to remain inside the Pillar of Heaven, this information can serve as the basis for arranging a job for you.”

“As far as I know, there are no so-called jobs inside the Pillar of Heaven. Only Upper Citizens can hold positions and earn contribution points. Lower Citizens can only do chores such as cleaning. They aren’t worthy of jobs that grant contribution points.”

Xun Xin smiled. “So that’s what Chu Wei, the captain of the Action Force, told you?”

Cao Fusheng did not answer, which amounted to an admission.

Xun Xin spread his hands helplessly. “Fine. Next question: Which settlement did you used to belong to? What was its rank? Where was it located? What’s its current condition?”

“I didn’t belong to any settlement.”

The only settlement Cao Fusheng had ever stayed in was the Solitary Land Settlement, and even then, he had remained there for only a few days. He did not consider himself a member of that settlement; it had merely been a temporary refuge.

Besides, he was not particularly familiar with Solitary Land.

Xun Xin stared at him in astonishment. “No settlement? Are you a Wanderer? Have you survived all the way from the beginning of the Ruined Era until now?”

“Yes.”

“Good grief. I haven’t encountered an outsider like you in a long time. I have high hopes for you—you have the potential to become an Upper Citizen.”

“An A- or B-grade bloodline?”

“Chu Wei even told you that?”

“I doubt that counts as particularly important information.”

“Hmm…”

Xun Xin adjusted his train of thought. He had begun to take the man before him seriously. In his own words, Cao Fusheng had piqued his interest.

“If you’ve managed to survive outside for so long, your team must have been fairly large. How many people were there?”

“Not really. A little over a month ago, I was alone. Before entering the Pillar of Heaven, there were four of us besides Chu Wei. One of them just died. You should know that.”

Xun Xin’s pupils contracted. He had been alone a little over a month ago? He had survived in the Ruined Era by himself for a year and a half? What kind of joke was that?

If anyone else had said it, Xun Xin would have dismissed it with contempt. The only person he believed capable of such a feat was Bian Qiu.

After all, Bian Qiu was a man who could tear apart mutants with his bare hands, without relying on genetic drugs or equipment.

In Xun Xin’s words, the man was simply incredible.

Although Xun Xin usually loved provoking the mighty Master Qiu, he genuinely admired him from the bottom of his heart.

“I certainly know. That earth-shaking explosion could probably be heard more than ten miles away…”

Cao Fusheng cut him off. “Let’s dispense with these pointless remarks. I have something important to discuss with you—something that concerns the survival of the Pillar of Heaven. I know your energy reserves are running low. Judging by the time, you should have less than fifteen hours left.”

Xun Xin shot to his feet and stared at Cao Fusheng in utter shock. In a low voice, he said, “I don’t understand what you’re talking about. I still have important matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving now.”

“Director Xun, is it? Are you sure you don’t want to hear me out before you leave? What good does deceiving yourself do?”

With his back to Cao Fusheng, Xun Xin finally halted. Reason told him that he truly ought to listen.

“Several months ago, the Pillar of Heaven sent out a distress signal that covered hundreds of miles. I was one of the people who received it. From that moment on, I began doing everything I could to prepare to rescue you. That’s how we ended up here today. As for Chu Wei, we met her by chance. After learning a little about her situation and identity, we happened to travel with her to ZZ City.”

“You should have seen the efforts we made. My brother, Shen Dong—his name deserves to be remembered. He was a hero, a hero of the Pillar of Heaven. To save you, he drove a fuel tanker and used his own life to blast open a path! He not only cleared a route for us, but also created an advantage for you.”

“Let me guess. When you sent people out to seek help and tried to form an alliance with the other settlements, you already knew deep down that it was futile. Yet you sent them anyway, clinging to a slim hope. In the end, no reinforcements arrived, and you suffered heavy losses. Most of those people died outside.”

Cao Fusheng rose to his feet and opened his arms with a smile. “Now the people who can save you have arrived. Are you really going to shut me and my people out and bring about your own destruction? You should understand that once this opportunity is gone, it will not come again. Your Action Force intends to stake everything on one final battle. They have gathered all the strength they can and gone out to fight the corpse tide to the death.”

“But I have serious doubts that you can win with the people you have. It’s nothing more than the stubborn desperation of a cornered dog.”

Xun Xin’s expression grew grave. Sweat began to slide down his cheek as he stood with his back to Cao Fusheng. Almost everything the man behind him had said was astonishingly close to the truth.

No—it could not possibly be a guess!

He even knew exactly how long the Pillar of Heaven’s energy reserves would last.

This man…

What kind of monster had entered the Pillar of Heaven this time?

“Actually, the current situation has already exceeded my expectations. My original plan was for Chu Wei to be present and explain everything to you. But who could have imagined that such unsavory people would appear within your ranks and try to shoot her?”

After a moment, Cao Fusheng continued unhurriedly, “Besides… I also know something that should be extremely important to you. It has a great deal to do with why someone suddenly opened fire…”

Xun Xin spun around and stared hard at Cao Fusheng. “What is it?”

“I once saved Chu Wei’s life. Before that, however, she had been gravely wounded and on the verge of death. Believing she would not survive, she told me the information she had obtained at the cost of her life and charged me to pass it on to your superiors. It concerns the lives of every one of you. In a certain sense, it is even more terrifying than being surrounded by the corpse tide.”

Cao Fusheng spoke in a low voice, then gestured for Xun Xin to wipe away his sweat. It was practically pouring from his head.

Xun Xin took a deep breath, still staring at the man before him like a tiger watching its prey. “Tell me. Tell me everything you know.”

“I refuse.”

“What?”

“I said I refuse. I have no way to trust you. I want to meet the boss of the Pillar of Heaven. He is the only one qualified to hear this from me. But compared with that matter, shouldn’t replenishing the Pillar of Heaven’s energy be the most urgent priority right now?”

Xun Xin glanced at him without replying. Instead, he opened the door and left. Before departing, however, he explained, “I can’t make this decision. Wait here for now.”

“A Li, Li Yuan, once you’re finished, come with me. We’ll compare the statements. And you three—lock them in the same room. Put the dog in there as well. Our people have no obligation to feed a dog.”

“Yes!”