Chapter 898 - 869: Patrol Officer

Chapter 898: Chapter 869: Patrol Officer

Returning to the campsite, Li Jiong first threw the criminals into the prison. Despite the flourishing appearance of Order, where there’s sunlight, there’s also shadows. Apart from most people who work hard for their lives, there are still a few who live off oppressing the good and honest.

But what time is it now?

With Chen Feng in charge, the city’s laws have been perfected, and those idle and dishonest individuals have all been imprisoned. For a moment, the streets became much cleaner, and the safety coefficient greatly increased.

Nearby search work is still ongoing.

The human territory is vast, like the animal world with predators and rodents. In this land, apart from the giant entity of Order, there are also some small factions.

These factions hide in enclosed environments, forming groups, most rest by day and venture out by night to find food, living like a true group of rats.

Order’s influence radiates outward, and periodically some factions are discovered and then integrated into the massive system of Order.

Among the discovered factions, the most precious isn’t the resources or population, but the number of professionals!

However, the strength and age of the professionals vary greatly.

The apocalypse has ruthlessly destroyed countless happy homes, and with dangers surrounding the wild, most survivors are adults while children are very few. After all, facing the apocalypse, they lack the ability to protect themselves and are often the first to be ravaged to death by their frail bodies.

Order has a set of complete rules, inheriting the laws left by the previous generation, but due to the environment, some changes have occurred.

Children under ten are treated as such, but those ten and above can choose to work. Of course, most work is light, while certain heavy labor is strictly prohibited!

Li Jiong is a patrol captain, responsible for guarding three main roads, which is a decent job. But the greater the benefits, the greater the responsibilities. In times of prosperous Order, everyone is full of vigor, moving forward. Li Jiong, in his early forties, was a notable official fanatic during peacetime, but the apocalypse wiped out his previous efforts. Yet, as an Awakened Professional, among the earliest followers of Chen Feng, he coincidentally gained his current status.

The once closed mind reopened, and where possible without breaking Order’s laws, he naturally hopes to advance further.

Order allows survivors here to live more like humans because they have the ability to think about the future.

In a city of millions, some lawless individuals will naturally appear. They may be world-weary or innately evil, always committing unlawful acts, and at such times, the patrol team is needed to intervene!

As a captain, Li Jiong has fifty-two team members under him, including five professionals. In a sense, it’s a fairly strong small team, but for Li Jiong, always aiming higher, the number of people, especially professionals, is still too few, totaling only five with himself. This is the first point to be improved.

Most professionals are located in the Dark Department and Blood War Department, where, compared to the patrol team, the treatment is undoubtedly higher. Therefore, talents become objects pursued by various captains.

In this scenario, newly recruited professionals from discovered wild factions become targets for Li Jiong and his peers.

There’s no deception because it’s Order here; intentional fraud will be held accountable. Li Jiong doesn’t want his hard-earned position to slip away. Most of the time, they act like scavengers, taking advantage of the other’s unfamiliarity with the new environment to coax them into signing contracts for two years or even longer, with good salary and benefits to enhance their small team and help him advance further.

It’s similar to recruitment fairs; periodically, various departments hold one collectively. There’s no deliberate coercion; professionals can freely compare options and choose their ultimate belonging.

Li Jiong made considerable preparations for today, aiming to strengthen his team, but who would have thought he received a temporary task, and upon completion, the recruitment fair was completely over, leaving dozens of professionals claimed but five children left unclaimed...

It can be said, the five remaining professionals count as the eliminated group. But having come, Li Jiong naturally wasn’t content to leave empty-handed, so he still attempted to interview them, hoping to find a desired target among them.

In the courtyard, five young Heavenly Givers gathered, all having lost family in the apocalypse. Despite having talent and being envied as professionals, the pain of losing their kin and incomplete emotions made them innately lack a sense of security. So, when Li Jiong looked over the confused children standing there, none dared to breathe a word.

Seeing this scene, Li Jiong sighed inwardly. These children are like a group of cave-dwelling mice, not worthy of any notice.

But as the saying goes...

Seeing these children reminded Li Jiong of those days in the apocalypse, equally hungry and cold, living each day like a guinea pig, miserably surviving.

Having requested to see them, Li Jiong certainly had his own plans. But the sight of these individuals greatly disappointed him, shaking his head. Just as he was about to abandon the idea, a slender figure caught his eye.

It was a little girl looking only eleven or twelve, entirely dark-skinned, hair messy like weeds, body slender as a bean sprout. Standing last, Li Jiong initially didn’t notice her.

Compared to the other four, she wasn’t pretty, her physique wasn’t good, even her skin was darker. But she was the only one who wasn’t trembling. Li Jiong admired her courage.

Li Jiong stepped forward, with steady pace but long-term killing had imbued him with a towering murderous aura. In these children’s minds, seeing him was like facing a Demon God rather than a human; each face paled frighteningly, even breaking a sweat.

As a patrol officer, not required to participate in terrifying battles or execute dangerous tasks like the Dark Department, he was responsible for safety, so there were some psychological demands.

And the girl clearly met this initial condition.