Chapter 188: Eagle Base

However, everyone understood one thing. She was fully capable of dealing with these thugs.

For a moment, the crowd remained completely silent.

Ni Mengxue looked toward Jin Tao. The bald man was lying on the ground, his body covered in bruises.

Only his face remained relatively unharmed, allowing him to glare at her furiously.

Ni Mengxue smiled. "Let me give you one piece of advice."

Jin Tao gritted his teeth.

"If you value your life, you’d better stay away from Fair Shallow Land from now on." She continued calmly, "Every time I see you, I’ll make sure to beat you up just to vent my anger."

Jin Tao’s expression became even uglier. He struggled to get up. However, before he could leave, Ni Mengxue spoke again.

"Also, I really dislike that arrogant attitude of yours."

She tilted her head. "Since you came here and caused so much trouble, I think it’s only fair that you compensate us."

Jin Tao’s eyes widened in disbelief. Ni Mengxue raised her hand and spread all five fingers. "I want this much."

He immediately shouted, "My boss would never pay five kilograms of rice just to get us back!"

Ni Mengxue burst into laughter. "Nice try. But you don’t get to decide how much compensation I demand. I’m not asking for five kilograms of rice. I want five thousand cold weapons."

Jin Tao stared at her in disbelief. "Aren’t you being too greedy? What if you can’t digest what you asked for?"

"Don’t talk about my appetite as if you own it." Ni Mengxue snorted. "Swords, axes, spears, or other usable melee weapons. I don’t particularly care about the types, as long as they’re in good condition."

Her expression turned cold.

"And if your boss doesn’t deliver them by tonight, I’ll approach Silent Night Base and propose an alliance against Eagle Base. Let’s see whether your little base can survive an attack from two settlements."

Jin Tao immediately shouted, "Stop lying to me!"

He glared at her. "I already know you don’t have any merger agreement with Silent Night Base!"

Ni Mengxue remained completely unbothered. "Perhaps I don’t have one right now. But I have the resources to make it happen."

Her smile became meaningful.

"If I offer Silent Night Base enough food and supplies, do you really think they’ll refuse to sign an alliance agreement?"

Jin Tao fell silent. He wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. In the apocalypse, food and resources were often more valuable than promises.

If Fair Shallow Land was willing to provide sufficient supplies, Silent Night Base might genuinely agree to cooperate.

After considering the situation, Jin Tao finally lowered his head. "Fine."

He spoke through gritted teeth. "I’ll tell my boss about your demands."

He looked at Ni Mengxue. "Now let us go."

However, Ni Mengxue shook her head. "How can I let you leave so easily?"

Jin Tao’s mouth hung open in disbelief.

She continued, "If I simply release you after everything you’ve done, won’t other thugs start thinking they can come here and cause trouble whenever they want?"

Jin Tao became furious. "Then what exactly do you want?"

His voice echoed across the street.

The surrounding residents couldn’t help laughing.

One of them whispered, "I never expected Ni Mengxue to be this ruthless."

Another resident immediately replied, "Well, she’s the base representative. Of course she needs to be strong."

"If she allowed these people to bully us, Fair Shallow Land would be the one suffering."

Several people nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Ni Mengxue pretended to think carefully.

After a moment, she smiled. "Actually, I think I’d like a little additional interest."

Jin Tao’s expression changed. "Interest?"

"That’s right." Ni Mengxue nodded. "From now on, Eagle Base will have to pay Fair Shallow Land a fixed percentage of its annual profits."

Jin Tao stared at her.

She continued, "It doesn’t matter whether those profits come from trading, hunting, manufacturing, or anything else. As long as Eagle Base earns resources, I expect to receive my share."

Her smile disappeared. "And if I don’t receive the payment, don’t blame me for taking action against your base."

Jin Tao’s face turned pale with anger.

However, after experiencing her strength firsthand, he didn’t dare attack her again.

By the time Ni Mengxue finally allowed the intruders to leave, the men were practically crying with relief.

They had been terrified that she would continue demanding more compensation.

After all, she had already confiscated their weapons, supplies, and even their clothing.

Not a single one of them had been allowed to keep his underwear.

As a result, the fifty thugs fled toward Eagle Base completely naked.

The sight left the residents of Fair Shallow Land stunned.

Some couldn’t help laughing.

Others watched with satisfaction as the men who had entered their settlement so arrogantly fled in utter humiliation.

If Ni Mengxue hadn’t demonstrated such overwhelming strength, those thugs would have looted this base instead.

Jin Tao was especially furious. As he hurried away, he clenched his fists.

’Just wait, you damned woman!’

His expression twisted with hatred. ’Once I recover and return to Eagle Base, I’ll make sure you regret humiliating me!’

He silently vowed to take revenge. And he had every intention of fulfilling that promise.

.................................

After the intruders disappeared, someone emerged from the crowd. It was Bo Jun.

He approached Ni Mengxue with a serious expression. "Do you know the background of Eagle Base?"

Ni Mengxue turned toward him. She shook her head calmly. "No. Why?"

Bo Jun frowned as his expression turned serious. "Eagle Base isn’t an ordinary settlement."

He glanced toward the direction in which the thugs had fled. "Most of its members are criminals."

Ni Mengxue raised an eyebrow. "Criminals?"

Bo Jun nodded. "Before the apocalypse, many of them were imprisoned in a special high-security facility."

He continued, "When the zombie outbreak began, several prisoners awakened superpowers. They used their newly acquired abilities to escape."

Ni Mengxue listened quietly.

Bo Jun explained, "After escaping, the criminals split into two groups. Approximately half of them went their separate ways. However, the remaining prisoners decided to stay together."