Chapter 143 - 140: No More Red Leaf, Only Clear Wind
Chapter 143: Chapter 140: No More Red Leaf, Only Clear Wind
Lu Feng, however, turned to the brothers Chen Hao and Chen Tao. "You two, come up here."
"Boss!"
"Boss!"
Chen Hao and Chen Tao always had laser rifles slung over their backs. There were only three of these weapons in all of Qingfeng Base.
The two of them were just as excited. They had known for a long time that their boss had the power to turn people into Ability Users.
After seeing Lin Jiao become an Ability User, they couldn’t help but wonder if they would get their chance. They never expected the boss to actually call them up.
Lu Feng took out two more Speed Ability Crystal Stones and handed them to the twin brothers. "You two have always performed exceptionally well. You’ve been responsible for training Qingfeng Base’s combat personnel, and you’ve made great contributions. These are two Speed Ability Crystal Stones. They’re yours."
Without a moment’s hesitation, the brothers Chen Hao and Chen Tao consumed the Speed Ability Crystal Stones.
Just like before, the Crystal Stones dissolved into a liquid that surged through every inch of their bodies, and they too felt that same marvelous sensation.
Afterward, they tested it out and, sure enough, discovered their speed had become much faster.
Their incredible speed was truly shocking.
"Thank you, Boss!"
"Thank you, Boss!"
The pair thanked Lu Feng in unison.
Lu Feng nodded, then turned to Wang Cheng and the other Salvation Army member who could pilot a Mecha. "Wang Cheng, Chen Lin, you two come up here too."
Wang Cheng and Chen Lin walked forward.
The two immediately drew everyone’s attention. After all, everyone knew these two could pilot the Mecha.
The power of those Mecha was immense.
You could say the two of them were like walking war machines.
The two men looked at Lu Feng, pleasantly surprised.
This was especially true for Chen Lin, whose eyes held a newfound respect as he looked at Lu Feng.
When he and his comrades had first followed Wang Cheng to Qingfeng Base, they had misunderstood it completely. They thought the electronic shackles and implanted pulse chips were inhumane, a sign that this was a base built on exploitation.
But he had clearly been wrong. He later learned that the electronic shackles and pulse chips were a holdover from Gray Wolf’s era.
The crucial part was that the original survivors didn’t even want to remove the electronic shackles and pulse chips. When the Salvation Army members tried to help, the survivors had been hostile and refused their aid.
At that point, he realized the situation seemed hopeless.
Later, even newly arrived survivors actively requested to be fitted with electronic shackles and pulse chips.
After all, the benefits of living in Qingfeng Base were just too good.
Wearing the electronic shackles and pulse chips only meant being under the control of that mysterious boss, who, under normal circumstances, didn’t meddle in the base’s affairs at all.
Everyone knew that as long as they didn’t go looking for trouble, the boss would never use the electronic shackles and pulse chips to threaten them.
Later, after they found the three Mecha and he saw that this boss could actually pilot them, his respect for the man had grown even deeper.
After all, due to the unique nature of the Mecha, only those who had passed the military’s official assessment and had their genetic data recorded in the military database could control them.
Before the apocalypse, such individuals were the military’s elite—the best of the best.
Most of them in the Salvation Army were also from the military before the apocalypse.
He himself was one of the military’s top soldiers.
That’s why his respect for him deepened—after all, he was one of their own.
Clearly, this was a beautiful misunderstanding. Compounded by Lu Feng’s own ambiguous claims when he first acquired the Mecha, Chen Lin’s misconception had only grown deeper.
Lu Feng gave the two men Speed Ability Crystal Stones for two reasons. First, he wanted to enhance the performance of the Mecha.
A Mecha piloted by someone with a speed ability would have its power amplified.
Second, he needed to win their loyalty.
Wang Cheng was already loyal.
Once Chen Lin was won over, this entire group of Salvation Army members in the base would be completely secured.
And in the future, if they encountered other members of the Salvation Army, recruiting them would be no problem at all.
After receiving the Speed Ability Crystal Stones, Wang Cheng and Chen Lin immediately consumed them and gained the speed ability.
With that, only two Speed Ability Crystal Stones remained, but he still had seven Power Crystal Stones.
He then turned his gaze to another person from Qingfeng Base and called out, "Liu Hong, get up here!"
A middle-aged man ran up, his face a mask of delighted surprise.
The man was absolutely ecstatic. He barely knew the boss; in fact, he was sure the boss had never even spoken to him before.
He couldn’t believe that the boss was now suddenly going to make him an Ability User.
"Being a Hidden Guard is a tough job," Lu Feng said, looking at Liu Hong. "You’re in charge of the Hidden Guards, and you’ve trained them well. I may not have spoken to you before, but I know you take your work seriously. This Crystal Stone can make you a Power Ability User, but it has a side effect: you’ll become obese, just like Xu Bin and Guo Zhen. Are you willing?"
Hearing this, Liu Hong nodded at once. "I’m willing!"
’Who wouldn’t be? It’s just getting fat, that’s all.’
’This is the apocalypse.’
’Strength is everything.’
’Everything else comes after that.’
"Good. It’s yours." Lu Feng nodded, handing the Power Crystal Stone to Liu Hong.
Next, Lu Feng called out the names of five more people from Qingfeng Base. Most of them were key personnel responsible for various duties, including the Guard Captain, Captain Suocha, the Treasure Hunting Captain...
These men didn’t care about getting fat either. After becoming Ability Users, they all looked at Lu Feng with deep, heartfelt respect that had nothing to do with the control of their pulse chips.
And so, Qingfeng Base gained 5 new Speed Ability Users and 6 new Power Ability Users. Including Xu Bin and Guo Zhen, the total number of Ability Users in the base now reached 13.
This was an absolutely staggering number.
For most survivors, Ability Users were the stuff of rumor and legend.
Yet now, Qingfeng Base alone had so many.
As Lin Jiao and the others became Ability Users, the faces of everyone present—whether from Qingfeng Base or Red Leaf Base—filled with anticipation and envy.
’The man on the platform can actually create Ability Users... Is he a god?’
’If we perform well, does that mean we might also have a chance to become one?’
The same thought occurred to everyone, the hope written clearly on their faces.
Even Lin Nan, the founder of Red Leaf Base, couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation.
So did Chen Fei.
’An Ability User...’
Just then, Lu Feng turned to Lin Nan and Chen Fei. "You two, come up here. You both performed admirably during the zombie rampage, and I haven’t forgotten your reward."
His words stunned them both.
Lu Feng had chosen his words carefully. By calling it a "reward," he was positioning himself as the one bestowing it upon them.
’And who bestows rewards? A leader.’
The subtext was clear: they had submitted and were now his subordinates.
Therefore, as long as they accepted, their submission would be a fact.
After witnessing the creation of all those new Ability Users, the temptation would be immense.
A smile touched the corner of Chen Fei’s lips. He understood Lu Feng’s intentions immediately, so he walked right up without any hesitation.
He gladly accepted this outcome, even clenching his fists in excitement. ’An Ability User!’
’And he was about to become one.’
Lin Nan, on the other hand, was conflicted.
But when he looked around at his own people from Red Leaf Base, he saw their eyes shining. They were gazing at Mr. Lu on the stage as if he were a god.
And so, with a quiet sigh, he started walking toward the stage.
That single act signified his silent acceptance of becoming Mr. Lu’s subordinate.
Seeing this, Lu Feng smiled. He said to the two men, "Chen Fei, you did an excellent job managing the survivors on the journey here, saving us a lot of trouble. This Speed Ability Crystal Stone is for you."
"And Lin Nan, you’re the founder of Red Leaf Base. From now on, we’re all brothers. For that alone, you deserve a speed ability."
As he spoke, he tossed the remaining Speed Ability Crystal Stones to each of them.
Chen Fei consumed the Speed Ability Crystal Stone without a second thought.
This time, Lin Nan didn’t hesitate either, consuming the Speed Ability Crystal Stone.
A moment later, both men had become Speed Ability Users.
From that moment on, Red Leaf Base was no more. There was only Qingfeng Base.