Chapter 341: Federation

After carefully thinking everything through, Zhang Wenda turned around. His body became a blur as he dashed back, moving at top speed to block the family of three who were trying to relocate.

Zhang Wenda’s sudden return clearly startled them.

A bullet finally flew over, tearing a bloody hole in Zhang Wenda’s body, but he didn’t even glance at it. Instead, he said to them, “Three days! In three days, remember to come to the Small Circle’s trading subway! I have something to announce!”

After speaking, Zhang Wenda ignored whatever they might have said in response. He simply held up an apple, showed it to the little girl, then placed it on the ground and turned to leave.

For the next three days, Zhang Wenda was incredibly busy. He got a lot done.

Three days later, near the trading subway, every place a person could stand was packed with people, except for the pool itself.

Aside from some members of the Small Circle, the majority were lone wolves and small groups from Area 2.

And gathering them was simple. All it took was telling them there would be free food.

The previous food distribution had done its job. While not everyone from Area 2 had come, its impact was definitely significant.

Wang Shaojie stood anxiously in the crowd. ‘With so many people, if something were to go wrong, our group alone wouldn’t be enough to handle it.’

Just as the din of the crowd grew louder, the center of the pool slowly parted. A grotesque, giant monster of flesh and blood emerged from within, and standing atop the monster’s head was a rabbit-headed figure in a leather jacket.

Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd, and some of the more timid people had already started to leave.

“Everyone!” Zhang Wenda’s voice echoed over the pool, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’m glad you could all make it! I, the Bureau Chief, have some things I want to share with you all today!”

“First! Not long ago, I discovered an extremely useful rule about this area! And I will now share it with all of you, for free!”

At his signal, the clowns poured a puddle of black liquid onto the ground in front of everyone. Just as the crowd was trying to figure out what was happening, they saw one of the clowns jump directly into the puddle.

It should have been just a thin layer of liquid. But then, everyone saw the clown’s lower body still standing in the same spot, while its upper body appeared on the surface of the distant pool, waving at them.

“The water in this area can be used for teleportation! It doesn’t matter if it’s a deep pool or a Shallow Water Area! All of it works!” Zhang Wenda’s words sent an uproar through the crowd.

“According to our calculations, as long as you collect over 100 kilograms of water from one pool and pour it somewhere else, anyone can use that puddle to return to the original pool!”

“From now on, whether you’re going to the Shallow Water Area to collect fresh water or coming here to trade, you can arrive instantly! The risk of being robbed along the way will be almost completely eliminated!”

Hearing this, everyone began buzzing with discussion. They forgot all about the law of the jungle, their faces lighting up with excitement.

In truth, more than robbing others, everyone feared being robbed themselves. But before, there was no way to prevent either from happening.

Just then, a whale-like cry echoed from the Youth Palace, instantly silencing the crowd. “There is a second matter! We have mapped out most of Area 2! And we are sharing it here, for free, with all of you!”

A red afterimage shot out, moving like a whirlwind across the wall. The map of Area 2, recorded by the Hippocampus, was rapidly carved in red onto the wall’s surface.

It included areas Zhang Wenda had explored himself, as well as information he had compiled with others. But regardless, from now on, Area 2 would no longer be a maze.

Sharing these two pieces of information for free made the discussions even louder and more excited. Everyone knew this was good news for them all.

“And there is a third and final announcement!” As Zhang Wenda spoke again, the chatter died down. Everyone held their breath, waiting for him to continue.

Zhang Wenda’s gaze swept across the faces in the crowd, some hidden and some visible. It finally settled on a man who was bare-chested. His face was also covered, but his naked torso revealed his identity.

He had come after all. He was alone this time, without his wife and child, but that was enough.

Zhang Wenda took out the red shogi piece and tossed it in his hand. His gaze grew resolute once more.

“The third matter is this: from this moment on, the Small Circle will be officially renamed the Shogi Federation! And we sincerely invite all of you to join us!”

“We are abolishing all restrictions on age and gender! And for anyone who joins us, we will absolutely guarantee their food and safety! You will never be bullied by anyone again!”

If the first two announcements were still within the realm of normalcy, this one made the crowd erupt. Many of those standing near the edge of the pool were even pushed in.

Everyone knew that in this world, having an organization and a powerful backer made survival easier, especially a strong leader. But most groups only wanted fighters; no one wanted to be burdened with dead weight.

Trying to form another organization would require a huge amount of food, and in this area, aside from the plentiful fresh water, food was not easy to come by.

Not everyone possessed Zhang Wenda’s strength.

The excitement and clamor from the crowd grew and grew, so much so that it washed away the oppressive atmosphere of the vast, empty pool area. For the first time, this desolate place began to feel alive with human presence.

“Everyone! Look at yourselves! Look at the clothes you’re wearing, the food you’re eating! Are you really content to go on like this?”

Zhang Wenda continued, his voice now tinged with genuine emotion.

“Yes, that’s right. The world of the past is truly gone. Under the influence of who knows what, this world has become something we can no longer comprehend.”

“But so what?! No matter what kind of hellscape this world turns into, we can re-establish order! All of this is destined to be temporary!”

“No matter what the world becomes, we are still human! We are not animals! We shouldn’t be controlled by short-sighted interests! No matter how the rules change, no matter how the world changes, our greatest strength remains the same—cooperation!”

“Cooperation allows us to adapt to the rules and use them! No matter how weak we are as individuals, cooperation makes us stronger! No matter what kind of world, what kind of rules, we can fight back through cooperation!”

“If you don’t want to just barely survive in this messed-up world, if you’re tired of living worse than beasts! Then join us! Whatever it is that turned our world into this, let’s fuck it up together and take back the starry sky we once knew!”