Scorpion slowly picked up the blood-stained dagger from the ground and waved it in front of him.
“You thought I was giving you a choice because I was genuinely offering you an opportunity?”
The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a cat-and-mouse-like mockery.
“I just wanted to see how despicable you so-called ‘humans’ can be when faced with desperation.”
The middle-aged man opened his mouth, wanting to beg for mercy, but his throat felt as if it were blocked, and he couldn’t utter a single word.
“That stab you made just now was too slow, too hesitant.”
Scorpion toyed with the dagger, its sharp tip glinting before the middle-aged man’s dilated pupils.
“The blood didn’t even splatter beautifully enough.”
Below the stage, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd, subtle yet dense, like countless small snakes crawling on the ground.
Su Wan felt a wave of nausea, her stomach churning.
“Me, I hate people who don’t finish things cleanly.”
Scorpion suddenly raised his voice, his eyes turning cold and cruel.
“So, I’ll personally demonstrate what ‘finishing’ truly means!”
Before his words even faded, a cold flash! Scorpion, holding the dagger in a reverse grip, with a movement almost elegant yet too fast for anyone to clearly see, slashed violently across the middle-aged man’s neck!
“Shhh—”
A bloodied gash, deeper and longer than the one on the girl earlier, instantly bloomed!
Blood gushed out like broken beads, splattering half of Scorpion’s sleeve.
The middle-aged man didn’t even have time to whimper, his eyes wide open, his body collapsing forward like a pile of mud.
“Thud!”
Another dull thud as he hit the ground.
Scorpion flicked the blood drops from the dagger and even extended his crimson tongue to lick a warm drop that had splattered near the corner of his mouth.
“Hmm, this force, this speed, now that’s more like it.”
He cast a contemptuous glance at the corpse on the ground, which twitched a few times before becoming completely still.
“Too bad, your movements were still too slow.”
His voice carried a hint of morbid pleasure, echoing in the dead silent air.
“I don’t like hesitant people.”
Below the stage, there was a deathly silence.
Fear, like a vast net, enveloped everyone, rendering them immobile.
Only the thick scent of blood, mixed with the earthy smell of dirt, wildly permeated and spread through the air.
Two corpses lay side by side on the high platform, their gushing blood forming a thin stream that dripped down the edge of the platform, spreading a small, dark stain on the dry earth.
Su Wan felt a wave of dizziness; torture, Su Wan suddenly thought of this word, this Scorpion enjoyed the process of torture, your fear, your pleas for mercy would only make him more excited, she had never witnessed such a cruel scene.
This was not the distribution of supplies; this was a complete and utter horror show. Scorpion was using the most brutal methods to declare his absolute rule over this base to everyone.
“Alright, the appetizer is over. Now, let’s officially begin our material distribution.” Scorpion clapped his hands with satisfaction, and several trucks loaded with supplies slowly drove into the center of the venue.
“Remember this, all of you: every ration you receive is my grace. Obey my rules, and you will live; dare to defy my orders, and your fate is right before your eyes.”
Under the guards’ shouts, the crowd began to queue slowly and “orderly.” Fear, like an invisible net, enveloped everyone’s hearts, making it difficult for them to breathe.
“That son of a bitch pervert!” Xiao Han cursed under his breath, veins bulging on his forehead, “He treats human lives like a game.”
A cold glint flashed in Lu Shiyan’s eyes: “This is what Pan Yong wants us to see. Scorpion is not only cruel but also skilled at manipulating people’s minds, ruling the entire base through fear.”
Su Wan saw several residents from Zone B in the distance, their expressions numb, receiving their meager rations, their eyes devoid of anger or despair, only profound numbness and resignation remained.
“That is…” Su Wan’s sharp eyes noticed a familiar figure standing beside Scorpion—it was the registrar they had met when they first received their mission. He now stood beside Scorpion, but his eyes were completely different, filled with malice and calculation.
“Hmph!” Lu Shiyan snorted, “From the moment we stepped into this base, we’ve been under their surveillance.”
The order at the distribution site appeared orderly on the surface, but Su Wan noticed that while the trucks filled with supplies were clearly marked with enough quantity for all residents, less than a third was actually distributed.
Most of the supplies were secretly intercepted by Scorpion’s subordinates, likely to flow into the black market or become capital for him to win over his loyal followers.
Just as the distribution was halfway through, a sudden commotion erupted from the back of the line.
A scrawny little boy squeezed to the front and reached out to grab a piece of bread.
Before he could even touch it, a guard pulled out a stun baton and viciously struck the boy on the back.
“No cutting in line! Get back!” the guard roared.
The boy painfully collapsed to the ground, ignoring the burning pain in his back, and lunged for the bread again: “My…my mother is sick…she hasn’t eaten in three days…please, just a little something to eat…”
Scorpion heard the commotion, a flicker of interest in his eyes, and slowly walked to the boy’s front: “What’s your name?”
“Xiao…Xiao Lei…” The boy’s voice was weak, but he stubbornly looked up.
“Which zone is your mother in?”
“Zone C…the northernmost temporary tent…”
Scorpion stroked his smooth chin, a thoughtful expression on his face: “Zone C, huh, that’s our base’s poorest area.”
He suddenly turned to his subordinate and ordered: “Go, ‘invite’ his mother over for me.”
A few minutes later, two guards dragged a woman over as if she were a dead dog.
The woman’s hair was dry and brittle, her face a deathly gray, and her lips were cracked.
She was seriously ill, her eyes clouded, but the moment she saw Xiao Lei, they suddenly brightened.
“Xiao Lei!” Her voice was hoarse; she tried to rush over but was held down firmly by the guards.
“Look, look, how touching.” Scorpion smacked his lips, the smile on his face making one want to vomit.
He seemed to be watching a play, thoroughly enjoying it.
“I just love to see this, family affection, how good, how pure, how…moving.”
Scorpion slowly took a bag from the supply truck.
Bread, canned goods, packed to the brim.
He dangled it in front of the boy’s eyes, “Want it? This, it’s enough for you and your mother to comfortably gnaw on for a week.”
The boy’s eyes widened, fixated on the bag.
He nodded vigorously, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth.
“But in this world, there’s no free lunch, right?” Scorpion’s smile became even more sinister.
“You have to prove that you…deserve this food.”
He drew the scorpion-tail dagger from his waist.
This time, he handed the knife to the little boy.
The sharp blade glinted, pointed directly at the boy’s dying mother.
“Simple. Kill your mother, and this bag of food, plus an extra portion for this month, will all be yours.”
“If you don’t do it…” Scorpion’s voice suddenly turned icy, “Then both of you will die here today.”
The boy’s eyes were wide and round, staring at Scorpion as if he were a monster.
The dagger in his small hand felt terrifyingly heavy.
His mother desperately shook her head, tears streaming down her face: “Xiao Lei, no!”
“Not much time left, little friend.” Scorpion urged, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
“Three, two…”
“Enough!”
A voice exploded, overriding all other sounds.