Chapter 89: Chapter 88, Then You Stay
The disheveled Norris had completely lost his former composure.
He was planning to surrender to the Governor.
In his view, although the resistance formed by the Alliance Councilmen had been disintegrated, the future of the city was now destined to be determined by the Governor.
But for the Governor to enforce his rule, relying solely on himself was definitely not enough; he certainly needed a certain class or group of people to execute his will and implement his policies.
Norris indeed had lost before, but he accepted the loss willingly. He was willing to pay the price and help the Governor rule the city, and in the process of this rule, regain the part that belonged to him.
In his view, this was only to be expected, and the Governor would surely agree. The only thing to consider was how much authority the Governor would be willing to leave him?
It was with such considerations that he had gathered and armed the workers. This was a move to increase the weight of his surrender. In doing so, he declared to others the strength of his control over the key industrial enterprises of Revival City, thus to gain greater attention from the Governor.
However, after the Governor entered the city, the envoys he sent out were unable to see His Excellency the Governor, let alone discuss any terms.
Then, Lambert showed up with the army and surrounded his fortified factory, demanding his unconditional surrender.
By this time, he was feeling a bit uneasy.
Having Lambert come to handle the siege of his factory was in itself a strong signal.
He was practically Lambert’s sworn enemy!
If the Governor intended to accept his surrender, he logically shouldn’t have sent Lambert. Wouldn’t that be intensifying the conflict?
But he still clung to a glimmer of hope and tried to negotiate, but Lambert was completely impervious and issued the final ultimatum.
When he heard the final ultimatum, Norris still couldn’t believe it, “Does the Governor really not want me? I’m the biggest industrial magnate of Revival City! The entire city’s cycle of work and production depends on me, countless workers’ livelihoods are tied to me! Knowing this, how can you dare let me die?”
Then, when the time for the ultimatum passed, ten heavy cannons fired at the factory.
A round of shells fell, and black smoke rose from various parts of the factory. The 155mm caliber cannons were enough to pierce the factory buildings and create terrifying casualties inside.
The entire factory was filled with wails.
Among them, Norris’s top floor office in the main factory building also took a hit. If it weren’t for his bodyguard pulling him into the basement when the ultimatum was issued, he would have been reduced to nothing by now.
He was completely at his wits’ end, his mind wholly filled with fear.
And he wasn’t the only one trapped in fear.
A barrage of cannon fire came down, and the not-so-well-prepared armed workers suffered significant casualties.
If it weren’t for a group of individuals in dark blue robes shouting around, maintaining order, perhaps just a few rounds of bombardment would have completely collapsed their morale.
They called on the armed workers to hide in the sturdy factory buildings, using all sorts of rubbish, building materials, and scrapped machinery to construct barriers that could resist the shrapnel and shockwaves of the shells, or to take shelter in the basements, ready to endure the bombardment. Then, when the Governor’s lackeys attacked, they were ready to give them a taste of their own medicine.
Inspired by the blue-robed individuals, the morale of the armed workers was somewhat stabilized.
In the basement, watching the blue-robed figures busily coming in and out, his vacant face suddenly showed a trace of life.
“Right, right, right… I’m not done for yet… you! Stop!”
Norris grabbed one of the blue-robed individuals.
“I’m your most important collaborator, you have to protect me! I want to leave this place, I want to…”
He was cut off by a gust of air that pushed him away.
The man in the blue robe stared at him and said, “Coward, if you want to escape, then go by yourself. We are staying here to fight.”
His gaze was filled with zealotry.
Norris shouted, “You’re all going to die!”
The man in the blue robe looked even more scornful, “True believers of the divine do not fear death. We are going to teach those governors’ lackeys a profound lesson!”
“You’re insane!”
The blue-robed man ignored him and ran upwards.
Within the bustling factory, where everyone was prepared to resist to the end, Norris was like an abandoned old dog, filled with despair.
…
In another underground chamber of the factory, the Primal High Priest Cui Kao was also present.
By his side were two men in grey and white robes. Their attire was very similar to that of the Howling Wind Divine Envoy Gu Hang had encountered in the alien forest.
They were indeed two Divine Envoys from the Primordial Wrath Owl Sect, their ranks equivalent to that of Howling Wind who died at the hands of Gu Hang, they were another two of the twelve Divine Envoys.
The Shadow Wind Envoy was a corpulent woman, her fat body not even the loose robes could hide; the Gale Envoy was a very muscular man.
“Has the ‘Storm’s Blessing’ already been planted?” Cui Kao asked.
Both Divine Envoys bowed, “We have followed the sacred decree, it has all been planted.”
Cui Kao’s expression carried pity, “The children of god will return to the Divine Realm. Then we too shall leave, there are greater plans awaiting our dedication.”
Excitement was evident on the faces of both Divine Envoys.
The Shadow Wind Envoy’s voice even trembled with excessive rapture, “I can barely wait to see the storm descend.”
The Gale Envoy beside her was much calmer, “Do not indulge too much. The plan was forced to launch early due to the governors, we do not have as much certainty.”
“That’s being too cautious!” The Shadow Wind Envoy was interrupted at her climax, showing displeasure, her shrill voice rising, “We could have offered this city to the storm long ago, but it’s all because…”
At that point, she abruptly stopped talking. She saw Cui Kao’s gaze turned towards her.
“This is the will of the storm,” Cui Kao said with a smile at the corner of his mouth, “Shadow Wind,