It all happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Ye Chen had Zhou Gao’s throat in his grip, everyone else finally registered what was happening. They stared at Zhou Gao, dangling in the air, struggling desperately and wildly flailing his arms, a wave of shock washing over them. They were acutely aware of Zhou Gao’s formidable strength; only Xu Tianguo and Huang Tianci present possessed the power to decisively suppress him.

Yet, to their astonishment, Ye Chen, a mere Major General rank, had subdued Zhou Gao with such casual ease.

“Are you convinced yet?” Ye Chen looked down at Zhou Gao, his voice flat and expressionless.

Zhou Gao felt the iron grip around his windpipe, sensing the sharp points of Ye Chen’s nails already piercing his skin. Any slight movement now might result in immediate dismemberment. Fear flickered in his eyes as he gazed at Ye Chen, never anticipating that this unassuming man possessed such terrifying strength.

“I—I admit defeat,” Zhou Gao stammered, chilled to the bone by the coldness in Ye Chen’s gaze. He quickly conceded, even though it meant a profound loss of face. Under the shadow of death, dignity was worthless. He had no desire to see the life he had fought so hard to keep extinguished so swiftly. To survive, he had butchered countless others, betrayed comrades, and abandoned teammates. While these acts were despicable, he felt no shame; in fact, he was proud, for all those who prided themselves on lofty morals were now dead.

And he was still alive.

Only by living could one afford the luxury of negotiating anything else.

This thought brought him a measure of calm. He knew Ye Chen was merely establishing authority; admitting fault would spare him from a killing blow. After all, with his ranking, Zhou Gao was among the top five figures in the Guild. His death would represent a significant loss.

“It’s good that you know you were wrong.” Just as Zhou Gao predicted, Ye Chen nodded slightly, a relieved smile touching the corner of Zhou Gao’s lips—but the smile froze almost instantly.

With a sharp crack, Ye Chen’s grip tightened suddenly, snapping Zhou Gao’s neck. Against Ye Chen’s Level 20 physique, Zhou Gao was nothing more than dust.

Ye Chen released his hand, tossing the body aside as if discarding trash toward the entrance of the hall. It struck the metal floor with a heavy thud.

Silence descended upon the room.

Everyone stared at the lifeless Zhou Gao, feeling as if they were trapped in a nightmare. A formidable Level 20 New Human Warrior had been struck down so easily?

Ye Chen lightly dusted his palms, murmuring as if to himself, “At least now you understand.”

He then turned, walked to the head of the table, settled into his seat, leaned back, and tilted his head toward the youth who had first voiced his defiance. “Are you unconvinced as well?”

The youth snapped back to reality, covered in a cold sweat, and immediately responded, “I am convinced, I was wrong.”

Ye Chen nodded. “Slap yourself a hundred times, forfeit your position as Hall Master, and then hunt 1,000 Level 10 monsters for the Guild. After that, you are free to resign.”

“What?” A ripple of shock went through the assembly. They had assumed Ye Chen killed Zhou Gao merely to make an example, but this punishment for the youth was beyond humiliation—it was a deliberate provocation to rebellion.

The youth’s face flushed crimson. He clenched his fists, his body trembling slightly, staring hard at Ye Chen, gritting out, “I already admitted my mistake! Why must you push me to this? Damn it, if I go down, we all go down together!”

Xu Tianguo looked on with deep concern and whispered to Ye Chen, “Let it go, wouldn’t it? The Guild still needs these people for the battles ahead. Killing too many will weaken our overall strength.”

“It matters not,” Ye Chen stated coolly. “How can we face external threats if internal rot remains? Sometimes, admitting error is not enough.”

“Hahaha…” The youth erupted in maniacal laughter, his expression savage as he fixed his gaze on Ye Chen. “You forced me! You drove me to this! Let’s all perish together!” With that, he hiked up his tunic, revealing several enhanced bombs strapped to his waist.

Everyone gasped, horrified that this youth was carrying such lethal devices. If one were to detonate prematurely, there would be no escape from death.

Ye Chen glanced at the cluster of explosives and simply nodded. “These bombs look quite nice.”

Xu Tianguo, who was about to plead with the youth, paused, stunned by the comment. He glanced back at Ye Chen, seeing his utterly indifferent expression, and felt a bitter ache in his heart.

“You!” The youth was infuriated by Ye Chen’s words. The last shred of reason vanished, and without another word, he lunged to pull the safety pins. Just then, Ye Chen, who had been leaning back in the main seat, moved in a flash, like a fleeting shadow. He materialized instantly before the youth, his fist driving downward in a solid impact, blasting the youth’s skull apart while the young man was still registering confusion.

Splat.

Blood spattered onto Ye Chen’s beast-hide robe, creating vivid crimson dots like blooming flowers.

Ye Chen felt a slick, sticky sensation on his palm, coated with the white, pulpy brain matter. He frowned, shook his hand, then grabbed the youth’s shoulder, wiping his hand roughly against the man’s clothes.

Witnessing this, everyone present felt their hearts turn to ice.

Ye Chen carelessly dropped the youth’s corpse and turned, his gaze sweeping coldly over the rest. “Who else is unconvinced?”

The remaining group shuddered, shaking their heads so violently it resembled the rapid drumming of a drum.

Xu Tianguo inwardly sighed, casting a sympathetic glance at these few. Since they were late recruits, they were unaware of Ye Chen having executed Yun Shaojing previously. Otherwise, they would never have dared to display such arrogance.

Ye Chen nodded. “Very well, let’s resume the meeting.”

The others stared at Ye Chen, who acted as if nothing had happened, but they quickly collected themselves and returned to their designated seats. This time, no one dared to look around, cross their legs, or pick at their fingernails. They all sat like model students, focusing intently on Ye Chen and Xu Tianguo.

Observing this drastic shift, Xu Tianguo could only manage a wry smile. He studied Ye Chen for a moment longer, recognizing in the man an essential quality—the sheer, overwhelming authority that could forge an emperor in the apocalypse: Baqi (Overbearing Aura).

Ye Chen leaned back in his chair and addressed Xu Tianguo. “For now, do not worry about funding; I will find a way. The priority is rapid Guild expansion. We must maintain quality over quantity; any violation of Guild rules, regardless of rank or strength, will be punished without exception.”

A massive dam can be destroyed by a single ant burrow. How can one conquer territories if the internal foundation is not sound?

Xu Tianguo nodded, his expression hardening. “In that case, I propose we divide the forces into two main groups: the Black Armor Battalion and the Blood God Hall. Those who can contribute 6 to 10 points of combat strength individually will join the Black Armor Battalion, while those achieving 10+ combat power will become members of the Blood God Hall.”

Ye Chen nodded in agreement.

Xu Tianguo paused, then continued, “Furthermore, within these two factions, we will have detailed rank divisions. In the Black Armor Battalion, individuals demonstrating 6 points of combat strength will be Third-Tier members, 7 points will be Second-Tier, 8 points will be First-Tier. Reaching 9 points designates them as Captains, and 10 points earns them the rank of Grand Captain.”

Ye Chen nodded. “We can implement the ranking structure gradually; no rush.”

Xu Tianguo considered this, then looked toward Ye Chen, raising a concern. “Our recruitment standards are far stricter than other major Guilds. I worry about the welfare packages. How should we structure those?”

“Make them double what other Guilds offer. If that’s not enough, make them triple,” Ye Chen stated casually.

A profound silence fell over the hall upon hearing this. After a moment, Xu Tianguo asked in astonishment, “That much higher? Two or three times the standard is not a small margin. If other Guilds offer 400, we offer 800, or even 1,200?”

Guilds typically number in the thousands or tens of thousands. Simply establishing a Guild in this resource-scarce apocalypse was an achievement; offering benefits this significantly higher seemed almost unbelievable.

Ye Chen clapped Xu Tianguo on the shoulder. “Don’t worry. Anyone who meets the required standards receives these benefits; they deserve it. Of course, the Black Armor Battalion will not receive these extreme benefits. Only the Blood God Hall will, creating an incentive for competition, driving them to aspire to leap like dragons.”

Xu Tianguo nodded thoughtfully. “Understood. I will draft a detailed benefits chart later.”

Ye Chen nodded, glancing coldly at the few remaining men. “The future of this world relies on diligence. If you don’t wish to be eliminated, focus on honing your combat skills. Physique can be improved by consuming others’ essence, but combat technique must be earned through personal effort.”

The few men fell silent.

Ye Chen surveyed the hall and asked Xu Tianguo, “Where is Zhou Zicheng?”

Xu Tianguo replied, “He is out in the wilds completing a mission and hasn't returned yet.”

Ye Chen nodded. “That’s all for now. I have some matters to attend to, so I’m leaving things in your hands. Also, rent more shopfronts in the city; I have need of them.” With that, he stood up and headed toward the exit. He ordered the nearby Cui brothers, “Take these two bodies. Arrange lodging for me and send me there.”

The Cui brothers froze, a chill running down their spines. Could Ye Chen possibly be a cannibal?

The remaining Guild members felt a fresh wave of apprehension. Having witnessed Ye Chen’s ruthlessness, some were seriously considering quitting, but the mention of the astronomical benefits made them reluctant to leave.

What did two or three times the compensation truly mean? Staying here for two months would equate to half a year’s earnings elsewhere.

After leaving the hall, Ye Chen walked onto the street and asked a law enforcement captain for directions to the General’s Camp. Upon flashing his General’s Token, the captain’s previously haughty demeanor instantly dissolved into deference and bowing subservience.

Ye Chen followed the captain’s directions and soon arrived at a magnificent steel manor. Surrounded by towering metal walls and dominated by soaring high-rises, the entrance was guarded by sentries—a setup far superior to the previous General’s Camp.

Ye Chen proceeded inside, presenting his General’s Token to pass the inspection. The guards did not seem overly surprised, clearly not recognizing him. They were all later additions to the military, and while the news of Yun Shaojing’s execution had been widespread, few had actually seen Ye Chen’s face.

...

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