Chapter 289 Power is the Currency of Negotiation
Conflict broke out fast but got squashed just as quickly.
A bunch of hot-headed villagers thought they could take on the special forces and grab their weapons to fight back.
But seriously, what did they think they could use against trained soldiers?
They got caught right away, and three of their leaders were executed in front of everyone.
The villagers of Cox Town watched as the heads of those three shattered, a grotesque blend of crimson blood and milky brain matter spilling onto the snow, steaming. That sobered them up real quick.
They realized they didn't have what it took to stand up to West Mountain Base. They also figured out that West Mountain Base wasn't the dream team they thought it was.
A lot of folks regretted welcoming these guys with open arms. Most of them were cursing Gavin and the other leaders.
But did they really think things would've been different if they hadn't let the special forces in?
Nope, it wouldn't have.
Charles wouldn't have minded firing a few more shots, teaching them the rules with blood a bit sooner.
So, life went on.
A dark cloud hung over everyone in Cox Town.
They kept digging tunnels, always risking death in those suffocating depths.
But if they didn't cooperate, the special forces would shoot them on spot.
After Charles executed the prisoners, the lines were drawn.
They didn't even bother hiding their intentions anymore, just straight-up using force to control all of Cox Town.
Time flew by, and ten days passed.
Thirty-two people in Cox Town had died, and the number was climbing every day.
The tunnel was about 1640 feet deep now.
They had to take more breaks, coming up for air after just a few minutes of digging.
"At this rate, can we even reach 4900 feet?" Lily asked Charles. "These villagers are already exhausted. Making them crawl 4900 feet in the tunnel will kill them, let alone do any work."
Charles replied coldly, "We have no choice! Without modern tools, this is the only way. Since we've chosen to sacrifice, we must persist! When the time comes, I'll help them get rid of Steven, as a form of revenge for them."
Lily found Charles' logic completely baffling.
'Now, the people of Cox Town probably hate you more than Steven!' she thought.
Charles really had no self-awareness. Lily sighed inwardly.
Every foot of progress in the tunnel now required lives.
In the shelter, Steven kept tabs on the outside through his chats with Lily.
Lily had also become much calmer.
Seeing people die of exhaustion every day and listening to Charles' self-justifying theories had made it hard for her to be moved by anything.
"At this rate, it'll take them more than half a month to reach the spot. But by then, at least a few hundred more villagers will have died." Lily paused and asked, "Steven, aren't you planning to act? Don't let things spiral out of control, or it'll be impossible to manage then."
Steven smiled faintly. "I've got my plans, don't worry. No matter what, I'll keep my promise to you. You don't need to worry about anything else."
In other words, "You're meddling too much. We're just partners; you don't get to boss me around."
Lily frowned slightly. "I'm just giving you a friendly reminder."
"Thanks for that," Steven replied nonchalantly. "By the way, I've noticed fewer people attacking the shelter lately. Only a few of you Psychics are left. Where did the others go? Do they have other tasks?"
Lily replied, "No! Most of them are on standby in Cox Town. They can't do much now. If anything, they're just there to keep order in Cox Town." Lily couldn't help but laugh as she spoke, "Keep order? More like they're worried about the villagers rioting, so they can suppress them anytime!"
Steven nodded slowly. "I get what you mean."
After ending the call, Steven had a plan in mind. After waiting for so long, it was time to act.
After a long standoff, Charles and the others had probably let their guard down against him. At the very least, they thought Steven couldn't do anything but hide in the shelter.
"It's time to give them a little shock!" Steven said with a smile.
Cox Town.
Charles was in a house, shoveling food into his mouth while discussing their next moves with Shane and a few others.
A big table was in front of them, piled high with food, just for the five of them—
Charles, Shane, Clay, Shawn, and Yosef.
Psychics usually had way bigger appetites than regular folks because they needed a ton of energy to use their powers, which mostly came from food.
With all the fake attacks on the shelter lately, their food intake had shot through the roof.
Each of them ate as much as a dozen regular villagers, which made the people of Cox Town pretty bitter.
Seeing their hard-earned food reserves getting devoured like this was heartbreaking!
At this rate, their food supplies would be gone in a few months.
So, Gavin went to Charles' place to talk about it.
After getting the okay from the guards, Gavin walked into Charles' house.
As soon as he stepped in, he saw the table loaded with food and couldn't help but stare.
The food these five Psychics were eating could feed seventy or eighty people!
Charles glanced at Gavin and greeted him warmly. "Gavin, you're here! Come, join us for a bite."
Gavin quickly waved his hand. "No, I already ate before I came."
"Don't be so polite! I said come sit, so come sit!" Charles insisted.
He seemed to forget he was the guest here, and Gavin was the host.
Gavin had no choice but to carefully sit down next to Charles.
"Gavin, you've been working hard lately!" Charles said with a sincere look. "You must be under a lot of pressure too, right? I get it. But as the mayor, with great power comes great responsibility. You need to keep pushing, got it?"
Gavin awkwardly nodded with a smile.
After some small talk, Gavin got to the point, "Captain Reed, how much longer will it take for you to capture Steven's shelter?"
Everyone turned to look at him.
Shane asked, "What, you don't want us here anymore?"
Charles immediately glared at him and said coldly, "Shane, what are you talking about! Is Gavin that kind of person? Besides, we're here to help them. Why would he want to kick us out? Right, Gavin?"
Charles looked at Gavin with a smile.
"Yes, of course, I don't mean that. It's just that recently, a lot of people in town have died, and the food consumption..."
Gavin meant: You're eating our food, living in our place, and working our people to death, so we hope you can leave soon.
But before he could finish, Charles interrupted him. "Speaking of food, I need to say something! The quality of the meals has been getting worse day by day!"
Charles picked up a grilled fish and said, "Look, we've been eating fish for almost a week! It's well-cooked, but eating it every day is tiring! We're soldiers, we need to be in top shape. We can't skimp on food! Get us some other meat next time."
Gavin was dumbfounded.
He came to ask Charles and his men to cut down on their food, but instead, they were complaining about the quality!
"Captain Reed, I... I came to say, can you simplify the food a bit? Our food supplies are running low too. Every household relies on fish from the Mississippi River. Now that you're here, most of the fish goes to the soldiers."
Charles raised an eyebrow at Gavin's words. "So, you're saying your food supply is also running low?"
Gavin nodded reluctantly. "Yes, it's tough for us."
Charles put down the fish and, after a moment of silence, said, "I get it. Given the current situation, no one's life is easy."
Gavin sighed in relief. "I'm glad you understand..."
Charles slapped his thigh and said, "Alright then! Since you're having such a hard time, we won't bother you anymore. I'll take my team and leave for West Mountain Base tomorrow."
Gavin was shocked. "What, you're taking your men back?"
He felt a mix of excitement and joy. If they could send these people away, the villagers of Cox Town wouldn't have to suffer anymore.
Living under the gun was torturous.
Charles said, "But after we leave, you must strengthen your defenses! Steven knows we've been in Cox Town for a long time. We've been attacking his shelter for days, bombing the area around it. Given his personality, he won't let it go. We can deter him while we're here. But if we all leave, who do you think he'll come after for revenge?"
Charles turned and looked at Gavin with a half-smile. "Gavin, what do you think?"
A chilling fear enveloped Gavin.
He knew all too well that if Steven found out they had helped West Mountain Base, he would definitely retaliate against Cox Town.
They had already learned this lesson before!
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