Chapter 54 Prelude to Chaos
The lobby of StellarTech company was nearly filled with soldiers in camouflage uniforms. The black gun muzzles, though pointing toward the ground, exuded a sense of oppression that made everyone present feel suffocated.
Scott Moore, the StellarTech company's CEO, tilted his head slightly, perhaps to better maintain his inner resolve.
"Mr. Moore, I've made it clear, and you've considered it for a while now. Will you agree?" Owen Wright, dressed in military attire, squinted at Scott, who only reached up to his chin in height.
Within a day, Owen had more than once felt emotional about the devastated world. He detested the culprit who had turned the Earth into such a state.
At the same time, he marveled at the mysterious roulette and couldn't help but admire the luck of some individuals.
Scott, in front of him, was one of them.
A roulette appeared in the building of StellarTech company, allowing the people here to know about the existence and usage of the roulette for the first time.
Moreover, StellarTech, which started as a logistics company and gradually evolved into a large enterprise involved in moving services, civil engineering projects, road and bridge construction, and various other sectors, was celebrating its eighth anniversary at the onset of the apocalypse. The company's employees and their families were almost all gathered at the company's headquarters building, waiting to take a bus to the hotel where the celebration was being held.
These employees, apart from a few office workers, mainly were young solid adults with a low probability of turning into zombies. After the initial chaos, these survivors rose up and quickly cleared the zombies from the company building, gaining a considerable amount of magic crystals.
Scott, who had founded StellarTech company, was already highly respected. After personally killing his turned-into-zombies wife and young son, he once again established his leadership in the apocalypse.
When they learned to spin the roulette and successfully obtained a One-Star Evolution Potion on their first try, this burden-free, united, and brave team of survivors began to take shape.
Starting from scratch and building a business involved in logistics and construction in the city, Scott was extraordinary in both character and tactics. So, after discovering the secret of the roulette, Scott wasted no time. In the nearly 24 hours from the beginning of the apocalypse to now, he organized his hundred-plus subordinates to clear the zombies around the company, gaining a large number of magic crystals.
Due to lack of experience and various accidents, many people in these actions were injured, bitten, and mutated. Some were directly killed and eaten, and now only around sixty people were alive. However, such sacrifices gained over a thousand First-level Magic Crystals, which in turn allowed them to obtain two bottles of One-Star Evolution Potion and around twenty various weapons from the roulette.
After selecting the most loyal and strongest subordinates to inject with the evolution potion, Scott and his team now had three One-Star Evolvers and eleven firearms!
This strength further inflated their ambitions, leading them to expand further afield until they encountered Owen's forces.
"If I don't agree, does that mean today we will have to bid farewell to this world?" Scott's voice was hoarse, his eyes showing clear reluctance.
Yes, he felt some resentment. If they hadn't encountered these soldiers, perhaps with the momentum of his team, it wouldn't be long before they became the most powerful team in the city. At that time, they could surely do whatever they wanted, and their days would be happier than in peacetime.
Scott realized that this was an era that respected the strong more than before. And he had always considered himself a strong individual!
Unfortunately, they encountered the forces stationed in the city.
Even if he was unwilling, Scott had to admit that these were professional soldiers who were even more powerful even in chaotic times.
It was normal. These soldiers had advantages that ordinary people couldn't compare with, including excellent discipline, obedience to commands, a sophisticated command system, efficient logistical support, exceptional physical fitness, and low mutation rates. Most importantly, they had advanced weapons. After discovering the weaknesses of the zombies, they could defeat zombies outnumbering them several times.
Naturally, they were the first group to become powerful after the apocalypse.
Among the soldiers in the crowd, there were about five of them emitting the aura of evolvers, including a young soldier who was not tall but sturdy. Scott felt that his status as a One-Star Evolver seemed insignificant in the face of this soldier's momentum.
He couldn't help but speculate silently that this soldier might have evolved to be a Two-Star Evolver.
Owen said, "Although this is not a dispute between nations, it is still a war! In war, everyone must cooperate with the country's actions without compensation. This is the duty of every citizen, including you and everyone here!"
Owen scanned the hall, ignoring the unfavorable expressions of others as he continued in a deep voice. "Moreover, by joining us now, you will not leave empty-handed. After the battle, you will receive the rewards you deserve. I can guarantee this. Even if you don't believe me, you should believe our country!"
With that, he refocused his gaze on Scott. "Mr. Moore, if you insist on me answering the question you asked earlier, then I can answer you clearly."
"Yes, if you don't join our operation, then I'm sorry. We will never allow any unexpected events that could affect our plans. Once discovered, we must eliminate them!"
His resounding words sounded like a declaration in the hall, leaving everyone speechless. Precisely, no one dared to speak up!
"Perhaps after this operation, Mr. Moore, you will become as powerful as me. Why wouldn't you want that?" The young soldier who had put immense pressure on Scott suddenly spoke, revealing his snow-white teeth.
"Hello, I'm Thomas Cox." The young soldier extended his hand. "Let's help each other in the future."
Scott glanced at Owen and slowly reached out his hand.
"Is there anything special here?" Natalie was assembling an advanced telescope while asking William, who tried to regain as much mental strength as possible.
He replied, "The angle is good. I can see a lot of things."
"What do you want to see?" Lucy, feeling accepted by William and Natalie, became more casual and no longer as timid as before.
William glanced at a block and looked toward the artificial lake in the distance.
"There a monster will appear, a very special one that everyone wants to seize."
