Chapter 1040: Doomsday Big Boss 44

“Yeah! Honestly, going to the university town base might be more dangerous because of the zombies, but it actually feels safer,” Lao Zhou said with a grin. “After all… there are soldiers there.”

Before the apocalypse, he had just been an ordinary construction worker, so he instinctively trusted people in uniform. More importantly, everyone here had grown close to Hu Tongxia. If they stayed at the air-raid shelter and Hu Tongxia left, no one could guarantee how Xu Jintang would treat them.

Seeing Lao Zhou and the others clearly siding with him, Hu Tongxia felt a rare warmth in his chest. He wasn’t someone who liked making grand speeches or winning people over with words, but even so, he had gathered a group of loyal brothers around him.

He turned to Ling Chi and said, “Tell me more about your base—especially how ordinary people are treated.”

Since they were considering moving, that was the most important factor.

Ling Chi nodded and explained, “The situation isn’t too different from before the apocalypse. Although laws can’t fully restrain people anymore, I’ve set up rules… and they’re enforced.”

He went on to describe the structure of the base. Ordinary people weren’t treated as expendable or bullied by those with abilities. Instead, they were protected under a system of order and discipline. While life was still harsh, it was far more stable compared to most other bases.

After hearing this, Hu Tongxia suddenly let out a short laugh.

Ling Chi paused, slightly puzzled. “Did I say something wrong?”

Hu Tongxia waved his hand. “No. I’m not laughing at you—I’m laughing at someone else.”

His expression turned mocking as he glanced at the others. “Now you see why I can’t stand Xu Jintang? Compare your mindset with his.”

His tone carried open disdain.

“You’re soldiers—organized, disciplined—even now you’re thinking about protecting ordinary people. But Xu Jintang? All he cares about is gathering power, winning people over, and making sure no one steals his spotlight.”

Ling Chi was caught off guard when he heard that name. “Xu Jintang? You know him?”

Hu Tongxia’s expression darkened immediately. “You know him?”

Ling Chi nodded. “We grew up together for a while. But I joined the army at sixteen, and after that, we didn’t keep in touch much.”

Hearing this, Hu Tongxia relaxed slightly.

“That’s good,” he said bluntly. “If you and Xu Jintang were on the same side, we wouldn’t be joining your base.”

Ling Chi shook his head. “It’s not my base. It belongs to everyone.”

His voice was steady and firm.

“At a time like this, survival depends on unity. There’s no room for personal power struggles. I only manage things because I happened to hold the highest rank.”

Hu Tongxia raised an eyebrow, a hint of approval flashing across his face. “You’re… interesting.”

He glanced at the sky, then continued, “It’s getting late. You must’ve spent a lot of effort getting here—go move your supplies first.”

After a brief pause, he added, “But we’ll still need some weapons for self-defense.”

“That’s no problem,” Ling Chi replied immediately. Since these people were already considering joining, sharing some weapons would only strengthen cooperation.

As the others began transporting supplies, Ling Chi stayed behind for a moment and looked at Hu Tongxia again.

“By the way… what’s Xu Jintang’s situation now?”

His tone carried genuine curiosity.

“If he’s already built a base and gathered many ability users… would he be willing to relocate to the university town base?” Ling Chi wondered aloud. After all, weapons would eventually run out, and when that happened, supernatural abilities would be the true foundation of survival.