Chapter 190: Arrogant and Brazen
"Zhang Jingwu!! What are you trying to do?!" A squad leader from the city defense team changed his expression abruptly, glaring at Zhang Jingwu.
Several other soldiers from the city defense team also positioned themselves in front of Alex, ready to defend.
"No worries, go ahead. Since I've promised them before, I must keep my word. Without trust, one cannot stand. I will handle this matter myself," Alex said calmly, waving his hand to dismiss the soldiers.
The city defense team soldiers showed a hesitant expression, increasingly admiring Alex. However, in the end, they turned and left.
Having followed Gu for so many years, they always regarded him as their elder brother. Through life and death, an unbreakable bond had formed over the years. Even if they respected and wanted to follow Alex, they couldn't betray Gu. It was not just a matter of admiration; it was a sentiment built over many years.
"Halt!" Seeing the city defense team soldiers preparing to leave, Zhang Jingwu suddenly stood up. Members of the public order management team around him also raised their guns, menacingly pointing them at the city defense team soldiers.
"I dare you to take one more step!" Zhang Jingwu, with an arrogant expression, looked at the city defense team soldiers with cold and ruthless eyes.
Everyone present had a sudden change in expression, looking at Zhang Jingwu in shock and fear. At this point, Zhang Jingwu's actions were crystal clear – he intended to force a coup!
People in the room either glared at Zhang Jingwu with anger or exchanged uncertain glances, lowering their heads in silence. Faced with the threat, no one dared to step forward and speak.
Even the soldiers from the city defense team halted, their faces vigilant as they looked at the public order management team soldiers around them. The situation was on the verge of exploding, and no one wanted to step forward to risk their lives.
At this moment, with Zhang Jingwu's forces completely in control, the soldiers outside couldn't enter the command center. Panic and chaos gripped everyone.
Seizing the opportunity, Alex turned around and smiled, asking Zhang Jingwu, "Jingwu, do you have any objections to my arrangement?"
Zhang Jingwu stood up, his face darkening as he said, "Alex, you promised me earlier that you would ensure justice for me. Now, releasing Gu like this, what does it mean? Whether the base has me or Gu, it makes no difference!"
There was a clear threat in Zhang Jingwu's words. Alex, currently seriously injured, had his resource collection team busy either on defense duty or leading civilians to repair the walls. Moreover, the other person who could restrain him, Gu, was still in the dungeon. In the command center, there was no one who could stop him.
The guards in the command center were all from Zhang Jingwu's trusted personal guard. Seeing Alex gradually taking control, Zhang Jingwu's ambitious thoughts began to stir. If he could step forward now and control Alex and the people here, firmly grasping the authority of the council, he might have a chance.
He wasn't a fool like Gu. Once he had authority firmly in hand, he would turn the base into his own backyard, a paradise in this post-apocalyptic world. He could be a king. What was the significance of a woman like Ping Qiyun? Once he held power, he could have any woman he wanted.
Even someone as lofty as Guangbei Jia, the leading female character, would have to obediently submit under his control!
As for any gratitude Alex earned for saving everyone or the fate of humanity's future, what did it have to do with Zhang Jingwu? In this post-apocalyptic world, survival was every man for himself!
In such a golden opportunity, if he missed it, did he want to be a pawn for others forever? Would he always be manipulated like a dog by those worthless people?
"Zhang Jingwu, just for a woman, you have to kill your mentor?!" A squad leader from the city defense team stood up, glaring at Zhang Jingwu with anger. "When you betrayed Captain Gu to join forces with Lü Weijiang, did Captain Gu ever make things difficult for you?"
"Zhang Jingwu, do you still have a conscience? Did a dog eat your conscience? Your life was saved by Captain Gu in the first place. Don't forget, you owe Captain Gu two lives! With such words now, are you still human?" Another veteran from the city defense team stood up, angrily rebuking him.
Zhang Jingwu remained indifferent, only sneering and saying, "So what? I admit, my life was saved by Gu! I admit that I betrayed him first! So what?! He dared to touch my woman! I want him dead!"
"Yes! What Captain Zhang said is right! Past grievances are in the past, and present grievances are now. How can we confuse the two?! Captain Gu committed such shameless acts; he deserves to die!" A manipulative parliament member immediately seized the opportunity, eagerly speaking to please Zhang Jingwu.
"Moreover, Gu killed so many parliament members! Chairman Lü died at the hands of Gu! This is contempt for the law, a trampling of the parliament's authority! Kill and be killed; even if Gu has immense gratitude from everyone, it's still an inescapable capital offense!"
Seeing one parliament member speak up, others also stood up one after another, each wearing a flattering expression as they leaned towards Zhang Jingwu.
These opportunistic individuals were excellent at changing with the wind. The situation in the command center was now very clear. Zhang Jingwu had completely taken control. As long as they didn't upset Zhang Jingwu, with a simple command, everyone here would face death. Now that Zhang Jingwu had control, it meant he had control over the entire command center, the entire refuge base!
At this moment, if they didn't align themselves with Zhang Jingwu, when else would they? As for whether Zhang Jingwu was an ungrateful villain, what did it matter to them? They just needed to be good lawmakers, relying on their ability to talk their way through to continue living well. That was enough.
In this post-apocalyptic world, who still had principles? Could one eat conscience for a meal?
"You!! You shameless bunch! Captain Gu and our brothers sacrificed half of our comrades to save you! If we hadn't rescued you, if we hadn't established a refuge for you, you would have been eaten by zombies long ago! And now, you dare to spout such nonsense here?!" A squad leader from the city defense team roared with flushed face and fiery eyes.
"Hahaha!!!" Zhang Jingwu suddenly burst into maniacal laughter, drawing his handgun from his waist and pointing it at the city defense team members. Arrogantly, he said, "Up until now, you're still talking about principles to me?! Let me tell you, here, I have people and guns, and that's what matters! What gratitude, what morality, in this apocalypse, can you eat them?"