After the roads on both sides were successfully connected, interaction began. He Fang clearly noticed the curiosity of the main city’s NPCs toward Hope City. Upon observing Hope City’s large population, some merchants started inquiring about setting up shops there to seize the market, as recorded in the event statistics.
He Fang temporarily stationed part of the main city’s management team in Hope City as its future governing body, establishing Hope City’s government under the jurisdiction of the main city’s government.
He Fang decided not to place Hope City’s residents in managerial roles, as their attributes didn’t inspire confidence despite their loyalty improving. He believed that having one Wei Qixuan among Hope City’s residents was sufficient.
Thanks to tourism, although Hope City’s residents did not possess particularly valuable goods, the curiosity of the main city’s people toward new things briefly boosted Hope City’s economy.
A portion of the NPCs paid rent to the government and opened small shops in certain rooms within Hope City, selling affordable items for its residents. By operating on thin margins and high volumes, they managed to earn a decent income.
He Fang also received a comprehensive document about Hope City’s renovation plan from Wei Qixuan during this period. As he reviewed it page by page, he realized it was more a record of suggestions for improvement rather than a blueprint. While many details were commendable and eye-catching, creating a complete design was a daunting task for him.
Playing a city-building game had already consumed a significant amount of his energy. Now, not only would he need to delve into architectural design, but would he also have to tackle landscape design?
Feeling a headache coming on, He Fang eventually sent the document to a design institute in the main city for further handling.
The Design Institute in “Ruins Without Restart” is a simplified city-building structure. Before the introduction of sensory simulation pods, it released a set of city design blueprints every week for players to choose from. However, the release pace was too slow, and once construction succeeded, it couldn’t be easily modified, rendering it almost useless and eventually abandoned by players.
He Fang kept the Design Institute in place because he believed that a city should have all its essential components. Little did he expect it would eventually prove useful.
Given the current situation, He Fang decided to convert areas initially planned for an airport and a prison in the main city into residential and commercial districts to increase the NPC population.
After all, the distance between his main city and Hope City wasn’t long enough to justify the use of planes. The research lab-produced planes were overly powerful, making their use for such short distances a waste. However, the idea of building another railway line was worth considering.
If necessary in the future, He Fang planned to build an airport near Hope City, reasoning that the land opened up now would be better utilized for population growth.
As for the prisons, they were all relocated to Hope City. His main city had an incredibly low crime rate. There wasn’t much need for prisons—so much so that even temporary detention facilities in police stations were rarely used and often stood empty. Thus, He Fang decided to build the prison in Hope City, confident that his city’s high NPC loyalty made the prison unnecessary for his main city.
Speaking of prisons, He Fang recalled his actions during the eviction of Scorching Sun City. Scorching Sun City had dispatched gatekeepers and exploration teams for external investigations. After being stopped by the NPCs, all those individuals were detained. They were now imprisoned in the “Land of Hope”, performing hard labor.
These individuals were once all members of the gatekeepers and exploration teams. After reviewing their attributes on his system operations panel, He Fang confirmed that these NPCs were superior compared to the residents of Hope City, especially the gatekeepers. Gatekeepers were naturally trained for their role, excelling in both physical fitness and abilities—at least according to the stats of wild NPCs.
The exploration team members from Scorching Sun City had fairly decent attributes. For Scorching Sun City, anyone who slightly lagged behind would be abandoned. Yet, even the abandoned exploration team members seemed much better compared to the elderly, weak, and ill residents of Hope City.
Placing these individuals in the “Land of Hope” was only a temporary measure. Within this area, He Fang had stationed a significant number of soldiers who could suppress the exploration team members.
Although reports detailed the characteristics of the exploration team and much information was visible on the operations panel, this was He Fang’s first time encountering the gatekeepers in person.
When He Fang stealthily peeked out, observing the area specifically designated for the gatekeepers, his eyes widened slowly.
These are…
The real gatekeepers?
Even though he had previously met Gatekeeper Zhao Wei—who, despite being gravely ill, still exuded an extraordinary aura—seeing these gatekeepers made He Fang truly grasp what it meant to be imposing.
Due to the unique nature of his city, individuals with such an intense, menacing air didn’t exist. Even the people in the police department or the soldiers had never encountered bloodshed. At least, He Fang had never witnessed any murder cases occurring within his city.
But these people are different.
These are gatekeepers who can kill any ordinary person without a hint of emotion, and they even possess the strength to fight against Nightmare Beasts.
Since they were working on farming in the “Land of Hope”, He Fang saw all of them stripped of their armor, revealing their pale skin underneath. Although there was no sunlight in the “Land of Hope”, there were artificial lights that served as substitutes. Surprisingly, even these lights left their skin unevenly tanned.
Each had excellent physical fitness, with exposed arms and legs brimming with explosive power. While they might not seem much different from ordinary people at first glance, a closer look revealed something distinct in their eyes.
It was…
Killing intent.
He Fang had never experienced war in real life, and he was deeply grateful to his country for the peace and prosperity it provided its citizens. Living in such a city, he had never encountered people brimming with such ferocity.
But now, He Fang truly understood what it meant for someone’s gaze to betray a history of taking lives.
Their eyes were cold, numb, and indifferent. As He Fang leaned out to get a clearer view of the situation inside, in that fleeting moment, a man on the distant edge of the group sharply sensed his presence. He Fang met the man’s gaze directly.
No… it wasn’t accurate to say “met”. It was as though the man’s gaze captured him.
Those eyes seemed to lock He Fang entirely in place, freezing him to his core with an overwhelming, terrifying feeling as though at any moment, the person might rush over and snap his neck.
Just as He Fang’s limbs turned icy cold under that gaze, a massive cabbage suddenly flew through the air and smashed into the person’s head with full force. The giant cabbage exploded upon impact, throwing the person off balance and sending them sprawling to the ground. Likely due to the shock to their brain, while their consciousness remained mostly intact, they lay there unable to move, as though temporarily paralyzed.
He Fang blinked in surprise and followed the direction from which the cabbage had been thrown. Suddenly, he spotted a dark figure standing among the crowd.
It was Chong Xiao.
“Chong Xiao!” He Fang could feel the gatekeepers’ eyes fixating on him as soon as he appeared. Their gazes—those of beings scrutinizing someone weak—made He Fang, knowing his lack of combat ability, instinctively move closer to Chong Xiao.
There was no doubt about Chong Xiao’s strength. The moment He Fang approached him, he noticed the gatekeepers all lowering their heads and returning to their unfinished farming tasks.
Sharp, adaptable—every single one of them seemed to be like this.
“Chong Xiao.” He Fang initially wanted to ask about the gatekeepers’ current condition but suddenly remembered that Chong Xiao wouldn’t speak to him. Stopping himself, he stood three steps away from Chong Xiao, looking awkward.
“City Lord!” a joyful voice called out from behind him. Before He Fang could turn around, someone pounced on him from behind and hugged him tightly. Just from hearing the voice, He Fang immediately knew who it was. Letting out a sigh of relief, he thought, Thank goodness, the translator’s here.
“Chong Ying,” He Fang reached up to pry Chong Ying’s arms from around his neck to prevent him from accidentally falling.
“Wahhh, you finally came to see us! Ah, it wasn’t easy! City Lord, you’ve been so busy lately!” Chong Ying playfully rubbed his face against He Fang’s neck, breathing in his scent as he wriggled around.
“I have been quite busy recently. Why are you here? Did you take the train?” He Fang asked.
“No, we’ve been here since last time.” Chong Ying finally released He Fang and explained, “It’s because my brother needs to keep an eye on these people. If no one watches them, they’ll try to escape—they’re impossible to control. The former chief said we should stay, as most of the other soldiers need to undergo intensive training to improve their skills. My brother was the only one free enough to handle this.”
Having the Chong brothers by his side gave He Fang some peace of mind. He glanced up at the gatekeepers, who appeared to be hard at work. Each of them had their heads lowered, concentrating on their tasks, as if the earlier tension hadn’t disturbed them at all.
The overwhelming sense of restraint he felt from meeting one of their gazes earlier still lingered in his body. He Fang walked back over to the gatekeeper who had been hit in the head with a vegetable by Chong Xiao.
“Chong Xiao, did you hit him too hard? He doesn’t look like he’s doing very well,” He Fang said.
He looked at the man lying on the ground. Although his eyes were open, they were unfocused, clearly indicating he hadn’t fully regained consciousness.
“My brother says he was careful with the blow. He should recover in two or three minutes—should be about now,” Chong Ying translated from the side. No matter how many times He Fang witnessed it, he still found the telepathic connection between the brothers incredible.
He Fang waited for a while and eventually noticed the man’s gaze gradually regaining clarity. The man looked at He Fang but quickly averted his eyes, stood up, bowed his head, picked up the farming tool on the ground, and resumed working—all without the slightest hint of unsteadiness.
The entire room was eerily silent. He Fang suspected that these people were likely afraid of Chong Xiao.
“City Lord, have you decided how to handle these people yet?” Chong Ying asked while crouching on the ground next to He Fang.
“I don’t have a better solution at the moment,” He Fang replied. As he crouched to examine the man who had been knocked unconscious, now up and back at work, He Fang observed the gatekeeper’s solid muscles and fluid yet effortless movements from this low angle.
According to the information provided by Min Zhizhou, every city’s gatekeepers underwent training from a young age, becoming gatekeepers as early as sixteen years old. They were already highly accustomed to eradicating others, even for the sake of protecting their city.
After observing for a while, He Fang confirmed that the loyalty levels of these people were all at zero—without exception.
He Fang frowned, unable to determine whether this zero loyalty was because they were still loyal to Scorching Sun City or because they hadn’t yet become residents of Hope City, making their loyalty immeasurable.
Tricky…
That was He Fang’s only thought at the moment.
Yet, to his surprise, he discovered that their happiness levels were actually not low.
He Fang asked, “How have you been managing them lately?”
“Work during the day—eight hours a day, three meals, an hour of free time in the evening, and then they’re locked up,” Chong Ying replied.
“Hmm…” That explained the strangely high happiness levels, He Fang thought.
“Others could take over watching them, but no one’s as effective as my brother. He comes here to oversee them whenever he’s not training the troops,” Chong Ying said with a blink. “At first, these people were all troublemakers, constantly trying to escape. My brother’s caught them several times, especially the one who just got knocked unconscious. My brother’s had to catch him more times than I can count.”
He Fang blinked in response.
Indeed, out of so many people, it was only that man who had first noticed him—even though He Fang hadn’t focused his gaze on him for long.
Standing off to the side, He Fang kept his eyes on the gatekeeper. The man’s appearance was far from ordinary. In the real world, he’d probably qualify as “handsome”. Combined with his cold demeanor, he exuded a strange and enigmatic aura.
This time, the group detained from Scorching Sun City—including both gatekeepers and human detectors—numbered over three hundred. This demonstrated the boldness of Scorching Sun City’s city lord, who was clearly willing to send such a large contingent of elite personnel.
Or perhaps… was the city lord of Scorching Sun City so confident that these gatekeepers could return alive?
“What’s your name?” He Fang stood in front of the gatekeeper. By chance or fate, this was the person he decided to approach first.
The gatekeeper continued farming without pause, completely ignoring He Fang.
Before He Fang could say anything, Chong Ying suddenly pulled out a small handgun and aimed it at the gatekeeper’s temple. “You’d better obediently answer the City Lord’s question, as long as you still want to live.”
He Fang didn’t stop Chong Ying. It was clear that, compared to the Chong brothers, he didn’t possess the same level of authority. In terms of combat ability, he couldn’t compete with anyone. He Fang also wanted to understand if the gatekeeper’s attitude was one of disdain for the weak or loyalty to Scorching Sun City.
At this moment, the gatekeeper fixed his eyes squarely on He Fang. This time, however, the intense, intimidating stare from before was gone. He moved his lips and uttered two words: “Lie Yi.”
He Fang paused, glanced at the gatekeeper’s attribute panel, where his bright, bold name was displayed and asked, puzzled, “Is that your name? Is that a gatekeeper codename?”
“Huh? His name really isn’t Lie Yi?” Chong Ying, standing to the side, suddenly voiced his own confusion.
“He’s always told you his name is Lie Yi?” He Fang blinked, his face full of doubt.
“Yeah, the information I reported was all ‘Lie Yi’. They seem to belong to an organization of gatekeepers that ranks individuals based on their abilities—the higher the ability, the higher the rank,” Chong Ying explained, recapping the information they had gathered. He then looked puzzled. “I reported all this to you, didn’t I? You didn’t check?”
He Fang froze. He’d been so busy lately that he hadn’t had time to review such things.
“But doesn’t everyone have their own name?” He Fang turned back to confirm the gatekeeper’s name on the attribute panel again. “A codename is just a codename. A name is a name, isn’t it?”
Chong Ying appeared somewhat surprised. “City Lord, you knew he had a name?”
“Hmm…” He Fang chose not to elaborate and instead turned back to question the gatekeeper. “You heard him. What’s your name?”
The gatekeeper’s expression became slightly complicated as if he had just realized something peculiar. After a moment, he slowly replied, “Zhou Yang.”
“Are you messing with me?” He Fang frowned. “Can you just answer properly? If you keep this up, I’m going to have someone bring back a lie detector so we can talk properly.”
As soon as He Fang finished speaking, he noticed a subtle shift in the surrounding atmosphere. The workers, who had all been silently farming, now stopped what they were doing and looked at him. Their gazes, far from the indifference they had shown earlier, had clearly changed.
“Ye Sheng,” the gatekeeper murmured.
Finally, He Fang heard the name that matched exactly with what was displayed on his attribute panel. “Why didn’t you just say that earlier? What were you stalling for?” He Fang questioned.
Ye Sheng’s gaze grew even more complex, his expression filled with hesitation as he looked at He Fang.
Chong Ying, on the other hand, clapped his hands in childish delight. “Our City Lord is incredible! He can tell whether someone is lying or not—better than a lie detector!”
“A lie detector is still better,” He Fang muttered, pressing his fingers to his temples as he seriously began considering whether or not to actually use one.
Chong Ying smiled faintly as he hugged He Fang from behind. “I really adore our brilliant City Lord! The way you just interrogated him was so impressive. I bet he won’t dare to lie again, right… Ye Sheng?”
Out of He Fang’s sight, although Chong Ying’s tone remained cheerful, his gaze toward Ye Sheng was filled with shadowy menace and warning, his expression brimming with threat.
Ye Sheng lowered his eyes, powerless against such a formidable opponent.
“Ye Sheng seems quite remarkable. Since you’re ranked first, does that mean your abilities as a gatekeeper are the highest in Scorching Sun City?” He Fang asked, stroking his chin, completely unbothered by Chong Ying clinging to his shoulders.
“Yes.” It was clear that Ye Sheng was far more compliant than before.
“Why would someone ranked first in abilities be assigned to reconnaissance? Is it because they have such confidence in your skills?”
This question from the so-called “City Lord” left Ye Sheng rather silent. Clearly an ordinary boy, not exceptional in physique compared to others of his age from Scorching Sun City, he found it hard to understand why someone so seemingly fragile could become the city’s leader. After all, this was a place where even the mere presence of guards radiated a sense of overwhelming strength.
However, after the earlier incident involving the name, Ye Sheng faintly realized that this boy standing before him clearly possessed abilities unknown to them.
“Why have you gone silent again?” Chong Ying narrowed his eyes as he looked at Ye Sheng.
Only then did Ye Sheng finally reply, “It was a decision from above.”
“Is this something you’re unable to intervene in?” He Fang asked.
“Yes,” came the response.
He Fang pondered for a moment. The gatekeeper was highly capable but evidently of a low rank without real authority. This most skilled gatekeeper might have been sent out either because he had the ability to protect himself or due to some internal power struggle within Scorching Sun City, where a capable individual was sent to lead the charge.
Though He Fang wanted to understand the reasons behind this, which could help him discern the personalities of these gatekeepers, the halting pace of their conversation made him feel that extracting such information would be challenging.
“This guy’s like a one-step-at-a-time strategist. City Lord, you should just keep my brother at your side in the future. If he doesn’t answer, my brother can hit him!” Chong Ying’s eyes sparkled, clearly thrilled with his idea.
“Let’s not,” He Fang replied. He and Chong Xiao didn’t get along particularly well. With Chong Xiao around, he figured he wouldn’t even know how to start a conversation.
Chong Ying looked visibly disappointed after being rejected.
The real reason He Fang had come to meet the gatekeepers was to assess how these individuals could be utilized in his city—whether they could be used in Hope City and whether their unique abilities and inherent skills could be repurposed.
However, given their complete lack of loyalty, it was simply out of the question to place them in any position.
“What would it take for you all to obediently follow my orders?” He Fang asked, tilting his head as he posed the question directly to Ye Sheng, the gatekeeper standing before him.
In He Fang’s city, all the NPCs had extremely high loyalty. Any one of them could be individually assigned a role, and since he had done many favors for Hope City, its NPCs had also pledged their loyalty to him. However, He Fang felt that it would be exceptionally challenging to fully control these wild, untamed gatekeepers that had been captured.
“City Lord, these individuals have always been like this up to now. That’s why, in my reports to you, I suggested an idea,” Chong Ying said, turning to He Fang with a serious expression. “In previous research, the institute developed a type of collar that could control people. This collar could track their location and deliver an electric shock immediately if they tried to escape. I’ve made some modifications, adding certain offensive weapons to the collar—if an uncontrollable situation arises, it can directly sever their heads.”
He Fang was dumbstruck upon hearing about such a device. “Where did you get the inspiration for something like this?”
Such things were incredibly common in his world—no, in fact, they were staples of various creative works, such as futuristic sci-fi movies, anime, or novels. However, such technology absolutely shouldn’t exist in the world of “ruins Without Restart”. Could it be that as “Ruins Without Restart” developed to a certain extent, it began to create its own culture?
“It was in the City Lord’s Museum. There are plenty of similar concepts in there.” Chong Ying blinked innocently, flashing an adoring smile. “Our City Lord truly has an incredibly creative mind—that must be why our city has developed so brilliantly!”
He Fang’s face flushed bright red. That blasted City Lord’s Museum again! All his embarrassing history was in there!
Back in his adolescent years, He Fang had accumulated a substantial amount of material. He couldn’t even remember all the things stored in there, but now… it was all undeniably, overwhelmingly… mortifying.
“Ah…” He Fang rubbed his temples, his ears turning red with embarrassment.
“City Lord, are you unwilling?” Chong Ying, noticing He Fang’s hesitation, added, “These people are very dangerous. It’s best to double up on safety measures.”
He Fang looked up and saw the genuine concern in Chong Ying’s eyes—pure and selfless.
“You’re worried about me, aren’t you?” He Fang couldn’t help but offer a faint smile. “I know. I never said not to use it. I think it’s a pretty good idea.”
As for the exploration team members, releasing them was out of the question. Now that they had knowledge of the “Land of Hope” and Hope City, it was obvious that letting them leave would bring calamity. Keeping them here was undoubtedly the safest option.
“Install them all.” He Fang understood that while a gentle approach could work sometimes, more often than not, firm and decisive measures were needed. If he were too soft, he wouldn’t be able to establish his position in this post-apocalyptic world.
At this moment, He Fang noticed a shift in the gatekeepers’ gazes, which came at him from all directions. Clearly, the mention of “collars” had been explained, and the word alone was enough to sour their mood.
“You don’t look very happy about this?” Chong Ying, also picking up on the change in atmosphere, sneered at the group. He spun his gun casually in his hand. “You should be thankful the City Lord is sparing your lives. How dare you show dissatisfaction?”
Suddenly, in an instant that left He Fang startled, everything before him blurred. Ye Sheng, who had been standing right in front of him, moved abruptly, clearly intending to grab his hand.
He Fang immediately tried to retreat, but his speed was far inferior to Ye Sheng’s. Before his thoughts could even catch up, Ye Sheng had already threatened him.
Not only Ye Sheng but also the other gatekeepers sprang into action at the same moment. Some moved to intercept Chong Xiao, while others targeted the gun Chong Ying was casually twirling in his hand. After lying dormant and waiting for so long, they had chosen this exact moment to strike.
And yet…
He Fang felt no panic at all.
Because he knew very clearly who was by his side—the Chong brothers.
Suddenly, Ye Sheng’s eyes widened as he felt an icy, chilling sensation at the back of his neck. Without having any time to react, he realized that the terrifying man dressed in black had somehow circled behind him.
Ye Sheng stretched out his hand, desperately trying to grab the fragile City Lord. Among all the individuals he had ever seen, this one had the highest status but the weakest abilities. If he could capture the City Lord, he would be able to easily escape this place.
This was the breakthrough he had been waiting for—the one and only chance so far.
Chong Ying’s expression turned cold. The usually playful young man now carried an air of solemnity. Long-range weapons launched a large-scale assault, striking through every one of the gatekeepers’ shoulders. The attacks landed precisely at the bone, causing immense pain and instant loss of control. Their movements were abruptly halted in mere moments.
At the same time, Chong Xiao unexpectedly appeared behind Ye Sheng. A black-gloved hand fiercely gripped Ye Sheng’s neck. The moment his neck was seized, Ye Sheng knew he had lost all his advantage. He was immediately pinned to the ground. As searing pain surged through him, for a brief moment, he even thought he might die—but he didn’t.
He was simply pressed against the ground, yet Chong Xiao’s foot had already shattered his arm. With the sound of bones breaking, Ye Sheng clenched his teeth tightly, enduring the sudden pain.
Among the many gatekeepers present, in just an instant, all had lost their ability to fight.
They were gatekeepers, raised by their city from birth as machines of precision. From the beginning, they ate, slept, and trained together, their thoughts fully assimilated. They didn’t even need eye contact—just a single gesture was enough for them to execute perfect cooperation. Yet now…
They were overwhelmed by the most crushing defeat.
This was the one opportunity they had waited silently for so long to seize.
And their opponent dismantled it in less than a second.
Pinned to the ground, Ye Sheng closed his eyes, preparing for the black-gloved hand to snuff out his consciousness.
“Are they really this loyal to Scorching Sun City?” Ye Sheng suddenly heard the voice of the young City Lord. “We’re clearly just defending ourselves, but it feels like we’re being painted as villains.”
He Fang felt a headache brewing. He genuinely didn’t know how to handle the gatekeepers captured from Scorching Sun City.
He Fang glanced down at Ye Sheng, who lay on the ground with his eyes closed, seemingly awaiting death. The black-clad man pressed down on Ye Sheng’s back. Chong Xiao’s foot mercilessly crushed Ye Sheng’s arm into a pulp. The pure black figure loomed over Ye Sheng, resembling a colossal grim reaper overshadowing a dying, helpless man.
He Fang noticed a subtle difference in Chong Xiao’s usually indifferent expression. Perhaps because he had observed Chong Xiao so many times, he could barely discern a faint trace of emotion on that otherwise stoic face.
Was he… angry?
“Brother is very angry,” Chong Ying confirmed He Fang’s suspicion. Chong Ying gently tugged at He Fang’s sleeve. “City Lord, please comfort my brother. He’s in a terrible mood right now.”
He Fang was a bit surprised. Why didn’t Chong Ying comfort him himself? After all, Chong Xiao was his brother.
But He Fang didn’t voice his question. For the first time, the usually cheerful and joyful Chong Ying wore a worried expression. His gaze was fixed on Chong Xiao, his brows slightly furrowed. He looked as though he wanted to step forward but was held back by some unspoken fear.
Chong Ying’s unease made He Fang even more nervous. Was Chong Xiao’s condition really that bad?
The pressure from Chong Ying left He Fang feeling a bit shaky himself. He stepped forward but didn’t dare get too close. “Chong Xiao.”
Chong Xiao didn’t react at all. He Fang could see that Chong Xiao’s hand was unconsciously tightening, and Ye Sheng’s face was gradually contorting in unbearable pain.
He Fang reached out and gently touched Chong Xiao’s tightening hand.
Compared to Chong Xiao, He Fang’s hand seemed delicate, as though it could easily be crushed by Chong Xiao’s grip.
Noticing that Chong Xiao didn’t show any signs of impatience, He Fang grew bolder and gently pried open one of his fingers.
Such physical contact was rare—at least, He Fang would never initiate it with Chong Xiao.
Yet, even in his anger, Chong Xiao didn’t reject He Fang’s touch, which surprised him.
He Fang silently thanked the loyalty score of just under six hundred. At least he didn’t have to worry about being suddenly attacked by an angry subordinate.
“It’s okay, Chong Xiao. Let him go,” He Fang said, his tone filled with patience, as though soothing a massive, ferocious beast.
Using his finger, He Fang hooked Chong Xiao’s pinky and carefully lifted his hand from Ye Sheng’s neck. Everything went smoothly. He Fang noticed that Chong Xiao’s expression seemed to return to its usual calmness, allowing him to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
However, Chong Xiao suddenly raised his head, his dark, deep eyes locking onto He Fang’s. The endless blackness in his gaze seemed to flow with an icy chill, yet, uncharacteristically, He Fang felt no fear.
That pure blackness was like the tranquil stillness of a peaceful night, stealing away all noise and chaos.
“Wahhh, my poor City Lord was in so much danger just now!” Chong Ying suddenly rushed forward, hugging He Fang and wailing dramatically. His pitiful demeanor made it seem as though he had been the one bullied by something terrifying. He Fang snapped out of his trance-like state from his eye contact with Chong Xiao.
He Fang was well aware that the group of people sprawled on the ground, aside from Ye Sheng, were entirely Chong Ying’s doing. The combination of the two brothers—one excelling at close combat and the other specializing in long-range, large-scale area-of-effect attacks—maximized their combat potential to the fullest.
“To be safe, let’s put collars on all of them,” He Fang sighed. Though reluctant to resort to such measures, the sudden attack just now was enough to demonstrate how unyielding these people were. Looking at Ye Sheng, who lay on the ground, He Fang massaged his temples. “Have the doctors treat everyone, assign them all to farm work in the ‘Land of Hope’, and don’t let a single one leave. Soldiers will rotate to guard them, and then…”
He Fang couldn’t deny that leaving such utterly disloyal individuals in Hope City would always be a liability. A single thought of escape could lead to another attempt. Moreover, given their nature as executioners, any harm done to innocent Hope City residents would be unforgivable.
Even so, He Fang wanted to make an effort. After all, in the future, he would need to integrate many more people. He couldn’t keep them all locked away forever. The mere thought of pre-booking so many prison slots even before construction began gave him a headache.
He Fang also hoped to develop a method to win over people’s loyalty.
“Let this one stay by my side for a while.” He Fang pointed at Ye Sheng, still pinned under Chong Xiao’s leg.
He Fang was certain that Ye Sheng was the leader of this group of gatekeepers. He wanted to see if starting with Ye Sheng could provide a breakthrough in managing the gatekeepers.
He could have many powerful NPCs, but he also needed capable wild NPCs. If he could increase their loyalty, their abilities would undoubtedly serve Hope City well.
“Letting him follow the City Lord? But this man is so dangerous,” Chong Ying immediately opposed. However, a thought seemed to cross his mind, and his eyes lit up. Clearing his throat, he put on a serious expression and said, “I understand the City Lord’s intention to win hearts, and I fully support it. But this gatekeeper named Ye Sheng is far too dangerous. I think we need to take additional precautions beyond just the collar.”
“What precautions?” He Fang’s mind conjured up images of things like protective gloves or perhaps a restraining outfit.
However, Chong Ying replied, “Let my brother follow you! There’s nothing more effective than my brother!”
He Fang: “…” Does this little brother even treat his older brother like a person?
He Fang sighed, lowering his gaze to the man who, despite having his arm crushed, showed no hint of submission. Like the leader of a disloyal pack of wild wolves, Ye Sheng’s unyielding demeanor stood out. As He Fang contemplated what to do after logging off… he found himself thinking about searching for a dog training manual.
I wonder if its because they believe they’re going die in the prison, so they chose to escape to have a better chance at living??