Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies
Chapter 775: Cleanup

Chapter 775: Cleanup

As soon as Deng Shentong finished speaking, a medical team immediately approached. The Deng Family had their own medical personnel who came to examine Deng Shentong. Meanwhile, the medical department staff, likely sent by Zhu Zheng's orders, arrived with an especially large team for Zhang Yi.

"Captain Chaos, are you feeling any discomfort?" A doctor asked Zhang Yi with utmost seriousness. Several young, pretty nurses beside him gazed at Zhang Yi with eyes full of admiration and reverence—they already knew everything that had transpired here. At this moment, Zhang Yi had become the hero of all Blizzard City.

Zhang Yi waved his hand. "I'm fine, unharmed. Go tend to the other wounded." The doctor, however, wore a stern expression. "I strongly recommend a comprehensive examination. Sometimes, internal injuries from battle aren't immediately apparent but can become life-threatening if left untreated."

The doctor made a valid point—some hidden injuries might not show on the surface but could indicate severe internal damage. Neglecting them might lead to irreversible consequences. Yet recalling Deng Shentong's parting words, Zhang Yi grew wary. A full examination? That would mean blood tests and possibly surrendering other bodily samples. Cautiously, he took a few steps back. "No need. I have my personal physician." Without waiting for the doctor's response, he turned and left. As he departed, he thought he glimpsed a flicker of disappointment in the doctor's eyes.

Zhang Yi returned to his villa in Zone A. The entire city was under lockdown, hunting down Reincarnation Squad members and purging their collaborators. Though uninterested, Zhang Yi spent the day listening to the constant wail of sirens echoing through Blizzard City. With all external communications jammed and no way to contact the outside world, he simply lay in bed to rest.

Later, Tu Yunlie returned with his team. After regrouping, the Celestial Hound Squad also came back to Blizzard City and immediately plunged into the operation to root out the rebels—some possessed private militias that required armed suppression. Investigations quickly revealed who had conspired with the Reincarnation Squad. In a city as tightly stratified as Blizzard City, with its two million residents divided into rigid hierarchies, identifying such collaborators wasn't difficult.

Baili Changqing also returned to Blizzard City. By absorbing Daiku Kai Enzu's core energy, he had saved his own life, avoiding the same fate as Bian Junwu. His first act upon returning was to visit the home of his former squad leader, Wu Zhengheng—the man who had disabled the command center's security systems for the Reincarnation Squad at the start of the rebellion.

Wu Zhengheng was at home, feeding medicine to his bedridden son while his wife fretted anxiously beside him. "With such chaos in the city, could it affect us? Old Wu, maybe you should return to work so the leaders don't blame you." Ignoring his wife's nagging, Wu Zhengheng smiled as he spoon-fed formula to his son. The boy had congenital heart disease, further complicated by post-apocalyptic conditions, leaving him bedridden for over half a year and able to consume only liquids.

Baili Changqing came alone, without subordinates, wanting to grant his former comrade and squad leader some final dignity. He pushed the door open and entered with a face like thunder. Wu Zhengheng's wife jumped up in fright, but Wu Zhengheng calmly said, "He's here for me." Approaching Baili Changqing with a pleading look, he asked, "May I say a few words before leaving with you?" Baili Changqing gave a stiff nod.

Wu Zhengheng began explaining things to his wife in front of Baili Changqing. Only then did his wife realize something was terribly wrong, and she soon broke into tears. Baili Changqing remained unmoved, his heart filled only with fury. After Wu Zhengheng finished speaking, the two men stepped outside.

"Why?" Baili Changqing glared at him. "Why betray us? Answer me!" Wu Zhengheng looked up at the towering man and sighed heavily. "You're still young, still able to dream. But when you reach my age, with a wife and child desperate for money, you'll understand. I've sacrificed everything for those above me, yet in the end, I couldn't even provide for my family. Tell me—why should I keep serving them?"

Baili Changqing fell silent. In the pre-apocalypse world, someone of Wu Zhengheng's caliber could've easily provided a comfortable life for his family. But now, human life was cheap, and mere survival was a luxury. Even Baili Changqing himself struggled just to secure a three-bedroom apartment in Zone A.

Wu Zhengheng sighed and extended his wrists. "The winners reign, the losers suffer. I've nothing more to say. I only hope that when my wife and son die, their bodies can be buried with mine. At least there are no wild dogs now—burying us in the snow should keep the scavengers away." A wry smile crossed his face.

Veins bulged on Baili Changqing's forehead. With a click, he handcuffed Wu Zhengheng and said slowly, firmly, "Don't worry. After you're gone, I'll take care of them." A glimmer of light pierced the gray despair in Wu Zhengheng's eyes. "Baili... you!" He hadn't cried when arrested, but now his voice choked up. "Really?"

Baili Changqing nodded. "You know I don't lie." Wu Zhengheng laughed through his tears. "Good... thank you! Thank you!" As long as his family could live safely, he could die without regrets.

Similar scenes played out across Blizzard City. The scale of the Reincarnation Squad's rebellion—the sheer number of people involved—was staggering. After reviewing the reports, even Zhu Zheng had to admit Gao Changkong's planning had been frighteningly thorough. "He spent all this time building his reputation and quietly uniting so many factions within Blizzard City, all for today's move."

Lan Xincheng snorted coldly, his eyes sharp. "These traitors deserve death! Commander Zhu, execute them all!" Zhu Zheng studied him deeply. "Execute them? Many are vital technicians, and most are only accomplices at worst. Killing them would devastate Blizzard City. How many citizens do we even have left?"

Lan Xincheng argued, "But disloyalty can't be tolerated! Keeping them is just inviting future disasters." After a long silence, Zhu Zheng sighed. "Humans are monsters enslaved by their own desires. This incident isn't entirely their fault—the world itself is to blame. Even if we purge them, who's to say their replacements won't do the same?"

Ultimately, Zhu Zheng opted for a softer approach. Only those who had conspired with the Moon of Corrosion to harm Celestial Hound Squad members were executed. The rest received lighter punishments, though another reshuffling of core departments' organizational structures was inevitable.

Author's Note