C22 He Had to Make a Choice

Certainly, Chen Yu wouldn't implement his plan recklessly.

He knew he needed key elites like Lee Hao, Liu Qiqi, Soong Yue, and Chu Chenhao to serve as the foundational pillars!

Without delay, Chen Yu tasked Liu Xingzhong with selecting trustworthy individuals from among the survivors.

Chen Yu was determined to capitalize on the opportunity to personally assist these selectees in advancing to Evolvers, ensuring they possessed greater strength than the average Evolver.

This initiative would lay the groundwork for the large-scale cultivation of ordinary Evolvers.

His goal was to establish an elite team comprised entirely of Evolvers.

He aimed to eliminate the zombie horde in the mall before the third day of the Apocalypse and to clear a substantial area centered around his residential community, making room for a formal survival camp.

Liu Xingzhong was astounded by Chen Yu's ambitious strategy.

To Liu Xingzhong, an Evolver with superhuman abilities was a rarity among survivors, a diamond in the rough. Yet, here was Chen Yu, seemingly able to produce them in bulk.

This revelation filled Liu Xingzhong's gaze with a mix of awe and reverence when he looked at Chen Yu.

Moreover, a shroud of mystery enveloped Chen Yu in Liu Xingzhong's eyes, solidifying his resolve to follow Chen Yu's lead.

Thanks to Liu Xingzhong's seasoned investigative skills, it wasn't long before the most talented and suitable survivors were identified—precisely thirty-two in total.

Chen Yu wasted no time, immediately taking out the crystal nucleus and educating everyone on its purpose and application.

Meanwhile, he instructed Chu Chenhao and Liu Qiqi to retrieve the crystal nuclei from the slain mutated wolves, including the remains of the three awakened beasts and the Wolf King, and bring them back to the community camp.

Chen Yu specifically directed Chu Chenhao to use the awakened beasts' flesh and blood to fortify the chosen guards in the community camp, so that upon his return, after dealing with the mall, he could directly advance the guards' evolution.

While Chen Yu had indeed rescued the survivors in the mall,

they were not with him from the onset of the apocalypse. In plain terms, it was his formidable strength that had inspired the mall's survivors to rally around him.

Chen Yu was acutely aware of the apocalypse's harsh realities.

To establish a solid presence in the post-apocalyptic world, it was crucial to have a cadre of loyal followers, particularly for Chen Yu, who aspired to build his own Base City and amass his own power.

The community camp housed five hundred survivors, all of whom Chen Yu had personally rescued. They naturally gravitated towards him, their loyalty and sense of belonging far surpassing that of other survivors.

As a result, while Chen Yu had orchestrated the creation of numerous Evolvers at the mall, his primary focus remained on the community camp. The allocation of superior resources was prioritized for the community, given its significance.

This, however, did not imply that the Evolvers at the mall would lack loyalty to him.

With the apocalypse at hand, there simply wasn't enough time for Chen Yu to win hearts and minds gradually.

Only after the camp was fully operational and stable would Chen Yu turn his attention to nurturing the morale and loyalty of its inhabitants.

Time was critical. The initial three days of the apocalypse and the first week of the disaster were pivotal moments.

Chen Yu was determined to capitalize on every opportunity to carve out the best possible start for his post-apocalyptic endeavors.

Some might deem this unfair, but to Chen Yu—who had endured five years of apocalypse and witnessed untold horrors—it was the epitome of fairness.

In the face of disaster, there was no room for hesitation; choices had to be made.

From the moment he returned to the onset of doomsday, Chen Yu was lucid and strategic, his every move informed by countless mental simulations.

...

Atop the mall, thirty-two spirited men and women stood in a proud line.

Nearby, envious survivors looked on with longing.

The selected individuals, faces alight with excitement, gazed at Chen Yu with awe. Their yearning for superhuman abilities caused some to quiver with anticipation.

Chen Yu had finished imparting all necessary instructions, ensuring everyone had committed them to memory. Now, it was time for hands-on practice.

"Mr. Liu, join us!"

As Chen Yu spoke, he passed a crystal nucleus to Liu Xingzhong, who stood beside him.

Liu Xingzhong was taken aback as he received the crystal nucleus from Chen Yu, not having expected to be included.

Initially, upon hearing Chen Yu stress the need for the chosen to be young and vigorous, Liu Xingzhong felt disheartened, thinking his middle-aged self was out of the running.

Yet, to his surprise, an opportunity to tap into that superhuman strength was now before him.

With no hesitation, Liu Xingzhong's blood surged with excitement. Feeling a decade younger, he eagerly accepted the crystal nucleus and positioned himself among the others.

Chen Yu surveyed the group and gave a slight nod. "Let's begin!"

At Chen Yu's cue, the thirty-three individuals, Liu Xingzhong among them, swallowed their crystal nuclei, the sound of crunching filling the air.

Moments later, they all felt an overwhelming warmth coursing through them.

A sense of expansion beyond words swelled in their minds, their bodies tingling with a restless heat that hinted at boundless power.

"Is everyone ready?" Chen Yu asked, noting the flushed faces that signaled the right moment had arrived.

"We're ready!"

The group's response was a resounding chorus, their voices robust and their bodies brimming with energy, eager for release.

With no further delay, Chen Yu acted on their collective outcry, thrusting his hand forward in a powerful slap.

A whirlwind erupted, a white streak flashed and vanished, tracing an elegant arc through the air before crashing into the crowd.

In that instant, the once vibrant group was sent sprawling, their cries of shock echoing as the immense force overwhelmed them.

Those of weaker constitution even spat blood, the impact too much to bear.

Onlookers, including relatives of the chosen, gasped in horror, some screaming in terror, fearing their loved ones would be slain by Chen Yu's hand.

But as they braced themselves to intervene, to halt what they perceived as Chen Yu's deadly assault...

"Wow! I can feel it—an indescribable, mysterious power gathering inside me!"

"I can feel it too—my entire body is tingling. It's like I have limitless energy!"

"Same here!"

"And me..."

A moment before, the air was thick with tension and danger, but that all vanished with the victims' cries of elation. The way everyone looked at Chen Yu shifted profoundly, their eyes filled with reverence as if they were beholding a deity.

"I can feel it!"

"Then let's keep going!"

With a fierce shout, Chen Yu unleashed another palm strike, summoning a whirlwind anew!

The thunderous boom echoed across the shopping mall's rooftop.

Each resonant boom reignited a spark of hope in the hearts of the survivors inside the mall.

Down below—

The horde of zombies, already jostling and shoving, grew wilder with the noise, surging towards the mall with increased, relentless fury.