hotmtlnovel Chapter 15 For the Green Soup
Chapter 15 For the Green Soup
However, this does not mean it is safe.
Luo Wei stood up, his gaze sweeping over the headless, black-robed corpse.
There was also a pool of blood on the carpet that was emitting a foul stench.
That is the blood of the Nurgle followers.
Even after a person dies, the subspace viruses contained in their blood remain active.
If left unchecked, this office will soon become a breeding ground for fungi and pustules.
It's also possible that a few Nurgles will be born.
Those are pests that are even more troublesome than rats.
"Buck."
"Yes, advisor."
The one-eyed commander was toying with the dagger he had seized from the man in black robes, looking utterly disgusted.
"Don't touch that stuff unless you want your hands to rot," Rowe glanced at him, his tone flat.
"Send someone to the repair shop to ask Father Alpha for two barrels of 'holy purification fluid,' which is a high concentration of industrial bleach mixed with chromium fuel."
"Is this really that complicated?" Buck was taken aback.
"If we don't handle it this way, the things that grow here in a few days will devour everyone in the administration building."
Luo Wei walked to the corner.
"Also, notify everyone to seal off the ventilation ducts on this floor. I don't want spores drifting into my coffee."
He paused, then added:
"We publicly stated that we were performing a necessary ritual to purify the misfortune left behind by Director Case."
"Understood." Buck shivered and threw the dagger far away. "Then... what about those people downstairs? They've been standing there for an hour."
Lo Wei walked to the window.
Through the thick bulletproof glass, the square below was a sea of black.
The 50,000 newly armed farm workers stood like a group of silent sculptures.
They carried sickles, wrenches, and even spears sharpened from steel pipes.
This is a dangerous force.
If guided properly, they are the most efficient production machines;
If they get out of control, they are a flood that can overturn the entire base of the nest.
"They're not waiting for me; they're waiting for a certain future."
Luo Wei straightened his collar.
Although it was just an ordinary military overcoat, he wore it very carefully, making sure that every button was fastened in the correct position.
In this chaotic world, image is an extension of order.
"Let's go to the balcony. It's time to put an end to this 'coup'."
……
The third-floor terrace of the Executive Yuan faces the plaza below.
This was originally a place where Case reviewed his private army and enjoyed his vanity.
The railings were also plated with a thin layer of gold leaf.
Although it is now mottled and damaged by acid rain.
When Luo Wei appeared on the terrace, the previously silent crowd below stirred slightly.
It wasn't a cheer, but a trembling whisper of unease.
Luo Wei didn't rush to speak.
He walked up to the megaphone and patted its rusty casing.
"Zzz."
The piercing sound of electricity instantly drowned out the whispers of the crowd.
Luo Wei frowned.
He pulled a small bottle of lubricant from his pocket, dripped it into the gap of the megaphone knob, and muttered something under his breath:
"Praise be to the God of all agencies, may this anointing soothe your rage."
This is certainly not a prayer, it's just simple mechanical maintenance.
However, to outsiders, this was a mysterious ritual performed by someone with the title of "technical priest".
The static stopped.
Lo Wei leaned on the railing, his deep brown eyes looking down at the 50,000 pairs of eyes below, eyes filled with fear, hunger, and confusion.
He neither waved nor gave a friendly smile.
His expression was as hard as a rock.
"I am Lo Wei."
The sound, amplified by loudspeakers, echoed across the square, carrying a metallic quality.
"I know what you're worried about."
"You're worried that tomorrow's Green Soup will be canceled, that the defense forces will mistake you for thugs and shoot you, and that the new manager will be even more greedy than Case."
The crowd quieted down.
Lowe spoke of their deepest fears.
"I can tell you definitively: Director Case has gone to the Cult of Mechanics for 'intensive treatment' due to 'health reasons'."
This is the truth.
Although that treatment process is often referred to as "wet component modification".
"From now on, I will take over the Seventh Grain Depot."
Luo Wei's voice rose a few decibels, revealing an undeniable coldness.
"I will not promise you any freedom, nor will I promise you any wealth."
"Under the emperor's gaze, there is a peace that only the dead can enjoy."
"I promise only one thing: order."
He held up a finger and pointed to the row of deep fermentation tanks that were making a rumbling noise in the distance.
"As long as you follow my rules, work on time, and complete the harvest in the required quantity, the daily green soup ration will be increased by 20% in concentration."
"Outstanding Level 1 workers can receive one real synthetic starch block per week."
A suppressed gasp erupted from the crowd.
Synthesize starch blocks!
That was a "delicacy" that only the overseers and guards could occasionally taste.
Although it is made from compressed corpse starch and some kind of algae, it is at least a solid food that allows one to feel the presence of the stomach.
"but!"
Luo Wei abruptly changed the subject, his tone turning as cold as a knife.
"If anyone tries to slack off, tries to sabotage the machines, or tries to do something underhanded behind the scenes... the fermentation tank will always be short of raw materials."
"I don't mind turning you into fertilizer next year, as a final contribution to the empire's agriculture."
"Did you understand?"
"I understand!"
Scattered responses rang out, then quickly coalesced into a massive wave of sound.
"Great job, Consultant Lowe!"
"For the sake of green soup!"
Luo Wei watched this scene without any emotional reaction.
This is not some kind of personality cult; it's just a biological instinct for survival.
In a world where human life is cheaper than fuel, whoever can give you a bite to eat is a god.
He turned around, his back to the cheering crowd, and the coldness on his face instantly faded, revealing a hint of fatigue.
"Buck," he whispered.
"exist."
"Have the guards guide them back to their barracks in batches, and reinstate the rank and file system. A curfew will be in effect tonight; no one may leave the dormitory area without my order."
Luo Wei glanced at the sky.
Thick, swirling radiation clouds emanated an ominous purplish-red hue.
That was a precursor to an approaching subspace storm.
"Notify Father Alpha to send two heavy engineering vehicles over immediately."
"I plan to seal off all the irrigation canals around the Executive Yuan building and turn them into defensive trenches."
Buck paused, then asked, "Defense? Defend against whom? Wasn't Case already down?"
Luo Wei shook his head, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"Case is just a puppet pushed to the forefront. The man in black is dead, but his master is still alive."
"The followers of Chaos are like cockroaches; by the time you see one, the cracks in the wall are already teeming with them."
Luo Wei touched the fragment of the amulet beneath the lead plate on his chest.
The nauseating feeling of being watched didn't disappear; instead, it became even stronger.
"I have a feeling that the real trouble is just beginning."