The negotiation over territory division at the clock tower concluded amidst the heavy rain.
Wei Shan, without breaking a sweat, beca the absolute ruler of this city.
When dealing with this group of scoundrels who only feared power but not virtue, he found that intimidation through force worked far better than the allure of benefits.
Even though the leaders of the seven gangs were disgruntled, they dared not reveal a shred of dissent.
The fate of the Gear Gang’s leader was right before their eyes; that blood-drenched chunk of iron was precisely the punishnt awaiting those who "refuse."
They might have the guts to engage in fire fights with other factions, but they were powerless against Wei Shan.
Strength that vastly surpassed this world rendered all sches and plots futile.
Next, he only needed to use the hands of these seven leaders to weave a wide net for collecting Shock Value.
But before that, he first had to clarify the city’s assets.
For instance, what exactly is the daily resource output of each area in the city, and how much basic consumption these outputs can support for residents.
Only after sorting out these accounts could he precisely gauge the scale of rewards for the "Courage Challenge."
...
Two days later.
A brand new building rose up in the center of the city of New Cassini, replacing the original clock tower.
The building’s shape resembled a mass of fog gathered on the ground, with spectral violet light patterns flowing on its surface.
From afar, it looked like a resting purple giant beast; up close, it appeared more like a virtual scene generated by holographic projection.
If viewed from high above, it resembled an open purple eye.
The building was guarded by an invisible force, keeping rainwater and dust at bay.
The gang mbers who used to roam around the area had vanished, replaced by guards in uniford attire.
Nearby residents hid behind broken walls, cautiously peering out.
Reflected in their eyes was the oddly shaped building, and their whispered conversations were filled with uncertain suspicion.
"What the hell is that thing? Where did the clock tower go?"
Among the crowd, an old woman missing a tooth clutched a worn scarf, her wrinkled face flickering with confusion.
She had never seen such a bizarre building before.
The ghostly violet light patterns on the building’s surface wandered like living creatures, seemingly not a product of this era.
Beside the old woman, several ragged children lay behind an abandoned private Flying Device, their dirty little faces full of curiosity.
The oldest boy suddenly pointed at the building and exclaid:
"Look, the light on this thing is moving."
In the direction of his finger, the fog on the building’s surface expanded and contracted like breathing, revealing many blurry figures inside.
As if countless trapped souls were trying to break through the barrier.
The most timid girl opened her mouth to cry, but the old woman quickly covered her mouth, cautiously watching the guards outside the building as she dragged the girl into the shadows:
"Stay away from it; this isn’t sothing good."
As the nearby residents felt puzzled by the new building that suddenly appeared, broadcasts across the various districts of New Cassini suddenly ca on.
The voice of the Wild Wolf Gang’s leader transmitted clearly to every corner of the city:
"Residents of New Cassini, we are announcing great news; the tower in the city center has been dismantled. We have built here a ’Nightmare Trial Arena,’ now open for use by all residents. As long as you have the courage to enter the trial scene and undertake the Courage Challenge, you will receive clean water and ample food."
"Completing the First Rank Challenge can be exchanged for a 500 ml bottle of purified water and two bags of food, completing the Second Rank Challenge gets you three days’ worth of compressed biscuits, the Third Rank and above Challenge... Additionally, after the challenge, you can also receive so basic living supplies...."
The broadcast repeated over and over, and the once lifeless city due to resource scarcity suddenly ca alive.
Concurrently, across the city streets and alleys, notices were plastered all over broken walls and abandoned street lamps.
The notice was written in conspicuous red paint.
The content was the sa as in the broadcast, with annotations about the challenge levels and corresponding rewards beside it.
At the bottom was printed a line of small text:
"No matter what you have done before, as long as you enter the Trial Arena, you can obtain equal opportunities."
Many residents peeked out from hiding in the ruins, checking the content of the notices nearby, but their eyes were filled with hesitance.
The reason was simple; the villains who controlled this city were utterly untrustworthy.
This sudden Courage Challenge might be hiding so evil plot behind it.
Perhaps it was a sche to trick them into undergoing so kind of horrific experint.
The city was rife with distrustful comnts.
"Ha, Courage Challenge? Maybe they’re trying to trick us in there to turn us into feed. These villains have monopolized all the city’s resources, and we’re already in this state; they still want to squeeze us dry!"
"My cousin just went to pick garbage near the energy station two days ago, only to get his leg broken by the Iron Hand Gang’s thugs. Now they’re suddenly offering us water and food, surely they want to trick us inside to drain our blood for research."
"Maybe so gang’s thugs want to replace organs; this could be screening for compatible donors."
A few children clung to the edge of the bulletin board, staring eagerly at the drawn bread and water bottle images.
But they were rudely pulled back by the adults behind them.
A mother sternly scolded her inquisitive son, her voice trembling slightly:
"Don’t trust this; when have these gang bastards ever been kind-hearted."
...
Clean water and food are, at present, their most luxurious commodities.
But they simply don’t believe such good luck exists.
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