Coercion and Temptation

Einar waited for a moment, not seeing anyone speak up. He asked again, "Any more questions? If not, see you in two days."

Those people started leaving one by one. Soon, the meeting room was only left with Einar and his few confidants.

"Mr. Einar, other bases are wealthier than this one. Why choose Base M?" Enrique asked in confusion.They had traveled north, passing several bases along the way, and Einar eventually chose this one.

"Although other bases are chaotic internally, they still have local forces to suppress them. In Base M, the entire management fled, making it easier to deal with these factions."Coercion and temptation were sufficient!

"Enrique, go find someone for me," Einar instructed.

"Who does Mr. Einar want to find?"

"Beryl!"Einar said

Enrique agreed but was full of doubts. This seemed to be a woman's name. Could it be Mr. Einar's sweetheart?

To have more influence and status, everyone spared no effort to recruit small factions. The two days were chaotic, with people on edge.It wasn't until Einar came forward, explaining that he was a military commander and did this to disband small factions for the greater good, that everyone finally settled down.

With the outside chaos, the Allen family members stayed indoors, enjoying food, drinks, watching dramas, and playing mahjong to pass the time.

"Bang, bang, bang!" Gunshots and screams echoed from downstairs.

"It's happening again." Alexander threw a 'whiteboard' outside and glanced at the window.

Alice lay on the sofa, casually watching her drama series.

There was no need to guess; it was undoubtedly Einar's doing. As the original male lead, ruling the base was one of his paths.

Blanche calmly added, "Those small factions were out of control; they deserved to be dealt with."

On the third morning, the base announced a meeting through loudspeakers, which lasted for an hour. Many were afraid it was a trap and dared not go out, hiding in the shadows to observe.

Finally, the base sent people door-to-door to announce the meeting, and gradually, people started moving towards the main square. When two men in military uniforms reached the sixteenth floor, they happened to see Alice and her siblings coming out.

"Gather in the main square. You don't need to be afraid. Mr. Einar, who is taking over the base, is not a bandit. He won't rob your belongings. We will protect all of you."

Alice calmly smiled, "Thank you."

Seeing that they didn't look as anxious as others and weren't treated as troublemakers, the two men felt relieved.

When the siblings arrived at the main square, they found bags of rice piled around, and everyone was eyeing them cautiously. Alice looked towards Einar, who stood not far away, surrounded by dozens of armed individuals, all watchful.

Perhaps her gaze was too intense, as Einar suddenly turned his head and looked over. His deep black eyes seemed to carry a hint of inquiry.

Einar indeed noticed the Allen family. The people in the base seemed emaciated, having endured hunger for a long time, with sunken eye sockets and a numb expression, covered in dirt. In contrast, although the Allen siblings were dressed in old cotton clothes, they looked spirited, with no signs of malnutrition.

Through his observation, those not suffering from hunger in the base were either part of a faction with power or individuals capable of securing resources. The three siblings likely belonged to the latter category.It wouldn't be a bad idea to recruit them to expand the defense force.Einar remembered them and planned to have a conversation when he had the time.

When enough people had gathered, Einar stepped onto the makeshift stage.Good morning, everyone. I am Einar, the new manager of Base M. As you can see, I can provide food. As long as we work together, we can surely develop Base M again..."Einar spoke extensively, but the people below were fixated on the pile of rice. His expression changed, and he decided not to say much more, directly stating, "Line up and get your rice. It's free, one kilogram per person."

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately rushed over to line up, their lively demeanor a stark contrast to the earlier somber atmosphere. Alice and her siblings also joined the queue, and Alexander muttered quietly, "If I had known, I would have asked Mom and Dad to come down. We could have gotten a couple more kilograms of rice."

In the past, he wouldn't have cared about two extra kilograms of rice, but in the current scarcity of resources, who would refuse food?

A burly man thought one kilogram was too little. Seeing that the bag of rice in front was only one-third full, he snatched the bag from the ground and ran off.

Seeing this, people behind him went crazy, rushing forward to imitate.

"Bang!" A gunshot suddenly rang out, and the man who stole the rice fell to the ground, lifeless.

The others attempting to grab rice immediately stopped, retreating in fear.

"I said it's free for you all. Can't you behave? Do you have to cause a death to listen?" Fernando angrily holstered his gun.

After the warning, those people didn't dare to cause trouble anymore, obediently queuing up.

"One kilogram per person, no repeating in line. We will be watching here, and anyone not following the rules will have their rice confiscated. No share for the next three days. Don't blame me for not warning you; we have a good memory. Those who have come before will remember. Don't try any tricks."Though the message was clear, some still didn't believe or only believed in taking risks for wealth.

A man mixed in with the crowd who had already received rice earlier. Fernando fixed his gaze on him, silent but watching. The man met Fernando's eyes, felt uneasy for a moment, then quickly pretended to be calm and continued queuing.

Fernando sneered. It seemed like some people just couldn't appreciate kindness. He strode towards the man, grabbed his collar, and threw him to the ground.

The crowd turned their heads to look.The man's heart trembled, but he stubbornly said, "It's my first time here, and you guys are bullying people. If you don't want to give, just say it."

Fernando coldly stated, "The fact that I can identify you means there's enough evidence."

He took out his phone from his pocket, asking with a smirk, "Are you sure you want me to open the recording?"

The man's face changed, silently cursing in his heart, and walked away with an unwilling expression.

"Make a note of him. No supplies for him for the next three days," Fernando ordered.

Seeing this, the people in the queue gave up the idea of repeating to receive supplies. They didn't want to end up on a blacklist.

Fernando snorted at their obedient appearance. It seemed that a demonstration was necessary for them to behave.

...

Atticus and Blanche were surprised to see them coming back with rice. Atticus exclaimed, "This is all high-quality rice, and Einar is willing to distribute it throughout the base."

Alexander added, "Perhaps it's to win people's hearts. He has to make a statement since he just arrived."That made sense. Constantly using force to suppress would inevitably lead to an uprising.

"We'll go queue for rice too," Blanche said, pulling her husband out.

Alice reminded, "Take your weapons."

Having witnessed the chaos in the base before, especially Blanche, who had been kidnapped by Cecilia, they were extra cautious. Whenever they went out, they made sure to carry their guns.

As the couple stepped out, two men approached and blocked their way.

"On which floor do you live?" one of the men asked.

Atticus replied, "Sixteenth floor. Is there a problem?"

"Do you know this person? Have you seen her?" The man showed them a sketch.