Chapter 43: The People's Choice
1141 Words
Wang Meng's punch came with unstoppable force, his confidence unwavering in its power to kill Lu Ming with a single blow. However, what Wang Meng didn't realize was that to Lu Ming, his punch was slower than slow motion.
Lu Ming raised his hand and slapped Wang Meng.
"Slap!" With the sound of the slap, Wang Meng's head was sent flying by Lu Ming's single strike. The headless body spurted blood wildly...
Lu Ming took two steps back to avoid the blood splatter on his clothes.
Moments later, Wang Meng's body fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
Lu Ming took out his phone and snapped a few photos of the scene, then posted them in the community chat.
Villa Block 1. Lu Ming: "Attention all neighbors, the home-invading, murderous Wang Meng has been dealt with by me..."
"As shown in the picture...you can all rest assured now."
Lu Ming glanced around the room. There was a bottle of Romanée-Conti red wine on the table.
"Such fine wine would be wasted sitting here," he thought.
So, Lu Ming grabbed a wine glass from the cabinet and poured the exquisite red wine into it.
Taking a delicate sip, he savored the taste. "Truly the emperor of wines..."
The complex and rich fruity aroma brought an extreme enjoyment to his taste buds.
The blend of the red wine's aroma with the bloody scent of the room presented a unique charm to Lu Ming.
"The color of this red wine is so similar to blood... The aroma of the wine blending with the scent of blood... unexpectedly enhances the complexity of the wine..."
Lu Ming placed his foot on Wang Meng's head to stop it from rolling around.
He found himself somewhat intoxicated by this cruel beauty.
He pondered, "After a grand s*******r, would a hotpot meal in the midst of a blood rain also be delicious?"
"Sigh... I am truly a righteous person," Lu Ming murmured to himself, playing with the wine glass.
"Come to think of it, since the apocalypse began...everything I've done has been good deeds..."
"I've saved and sheltered helpless beauties, killed the demon Chen Yu who planned to s*******r the entire community, and now dealt with the murderous robber Wang Meng."
"Damn," Lu Ming muttered, "even in the apocalypse, my moral compass is still so righteous, that's remarkable."
Feeling a surge of excitement, he applied a bit of force and crushed Wang Meng's head beneath his foot!
"No wonder... the system's mission includes 'Winning the Hearts of the People.' Seems like I'm destined to gain the people's trust and establish a new order amidst the apocalypse..."
"That makes sense... With my current strength, the neighbors pose no threat to me..."
"As long as I provide them with some food, they will be grateful, and I can gain their support and luck value."
While Lu Ming was lost in his thoughts, the community chat had exploded with messages.
Building 5, Unit 404. Angry Keyboard Warrior: "...Damn, Lu Ming 666, it's a bit cruel, but it feels so satisfying to watch."
Building 1, Unit 301. Tranquil Life: "Sigh, as they say, good deeds are rewarded, and evil deeds meet retribution. Wang Meng's fate is well-deserved."
Building 1, Unit 207. Running Frog: "Brother Lu, you're mighty. I'll follow you from now on."
Building 13, Unit 703. Doraemon: "Sigh... It's a shame everyone is out of supplies, otherwise, we would definitely send some to Lu Ming for eliminating evil!"
Due to Wang Meng's despicable acts of deception and home-invasion robbery, he had enraged the entire community.
So, when everyone learned that Wang Meng had been killed by Lu Ming, instead of fearing Lu Ming, they all cheered for him.
The only one trembling with fear was the influencer Xiao Mei who had been with Wang Meng.
Xiao Mei was in a state of panic. "How did this happen? I sought Wang Meng's protection because he was strong..."
"After all, in the apocalypse, a woman needs someone strong to rely on... But Wang Meng was killed so easily?"
"What should I do now?"
Xiao Mei looked anxious. "Will the neighbors come after me?"
"No! Don't scare yourself... With this heavy snow, no one can come here."
She glanced at the food in the house, muttering, "The food Wang Meng left should last me more than half a month."
"I'll definitely outlast them, I’ll be fine."
"As long as I don't go out... I'll be safe... I'll be safe..."
Lu Ming checked the community chat messages and raised an eyebrow.
"It seems the surviving neighbors hold me in high regard now. Winning them over is not impossible."
With that thought, Lu Ming sent another message in the community chat.
"Dear neighbors, I know some of you saw me chasing Chen Yu from Building 1 with an AK47."
"But let me be honest... Chen Yu was a real murderous demon, secretly planning to m******e the entire community."
"To save myself and to rescue everyone from a dire situation, I devised a plan to attack Chen Yu."
"Essentially, I did it to save everyone... I am not like Chen Yu or Wang Meng, I won't harm anyone proactively."
Shortly after Lu Ming's message, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Main Mission 3: Gain the support of the majority of residents in your area to receive a luck bonus."
"Ding! The favorability of the community survivors towards the host has reached 40 (Friendly). Reach 100 (Adored) to gain a luck bonus and power value."
Lu Ming raised an eyebrow. "Good, it's finally here..."
"Main Mission 3, Winning the Hearts of the People, is essentially the art of emperors."
"To become the emperor of the new world after the apocalypse, it's not enough to be strong and have many women..."
"An emperor needs the support of countless subjects to establish and maintain power."
Lu Ming pondered, "No matter how powerful a person is, they need many others to serve them."
"Getting people to willingly work for you is an art..."
"Throughout history, the most successful emperors have mastered the art of ruling, balancing kindness and power to win the loyalty of their subjects."
After some thought, Lu Ming sent another message in the community chat.
"The natural disaster hit us unexpectedly, and I know everyone is out of supplies... I'm running low on food too..."
"But in these dangerous times, neighbors should help each other."
"I won't sugarcoat it... The supplies Wang Meng robbed, I won't keep them to myself. I will share them with everyone."
Lu Ming wouldn't tell the neighbors that he had an infinite space and almost limitless supplies...
He calculated that Wang Meng's supplies, if distributed among the survivors in the community, would last them a day or two at most...
After that, their survival would have nothing to do with him.
- Writer
