Chapter 37: Regional Incursion

Lu Ming remained silent as he read this. This world was truly never lacking in clever people, especially in China.

Or rather, those capable of commanding influence within a territory possessed both strength and extraordinary wisdom. Liu Sanlong, Fu Di, and Chen Hai were all such individuals. They possessed both a spirit of selfless dedication and a desire for personal gain. These things could have been discussed privately or within their own regions; there was no need to analyze them on the national channel, nor to explain them to trolls and pessimists. Yet, Liu Sanlong had done exactly that.

Was it simply out of care and protection for his fellow countrymen? Lu Ming was a bit selfish, so he tended not to think too highly of others. He believed that such a long, detailed message was at least partially fueled by Liu Sanlong’s desire to showcase his wisdom and personal charisma. Beyond boosting his own profile to gain influence in this apocalyptic world, it likely served to consolidate his position within his region, ensuring more people would respond to his operational strategies.

*Look how impressive our leader is; he left everyone on the national channel speechless with his impeccable logic. Let’s follow him!* That was likely the sentiment.

Lu Ming, of course, would not mock this. It was a good thing. The more united humanity was, the faster it would develop, and the more Lu Ming’s "bug" would benefit—after all, who doesn't like wealthy clients?

However, this lengthy conversation was not without value. At the very least, he now understood the thoughts and directions of most regions, and most importantly, he learned that growable food could be obtained from supply crates. Regardless of whether it was true or not, what harm was there in believing it, provided he lost nothing in the process?

Scrolling further, he found the praise and admiration of those influenced by Liu Sanlong’s charm, along with Liu Sanlong’s polished, high-EQ responses. Finding it tiresome to read, he quickly scrolled past.

Just as Lu Ming reached the bottom of the chat, where the newest messages were, one in particular caught his eye.

(Gu Changhe: Everyone, pay attention. We may be fellow countrymen in our region, but our neighboring regions could be inhabited by people from other countries! Just a moment ago, a group of "Universe Koreans" invaded our area. At first, they pretended to be pitiful and asked for our help; but the moment we prepared to issue a firm refusal, those bastards dropped the act and attacked us, killing several of our brothers and seizing their spatial bags. One of them had a high level, not like a standard high-level soldier; most of our people were killed by him. Dozens have already died, including several high-level soldier elites. They were hunting us earlier, but now that night is falling, they have hidden themselves. So, everyone, do not lower your guard when you encounter people from other countries. Do not trust them—just take them out! Those sons of bitches! Damn it!)

(Liu Ling: No way, I thought all the surrounding areas were Chinese. How could there be other countries? And isn't it a bit strange to invade other regions at a time like this?)

(Fu Di: I suspect they came through the boundary lines of the suburban areas. But if you say they aren't at the level of high-level soldiers, could they be "Limit Soldiers"?)

(Gu Changhe: I don't know, but their overall strength is clearly superior to the strongest people in our street. They are likely military or personnel from special sectors. Their strikes are brutal, and they are incredibly strong—I felt like one of them jumped over four meters high.)

(Liu Sanlong: That must be it. I didn't expect such a situation. Do you know which district you are in?)

(Gu Changhe: I don't know the name of the district, but I am at Jiuhua Heavenly Street; it’s quite large.)

(Fu Di: This is troublesome. We can barely figure out the names of our own districts, and most of the area is still unexplored. I really can't help directly, but your warning is truly timely. We didn't even know there were people from other countries in neighboring regions. Listen, brother Changhe, I will trade you some supplies. Find a hidden place to hide for now. Once we have fully scouted our locations in a few days, we will see if a rescue is possible. Send me a trade request.)

(Liu Sanlong: I will contribute some resources as well. The warning was indeed timely. Take good care of the people on your street. If there is no chance to fight back, try to avoid them as much as possible. Once we stabilize our own regions, we can begin to provide aid to others. When that time comes, we won't let a single one of these "Universe Koreans" go!)

(Wu Meng: Oh, that’s so nice. I’m also being hunted by people from another country. Big Brother Fu Di, Big Brother Liu Long, can you give me some supplies too? ~~~ Hehe.)

(Gu Changhe: What do you mean by that? Are you sarcastically implying I’m lying?)

(Wu Meng: Hehe~~)

(Gu Changhe: [Video File], [Video File], [Video File].)

He threw out three video files in quick succession, and the chat went silent.

Lu Ming’s expression darkened as he clicked on them. They were indeed scenes of people being attacked, and although the meaning of the attackers' words was clear, the language used was unmistakably the accent of the Korean nation—classic "Simida" talk.

"Appraise."

Locking onto the most prominent individual in the video, Lu Ming used the Eye of Truth.

Information popped up instantly: *Park Dong-wook, 26, Seoul, Korea, son of a conglomerate, military background, Limit Soldier level.*

Gu Changhe hadn't misjudged; they were indeed Limit Soldiers.

(Gu Changhe: Anything else you want to say? Still think I'm lying?)

(Wu Meng: I never said you were lying. That’s your own interpretation. If you don't believe me, go back and read the chat; see if you can find the word 'lying' anywhere.)

(Fu Di: Enough, is this really necessary? Our countrymen are being killed, and you’re arguing? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by other nations? Changhe, send me the trade request. This isn't over. Don't let me run into those bastards; if I do, I’ll slaughter every one of them!)

(Liu Sanlong: Try not to question each other internally. If you have difficulties, speak up, but there is no need for sarcasm. If you really can’t hold on, record a video proving your distress; I won't ignore those I can help. I’m going to hold a meeting regarding this matter now.)

(Gu Changhe: Thank you, Brother Di, thank you Brother Long, and thank you to all the family members who traded me supplies. I will certainly distribute these to the others in the area. Thank you.)

Seeing this, Lu Ming exited the World Channel and returned to the regional tab to check the situation in his own area.

He didn't scroll up. The conversation was now fixed on the issue of invasions by other countries.

(Jin Qi: Koreans invading our fellow countrymen's areas is terrifying. What if our neighbors are foreigners too?)

(Fang Peng: Not sure, but we have Uncle Chen here, so there's no need to be afraid.)

(Chen Hai: Tomorrow morning, I will lead the main force of Changping Street to begin search and rescue operations in the surrounding areas. I hope everyone will cooperate fully and gather together. Those countrymen were right—only by staying together can we deal with all variables. Once we are strong enough as a whole, we won't have to fear wolves, tigers, leopards, or alien creatures.)

(Fang Peng: Of course, we support Uncle Chen. Before Uncle Chen arrives, I will gather the people near Mengze Street so we can follow him directly.)

(Bao Zhengcheng: Haha, is this the same young man who was arguing with Brother Chen Hai from the very beginning?)

(Fang Peng: Tsk, ouch, Uncle Bao, please stop teasing me. I’m a mid-level warrior capable of killing a Scythe-Owl larva single-handedly now. Give me some respect and let the dark history go.)

(Haha!)

The chat was filled with laughter.

Lu Ming also chuckled, but between the lines, he could see the stable and harmonious development of his region. Furthermore, since Fang Peng could kill a Scythe-Owl larva alone, it seemed Chen Hai had already figured out the method to identify the core and had popularized it.