Invasion of America

Chapter 140 Knowing Shame

A gunshot rang out suddenly, and the priest's head exploded in a crimson burst. His heavy body fell to the ground with a thud, like a piece of rotten wood.

The women inside the church gasped and screamed, but quickly fell silent. They were pale-faced, cowering in fear of the armed outsiders.

Amid the chaos, a woman in her early thirties stepped forward with a forced composure and said in a trembling voice, "Don't...don't kill anyone. There's no one here who can fight you. We have no weapons."

Zhou Qingfeng was brought here by a trembling prisoner.

All he knew was that most of the men in Bantu town had gone out to plunder, while the women who remained were gathered in this church, engaging in futile prayers.

After the apocalypse, the absolute disadvantage in physical strength and power caused women's status to plummet.

Women who can survive in such a cruel environment not only need some survival wisdom, but also need to learn to accept the dictates of fate.

The "Holy Light" members who flooded into the church were particularly excited, brazenly eyeing the surviving women inside, as if they had discovered a hidden treasure.

These women were clearly "selected"; although they were all thin from starvation, they were still outstanding in both appearance and figure.

Of course, they must have all been in relationships before, perhaps even with more than one. But in today's world where order has collapsed, no one cares much about the past, and it's not something to be concerned about.

Chen Rui followed behind Zhou Qingfeng, his eyes scanning the terrified women with intense intensity, paying particular attention to the one who had stepped forward.

He took two steps forward, lowered his voice, and excitedly said to Zhou Qingfeng, "President Zhou, I like this kind of mature woman who is both bold and insightful!"

Zhou Qingfeng's gaze lingered briefly on the trembling women before he coldly turned to the prisoners behind him and asked icily, "How are the women here distributed?"

The prisoner timidly raised his head, then seemed to be pressed down by an invisible pressure. His eyes flickered, and he answered in a low voice, "Whoever...whoever has the strongest fist can take more..."

The simple yet brutal answer starkly reveals the survival rules of the apocalypse.

In fact, compared to those plunderers who have completely lost their humanity, the 'Holy Light' team has good living conditions and treats women with many preferential treatments, and its members are quite restrained.

Even though they had completely taken control of the situation, they carried an inexplicable sense of restraint, as if they were concerned about some moral bottom line that had long since vanished.

If it were one of those unscrupulous white men, they would have pounced on her like a hungry wolf, grabbing whoever they could and giving the women in town no right to speak.

"What's your name?" Zhou Qingfeng asked calmly, his gaze falling once again on the woman who had stepped forward.

“Stacy,” the woman replied, her lips pressed tightly together and her eyes filled with complex emotions.

“Then, Ms. Stacy,” Zhou Qingfeng said, “choose one of my men to be your man.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every woman present, and continued, "The world has collapsed, and it's difficult for individuals to survive."

The men you relied on before are either dead or captured; you must choose again.

I don't care about your past, I guarantee my subordinates have no bad habits, and I will try my best to treat you well, and I hope you will do the same.

These words were spoken to all the women present who were still in shock, and they instantly realized that they were standing at a crossroads in their lives.

The women's gazes, like invisible threads, quickly swept over the "Holy Light" members, who were radiating aggressive intent. Ultimately, all eyes converged on Zhou Qingfeng himself.

After being enhanced, Zhou Qingfeng possessed a sculpted, robust physique, his limbs brimming with explosive power, his cold, handsome face as if carved by a knife and axe, and his entire body exuding a powerful and dangerous aura.

More importantly, he has always been in a leadership position, and the unique aura that comes from being in a high position for a long time makes him instantly recognizable even to those who are not familiar with him.

“Sorry, I’m not one of your choices.” Zhou Qingfeng took a half step to the side, creating some distance between himself and the women. “Hurry up and choose, or I’ll just assign one to you randomly.”

There are quite a few young women in Bantu town; there were twenty-seven in this church alone, and the subsequent search found eight more.

They were not native residents of the town, but outsiders who had fled along Highway 85, like rootless duckweed, drifting in the torrent of the apocalypse.

The same situation applies to other towns that have been conquered by the "Holy Light," as they are close to the highway and therefore attract a large influx of outsiders.

In just half a day, Zhou Qingfeng sent over a hundred young women to the camp in Awoni Town, providing "life partners" for one-third of the "Holy Light" members.

Although forcibly arranging a marriage may seem cold and inhumane, in the current apocalyptic environment, there is not much room for such considerations for those struggling to survive.
-
When Stacy and the other women sat in the back seat of the electric pickup truck, they immediately felt comfortable—the truck even had air conditioning and a refrigerator; they had almost forgotten about these modern comforts.

After the virus outbreak, the first public service to disappear was electricity. Without electricity, the water supply also stopped. Then came the loss of public order.

The town had no power generation equipment, making it difficult for the surviving women to even take a hot bath. Especially in winter, after three or four months without bathing or changing clothes, the people who had been rotting in the stale air would start to stink.

It's summer now, and power and water supplies remain difficult. Although some survival enthusiasts might install solar panels or similar systems, the power output is generally too low to be sufficient.

The decline of industry has wiped out many ordinary ways of life.

At this moment, being able to sit in an electric pickup truck with air conditioning is incredibly comfortable. The accompanying armed personnel even took out ice cream from the refrigerator—made by themselves using milk powder and ice cream powder.

The taste wasn't great, but it was good enough to have something to eat.

All the women were sent back to the camp in Awoni town as quickly as possible, where they were bathed, changed, treated, their files were created, they were assigned housing, and their destinations were confirmed.

They soon discovered that, compared to Bantu town, the 'Holy Light' team's camp was like an Eden, full of vitality.

The most obvious feeling is that there are a lot of people.

In the apocalypse, a large population means more rules, which in turn means more resources and more ways out.

To unite a group, adequate public services must be provided. First and foremost is safety, followed by basic necessities such as food, clothing, shelter, transportation, healthcare, and utilities.

These are all available at the camp—the camp was recently expanded to include a primary school in town. The school building became the new dormitory for the new members.

Due to the large number of people, the power supply in the camp was somewhat strained. Fortunately, the 'homemade oil refining' could produce crude diesel, and the school building's power supply facilities were equipped with diesel generators.

The town is small, so the primary school is naturally small as well.

However, the three-story reinforced concrete teaching building inside the school appeared exceptionally sturdy, and Zhou Qingfeng moved the camp command center there, which was at least much safer than the flammable wooden villa.

The newly arrived surviving women were temporarily housed in several classrooms, each given a heavy box containing personal belongings that were now considered a luxury.

"You even provide tampons?" A woman found soft underwear, fragrant shampoo, and even cosmetics and exquisite perfumes.

“I haven’t used these necessities for almost a year…” a woman murmured to herself, her eyes slightly red.

She found antiperspirant, a women's razor, and several pairs of stockings that symbolized a refined lifestyle before the apocalypse. Looking at these items, everyone sighed and reminisced about bygone days.

Jennifer came in carrying a medical kit, intending to give them physical examinations. The harsh realities of post-apocalyptic life, with its poor food and sanitation, had left these women with a prevalence of gynecological problems. Inevitably, some people would ask where these supplies came from. While they could be found in every abandoned town, spending manpower and resources specifically to collect them seemed rather wasteful.

Jennifer simply shrugged. "You guys are really lucky to have made it this far and joined us. Before the disaster, our team made thorough preparations and stockpiled a lot of supplies."

Her tone then became serious: "From now on, what you need to do is try your best to please the men you have chosen, and it would be best if you could bear them children as soon as possible. The men of 'Dongda' value their offspring very much."

Women seem to have been prepared for this for a long time. They understand what their advantage is in today's environment—it is not shameful to depend on men.

Jennifer continued with a hint of sarcasm, "In a while, you'll need to undergo a minor surgery to remove the apocrine glands in your armpits and groin."

The words "surgery" and "removal" evoke feelings of unease and fear.

All the women looked puzzled, and one of them asked cautiously, "What is the purpose of this surgery? Is it necessary?"

Jennifer laughed and said, "Because the men you're going to be serving have a very sensitive sense of smell. Trust me, this surgery will greatly improve your body odor."

Otherwise, no matter how beautiful you are, or how much perfume and antiperspirant you use, the men who rule the camp will keep their distance.

Some people seemed thoughtful, while others remained bewildered, but they were somewhat relieved.

Stacy, believed to be the leader of the group of women, suddenly lowered her voice and asked tentatively, "Among the men who came to arrest us today, there was a leader named Victor. He..."

Jennifer's face instantly turned cold, and she warned sharply, "That's my man. Don't even think about hitting on him, or I'll tear your face off."

Now you must learn to behave yourselves and stop recklessly thinking about how to seduce more people, or I guarantee you'll suffer a terrible fate.

Jennifer's words drew a clear line, explicitly telling these new women what they could do and what they absolutely could not do.

Stacy nodded seriously and replied, "I understand. We hate chaos and we love rules. With rules, we can survive better."

All the women seemed quite sensible; they understood that order and rules were actually protecting the weak.
-
After several busy hours, Jennifer meticulously conducted initial checks on the new women and distributed medicines and basic hygiene products.

She methodically assigned several women as temporary managers, left behind a few walkie-talkies, and informed them of the methods and channels for emergency contact before leaving the makeshift medical room.

The women were left in communal 'dormitories'.

Soon, a group of "basic laborers" came in. They silently carried the cold metal parts of the bunk bed and began to assemble the bed with a clattering sound.

Among the weary figures carrying bed frames, Stacy spotted a familiar one—her "ex" man.

He was still alive, but he looked haggard, with some bandages on his head and face, and his thick beard looked messy.

He wore rough leather shackles on both ankles, making each step he took seem sluggish and heavy.

Deep down, Stacy was quite grateful to her former partner. During those chaotic and desperate days in the early days of the apocalypse, he had taken care of her, providing her with a rare sense of security and basic food, drink, and shelter.

She knew very well that her "ex" had been captured in order to risk getting her more survival supplies.

The two once harbored a simple dream: to establish a family in the apocalypse, own their own ranch, build a warm wooden house, have a few children, and then live a peaceful and quiet life.

But harsh reality shattered their illusions.

The attack failed, and the participants were either killed or captured. The 'former' narrowly escaped with his life, but now he seemed to have completely lost his freedom and become a slave to be driven at will.

“Stacy, what are you doing here?” The “ex” man approached carrying a bundle of bed boards. When he looked up and saw Stacy standing not far away, an incredulous look of surprise appeared on his face.

Stacy felt uneasy and instinctively looked away, reluctant to acknowledge her 'ex' at this moment.

Because not far away, several heavily armed "Holy Light" personnel were acting as supervisors with cold faces, and she didn't want to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.

In the end, she simply lowered her head and replied in a low voice, "Hello, Will."

"Were you arrested too?" the 'ex' continued, his voice filled with bitterness.

Stacy nodded slightly and replied briefly, "We have no choice."

“It’s not your fault.” The 'former' didn’t fully understand Stacy’s situation. He lowered his voice and said, “Those yellow-skinned monkeys said that we prisoners only need to endure a year of ‘forced labor’ to gain our freedom.”

During my work, I can also earn some work points, which are essentially money. I can give you all my work points; are you willing to wait for me? A year later, we…”

Before he could finish speaking, his 'ex' noticed something else.

Stacy was dressed in clean and tidy clothes, her hair was neatly tied up, and her face no longer looked greasy and haggard.

He seemed to suddenly realize something; the hope on his face vanished instantly, and his voice turned somber as he whispered in anguish, "You... found a new man?"

Stacy repeated her statement, "I had no choice."

Now, the 'ex' finally understood. He threw the plank he was carrying to the ground with a thud, his voice becoming hoarse:
"Damn it! Those yellow-skinned monkeys not only enslave us, but they also use black people to monitor us, and even... they stole our women!"

Outside the dormitory corridor, Omar, a black man, was acting as a supervisor, waving a thick wooden stick. He jumped out arrogantly and was furious when he saw prisoners talking to the new women.

"What are you doing, you white slave? Get back to work!" Omar shouted, pointing his stick at them.

"This isn't two hundred years ago anymore. We blacks have turned the tables, and it's your turn, whites, to work for our esteemed Chinese masters!"

Omar was extremely proud; this was the first time he had ever experienced such a superior feeling.

Serving as a lackey for a Chinese tycoon doesn't seem so unacceptable, because there are even lower-class white people he can bully at will, which gives him great psychological satisfaction.

Before the apocalypse, he wouldn't have dared to even dream of such a "good job"!
Seeing Omar waving a wooden stick and swaggering around, the captured "basic labor force" were all filled with rage, their chests almost bursting with fury.

But in order to survive, they really had no way to resist and could only endure this humiliation.

If they resist, they will face hunger, beatings, scorching sun, or even dark and damp huts—a host of cruel punishments await them.

The "Holy Light" team is currently being relatively cautious, having promoted more than a dozen Black people like Omar from among the prisoners to serve as overseers. These were people who struggled at the bottom of society before the apocalypse and did not live a good life.

These people generally lacked a good education, and even if they were rebellious at heart during the period of white rule, they dared not openly rebel.

Now that they finally have the opportunity to wield sticks and whips, one can imagine the twisted pleasure they feel—just as white police officers discriminated against them in the past, they now discriminate against white people even more vehemently.

"You must atone for your sins, you must know shame, do you understand?"

(End of this chapter)