Chapter 540.4: The Day Has Come

Meeting their expectant gazes, Kishur clenched his fist and spoke confidently, "Then we tax all the vendors. We’ll tear down the slums and move everyone into our hotel. They’ll thank us for letting them stay somewhere so grand, not in those crumbling New Alliance shacks. And we’ll have even more money to fund bigger projects, like expanding the wall all the way to the overpass! Anyone coming down from the bridge will walk straight into the heart of our settlement, the most prosperous center of all!"

"I heard it’s not even that hard technically. We built that giant wall before and we can build something even bigger now!" Kishur narrowed his eyes and looked out toward his future kingdom.

The line of stalls and crowds stretched as far as the eye could see, from the gates of Boulder Town all the way to the overpass behind the Wind from Afar Hotel.

Though the liveliness couldn’t compare to the inner city, it was still winter after all.

If he remembered correctly, there were usually far fewer people trading during that season. Clearly, Boulder Town had grown significantly over the five years he was away.

It seemed like his plan had been too conservative.

Originally, he’d intended to roll things out over three to five years, but now it seemed he could afford to move things up a bit.

Of course, none of it would’ve been possible without that amazing person named Ample Time. If it hadn’t been for that brother, he wouldn’t have so much money at his disposal.

Whenever he thought of that meeting on the plane, Kishur couldn’t help but feel smug. It had been the smartest negotiation of his life, one that might one day become legendary and something everyone talked about.

"Brother! You’re fucking incredible!" Beside him, Kumiter was the first to start clapping enthusiastically, beaming with joy.

Ever since his buddy Kishur returned from Ideal City, he had not only become smarter but also more charismatic.

𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Kumiter loved listening to him talk!

Honestly, it was more fun than hanging out with girls.

And Kishur wasn’t lying either. Kumiter’s S coin account balance was worth tens of millions in chips. His dad had never given him that much pocket money in his life!

Those exaggerated tales might have had a bit of fluff, but money didn’t lie!

Just then, a gust of cold wind blew past.

Kumiter suddenly sneezed and rubbed his nose. "Why’s it so damn cold today...?"

The chubby follower next to him quickly took off his coat and handed it over. "Please wear mine, sir."

"Thanks, Piru. You’re such a good guy."

Though it wasn’t freezing, Kumiter still draped the coat over his shoulders, grinning as he patted the chubby kid’s plump shoulder.

Piru gave a warm chuckle. "Of course, we’re brothers."

He was the son of Vega.

Though his father was also a big boss, compared to the fathers of those other guys, he was barely a minor figure.

His father always told him that in Boulder Town, connections were the scarcest resource. So he never hesitated to invest in his buddies.

The first million of S coin funding had come from him, and over time, he increased it to nearly 10 million in chips.

Looking back, it had been a wildly profitable investment.

Though he was cautious, and had started offloading some of his assets on his father’s advice, after subtracting initial costs, he still came out ahead.

Just then, a shrill alarm rang out from inside the city.

Everyone stopped talking and turned toward the great wall.

"The city’s sounding the alarm..." An awakener bodyguard walked over to Kumiter and said respectfully, "We should return immediately."

Kumiter scratched the back of his head in confusion. "But it’s winter..."

The young heirs looked at one another with worried expressions, whispering among themselves.

"Whatever’s going on, we better head back..."

"I’ve got a bad feeling about this."

"Safety first!"

As they huddled and whispered, Piru hesitated for a moment before summoning his courage and turned to the others. "You guys go on ahead, I’m not going with you."

Kumiter looked at him in surprise. "Are you nuts? Staying outside when the alarm’s blaring? This is the wasteland!"

Piru chuckled innocently, "My father told me to meet him at the Wind from Afar Hotel. He said he needs to discuss something. I better get going or he’ll beat my ass again."

Kumiter paused, then nodded. "Alright... Take care of yourself."

Running out when the alarm’s going off?

What a weirdo.

But Mr. Vega was a capable man. If he wanted to get back in, it was just a matter of saying the word. There was no point worrying about his buddy.

"You too! Be safe out there," Piru added, stopping Kumiter just as he was about to return the coat. "Keep it. Consider it a memento."

Kumiter froze, just about to ask what he meant when one of the bodyguards cleared his throat softly and interrupted his thoughts. "Young master, we should go... This is serious. If your father can’t find you, he’ll be worried."

"Alright." Kumiter nodded, watching Piru’s back disappear into the crowd. He didn’t say anything further and simply waved, leading the others back into the city.

Although the gate was already closed, for black card holders like them, rules were just suggestions.

At first, Kumiter hadn’t been too worried, but the moment he set foot inside Boulder Town, he immediately sensed that something was wrong.

There were too many people, and they were all crammed onto the street in front of the gate!

He had never seen so many people shouting to get out!

A bodyguard gently tugged on Kumiter’s sleeve. "We can’t take the main road. We’ll go the side route."

Those peasants had completely blocked off the street.

"Okay!" Kumiter nodded hard, his expression growing more anxious by the second.

Realizing the urgency of the situation, the group stopped joking and hurriedly jogged toward the inner city.

The streets were in chaos.

The usual patrol guards had vanished and the militia were nowhere to be seen. From a nearby main road came the clanging of metal, the sound of things being smashed, and furious shouting from both men and women.

Worse yet, the noises from the distant streets were even louder.

People seemed to be shouting something in unison, and Boulder Town sounded like a battlefield!

A strange fear gripped Kishur’s heart. After parting with his friends, he rushed back to the mansion on the edge of the inner city.

He burst through the gate and ran into the house, screaming for his father, but no one answered. Then he saw that his older brother, who had long since moved out, was actually back!

The whole family was gathered in the hall on the first floor, fully dressed. A few servants were holding luggage, and the butler wore a grim expression.

It looked like they were preparing for a long journey.

"Big Brother?" Kishur stared blankly at the middle-aged man with perfectly combed hair.

Wolfur frowned slightly at his younger brother, his voice tinged with reproach. "You're still out running around at a time like this? Where were you just now? Why are you only getting back now?"

Kishur ignored the scolding and walked straight up to him, cutting to the point. "Where’s Father? Where did he go?"

In his mind, his father, Malvern, was the cornerstone of the family. No matter what kind of mess he caused, the old man always had a way out...

"He went to the New Alliance," Wolfur said, glancing at their anxious mother before speaking seriously. "Something big is happening outside, you must have heard it. Anyway, we need to head deeper into the inner city for shelter immediately, that’s Father’s instruction."

"We may have to stay there for a while, until things settle down completely."

Glenys nodded quickly. "Alright! Let’s not waste any more time, let’s go!"

Those beggars and peasants had gone mad. They had seemed fine before... Who knew which idiot pushed them over the edge?

Just thinking about their snot-covered faces and scraggly beards gave her goosebumps. She felt physically revolted.

Her dear friend Bonnie had mentioned it recently, that something big was about to happen in Boulder Town. She had advised Glenys to stock up a small room in the inner city with daily necessities.

Luckily, her husband had made preparations in advance. That place had enough supplies to last the whole family for months. Milk, bread, canned goods, toiletries, clean bedding... Everything was ready.

There was really no need to panic.

They heard that similar incidents had happened before. While they hadn’t personally experienced it, their parents had.

And based on past experiences, everyone had gotten through it safely.

If they didn’t want to wait it out, they could always climb into a cryo-pod and sleep for six months to a year. The only downside was that cryogenic sleep dried out the skin and they would need serious skincare afterward.

Elisa’s face was filled with worry.

Unlike her mother, she didn’t hate the people outside. She was simply concerned about her father, and about those people...

She wondered if her father was alright.

Just moments ago, she’d stood at the top floor window and seen a large crowd gathering in the street, heading toward their house with hostility in their eyes.

Just a month and a half ago, things weren’t like this.

Back then, people didn’t even dare raise their heads to look at them, let alone show any anger...

But what she feared most had finally happened.

Just like she had told her father during the celebration, he hadn’t even looked into their eyes. So how could he tell whether those eyes held respect, or hatred?

If only he had taken her words seriously then, instead of brushing them off as childish nonsense.

Shame. It was probably too late to say anything.

Their settlement had reached the end of their days. This time, there really wasn’t much time left to do anything.

"We need to leave this place..." Kishur knelt beside his worried little sister, gazed into her gem-like eyes, and gently placed her cloth doll in her hands.

In a soft voice, he said, "Don’t worry. Our friends in the militia will handle things... We’ll be back very soon."

"

Mm...

" Elisa nodded silently and clutched the doll tightly.

The family exited through the rear garden gate, hurrying toward the inner city under the protection of the old butler and six servants.

Truthfully, they should have left long ago.

Wolfur couldn’t help but curse his damned younger brother in his heart. Ever since returning from Ideal City, the boy had been acting a little unhinged. He should’ve convinced their father to take him in for a brain scan.

Lately, he’d even started some nonsense called the S coin. The stress had nearly triggered Wolfur’s heart condition.

But compared to the powder keg building up in Boulder Town right now, that was barely a blip...

Seeing the worsening situation in the streets, Wolfur furrowed his brow, then a gunshot rang out, and he instantly ducked his head.

Screams exploded like a sudden storm down the nearby avenue, followed by a flood of furious roars and shouting, drowning out even the gunfire.

The shot startled Kishur, and it was only after a moment that he realized the gunfire had come from quite far away.

Still shaken, he cursed out loud, "Shit! Who the hell fires a gun inside the city? Have they lost their mind?!"

"Shut up!" Wolfur snapped irritably, then turned toward their panicked mother and sister before looking at the frightened butler and servants. He yelled, "Hurry up and run!"