The television stayed black for almost ten full seconds after the broadcast cut out and I let out a scoff. I was actually surprised that it took them that long to cut him off.

Clearly that base was a little too nice if he had access to a phone, internet, and more than just the hallway he first started broadcasting in.

"What do you think happened?" asked Zhenlan, but none of the men answered him.

"He was killed for complaining about the thread count of his bed sheets," I replied, rolling my eyes. I had lost the boss battle because I was paying too much attention to the whistleblower.

"Rouxi," grunted Zhenlan, and I could hear the disappointment in his voice. Did he think that I was being callous? Did he think that I was a psychopath because I lived too long in this life of luxury that he gave the old Rouxi that I didn’t have compassion for what I had just seen?

I looked at him dead in the eyes. "Yeah?" I asked, even as I respawned in the game.

He didn’t say anything more, just shook his head in disappointment. I hate that it actually hurt me that he was disappointed in me. But I wasn’t wrong.

After a moment, the black screen disappeared and the regular news logo returned like nothing had happened.

I snorted softly and reached for another chip while the anchor straightened the papers in front of her desk with visibly shaking hands. Whoever had hijacked the broadcast had probably just gotten half the station executed and now the anchor didn’t dare to underperform.

I wondered for a brief second if the whistleblower knew how many people he got killed just to complain about the food.

"Good evening," the woman said carefully, her voice only wavering a little. "We apologize for the interruption. Officials have confirmed that the previous footage was the result of terrorist sabotage meant to destabilize public order during an ongoing national emergency. It will be looked into and you will be given an explanation."

Lingyun let out a sharp laugh. "Well, that’s not suspicious at all."

Nobody paid attention to him.

The anchor continued speaking while footage rolled across the screen behind her showing smiling civilians receiving food trays from soldiers. Children sat inside brightly lit shelters with rows of cots, wrapped in clean blankets while military patrols handed out bottled water in neat organized lines.

Even the lighting looked warmer.

"This is one of the many bases from our Capital of Huangbei. As you can see, it is nothing like the terrorist has described. Our bases are always willing to accept more civilians. You health and wellbeing is always and will always be our governments top priority."

Yuche leaned back from where he was sitting in the chair beside my part of the sectional. "They switched footage," he said flatly. "There is no way that is the same base."

"Obviously," Lingyun muttered.

But Yuche shook his head slightly. "No. Look closer."

I glanced up from my game long enough to watch the screen properly.

The civilians in the footage looked healthy enough, but something about the scene was wrong. The smiles looked forced. The camera kept focusing on the same people over and over again while avoiding the edges of the crowd entirely.

And the soldiers? They were so clean they hurt to look at.

Their uniforms looked freshly pressed despite the apocalypse happening outside the walls.

"They’re filming only the controlled sections," Yuche continued quietly. "Probably areas reserved for inspections or government review."

Chenghai frowned. "How can you tell?"

"The civilians aren’t moving naturally," Yuche replied simply. "Look at the spacing. Nobody’s fighting for position near the food line. Nobody’s pushing forward."

Zhenlan’s expression darkened slightly as he watched the screen again.

Now that Yuche had pointed it out, it became obvious to everyone else.

The anchor continued speaking over the footage. "Officials would also like to reassure the public that all compounds remain secure and fully operational. Citizens are reminded that cooperation and discipline are necessary during this difficult period."

The footage shifted again, even as the same points were repeated over and over again.

This time it showed awakened individuals standing beside military personnel in clean uniforms while workers unloaded supply trucks nearby.

"Gifted citizens are volunteering their abilities to support humanity’s recovery efforts," the anchor continued smoothly. "But out government would never take advantage of their citizens. Each gifted individual is compensated for their time and power, just like any other employment. Only they are only working a few hours a day."

Yuche scoffed beside me. "Volunteering," he repeated dryly. "Sure."

The television shifted to footage of civilians repairing walls and reinforcing barricades beneath armed supervision.

"Temporary labor assignments have also helped increase compound efficiency while ensuring all residents contribute fairly to the survival effort."

"Translation," Lingyun muttered, "work or starve."

"Obviously," I said without looking up from my game. "There is nothing free in this world anymore. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just an idiot."

The room went quiet again.

I wasn’t sure why they kept acting surprised by basic survival logic.

You didn’t feed people for free during the apocalypse unless you wanted riots the second supplies ran low. Everyone needed a role. Everyone needed a purpose. Even in my last life, the settlements that survived the longest were the ones strict enough to crush problems before they spread.

Freedom stopped mattering the second food became limited.

The television shifted again as another official appeared on screen, this one dressed in full military uniform with enough medals pinned to his chest to sink him into the floor.

"The government remains fully committed to the protection of all civilians," the man announced firmly. "These false broadcasts are attempts to create fear and division during a time when unity is more important than ever."

Yuche barked out a quiet laugh. "That’s definitely propaganda."

I glanced sideways at him. "You say that like propaganda doesn’t work." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

"It works on idiots," Lingyun said immediately.

"No," Yuche corrected calmly. "It works on desperate people."

That actually made me pause my game for a second. Didn’t he realize that everyone was desperate right now?

The room fell silent again as the official continued speaking about recovery efforts, resource management, and national stability while carefully avoiding any mention of executions, overcrowding, or ration reductions.

"They’re scared," Zhenlan said quietly after a while.

Chenghai frowned slightly. "Of what?"

"Losing control," Yuche answered before anyone else could.

The television footage changed again, this time showing soldiers escorting civilians through one of the compounds while the announcer continued talking about security and public safety.

But now that the guys had seen the leaked footage first, the differences stood out more clearly.

The civilians avoided eye contact with the cameras.

Nobody looked relaxed.

And every smiling face disappeared the second the camera moved away from them.

"They’re trying too hard," Lingyun muttered.

"Because they have to," Yuche replied.

I finally looked up from my phone completely.

"Still think they will let the guy live? Keep eating good food? Keep sleeping on a dry bed?"

The room went still.

Nobody argued with me. Yuche slowly leaned back into the couch cushions beside me, his eyes still fixed on the television.

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Probably not. This is nothing but damage control."