The crowd of refugees surged with shouts, even attempting to rush into the building, the atmosphere escalating rapidly.
At this precise moment, Su Wanran, having also lost her composure, yelled into the microphone, “The deaths are not Lu Ming’s fault, but the killer’s! Instead of focusing on catching the murderer, you’re shifting the blame onto Lu Ming. How can you be so shameless?”
Her words might have had some effect earlier, but the situation was different now.
With the appearance of a third victim, the refugees were genuinely terrified and were only concerned with their own interests. Yet, Su Wanran was arguing with them, which was like adding fuel to the fire.
As expected.
The refugees erupted in curses.
“Damn it, how is it not Lu Ming’s fault? If he hadn’t offended the Hell Demon, would refugees be killed because of him? This is Lu Ming’s responsibility! If he were a man, he’d step up and take responsibility!”
“Yeah, a coward, only knows how to hide, no sense of responsibility at all, a worthless piece of trash.”
“Talking a good game about treating us and finding our food issues, huh! In reality, this is just a power struggle between the Su and Wu families, both trying to gain a good reputation, not truly considering us!”
“Besides, every man for himself. What’s wrong with us fighting for our own safety? And you scold us? Ptooey! Who do you think you are, Su Wanran? A shallow-minded fool.”
The situation was spiraling out of control, the refugees’ curses growing fiercer.
What should have been animosity between the refugees and the Hell Demon was now being redirected towards the Su family.
The Su family was in agony, Su Wanran was close to tears.
It was all Wu Lingxuan’s cruel tactics. This plan of using a borrowed knife to kill was executed flawlessly, and moreover, she had borrowed so many ‘knives’ at once, it was undeniably powerful.
At this very moment.
Wu Lingxuan was not at home but had driven to the scene.
Sitting in the driver's seat, she looked at the crowd through the window, watching Su Wanran argue with the refugees, and involuntarily smiled.
“Little brother, if you could see this, you’d be very happy.”
“The Su family is nothing more than this.”
“With just a little scheming, the Su family collapses. The reputation they’d painstakingly built up is gone, hahahaha.”
Wu Lingxuan laughed unreservedly, without a care in the world.
The scene was in utter chaos.
Just as the situation was about to escalate further, a familiar figure appeared beside Su Wanran.
Lu Ming!
“You… why did you come out?” Su Wanran was shocked.
Lu Ming’s identity was so sensitive; how could he brazenly walk out in front of everyone? This would incite a riot! Didn’t he care about his own life?
Under Su Wanran’s astonished gaze, Lu Ming reached out and snatched the microphone from her hand.
“Ahem.”
Lu Ming deliberately coughed twice, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Who is this person?”
“He’s wearing a security uniform; he must be the Su family’s security captain, right?”
“Heh, because Su Wanran was being scolded by us, their security captain is coming to rescue the damsel in distress? Ptooey! Disgusting.”
Amidst the crowd’s speculation, Lu Ming first took off the large hat on his head, allowing everyone to see his face clearly.
Then, Lu Ming raised the microphone and said unhurriedly, without panic, “I am the Lu Ming you are looking for!”
One sentence stunned the entire crowd of refugees.
Good heavens, they were just trying to find him, and he dared to walk out in front of everyone so boldly? Heh, this shows utter contempt for the refugees! Truly arrogant!
Before the refugees could erupt in anger, Lu Ming continued, “I heard you were all looking for me, so I came out.”
He truly dared to speak like that.
The refugees all looked, scrutinizing him.
“That’s right, it’s Lu Ming, it’s definitely him! He treated me before, I remember his face.”
“Heh, the main culprit has finally shown himself.”
“Coward, you’re finally out, hurry up and die!”
Die?
Lu Ming said into the microphone, “You keep saying I should die. I, Lu Ming, am by no means afraid of death, but I can’t die for no reason, can I? I just want to ask, why should I die?”
The refugees were enraged.
“Why? Isn’t that obvious? If you don’t die, the Hell Demon will kill one person every hour! And all the victims will be refugees! That means, either you die, or we die! Do you understand?”
So that’s how it is.
Lu Ming nodded and asked, “Either I die, or you die. Hmm, I understand. Then… you all die, what does that have to do with me?”
What in the world…
Everyone fell silent. No one had expected Lu Ming to utter such ‘heretical’ words.
But upon further thought, it was true. What did the refugees’ lives have to do with Lu Ming?
They were not his family or friends; they were completely unrelated.
The prerequisite for moral coercion is that the person must have morals! If the person is inherently a rude bastard, how can you morally coerce them?
The more someone is susceptible to moral coercion, the better person they generally are.
The refugees had clearly not expected Lu Ming, who had worked tirelessly to save lives, to speak such cold-blooded words.
But they soon responded.
“Yes, it has nothing to do with you, but it’s you versus us, tens of thousands of refugees! If you die alone, wouldn’t that be better than tens of thousands of us dying?”
“That’s right! Sacrificing one for the sake of tens of thousands, what’s wrong with that? It’s a very profitable deal.”
They could actually say such things.
To be honest, after hearing these words, Lu Ming felt a sense of desolation.
These were the refugees Lu Ming had saved with all his might?
Heh.
It was chilling.
“One of me dying is better than tens of thousands of refugees dying. Exchanging my life for the peace of tens of thousands of refugees. A good deal, a very good deal.” Lu Ming laughed to the heavens.
That laughter was incredibly tragic.
It sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it.
After a long, long while.
Lu Ming took a deep breath and said to the police chief, “Lend me your service pistol.”
“What?” The police chief clearly hadn’t registered what was happening.
Without another word, Lu Ming lunged forward, snatched the pistol from the chief’s hand, and retreated several steps, positioning himself on the stairs, in a high vantage point, ensuring everyone could see him.
Immediately after.
Lu Ming pressed the service pistol to his temple, his gaze directed at the crowd.
At this moment, the entire venue fell silent. The noisy refugees also stopped their clamor, their expressions tense as they looked at Lu Ming.
“Is he… really going to commit suicide?”
“If he’s willing to trade his life for everyone’s safety, then I’ll consider him a good man.”
“Let’s hope he goes through with it!”
Even at this point, not a single refugee spoke a word in Lu Ming’s favor.
They just wanted Lu Ming to die quickly.
Only when Lu Ming was dead could they be safe!
Heartbreaking.
It was heartbreaking.
Lu Ming sighed deeply and declared loudly, “Hell Demon, you win. I, Lu Ming, am willing to sacrifice my life to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of refugees!”
His voice was impassioned, full of heroic resolve.
Bang!
Lu Ming pulled the trigger.
After a deafening gunshot, Lu Ming’s head was blown open, blood splattering everywhere, a gruesome sight.
Lu Ming, like a broken statue, crashed to the ground.
The Dragon Warlord, forced to commit suicide.
Lu Ming, dead!