Cave Refuge-Chapter 149 - 148 Little Temple Demon’s Big Wind_1

Dong Tianyu left some signs of habitation on the Taolang, so that if anyone else came by, they could confirm that Dong Tianyu had been living there through the traces left behind.

After leaving the Taolang, Dong Tianyu activated the Shadow Formation and left the Taolang where it was instead of putting it into the Shadow Space.

Even though the Taolang is a Magic Artifact and any cultivator with a Divine Sense can freely use it once they get it, Dong Tianyu believed that in Pengcheng, and even in the whole nation, he was probably the only cultivator presently, so he felt completely safe leaving it there.

Back in his cave mansion, Dong Tianyu still lived his leisurely life. The generator inside the cave could ensure that electrical appliances worked properly, and his life was not much different from before the disaster when he was home—if he did not leave the cave.

While Dong Tianyu was enjoying his leisurely life, Li Minghao, who stayed in the Command Headquarters, was feeling like he was sitting on pins and needles.

Just as he suspected, his arrangement to have someone tail Dong Tianyu didn’t remain a secret for long. The members of the seniors’ group found out the very next day.

However, since he was the eldest son of the Li family and Mr. Thompson knew that Dong Tianyu was not taken advantage of, nobody pursued the matter. Thus, after a meal gathering, the seniors’ group reached a consensus.

The world, after all, belonged to the young. As long as life was not endangered, the younger generation should solve their problems themselves. The elders were there as backup anyway, and it would be better to nurture a tiger rather than letting it become a submissive pig under the current circumstances.

Despite the consensus reached by the seniors, the younger generation saw Li Minghao in a new light.

Truthfully, they didn’t care that Li Minghao had someone follow Dong Tianyu. After all, on a larger scale, Li Minghao’s actions were intended for the survivors of Pengcheng—more saltpeter could lead to more ice production.

On a smaller scale, even if it was for himself, once Li Minghao got the saltpeter, they could reap some benefits as they lived so close by and were well-acquainted with their seniors.

However, the one thing they couldn’t forgive Li Minghao for was seeking cooperation with Robinson William’s competitor. In their eyes, this was an act of betrayal.

After all, no matter how their private relationship was, they always considered Robinson William and Li Minghao as members of the same faction within the West City District Command Post.

And now, instead of seeking help from within his own faction, Li Minghao turned to a competitor—what did it mean? Was it a sign of mistrust in his own faction, or was it a signal of wanting to leave his current faction?

Li Minghao couldn’t explain—or rather, was unable to explain—the thoughts that others had about his actions. After all, he did harbor such thoughts at the time.

Brutally honest, even though the West City District Command Post was currently in charge of everything in the West City District, at its core, it was merely a department arranged by the Officials.

It was only upgraded from a district office by the Officials to the Command Post to ensure quick contingency planning and direct command in case of difficulties following the communication breakdown caused by the disaster.

However, with the disaster escalating, the Officials’ control over the survivors weakened. To stabilize the overall situation, the Officials asked various departments to form a joint office, and in the end, every district was led by the Command Headquarters, governing all departments within the area.

The Command Post gradually became responsible for implementing and supervising the plans made by the high-ranking Officials.

However, no matter what, the Command Headquarters was still part of the system installed by the Officials and was subject to their arrangements, which is why the Command Post had to obediently hand over the 200 kilograms of saltpeter as soon as the Officials made the demand, even though they initially grumbled about their poverty.

Triangles are theoretically the most stable structures, which is why even small departments with just over a dozen people in most wings of the Officials could still be divided into several factions.

The Command Headquarters was no exception. The first faction was led by Smith, the seniors’ group. Despite their retirement, given their complex network of connections, they could make things happen in their territory in the West City District, even before the disaster.

After the disaster struck, the establishment of the West City District Headquarters due to the integration of departments further extended their influence.

Besides the seniors’ group, there was another faction, the parachutists. Before the disaster, this faction was influential, which allowed them to parachute into any department to burnish their credentials.

Before the disaster, this faction had a lot of influence. After all, they all had a special move: shaking people off.

These people boasted strong backgrounds. Though they parachuted here to become the head just for credential-boosting purposes, they had no actual conflicts of interest with the local faction affiliated with the seniors’ group. Thus, their cooperation remained generally pleasant.

However, after the disaster struck, the power of the Command Headquarters grew day by day. With the advent of the disaster, their hopes to be recalled grew increasingly slim.

But when they tried to exercise their power, they abruptly realized that the second-highest ranking individual, the third-highest, or even the technical backbone of the department, who used to be very obedient before the disaster, had numerous connections with the seniors’ group.

Before the disaster, it was manageable, but since the disaster, they gradually discovered that many things in the department were carried out without their approval, and they were not even informed about some critical issues.

The parachutists, reluctant to be gradually sidelined, tried their best to find a way out. They understood that if they lost their position at this time, it would be nearly impossible to regain it.

Moreover, if they lost this position, life could become terminally difficult, as they clearly understood that the current stability in Pengcheng was purely due to the remaining supplies.

Even though the Officials had opened up many ways to obtain supplies now, what they got was far from enough. If everything went as expected, Pengcheng could only hold on for another year at most. And if things did not return to normal operations during this period, it was uncertain what might happen next.

Fortunately, due to the subway network stretching throughout Pengcheng, although the seniors’ group was slowly sidelining them, they did not dare to do anything overly outrageous.

After all, even though the high-ranking Officials were turning a blind eye to what was happening, it was for the sake of city stability. But if anyone did anything outrageous, a sweeping clean-up by the Officials was guaranteed.

The remaining faction was the slackers. Initially, there were not many people in this faction, mostly those suppressed by one faction and rejected by the other.

These people were lazy and content with where they were. They lived day by day in their departments, caring little about power. Furthermore, a department still needed actual workers (scapegoats), which is why these slackers were kept.