Chapter 8: Chapter 8, The True Salvation
Although Gu Hang’s arrival was unexpected and no grand welcoming ceremony could be hastily put together, the people of the Abandoned Cave Society still went to great lengths to make some display, trying to let the governor feel their respect.
As Gu Hang entered through the somewhat cleaned-up entrance of the mining cave, he saw that all the lights inside the cave had been lit.
The citizens of the Abandoned Cave Society stood in two rows, lining both sides of the mine’s tunnel, greeting the arrival of the man who would determine their future fate.
Gu Hang was not the first to come in; his military supervisor, Captain Yan Fangxu, had already led over a hundred people inside ahead of him.
Along the way, robot soldiers had formed a human wall, separating the pathway from the residents of the Abandoned Cave Society.
The soldiers stood erect with their guns, while the surrounding civilians all knelt down as Gu Hang passed by.
Wherever Gu Hang went, the people there would kneel to greet him.
Aside from people, the Abandoned Cave Society had nothing else to put on a display with.
Within the crowd, Gu Hang walked, observing the conditions throughout the Abandoned Cave Society.
The people had pallid complexions, all looking rather unhealthy; in the cave lay some mining tools, like hoes and carts—purely manual work, nothing to speak of in terms of equipment.
As he walked, Gu Hang arrived at a cavity within the mine that the people of the Abandoned Cave Society used as a square and for major living areas. Numerous crude wooden structures were haphazardly built – this must be many people’s homes.
Even more residents of the Abandoned Cave Society gathered here.
As Gu Hang stepped into their midst, hundreds of people, led by their leader Patel, all knelt down in unison.
Respect was shown in ample measure.
Here, a temporary platform had also been erected.
Gu Hang stepped onto it, and a microphone was already in place. Not only could his voice be heard by the people in the small square of the mine, but it could also be transmitted to those not in the square through speakers placed throughout the mine.
After all, the mine’s square was not large enough to accommodate nine hundred people.
Standing on the platform, Gu Hang gazed at the faces under the dim yellow light. He could see the relief of survival from a disaster on their faces and the gratitude they felt toward him as their savior.
But at the same time, their expressions did not lack the perplexity about the future, the doubts about him, the man who would decide everyone’s fate from now on, and the numbness left from a hopeless life in the wastelands.
The responsibility was great and the journey long.
But he still slowly began, “Residents of the Abandoned Cave Society, I am your governor, Gu Hang.”
“Today, I saw everyone bowing to me, showing their submission. This is good, it proves that you have made the right choice.”
“Your leader Patel pleaded with me for salvation, and I granted him that.”
“I led my troops to the Abandoned Cave Society and annihilated the bandits who threatened your lives. One hundred forty-six corpses are neatly laid out outside, and eleven prisoners will soon be judged in the presence of you all.”
“The salvation you desired has been provided, but the salvation I want to give has just begun.”
“On the harsh, merciless wasteland, whether it’s natural disasters or man-made calamities, our survival is always under threat. Today the ‘Prisoners of Death’ came, tomorrow something else might come. You need the ability to protect yourselves, and I will arm you. This is the first salvation I will bestow upon you.”
“You toil day and night in the mines, only to live a life without sunlight, never full, never warm, with people dying every winter. You have the right to a better life, and I will ensure that everyone willing to strive for it will have a better life. This is the second salvation I will bestow upon you.”
“A safe environment, plenty of food, and warmth may be your greatest desires now. But once you have had your fill, you will have more desires—better living conditions, finer spiritual comforts, and even self-actualization, honor, and faith…and I will provide you with the platform to pursue these higher aspirations. This is the third salvation I will bestow.”
“In my plan, only after I have granted you these three salvations, only after I have made your lives safe and prosperous, can we talk about truly saving you!”
Gu Hang finished his speech, and at this moment, whether fortunate enough to see Gu Hang’s face in the plaza or crowded elsewhere, only able to hear his voice through the loudspeakers, all the residents of the Abandoned Cave Society were in an uproar!
When Gu Hang mentioned that the bandits outside had all been killed, people were already exuberant. Those bandits had killed and captured their brethren, trapping them in the cave for many days with their food supplies depleted. They lived in constant dread until now they were finally rescued, and their gratitude could not be more genuine.
And when Gu Hang mentioned arming them, some residents, especially the young and hot-blooded, were even more stirred. The people of the Abandoned Cave Society always knew the importance of having guns and ammunition in the wasteland. In this survival-of-the-fittest world, without the ability to protect oneself, one is just meat waiting to be bitten into, for everyone is starving after all.
But guns don’t come for free; military trade is the most valuable on the wasteland. And the people of the Abandoned Cave Society, barely able to feed and clothe themselves, simply cannot afford them.
Only with weapons will they feel secure. Faced with situations like the present one, whether they could fight back or not, they would at least have a fighting chance, and not be left to sit and wait for death, depending solely on others for rescue.
The second point, the promise of food and warmth, sparked even greater passion! Gu Hang’s words struck deep in their hearts!
We work so hard, we suffer so much, why can’t we have a full meal? They don’t understand the exploitation of the external market, the value disparity between raw and processed products, but…the Governor-General has promised them food and warmth!
That alone was enough to make them fully support whatever the Governor-General planned to do!
The third point, the so-called ‘higher pursuits’…people didn’t feel as strongly about that, in fact, some were perplexed. Just staying alive was tough enough; they rarely allowed themselves to think about anything more, not understanding what ‘self-actualization’ or ‘sense of honor’ meant.
Cheering along, it was because of the momentum built by the previous points—that whatever the Governor-General said must be right!
But there were always a few who, despite the torment of a painful life, managed to keep thinking. Their eyes lit up when they heard the Governor-General mention this.
The vast majority in the Abandoned Cave Society were inspired by Gu Hang’s speech!
They could see a path of light and hope unfolding before their very eyes.