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No one forced them to work, but their workload directly impacted the food they received. To meet the standard, an adult had to pedal continuously for eight hours—this didn’t include breaks or meals. Most of their day was spent on the bikes outside of eating, sleeping, and group activities.

They were given a bland, protein-based paste, supposedly a high-tech meal replacement that provided the necessary energy in the smallest possible quantity. They had one day off every six days, but breaks were staggered even then, so it was a rotating shift schedule.

The pampered students, unaccustomed to such intense labor and the oppressive environment, struggled on their first day. As a result, they received no more than half of a normal portion of food. At night, they slept in dormitories with bunk beds shared by more than a dozen people. Electricity was scarce, and the dim lighting barely illuminated the room. There were no entertainment facilities like TVs; even charging their phones was strictly regulated to prevent waste.

After their workday ended, everyone gathered in one of the dormitories surrounding Liang Yue, sobbing.

“Ms. Liang, why do we still have to work? Why is life in the shelter so hard?”

“This is nothing like what we imagined!”

“I pedaled all day, my butt is raw, and my thighs hurt so much!”

“If we have to live like this every day, I’d rather die!”

Just one day, they felt like their lives had turned into hell. Liang Yue felt sympathy for her students, but what could she do?

“These are extraordinary times. Just being alive is already a blessing,” she said, trying to console them. “Did you notice the people pedaling around you today? None of them were of lower status than you before all this. I even saw a few bureau chiefs from Tianhai City pedaling.”

Liang Yue took a deep breath and sighed. “A world where everyone is happy and carefree doesn’t exist. But at least we’re all alive and don’t have to worry about survival, right?”

As an adult, Liang Yue could accept the harsh reality of their current life. She even felt somewhat relieved. Back at Tianqing Academy, she had been solely responsible for protecting all the students, constantly on guard against attacks from the demon cat. Now, in the shelter, they could rely on their own efforts to obtain food. As a martial arts expert, the labor wasn’t much of a burden for her. Most importantly, she no longer had to worry about the safety of her students.

But her students didn’t see it that way. In their world, it was natural to get something for nothing. They were used to being on top, born as winners in life. Words like “work,” “labor,” and “hardship” had never been part of their lives.

One student immediately cried out, “But we’re elites! The world will need us to rebuild it in the future.”

“We’re so young, just kids—why do we have to suffer like this?”

“Ms. Liang, can’t you do something?”

Liang Yue felt a bit helpless. “I’m just a teacher. Here, my status is no different from anyone else’s.” She was well aware that even the lowest-ranking person in the power generation department outranked her several times over in the old world. She had no say in the matter.

The door suddenly opened at that moment, and everyone fell silent, cautiously looking outside. Wu Chengyu walked in, looking despondent. He was wrapped tightly in his clothes, his collar pulled up to hide his neck.

When the others saw Wu Chengyu, their eyes lit up with hope, and they left Liang Yue to surround him.

“Wu Chengyu, you’re finally back!”

“Is your dad a leader in the base? Can he help us so we don’t have to work here?”

“Even if we could work in an office, I could be a clerk!”

Wu Chengyu glanced at his classmates and said coldly, “Stop dreaming. Here, everyone has a role. Based on your status, all you can do is pedal these generators.”

Ignoring the others, Wu Chengyu walked over to Liang Yue.

“Ms. Liang,” he greeted.

Liang Yue nodded. “Wu Chengyu, where have you been?”

A pained look flashed in Wu Chengyu’s eyes. “I went on a tour of the base with my dad. I now have a general understanding of the situation at West Hill Base.”

A classmate hurriedly brought a chair over. “Class monitor, please sit!”

Wu Chengyu quickly waved it off. “No, no, I’ll stand.”

“Don’t be polite! We’re all counting on you now!”

“No!” Wu Chengyu gritted his teeth, instinctively clenching his buttocks. The memory of what the old woman had done to him still made his heart bleed.

His classmates were taken aback by his attitude.

“I… I just wanted you to sit and rest.”

Wu Chengyu kept his head down as he carefully sat on the edge of the bed.

“Ms. Liang, from now on, we can only rely on you,” he said, looking at her earnestly.

Liang Yue pondered for a moment, understanding Wu Chengyu’s implication. If their former statuses no longer mattered, then in the apocalypse, power would determine one’s place. As a martial arts expert who had awakened supernatural abilities, Liang Yue could eventually become an important figure in the base.

She calmly asked Wu Chengyu, “Do you know the current situation at West Hill Base?”

Wu Chengyu nodded and shared the information he had gathered from his father.

The West Hill organization was now led by Chen Xinian, who was once a high-ranking official in charge of Tianhai City’s armed forces. The organization had no ordinary members; even Wu Jianguo, Wu Chengyu’s father, was considered mid-to-low tier in terms of status. Besides the top leaders, the base was home to many skilled professionals, including doctors and scientists. Additionally, a large group of elite soldiers was tasked with defending the base.

Chen Xinian divided the base into four sections, each known as a Life Pod to maintain order.

The First Life Pod housed Chen Xinian and his family, who enjoyed the highest resources. Their living conditions were as luxurious as they had been outside. Supplies that the other three Life Pods couldn’t even dream of were easily accessible to them.

The Second Life Pod was reserved for Chen Xinian’s inner circle, including his trusted aides and top-tier scientists and doctors. Although their living conditions weren’t as lavish as those in the First Life Pod, they still enjoyed a comfortable environment and delicious food.

The Third Life Pod housed the elite soldiers who protected the base. West Hill Base had over a thousand soldiers, all top-tier warriors with the best combat skills and equipment in Tianhai City. Their living conditions were second only to those in the Second Life Pod, with no worries about daily necessities.

Finally, the Fourth Life Pod was where Liang Yue and her group currently resided. The people here had little value to the base, so they were relegated to manual labor, generating electricity for the base or performing other menial tasks. The living conditions in the Fourth Life Pod were abysmal, barely sufficient to sustain life. Resources, energy, and entertainment were scarce.

“Most of the West Hill organization’s population resides in the Fourth Life Pod,” Wu Chengyu explained. “But don’t even think about rebelling. The Third Pod’s soldiers stand between us and the higher pods. We’d never be able to fight against those well-equipped warriors!”

Given their privileged backgrounds, Wu Chengyu deliberately warned his classmates, knowing they might be tempted to rebel. He had considered fighting back when the fat woman was on top of him, but the sheer power difference had forced him to submit.

When the others learned that over a thousand elite soldiers were stationed just outside their area, their hopes were crushed.

“So, does that mean we’re stuck here for the rest of our lives?”

“I can’t take it. I’d rather die!”

Several girls broke down, crying. They had never lifted a finger for manual labor, and now, after just one day, their thighs were raw, and their delicate skin was chafed. They had to look forward to this every day from now on.

The others were also on the verge of tears, faces filled with sadness and despair.

Wu Chengyu closed his eyes, his voice cold as he spoke. “Do you think they let us come to West Hill Base out of the goodness of their hearts? They needed to replenish their labor force.”

“A lot of people couldn’t accept this reality and chose to end their lives. The base doesn’t care about us. If they need more workers, they can just capture other survivors to replace us.”

Suddenly, one of the boys grabbed Wu Chengyu by the collar, his face twisted with rage. “This is all your fault! If you hadn’t exposed our location, we wouldn’t have ended up in this hellhole!”

Wu Chengyu simply looked at him coldly. “If we had stayed at Tianqing Academy, would you have survived?”

The boy was momentarily speechless. Freedom or life—a choice between two evils.

Wu Chengyu pushed the boy away and then turned to Liang Yue, who had remained silent.

“Ms. Liang, if we want to change our situation, we can only rely on you!” he pleaded. “You’re a Superhuman, and in West Hill Base, Superhumans are granted special privileges.”

“Teacher, please help us!”