City center.
This was a piece of undeveloped land, which Chen Yu tentatively regarded as the city's plaza. At this moment, over a thousand orcs had gathered in this open space.
Without exception.
They were all former slaves of Black City who had been brutally mistreated.
When Chen Yu arrived and saw the dense mass of them, he was somewhat shocked. He hadn't expected the number of slaves to be so large.
As the slaves saw Chen Yu, he was met with blank stares.
He believed that the slaves here, more or less, knew.
The former city lord who had enslaved them had been driven out, and the overseers who had beaten and humiliated them had also been subdued. A new city lord would emerge, and they would soon welcome a new life.
But—
They showed no signs of hope or expectation.
Standing on the open ground, they were like soulless zombies, their eyes devoid of any color. Perhaps, for them, a change in city lord would not alter their fate; they had long ago defined their own futures.
Perhaps they had once hoped.
However, countless disappointments had made it impossible for them to even conceive of a turnaround.
"Hoo~"
Seeing this scene, Chen Yu couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart.
He couldn't imagine.
How much despair must one hold in their heart to not dare to harbor even the slightest glimmer of hope at such a moment? They didn't even dare to fantasize that the new city lord would be a kind person.
What kind of torment and spiritual blow must they have endured to have ended up this way.
"Hey, cheer up," the voice of the little demon whispered into his ear, "Isn't this precisely what you're doing all this for? Their dark past lives have made them lose hope. Isn't your purpose precisely to re-infuse them with hope, to give them a new life?"
"City Lord, you must cheer up~!"
Sona also whispered with a smile.
Hearing these two words of encouragement, a smile appeared in Chen Yu's eyes, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly as he clenched his fist.
Yes!
Wasn't this precisely why he had to do this?
Taking a deep breath.
Chen Yu turned his gaze to Soni, who stood beside him, and whispered.
"Soni, you announce it."
To the slaves of the city, no matter whether Chen Yu was benevolent or malevolent, he was an outsider. Even if he spoke eloquently, it might not have any effect.
Conversely, Soni was one of their own. If she made the announcement, the slaves would be more receptive and more likely to believe her words.
"Everyone~"
Pursing her lips, Soni took two steps forward, her voice, tinged with a delicate, excited joy, echoing across the open space.
"I am Soni, and I believe you all recognize me."
"We were unfortunate in the past. We all came from various tribes and wanderers in the wilderness. We were brought here by the villains who once ruled this city, and from then on, our tragic lives began."
"For me, and for all of you, those were the darkest times."
"But—"
"Fortunately, our city has welcomed a new city lord."
"The overseers who once harmed and enslaved us have all been subdued, and the former city lord has been expelled from the territory. We can finally welcome a future full of hope!"
"Now, allow me to introduce our new City Lord, City Lord Chen~"
"Please welcome him with applause."
Soni led the applause, but unfortunately, she was met with only a scattering of claps. Most of the faces remained blank, gazing at Chen Yu with little emotion.
"Applaud~"
Seeing the lack of applause, Soni tried to incite another round, but it still had little effect.
"Never mind, let me do it." Chen Yu, sighing inwardly, placed a hand on Soni's shoulder and stepped forward two paces. His expression was not at all gentle.
In fact, it could be said to be even colder.
He gazed down at the assembled slaves and reprimanded them in a cold voice.
"Applaud!"
Hearing this reprimand, the slaves seemed startled. They instinctively looked around, only to find a group of enforcers holding weapons.
A rustling of applause filled the open space.
Chen Yu watched silently. Without his words, the slaves dared not stop, even as their hands turned red. They continued to clap with all their might.
Afraid of displeasing Chen Yu.
"Stop," Chen Yu said.
Only after Chen Yu spoke did the slaves cease their applause, their expressions solemn as they looked at him.
"You should already know, from this moment on, I am your city lord," Chen Yu said solemnly. "As the victor of the siege battle, this city now belongs to me. You are also among my spoils of war. I have the right to decide your fate, and I also have the right to decide your lives and deaths."
Gulp.
Upon hearing this, all the slaves couldn't help but swallow. Even Soni looked at Chen Yu with surprise, finding his words almost unbelievable.
"I know you might feel it's unfair, but you lack the courage to resist."
"I don't like to say pretty words."
"They are meaningless!"
"Even if I told you now that I am here to save you, you would only scoff. Therefore, I will never say such things."
"I will now announce three things!"
"First, I dislike everything that existed in this city before. I intend to implement reforms. As for the specific content of these reforms, whether they will be beneficial or harmful to you, I cannot determine. Of course, no matter what I do, I believe you will not have any objections, as you have long since lost the ability to think."
"Since that is the case, you will simply follow my orders."
"Second, in the future, many outsiders, wanderers, or people from various regions will flock to this city. You must accept them unconditionally. However, you are not inferior to them. I hope you will not underestimate yourselves. Of course, if you insist on viewing yourselves as lowly, I will not go out of my way to explain to others."
"Dignity is not begged for; it is earned with one's own hands!"
"Third, you have one night to consider whether to stay or leave. Tonight, you can choose to leave this city, or you can choose to stay and take a gamble on the future I can bring you. Tomorrow, I will send people to compile your lists, and the city's construction will officially commence."
"Remember, you only have one night. After that, it will be too late."
Chen Yu's expression was one of cold clarity. An aura of authority emanated from his body. Even the surrounding slaves dared not look up at him directly.
"One last thing~"
"From this day forward, this city will no longer use its old name. The city's name is officially changed to Qi City. Do you have any questions about this?"
The slaves remained silent. Chen Yu glanced at them.
"If there are no questions, you are dismissed."