“Listen. From now on, you can only have one meal a day, which will consist of a slice of toast and half a bottle of water! You can decide when you’re going to have that meal. Eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or supper! It’s up to you, but you’ll only have that provision every 24 hours!”

Maruse made the announcement as he walked.

It was true! Eternity was running low on food!

Hearing this, the passengers, who still had some hope, were filled with despair.

Someone pleaded, “Mr. Maruse, can we have a little bit more than that? A slice of toast and half a bottle of water won’t be enough! I’m used to having four meals a day!”

Maruse looked at the fat man and bellowed, “Eat your own flesh, then! The order came from Mr. Oraman. I have no right to change it!”

While some people begged, others shouted angrily.

“What the heck? That’s too little!”

“I paid over a billion for my ticket, and this is how you treat me?”

“That’s not what you promised me when I came aboard! You said Eternity would have enough oxygen and food for a century! You’re all liars!”

/ Please Keep reading on WuxiaX.com

“A century? They told me two hundred years!”

“I was told fifty!”

“WTF? You people are so cruel! How can you make such fake statements?”

“If you throw me out, I’ll fight you to the death! I can’t live on one toast a day!”

“Me neither! I’m worth tens of billions! You can’t feed me on bread only! I’ll file a complaint! I’ll sue you!”

“I’m so mad! Guys, let’s take them! There are only so few of them! They can’t take us all!”

The soldiers behind Maruse took out their weapons and aimed them at the crowd. The passengers immediately backed away.

There were only 50,000 soldiers in Eternity. But that was enough. With their guns, they could take a hundred people at a time, keeping five million people under control.

Maruse didn’t feel any better than the passengers. Hearing their accusations, he bowed at them.

“I’m sorry, everybody, but it’s not my call! It’s Mr. Oraman’s decision, and I can only follow his orders.”

One of the wealthy men said, “Mr. Maruse, you control the army! Why can’t you make the call? We believe you! We can go back to Earth! We’re all on your side! We don’t have to listen to Oraman!”

Another man said, “That’s right! Earth didn’t explode! Even if it’s flooded, it’s still better than Mars!”

Everybody saw it now.

They knew everything Oraman told them had been lies!

That man talked about Mars’s development plans. He said they could open up land on Mars in a month. They would plan trees and make the place habitable.

He also talked about food and oxygen that could last them years and years. However, all those promises were lies!

He had lied to them!

The passengers no longer had any hope for Oraman.

Maruse only shook his head.

“I can’t! He’s controlling the army!”

A passenger asked, “How? Why should the soldiers listen to him?”

He turned to the soldiers. “We’re all adults, and I’m sure you understand following Oraman will only get you killed. You don’t need to listen to his command! We can depose him!”

“That’s right! Money is of no use here! Take back your control, and let’s return to Earth!”

“That’s right! Let’s go back! Mr. Maruse, would you join us?”

“Mr. Maruse, I’m sure your family is on this ark, too. Do you want to see them die here?”

“What about the soldiers behind you? Their families must be here! Are you going to watch them die? Are you going to let Oraman control them?”

Maruse bellowed, “You don’t understand anything! Oraman has our families! That’s why we have to do this!”

All the soldiers sighed in resignation.

“I’m sorry, guys, but we don’t have a choice! My mother is in Cabin-8. If I don’t follow Oraman’s order, he’ll kill my mom!”

“My whole family is in Cabin-8, too. There’s nothing I can do!”

“Oraman wouldn’t let anybody go near him now, and he’s holding the remote control at all times. I’m sorry, guys, but there’s nothing we can do!”

The passengers fell silent.

Oraman was such a villain!

They didn’t know what to do either.

Maruse said, “Guys, don’t be afraid. Oraman has asked me to kill half the passengers, 2.5 million people. I took the initiative and changed that arrangement. The cost of that decision is your reduced food quota. Oraman wants to save enough food, and I can achieve the same goal this way! I’m sorry!”

Instead of losing their lives, they were given one meal a day. The passengers found it much easier to accept now.

Maruse continued, “Not only your food but your oxygen will also be reduced. Three hundred ventilations will be closed, leaving five open only. You may find it hard to breathe for a while, but I won’t let you die! I think Oraman would be happy with shutting down 300 ventilations.”

Although the passengers could live in the new condition, it would be a painful experience.

Seeing that Maruse could be reasoned with, the passengers begged him. All human beings were insatiable.

“Mr. Maruse, I think that’s still a little… Can we have two meals a day, one full bottle of water, and thirty ventilations?”

“That’s right, Mr. Maruse. If we only have one meal a day, we’ll starve to death in half a month! We have 305 ventilations now. Can you leave 10% running for us?”

“I think water is more important. Can we have two bottles?”

“Mr. Maruse, I have severe asthma. Without enough air, I may die! We have to have 30 ventilations!”

…

Maruse grew angry as he listened to their requests.