Hey guys
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I've already thought of a solution," I said firmly, my voice carrying across the room. "Let's announce this to the people of the Federation. If anyone feels ill or notices something unusual, they must report it immediately. That way, we can isolate them at once and prevent the infection from spreading."
I let my eyes sweep across the table before landing on Dr. Crus. "As Head of the Medicine Department, I want you to conduct regular health checks on the population. No exceptions."
"Yes, sir," she replied with a determined nod.
Next, I turned to Valdez. "Once the production of the new uniforms is complete, distribute them to the soldiers without delay."
"Understood," he said, giving a sharp nod.
Satisfied, I leaned back slightly, then addressed the entire room. "Alright—meeting dismissed."
Chairs scraped as everyone began filing out. Ray and Jessy approached me on their way out.
"We'll be busy preparing for our new positions before setting off," Ray said with a faint grin, and Jessy gave a playful salute before the two departed together.
That left only Max, Leo, and Troy with me. I faced Max first. "Announce to the people that we've officially established departments—and don't forget to include the reanimation protocol."
"Yes, sir," Max said, already scribbling notes before hurrying out.
Then I turned to Troy. "Gather all soldiers who aren't on guard duty. I want a full briefing ready."
"Right away," Troy replied before marching off.
Finally, I looked at Leo, who had been quietly observing. I smirked faintly. "Now that the departments are in place, I'll finally have time to focus on the real work. First, we'll train the soldiers properly—teach them how to kill Walkers efficiently. Once that's done, we can begin our next step… Operation Scavenging."
I then went out of my office where a few of the soldiers were already at the training grounds, waiting. At the center, I noticed a newly built stage.
Leo caught my gaze and walked over.
"We finished setting that up yesterday," he explained. "Since you'll be announcing orders to the soldiers, we thought it would be better if you had a proper platform. Another stage is also being built in the center of the Federation for general announcements."
I blinked, a little surprised. "Strange… I didn't even notice this when I passed through earlier."
Leo smirked. "That's because your head is always full of plans and strategies. You could probably walk past a marching band and not even notice."
I let out a small chuckle. "Careful, Leo. If I miss a marching band, I might just assign you to play the drums for me instead."
He laughed, shaking his head. "If that day comes, sir, we'll all be doomed."
We both shared the laugh before Leo gave me a nod. "Anyway, I'll get back to work. Still plenty to do."
"Go on," I said with a grin. "But don't worry—if I ever need a drummer, you're the first one I'll call."
Leo chuckled again before heading off, leaving me to look over the soldiers gathering.
After a few minutes, almost all of the soldiers had gathered. I spotted Troy in the distance approaching me.
"Sir, all the soldiers aside from those on guard duty are finally here," he reported.
I nodded. "Hmm. And who's the Captain in charge of guard duty today?"
"That would be Dan Jamil, sir," Troy replied.
"Dan, huh… that guy. He's also one of my original twenty." I paused, thinking. Maybe it's time to create an elite team. If war with CRM really comes, we'll need them. Should I assign the rest of my original twenty to act as spies?
I turned to Troy. "Aside from the ones who already have positions and missions, how many of the original twenty are still free?"
He thought for a moment, then answered, "Aside from the two who aren't in the Federation, and the others who are occupied, there are fifteen of them spread across the army."
"Perfect," I said, already forming a plan. "After training, I want you to gather them and form a squad. I have a mission in mind for them."
"Yes, sir," Troy replied firmly.
We began heading toward the stage together. On the way, I asked, "How many soldiers do we have right now?"
Troy answered, "Aside from those outside the Federation and the ones on guard duty, we have exactly eight hundred here at the moment. Thanks to your system, sir—where the highest unit they can earn right now is volunteer—the numbers have been climbing steadily. At this rate, we'll hit one thousand soon. But… population is still our main problem."
I nodded, considering his words. "And what about the navy?"
"Originally, we had six hundred, sir," Troy said. "But when Jessy heard we were running walker training, he immediately gathered the navy units as well—even though they were supposed to focus on boat drills. Typical Jessy—he's always a step ahead, already doing more than expected. That's one of the reasons you placed him there, isn't it?"
I smirked slightly. "Exactly."
As I moved toward the new stage with Troy by my side, I spotted Jessy already standing proudly at the center. We hugged briefly, a small moment of warmth before my face grew serious.
"Attention!" Troy's voice boomed. Instantly, every soldier snapped into place, their eyes locked forward, their bodies rigid.
I stepped forward, my gaze sweeping across the rows of men and women who carried the weight of survival on their shoulders.
"Starting today," I began, my voice steady, "our training officially begins. From now on, I expect every single one of you to be sharper, faster, and deadlier against the walkers. Each of you should be able to take down at least five walkers on your own. That's the minimum requirement."
I paused, letting the silence hang. Their faces were unreadable, though a few exchanged wary glances.
"Five might sound like a lot," I continued, "but look at it this way—if you're surrounded by six walkers… just kill five of them and politely ask the last one to wait until tomorrow's training."
A ripple of chuckles moved through the ranks, breaking the heavy tension.
"That's the spirit," I said with a smirk. "But jokes aside, this isn't just about killing walkers. It's about discipline, teamwork, and survival. If you can do more than five? Even better. If you can do ten, then I'll personally buy you… well, whatever Leah decides to cook that isn't burnt."
That earned a louder laugh, even from Troy who tried—and failed—to keep a straight face.
I raised my hand, my tone turning sharp again. "All right! Enough laughing. From this day forward, we train harder, we fight smarter, and we survive longer. Everyone—move out!"
The soldiers erupted into a thunderous "YES, SIR!" before scattering to their positions, energy buzzing in the air.
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