"Since the world is already paralyzed, I'll drag it back. If order is needed, we'll rebuild it!" Lin Xuan's voice was low and powerful. He knew things couldn't continue in such a chaotic mess. He picked up the communicator once more.
"Zhou Jianguo, stop the forced labor of survivors immediately! Divide all labor into three shifts to rotate rest, and I want you to guarantee sufficient food and water for every person every day. The conditions in the labor camps must be improved; everyone needs a clean bed. What I need are survivors with combat capability and morale, not a bunch of slaves on the verge of collapse!"
Zhou Jianguo's panicked voice came through the radio: "Commander... this... isn't this too extravagant? Our supplies..."
"No more nonsense! This is an order! I'll find a way to handle the supplies. Furthermore, starting from now, assemble everyone at the Gymnasium every morning for basic physical training. I need them to have the ability to protect themselves, not be useless trash who only know how to cry."
"Also, assign those who are weak or sickly to light-duty positions, such as supply organization or medical assistance."
"Yes... Yes! Commander! I'll get right on it!" Although Zhou Jianguo was surprised by Lin Xuan's sudden change, the determination in his voice left no room for hesitation.
Lin Xuan hung up the communication and looked at Karen Parker. She was watching him curiously, a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
"Dr. Karen Parker, I need you to speed up the research progress. Develop a serum as quickly as possible that can suppress the viral infection or even enhance the human physique. I will provide you with all necessary support and convenience, including the 'materials' you require. But the prerequisite is that your research results must be controllable and serve humanity, rather than creating more trouble."
Karen arched an eyebrow. "Oh? My dear Commander has suddenly become so decisive? This doesn't seem like you, but I understand."
Lin Xuan turned his gaze back out the window. Although the sight of Manhattan still left him with lingering fears, it also allowed him to see hope.
Since Mercer could contend with an entire army using the power of the virus, perhaps that same power could be used to rebuild the order of human civilization. If the building blocks have fallen, then stack them up again.
Lin Xuan walked over to the sand table of the Gymnasium's fortifications, his fingertips lightly tapping the surface.
"Fortification progress is at 15%... that's far from enough."
Subsequently, Lin Xuan ordered Zhou Jianguo to arrange personnel to transport all available rebar, cement, and abandoned vehicles to the perimeter of the Gymnasium to reinforce the walls and build sentry posts. Lin Xuan even personally designed several defensive points, mounting heavy machine guns and grenade launchers in optimal firing positions.
Lin Xuan was learning how to wield power and how to be a leader who rebuilds order. His "day trip" to Manhattan had taught him a great deal.
[Ding! Due to the host's adjustment of management strategies, Campus Order Stability +5%.]
[Current Campus Order Stability: 80%]
[Campus Fortification Progress: 15% (Reinforcement in progress)]
Lin Xuan took a deep breath, his gaze resolute. The road ahead was long, but he seemed to have found his direction.
(I am the divider line)————————————————————
Time passed like sand through fingers; seven days slipped away quietly amidst busyness and bloodshed. Inside the Gymnasium command center, Lin Xuan stood before a massive electronic map, listening to reports from Chu Wenhai and Zhou Jianguo. Over these seven days, the base's population had been steadily increasing.
However, with the help of the two Black Watch members, Chu Wenhai and Xu Chuan, they had implemented a sector-by-sector clearing of the campus. Every day, the soldiers concentrated their firepower to clear one or two blocks. They first used howitzers to cover open areas filled with zombies, then had Marine Corps soldiers use armored vehicles as cover to clear out any stragglers. Black Watch was responsible for "calling roll" building by building, dealing with scattered zombies hiding in classrooms and dormitories. During this period, Chu Wenhai even brought over the Three Principles of Black Watch.
The First Rule
At the slightest hesitation, shoot to kill immediately.
The Second Rule
Do not advance until the threat is eliminated.
The Third Rule
Let nothing pass the perimeter.
"Commander, with the clearing of the final batch of zombies hiding in the library basement, the campus interior is confirmed to be free of any infection sources."
Chu Wenhai's voice remained cold and hard, but his tone carried a hint of approval for Lin Xuan's recent decisions. "The labor efficiency of the survivors has increased by 40% after the improvement in treatment, and the fortification reinforcement is one day ahead of schedule."
Zhou Jianguo chimed in with a flattering smile, "Yes, yes! Everyone is full of drive now. They all say that following the Commander means having meat to eat and a place to sleep. It's way more reliable than that old student union."
Lin Xuan nodded slightly, his gaze falling on the numbers ticking on the system panel. 572 points of Biomass—this was his greatest harvest of the week. Campus Order Stability had reached 86%, and the fortification progress had advanced to 62%.
"Check the current number of survivors and the strength of my troops for me."
[System: Current survivors: 861. Host's forces: 268 Marine Corps soldiers, 15 Black Watch Soldiers, 10 armored personnel carriers.]
Lin Xuan stroked his chin, lost in thought. While clearing the campus, it was inevitable that the Marine Corps soldiers suffered some casualties. Fortunately, those with minor infection injuries were fine as long as they were promptly injected with Dr. Karen Parker's serum. Soldiers with severe infections could only be assisted by their teammates in an execution.
...
The scene shifted. In a high-end apartment a few kilometers away from the campus, the air was thick with a strange smell of decay mixed with extravagance.
"Xie Yunhe! Why haven't you gone to find food for Zixuan yet!" A woman wearing a tattered designer suit, her makeup slightly smeared but her attitude still overbearing, roared at a man in the corner. She was cradling a pale, beardless young man with feminine eyes who was clutching a cut on his arm with a look of grievance.
Xie Yunhe lowered his head, a flash of endurance and helplessness in his eyes. He didn't argue, only silently clenched his fists.
"Forget it, Sister Lengyue. If Brother Yunhe doesn't want to go, then forget it. My injury is fine... *cough, cough*. Once I rest a bit, I'll go find food for you all myself..." Li Zixuan coughed twice, feigning weakness. His affected tone was nauseating.
"Did you hear that! Xie—"
Before Jiang Lengyue could finish her sentence, the apartment's heavy security door collapsed with a thunderous boom.
Boom!
Amidst the rising dust, several Black Watch Soldiers clad in all-black tactical armor and wearing glowing blue goggles burst in like grim reapers. The pitch-black assault rifles in their hands radiated a cold killing intent, and their tactical boots made a tooth-gritting crunching sound as they stepped on the wood splinters.
Xie Yunhe reacted extremely quickly, instinctively backing away and pressing himself against the wall to clear a path for these harbingers of death.
After a brief moment of shock, a look of wild joy actually surfaced on Jiang Lengyue's face. She tidied her messy hair and struck a pose she thought was charming. "Great! Soldiers! Someone is finally here! Quick, come check on my little brother Zixuan, he's hurt! We need to go to the safe zone!"
However, those Black Watch Soldiers didn't even spare her a glance, walking straight toward the storage cabinets in the living room as if searching for a specific item.
The humiliation of being ignored caused Jiang Lengyue to snap instantly. She rushed forward and reached out to grab the arm of one of the soldiers. "Hey! Soldier! Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!"
The response she received was a heavy, forceful slap.
Slap!
The slap was crisp and loud, sending Jiang Lengyue spinning twice before she crashed heavily onto the coffee table, shattering glass everywhere. Li Zixuan shrieked in terror, shrinking into a ball and trembling violently.
Jiang Lengyue clutched her swollen cheek, looking at the soldier in disbelief. Then, she erupted in a hysterical roar: "I am Jiang Lengyue! The eldest miss of the Jiang Group! Commander Wang, a high-ranking official in the military district, is a friend of my uncle! You low-ranking soldiers dare to hit me? Bandage Zixuan right now! Otherwise, when I contact my friend, I'll have your skins flayed! Also, beat that useless Xie Yunhe and throw him out while you're at it; he actually dared to just watch me get hit!"
She cursed as she recklessly reached out to slap the shoulder of the Black Watch Soldier who was rummaging through documents. "Hey! Did you hear me? I'm talking to you!"
The soldier finally stopped his movements. He slowly turned around. His expression couldn't be seen behind the black mask, but those electronic eyes flashing with blue light held a bone-chilling coldness.
Without a single word of nonsense, the soldier suddenly raised his leg and delivered a standard tactical back-kick squarely into Jiang Lengyue's abdomen.
Bang!
Jiang Lengyue flew out like a ragdoll, hitting the wall and sliding down. She curled up in pain, unable to even let out a scream.
Next, the soldier strode toward Li Zixuan, who was cowering in the corner of the sofa. Li Zixuan's eyes widened in terror; he was just about to say that he had cut himself on purpose and wasn't infected. But a large hand encased in a black glove had already clamped onto his throat like an iron vise.
Crack!
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed."
A crisp sound of bone snapping rang out. Li Zixuan's head slumped powerlessly to the side, his gaze rapidly losing focus. The soldier tossed his corpse onto Jiang Lengyue like he was throwing away trash.
"Aaaah! Murder! You actually dared to commit murder!" Looking at the still-warm corpse in her arms, Jiang Lengyue finally broke down and started screaming.
The soldier let out a blood-curdling low chuckle. His voice, processed through a voice modulator, sounded exceptionally raspy and cruel. "Heh... do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"
He unhurriedly drew a tactical pistol from his waist, the dark muzzle pointing directly at the center of Jiang Lengyue's forehead.
"No! No! You can't kill me! I have rights! I am Jiang Lengyue! I'm a friend of high-ranking military officials! I have money! I can give you money!" Jiang Lengyue was so terrified she lost control of her bladder. A foul stench spread through the living room as she pleaded incoherently.
The soldier tilted his head, his tone playful yet freezing. "You have the right to breathe. I have the right to burn your family and kill your little lover. What I just recited are your rights. Do you understand?"
Before the words had even faded, he pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Jiang Lengyue's head exploded like a watermelon. Red and white matter splattered across the wall behind her. The headless corpse twitched a couple of times and then went still.
Xie Yunhe, who had been hiding in the corner the whole time, witnessed the entire process. His face was as pale as paper, but he remained calm and didn't make a sound, simply staring intently at these killing machines.
"
At that moment, another soldier pulled a metal briefcase out of the cabinet and nodded to the leader. "Target recovered."
The leading Black Watch Soldier casually shot Xie Yunhe in the head as he hid in the corner. "Tch, useless trash."
...