Still hoarding supplies in the apocalypse? I'll just go on a killing spree and looting!

Lin You didn't go out for two days in a row.

I would stay in the small building playing with An'an, or go to the back of the building to watch Shunzi plant crops.

As for the rumors circulating in the base because of Lin You shooting a woman, Lin You didn't care at all.

After all, people can say whatever they want, as long as you don't say it in front of her.

Lin You pretended that nothing had happened.

During this period, Team Leader Song came twice, both times concerning the resettlement of the base survivors. Team Leader Song, who had his own principles, did not listen to Lin You entirely.

However, the treatment of combat personnel was still improved.

As for the rest, it was all about the construction progress of the base and some not-so-good news.

For example, there is a shortage of food, and some people in the base are sick.

Lin You rescued more than 100 people on this trip, a small portion of whom were family members of police officers and stayed at the visitor center.

The majority of the survivors were those who followed them, including the elderly and children, but the vast majority were young people.

They all stayed in the food street that was originally intended for tourists.

Each functional area forms a small circle, and in the last two days, a wall has been built on the only dangerous road.

A large area of ​​trees at the foot of the mountain was cleared, creating an open space about 100 meters wide.

To prevent wild animals or strange creatures that may suddenly appear on the mountain from sneaking into the residential areas of the scenic area.

With a relatively safe environment, the survivors seemed to become somewhat restless.

After all, Team Leader Song only had a dozen or so men under his command. Excluding the injured, there were still about ten men left, half of whom had to be assigned to guard the wall built on the highway.

The remaining four or five people wanted to take complete control of the relatively loosely organized tourist base. In a post-apocalyptic world where order was gradually collapsing, this became extremely difficult.

this day.

Team Leader Song knocked on the small building where Lin You was again.

As soon as he entered the room, Team Leader Song sat down on the sofa, his entire weight sinking into the cushion.

His eyes were bloodshot, his eye bags were dark, and his stubble, which he hadn't shaved for two days, stretched from his chin all the way down to his ears.

The once handsome older man has now become a slovenly man.

Team Leader Song casually placed the notebook on the table and subconsciously clasped his hands on his knees.

His back was also ramrod straight.

"Is your wound much better lately?"

His voice was hoarse, and his gaze fell on Lin You's left arm, which was slinged across her chest.

Lin You raised her arm, looking at Team Leader Song's bloodshot eyes: "I'm alright. You haven't been getting much rest lately."

Team Leader Song, whose back was still ramrod straight, sighed wearily.

My shoulders slumped slightly, not in the usual tense state of being ready to deal with any unexpected situation... that's because I was tired.

He hadn't slept much for two days, and he no longer had the strength to maintain his posture.

"We are really short-staffed. There are many things that urgently need to be dealt with."

He counted them one by one, his voice growing softer and softer, as if he were trying to confide in someone about his stress.

There wasn't enough food; hundreds of people needed to eat three meals a day.

Some people get sick; a cold or fever is manageable, but an old man had an asthma attack, and because he didn't take his medication, he was up all night.

Yesterday, a fight almost broke out at the construction site. Two people argued heatedly over a shovel and nearly started hitting each other with bricks.

There were also women who sneaked into the visitor center in the middle of the night to steal food.

The tree-cutting progress along the firebreak at the foot of the mountain is half as slow as expected, and no one is willing to do the heavy work.

Towards the end, his voice was so low it sounded like he was talking to himself.

"The wall along the highway isn't finished yet. Half of my dozen or so men have to be sent to guard that area, and the remaining four or five have to take care of the food, drink, and toilet needs of hundreds of people. Before the apocalypse, there were laws, police, and a government, so nobody thought order was a problem. After the apocalypse, I realized that without enough manpower, order is just a piece of paper."

Lin You leaned against the sofa armrest, her right hand resting on her left arm, which was in a sling, and smiled smugly.

"Don't look at me. I won't sit in an office, nor will I manage the survivors."

Team Leader Song looked up at her, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth: "Miss Lin, what you're doing is rather unethical."

"Is that unfair?" Lin You raised an eyebrow, paused, and asked in return.

"Will things get better if I take charge of this base? There will still be people who submit and people who don't. Because in their eyes, I'm just a murderer."

Team Leader Song remained silent for a few seconds.

He looked down at his hands—the hands that had held a gun for over a decade before the apocalypse, now covered in cement dust.

"I'd like to arrest you and send you to jail, but what's the point of doing so now?"

His expression was complex; it wasn't self-blame, nor was it an attempt to justify himself. It was the bewilderment of a law enforcement officer after the collapse of order.

He raised his hand and rubbed his face, the movement quite forceful.

It was as if they wanted to crush the weariness on their faces along with certain lingering thoughts.

Then I took a deep breath and raised my shoulders slightly.

It was an attempt to boost morale, but it wasn't entirely successful.

Team Leader Song sighed again: "Let's not talk about that. The reason I came here is actually to discuss something with you."

His fingers unconsciously tapped the table twice.

"I want to go out and find supplies."

Lin You raised an eyebrow: "Now?"

"Yeah. The atmosphere in the base makes me very uneasy, like a powder keg about to be lit, ready to erupt into chaos at any moment. I only have about ten people under my command, so I need to make some changes while I can still keep things under control."

He paused, his fingers resting on the table.

"I want to take advantage of this opportunity to go out and find supplies to recruit a team from among the survivors. They won't be police officers or armed police; they'll be ordinary people. Young and strong, willing to risk their lives, or those who worked on construction sites, in transportation, or as car repairmen before the apocalypse. I want them to come with me and see some blood. Those who survive are my own people."

Lin You did not respond immediately.

She leaned back on the sofa armrest and remained silent for a few seconds.

"What you need is not a transport team, but a fighting team."

"right."

"Then your standards need to change. Anyone can carry crates when scavenging for supplies, but not many people will stand next to you and fire when you encounter a monster. What you need is not just strength—it's someone who dares to fire, dares to step forward, and can get up and continue fighting even after being pounced on by a monster."

She paused for a moment and then asked, "How many people can you spare right now?"

"Including me and Xiao Li, there are four."

Lin You frowned and thought for a moment before speaking.

"Four to twelve, divided into two teams. You lead one team, and Xiao Li leads the other. Each team will have one veteran and three new recruits. The veteran will lead the way, and the new recruits will lead the charge. Prioritize those who are quiet on the construction site but hardworking. Don't choose those who slack off while moving stones or gossip all day. Such people will drag you down if you encounter danger."

Team Leader Song nodded, picked up his notebook, and turned to a new page.

But Lin You hadn't finished speaking.

"Furthermore, you need to treat them well. Not just slogans or beliefs, but tangible things. I mentioned this before."

Her voice wasn't loud, but she spoke each word with exceptional seriousness.

"Their rations are 30% more than others, and they get priority for medical treatment when injured. That's not enough—they need a clear identifier. Find someone at the base who used to work in the clothing factory, standardize their uniforms, and then differentiate them by their armbands. Field team members wear red, patrol team members wear blue. It doesn't need to be fancy, but it has to be instantly recognizable."

Team Leader Song's pen stopped on the paper.

He slowly closed the notebook, his brow furrowed.

The old order included police and soldiers.

In a post-apocalyptic world, ordinary people would instinctively assume that someone in uniform is in charge and they should obey them. However, there aren't enough uniforms available now, and they can't be worn in many places.

Therefore, a new social class needs to be created.

"Some people say this world is just a giant makeshift operation," Lin You said calmly. "I think that's very true. We need to clearly distinguish who is in charge of fighting, who is in charge of farming, and who is in charge of cooking. Everyone knows what they should do and what others should do. Don't do what you shouldn't do, or you'll be punished. That's the rule of the base."

Team Leader Song put down his notebook, stood up, and walked to the window.

The haze outside the window had dissipated last night, and the sun was shining brightly outside.

But Team Leader Song's heart was filled with a daze, as if there was no light called hope.