Chapter 59: Organization, Setting Out for Zone B

Three days later, on the ninth day of the apocalypse, the army finally arrived.

That morning, the barrier between Zones A and B broke down. In broad daylight, zombies crossed over from the other side. The guards at the checkpoint were the first to scatter, but fortunately, Qu Nan got the news in time. He quickly organized a group to fight back, barely managing to drive the zombies back.

During that skirmish, Gu Xu led Qiu Yun, Shadow, and Gu Pei into battle at the front lines. They took the initiative and even volunteered to guard the new checkpoint, which made Qu Nan extremely grateful. Two hours later, the first batch of troops from the Jiangcheng military district arrived—thirty thousand strong, an impressive force. They took over the defense of the new checkpoint, set up additional perimeter security, and smoothly assumed control over the new area.

Because Qu Nan had led the people through a crisis, his decisiveness and organizational skills were clear for all to see. The timely arrival and overwhelming presence of the army gave the survivors immense confidence, so military rule was welcomed by all. This left people like Xiao Jing and Director Xiao, who had arrived two days earlier along with various government officials, fuming with frustration.

Another round of heated arguments ensued.

Bian Changxi watched the drama unfold from the sidelines, unconcerned. What puzzled her was that the Bian family still hadn’t arrived. Given her uncle Bian Guangyuan’s calculating, profit-driven nature, he should have rushed to the new area at the first opportunity. She searched the entire new zone but didn’t find the Bian family group—only a few distant relatives.

She was a little worried about Bian Kuang.

Aside from the Bian family, several other family conglomerates and companies had arrived, including the Chen family. She took the chance to meet Chen Yisha. Chen Yisha looked healthy and cheerful, not at all like someone who had suffered. When she saw Bian Changxi, she was both surprised and delighted, and immediately started chattering about everything that had happened since they parted.

She had gone through some hardships and grown from them. Her water-type ability had awakened on the fifth day, and now her status in the family was higher than ever—even more valued than before the apocalypse.

“…But I did listen to your advice and kept training myself. Although Dad still won’t let me fight zombies—and honestly, I’m a bit scared—I’ve been learning self-defense from the bodyguards… The second son of the Lei Group keeps trying to curry favor with me, and a few young distant relatives are always sucking up too. I know they have ulterior motives. And my cousin—you know, the talented one I mentioned before—now flatters me with new compliments every day, but behind my back she’s always scheming. How can people change so much?”

Bian Changxi listened absentmindedly, finally interrupting, “Sasa, has anyone ever asked you about my bracelet?”

“Bracelet?” Chen Yisha shook her head. “What about your bracelet?”

“Nothing. If no one’s asked, that’s good.”

Chen Yisha’s eyes sparkled as she leaned in, “Guess who I ran into?”

“Who?”

“Zhang Yuwen. He seems to have been abandoned by his team, looked really gloomy, and told me Wang Yan was dead—and that you were the one who killed her.” Chen Yisha made a face. “At first, since he knew you, I thought about giving him a ride. But when I heard that, I got mad and just tossed him two pieces of bread and left him to fend for himself.”

Zhang Yuwen and Wang Yan?

Bian Changxi hadn’t forgotten how those two once coveted her jade bracelet. She’d even suspected they might be connected to Boss Zhang, but after thinking it over, she’d found no leads. She’d tried searching for them in the new area for days, but with no results. Now that Chen Yisha mentioned it, she finally had a clue.

“Zhang Yuwen said I killed Wang Yan? The last time I saw them, Wang Yan was alive and well. Did he say why?”

Chen Yisha thought for a moment. “No.”

“So where did you see him?”

“Two days ago, just after leaving the old zone, on the way here.”

Traveling alone without a team, it wouldn’t be easy for someone to make it safely to the new area—most would die on the road. But with more and more people flocking to the new zone these days, a young and able-bodied guy like Zhang Yuwen could easily join up with a group. If he hadn’t died, he should have arrived by now.

Bian Changxi made a mental note to check the registration lists for new arrivals.

She had a gut feeling that Wang Yan’s death wasn’t simple. As bad as Zhang Yuwen was, he wouldn’t accuse someone without a reason or some benefit. But for now, she had to set this matter aside, because the military’s commanding officer, Colonel Yue, had just ordered a sweep of Zone B.

The first reason was that Zone B had originally been a small town. Although it had been partially redeveloped, some areas remained as they were, unlike the fully rebuilt area they were in. There was a grain depot, several food processing plants, some old-style markets, an auto repair shop, chain hardware stores, gas stations, and so on. Most had only been renovated, and, reportedly, had restocked goods in preparation for reopening.

Most people had fled here in a hurry and had very few supplies. Now, the number of survivors had reached over 400,000, with tents stretching all the way to the outskirts of the new area—and more people arriving every day.

With such a huge population, daily consumption was staggering. Even though the army had brought massive amounts of supplies, it couldn’t last forever. So, the more they could scavenge, the better.

Secondly, this was also a chance for survivors to gain experience. The military would teach everyone how to kill zombies, and those who performed well could be recruited into a “Warrior Squad.” For many, this was a golden opportunity—joining the army meant food, shelter, and safety for themselves and their families. People were eager to give it a try.

The military worked quickly. The decision was made that day, and by afternoon, they were already spreading the word, registering people, and dividing them into teams. By the next morning, everything was ready to go.

“Your mission is to clear out zombies. As for valuable supplies, leave them for us to collect—absolutely no private hoarding! Your contribution will be judged by your performance and the number of crystal cores you collect. Outstanding individuals will qualify for the Warrior Squad selection. After the mission, you can exchange your crystal cores for supplies.”

At the front of Bian Changxi’s team, a young captain stood tall and spoke loudly. Beside him was a woman in civilian clothes, about twenty-one or twenty-two, with striking features but an overly stern expression that ruined her beauty. Everyone knew the captain’s name was Yue Li, the temporary leader of their team. The woman was Su Chensi, a spatial ability user assigned by the military to collect supplies from the teams.

There were also two armed elite soldiers to ensure Yue Li’s authority and team discipline.

Each team had fifty members. The first batch that morning consisted of twenty teams—a total of a thousand people. In the afternoon, a second batch would go out, and if needed, a third batch would be sent the next morning.

Lin Rongrong whispered, “Changxi, how big do you think Su Chensi’s space is?”

Bian Changxi glanced at her, then looked down at the map. “We’re supposed to just clear out zombies, but according to Gu Xu, our team is headed for the auto repair shop and the 4S dealership next door. Her space probably isn’t big enough to fit cars.”

Lin Rongrong was a bit disappointed. Yeah, if they were going to store cars, you’d need at least two or three hundred square meters. She’d worked hard these past few days, absorbing white crystal energy to expand her own space from just over fifty to more than sixty square meters, but now she felt a bit discouraged.

Bian Changxi smiled. “You’re doing great, too. Su Chensi’s space is for collecting everyone’s loot. If you see something you like, just stash it away for yourself—consider it a little bonus.”

“Is that okay? Didn’t Captain Yue say…”

Bian Changxi was about to reply when Yue Li finished his speech and walked over. He lowered his voice so others wouldn’t hear, “Miss Bian, Miss Lin, I have orders from above—Miss Lin is allowed to collect supplies. You can follow me and Miss Su, or collect things on your own, but please try not to let others find out.”

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