Lin Wu knelt on the ground and crawled with his knees, feeling ahead with his left hand while clutching a steak knife in his right. The first thing he touched was a table, and tracing along it, Lin Wu deduced it was a large table placed in the middle of the room, from which he guessed the layout of the room. He moved along the edge of the table, his fingertips slowly probing forward on the floor, progressing very slowly. Daiyu's effort to keep her voice low reached him: "35%."
"Shh," Stone silenced her. Stone walked to the door of a room on the first floor and said, "Don't rush." His voice was quieter than Daiyu's, and since her voice hadn't startled the zombies, his wouldn't either.
Stone returned to the staircase, and Daiyu whispered in his ear, "Maybe there are no zombies."
Distracted, Stone replied, "Possibly." He was pondering a question, Can beauty be eaten as food?
At that moment, Lin Wu's fingers in the left room touched fabric. He slowly moved his fingers, determining it was a zombie, but Lin Wu couldn't be sure whether he touched the zombie's hand or leg, nor could he pinpoint the location of the zombie's head. Unaffected by Daiyu, he proceeded at his own pace, tracing the fabric, moving his fingers inch by inch until he felt nothing, confirming it was a leg and visualizing the zombie's full prone position in his mind's eye.
After finding the fabric on the zombie's arm, Lin Wu successfully located its head. Unless the zombie slept with its head turned, Lin Wu was confident he could deliver a fatal blow. Just as Lin Wu was about to make his move, Daiyu's whisper came from the doorway, "Ready?"
The zombie sat up at the sound, its head colliding with Lin Wu's. Unable to pinpoint the location of the zombie's head, Lin Wu could only grab the zombie, and his left forearm was viciously bitten. Pain! Lin Wu grunted and, holding the zombie down with his left hand, his right hand stabbed the zombie's head with the knife.
Infection rate 10%, damn it.
The commotion in the left room greatly worried the others outside; as Daiyu was about to ask, Little Knife covered her mouth and pulled her away. This technique Little Knife had perfected tonight, accurate with every cover. After searching the room, Lin Wu confirmed the left room was secure.
Lin Wu exited the left room, and Little Knife whispered into Lin Wu's ear, "There's an occasional low, faint sound, in..." Little Knife drew a room layout on Lin Wu's chest and pointed to a spot.
Lin Wu nodded and entered the right room, crouching down and slowly crawling toward the source of the noise. This time, Lin Wu first touched hair, following it upwards. He was very scared in his heart, still shaken by his recent close contact with a zombie. But fear didn't stop Lin Wu's actions, and he firmly delivered a perfect stab to the female zombie's head, accompanied by the perfect sound of a piercing.
System notification, Lin Wu has obtained a new entry: Courage!
Risk and reward, how can one enjoy a villa without going through zombies? The basement even has a toilet, awesome!
The rooms on the second floor let in plenty of light, providing a degree of visibility even at night, which made Lin Wu's work much easier. Through close visual inspection, he harvested two more zombies' lives, completing the first step of taking over the base.
...
The team leader, Stone, gathered everyone on the second floor, "There's only one condition: at least one person. We meet the condition. The first question: the name for our base."
Little Knife blurted out, "Knife Base."
Stone nodded, "That works."
Little Knife scoffed at her own suggestion, "I was joking. Lin Wu?"
Lin Wu said, "I've had no thoughts about names since I was born. Stone?" Frustrated by Daiyu's behavior that caused him to be bitten, Lin Wu intentionally skipped her.
Stone responded, "The base name is primarily for outsiders to see, and even the name can deter them. How about Shadow Base? Petty villains are the biggest threat in the apocalypse. No one would want to provoke them."
"Agree."
"Okay."
"I have no objections, but please hurry up."
"It will be quick," Stone said. "There are three types of management systems for the base, and we must choose one. They are Commander system, Collective system, and Individual system. Because it cannot be changed after establishment, and it's a matter of great importance, we need to understand the relationships first."
Commander system: Apart from the Commander, after entering the base safety zone, one can only retain one melee weapon, and other items will be compelled into storage. Use of any item must be approved by the Commander. The Commander can appoint a Deputy Commander to manage specific types of materials. The Commander has the power to decide on the expulsion and sheltering of base members.
Collective system: The collective decides which materials must be forced into storage. Members assigned to field duties can carry weapons. Members assigned to logistics can handle food and medical materials. Decisions on the retention or acceptance of new members are made by majority rule.
Individual system: No restrictions on materials, members can keep the weapons and equipment they find, as well as the materials they obtain. The base cannot forcefully expel members. Members can directly introduce outsiders to join the base.
In short, in the Commander system, the Commander has the greatest system authority. In the Collective system, system authority is held by the majority. In the Individual system, there are no system authority restrictions on individuals.
Stone asked, "What do you think?"
Lin Wu said, "Each has its advantages and disadvantages, it's a matter of whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages."
Little Knife said, "Uncle, you should have a more mature view, share your thoughts."
Stone said, "If our base has a lot of people, the Commander system is the best management method with the highest efficiency in operations, ensuring the Commander is dedicated to developing the base. The downside is that the Commander must strictly enforce a fair reward and punishment system to get everyone to follow management."
Stone continued, "If our base has a moderate number—around ten people—the Collective system is better than the Commander system. Everyone has their roles and takes what they need, with the minority following the majority. However, the downside is a lack of motivation and the emergence of factions. When members perform their voting duty, they will lean towards what benefits them personally, not necessarily what's right, thus leading the base to make wrong decisions."
Stone added, "Individual system is a very sharp double-edged sword, suitable for small groups that trust each other, requiring a certain level of self-restraint from each member. Once trust is lost between members or conflicts arise, it could result in a disaster for the base. From what we have now, our team is best suited for the Individual system. This base was built by all of us, if not satisfied, it is best destroyed by us all."
Lin Wu proposed, "We can implement an Individual system for rules, Collective system for conflicts, and Commander system for direction. Stone, you handle resource allocation and management affairs, and collective voting can resolve conflicts."
Little Knife punched Lin Wu's chest appreciatively, "Insightful."
Lin Wu gave a thumbs-up in response, showing no less might than the main force, Little Knife's fists were as powerful as a zombie's teeth.
"No objections to Individual system, then?" Stone reminded, "Individual system demands a lot from each person, are you sure?"
Lin Wu nodded, "I'm sure."
Little Knife said, "Sure."
Daiyu said, "Sure."