"Ah, it's so hot..."
"Sigh, my clothes are soaked with sweat, it's so uncomfortable..."
"Senior, take a break..."
"..."
It had been seven days since the evacuation from Third Elementary School. During this time, Feng Yuchen and his team had rescued over ten survivors, including two avid gamers.
Their Humvee had finally reached the point of being inoperable and had been abandoned, so now they were on foot, enduring the scorching sun.
"All right, let's take a break at the edge of that forest up ahead. Komuro and Kohta, each take five people and scout the nearby terrain. Then Saeko and Officer NanLixiang will take over for Komuro and Kohta. Finally, it'll be me and... Asami..." Feng Yuchen said.
"Oh... that's great..."
"Forward... march..."
"..."
The most noticeable change in the past few days had been in one person: Nakaoka Asami. Previously timid in Feng Yuchen's impression, she had now become a skilled and composed woman with exceptional marksmanship. In the entire team, perhaps only NanLixiang could rival her in shooting skills.
What was more, Nakaoka Asami was now adept at dual wielding pistols, hitting targets with precision.
It was clear that with determination, one could surpass limits. Feng Yuchen had learned this firsthand through Nakaoka Asami's transformation. She had become his important deputy, albeit not as prominent as Saeko Busujima, but enough to earn his respect.
Nakaoka Asami's transformation had ignited the fighting spirit in others as well. Even Kohta Takemura had picked up a gun and joined the battle. While he remained the strategist of the team, he had also begun fighting.
"Right..." Saeko Busujima and Nakaoka Asami handed a bottle of mineral water to Feng Yuchen at the same time...
Feng Yuchen looked at the two women in front of him with a slight headache. How should he choose? He had sensed Nakaoka Asami's feelings for him lately, and she had indeed become an outstanding woman. How could he reject her? Yet, deep down, he seemed to prefer Saeko. However, ignoring Nakaoka Asami time and time again wouldn't be right.
Saeko Busujima naturally sensed Feng Yuchen's awkwardness and withdrew her hand, sitting beside him and drinking water.
Feng Yuchen smiled apologetically at Saeko Busujima, then took the water offered by Nakaoka Asami and drank it heartily.
"The next target is about five kilometers from here, with probably over ten survivors hiding in a building," Nanri Saeko said, taking out a map from her backpack. Before coming here, they had borrowed a map of the city from the Maritime Self-Defense Force, marked with locations of unrecovered survivors.
Saya Takagi added,"We only have enough food for three days now. With the team size increased by nearly twenty people, food consumption has tripled. Plus, considering the replenishment needed after battles, food has become our biggest concern. And if we reach the next survivor base, assuming there are survivors, the food consumption will increase further."
Feng Yuchen nodded, and then had an idea. He turned to Nanri Saeko and asked,"There should be farms or vegetable greenhouses nearby, right? There should be mature food there, a natural gathering place. And with so many grain stores nearby, even if rice isn't refrigerated, it can still be stored for a long time. We can completely cook with fire."
"Right! Why didn't I think of that? With this, our food source problem is solved!" Saya Takagi's eyes lit up suddenly. They had been focusing on getting quick, ready-to-eat food from convenience and department stores, but had overlooked the basics of food sources such as farms and grain stations. Perhaps they had become too accustomed to urban living and forgotten about the most fundamental food sources.
"I think if we're going to fight in this city for a long time, we must choose a safe place as our base, gather food and livestock, and establish defenses. Just moving around like this will eventually lead to trouble. If we have a base, we can ensure at least a basic food source and a resting place, and then gradually bring the survivors outside into the base, forming a sound social structure. This way, things might improve a lot," Zi Yue Ling said.
Takagi Sayako pushed up her glasses and nodded, saying,"Hmm, that works too. So, next, let's find a small village surrounded by mountains on all sides to serve as our base. We'll clear out all the zombies inside, protect the farmland and living livestock, and build fortifications. The team will temporarily split into two parts: one with relatively weaker combat strength will organize the construction of the base, while the other with stronger combat strength will be responsible for fighting outside and rescuing survivors.
And if possible, in the future, when the frontline extends and the number of personnel increases, we can divide into several smaller bases, gradually forming one large base. After all, it's already the end of the world, so we need to prepare for a long-term battle. Perhaps we'll have to fight for our entire lives, and it might be our next generation that truly gets to live a stable life!
You could say that our world is in the process of reconstruction. Let's consider it like establishing tribes in ancient times. Right now, we're a group of 'wild people,' building small tribes in the process of fighting zombies, eventually establishing a kingdom. In ancient times, humans were threatened by a large number of fierce wild animals, and now, the threat comes from zombies. It's essentially the same.
Right now, everyone is thinking about building a real society from scratch. Does anyone have any objections to my analysis?"
Everyone nodded in agreement. Indeed, Takagi Sayako had clarified everything in an instant.
"As expected of our strategist! Okay, that's the plan. Next, Takagi will be in charge of selecting the site for our upcoming base. With a map, it should be easy to find a suitable location. After reaching the next survivor gathering point, we'll officially start building the base," Feng Yuchen said, clapping his hands.
Takagi Sayako nodded and patted her chest, saying,"Leave it to me. I'm a genius, after all."
"With this analysis, things are much clearer now. Otherwise, we'd still be fighting blindly and wouldn't know when we'd fall," NanXiangli said, nodding.
"Yes, indeed. The analysis is quite appropriate. It's like going back to ancient times, haha! We're all 'wild people,' and this description is spot-on. The zombies are like wild beasts. Clearing them out and establishing a home... it's a great plan," Nanri Saeko added with a smile, nodding. Indeed, Feng Yuchen's team didn't lack talent in various aspects. This was the foundation of survival!