Li Jun presided over the meeting. This former security captain displayed rare leadership in the apocalypse, fair and pragmatic.
“First topic: housing allocation.” Li Jun pointed to the park building diagram posted on the wall. “The park has seven factory buildings, two office buildings, and one employee dormitory. My suggestion is: allocate dormitory rooms by family unit, with single people housed by gender. Factory buildings will be converted into public areas and warehouses.”
“I agree.” Liu Li raised her hand. “But one point needs to be clear: allocation is not permanent ownership. If someone makes a major contribution, or if their family structure changes, they should be able to apply for adjustment.”
“Reasonable.” He Xu noted this down. “Second issue: the contribution system. We need to clarify how each person’s contribution to the base is measured, and how it can be exchanged for supplies.”
This sparked a round of discussion.
Old Wang the electrician stood up. “I’m an electrician. I can maintain the power system. But how is my work counted as contribution? By work hours? Or by the number of devices repaired?”
Dr. Zhang from the medical office also asked: “I treat the injured. How is that kind of contribution quantified?”
He Xu was prepared.
She unfolded a table. “I suggest implementing a point system.”
Everyone quieted down.
“Basic work, such as patrols, cleaning, and cooking, earns 1 point per day upon completion. Technical work, such as repairs, medical care, and teaching, earns 2-3 points per day depending on difficulty and effect. Going out to search for supplies earns 5-10 points each time depending on danger level and harvest.”
“What can points be exchanged for?” A young man asked.
“Food, daily necessities, better housing, even ability guidance.” He Xu looked at Xie Zhiwei. “Zhiwei is willing to set aside time every week to guide people with potential to awaken or control their abilities. Each guidance session requires 15 points to book.”
This caused a stir.
Ability guidance! In the apocalypse, this was priceless!
“But points cannot be transferred.” He Xu added. “To prevent exploitation. Everyone earns survival resources through their own labor.”
“What about punishment?” Li Jun asked the key question. “What if someone violates the rules?”
He Xu took a deep breath. “For minor violations, such as wasting food or avoiding work, double points will be deducted. For moderate violations, such as theft or fighting, depending on the circumstances, confinement for 1-3 days and assignment to the most dangerous work. For severe violations, such as harming others, betraying the base, or deliberately damaging important facilities, expulsion from the park.”
The cafeteria fell silent.
Expulsion, in the apocalypse, was almost equivalent to a death sentence.
“Agreed.” An old man was the first to raise his hand. “Without rules, nothing can be accomplished.”
“I agree too.”
“Seconded.”
The vote passed. He Xu breathed a sigh of relief. At least the framework of order had been set up.
After the meeting ended, He Xu found Li Jun and Liu Li. “Uncle Li, Sister Liu, I also want to establish a special group.”
“Go on.”
He Xu lowered her voice. “Under the Ability Association, establish an Ability Development Group. Led by me and Zhiwei.”
The two exchanged a glance, understanding the reasoning behind He Xu’s words.
Ability users were strategic resources in the apocalypse, and also potential dangers.
“Zhiwei’s ice-type ability can do many things.” He Xu continued. “For example, creating ice spike zones outside the walls to slow zombies down; laying ice layers on rooftops to collect melted purified water; even creating cold storage in hot weather to preserve food. But all of this requires him to control it precisely and not overdraw himself.”
“You’re worried someone will over-rely on his ability?” Li Jun asked keenly.
“Exactly, I’m worried.” He Xu looked out the window at Xie Zhiwei, who was helping an elderly person move things. “We cannot let a twelve-year-old child be forced to bear the survival pressure of the entire base.”
That was one of the root causes of Xie Zhiwei’s darkening in the original work.
Being used, being relied upon, and in the end being kept deeply in the dark.
Over the next few days, the industrial park became a huge construction site. Everyone kept adding bricks and tiles to their home.
Li Jun led the Defense Group in reinforcing the barbed wire wall day and night. They dug trenches outside the wall and planted sharpened wooden stakes; they set up watchtowers on top of the wall and welded scrap steel into simple firing ports.
Xie Zhiwei’s ability became the greatest boost to the project. He used ice to shape temporary molds and support structures, then let the ice melt after the concrete solidified. The efficiency was much faster than traditional methods.
But the high-intensity labor quickly exposed problems.
Just that afternoon, an argument broke out outside the cafeteria.
“Why do their technical group earn 3 points a day just sitting inside, while we carry bricks and build walls until we’re exhausted and only get 1 point?” The speaker was a strong man named Da Liu. Before the apocalypse, he had been a construction worker. At this moment, his face was red as he pointed at Old Wang the electrician.
Old Wang was not to be outdone. “I fix one generator and the whole park has light. Can you do that by carrying bricks? Without electricity, at night you’re just blind!”
“Just because you know a bit of technique, you get cocky?!”
“What did you say?!”
The crowd quickly gathered, splitting into two sides.
The technical faction and the supporters of basic labor glared at each other, the atmosphere tense and ready to explode.
He Xu was in the warehouse counting newly discovered tools when Meiqiu suddenly darted in and urgently rubbed against her leg. Through the contract connection, she “saw” the confrontation outside the cafeteria.
“Zhiwei, come with me.” She put down the list in her hand.
By the time the two arrived, the argument had escalated into pushing and shoving. Da Liu had grabbed Old Wang by the collar, and several young people looked eager to join in.
“Stop!” He Xu’s voice was not loud, but it made everyone freeze for a moment.
She walked between the two groups, with Xie Zhiwei silently following one step behind her. The boy did not release his ability, but when those calm eyes swept over the crowd, the air seemed to drop several degrees.
“What’s going on?” He Xu asked.
Da Liu let go and stiffened his neck. “Boss He, I’m not convinced! The point system is unfair! We do physical labor, shed blood and sweat. Why can’t we compare to them just moving their fingers?”
“Yeah,” a young girl echoed softly. “Dr. Zhang treats a fever and gets 3 points. We wash clothes and cook all day and only get 1 point…”
Voices of dissatisfaction rose one after another.
He Xu listened quietly. Only after everyone had finished did she speak. “Old Wang, tell everyone how long it took you to repair the generator yesterday.”
Old Wang was stunned for a moment. “From six in the morning to midnight… eighteen hours.”
“Did you rest during that time?”
“I ate two meals, barely even went to the bathroom.” As Old Wang spoke, he raised his hand. There were still blisters from burns on the back of it. “The transformer burned out. I had to dismantle the wires by hand and reconnect them.”
He Xu turned to Da Liu. “How long did your group work yesterday?”
Da Liu opened his mouth. “E-eight hours…”
“So, Old Wang exchanged eighteen hours of high-risk technical labor for 3 points, while you exchanged eight hours of basic labor for 1 point.” He Xu’s gaze swept over everyone. “Does anyone still think it’s unfair?”
The crowd fell silent.
“I understand everyone’s feelings.” He Xu’s tone softened. “Before the apocalypse, we were used to being paid by work hours. But now, we have to be paid by ‘survival value.’ Old Wang repairing the generator lets the entire base have light at night, reduces the risk of zombie attacks, allows medical equipment to run, and allows water to be pumped for irrigation. One person’s work affects everyone’s probability of survival. That kind of contribution is worth 3 points.”
She paused. “But this does not mean basic labor is unimportant. Without walls, we would not survive three days; without meals, we would not last a week. Every position is necessary. It is only the ‘quality’ of the contribution that differs.”
Da Liu lowered his head, but there was still unwillingness in his eyes.
Xie Zhiwei suddenly spoke. “Jiejie, I have a suggestion.”
Everyone looked at him.
“The points for technical work stay the same, but basic labor can have an ‘excess reward.'” Xie Zhiwei spoke slowly, clearly thinking while expressing himself. “For example, set each person’s basic daily workload at eight hours, earning 1 point. If someone voluntarily works two extra hours, they can get an additional 0.5 points. That way, it acknowledges the value of basic labor and also encourages everyone to contribute more.”
He Xu’s eyes lit up. “That’s a good idea. Also, we can establish a ‘skills learning class.’ Old Wang and Dr. Zhang can teach courses for people who want to learn techniques. After learning and passing an assessment, they can transfer to another post and earn higher points.”
The proposal received agreement from most people. Da Liu scratched his head. “Then… can I learn electrical work?”
Old Wang smiled. “As long as you’re willing to learn, I’m willing to teach.”
The conflict was temporarily resolved, but He Xu knew this was only the beginning. In an apocalypse with limited resources, fairness was always a dynamic balance.
She was about to announce the meeting was over when Old Wang the electrician suddenly squeezed out from the crowd, holding a palm-sized device in his hand, its screen flashing with a faint green light.
“Miss He, take a look at this.” Old Wang’s voice was excited. “Yesterday I repaired that old signal receiver in the warehouse. I originally wanted to see if I could pick up radio broadcasts, but instead I received this!”
He handed over the device. On the screen, a repeating Morse code was pulsing.
“…SOS… East District Agricultural Experiment Station… survivors… food sufficient but trapped… surrounded by zombies… urgently need rescue…”
He Xu’s heartbeat quickened.
East District Agricultural Experiment Station. She remembered this place.
It had been mentioned in the original work. Before the apocalypse, it was an important seed bank and research base, preserving a large number of uncontaminated crop seeds and cultivation data.
If they could rescue the people there and obtain the seeds and data…
“Can the location be determined?” She asked.
“Roughly to the northeast of the park, about fifteen kilometers away.” Old Wang pointed to the weak signal strength on the screen. “The signal is intermittent. They may be short on power.”
Li Jun leaned in to look. “Agricultural station? The walls there should be very sturdy. How could they be trapped?”
“There may have been problems inside.” He Xu pondered. “Or the number of zombies far exceeds expectations.”
Someone in the crowd spoke quietly. “Then are we going to rescue them?”
“This…”
“What if we go and don’t come back?”
The cafeteria was dead silent. Everyone understood what the word “rescue” meant in the apocalypse.
It could be a valuable harvest, or a meaningless sacrifice.
“I’ll lead the team.” Li Jun was the first to break the silence. “Five of our most elite, driving that reinforced truck.”
“I’ll go too.” Xie Zhiwei said.
“No.” He Xu and he spoke at the same time, and the two exchanged a glance.
“You need to stay and guard the base.” He Xu’s tone was firm. “You are our strongest combat force. If the base is attacked while you’re gone, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
Xie Zhiwei pressed his lips tightly together, but in the end did not argue.
He Xu turned to Li Jun. “Uncle Li, I’ll go with you this time. My ability is suited for scouting and early warning.”
“Too dangerous!” Liu Li objected. “Miss He, you are our coordinator. Nothing can happen to you.”
“It’s precisely because I’m the coordinator that I should go.” He Xu’s gaze was firm. “We need to assess the agricultural station’s resources and decide whether to establish a long-term cooperative relationship. And besides—”
She looked out the window. “If there really are planting experts and seeds there, it is crucial to our future survival. This risk, I think, is worth taking.”
After intense discussion, the rescue team was finally determined: Li Jun, He Xu, Da Liu, and two former veterans, Zhao Hong and Sun Linyue.
They would drive the modified box truck, carrying about two days of rations, weapons, and a medical kit.
The night before departure, He Xu was organizing equipment in her room. Xie Zhiwei sat by the bed, silently helping her check the edge of her dagger.
“Jiejie.” He finally spoke. “You must come back.”
He Xu stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him. Under the candlelight, unease was hidden in the boy’s eyes.
“I promise.” She bent down to meet Xie Zhiwei’s eyes at his level. “And besides, I have a secret weapon.”
“What?”
He Xu pointed at her temple. “The contract connection. As long as we are within a certain range, I can vaguely perceive your state, and you can perceive mine. If I am in danger, you will know.”
Xie Zhiwei was stunned for a moment, then his eyes brightened slightly. “Really?”
“Really.” He Xu smiled. “So, you have to guard the home well. If I sense the base is in danger, I will rush back immediately too.”
This gave Xie Zhiwei some strange comfort. He nodded vigorously. “I will guard this place. When you come back, the walls will be higher, and the defenses will be more complete.”
He Xu rubbed Xie Zhiwei’s head. “I’ll bring you back something you like.”
Xie Zhiwei: “Okay!”
He Xu saw him agree so quickly. “What do you like?”
Xie Zhiwei: “…I don’t know.”
He Xu: Then why did you agree so quickly…
Xie Zhiwei seemed to hear He Xu’s inner slander and softly added: “As long as it’s from jiejie… I’ll like it…”