Chapter 105, Part 5: Female Supporting Character in a Zombie Novel
Xu Qingzhou paused, then shifted his gaze from the crystal core to Jiang Yiming's face.
His youthful face was adorned with a hearty smile, revealing a set of bright white teeth.
But those eyes held a clean and clear quality.
He knew his intentions.
Xu Qingzhou was absolutely certain.
Seeing this, the others immediately followed suit, scrambling to place all the crystal cores they had just received, which they hadn't even had a chance to warm up, in front of Xu Qingzhou.
"Right, right, Brother Zhou! You have to pay a membership fee to play Fruit Ninja! This is our membership fee!"
"Brother Zhou! You're our undisputed captain, so you're in charge of these crystal cores. I won't say a word!"
"I don't have any special abilities, so these crystal cores aren't of much use to me. You can keep them, Brother Zhou. How you use them and who you give them to is up to you!"
It was as if it wasn't a precious crystal core, but a hot potato.
Xu Qingzhou was both amused and exasperated.
He pressed his temples and looked up at the building with a languid expression.
Although things were going according to his plan, something just wasn't quite right.
In the end, Xu Qingzhou made a concession and let out a long sigh.
"Since everyone trusts me, then I will accept it without hesitation!"
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and their smiles returned.
The next moment, Xu Qingzhou's expression turned serious, his gaze became solemn, and his demeanor became grave.
"However, since we've chosen to form a team and travel together, some rules must be established, otherwise the team will fall apart and everyone will die!"
The group exchanged glances, and a hint of "I knew it" flashed across Jiang Yiming's eyes. He didn't say anything more.
"Without rules, nothing can be accomplished. That's only right, Brother Zhou!"
Xu Qingzhou didn't refuse, and carefully considered his words according to the plan he had already made.
"First, all supplies obtained from collective operations, including but not limited to crystal cores and food, must be handed over uniformly. One-third will be retained as public funds for team operations, and the remaining two-thirds will be distributed according to each person's performance in the battle, risk-taking, and contribution to the team. When choosing crystal cores, ability users can prioritize their own attributes. It will be fair and impartial, with absolutely no favoritism."
As he spoke, he observed their expressions.
Everyone wore a thoughtful expression; they neither blindly agreed nor immediately refused.
Jiang Yiming raised his hand.
"I have no objection, but since there is collective action, shouldn't there be individual benefits as well?"
Xu Qingzhou smiled slightly, her impression of him improving considerably, and nodded gently.
"Of course, secondly, personal income can be kept by oneself, but if it is used for transactions or major decisions, it must be reported to me to avoid unnecessary trouble."
This time, it was Lang Ge who raised the question.
How is personal private income calculated?
Xu Qingzhou didn't mince words and gave a clear answer.
"What you gain by your own abilities, without acting with the team, is of course your personal gain, but..."
His gaze remained unchanged, only the curve of his eyebrows twitched slightly. The naivety of youth had faded, and he exuded a subtle air of authority befitting a superior.
"It is not allowed to disregard the collective action of the team for the sake of personal gain; otherwise, you will be expelled from the team!"
It's fair and reasonable, and nobody has any objections.
Xu Qingzhou was somewhat satisfied and continued speaking.
"Third, orders must be obeyed. My orders may be questioned, but they must be carried out. Disagreements can be raised before or after the event, but obedience is mandatory during the operation!"
"Fourth, we must help each other, no fighting among ourselves, and no one who stands by and watches someone die. Violators... don't blame me for being ruthless!"
His tone grew increasingly stern, leaving no room for argument.
He paused for a moment before softening his tone.
"If anyone joins the team in the future, they must also abide by these rules. If anyone disagrees, they can say so now and wait until we reach a safe place before separating from us."
If he had said his last sentence at the beginning, Lang and the others would have hesitated and had a serious talk with him.
But now, not one of them objects.
These seemingly harsh rules, however, did not make them feel oppressed; on the contrary, they made them feel extremely at ease.
"No problem! Brother Zhou, I'll listen to you!"
"That's how it should be; rules are essential!"
Xu Qingzhou then solemnly collected all the crystal cores and redistributed them on the spot according to the rules they had just established.
Those who killed the zombies and dug out the crystal cores received more, while those responsible for cleaning the crystal cores received far less.
No one objected, and everyone wore a satisfied smile.
From this moment on, he was no longer a "temporary companion who protected them along the way," but a leader who was truly recognized by everyone and who held absolute resources and power.
Xu Qingzhou, however, acted as if he knew nothing, a gentle smile on his face.
Jiang Yiming couldn't help but shiver.
This combination of kindness and severity, this feigned indifference, was executed with remarkable skill.
It's hard to imagine that this is the same person who looked so disheveled and vulnerable when we first met.
After watching the play, Yu Wanwan didn't linger any longer. She stretched and swayed back to her room.
The team led by Xu Qingzhou is beginning to take shape.
They stayed in the villa for a few more days.
While collecting supplies on the streets, try to see if you can run into any lost classmates.
Unfortunately, after so many days, they only managed to find five or six more classmates.
The others were nowhere to be found; it was unclear whether they had escaped or...
The atmosphere in the group was heavy, like a huge stone pressing down on them, making it hard for them to breathe.
Despite the atmosphere, Lang Ge still dutifully explained the team's situation and rules to the newly recruited classmates.
Of course, he also made it clear that it was acceptable not to accept it.
However, if they do not accept this arrangement, they will only be responsible for taking them on the road and ensuring their safety as much as possible. As for their food, clothing, and other necessities along the way, they will be responsible for these expenses themselves.
They had expected opposition and condemnation, but after so many days of life and death, they agreed to the rules even more readily than Lang Ge and his group.
In just a few days, they witnessed far more dangers than they had seen in the twenty years before the apocalypse.
Especially people's hearts.
In their view, the rules established by Xu Qingzhou were entirely a guarantee of their safety, so what reason did they have to object?
Lang Ge was completely unprepared for their reaction and didn't know what to say.
All I could do was pat them on the shoulder and offer silent comfort.
Xu Qingzhou saw all this but didn't say anything.
After waiting for two more days, the team did not stop. A large truck drove out of the small villa and embarked on the journey to find the survivor base.
A rusty truck rolled over the broken road, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Lang Ge was driving in the driver's seat.
A month later, his youthful face became more mature, and his features became more defined.
He already possesses the demeanor of a mature man.
Beside him, Xu Qingzhou held a pair of binoculars, checking the road conditions ahead.
Yu Wanwan still looked lazy, leaning to one side with her head resting against the car window, dozing off.
"parking."
Xu Qingzhou's clear and gentle voice rang out in the carriage.
The tires screeched as they scraped across the road.
Lang Ge's body was tense, his eyes fixed intently on what lay ahead.
"Brother Zhou, what's wrong?"
Xu Qingzhou lowered his binoculars and frowned slightly.
Something's not right up ahead.
The sound wasn't loud, but it instantly put the people in the truck bed on edge.
A sound came from behind.
"What happened?"
It's Jiang Yiming.
Over the past month, Jiang Yiming's strength, second only to Xu Qingzhou, and his intelligence have already made him the team's second-in-command.
Yu Wanwan?
Oh, most of the time, she's too lazy to care about what's going on in the team.
If it weren't for her wood-type ability, which is even more defensive than earth-type abilities, the team might have overlooked her.
Yu Wanwan recognized Jiang Yiming as soon as he joined the team.
This boy is the lover who spends his life with Xia Weiwei in the story.
Unfortunately, in her eyes, he was no different from any other NPC in these worlds.
This did not make Yu Wanwan treat her differently.
"It's too quiet."
Xu Qingzhou handed him the binoculars.
"And there are roadblocks in the middle of the road."
Jiang Yiming took the binoculars and looked. Sure enough, about a kilometer ahead, the road was blocked by several burned bicycles and a mess of debris.
There were no zombies or living people around; the deathly silence was chilling.
"Could they be raiders?"
They've been through a lot this month.
In this world where order has collapsed and zombies and mutated animals are everywhere, humanity simply cannot withstand the test.
Some people deliberately set traps on the road to rob passersby.
These people were called raiders.
"It doesn't look like it."
Xu Qingzhou shook his head, seemingly lost in thought.
"If they were raiders, they wouldn't block the road and cut off their own source of income. This looks more like they're defending themselves..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yu Wanwan suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and sat up straight.
The two looked at her immediately. Xu Qingzhou's gaze softened, while Jiang Yiming's eyes held a complex expression that was hard to decipher.
Xu Qingzhou didn't notice Jiang Yiming's gaze, and gently tidied her hair in a low voice.
What did you sense?
Yu Wanwan shook her head and casually pointed to the woods behind the roadblock.
"There are people inside, a lot of them, and they seem very scared."
His tone was gentle, yet carried an inexplicable certainty.
Xu Qingzhou had no doubts and immediately gave the order.
"retreat!"
Almost the instant he finished speaking, a sharp whistle suddenly rang out from the grove of trees.
Dozens of people suddenly rushed out from behind the roadblocks and from the ruins on both sides!
They were all emaciated and ragged, holding all sorts of weapons in their hands, some even with supernatural light emanating from their palms.
Their eyes were filled with terror and despair, yet also with a desperate madness, and in an instant they completely surrounded the truck.
Lang was forced to stop, slapped the steering wheel, and frowned as he looked at the group of people who looked like refugees.
"Damn it! What are they trying to do?"
Xu Qingzhou and Jiang Yiming also frowned as they observed the group of people.
A man who looked like the leader stood on top of an abandoned car, holding a dilapidated megaphone.
A hoarse voice, a mixture of fear and excitement, came from the loudspeaker.
"Stop! Stop! Don't go any further! Leave the food and the car behind! Get out of here!"
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