Chapter 204 - 189: Two Directions

Chapter 204: Chapter 189: Two Directions

In some ways, Ji Luo could also be considered half a Reincarnator.

The only difference was that he was reborn on the first day of the apocalypse, not seven days before it.

From Yu Dong, he had learned about the zombie virus, the situation in Yanhai City, mutants, the state of the military, and more.

Essentially, he had a grasp of the big picture.

Moreover, he had the initial supplies that Xufeng had prepared—enough to feed his people for several months. He also had a nearly empty research institute with a sturdy main gate and ample space inside.

In some respects, Yu Dong felt that Ji Luo had a better starting point than he did in his past life.

The only potential downside was the lack of a few trusted, die-hard teammates.

But...

"Lawyer Ji, your management here seems very effective. Everyone... seems to follow your lead?"

After unloading the supplies, Yu Dong took a casual stroll around the research institute base with Ji Luo. They found a private spot to discuss matters only Reincarnators would understand.

"Yes. I run a dictatorship. I’m the only voice in this base. I handle everything, big or small. Everyone else just needs to follow orders."

Ji Luo openly revealed his methods. In his eyes, Yu Dong was the best ally he could ask for right now—the kind he could completely trust.

Besides... they were both part of the ruling class, so they could understand each other.

"Running a one-man show like this, doesn’t anyone give you trouble? How do you usually deal with them?"

Yu Dong was quite curious. As a group’s population grows, internal problems are unavoidable.

"I throw the troublemakers into the sea to feed the fish."

"What?" Yu Dong stared at Ji Luo, a chill running down his spine.

"Haha, just kidding. This area is surrounded by villages and fishing farms. The survivors here generally don’t have a high level of education, and most of them lack strong opinions, which makes them easier to lead. As for those I can tell at a glance would be hard to control, I simply don’t let them in. That way, I’m the only one in the entire base skilled in leadership and public speaking. They have no choice but to listen to me."

"I see..." After hearing this, Yu Dong glanced back and noticed the people in the base did indeed look rather... plain. They all seemed like simple, honest folk.

Yu Dong found Ji Luo’s management style quite interesting.

Yu Dong and Ji Luo then exchanged more details about their respective situations, sharing intelligence.

Eventually, the conversation turned to the cargo ship that had mysteriously disappeared a few days prior.

"I’ve been thinking these past few days, could it be... some kind of marine creature infected with the zombie virus? Like some giant zombie octopus or a zombie whale?"

Hearing this, Ji Luo recalled something.

"Do you remember that fishing farm I mentioned? They raise a lot of fish and shrimp there. One day, we went over and found a zombie had fallen in. It was completely submerged in the seawater, catching and eating fish. It had been cut up by the surrounding equipment and was bleeding constantly, turning the water in that small section of the farm murky."

"Oh? What happened then? Were the fish contaminated? Did you see any mutated fish?"

"That’s what I thought, too. But when I checked again a few days later, the water was clear again. The fish were fine—none had died or shown any signs of mutation. So I’ve concluded that... the zombie virus probably doesn’t affect fish, and the seawater must gradually purify the contamination."

"I guess that makes sense. In my past life, I never heard any official reports about mutated marine life either. So what happened to the people on that ship...?"

"That, I’m not sure about. Let’s leave it to the scientists. It’s good you brought her over. Through her research, we can both expand our understanding. If she can actually develop a vaccine, it would be a service to everyone."

"Let’s hope so..."

Yu Dong didn’t have high hopes. In his previous life, even three months into the apocalypse, there was no news of a vaccine from the government. If an organization as powerful and resourceful as the government couldn’t develop one, it seemed unrealistic to expect a single biologist to succeed.

Yu Dong didn’t understand biology, but he respected the science. It was a long-term investment with no guarantee of a payoff.

Fortunately, it was an investment he could afford to make.

Between him and Ji Luo, it was easy enough to support a few extra people.

After they finished the handover for Meng Dongqing, Liu Ye’ye ran over.

"My dad... is he still in the lab?"

"Your father... Oh! You mean the ones who were hiding with me in the negative-pressure lab from the virus. After I secured the area with my people, I lured them all out and put them to rest. Fearing the virus might spread, I had them all cremated. Their ashes are in the small park out back. I’m sorry..."

Liu Ye’ye trembled slightly, then managed a weak smile. "It’s... it’s okay. I think it would have been more painful to see him still... walking around."

Even though she’d never see him again, knowing her father had been put to rest brought Liu Ye’ye a sense of relief.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known how to face her own father as a zombie.

’What a shame...’

Before coming here, Yu Dong had planned to give Xufeng and Ding Ming proper burials, along with Huang Zhiqiang’s mother and Qiao Ping’s husband and daughter.

But now, Ji Luo had already cremated them all.

Qiao Ping and Huang Zhiqiang both let out a small sigh but said nothing more. Perhaps for them... this was also good news. At least they wouldn’t have to worry about seeing their loved ones as mindless walking corpses.

Yu Dong suddenly realized he had never actually seen what Liu Ye’ye’s father looked like... for one reason or another, he had always missed the chance.

Once business there was concluded, Zhou, who was part of the group, quietly approached Yu Dong.

"Dongzi, the fertilizer plant over here..."

The large fertilizer plant had already been taken over by Ji Luo and his people. They had also moved a lot of materials to make explosives.

The fertilizer plant had been one of their objectives for this trip. Zhou needed to acquire a batch of industrial materials from it to use against future zombie hordes.

But Ji Luo and his people had already beaten them to the punch, and they even had their own experts.

"Lawyer Ji, will you be able to use all the chemical materials from the fertilizer plant? We were hoping to take some back to our cruise ship base."

"How about we trade for them? You can use the diesel you brought me. That will make it easier for my people to accept. After all... these materials now belong to our group. I can’t just give away our collective property, but I can trade it for other, more useful supplies."

"Hmm... alright."

Although Yu Dong felt a slight sense of displeasure, it was, after all, the fertilizer plant that they had cleared out. As a leader with a moral compass, he had no intention of forcibly seizing the fruits of someone else’s labor. Besides, Lawyer Ji was a highly capable individual and a good ally.

’A trade it is, then.’

Afterward, Ji Luo and his people led them into the fertilizer plant. Zhou selected several types of materials from the warehouse, then directed his men to load large bag after large bag onto the semi-truck. This was their trade for the diesel they had delivered.

If they wanted to pick up more supplies in the future, they would have to bring more diesel. Nothing would be free.

Before they left, Ji Luo even had his men bring over five crates of fresh fish and shrimp for them.

"Come visit again, Mr. Yu. Let’s stay in touch by phone if anything comes up."

"Alright."

Yu Dong left the research institute, but he assigned two people to stay with Meng Dongqing. One was a combat team member for her security, and the other was a graduate student in a related field whom she had found herself to act as her assistant.

The combat team member was considered on field duty, receiving the same pay and benefits as usual, with a weekly rotation.

The work here was quite relaxed, so many people were eager for the assignment.

’The seed has been planted... I hope it bears the fruit we’re looking for.’

Yu Dong and his team drove the large truck away from the sparsely populated rural area, heading back to Huangyang Port on the outskirts of the Urban Area.

On the way back, they deliberately left some shareable bikes on the roadside for other survivors to find and use.

Lately, Wang Dingbei’s broadcasts had attracted many more lone survivors from nearby areas to the cruise ship base. The population on the ship was growing daily.

It was about to surpass 300 people.

During this time, to screen and intimidate the newcomers, Wang Dingbei and his team had remained on the cruise ship, holding down the fort. They hadn’t joined Yu Dong’s group on their zombie-clearing runs.

From Yu Dong’s perspective, Officer Wang’s job was no easier than killing zombies. Killing zombies just required aiming and shooting, or a well-placed stab.

But discerning the true character of new survivors? That was far more complicated.

Fortunately, this task was handled by the experienced Officer Wang and Lin Mo, who was well-versed in psychology.

Yu Dong had been somewhat envious of Ji Luo’s dictatorship, but now he felt... with Wang and Lin Mo managing things back at the base, he felt much more confident fighting zombies on the front lines.

In his past life, he had to rely on Shen Xinyi to guard against Yang Yi or Sun Shan, who might have betrayed them and destroyed everything they had built. Otherwise, he could have returned from a supply run to find he no longer had a home to come back to.

In this life, however, he never had such worries. The home front was always rock-solid.

Moreover, Yu Dong believed that even if Wang disagreed with him on some things, he would never stoop to petty actions against the combat and logistics teams. That was a testament to Wang’s integrity.

As for Ji Luo, Yu Dong wasn’t sure if his setup could achieve the same level of stability.

After all, if Ji Luo were to die on a run, someone inside could just take over as the new leader.

But for now, the efficiency of Ji Luo’s one-man rule was undeniable. He could centralize power to accomplish major tasks without any bickering or meetings. The group’s success or failure rested entirely on his shoulders.

It was a management style completely different from the one at the cruise ship base. For now, it was impossible to say which was better.

Yu Dong decided he would continue to observe and see how things played out.