Chapter 214 - 198: Frenzy

Chapter 214: Chapter 198: Frenzy

"Hahahahaha~"

After the fierce battle and the rushed repairs to their fortifications, the combat and logistics teams were wildly venting their emotions.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Guangzong hurried over. He personally helped Yu Dong and the others set up the microphone and sound system in the dining hall so they could have a karaoke session.

The sound quality was total crap, but they were having a blast singing!

Drinking and revelry!

The noise on the third floor attracted the attention of many survivors who were still awake, but most of them just watched from outside the dining hall for a bit before leaving.

A few particularly outgoing extroverts wanted to go in and join them.

But they were stopped by the person guarding the door.

"Sorry, this is a private team celebration. No outsiders."

"Oh."

Many people just asked a quick question and left, going about their business.

Basically, no one felt it was unfair for a team that had just made a huge effort to wipe out over 20,000 zombies to be celebrating.

It was perfectly reasonable.

Immediately after, the general survivor population received an announcement over the cruise ship’s broadcast system.

"To celebrate clearing the zombie horde today, the cruise ship will provide free electricity for the entire day!"

"The movie theater will be open for free tonight."

"Popcorn, soda, milk tea, and coffee are half-price for a limited time!"

At this, the whole ship came alive!

No one paid any more attention to the combat and logistics teams partying in the third-floor dining hall.

Some survivors with laptops could even consider pulling an all-nighter to play games.

For the college students who were rescued today, joining the cruise ship felt like they had arrived in paradise.

Especially in that moment, sitting in the movie theater, it was as if the past twenty-some days of the apocalypse had been fake... like it was all a dream.

But when they walked out of the theater and stood on the deck, looking out at the pitch-black Yanhai City, they knew it had all happened. It was just that now, they had been saved.

"We should properly thank the people who saved us."

"They’re so incredible. I want to become that capable, too. I want to save other people."

"Sigh. I used to read apocalypse novels and love to curse out the sanctimonious protagonists. All those wishy-washy rescue plots just annoyed me. But... when I was actually trapped in the lab, starving and dizzy, I desperately wanted a bleeding-heart hero to save me. Because I was just one of those ordinary people with nothing to offer."

"I think this is a true post-apocalyptic base with our Dragon Country’s characteristics. Building fortifications on the outside, restoring production on the inside. It’s united, developing, and strong!"

"The main leader seems pretty young. I wonder if he’d be willing to give us a chance to prove ourselves..."

The newly rescued students from Ocean University naturally formed a single group. After the movie, led by a few of the more insightful ones, they all talked for a long time.

As an undergraduate institution, the students from Ocean University had varying skill levels, but as a whole, they couldn’t be too bad. Aside from a few who just wanted to coast, most of the students were extremely interested in working for the cruise ship base.

The day after the party, Yu Dong dragged himself out of bed with a bit of a headache and went to his office to start his day.

After a brief chat with Lin Mo and Wang Dingbei, a male student from Ocean University knocked and entered.

"Hello, sir. I’m Jiang Zhuoyu, the student representative from Ocean University."

"Last night, I compiled a list of the survivors from our university. I’ve noted everyone’s educational background, their skills, and some basic information about each of us."

"Aside from a few students who aren’t very social, most of us hope to do something for the cruise ship base. Please give us a job!"

Yu Dong took the list and looked it over, then passed it to Wang Dingbei and Lin Mo.

Both of them nodded in satisfaction. Lin Mo was especially pleased; this was information she would have had to gather one by one. With Jiang Zhuoyu’s list, she could now learn about each person in a targeted manner.

"This batch of newcomers is high-quality. Jiang Zhuoyu, tell me, what kind of job do you want?"

Yu Dong smiled as he looked at Jiang Zhuoyu, and Jiang Zhuoyu looked back at Yu Dong... He felt that this person looked a little familiar.

Yu Dong was very fond of student groups.

This was because most students had been brought up to obey authority. In elementary, middle, and high school, they listened to their teachers; during military training, they listened to their drill instructors; in college, they listened to their counselors; and as graduate students, they listened to their advisors...

A team that was accustomed to following orders was easy to lead.

Of course, Yu Dong knew there would always be exceptions, but... this Jiang Zhuoyu had even noted those exceptions for him.

’This is very interesting...’

"I’ll do whatever the organization needs me to do!"

Jiang Zhuoyu’s expression was sincere, without a hint of an opportunist’s ambition.

"Can you drive?"

"Yes, I have a license. I’ve driven my family’s car."

Yu Dong nodded. "Good. Jiang Zhuoyu, you can start by staying by my side. Let’s see how you do as my secretary for a while."

"I would be honored to work for you!"

Jiang Zhuoyu agreed immediately, unable to suppress the smile that lifted the corners of his mouth.

He had originally expected a simple job like helping move supplies or crunching numbers, but he never imagined he would be assigned as the top leader’s secretary!

Based on their seating arrangement, he could tell... Yu Dong, in the middle, was the boss.

’That imposing middle-aged man slouched in his chair, and that elegant, intellectual woman... they’re letting a guy who looks like a college student take the center seat? That alone proves how much power and charisma their leader has.’

"Alright. Your first task is to clean out the room to the left of our office and set it up as your own. If you need anything, take this note from me and go find Qiao Ping."

"Yes, sir!"

Yu Dong had taken on this ambitious young man not just to directly manage the new group of 51 students. He had also realized that his old team members all had their own plates full and could no longer be by his side all day helping him with tasks.

He really did need a sharp secretary to run all sorts of errands for him, so he wouldn’t have to go see Qiao Ping himself every time he needed to grab supplies or deliver a note.

After Jiang Zhuoyu left, Wang Dingbei crossed his legs and lit up a Yuxi cigarette.

"That kid seems pretty good. You lucked out with him."

"Heh~ It’s best to make as many friends as possible. Letting the students know they have their own representative in the management makes it easier for me to hear their opinions. Wang, if you need someone, you should also find a student to help you with your work."

Hearing this, Lin Mo looked up at Yu Dong and gave a faint smile.

’Yu Dong’s methods have matured a bit.’

Wang actually considered it seriously for a moment.

"My work requires people with real-world experience. College students... aren’t quite up to it."

"Suit yourself. My tasks don’t require much specialized skill anyway."

In Yu Dong’s view, when it came to people he kept close, character was more important than ability.

Thanks to their operations over the past ten or so days, and after taking in the 51 students yesterday, the cruise ship base’s population had officially surpassed 400 people!

Yu Dong planned to select a group of students with good physiques and high-quality traits to incorporate into the combat team, expanding their forces once again!

RING RING RING~

Yu Dong’s phone rang.

It was Meng Dongqing from the research institute.

Yu Dong remembered the dream he’d had last night and answered the phone, clinging to a sliver of unrealistic hope.

"Any good news, Professor Meng?"

"Uh, not exactly good news. You remember when you brought me here a week ago, you asked me to investigate the issue of mutated creatures in the sea."

"Right. Any progress?"

"I injected blood from both normal and bloated zombies into several types of marine organisms..."