Chapter 57: Got His Way
Upon hearing Wang Ye's words, the others looked at each other in silence.
After a moment, someone muttered,"So what else can we do? Just wait to starve to death?"
"Exactly. Maybe Su Chen isn't the kind of person we think he is,"another chimed in in agreement.
"Let's just go find Brother He and tell him we're willing to follow Su Chen."
"Alright, let's go!"
With one suggestion, the rest stood up and followed suit.In the blink of an eye, Wang Ye was left alone in the room.
Looking around the now empty space, he was momentarily stunned.How could these survivors be so spineless?!
The reason Wang Ye had been stirring people up to go against Su Chen was simple.He was jealous—jealous that Su Chen not only had that luxurious Nomadism RV but also had a beauty like Liu Ling'er by his side.
But more than that, Wang Ye had ambition.He wanted to become the leader of the survivors.
Damn it! I'd rather starve to death or jump out the window than bow to Su Chen!Wang Ye swore inwardly.
Yet, the burning pain in his stomach was unbearable.
After hesitating for a while, he sluggishly got up and walked out as well.
In the hotel lobby, Wang Ye saw the other survivors lining up around He Wang to receive instant noodles, sausages, and other supplies.
"Listen up! Since you've taken food, you'll all follow Su Chen's orders from now on,"Sun Yuan shouted as he helped He Wang maintain order.
Everyone nodded quickly, their eyes glued to the food in He Wang's hands.
Wang Ye swallowed hard, unable to resist the temptation, and slipped into the line.
Before long, he too received a bowl of pickled cabbage instant noodles and a few sausages.
Once he poured in hot water and it was ready, Wang Ye devoured it eagerly.
Delicious!
He even drank the soup dry after finishing the noodles, then threw the empty container into the trash can with lingering satisfaction.
…
With the survivors finally submitting, Su Chen began planning the next steps.
To build a survivor base, the most critical issue was ensuring a steady supply of daily necessities.
Although the RV had abundant supplies, it wasn't realistic for Su Chen to keep providing food indefinitely.
Ideally, they'd cultivate their own farmland and become self-sufficient.
Su Chen had already thought ahead.
In his storage space were not only various crop seeds but also farming tools.
In addition, the base's defenses were vital.
After all, with the torrential rain and extreme cold having passed, the terrifying biochemical frenzy was next.
Although Phoenix Mountain was a scenic area with few people, zombie hordes could still wander in all directions.
If they didn't have sturdy defenses in place, the so-called survivor base would be as fragile as a sandcastle.
But for now, with the rain pouring nonstop, farming and construction were impossible.
So Su Chen issued his first task:the survivors were to go out and search for supplies in the rain.
Of course, this didn't include food or drinking water—those had already been thoroughly looted long ago.
Instead, he asked them to look for winter clothing and bedding to keep warm.
He passed this order to He Wang, who, along with Sun Yuan, was responsible for assigning and verifying the tasks.
When the survivors received the command, they were puzzled.
Even though the high-heat apocalypse had passed and it was raining constantly, it was still summer.
Wearing long sleeves already felt hot—why search for winter gear?
Though reluctant, they had no choice.Su Chen controlled the food, so they followed orders and left the hotel in the rain to search for supplies.
"Damn it, if anyone wants to do this, let them. I'm done!"Wang Ye grumbled as he stepped into a building to get out of the rain.
He pulled off his raincoat and shook off the water, then flopped onto a sofa with a snort.
Following him in were a few survivors who were friendly with him.
Hearing Wang Ye's complaint, a young man named Zhang Ying exchanged glances with the others and cautiously asked,"Dr. Wang, what if Su Chen comes after us for not doing the task?"
"Let him! We'll just say we searched but found nothing."
Wang Ye complained resentfully,"Who searches for winter gear in this weather? Su Chen must be out of his mind!"
"If you ask me, he's just getting back at us for ganging up on him before."
Zhang Ying also grumbled in frustration.
"He really thinks he's the boss now."
"If anyone should be the boss, it should be Dr. Wang!"
The others all nodded in agreement.
Wang Ye smiled smugly,"Don't worry. If I become the leader, you guys will be well taken care of."
"But we need to be patient for now."
"We must find a way to lure Su Chen out of the RV and take control of it."
"Once we've got that, we'll finally be in charge!"
While they slacked off in the building, they continued to fantasize about dethroning Su Chen and taking over.
By the time dinner rolled around, they casually got up and slowly made their way back to the hotel.
Most of the survivors had already returned and were lining up for instant noodles.
Wang Ye and his group were about to join them when Sun Yuan and a few others blocked their path.
"What's going on, Captain Sun?"Wang Ye quickly plastered on a smile and tried to sound friendly.
Compared to the other survivors, Su Chen still trusted He Wang and Sun Yuan the most.
So He Wang handled most of the logistics, while Sun Yuan maintained order like a security captain.
"Where are the supplies you found?"Sun Yuan gave them a once-over and asked flatly.
"Sorry, we searched everywhere and couldn't find anything,"Wang Ye explained.
"Oh? Then you won't be receiving any food,"Sun Yuan said coldly, waving them away.
"Wait—what? Why?"Wang Ye was stunned.
"Because Su Chen said so: we don't feed freeloaders.Anyone who slacks off doesn't get to eat,"Sun Yuan said icily.
Damn that bastard Su Chen!
Wang Ye cursed internally but quickly tried to explain himself,"We weren't slacking off—we really couldn't find anything!"
"Yeah, Captain Sun, don't you believe us?""We're telling the truth!"
Zhang Ying and the others quickly jumped in to support Wang Ye's claim.
Just then, a slow, calm voice came from behind them.
"Oh? Is that really the case?"
Everyone froze and turned their heads—Su Chen had strolled in, hands clasped behind his back.
Liu Ling'er walked beside him, holding an umbrella over his head like a maid.