You were supposed to hoard supplies, why the heck did you hoard zombies!

Others could naturally detect the difficulties Wang Hu had embedded in his words, and while many were surprised, they had already started to look forward to the spectacle unfolding before them.

They were very curious to see how the always calm and reticent Xu Lin would respond to the situation at hand.

Would he choose to firmly hit back?

Or would he swallow this jab from his colleague?

Zhang Ye was also very curious about his thoughts, so he didn't speak up to stop Wang Hu; instead, he adopted a tacit approval.

Yet Xu Lin's subsequent reply stunned everyone.

"Yes."

"That is indeed what I think."

As soon as these words were spoken, many gasped in shock, and Wang Hu's face immediately took on a mocking expression as he prepared to continue his ridicule.

But Xu Lin didn't give him the chance and straightforwardly continued:

"However, it's not to curry favor with these survivors from the military." Find more to read at My Virtual Library Empire

"But to win them over."

As he spoke, his gaze had already turned to Zhang Ye, and his face appeared very sincere, utterly devoid of any subterfuge.

"Just because the army still exists doesn't mean the former government still exists."@@novelbin@@

"Even if it does, it's nothing but a name without substance."

"The military is no exception."

These words might not seem special at first listen.

But coming from the police supervisor Xu Lin, who had been protecting the survivors in the shopping mall before encountering Zhang Ye, they indeed surprised those present.

They did not know that Zhang Ye had the ability to control not only zombies but humans as well.

So they couldn't help but marvel at Xu Lin's loyalty.

Was this Minister Xu truly so devoted?

It was hard to believe.

Yet, looking at Xu Lin's honest face, it was equally challenging to doubt that this Minister Xu, who had always been very serious and responsible in his work, was lying.

He didn't even show any anger towards Wang Hu's provocations.

It was as if he hadn't heard the words at all.

From beginning to end, Minister Xu's gaze had been fixed on Zhang Ye, which showed that he only cared about what Zhang Ye thought.

And this very fact became the reason Zhang Ye most admired him.

"So what you're saying is, we should seize the opportunity of the military's vulnerability to help them?"

"Then, what benefits could the company reap?"

Zhang Ye's eyes showed a trace of satisfaction, and then he immediately continued to inquire.

The others were also looking at him with curiosity.

Indeed, what were the benefits?

That was the crux of the matter.

"There are three benefits,"

"First, we can acquire intelligence about the government, the military, and the outside world."

"Second, we can avoid antagonizing the government or the military."

"The third and most important point,"

"We can expand our strength. Director Zhang, you should know that they aren't militia trained by a half-baked officer like me."

As Xu Lin spoke, his gaze became incredibly fervent, as if filled with a strong belief.

"They're genuine soldiers."

"It's just that they haven't adapted to the world as it is now."

"Once given the time and the opportunity to adapt, these people can instantly become the most powerful forces in the company's hand, and might even elevate the Combat Department's training level to truly match that of the military."

He stopped speaking there, his fervent gaze still fixed intently on Zhang Ye.

The conference room had, unbeknownst to them, become utterly quiet, and even Wang Hu, who had initially been skeptical of Xu Lin, had fallen silent, his eyes faintly revealing a longing for the future that Xu Lin had just painted.

The others all had virtually the same expression.

Accept the army?

Before he spoke those words, no one had dared to even entertain the thought, after all, we're talking about the army!

The most powerful violent institution in Shen Zhou!

It was even the hope that many people harbored in their hearts or even voiced just six months ago!

How could they, just ordinary townsfolk who managed to pull together a settlement of a mere thousand members in the chaos, dare to talk about accepting the army?

Let's be honest, it was something beyond their wildest dreams.

But now things were different.

With Xu Lin's remarks, the idea quickly took root in everyone's minds, and they immediately began to assess the feasibility of this matter.

Soon enough, they arrived at an answer.

Totally feasible.

The previous quarreling instantly subsided.

Everyone looked at Zhang Ye with eyes burning with eagerness and anticipation.

The expressions on their faces seemed to say, "Director Zhang, give the order quickly, we are famished and can hardly wait to locate that fleeing army!"

Zhang Ye couldn't help but smile at this, yet he also felt a tinge of relief.

The system was indeed far more reliable than he had thought.

The people before him might occasionally disagree, but their thoughts were always based on the company's and his own best interests.

Given this, there was no need to belabor the approach to handling this matter.

He immediately issued orders to Xu Lin and Tian Gou:

"Starting today, the Combat Department and the Intelligence Department should focus their main attention on tracing the army's whereabouts."

"All other departments must do their utmost to assist them in their mission."

"Any discoveries..."

Zhang Ye's serious gaze swept over everyone's faces, "report to me immediately."

————————

Guns blazed.

Zombie after zombie fell into pools of blood.

The soldier who was mid-reload hadn't even had the chance to look up before being overwhelmed by several zombies and taken down to the ground.

His comrade rushed to his side, and after several shots, he finally pulled him out from among the zombies' bodies, only to find that half of the man's face was torn and bloody beyond recognition.

There was no time to think, as the team leader immediately blew the wounded man's head off with a shot.

Around them were dozens of other soldiers dressed in camouflage uniforms.

Everyone was covered in blood.

And carried a foul stench with them.

The zombies that continued to pour out from the streets in every direction seemed endless, and no matter how many bullets they shot, there wasn't even a slight sign of the sea of the dead diminishing.

The bodies didn't even have time to fall before more zombies surged forward.

This forced the army to keep retreating.

Every man was utterly exhausted.

But they could only force themselves to stay alert, otherwise, in the next second, their space would be overrun by zombies and become one of them under those gaping tooth-filled maws.

"Lieutenant, we don't have much ammunition left,"

"How long can we hold out?"

A man with a scruffy beard didn't bother turning around as he asked.

In his arms was a Shen Zhou-made assault rifle, and as he talked, he fired a burst, knocking several approaching zombies down to the ground.

Standing behind the lieutenant, anxious, was a junior lieutenant.

Currently acting as a makeshift quartermaster.

Hearing the lieutenant's question, the junior lieutenant immediately responded, "At most half an hour, after that, we'll have to engage those zombies in hand-to-hand combat."