Not long after, Fan Bing walked in with a sheet of paper covered in writing.

"Here’s the list of people who stayed, along with their ages and occupations."

Renault was a little surprised. He didn’t expect Fan Bing to be this efficient. He had thought it would take longer to gather everything, but the guy had really pulled through.

"Nice job, Fan Bing. You really came through."

Renault picked up the sheet and carefully read through the names listed on it.

"Starting today, we’re going to form an organization."

Renault took a deep breath and announced his decision.

Fan Bing looked puzzled. "An organization? We’re still sticking together, right?"

Guo Haoyu scratched his head. "Yeah, boss, just tell me what to do, and I’ll get it done."

Alice munched on her chips, as usual: *crunch, crunch, crunch*.

Renault nodded but then shook his head, gesturing for everyone to sit down before continuing. "From today onward, we’re going to build a fortress."

"A fortress that no one can breach. A fortress that’s indestructible!"

"A fortress?"

"Are you serious?"

"Just us?"

All three stared at Renault, wide-eyed, stunned by the ambition of his plan.

If they knew Renault was a reborn survivor, they might have gone mad on the spot.

Renault nodded firmly. "I’ve already got a name in mind—Wutong Fortress."

Fan Bing blinked, then leaned in and whispered, "You’re really going for this? Boss, don’t get too carried away."

"Relax," Renault reassured him. "I’ve thought this through. It’s something we need to start on right away."

Renault’s gaze swept over the three of them, seriousness etched into his expression. "I know it sounds premature now, but we’ll take it one step at a time."

"Haoyu!"

"Yes, boss!"

"Tomorrow, you’ll take these two people and have them try killing zombies." Renault circled two names on the list.

Without hesitation, Guo Haoyu nodded in agreement. For him, this was child’s play. After all, he’d survived by doing the same thing.

"Fan Bing!"

"Yes, boss?"

Fan Bing’s response was half-hearted. Just the thought of the massive project ahead made his heart race with anxiety.

"Set up the big pot from the warehouse in the yard. Tomorrow, your job is to make food. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy—just meat porridge will do."

This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

"Huh? That’s... it?"

Renault nodded. "Remember, you’re not just cooking for four people now. You’re cooking for twenty. Got it?"

"Got it, boss. I’ll take care of it!"

Fan Bing grinned with renewed confidence. After all, this task seemed like a breeze.

"And what about me, Renault? What do I get to do?"

Alice leaned forward, her small hands gripping the edge of the table, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Renault glanced at her, then stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Tomorrow, you’re coming with me. We’re doing special training."

"Special training? Is it fun?"

"Of course! It’ll make you stronger, and you’ll be able to kill even more zombies."

"Yes!" Alice’s eyes lit up. The idea of killing more zombies excited her. Any other child would have burst into tears at the thought, but not Alice.

With everything settled, Renault sent them off to bed while he headed out to the backyard alone.

In the backyard, the sixteen remaining survivors were scattered around, some staring up at the sky beyond the courtyard walls, while others huddled in their clothes, pulling them tighter against the night chill.

Beyond the gates, the world of the undead reigned. Zombies occasionally banged against the metal doors, their hollow knocks echoing loudly.

"Hello, everyone," Renault greeted as he sat down on an empty patch of ground, offering a warm smile. "I didn’t get a chance to properly introduce myself earlier. My name is Renault, a university student from Nancheng."

"A university student? I thought he was military!"

"Yeah, I never would’ve guessed he’s a college student. He’s got that killer aura."

"Nancheng University? That means he’s barely in his twenties!"

The survivors began murmuring among themselves, incredulous. They hadn’t imagined Renault could be so young.

As the chatter died down, Renault rose and walked over to the iron gate of the courtyard. He unlatched it without a word, allowing a single zombie to lurch inside. In one smooth motion, Renault unsheathed his Zhanmadao and sliced the zombie clean through the neck.

As black blood dripped from the blade, Renault flicked it away, his tone steady as he continued, "Sure, I’m a student. But I hope you all start taking me seriously."

The survivors stared, dumbfounded. This man had just effortlessly taken out a zombie. One that, under any other circumstances, could have killed them all.

Renault sheathed his sword and turned to them. "I have a question for you all."

"Do you want to live?"

"Yes."

Their answer was immediate. It was an obvious question—who wouldn’t want to live?

"Good. Now, do you want to live comfortably? Safely?"

"Yes!"

"Last question. Are you willing to kill zombies?"

This time, silence followed. They couldn’t bring themselves to answer. The thought of facing zombies filled them with overwhelming fear, an instinctive terror of the unknown. The thought alone made their skin crawl.

Renault, satisfied with their hesitation, nodded before speaking again. "I can’t promise what the future holds, but I *can* promise that each of you can become as strong as me."

"To survive, we have to be strong enough to fight back against the zombies. That’s the only way."

"Those who want to fight with me against the zombies, stay here. Tomorrow, we’re going to clear out all of Baoqu Town."

"If you don’t want to stay, you can leave now. But I can’t promise that it’s as safe out there as it is here."

As Renault spoke, his eyes scanned the crowd, gauging whether any of them had the courage to rise to the challenge.

"Humans are the rightful rulers of this world, not these mindless zombies!"

The survivors sat in stunned silence, mulling over Renault’s words.

Yes, humans were the true masters of this world.

Humans had survived on this planet for millions of years—this world belonged to them.

Zombies? These brainless creatures who only knew how to eat? What right did they have?

The survivors’ spirits began to stir. They could feel a fire building in their chests, a fire that demanded to be released.

"Renault, right? My name’s Chen Hu. I’ll stay. I want to kill zombies!" A middle-aged man with a bushy beard stood up, his eyes blazing with determination as he stared at Renault.

Renault smiled, pleased by the response. *Looks like my speech is working.*

"Count me in! I want to kill zombies too! My wife and daughter were eaten by them—I want revenge!"

Another man stood up, his eyes glistening with tears.

"I want to kill zombies too!"

"Why should we let zombies take over?"

One by one, the survivors stood up, ready to fight. Not a single person chose to leave.

Renault felt a sense of relief and pride. It seemed that these people still had some fight left in them after all.

With everything settled, Renault encouraged everyone to rest and gather their strength for tomorrow’s battle.