C69 The Team Had Just Been Established, and Everyone Was Working Together.

Qin Mengli was far from foolish; she understood exactly what was going on.

When Lin Leyan and her daughter Liang Hui were escorted by Sun Meng to pick out a room downstairs, Mengli attempted to seek out Tang Bing, only to be consistently blocked by Zhao Dagang. This behavior spoke volumes about Tang Bing's limits, and ultimately, Mengli had no choice but to drop the matter.

By 5 p.m., Tang Bing had awoken from a restful sleep and summoned everyone to the cafeteria on the ground floor.

With Sun Meng's assistance, Lin Leyan and Liang Hui had managed to clear out an office, relocating the furniture to the hallway and setting up a bed from the dormitory to catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Although Mengli felt a bit resentful, Teacher Lin's counsel reminded her that times had changed. Tang Bing was no longer the suitor at her beck and call, prompting her to hold her tongue.

Uncomfortable as it was, she knew she had to adapt.

Tang Bing took his place at the head of the dining table, flanked by Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang. Mengli sat across from Lin Leyan and Liang Hui.

Once everyone was seated, Tang Bing surveyed the group and began, "The world as we know it has changed. Survival now means battling the zombies that lurk outside! Only about 20% of the global population remains. By my estimate, that leaves over a billion zombies wandering our nation alone, including a significant number of fearsome mutant zombies. A single misstep could be fatal! Consider A City, where the downtown area alone had a resident population of around 400,000. The entire city had five to six million. That means we're currently surrounded by upwards of four million zombies, and that number is only increasing as survivors fall to zombie attacks or succumb to contaminated water."

Tang Bing's grave tone silenced the room as everyone hung on his every word.

He paused briefly before continuing, "Our survival to this point is largely a matter of luck. Had I not stumbled upon a medicine capable of treating the zombie virus in the hospital, all of us here, myself included, would likely be among the undead outside. With the collapse of government, military, police, and all other institutions, law and order have ceased to exist. We're fortunate not to have crossed paths with those rogue survivors who prey on others, stealing resources or committing heinous acts. The world is in disarray, and we must remain vigilant, ensuring that our compassion doesn't become our downfall."

Seeing Lin Leyan and Liang Hui looking his way, Tang Bing addressed them, "Teacher Lin, Liang Hui, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to both of you for joining my survival team!"

"Tang, you're too kind!" Lin Leyan responded with a smile, "You're our savior. Without you, we might have starved to death by now."

"You're the ones being kind," Tang Bing replied with a nod and a smile. "It's destiny that has brought us all together. Only through collaboration can we hope to survive in this perilous world."

"You've hit the nail on the head!" Lin Leyan agreed, nodding. "It's only by pulling together that we can stand a chance against the zombies!"

"Exactly, Teacher Lin!" Tang Bing affirmed, turning to the rest of the group. "Unity is our greatest need at the moment. Without it, we're just a scattered bunch, and the zombies won't even need to lift a finger—we'll destroy ourselves! Unity is key to our strength. But achieving that unity is easier said than done, right?"

"Absolutely!" Lin Leyan, catching Tang Bing's implied message, nodded in response. "Tang, as our leader, it's your duty to guide us through these tough times. Huihui and I may be new here, but we're committed to integrating with the team and not causing any issues. Just give us the word if there's anything you need us to do. We won't shy away from any task, no matter how dirty or tiring!"

"Teacher Lin, you jest," Tang Bing said with a nod. "Now that you're part of the team, I treat everyone equally. We'll share the workload as well as the rewards. Dagang and I will handle the dangerous tasks. You just focus on the lighter household duties like cooking, cleaning, and laundry. We won't have you doing the heavy lifting!"

"Really, it's okay," Lin Leyan insisted. "At this point, why differentiate between light and heavy work? Whatever it takes to keep everyone going, we're up for it! Just give the orders, Tang. The labels of teacher and student don't apply anymore—you're our leader, and we'll follow your lead unconditionally!"

"Teacher Lin hit the nail on the head!" Sun Meng chuckled, "Our team's strength comes from Brother Bing. Without him, we'd be nothing! That's why I'm with Teacher Lin on this one. In our team, Brother Bing's word is law. We follow his lead, no questions asked! We're all one big family, and Brother Bing is like our head of household. I'm all in for Brother Bing, ready to follow any command he gives! What about you, Zhao?"

"Same here!" Zhao Dagang agreed with a nod, "Wherever Brother Bing points, that's where I'll strike! Even if it means charging into a horde of zombies, I won't flinch!"

Liang Hui seemed distracted, her gaze wandering over the cafeteria, lost in thought. It wasn't until her mother, Lin Leyan, gave her a gentle nudge under the table that she snapped out of it. Catching her mother's meaningful glance, she addressed Tang Bing, "Brother Bing, feel free to give me any task—just one thing, I'm terrified of cockroaches. Anything else, I'm open to discussion, just please don't ask me to deal with cockroaches!"

Tang Bing paused, amused by the thought, 'Am I really that petty?'

But the responses from the mother-daughter duo pleased him. Now, all eyes were on Qin Mengli, the only one who hadn't yet spoken up.

Qin Mengli was wrestling with herself. Given her personality, it was tough to swallow her pride, especially considering Tang Bing had been doggedly pursuing her for four years. And she had been so clear about cutting him out of her life.

Yet here was Tang Bing, effectively in charge. Sun Meng and Zhao Dagang's positions were one thing, but even Teacher Lin and Liang Hui had pledged their allegiance, leaving her the odd one out.

Deep down, she longed to stand up to Tang Bing and demand, "Who are you to tell me what to do?"

But she recognized that times had changed. The world outside was unrecognizable, overrun with zombies. The idea of surviving on her own was a fantasy. Her rash attempt to rescue Teacher Lin had resulted in a harsh lesson from the zombies. Without the group, she was just another meal on legs.

Her experiences at the company and the military's downfall had hammered home the brutality of the world beyond their group. As a lone woman, if she left this team, even if she stumbled upon another band of survivors who might take her in, they'd be strangers. How could she be sure they'd treat her with respect?

She wasn't unfamiliar with apocalyptic novels and dramas, where the weaker members of a group, particularly women, often ended up as burdens. They either faced inhumane treatment, stripped of their dignity, or were used as expendable bait with grim outcomes.

In contrast to the unpredictability outside, Tang Bing's team offered her the assurance that her dignity would remain intact, and she wouldn't be reduced to an outlet for male aggression. She had known Tang Bing for years, and after his persistent courtship of over four years, she was confident in his character. He would never coerce her into acceptance, nor would he tolerate any man forcing himself upon her.

Yet, she realized he could never revert to the man who once adored her like the sun, and she had to let go of her former pride to accept his leadership.

Amidst the expectant stares, Qin Mengli wrestled with her thoughts, head bowed. At last, she exhaled a resigned sigh, "I have no objections."

While the response wasn't entirely pleasing, Tang Bing understood that for someone like Qin Mengli, it was as good as it gets. He nodded with a smile, "Excellent! Since that's the consensus, I won't let you down. I'll do everything in my power to ensure our survival in this post-apocalyptic world. As for the division of labor, Dagang and I, being the men in the group, will handle any perilous tasks. This includes scavenging for food, water, and essential supplies, eliminating any zombies that pose a threat, and rescuing any survivors we find. Of course, Dagang is still recuperating from his injuries, so we'll reassess once he's healed."

"My wounds are healing up nicely," Zhao Dagang chimed in eagerly to Tang Bing, "Give me one more day of rest, and I'll be ready to join you out there, Bing!"

Tang Bing gave him an approving glance, then addressed the women, "Dagang and I will take on the risky work outside, but we need to organize chores at home too. Among the four of you, the two with the best culinary skills will take charge of our meals. Normally, we'll prepare proper food, resorting to snacks only when circumstances don't allow for cooking."

"I will!" Sun Meng volunteered without hesitation, "I'll take care of that!"

"Then I'll join Sun Meng..." Qin Mengli hesitated before raising her hand.

But Lin Leyan quickly pushed her hand down, laughing, "Think you can outdo me in cooking? From now on, leave the cooking, housework, and all those odds and ends to me!"

"Sounds good!" Tang Bing agreed. "Teacher Lin and Ms. Meng are now in charge of the kitchen."

"What about us?" Liang Hui asked, a note of urgency in her voice.

"Liang Hui, you and Qin Mengli will handle the lighter tasks, like keeping track of the books. Record every detail—how much supplies we bring back, our daily usage, what we need, and what we don't. You'll also take care of moving lighter items. But first, Qin Mengli needs to heal up, so you'll take the lead for now."

"No problem!" Liang Hui breathed a sigh of relief. She had feared being assigned something much harder, but accounting and moving light items were well within her wheelhouse.

"For the time being, we'll divide the work this way," Tang Bing said, addressing the group. "If we need to adjust or new people join us, we can make changes. Everyone's okay with this, right?"

"No objections!" The group shook their heads in unison, signaling their acceptance of the plan.

"Excellent!" Tang Bing finally relaxed. "So, Teacher Lin, Ms. Meng, tonight's dinner is in your hands! We've got some ingredients left in the fridge. No power, but everything's still fresh!"

"Consider it done! We'll make sure everyone enjoys a hearty meal tonight!" Lin Leyan declared confidently.