Thrown together by the apocalypse, it was impossible to gather all hundred-plus people for discussion every time we needed to act. So, we needed a core organization.
Simply put, any group needs leaders to arrange and guide its actions.
Initially, everyone surprisingly nominated Canaan and me first. They had all witnessed how quickly and bravely we two had looted the compound's only supermarket on the day of the outbreak—something they all wanted to do but didn't dare. Of course, some initially thought we were just taking advantage of the chaos, only realizing later how crucial that decision was!
Especially during those days when their food ran out and they were starving, the image of us frantically pushing supermarket trolleys towards our home had grown almost as grand as the two stone lions squatting outside a certain bank.
But that wasn't the only reason they were convinced by us. The real reason was our subsequent assistance to the residents within the compound.
Even the property boss, Sixth Brother, held us in considerable respect and strongly urged us to lead everyone.
Speaking of Sixth Brother, we naturally met this legendary figure after clearing the zombies from his building unit. We finally understood how he could ensure the compound's heating and power control under such extraordinary circumstances.
Sixth Brother indeed occupied the entire 15th floor of Building 6, Unit 3. One apartment was for him and his wife, the other for his twin sons, who had just turned twelve: Jindi and Yindi.
Sixth Sister-in-law looked much younger than Sixth Brother, only around 30 years old. Fair-skinned with delicate features, she wore no makeup, her rich, naturally black hair falling softly over her shoulders. Her speech was gentle. Despite having twelve-year-old sons, her figure was still as slim and graceful as a young girl's. She didn't speak much. When Sixth Brother invited us into his home for a detailed talk, she smiled, brewed fragrant tea, served it, and then sat quietly behind Sixth Brother, listening to our conversation without interrupting.
I secretly compared myself to Sixth Sister-in-law and frustratingly found that standing next to her, I seemed like a tough guy, completely lacking the strong feminine aura she possessed. But then I reconsidered: precisely because I'm a tough woman, I can now share the pressures of this apocalypse with my husband Canaan and personally protect our son!
Thinking this, I no longer felt inferior! I often had this feeling on airplanes too, always wishing I could have just one-tenth of a flight attendant's grace. Facts prove everyone has their value. Currently, it seems the tough woman might be the most valuable female type in the apocalypse, hehe.
Sixth Brother, 41 years old, wasn't tall, just over 1.7 meters, but had a stout, strong build. His head was topped with a short buzz cut. Under thick, upward-slanting eyebrows were a pair of extremely deep-set small eyes that felt bottomless. He had a round, fleshy nose tip, thick but not simple-looking lips, and a rounded chin. Physiognomically speaking, such a person has the mark of great fortune and nobility, tenacious vitality, high ambitions, and is determined and persistent, easily achieving success.
He didn't feel fierce, yet commanded authority naturally, exuding an intangible sense of pressure.
Upon chatting in detail, this man was indeed extraordinary! Since the world couldn't get worse, Sixth Brother became very candid, no longer needing to hide his past. He told us that aside from being the development boss of Wanxiang Compound, he was indeed a prominent figure in Bin City's underworld, and a strategist-level talent.
Sixth Brother said he hadn't learned much in life, except that in any situation, he must ensure no enemies appear by his bedside while he sleeps. So he chose this plot of land and built this compound, which he considered the safest. The sturdy walls and iron gates were manifestations of his lack of security.
The two apartments he exclusively occupied on the 15th floor each had two security doors installed. We were stunned when we first entered his home.
The reason he built the compound's boiler room so sturdily, independently enclosed with its own wall and only one strong iron gate for access, was to prevent specialized gangs from stealing coal.
As for the maintained power supply, it wasn't the power company operating. Sixth Brother had actually built an independent power control room behind the compound, equipped with a medium-sized generator capable of supplying the compound's daily electricity needs, plus sufficient fuel.
To prevent enemies from sabotaging the compound's power, he built the control room like a fortress: two stories, ventilation windows on the high second floor, no windows on the first floor, only a thick security door for access. This was why zombies hadn't breached the control room.
Attendants lived year-round in the control room, which was fully equipped with supplies and bathrooms. Immediately after the outbreak, Sixth Brother called them, explained the situation outside, and told them to lock the iron gate, protect themselves, not venture out lightly, and absolutely maintain the compound's normal operation. I finally understood one thing: we really made the right choice buying a place in this compound!
Returning to the matter of leadership: although everyone nominated us, we firmly refused because the responsibility was simply too great! Anyone who has watched The Walking Deadknows that once Rick was pushed into the leadership position, he had to live for everyone else—the pressure is unimaginable!
My husband and I have our family—elderly parents and a son. We cannot risk our lives for everyone. As ordinary people, in critical moments, we would definitely prioritize our family's safety. That means we are neither qualified nor capable of safeguarding the overall situation.
Canaan and I were more inclined to let Sixth Brother take charge. In terms of social experience and various abilities, we simply couldn't compare to the underworld boss, Sixth Brother! So we strongly advocated for Sixth Brother to step up and lead the survivors.
Sixth Brother attended the meeting today without Sixth Sister-in-law but was accompanied by a young man named Paul, around 25-26 years old. Though he had delicate features and wasn't tall, you could tell through his tight sweater that Paul was muscular, definitely a strength-type guy. Seeing him follow Sixth Brother step-for-step indicated their relationship was unusual! But Sixth Brother didn't specifically introduce Paul to everyone.
When Canaan and I nominated Sixth Brother as leader, we expected him to accept理所当然 (dāng rén bù ràng - as a matter of course), but he flatly refused!
"When I was in the underworld, I wasn't married with children. The reason I moved into development was to leave that world behind, wash my hands of it, and provide a stable, safe life for my wife and kids. I'm like Canaan and his wife now; my heart is full of concern for my wife and children. If I were still a lone wolf like before, I wouldn't have refused the leadership role. Let's find someone more suitable. I can't do it, I can't." Just like that, Sixth Brother shut us down with a few sentences. If we can only mind our own family, can we stop others from doing the same? This really isn't the time for reckless heroism. We could only understand Sixth Brother's position.
Everyone nominated several other men. Although there were bachelors among them, no one dared to shoulder the burden alone. No one wanted full responsibility for over a hundred lives.
However, Canaan and I proposed: if we establish a democratic leadership team, we would definitely participate! But we would absolutely not take the decision-making role.
Sixth Brother and others agreed upon hearing this. That's reliable! No need to pile all the pressure on one person. Having more people to discuss and share the burden is better, and it prevents autocracy!
After deliberation, a temporary Core Action Group was established. As the name implies, whatever the action, this group must be the first to charge, cannot retreat, cannot slack off. And major decisions, of course, would be made by this risk-bearing group.
The Action Group had 30 members. The other 32 men formed a Reserve Action Group, also the compound's Security Group, responsible for protecting the people inside the compound when the Action Group was out on missions.
The Security Group was led by Sixth Brother. He was very strategic, had seen the world, and crucially, knew the compound best among us. So he was the most suitable to be the Security Group leader.
He was the one who least wanted the compound to fall. He had poured all his effort into building this perfect compound in his mind and couldn't accept it being destroyed by those terrifying, filthy zombies!
As a leader, a sense of responsibility is paramount!
Sixth Brother's sense of responsibility wasn't limited to his own family's safety; his heart was with the entire compound. So, he would be responsible for protecting the compound!
The Action Group included our couple, our unit mates, and more strong, brave men! I remained the only woman in this group. No one objected. I guess it has to do with the long knife on my back? They probably think I've trained professionally in Kendo? Hehe, so no one questioned my capability.
The Action Group's first task was to go to the nearby construction site and bring back steel reinforcement bars. The Security Group provided 20 personnel for support this time. Firstly, the distance wasn't far, so we could go and return quickly. Secondly, it was basically physical labor—more people meant more bars hauled back per trip, reducing the number of round trips needed.
The off-road vehicles in the compound garage were now operational. Although not all were sturdy, reliable Land Rovers, and they hadn't been modified with window reinforcements yet, they were still safer and more practical than sedans. We planned to venture out soon to find more Land Rovers to increase the size of our convoy.
Considering the garage door, though repaired, was still electronically controlled, and we had to prepare for the day the generator fuel ran out and power failed, we also needed to acquire two sturdy large iron gates to install at the garage exit.
Objectives clear. Let's move out!
The group exited the compound, detoured via side streets around the zombie-infested main road, and quickly reached the half-finished construction site. A few zombie pedestrians loitered outside the entrance, easily dispatched by us.
As long as we had sharp, effective tools, plus sufficient strength and courage, lone zombies posed no threat to us experienced survivors.