Chapter 14: Forming a Team

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“What is it? You want to order dishes now? Then go to the Fuhua Grand Hotel.” Wang Lin still remembered what Cui Lie had told him. Seeing the displeasure on Ren Cheng’s face, he could not help shooting him a sideways glance and saying irritably, “If that’s what you want, go there.”

“Wang Lin, what kind of way is that to speak? Forget it, forget it. Brothers, let’s eat first. I’m starving.” Ren Cheng was about to say more, but another man had already stepped forward to take the things from Wang Lin’s hands. He was of average height and powerfully built. His name was Wang Qirui.

“I didn’t expect all of you to come together. You should understand that the note I left was meant for Captain Cui and the others. It didn’t include you. You’re all beyond the original plan. To be honest, Sister Rong’s food stores can’t support this many people. She provides food on certain conditions. Ren Tian and Liao Yong arrived earlier; I don’t know whether they told you, but we obtained our food in exchange for a skill book—the kind that drops when monsters are killed. Once that book is returned, the food supply will end. So, what are you offering in exchange for the food?” Wang Lin asked, looking at the group.

“Wang Lin, listen to yourself. As the saying goes, when one side is in trouble, help comes from all directions. It’s only a little food—does it really need to be exchanged for something? We’ve always worked conscientiously to serve the residents. At a time of crisis like this, is this all the character the residents have? You came out of the army too, Wang Lin. Is this how the Party educated you?”

Ren Cheng spoke angrily and loudly. As he talked, he glanced around, only to discover that no one was meeting his eyes. Everyone had turned away, and no one echoed his words.

“The Party taught us not to take even a needle or a thread from the people. As for the residents you mentioned, this building has seventeen floors. Excluding the two apartments that are unoccupied, there are still thirty-two households. The residents in the other buildings add up to even more. You serve more than a thousand households. If you want assistance, you’ll have to take turns. Tonight’s share comes from Sister Rong. Why don’t you go around the other floors tomorrow morning?” Wang Lin stared at Ren Cheng.

Watching Ren Cheng’s eyes dart back and forth, Wang Lin warned him, “Sister Rong is my employer. She has treated my family well, so I’ll definitely protect her. I left the army a long time ago. These days I’m just an ordinary citizen. I advise you not to entertain any ideas, or don’t blame me for treating you without courtesy.”

“We’ll pay for it. This instant noodles only costs three and a half yuan, and the rice porridge costs three yuan. We can afford to eat it,” Ren Cheng said with a curl of his lips.

Wang Lin was so angry that he laughed. “Are you pretending to be stupid, or are you really stupid? Do you think she runs a convenience store? Let’s speak plainly. Tonight’s meal is on the house. But if you want food from Sister Rong tomorrow, either bring skill books obtained from killing monsters to exchange for it, or work for her. Is that clear?”

“Is that your idea, or hers?” Ren Cheng’s expression darkened.

“It’s hers, and I think it’s perfectly reasonable. Whoever’s bowl you eat from has the right to tell you what to do. That has been the rule since ancient times.” Wang Lin spoke each word distinctly. He was young, but he carried himself with authority.

“Wang Lin, we were colleagues, after all. Even if you and her have some special relationship, do you really feel no loyalty to us? If we were capable of killing monsters, we would have gone out to find food ourselves. There’s plenty to eat at the convenience store by the entrance.” Seeing that Wang Lin was unmoved, Ren Cheng began playing on their old ties again.

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“There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Even in peaceful times, if you beg for food, you still have to see whether someone is willing to give it to you. Don’t talk about me abandoning old friendships. You were all people I recruited, and Sister Rong was dragged into this because of me as well.”

Wang Lin actually felt rather guilty. Ren Cheng had worked for the property-management company for several years. He had always been stingy and selfish. Ren Tian was a distant relative of his and had come to work as a security guard because of him.

That night, Ren Tian had been on duty with Wang Lin. Wang Lin had had no choice but to leave with him. He had never expected Ren Cheng to use Ren Tian as a pretext to attach himself to the group. After hearing Cui Lie’s warning just now, Wang Lin had come to realize that, at a critical moment, Ren Cheng would only drag others down and use them as stepping stones. He sincerely hoped the man would show some backbone and form his own team to go outside.

“Work for her? In weather like this, we can’t even get outside. What work could we possibly do for her? Is she going to send us out to die?” Wang Qirui asked hesitantly as he slurped down his noodles.

There were ten of them in all. Their dormitory was in a nearby residential compound, on the first floor, with their doors facing each other. They were all unmarried men, and they normally never cooked in the dormitory, so there was not a grain of stored food there—only cigarettes, liquor, and playing cards.

Seven of them belonged to Ren Cheng’s dormitory. Cui Lie, Jiang Jie, and Xue Wen—the man who had been killed by a monster in the convenience store—were from Wang Lin’s dormitory.

Although they were all part of the security team, the two dormitories had never been free of arguments. Cui Lie, Ren Tian, Wang Lin, Jiang Jie, and Wang Qirui were all former soldiers. Cui Lie had practiced martial arts since childhood and was highly capable. Jiang Jie came from the mountainous region of the Northeast. His ancestors had been hunters. He was tall and powerfully built, and ordinarily he was an openhearted man. This time, when Ren Cheng had targeted Cui Lie, Jiang Jie had failed to speak up, and he felt deeply guilty about it. He had lost focus for only a moment, and that was when the wolf monster bit him.

When Wang Qirui joined the conversation, Wang Lin recalled Rong Xianxian’s words: “If circumstances permit, unite as many people as possible. There is safety in numbers.”

“This is work, not a suicide mission. If there’s danger, anyone can refuse. We’re not asking people to go out alone and fight monsters. We’ll work together to hunt monsters on the top floor. First, we’ll lay traps in advance and lure the monsters in. If we can defeat them, we fight. If we can’t, we run. With the terrain and surroundings in our favor, there generally won’t be much danger. At most, we’ll spend half an hour to an hour a day. What do you say? You all know what things are like outside now.”

“Killing monsters doesn’t just yield skill books. The two wolves Sister Rong killed today also dropped two powerful weapons. You all saw them. If we get skill books, everyone shares them. If we get items, Sister Rong chooses first, and the rest are distributed according to individual needs and everyone’s contributions.”

“You all know what the world outside is like now. An individual’s strength is insignificant, while the strength of a group is formidable. We hunt monsters for treasures, share techniques, and improve together. Raising our individual strength is our true guarantee. We may call it working for Sister Rong, but in truth, we’re all doing it for ourselves.”

“Leaving food aside, wouldn’t you like each person to have a powerful weapon—a treasured sword or a long spear sharp enough to cut through anything? Think it over tonight. Do you want to risk going outside to search for food, or join us in hunting monsters and increasing your strength?”

Repeating the words Sister Rong had taught him earlier, Wang Lin found himself growing impassioned as he spoke. He imagined himself holding a magnificent long sword and severing a monster’s head with a single stroke.

“No need to think about it. I agree. I trust you and Captain Cui—not the others.” The speaker was Wang Qirui.

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“Brother Lin, may I ask a question?” Ren Tian spoke up.

Wang Lin nodded. “Of course. If anyone has questions, ask them.”

“Monsters may be powerful, but we’re all grown men. It’s not that we’re afraid to kill them. The main problem is that we don’t have suitable weapons. The electric batons issued for patrol duty have long since become useless. Most monsters have thick hides and heavy armor. We could wear out our hands beating them with sticks and still fail to kill them.”

Ren Tian’s words struck a chord with everyone.

“Of course Sister Rong will provide weapons for everyone. She won’t send you into danger empty-handed.” Wang Lin spoke with certainty. Sister Rong had already addressed this matter with him.

“Boss, can I go kill monsters too?” Liao Yong shouted hurriedly when he saw everyone talking over one another in a heated discussion.

“Of course. Only those who contribute will receive a share of the spoils. No one can get something for nothing. If anyone does the work in name but not in deed, the rest of you can refuse to team up with him. There are ten of us right now, divided into two groups according to our dormitories. If you think someone is incapable of helping, you can remove him from the team.”

Everyone understood whom Wang Lin was referring to.

Wang Qirui was already somewhat unhappy about being teamed with Ren Cheng. When Ren Cheng noticed everyone looking at him, some openly and others covertly, he became furious from embarrassment.

“A bunch of grown men, letting a woman order you around. Aren’t you ashamed of yourselves?”