The Walkie-Talkie

Pearl's appearance was slightly above average, but her mature, commanding demeanor gave her an excellent presence. Moreover, her figure was undoubtedly the best among the maid corps.

Most men couldn't resist Pearl's overwhelming allure, feeling like a lone boat tossed in a stormy sea.

In the following days, Born instructed the maid corps to go out in shifts to kill zombies, retreating to the hotel when they were tired. However, despite several days of hunting, the number of zombies didn't seem to decrease.

Born understood why. Dover City had a permanent population in the millions, not to mention that the apocalypse had broken out in October, the peak of the tourist season. The population had likely surged to a terrifying number.

The number of zombies must also be in the millions, and how many had they killed? Probably only a thousandth.

Pearl reported the situation.

"The bolts for the automatic crossbows are being consumed quickly, and we often can't recover them."

"The biggest issue is that the generator has been damaged. The ice storage has completely lost its functionality, and the meat inside has rotted beyond consumption."

"Our people have strong physiques and require more food than ordinary people."

Born held his head in his hands, feeling a bit helpless. As a leader, there were indeed countless issues to consider.

The hotel had generators, but Jesse hadn't mentioned that they were damaged. When Born found the generators, only one was operational, and it could only power the restaurant to keep the food from spoiling. Now, the last one had also broken down.

"Throw a party and consume all the remaining edible food today before it all goes to waste."

"Also, what's the situation with those people?"

Born was, of course, referring to the burden Jesse had left behind.

Out of the fifty people, Born recruited six women: four were added to the melee team, and two to the ranged team.

"One recruit in the melee team was sacrificed due to lack of experience, getting caught in a zombie siege."

"As for the fifty people, only seven men joined us. I chose some mechanics who were strong and sturdy."

"There are only eight people left."

Pearl let out a cold laugh.

Previously, that group of men had wanted to hunt zombies to gain powers, overthrow Born, and gain their freedom. Unfortunately, the moment they saw zombies rushing in, they were scared out of their wits. In their panic, they pushed each other, leading to severe casualties. Those who dared to pick up weapons and fight were injured due to their incompetent teammates. 

In short, the team was almost entirely wiped out, with only one survivor who joined Born's team.

"The remaining eight people have given up?" Born asked.

Pearl paused but couldn't help nodding.

Born sighed, "Keep an eye on them. If they truly give up on themselves, don't expect anyone to help them."

After reporting the situation, Pearl reached out, lifted Born's chin, and raised an eyebrow at him.

Born was taken aback.

Pearl licked her lips and smiled, "Sibley also wants to be with you, Master, but we think you should rest a bit."

Born: ???

A man can't admit he's not up to the task, right?

"Well, I can manage, no need to rest."

Pearl laughed heartily and then turned to leave.

Born felt a bit helpless. Pearl's teasing and sudden departure left him feeling somewhat unsettled.

Born was starting to wake up.

Just then, a rustling sound caught his attention.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Born rushed to the bedside where a walkie-talkie was placed. This walkie-talkie was a military-grade device with a long signal range, capable of receiving most frequencies, and was given to Born by Mallory.

Born adjusted the settings, and the voice gradually became clearer.

"Eagle Squad 15, Jesse here. I've been infected with the zombie virus. For now, there are no signs of mutation. This is due to an experiment conducted at the Starry Night Lab. I just escaped..."

"It all started a few days ago..."

After Jesse and his team left, they planned to storm the Starry Night Lab. Their combat skills were indeed impressive. Over three days of guerrilla warfare, their 30-plus member team managed to draw the zombies away from the vicinity of the lab.

Once they successfully broke into the Starry Night Lab, they were apprehended by the security personnel.

"From the beginning, Aileen didn't want to negotiate; she even resorted to lethal force on the spot. The Starry Night Lab truly is a traitor to humanity!"

"I mentioned Angelica, which spared my life. Afterward, Aileen subjected me to interrogation and, when I refused to divulge more information, injected me with a drug."

"I became a monster, but I still retain my consciousness. Attention all members of the Eagle Squad, consider abandoning this mission. Do not come, do not!"

By the end, Jesse's voice had turned into a roar.

Born adjusted the walkie-talkie again, trying to ask Jesse what had happened. However, the message repeated itself.

It dawned on Born that this was a prerecorded message from Jesse, set to play on a loop to warn the Eagle Squad.

It seemed the Eagle Squad was the name for the teams executing the rescue and infiltration missions into the Starry Night Lab.

Eagle Squad 15?

So they hadn't abandoned Dover City and had dispatched many teams?

Perhaps because this city was on the way to the Starry Night Lab, Born's team had encountered members of the Eagle Squad multiple times.

Born squinted his eyes.

This Aileen was completely different from what he had imagined.

He recalled the descriptions of Aileen: a genius with an ethereal presence and unparalleled beauty. And that photo—bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun—that conveyed a sense of peace and tranquility, which he could never forget.

But now, knowing Aileen's methods, Born felt that he had always had a preconceived notion about her. This perception was being shattered as he gradually learned more.

"Aileen, Angelica..."

Born realized that his curiosity was getting the better of him again. The apocalypse? The Starry Night Lab? The system? The so-called gods?

All of these mysteries drove Born's desire to delve deeper.

"Maybe it's time to have a good talk with Angelica," Born murmured.

At night, the fire escapes on the lower six floors were locked and blocked off.

Born and his team brought the food up to the hotel rooftop and held a barbecue party in the midst of the apocalypse.

Most of the meat had already spoiled, the remaining meat was just edible enough not to cause stomach issues. Born even had them bring out the alcohol.

"Red wine is a bit too fancy. Eating meat and drinking beer is the way to go," Born laughed heartily.

He walked over to Angelica, who was holding a wine glass and seemed out of place.