A dead silence covered the temporary meeting room.
Outside, the wind and snow continued, reflecting the very serious faces of Red, Zhennan, and Leader Rui.
The few crystal cores scattered on the table seemed to carry a bad omen, emitting a cold and strange light.
After a long moment, Red broke the silence first. The tired look in his eyes was replaced by sharp determination.
"Zhennan, Leader Rui," his voice was low but carried an order that could not be questioned, "distribute all the crystal cores we captured this time immediately. Give them to every ability user. Let them keep them close as backup!"
Zhennan and Leader Rui nodded at once, without hesitation.
They both understood what that brief absorption experience meant.
Red took a deep breath and looked out at the thick snow outside. His tone was heavy but very clear:
"For some reason, I feel like… the zombies will come again soon. And this time, it might be more dangerous than before."
This was not a wild guess. It was a beast-like instinct sharpened by countless near-death experiences.
"Also."
He looked at the two men, his eyes sharper.
"Send the order: starting now, for the next few days, no one is allowed to leave their building without my permission!"
"All first floors must be cleared immediately!"
"All doors and windows leading outside must be reinforced! Let the metal ability users in the team handle this quickly and make sure it is strong!"
"Old people, women, and children in the base must all be moved to the fifth floor and above."
"Tell them all curtains must be closed, and no one should get near windows unless absolutely necessary!"
"Finally, starting tonight, the number of people on night watch will double! Any unusual situation must be reported immediately!"
Red's expression was serious, but his mind was unusually clear.
Facing this sudden sense of crisis, he quickly built the strongest possible defense line.
Zhennan and Leader Rui exchanged looks, seeing gravity but even more, determination to carry out the orders.
They immediately split up and quickly spread Red's commands to be carried out.
The whole temporary base felt like a huge machine, operating quietly but efficiently under Red's command.
After arranging the main defenses, Red hurried to the room where Silyne was in charge of logistics.
"Silyne," Red's tone softened a bit but remained serious, "I need you to arrange something."
Seeing his expression, Silyne felt tense and nodded quickly, "Team leader Red, tell me."
"These days, the kitchen should stop stewing meat for now. Avoid any food that might produce strong smells."
"Try to eat light food, like plain vegetables or rice porridge. If not possible, just distribute eight-treasure porridge and instant noodles directly."
Silyne was smart and immediately understood Red's concern—strong smells, especially bloody smells, attract zombies.
She nodded right away. "Understood, Captain Red. I'll arrange it now."
But her mind quickly turned to another thought.
Fresh vegetables don't store well, and eating only porridge and instant noodles isn't a long-term plan.
After a moment of thinking, Silyne had an idea.
She called over more than ten women who were usually quick and handy:
"Sisters, the situation is urgent. We have to hurry. Start making buns and dumplings now, all with vegetable fillings. Steam them and freeze them. They'll last for a while."
The women immediately understood and started working busily.
Then, Silyne thought of a smaller but potentially deadly problem.
She searched through the supplies and found some floral water, then found the woman in charge of the female members.
"Take this," she said, handing over the floral water.
"These days, give some to the sisters who have their periods. Let them spray it on themselves, especially on their clothes."
"The stronger the smell, the better. The main goal is to cover up the bloody smell."
The person in charge nodded firmly. "I understand, Sister Silyne. I'll take care of it right away!"
So, amid silent busy work and tense arrangements, the temporary base's building entered a state of war readiness.
The welding sparks flickered briefly and went out, heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway and then fell silent.
Night finally fell slowly.
The whole building sank into an unusual silence. Outside the windows, the wind and snow howled; inside, doors and windows were tightly shut, thick curtains drawn.
The air was filled with a faint floral water scent and a silent, oppressive tension.
Everyone waited, waiting for Red's bad premonition to be confirmed—or for something even more terrible and unknown.