Sheriff idly toyed with the empty teacup in his hand, speaking in a calm tone, "That's right. As long as our team gets moving, those zombies won't stand a chance against us when we're scavenging for supplies."
"And besides, whenever we take down zombies, there will always be casualties..."
Scorpion leapt to his feet, respectfully saying, "Sheriff, I understand what needs to be done. I'll go spread the word, do another round of promotion, and bring the survivors over to our side."
Sheriff chuckled, "Go ahead. Leave this task to you."
Soon after, Scorpion posted a message on the chat channel.
ID 125034: "Hey, fellow survivors, this is Scorpion from Sheriff's team. We're extending another heartfelt invitation to all survivors out there. We've just wiped out a new horde of zombies and secured a massive stockpile of food supplies. We guarantee that if you join us, everyone will have enough to eat and drink. Same coordinates as before—we're waiting for you here!"
ID 343565: "Oh damn, plenty of food and water... This is tempting, really tempting."
ID 566432: "I think I'm gonna join Sheriff. I can't keep going solo anymore; the number of zombies keeps growing, and I don't think I can hold out much longer."
ID 234345: "Anyone want to team up and head to Sheriff's base together?"
ID 345343: "Heh, forget it. Everyone should go their own way for now. Once we reach Sheriff's place, we can figure out which team to join. If we travel together now, we might end up walking into a trap set by someone looking to betray us."
ID 233452: "Exactly. I wouldn't dare turn my back to anyone who isn't part of my team. A sudden bullet to the back? That'd be some cruel irony."
ID 345366: "Heh, even if they're teammates, you still gotta watch your back. I once teamed up with someone who deliberately lured zombies to me in the middle of the night. I barely escaped, disbanded the team, and then took him out. Bastard."
ID 287484: "Anyone wanna team up with me? Let's form a group and enjoy good food together."
ID 387322: "Why bother teaming up with you? Isn't joining Sheriff the better option?"
ID 23434: "Not so sure about that. Sheriff's probably already flooded with applicants. Instead of going there just for scraps, it's smarter to form a small team with capable survivors. When we divide the spoils, we'll each get a bigger share."
ID 423534: "Makes perfect sense! Count me in!!"
Sheriff had sparked a trend, pushing unaffiliated survivors to start banding together.
In a world where zombies were becoming both more numerous and more ferocious, lone survivors who refused to join forces were bound to be swallowed up sooner rather than later.
As a result, while many survivors chose to flock to Sheriff, others—those with decent resources and strength—opted to gather their own groups and establish their own factions.
This was a rising tide, one that couldn't be stopped.
Chen Du was also lurking in the chat channel.
He had foreseen this development long ago.
After all, not every survivor was as fortunate as him, blessed with an endless supply of resources.
Chen Du himself could easily become the most powerful force around.
Xie Li, sitting beside him, glanced at the messages with concern. "Chen Du, shouldn't we consider recruiting other survivors? What if a zombie horde or some advanced zombies show up? Can the two of us handle it alone?"
Chen Du gave her a reassuring smile, gently pinching her cheek. "Come on, have a little faith in me, will you?"
"Our supplies are more than sufficient, and our strength isn't lacking—in fact, we're above average."
"Recruiting teammates requires caution. We need people who truly align with us, and finding them isn't easy. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
Xie Li sighed softly, leaning into Chen Du's arms, feeling a mix of resignation and worry.
"Ah, it's so hard."