The Unreliable Teammate, Duane

"Brothers, the goods have arrived, get ready, folks! Hagan, you go reply to him," Jamie said with a smile.

Hagan chuckled and shouted to Duane, "Hey, buddy, are you the only one?"

Upon hearing these words, Duane hesitated. If he told these people that he had a wife and a younger brother-in-law at home, they might not want him anymore. Nowadays, everyone preferred unburdened young adults.

"Clark, Nicola, you guys owe me one!" Duane muttered under his breath, then nodded and shouted, "Yeah, it's just me."

"Oh, just one brother, huh?" Hagan exclaimed and continued, "We've managed to find some food. If you don't mind, you can come join us. Strength in numbers, it's more convenient to deal with those damn things."

Upon hearing this, Duane was even more delighted. He had been worried that they wouldn't accept him, but not only did they agree to his joining, they even offered him food. Such a stroke of luck had come his way, truly a sign of his fortune.

Duane ran faster. In less than thirty seconds, he reached the group. Just as he was about to speak, a machete was placed against his neck, startling him and causing his greeting to get stuck in his throat. Trembling, he looked at the group and asked, "Brother, what's this about?"

"Not much, just didn't want to risk you refusing to join. Had to use a little persuasion," Hagan said with a smirk.

"Just to join?" Duane asked incredulously.

Hagan nodded and said, "Just to join. Of course, if you happen to know other people and bring them in, we'll reward you with more food. We might even consider giving you a place of honor in our survivors' base."

"Is there such a good deal?" Duane muttered.

Originally, Duane didn't want to bring Nicola and Clark into the mix. But upon hearing about the rewards, he thought, "Nicola, you damn woman, you better be grateful I'm considering our marital ties!"

Duane then said, "I know people, I know plenty."

"Oh?" Hagan and Jamie exchanged a glance, their eyes lit up, and they immediately asked, "Where? Can you take us to them?"

"Naturally, but there's just this..." Duane gestured to the machete at his neck and then pointed to his stomach.

Hagan quickly lowered the machete and reached into a companion's pocket, taking out a half-eaten instant noodle cup. He handed it over with a smile and said, "Brother, we might have been a bit rough earlier. Our survivors' base is in a development phase right now, short on manpower. We had no choice but to resort to these tactics."

Duane nibbled on the instant noodles, his words muffled, "I understand, I understand."

After finishing the noodles, Duane licked his lips, still wanting more, and looked at Hagan, asking, "Brother, let me ask, how much food can I get for bringing in one person?"

"How many people can you bring?" Hagan's eyes lit up.

Duane said, "There are three people in my family, my wife, my younger brother-in-law, and my son. Many families have survived in our YJ neighborhood. I estimate there are over fifty people."

"Great!" Hagan exclaimed in delight, slapping Duane's shoulder. "Brother, if you can really bring these survivors in, it would be a significant achievement for our survivors' base. The rewards will be beyond your imagination!"

"What are we waiting for then?" Duane's face was filled with joy.

"You're absolutely right, let's get moving."

YJ Neighborhood, Building 8, Apartment 4008.

"Sis, maybe we shouldn't wait for him anymore. You take care of Nian Nian at home, I'll be back soon," Clark said with a bitter smile.

Nicola hesitated, "Let's wait a bit longer. It's already late; he should be back soon."

"Trust a guy like him? You might as well trust..." Clark's words were cut short as the door suddenly creaked.

Clark looked wary, gesturing for Nicola to be quiet. He grabbed a fruit knife from the kitchen and pressed against the door, asking, "Who's there?"

"It's me, Duane." Clark hesitated for a moment upon hearing the voice, then decided to open the door. In that split second, a flying kick was aimed at his chest. Unable to dodge in time, Clark was sent flying backward, crashing onto the floor, his back throbbing in pain.

Clark let out a muffled groan, about to pick up the knife in his hand to support himself as he tried to get up. In the next moment, a chopping knife was placed against his neck.

"Brother, is this your brother-in-law? Quite daring!" The person holding the knife chuckled.

"That's just how he is, full of himself," Clark replied, listening to the voice and immediately looking over to see that it was Duane. He clenched his teeth in anger; he had considered this guy might return empty-handed or even not return at all, but he hadn't anticipated that he would come back with a group of people for revenge.

"Duane, you beast!"

"Hey, don't use such harsh words for now. You'll probably thank me later. I've brought a few buddies with me to establish a survivor base. We're recruiting people, and if you cooperate, we won't have to go hungry anymore, and your sister's illness can be treated," Duane said, displeased.

Clark looked incredulous. "Recruiting people involves holding a knife to someone's neck?"

Hagan explained, "Brother, our methods might be a bit rough, but we were forced into it. Besides, in ancient times, didn't dynasties build their armies by conscription? We're just more direct."

Jamie grew impatient on the side and raised his hand to slap Clark. "Why waste time talking with this guy? Just show him some force!"

As Jamie was about to take action, a sudden female voice echoed in the room, "Don't hurt my brother, we agree!"

"See, there are sensible people here," Jamie's anger immediately turned to delight. However, fearing that Clark might cause trouble, he pointed to one of his companions. "Jerome, keep an eye on this guy."

"Yes, boss," a young man promptly stepped forward.

Jamie then looked at Duane. "Brother, no more words. It's up to you now."

"Don't worry, follow me," Duane reassured, patting his chest.

YJ Complex consisted of six buildings, each with two units, 24 floors, and three rooms per floor. In one night, under Duane's leadership, Jamie's group managed to capture 124 survivors, including Duane himself, making a total of 125 people.

It was still dark. Guided by the faint light of the morning star, a long line of people headed towards YangHe Hospital on YangHe Bridge Road. Clark, at the rear of the line, observed the guards behind him and the surroundings beside him, lost in thought.

July 16, 2024, 6:01 AM.

Anthony sat up in bed, glancing at the neatly written page on his desk. He picked it up and read through it again.

"Food Exchange Rules:

Main Principle: Limitations for easy management.

Details:

1. Regular peripheral survivors can only exchange for one portion of food per day.

2. Within the peripheral survivor base, deputy scavenger team leaders and leader-level individuals can exchange for a maximum of two portions of food per day. After exchanging, they cannot use the privilege to exchange for double portions of food again within a week.

3. Within the peripheral survivor base, the highest management leader-level individuals can exchange for a maximum of three portions of food per day. This privilege cannot be used again within a week.

4. ..."