Chapter 26: Establishing the Guild

"Why didn't they mention the beads in the zombies' brains?" Xia Yi asked, puzzled. "Don't they know yet?"

Shenchi: "The existence of psychics alone is already a threat to the nation's armed forces. If they were to publicly announce that the beads are key to leveling up, the country would eventually lose control."

Xia Yi nodded in understanding; this world was never short of ambitious people.

Immediately afterward, the government announced the establishment of the People's Military Supply Guild, which would be jointly managed by the military and the government. They required citizens aged between 16 and 60 who were healthy and without disabilities to actively participate in various roles. Each role had to meet a specified quota, and those who did not join promptly would be forcibly assigned. A series of related laws and regulations were also introduced.

The shock of establishing the People's Military Supply Guild was not as significant as the appearance of psychics. Almost everyone focused their attention on the psychics, who carried an air of mystique. In the backdrop of the "Apocalypse," they were already adorned with a halo of saviors, attracting countless gazes even without moving.

Cao Kun scoffed, finally understanding what the special police officer named Qi meant yesterday.

After lunch, Shenchi and Xia Yi opened the door and encountered Cao Kun, who was about to leave. Looking into his apartment, it was clear that only basic cleaning had been done; the damaged sofa, floor, and walls still bore unsightly marks.

Cao Kun, carrying a large bag of trash, said, "Going to the guild, right? Let's go together."

Cao Kun initially planned to drive them there but remembered upon reaching the underground parking lot that Cao Zilong had taken his car.

The guild was temporarily established, and there was no need to waste resources building a new structure. Thus, the government directly commandeered a commercial building as a temporary office.

When Shenchi and the others arrived, the place was already crowded, though not everyone was there to join; many were merely observing.

At the entrance of the guild stood an electronic bulletin board, 0.8 meters high and 2 meters wide, displaying information about the types of roles, guild rules, and relevant laws. The roles included the Self-defense Corps, Medical Corps, Logistics Corps, farming and animal husbandry, clothing factories, pharmaceutical factories, food factories, and munitions factories.

Members of the Self-defense Corps were akin to half-soldiers, unlike the part-time militia during peacetime. These self-defense soldiers emerged specifically due to the current disaster.

Those already working in their respective roles only needed to register.

This was the prototype of the guild after the apocalypse. When Shenchi first arrived at the base seven months into the apocalypse, the guild was less complex, mainly serving to collect information, issue tasks, and combat zombies.

Shenchi, Cao Kun, and Xia Yi followed the signs to the registration room, where they filled out forms and joined the queue. The registration room was packed, and some who had finished registering lingered to discuss topics related to zombies and psychics.

From the conversations, it seemed that a psychic with an ultrasonic ability had caused chaos earlier. Due to a lack of control, this psychic's speech had injured several nearby civilians, causing them to be hospitalized with ruptured eardrums.

This incident immediately drew the attention of higher-ups, and the psychic was politely invited for a "chat." There were rumors that they offered the psychic very favorable treatment.

As the queue slowly moved forward, Shenchi handed his documents and completed form to the Self-defense Corps registrar. The form contained personal details and the intended role.

The registrar, while processing the registration, said, "The Self-defense Corps testing area is on the third floor. Get your form stamped before coming back to receive your guild badge. If you don't get the stamp, try another window."

Compared to the Self-defense Corps window, the other windows had far more people. The main reason was that from now on, the government would only provide limited free supplies to the elderly, the weak, and the disabled.

Of course, money could buy goods, but prices were astronomical—thousands of dollars for a pound of meat, with strict limits. Trading food was a serious crime, so fewer people took the risk, leading them to join the guild to earn food coupons.

The physical fitness of those joining the Self-defense Corps varied widely. To help new recruits quickly become combat-ready, a test was arranged.

The test was straightforward and crude, it was just a fight.

The third floor was quite crowded. When Shenchi and his two companions ascended, some people were already undergoing tests. Instructors were observing their every move, assessing their combat prowess, and determining whether to stamp their approval.

Most people here are robust and burly, as the air is thick with an indescribable stench of sweat due to the high temperatures. The clean and tidy Shenchi and Xia Yi appear like a little white rabbit that has accidentally fallen into a den of wolves, resembling a lamb waiting to be slaughtered among a group of wolves with green-glowing eyes, looking utterly out of place.

Immediately, someone laughed loudly: "Oh! What brings a pretty boy here?"

"Tsk, tsk, what kind of world is this where a sissy dares to run around without fear of being eaten by zombies!?" the man said, casting a glance at Xia Yi, who was standing beside Shenchi, dressed in a clean and sharp casual outfit, "Hehe, and there's even a student brat!"

"Hush, this rabbit fellow is actually quite dashing! Hahaha..."

"I wondered why there was a foul smell as soon as I arrived, it turns out it's something from the sewer that's crawled up." Cao Kun was wearing a black tank top, paired with shorts that reached just above his knees, and was dragging along a pair of flip-flops. He had a flat-top haircut, with layers of firm muscles covering his body, and with a height of over six feet, it was clear just by looking at him that he wasn't someone to be trifled with.

He held an unlit cigarette in his mouth and asked, "Didn't they say no one is allowed to become a spirit after the founding of the nation?"

"What the hell are you saying?!" The other party, enraged and embarrassed, called upon their companions to attack Cao Kun simultaneously.

Cao Kun let out a cold snort, leisurely slipping off his flip-flops. In the next moment, he grabbed the neck of the person who was shouting the loudest, dragging him to meet the incoming punch. Amidst a chorus of screams, he kicked him away, then delivered a vicious elbow to the man's spine, making him kneel on one knee in just a few swift moves!

There were about ten opponents, and seeing that Cao Kun and his group were no match for them, they turned their attention to his two companions, focusing on the frail Shenchi.

Three individuals had encircled Shenchi, but before the onlookers could shift their gaze, the trio was sent flying through the air!

Shenchi still stood in the same spot, his overly long bangs concealing his eyebrows and eyes. His clothes were not the slightest bit disheveled, and there was no indication at all that he had just taken action.

Xia Yi, under Shenchi's rigorous training, has become quite adept at fighting, striking with a ruthless precision. However, his speed and strength are not yet sufficient, making it difficult for him to take on a single burly man.

Shenchi stood by, watching without offering any help.

Despite taking several punches, Xia Yi's eyes were filled with eager anticipation. It's important to note that he has been an exemplary student from childhood, and participating in a group fight was something that had never occurred in his thirty-two years of life.

In the chaotic melee of sixteen fighters, the onlookers were in high spirits, ceaselessly punching the air and shouting, "Go for it! Go for it!"

Someone stepped out to maintain order, ushering the onlookers to the periphery. Unnoticed, five individuals ascended the stairs. The soldier at the door was about to raise his hand, but the leader of the group stopped him.

Thirteen ordinary people were not difficult for Shenchi and Cao Kun to deal with, but Shenchi mainly wanted Xia Yi to get more exercise, so he subtly guided people towards Xia Yi, and from time to time, he would catch those who tried to sneak attack Xia Yi and throw them back in.

As time went on, the situation became a bit dull, and the opponents gradually realized they were being used as targets for practice. Their anger flared up, and several of them simultaneously drew out either fruit knives or kitchen knives and lunged at Cao Kun and his companions.

The man maintaining order saw his face turn pale and was about to intervene when a man who had somehow arrived at his side stopped him.

The onlookers erupted into a frenzy of shouting.

Just as the blade was about to strike Cao Kun's back, he seemed to have eyes in the back of his head, spinning around and kicking it away, sending it flying five meters straight into the wall and bouncing back.

"Excellent!"

A voice cried out from the crowd, followed by a burst of applause. In the blink of an eye, several individuals wielding knives had their arms disarmed by Shenchi one by one.

The others, who were a bit luckier, saw that their strong fighters had also fallen and immediately helped them up. As soon as the leader left some harsh words for Cao Kun and the others, they quickly retreated.

As the crowd dispersed, Xia Yi was flushed with excitement, his eyes shining brightly.

"Excuse me, are you Comrade Cao Kun?"

The three of them turned around and saw a man standing behind them with four others who had impressive postures. Each one stood tall and straight, their faces solemn. Especially the leader, whose sharp features exuded an aura of authority. Even without wearing the uniform or displaying any insignia to indicate his rank, his fierce presence revealed that he was a seasoned warrior.

This imposing aura was different from that of a ruthless murderer—it was simply righteous, the kind that proclaimed, "I am here to uphold justice."

Cao Kun had a good guess about who the other person was. He shuffled in his slippers and asked directly, "What's the matter?"

The other person glanced at the instructor in training attire who had come over and instructed him to stamp Cao Kun and the others' forms, marking 'A' and 'D' under the rank column—Cao Kun and Shenchi were marked 'A', while Xia Yi was marked 'D'.

The Self-defense Corps divided all its members into five teams based on combat strength: A, B, C, D, and E. The strongest combatants capable of solo missions were in Team A; those reaching the standard of new recruits were in Team B; those with decent physical fitness and some combat ability were in Team C; those with average combat strength, akin to street thugs, were in Team D; and those with poor physical fitness, who would struggle after running a short distance, were in Team E.

If it weren't for the training Shenchi gave him, Xia Yi would have definitely been placed in Team E.

The man introduced himself, "My surname is Chen, and I am the commander of the Third Battalion stationed in Jiu Zhou City of the 111th Legion."

"Pleased to meet you," Cao Kun said neither humbly nor arrogantly. "Commander Chen, what brings you here?"

"Shall we find a place to talk privately?" Chen Jinglin had a straightforward manner of speaking.

Although he phrased it as a question, his demeanor suggested that refusal was not an option.

Cao Kun seemed completely unfazed by the pressure, responding lightly, "Sure."

Chen Jinglin walked alongside him politely.

They entered an office that seemed to belong to someone else, as there was a family photo taken during a picnic on the desk. It was clear that Chen Jinglin had never been in this room before. He picked up the frame and studied it for a long time before placing it back properly and inviting Cao Kun to sit down.

The people who had followed Chen Jinglin left, leaving only a clerk to serve them tea before exiting as well.

Chen Jinglin took a sip of tea, drinking it more like gulping down cold water.

"I believe, Comrade Cao Kun, you already know why I've asked to speak with you." He put down the cup. "You are a fire-type esper, correct?"

Author's note:

Thank you, "Er Xi Jiang," for your nutrient solution contribution.~