Strong-Arming People into Joining

Little Bruce was jolted awake by hunger.

He rubbed his stomach as he walked out of the tent and saw several men still on night watch, leaning beside the fire and forcing themselves to stay awake as they chatted.

He went over as well, squatted down, and absorbed every bit of warmth.

There were more than thirty people in the camp. Many, like them, had joined halfway through their journey. There was no leader here and no mandatory rules. The supplies found during outings were divided only among those who took part, while the camp's chores were shared among everyone.

The search party had been out working all day yesterday, but they had not managed to find much food. Everyone was hungry. Today, he planned to go searching with his older brother. The two of them should be able to get a little more.

Thinking of his wife, who had grown much thinner, and his nephew, who complained all day about never getting enough to eat, he could not help cursing this world bitterly. Damn it, his family had once been one of the town's well-known wealthy families.

Just as he was about to swallow his pride and borrow some food from the people next door to tide them over, a burst of noisy footsteps suddenly reached his ears.

Before he could react, he heard many people shouting:

"Stay put. Don't move around. Our guns don't have eyes."

"If you don't want to die, don't move."

"Drop your weapons, or I'll blow your brains out with one shot."

Little Bruce saw dozens of burly men wearing identical black leather armor. They carried submachine guns that were obviously extremely powerful, and countless dark barrels were pointed at them. He could not summon the slightest thought of resisting.

Soon, every member of the camp had been awakened. Faced with the threat of death, no one dared to resist. Some wore frightened expressions, some were filled with hatred, and some had already gone numb.

At that moment, a very tall and powerfully built man stepped out from the other side's ranks. He was handsome and carried himself with an excellent air. His deep emerald eyes seemed like an abyss, and his face held a gentle smile. If not for the dark gun barrels surrounding them, he would have been an extremely likable man.

The man's voice was deep and magnetic.

"Friends, please don't be afraid. We're not Raiders, nor are we killers."

"We're Umbrella Corporation, an organization that exists to protect humanity's hope."

"The reason we're pointing guns at you is simply that we don't want unnecessary trouble to cause either side any harm."

"Over the next week, you'll be taken to our base and work for us for one week."

"This isn't forced labor or slavery."

"Our company is a very humane enterprise. The pay and benefits are excellent. Not only do we provide food and lodging, we can also protect your lives and property."

"For every day you work for our company, you'll receive two to three days' worth of survival supplies. After one week, if you still wish to continue working for Umbrella Corporation, we'll officially sign employment agreements with you."

"If anyone wants to leave, we won't stop you. You can take the supplies you earned and leave safely."

"We're an organization that keeps its word. This invitation was somewhat rough, so please don't take offense."

The handsome man nodded at the Asian man beside him.

"For safety's sake, we'll take your weapons, but don't worry. When you leave, we'll return every last one of them to you. You can even buy ammunition from us."

"All right, please hand over your weapons, then pack up your personal belongings and get ready to leave with us."

Faced with both threats and promises, even those who had originally resolved to resist began to hesitate. If things really were as the man said, then whether they left in the end or stayed at their camp, either choice would be a decent one.

They were all ordinary survivors. None possessed the courage to fight to the death.

After everyone obediently surrendered their weapons and packed their luggage, those tough men actually sent over plenty of steaming-hot food for their breakfast. There was bread, eggs, and milk.

Little Bruce was stunned. Before the disaster, he had not even spared such things a glance, but now they were all scarce supplies.

He did not have time to worry about anything else. He, his older brother, his wife, and his nephew all grabbed the food and began wolfing it down. They no longer felt as much resistance toward their captors.

These days, anyone who could provide you with food was a good person.

They followed the group's instructions the entire way and were assigned to different cars, though they were not separated from their families. After more than two hours on the road, Little Bruce's family was taken to a place somewhere in Atlanta, apparently called the CDC.

The moment they arrived, they were stunned. More than a hundred people were working feverishly there. Countless steel bars, steel pipes, and steel mesh had been erected to form a Steel Wall nearly three meters high.

Occasionally, Zombies drawn by the noise would arrive, only to be easily killed by the black-armored soldiers behind the workers. They did not even use firearms. They simply thrust something through the steel mesh and into a Zombie's eye socket, killing it with ease.

After everyone had gotten out of the vehicles, the tall, handsome man summoned a seedy-looking middle-aged man and gave him a few instructions.

He then called over a foreman and skilled worker, gave them some instructions, and walked toward their group.

With a smile, he said:

"I've already spoken with the management here. For now, you're all temporary workers. Someone will come and show you how to do the job shortly."

"We'll provide your food and lodging for the time being. After you finish work tonight, you'll be assigned housing, and the cost will be deducted from your total wages."

"It's best if you don't try to run away. There are still many Zombies nearby, and it's very dangerous."

After saying that, the man nodded at them and actually left without imposing any further restrictions.

The dozens of people there exchanged bewildered looks.

However, they truly had no intention of escaping. This was the first time they had seen so many humans since the disaster. The fully armed black-armored soldiers around them made them feel both safe and frightened.

And so, under the guidance of several instructors, they began building the Steel Wall just like everyone else. The food at noon and in the evening was quite plentiful, allowing these survivors who had been drifting outside all this time to once again experience the happiness of eating their fill.

That night, they were actually assigned suites in a luxury hotel. The rooms were quite neat. Although there was no running water or electricity, they could fetch hot water from the staff on the first floor if they needed it.

While working, they had chatted with the surrounding Regular Employees. Umbrella Corporation's real base was inside the CDC. That was the true paradise of civilization. Not only could people take hot showers there, they could also watch television and movies and play games. Each week's wages could be exchanged for a great deal of food and daily necessities.

Compared with the Regular Employees who had joined Umbrella Corporation, their former lives had been complete shit.

Gradually, as he learned more and more, Little Bruce's resistance toward the place diminished. Instead, he felt an urge to join it.

Starting on the second day, Little Bruce noticed that the companions from his former camp were working more and more seriously. Their faces carried smiles to varying degrees, and many of them used the opportunity to ingratiate themselves with the surrounding Regular Employees, as if they were adapting to the environment in advance.

This kind of life wasn't bad, was it?