Protocol

The negotiations in the conference room were still underway.

"The control rights to the Ground Buildings?"

After hearing Leon's proposal, Dr. Melpha raised an eyebrow and spoke:

"As far as I know, the CDC's Ground Buildings mainly consist of the Exhibition Hall, along with a Reception Hall, an Office Area, an Underground Parking Lot, and a Public Cafeteria responsible for meeting visitors' food needs."

"They're all ordinary decorative buildings. What use could they possibly have at a time like this?"

Leon shook his head slightly and gazed into the female doctor's eyes with a faint smile.

"Don't underestimate them, Dr. Melpha. You've overlooked an important detail."

"As America's top research institution, the Atlanta CDC is a nationally protected facility. It's not just the Underground Research Institute—even the Exhibition Hall, Underground Parking Lot, and Public Cafeteria above ground possess protective measures that ordinary buildings can't compare with."

"It's practically a massive Military Fortress."

"Before entering this place, I had already inspected it."

"All the exterior glass in this building uses advanced, high-strength Bulletproof Glass."

"Only heavy weapons such as close-range High-Explosive Bombs, Tank shells, or rocket launchers can shatter it. Ordinary bullets are completely useless against it."

"It looks as though there isn't much protection here, but there are only two actual entrances and exits: the front entrance of the Exhibition Hall and the Underground Parking Lot."

"Both of these locations have also been fitted with heavy bulletproof armor doors."

"So as long as the main doors are closed, this place is an impregnable fortress to Zombies that can only use their teeth."

Leon was pleasantly surprised by this as well. The situation here was even better than he had expected.

Today, not only had he rescued the genius researcher Dr. Melpha, but he had also found an incredibly sturdy fortress base. This was practically a dream start.

"Are you planning to let the people outside live here?"

Melpha bit her lower lip and asked with narrowed eyes, "There are no separate rooms or beds for resting above ground. The place is empty and bare, and it isn't suitable for ordinary people to live in."

Leon waved his hand indifferently.

"Doctor, I know the conditions above are extremely crude, but compared with the wilderness, where people could die at any moment, it's safe enough. It's also connected to the water and power systems below, so we can use hot water and electrical appliances. Just those two things alone make it heaven."

"Besides, crude conditions aren't a problem. As long as we humans still have our hands, we can create everything we need."

"In times like these, as long as we can stay alive safely, what more could we ask for?"

Melpha lowered her head slightly without agreeing to Leon's terms. After remaining silent for several dozen seconds, she spoke in a slightly hoarse voice:

"There's something I had originally planned to tell you later."

"But since you're planning to establish the settlement here, I think you should know about it now."

"Please, go ahead, Dr. Melpha. I'm listening."

After thinking for a moment, Leon could roughly guess what Dr. Melpha was about to tell him.

Whoosh!

Melpha exhaled, exchanged a glance with her husband, who had remained silent all along, then looked into Leon's eyes and observed his expression before speaking with some difficulty:

"Mr. Castor, actually, after the Zombie Virus spread throughout the world, every one of us humans had already been infected by the virus."

"Some of us were killed by the virus during the initial stage and mutated into Zombies. Others were eroded by the virus, gradually weakened, and eventually killed by it before mutating into Zombies."

"The last group appears exactly the same as before. The virus doesn't affect their normal lives, but once they die, it immediately takes over their brains and turns them into Zombies."

"Every human being still alive is infected with the Zombie Virus."

After Dr. Melpha finished speaking, the entire conference room fell silent.

Dr. Jenner reached out and took his wife's hand, glancing at Leon uneasily.

Leon's face remained expressionless. He picked up the coffee on the table, took a sip, and said calmly:

Heh, I knew it was this.

"Is that so?"

"It's about what I expected."

"You—you already knew!"

Dr. Melpha and Dr. Jenner were both extremely surprised.

Heh, I know far more than you can imagine.

Leon grinned and spoke:

"You may not know this."

"The world outside is far more chaotic and dangerous than you imagine."

"Over the past month, I've seen countless dead people. Some died in accidents, some were killed by Zombies, and others were killed by humans."

"But without exception, they all got back up."

"That was when I more or less figured it out."

After listening to his account, Dr. Melpha fell silent for another dozen seconds before finally speaking again:

"In that case, we can reach an agreement on our protocol."

Dr. Melpha's voice was solemn and serious. She stood and extended her right hand toward Leon.

"Mr. Leon Castor, you will have control of all the Ground Buildings. You may share our electricity, water, food, and all other resources. I will seriously consider any request you make."

"But at the same time, you must ensure the CDC continues operating normally, guarantee the progress of our research, and provide whatever conditions are required for all the experiments at the research institute."

"This isn't a partnership for profit."

"This is a promise."

"It's for the hope of humanity."

Leon's expression also turned serious. He stood, extended his right hand, and shook Dr. Melpha's.

"Thank you for your trust."

"I'll do everything I can."

"For the hope of humanity."

The next day, June 11.

After reaching an agreement with Dr. Melpha, Leon suddenly felt as though he had lost his direction.

Although the CDC urgently needed diesel and Gasoline to generate electricity, its current supplies could actually last another month or so. The matter wasn't as urgent as he had imagined and wasn't Leon's top priority.

The task that most urgently needed to be completed now wasn't that.

After thinking it over, Leon decided that, in the end, he still had to recruit talented people.

He only had himself now. Whatever he did, he was constantly held back. One person was far too inefficient to handle major projects.

But recruiting talented people wasn't easy either.

Based on his understanding from his previous life and the original Mr. Leon's memories, Americans placed great importance on personal rights such as human rights and freedom. They weren't easy to manage.

They went on strike from time to time and held protests every few days.

For the sake of such things, they might even fight you to the death.

So managing talented people was a technical job.

Everything was difficult at the beginning. He was a young man in his twenties—what exactly could he do to convince others to submit to his management?

He wasn't a high-ranking official, a king, or a president. He didn't have the authority to rule over others.

As he thought about it, Leon suddenly slapped himself.

Damn it, I'm going to save people, not beg them for help. Is there any need to lower myself like this?

I've been a corporate slave for too long. I can't even straighten my back anymore.

No one cherished things that came too easily. In a situation like this, the others had to beg him before they would willingly submit.

With this change in perspective, inspiration immediately poured out of Leon's mind, and all kinds of wonderful ideas flashed through it.

He rushed into the Office Area of the Ground Buildings and found a computer.

He turned it on, typed, and printed, completing everything in one smooth motion.

Gradually, a stack of unusual apocalyptic recruitment notices appeared in Leon's hands.

A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. The problem that had troubled him for so long had finally been solved.

Leon decided to start his own business and become his own boss, turning all the humans in this world into his employees—his leek crops.

He decided to control the survivors through a company and have them protect themselves and humanity alongside him.

Since my name is Leon Castor, I might as well call my company the Umbrella Corporation.

An umbrella for humanity. That sounds pretty good too.