The Dawn Convoy's Rules

Song Shiya leaned close to his ear and lowered her voice.

"We need people now more than ever."

"And I know what you're going to say."

"You're worried that more people mean more trouble, a bigger target, and more work keeping everyone in line."

"But think about it. Zhao Biao blocked our way because he saw how few of us there were."

"If another convoy blocks our three cars down the road, we won't even have the leverage to negotiate."

"We got lucky this time and won. But what if we hadn't?"

She glanced at the people behind He Yumin.

"Besides, they stayed with Zhao Biao all this time without leaving. That tells me they're not the sort to start scheming the moment they join."

"I think we can let them stay."

Shen Ye fell silent for a few seconds.

Finally, he nodded.

Shen Ye climbed onto the hood of a white car.

His gaze swept over the fifty-odd faces gathered around him.

There were women holding children.

There were elderly people with injuries on their faces.

And there were young and middle-aged adults covered in dust and grease.

"Let me make the unpleasant part clear up front."

His voice wasn't loud, but his tone was cold enough.

"If you want to join the Dawn Convoy, you have to follow our rules."

"First, the Dawn Convoy is only responsible for leading the way."

"If you encounter Eldritch, you'll have to find your own way to survive. I won't go out of my way to protect anyone."

A stir ran through the crowd, followed by dissatisfied murmurs.

Wasn't Shen Ye's strength-and their desperate hope for his protection-the very reason they wanted to stay?

But however unhappy they were, none dared voice a single objection.

"Second, supplies aren't shared within the convoy. What I have belongs to me. Whatever you find belongs to you."

"Fighting over supplies and stealing are forbidden within the convoy, but you're free to trade. If any of that causes trouble, I don't care who's right or wrong. Heh..."

As he spoke, he waved the Ghost Head, still stained with Zhao Biao's blood. His meaning couldn't have been clearer.

Quite a few people shrank back at the sight.

"Third."

He paused, his gaze passing over every face.

"If you want to survive, the only people you can rely on are yourselves." It was both a warning and a piece of advice.

"All right, that's everything I can think of for now. If you agree, stay. If you can't accept it, you can leave now. I won't force anyone to stay."

With that, Shen Ye jumped off the hood. He had expected a large portion of them to leave, but he was wrong.

No one left. Not a single person.

He Yumin was the first to speak. "We'll stay! We're not leaving."

The Dawn Convoy's rules sounded harsh, but they were still far better than following Zhao Biao.

Besides, they had no other choice now. Night was nearly upon them. Without a Sequence Awakened to lead the way, ordinary people driving along the highway were nothing more than mobile rations for the Eldritch.

So many days had passed since the apocalypse began. Anyone still alive had at least some sense.

Once He Yumin spoke up, the people behind him began nodding one after another.

Seeing this, Shen Ye walked toward Zhao Biao's RV. Looking at the enormous vehicle, he gave a rare smile.

He patted the door. "I killed Zhao Biao, so this vehicle belongs to me. Any objections?"

Silence fell over the crowd. Even those who harbored resentment didn't dare say no.

After all, the bodies of Zhao Biao and his lackeys still lay there, their bright red blood staining the ground.

Just then, the RV's door opened again, and a slightly chubby, round-faced young man in his twenties jumped down.

He had an honest-looking face and wore black, round-framed glasses.

Even so, Shen Ye instinctively tightened his grip on his blade.

"Don't get the wrong idea. I mean no harm." The man with glasses immediately raised both hands and instinctively backed toward the crowd.

"Who are you?" Shen Ye asked.

Before the man could answer, He Yumin spoke up from beside them. "His name is He Yunping. He used to drive for Zhao Biao."

"Yes, yes. Just call me Little He." He Yunping was clearly a few years older than Shen Ye, but he knew how to smooth-talk.

"I heard everything you said out here, and I'll follow your rules to the letter. Now that Zhao Biao's dead, I don't have to drive for him anymore. Here are the keys."

With that, he took the RV keys from his pocket and offered them to Shen Ye with great deference.

As Shen Ye accepted them, he asked, "Then why didn't you come out earlier?"

He Yunping smiled awkwardly and ducked his head. "I was afraid you'd still be angry and cut me down before hearing me out." His words drew a round of chuckles.

From everyone's reaction, Shen Ye could clearly tell that the former members of Zhao Biao's convoy seemed quite fond of He Yunping.

Wasn't he in cahoots with Zhao Biao? They should have been calling for his blood the moment he showed up, he thought.

But he didn't pursue it. He waved at He Yunping, signaling for him to leave.

He Yunping took the hint and retreated into the crowd. Then he scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "I don't have a vehicle now. Would any of you be willing to take me in for a while?"

Several people immediately raised their hands. "He, come ride with me! I've still got room."

"Yunping, get in my car. It's an SUV. Plenty of space."

He Yunping had suddenly become everyone's favorite, with people tugging him back and forth.

"What's going on here?" Shen Ye was utterly baffled.

He Yumin stepped forward again, eager to make himself useful, and said with a soft chuckle, "Captain Shen, just because Zhao Biao was a rotten bastard doesn't mean Little He is a bad person too."

"Little He had no choice but to drive for Zhao Biao. He may be a smooth talker who tends to go whichever way the wind blows, but he isn't bad at heart."

"And when other people in the convoy were having a hard time, he'd lend them a hand."

"Besides, Zhao Biao was vicious. He'd kill people over the slightest displeasure. Those people fawning over Little He only survived because he talked Zhao Biao around."

After hearing He Yumin's explanation, Shen Ye finally looked enlightened, though he offered no further judgment on this man named He Yunping.

Once that little interruption was over, Shen Ye clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.

Then he walked over to An Ning, nudged her with his arm, and said quietly, "Captain, say a few words."

An Ning froze for a moment, then quickly understood his intention.

Her face flushed, and she clenched her fists. In the end, she stepped up beside him and raised her head to look around the crowd.

Her voice was soft, even trembling with nerves.

"I... I'm An Ning, captain of the Dawn Convoy."

Another uproar swept through the crowd.

No one had expected this delicate-looking young woman to be the actual captain of the Dawn Convoy.

Ignoring the doubt in their eyes, An Ning continued, "My sequence is Pathfinder. I can help everyone find relatively safe routes."

"On the road ahead, I'll do my best to lead you around places with large concentrations of Eldritch."

She took a deep breath.

"Welcome to the Dawn Convoy."

As soon as she finished, the crowd stirred, and many people began whispering to one another.

"What? There's another Sequence Awakened? And she's in the Guide Sequence? She can help us avoid the Eldritch!"

"My God, what kind of miracle convoy is this? Not only do they charge no protection fee, they even have three Sequence Awakened!"

Cries of surprise and cheers soon rose together.

Less than two hours after its founding, the Dawn Convoy had grown from its original four members to more than fifty.

(P.S. Don't ask why the protagonist is bringing a bunch of ordinary people along. First, it costs him nothing. He's only responsible for leading the way, and they'll be useful later for gathering supplies and keeping watch.

Second, humans are social animals. If all the ordinary people died, even an invincible protagonist would develop psychological problems before long with no one to talk to. Don't doubt it. That's inevitable.

Also, the protagonist isn't a saint, but he isn't a psychopath either. He's a pragmatist, not someone with antisocial personality disorder. If you prefer dark fiction, you can leave now. This is the second time I've said this, and it'll be the last.)