The cornerstone of order

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Lynn struck an iron rod with an empty tin can, the sound piercing the base's morning silence. His icy voice rang out:

"Attention, everyone! Assemble in the central square in fifteen minutes! General meeting!"

At the order, movement stirred throughout the base.

In the animal cage serving as a communal dormitory, Glenn sat up, his exhausted, bewildered expression quickly turning wary.

The medical station smelled strongly of disinfectant.

Min-seon had just finished changing Rick's dressings. Hearing the voice, she sighed and left Lori to look after him.

Rick tried to get out of bed, but Lori held him down.

"Rick, you need rest!" Lori said, looking outside anxiously.

On a bed in the corner, Hershel lay curled up, his eyes empty.

Maggie and Beth stayed beside him, unease in their eyes.

The nine newcomers huddled together apprehensively.

The central square was a small clearing.

The crowd gathered in separate clusters: Rick's family, Hershel's family, Carol and her daughter, Shane and Merle, Glenn and the others, and the new faces.

The atmosphere was heavy.

When fifteen minutes were up, Lynn appeared at the command center's entrance.

Instead of joining the crowd, he climbed onto the wreck of an abandoned tour vehicle nearby.

From there, he could look down over everyone.

Davis stood guard behind him with a gun, while Zhao Jinghong stood armed a few paces from the vehicle.

The crowd fell silent, all eyes on Lynn.

Lynn swept his gaze over every face below: exhaustion, fear, numbness, wariness, resentment.

He spoke, his voice clear and cold:

"Welcome to the Atlanta Zoo base, your new home."

"My name is Lynn. Here, I call the shots."

His tone was brutally blunt. "I didn't bring you here out of charity, or to give you peaceful lives. It was only to survive, to keep you alive and keep this place alive."

He paused, looking at Hershel's empty face, Rick's pale face, Sophia's lifeless eyes, and the newcomers' apprehension.

"But survival doesn't come from prayers or luck."

Lynn's voice turned colder. "Look outside! This world is full of dead people!

The ground beneath our feet isn't paradise! The walkers outside want to tear us apart!

Living people are watching for a chance to rob us, and inside, we only have twenty days of food.

Our lifesaving antibiotics are gone!"

The reality was brutal. Gasps and low cries rose from the crowd.

Shane's face stiffened.

"Despair is useless, and so is complaining," Lynn said. "If you want to live and preserve this 'home,' there's only one way: order! Discipline! And contribution!"

He raised an "Outline" written on scrap paper:

"From now on, the base is under wartime control! Everything follows these regulations! Old Joey!"

"Here, Boss!" Old Joey stepped out of the crowd.

"Read out the supply inventory! Down to the exact number of days!" Lynn ordered.

Old Joey took out a small notebook and read in a hoarse but clear voice:

"Current population: thirty-one.

Main supplies:

Canned and compressed food: at minimum calorie intake, enough for everyone for... nineteen days.

Fresh vegetables: none. The experimental plot isn't ready to harvest.

Meat: about eight kilograms of smoked dried fish, twelve cans of luncheon meat.

Water: enough purified water from the artificial lake, but the filter cartridge needs changing daily. New cartridges can process ten tonnes.

Fuel: three and a half barrels of diesel for the generator;

Gasoline... [quantity reported]... enough for vehicles to travel about 320 kilometers.

Medicine..." Old Joey paused. "...Antibiotics: none.

Painkillers: one-third of a standard bottle left.

Disinfectant: in short supply.

Bandages and gauze: enough for about a week of routine use.

Addendum: one thousand newly acquired multivitamin tablets, one tactical medical kit containing five doses of powerful injectable antibiotics, hemostatic agents, and other supplies."

Every figure made their hearts sink.

Nineteen days of food!

The most important thing, antibiotics, was gone.

Lynn called next, "Dr. Min-seon!"

Min-seon stepped forward, her voice calm and grave. "I'm Min-seon. I'm in charge of medical care.

An additional point: shortages of medicine, especially the lack of antibiotics, mean infections and inflammation could kill you. There's no room for mistakes.

The new antibiotic injections are extremely precious. They're only for critical cases.

We'll try to build a simple antibiotic extraction station, but that requires time, equipment, and raw materials. It may not work.

Until then, everyone must take care not to get injured and maintain good hygiene!"

The medical officer's words spread fear.

Lynn scanned the crowd, taking in all their shock, fear, and despair.

This was the effect he wanted-to shatter their illusions.

"Did you hear that? That's our situation!"

Lynn raised his voice, oppressive and forceful. "There's no time for crying! No room for infighting! If you want to live, get moving!

Work! Earn food! Earn medicine! Earn a chance to live!"

He waved the "Outline":

"Assignments according to ability:"

Combat and defense team, led by Davis and Zhao Jinghong:

Davis, Zhao Jinghong, Shane, Daryl, Merle, Glenn, T-Dog, Andrea, Radio Wave (communications), Jonathan, and Richard (the two sturdy newcomers).

Responsible for round-the-clock wall security, lookout duty (The Jackal), patrols, reinforcing defenses, weapon repairs, combat training (including melee weapons), and high-risk exploration.

Exploration and scavenging team, core members: Daryl and Glenn:

Personnel drawn from the combat team into squads of three to five, heading out under the defense team's cover.

Priorities: find food (canned goods, sealed food, seeds), medicine (antibiotics, painkillers, disinfectants, etc.), fuel, and specific chemicals (list supplied by Min-seon).

Operational approach: stealth, speed, and avoiding conflict.

Farming and logistics team, led by Old Joey, with technical guidance from Hershel once he recovered:

Maggie, Beth, Carol, Lori (also assisting medical care), Dale, and all mobile noncombatants, including newcomers.

Immediately devote all efforts to expanding the experimental plot beside the artificial lake! Plant fast-growing vegetables and high-calorie tubers first.

Also responsible for base sanitation, water supplies (including the new filter cartridges), tool repairs, some defensive works (such as breastworks and perimeter obstacles), cooking, and supply management.

Medical team, led by Min-seon:

Lori (nursing assistant), Beth (trainee).

Responsible for treating injuries, disease prevention, managing medicine, and research and development (the antibiotic station).

Psychological counseling, focusing on Hershel, Carol, and Sophia.

Basic childcare duties: Carol, Lori, and women in good condition (such as Andrea when not on assignment) would care for Sophia and Carl and teach them survival knowledge: hygiene, recognizing danger, and hiding quietly.

As the names were read, Shane's expression darkened further. He gritted his teeth but did not lash out.

Merle sneered, while Daryl accepted it silently.

Glenn and T-Dog were nervous, but a faint sense of responsibility showed in their eyes. Maggie gripped Beth's hand and looked at their father.

Carol held Sophia tighter, while Lori looked anxiously at Rick and Carl.

"Rules!" Lynn's voice hammered down:

"One, resource management: all food, water, medicine, fuel, weapons, and ammunition go into stores managed by Old Joey and Min-seon, distributed according to need! No private hoarding! First offense, half your rations docked. Second offense, expulsion! Seizing resources during wartime counts as betrayal, punishable by death on the spot!"

"Two, obey orders: orders from team leaders and Lynn must be carried out! Disobeying on the battlefield or shirking work will be severely punished!"

"Three, internal security: no infighting, theft, robbery, or bullying! Disputes go to the arbitration panel: Lynn, Davis, Zhao Jinghong, Min-seon, and Old Joey! For private fights, both parties will be severely punished!"

"Four, contribution system: work more, earn more! Exploration teams bringing back critical supplies, defense teams giving early warnings or repelling threats, farming teams producing food-all will receive extra food or material rewards! Details to be decided later!"

The rules were cold and harsh. The crowd was deathly silent, with only breathing audible.

Finally, Lynn's gaze bore down on everyone, especially Shane:

"Remember, here, order is life! Contribution is your way to survival! Undermining order is murder! Refusing to contribute is waiting to die!"

"Meeting over! Team leaders, take your people and get to work!"

"Dismissed!"

There was no applause or cheering.

In heavy silence, the crowd began to move.

Lynn jumped off the wrecked vehicle and turned toward the command center without looking at anyone.

Davis and Zhao Jinghong followed.

In the square, Old Joey called for the farming team to collect tools.

Stone-faced, Davis called out the combat team's names and assigned tasks.

Min-seon hurried back to the medical station, with Lori following; Maggie and Beth helped Hershel toward the experimental plot; Carol carried Sophia to the small vegetable patch.

Daryl stopped Glenn and T-Dog to discuss things.

Shane stood there, watching Lori walk away, then looking toward where Lynn had disappeared, his eyes dark.

He spat and walked toward Davis with a sullen face.

Merle whistled and sauntered toward the scrap-metal pile.