Edge of the Apocalypse

Chapter 163: Chapter 155: The Heaven-Defying Angler

"We’re recruiting combat team members over here. Men are preferred."

Lin Mo was handling the recruitment for the combat team in a nearby performance hall.

She was wearing an off-white knit sweater over a military-green tank top that highlighted her well-proportioned figure. Her hair was tied in a low ponytail at the nape of her neck, with a few stray strands framing her forehead. The corners of her mouth were naturally turned up in a faint smile.

Lin Mo was twenty-nine this year. She had a gentle and refined air about her. Her background as a psychologist gave her an aura that naturally made people open up to her—a complete contrast to Yu Dong and Wang Dingbei.

She was very approachable.

After the riot was quelled, Lin Mo took the stage. Moving the recruitment to a more comfortable room made everyone on the ship feel much more at ease, and they couldn’t help but speak their minds.

"Dr. Lin, I want to ask... why aren’t you recruiting women? Are those two men discriminating against women? Don’t you feel uncomfortable working between them? As a leader, what do you plan to do for the women in the team?"

A round-faced female survivor asked curiously.

The faint smile on Lin Mo’s lips deepened.

"What’s your name?"

"My name is Fu Yuanyuan."

"Alright, Yuanyuan. Come to my room at 8 PM tonight. I’ll give you a psychological counseling session. This isn’t a suggestion, it’s an order. If you don’t show up, you’ll be locked up."

Fu Yuanyuan: "..."

Fu Yuanyuan left resentfully. From a distance, she snapped a photo of Lin Mo, planning to post it on Xiaohongshu to warn her "sisters" to steer clear of a certain female leader.

’What happened to women helping women? You should learn from so-and-so, and what’s-her-name, and that other one!’

"Next."

"Lieutenant Lin, my name is Liu Yu Xuan. I’m twenty-two. I used to be a delivery rider. I can climb thirty-two floors without breaking a sweat. Do you think I’m cut out for this?"

A young man with tanned skin and a well-built frame asked. His eyes darted away, not daring to look directly at Lin Mo. Instead, he stared at her hands on the table. The backs of her hands were smooth and radiant, but her palms were covered in calluses.

Lin Mo gave him a gentle smile. "Yu Xuan, with your work experience, you’re comparable to some amateur athletes. Your physical condition is excellent. You’re very brave, being the first to sign up... I believe you’ll meet our requirements. With a little training, you’ll become a true warrior."

"Thank you, thank you!"

After hearing her words, Liu Yu Xuan felt much more confident.

He was still smiling as he left.

’She said I’ll become a warrior...’

Just as she would during her usual therapy sessions, Lin Mo observed each applicant, memorizing their names, professions, personality traits, physical fitness, and skills.

She was steadily getting to know every member of the team.

Everyone who spoke with her felt valued by the group, giving them a sense of gradually integrating into the community.

"This is a job only Lin Mo can do. Neither Wang nor I could do it as well as she does. It’s great to have someone who can help manage interpersonal relationships."

Yu Dong commented from the side, looking completely satisfied.

In his previous life, he had to do this kind of work all by himself. Although Zhao Youcai and Huang Zhiqiang had been eager to help, Yu Dong didn’t want to comment too much on their team-building skills.

Saying more would just hurt his buddies’ feelings.

Lin Mo, on the other hand, was skilled in both brains and brawn—a real top-tier asset.

’Is this what it feels like to pull an SSR? I love it.’

"What’s an SSR? You play Genshin Impact too?"

Sun Shan sidled up and asked curiously.

"Oh, Sun, you’re just in time. I was just about to look for you."

"Ask me anything, as long as it’s not fighting zombies... It’s not that I’m afraid of dying, really. It’s just that I feel my talents should be used for more meaningful things for the settlement."

Hearing the battle-shy lizard’s speech, Yu Dong chuckled. "I get it, Sun. We’ve got plenty of people to poke zombies. I have other uses for that brain of yours. Remember those two large excavators I had you guys drive over?"

"Yeah, they’re gassed up and parked right at the gate of A Port."

"Are there any other people who know how to operate an excavator?"

"We have one skilled operator and one amateur... They probably can’t do any precision work."

"That’s fine. As long as they can drive it and scoop up people."

"They can definitely drive... Wait, huh?! Scoop up what?"

"Heh. In a bit, have your two excavator-operating work buddies come out with me. You take two other people and reinforce the defensive line at the gate. Make it sturdier."

"Oh... okay."

Sun Shan turned and took a few steps, then ran back, grabbing Yu Dong’s arm. He said with a look of utmost sincerity:

"Dong, have I ever told you... that I’m firmly on your side?"

"No need to say it, Sun. I understand completely."

"Good! Then I can rest easy!"

Sun Shan cheerfully went off to talk to his buddies.

After what had just happened in the main hall, he had completely solidified his stance.

Pick a side, and cling to the powerful.

Now he could just work a nice, steady job in the settlement.

A job’s a job, no matter where you are, right?

The most important thing was not being sent to the front lines to become zombie food.

Yu Dong watched Sun go, shaking his head helplessly.

People like Sun were useful, but you could never trust them with your back.

Right there at the recruitment site, Huang also shuffled over and asked awkwardly:

"Sister Mo, look at me... am I suitable for the combat team?"

Yu Dong: "???"

’What the hell!’

’Huang, what are you doing?’

Lin Mo pursed her lips into a smile. "I’m afraid you’ll have to ask Yu Dong if he’s willing to let you go into battle. But your physique has a lot of potential. With some training, you’d be perfectly capable."

"Hehe~"

Huang Zhiqiang was about to say more, but Yu Dong hauled him to his feet.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

"I want to join the combat team..."

"Isn’t that already decided? It’d be a waste not to use all that blubber of yours to ram zombies."

"Ah, I was just going through the motions... wanted to chat with Dr. Lin for a bit."

Yu Dong’s eyes widened. "Huang, don’t you have a thing for that big celebrity?"

"But don’t you think a mature, sisterly type like Dr. Lin is really charming? I bet even her blankets smell like warm sunshine."

"That’s insane... Huang, you’ve really been bottling it up."

Yu Dong hadn’t expected this. In his past life, Zhao Youcai rarely said much on this topic, but in this one, Huang managed to come up with something new every day.

"Dongzi, don’t forget, you owe me a young married woman!"

"Nice! I’m going to tell your dad... Hey, where is your dad?"

"He said he saw a few zombies flailing in the sea, so he went to use them as bait and do some fishing..."

Yu Dong: "..."

’Is anyone in that family even remotely concerned that it’s the apocalypse?’

’Zombie hordes! Climbing zombies!! An entire building covered in them!!!’

"I don’t even want to talk anymore. Let’s go eat. After we eat, grab your weapons and assemble down on the port."

After a chaotic morning, it was already 12 PM.

Two of the crew members who had just been rounded up were cooks, a man and a woman. After being "educated" by Wang Dingbei, they were released and sent to the kitchen to cook.

To prevent any trouble, Wang Dingbei also arranged for Jing Yanwei to watch them in secret.

Fortunately, the lesson had truly stuck this time. The two ship’s cooks not only worked quickly but also prepared a delicious meal.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Lin Mo’s recruitment was also complete.

"A total of twelve people volunteered. Ten of them are qualified. The other two... one is mentally unstable, and the other’s physical condition is a bit poor. I don’t plan on using them. The other ten can be trained and quickly deployed for combat."

"Good, you can handle the arrangements... By the way, where’s Uncle Yu?"

"I’ve already convinced Uncle Yu to be our spear instructor. He’ll be giving these ten people hands-on weapons training."

"Perfect. Let Officer Wang know. Later, have the retired soldier, Yang Ze, teach the ones who perform well how to use crossbows."

"Okay."

Although the number of recruits from the first drive was a bit low, Yu Dong didn’t seem concerned.

After all, when faced with a situation like this, only a minority would dare to go out and fight zombies the very next day. Most people were like Sun Shan, cherishing their lives.

Doing a little work was fine, but killing zombies... no thanks.

"Let’s go. We’re getting off the ship!"

The electric gangway extended and lowered onto A Port. A salty sea breeze mixed with the stench of burnt flesh wafted over, delivering the scent of the apocalypse to everyone on board.

It made everyone understand that they were no longer in the world they once knew...

Outside the port’s perimeter, a few zombies with scorched but not completely burnt skin were clawing at the barricades, shaking them and roaring horribly.

"Let’s go, Officer Wang."

"Let’s go. We’ll take care of these damn things."

Yu Dong and Wang Dingbei led the way off the ship, while Lin Mo remained on board to guard against any unexpected events.