Chapter 67 Experimental Nature

A temporary shelter had to house ten people.

And it could only fit ten, with beds squeezed against each other; there was no room for an extra bed.

Seeking private space was impossible. If you didn't want to be completely open with everyone, then you had to find a way to hang a curtain for yourself. If there wasn't a curtain, then resignedly watch others while being watched.

Luckily it was winter. It would truly be unbearable in summer.

Don't want to live here?

Sure, you could move out and find any empty house to live in, but whether you'd end up neighbors with zombies or increasingly numerous criminals was a matter of luck.

Having seen the temporary housing, Gao Yuan realized just how good the conditions of the isolation room he spent his first night in had been. However, there was no helping it; Xiang Weiguo had said no one should receive special treatment, so he couldn't either.

If it weren't for Yu Shunzhou needing to stay in the shelter, Gao Yuan really would have preferred to return to his camp.

So the conditions of the shelter were definitely set, but one advantage was that the shelter didn't confiscate anyone's personal belongings. If you were robbed inside the shelter and reported it, the thief would immediately run into bad luck. There was no such thing as a few years' detention—if the evidence was irrefutable, the only fate was execution, and an immediate one at that.

After Gao Yuan followed Xiang Weiguo and saw several temporary houses, his only hope was that volunteers might receive slightly better treatment.

"Everyone listen up, the shelter is now recruiting volunteers. Those that accept military training will receive improved living conditions. Men who are healthy and between twenty and thirty years old may sign up. Does anyone want to sign up?"

There were no notices, no broadcasts, only soldiers or volunteers shuttling between the temporary houses shouting loudly.

Gao Yuan thought there would be plenty of people signing up, and indeed the turnout was as he expected.

"I'm signing up, I'm signing up!"

A young man shouted as he sprinted out of the temporary house, stumbling in his haste.

A small open space quickly gathered several hundred people. The space wasn't large, but it seemed Xiang Weiguo had enough volunteers.

"Alright, let's start registering names."

Xiang Weiguo gave the command, but his assistant Liu Siming quietly said, "Commander, shouldn't we select a bit? For instance, maybe we could raise the physical requirements a tad?"

Xiang Weiguo shook his head. "This first batch is experimental in nature, so we shouldn't set too many physical requirements. As long as they don't look particularly overweight or weak, it's fine. However, we need to distinguish former soldiers, especially the reserves."

Liu Siming whispered, "Commander, all of our reservists and veterans are registered."

Xiang Weiguo waved his hand. "Go ahead with it. You still don't quite get my intention. We're not gathering reserves; we're just calling up ordinary people and trying to train them into qualified volunteers."

Liu Siming was a platoon leader with twenty-five people under him. Now operating in pairs, they started registering the volunteers' names at the arranged tables.

There were five groups in total. As soon as each group registered a hundred people, they stopped. It took less than twenty minutes for all five groups to register a hundred people each.

As for Gao Yuan, he was the first on the list.

Five lists were handed to Xiang Weiguo. Veterans and reservists were marked on the lists. Xiang Weiguo glanced through them and said in surprise, "So many reservists?"

"During registration, reservists and veterans were given priority."

Xiang Weiguo smiled and told Liu Siming, "You've still pre-screened them. Otherwise, the proportion of veterans wouldn't be this high. Well, it's okay. Let's start organizing according to these five companies. Have the others leave, and only those who have registered remain."

Using his pen, Xiang Weiguo began to write and sketch on the lists. Another hour passed before Xiang Weiguo started to address his assembled recruits.

"Greetings, everyone. Let me introduce myself. My name is Xiang Weiguo, a retired soldier. As for you, you're the first batch of volunteers who signed up for military training and possibly combat against zombies. First, I want to tell you the training will be tough, and the training is just the beginning. After you've received sufficient training, you'll assist the military with certain operations. So first, I need to ask, are you afraid of dying or suffering? If you are, raise your hand now and you can leave. I just need to cross your name off the list. Does anyone want out?"

"Reporting, Commander, I'm neither afraid of hardship nor death!"

Someone in the crowd shouted, leading Xiang Weiguo to laugh and say, "Putting 'not afraid of hardship' before 'not afraid of death' must mark a former soldier. Let me tell you, many people are not afraid to die but dread hardship. Once the training starts, many will feel they'd rather die than suffer so. Does anyone regret their decision?"

No one spoke, and Xiang Weiguo nodded in satisfaction. "Good. I've asked you all, and you can't say I didn't give you a chance to rethink. Now, let me explain the basic unit structure. First, you five hundred are a battalion. A battalion will be divided into five companies, each with a hundred people. Each company has ten platoons, each platoon with ten people. This is the most preliminary organization, and it will certainly change."

Everyone watched Xiang Weiguo, who paused before adding, "You'll form the most basic training and combat units in groups of five. Each group will temporarily appoint a group leader. Two groups make a platoon, and the platoon leader will be selected from among the group leaders. However, group leaders will be reelected in a week, chosen by voting. The company commander will be selected from among the platoon leaders. Any questions?"

This was the simplest way to form units, comprehensible to everyone.

Seeing no one had queries, Xiang Weiguo gestured with his hand and said, "Now, active-duty military personnel will organize and manage you. I declare that those who join as volunteers can move out of their lodging immediately. Listen up, I don't care about your family situations or your health conditions. From now on, follow orders in all your actions. Punishment is certain for anyone who disobeys."

Because the exercise was experimental in nature, Xiang Weiguo's methods were simple and brutish. He managed to finish the basic organization process in less than an afternoon.

Never mind the quality, the speed was certainly fast.

"Those who hear their name, stand to my left. First platoon of Company One, Gao Yuan, Ma Zihang, Li Changfeng, Li Xiaodong, Zhang Zhe, you five are one group. Zhang Zhe will serve as the platoon leader and group leader for Group One. Tong Siming, Wang Mingyu, Han Ruoqi, Fang Xiang, Sun Wang, you five are Group Two, with Sun Wang as Group Two's leader."

Several people already stood beside Gao Yuan. From now on, they were a platoon.

The only feeling was that this formation was too casual, still without even a formal name—it was too perfunctory.