Chapter 266: Dunbar

"The prisoners confessed that the Dragon Army won't send anyone to investigate the grain collection team until tomorrow—we still have some time to prepare. We'll set out at dusk, when it's dark enough to act!"

Zhang Su made his decision.

Everyone nodded in agreement; taking a little time to prepare and rest gives you much more confidence than rushing into action!

"Good. Let's lay out a detailed plan for tonight's operation!"

The group then devised a more detailed strategy for the upcoming lightning strike. To better understand the Dragon Army's structure, Zhang Su specifically brought the more cooperative prisoner, Xin Qi, to the dining hall to explain the overall layout of the Dragon Army headquarters.

At first, Xin Qi answered every question without hesitation, unaware of what the Tianma Isle group intended—but as the discussion deepened, he suddenly realized: these people were planning something huge!

"You—you… you're planning to attack the army headquarters?"

For ease of gesture, Xin Qi's hands had been unbound, but he was still tied to the chair; now he clutched his temples, staring at them in disbelief.

Zhang Su gazed at Xin Qi coolly: "What? Planning to deceive us with false information?"

"No, no, no! That's not it at all—I just think you're incredibly bold. The camp's defenses aren't impenetrable, but breaking in won't be easy, especially with so few of you. The difficulty is enormous. Be careful!"

Xin Qi's expression was exaggerated—he thought the world had gone mad.

"Some researchers have applied Dunbar's Number to economic and military organizations, finding that cooperation efficiency drops in groups exceeding this number, as too many people hinder effective communication. So right now, we still have plenty of room before efficiency begins to decline."

"Teacher Yu, what number?"

Zhang Su was delighted by this news—he needed to conquer sixty percent of the Dragon Army, which would greatly benefit him—and pressed on: "So according to you, the science and logistics departments are also growing distant from the core?"

"Dunbar's Number, also known as the 150 Rule, roughly means that human cognitive capacity allows for a stable social network of about 150 people. There are individual variations, but not much—because the theory was proposed by Robin Dunbar, it's called Dunbar's Number."

Zhang Su nodded seriously. The reason Tianma Isle could coexist harmoniously, he admitted without modesty, was due in large part to a strong leader—but another reason was population size. Once a group grew to the scale of the Dragon Army, problems were inevitable.

"Hey, so how do you think Tianma Isle compares to the Dragon Army?"

Zhang Su gave a warning glance, then asked curiously: "Something puzzles me—you're part of the Dragon Army's combat division, yet I get the feeling you don't care about them at all?"

Xin Qi thought carefully, then said: "You're like a family—your atmosphere is far better than the Dragon Army's. To me, the Dragon Army feels like a bunch of strangers forced together to complete tasks, with every small group scheming against each other. It's exhausting."

Zhang Su looked at Yu Wen with a strange expression—he hadn't expected to learn social psychology in the apocalypse. He smiled lightly: "Our population has just surpassed forty. We're still far from 150. So, Teacher Yu—is there any way to avoid efficiency loss after surpassing Dunbar's Number?"

Zhang Su instantly understood the meaning behind Yu Wen's gaze—some things, or certain management methods, were not for outsiders to hear.

Zheng Xinyu crossed her arms and asked.

Xin Qi chuckled awkwardly: "This is… how do I put it? I don't feel much loyalty to the Dragon Army. I'm less a member of their combat division and more like a mercenary…"

"Not to the point of outright disloyalty—just more focused on personal interests. Otherwise, no one would be sent down to spy and divide factions."

"Of course there is—but it involves fabrication. Hmm… we should discuss this another time, more slowly."

Yu Wen, sitting in the corner, pushed up his glasses and uttered a term that left everyone baffled.

Yu Wen was mid-sentence when he suddenly fell silent, gazing meaningfully at Zhang Su.

According to Xin Qi, the Dragon Army's system toward non-core members ensured that peripheral personnel had little cohesion, let alone belonging.

Xin Qi shrugged and made a face.

"You don't need to worry about our affairs. We ask, you answer. We're giving you a chance to redeem yourself—don't waste it. If there's any contradiction in your story, you'll die."

Zhang Su asked in surprise.

"Dunbar's Number."

"Alright, no more interruptions. Let's continue discussing the attack on the Dragon Army. Xin Qi, tell us about their patrol schedules and outlying sentry posts…"

This battle was critical. From dusk to dawn, they established three contingency plans for different scenarios.

The assault on the Dragon Army was clearly unusual—even Koji Hao Yun couldn't stay out of it; she'd use her speed to plant explosives, a vital task.

"Old Wang, you've worked hard. The logistics chores are yours and the United Village's now—we're going to rest!"

The combat team was set: only Wang Xin Gui from United Village would accompany them; Wang Longzhong would remain at Tianma Isle.

"Don't worry, don't worry, Boss Zhang—we've got plenty of strength. Leave it to us! You rest well!"

Wang Longzhong solemnly agreed. United Village had fully integrated into Tianma Isle—they shared fortune and misfortune—and now acted with full enthusiasm.

After the meeting ended, everyone gradually left the dining hall; those with time to rest seized it.

"You're tired, right? Go sleep. Leave the rest to us!"

Zheng Xinyu said with concern.

"Yeah! You're the backbone of all of us—if you're not in top shape, we're in trouble. Go rest—we'll handle the details!"

Zhong Xiaoshanyi said.

She and Zheng Xinyu would both accompany them to the Dragon Army, but their concerns were far fewer than Zhang Su's, their pressure lighter—they didn't feel exhausted.

"Don't worry—I've got it under control. Come on…"

"Mr. Zhang, is the matter resolved?"

As Zhang Su stepped out of the dining hall, he saw Fu Wei sitting in a wheelchair waiting in the courtyard, his shoulder-length hair messy. Duan Wu stood beside him.

"Temporarily safe. By the way, the Survivors' Alliance sent people after the explosion—a man named Gong Chengming led them."

Zhang Su walked into the courtyard, lit a cigarette, and signaled for Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshanyi to return first.

"Chief Gong?"

Duan Wu immediately stiffened: "You're sure Gong Chengming led them out?"

"Yeah, correct." Zhang Su nodded, puzzled: "What's wrong?"

"Damn, this is serious then. Gong Chengming is the second-in-command of the Survivors' Alliance—his status is only below Liao Youzhi. Honestly, in some areas, his word carries more weight than Liao's. And now he's come out in person…"

"That proves how important you two are to the Alliance, haha."

Zhang Su waved it off carelessly. After their brief encounter, he was certain the Survivors' Alliance wouldn't cause trouble soon.

"I'm just a deserter—I don't have that kind of clout. It's you, Jun, who has the influence!"

Duan Wu patted Fu Wei's shoulder.

Fu Wei smiled bitterly: "What influence? Liao Youzhi just hopes I can save his son—but that's impossible. Biologically, his son is no longer human—most of his cells have been replaced by zombie machines. There's no reversing it."

"Brother Zhang, did Gong Chengming say anything?"

Duan Wu cared more about the present situation.

"He asked about your whereabouts. I gave him the same story. Then they left. Oh, and Zhang Xin—who came looking for you before—showed up too. About twenty people total."

"Good, good… that's a relief." Duan Wu nodded, still shaken. "If this trip yields nothing, the matter will probably be dropped. Brother Zhang, sorry for the trouble."

Zhang Su waved his hand with a smile. Trouble and reward came together—he'd accepted Fu Wei's scientific support, so he had to bear the consequences.

"That!" Fu Wei's attention was entirely on something else—he pointed excitedly toward the parking lot, saying: "Mr. Zhang, I heard from Old Duan that the Dragon Army brought a modified zombie. Is that the big one lying in the parking lot?"

Zhang Su silently nodded—only a zombie could make Fu Wei wait coldly like this.

"Dr. Fu, the Dragon Army calls it Zero-Zero-Three. It's extremely destructive and must be controlled by electric current. I think this modified zombie is dangerous—if you want to study it, you'll need someone to assist you."

"Sure, no problem—I'll follow your arrangements!" Fu Wei lowered his posture drastically for the sake of research.

"It's not that…" Zhang Su suddenly realized Fu Wei had low emotional intelligence—but that was normal; he probably spent all his brainpower on IQ. He pointed to the bustling crowd: "We need to solve our immediate problems now. No one can assist you with research. And… we're planning to go to the Dragon Army—and we're taking Zero-Zero-Three with us!"

"This… will Zero-Zero-Three even come back?"

Fu Wei gripped his wheelchair handles tightly, his expression like a lover at a train station, asking: "Will you come back?"

"We'll do our best… By the way, I need your help. Today, urgently produce some bulletproof material—same as before. No sewing needed. Just cover the vital areas with one piece."

Zhang Su demonstrated the size to Fu Wei.

(End of Chapter)