Chapter 450: Such an Important Thing Can

"Eighty percent? Hmm..."

The only difficulty with this option lies in numbers: so far, both Little Eagle Society and Civilization Guardians have joined Tianma Island, achieving the C option's goal; the Survivors Alliance, with Zhang Xin helping pave the way, is manageable too, but the situation with the Awakening Group remains unclear—though based on their leader Yang Xin's attitude, the difficulty won't be too great.

But all this assumes no consideration of population ratios! Leaving aside the Survivors Alliance and the Awakening Group, even the Civilization Guardians and Little Eagle Society, already confirmed to have joined Tianma Island, cannot guarantee reaching eighty percent. It's simple to see: the Civilization Guardians brought out only twenty people, and eight had already chosen to leave the organization, accounting for forty percent! Put yourself in their shoes: if he were to suddenly lead Tianma Island into another faction, the core members would surely follow closely, but those from the satellite village? Who knows—they might have other plans.

According to the intelligence he had, the Civilization Guardians and the Awakening Group had similar numbers, around one hundred twenty to thirteen each, with slight differences in combat personnel ratios; the Little Eagle Society had fewer, only seventy-some.

The Survivors Alliance, despite losing thirty-odd people, remains the largest faction, with a population exceeding the combined total of the Civilization Guardians and the Awakening Group! "One hundred thirty plus one hundred thirty... hmm, roughly six hundred people total among the four groups, eighty percent is about five hundred. As the saying goes: gamble it all, bike becomes motorcycle—let's do it."

"A, I choose A!"

Zhang Su firmly selected A—he believed that human effort determines outcomes, and he was willing to fight for his reward.

【Challenge Completion Deadline: A—5 days, B—10 days, C—15 days】

"Holy shit!"

Zhang Su couldn't help cursing. The previous difficulties hadn't been too severe; with his own strength and the help of the faction leaders, achieving the goal was merely a matter of time. But the final item—the time limit—shattered his composure...

This wasn't about recruiting just one faction like the Azure Dragon Corps back then. Even then, Option A had granted ten days. Now it's halved? The suspicion of deliberately capping the reward is too blatant! Zhang Su was displeased, but what good would anger do when dealing with a higher civilization? "A—I choose A!"

Since he was angry, he'd turn that anger into motivation; since he was tense, he'd transform that pressure into action!

【Challenge Generated: Within five days, absorb and recruit all four factions of Beicheng. Each faction must contribute no less than eighty percent of its members to Tianma Island. Difficulty: A. Timer Started: 119: 9: 9.】

Survivors Alliance: 8/298, Civilization Guardians: 21/129, Awakening Group: 9/133, Little Eagle Society: 18/77.】

Seeing the familiar yet unfamiliar counter, Zhang Su smiled knowingly—he loved this feature too much. Too bad it couldn't stay permanently. Ultimately, he still had to train hard and activate the emotional resonance ability like Ju Wuying's.

After accepting the challenge, time flickered, and everything around him returned to normal: sounds reentered his ears, coldness returned to his skin, the stench crept into his nostrils...

He hurried to find a toilet stall. During this time, Zhang Su couldn't help focusing on those numbers.

It was understandable that eight from the Survivors Alliance agreed to be recruited—certainly Zhang Xin and his loyal subordinates. The Civilization Guardians were even clearer: Wu Daqiang's five were no problem; among the other sixteen, excluding Li Zongkai, it meant fifteen of the twenty who came along had already made up their minds internally—that was fascinating!

Among the twenty who came with Wu Daqiang, eight had previously left the Civilization Guardians. Logically, only twelve remained. Even if all twelve agreed, there were still three extra—those three must have come from the original eight. Clearly, some had regretted their decision.

The eighteen from the Little Eagle Society were also odd: Liu Yao's crushing defeat had already signaled the Little Eagle Society's merger into Tianma Island. If all twenty he brought had agreed, it should've been twenty-one, not eighteen—so three of them were clearly resentful.

As for the Awakening Group, Zhang Su wasn't in a hurry. Their situation resembled the Survivors Alliance's—they hadn't even been formally recruited yet, and nine already willing was a pleasant surprise! Zhang Su pondered for a moment, felt his butt and balls freeze again, quickly finished his business, and returned to the parking lot. People were still as lively as when he left—a good start. At least they held no hostility toward Tianma Island. He'd already intended to recruit more people and expand his influence; now, with the challenge added, he had to make this happen.

Clap. Clap.

Zhang Su clapped his hands, drawing the curious glances of the crowd toward him, and called out loudly: "Everyone, Tianma Island isn't that big—there may be lapses in hospitality. Bozi, Zhuzi, and Old Ma, take good care of the brothers from the various factions. You leaders, let's find a place to drink tea and talk!"

The faction leaders had long been eager for formal talks, but they couldn't stop someone from relieving themselves. Hearing Zhang Su's call, they abandoned their subordinates and hurried over to him.

Zhang Su led the calm Li Zongkai, the cheerful Zhang Xin, the pained Liu Yao clutching his stomach with one arm, the brooding Yang Xin, and the serious Yu Wen toward Xiao Xingyun, accompanied by Zheng Xinyu and Zhong Xiaoshan.

"Come in, everyone, warm yourselves up. This is where Tianma Island holds our meetings and meals. Smell it—you can still smell the aroma, ha!"

Zhang Su pushed open the restaurant door and stepped inside first. Returning to his own space lifted his spirits. Though the fire zombie had provided warmth earlier, it wasn't nearly as cozy as a heated room.

Zheng Xinyu glanced at Zhang Su with slight confusion—she didn't understand why his mood had improved so much after using the toilet. His earlier laughter was utterly unlike his previous polite demeanor; it radiated genuine joy.

Yu Wen also noticed this detail. He adjusted his glasses, pondering how best to cooperate with Zhang Su during the upcoming talk.

The group entered the restaurant one by one, glancing around. On the long table in the corner, bottles and jars were neatly arranged—tomato sauce, laba beans, fermented tofu, flavored broad bean paste, and more. Even without dishes, just these condiments could fill several bowls of rice! Transparent cabinets displayed bowls, plates, and utensils in perfect order. Some tables had tissues ready—this brightened the eyes of several.

Items like toilet paper, handkerchiefs, and napkins had been largely ignored at the start of the disaster. Most people had some at home, and since they couldn't be eaten or used to kill zombies, few even bothered to conserve them, wasting them freely.

Only when the situation stabilized did they realize the severity—until one day, squatting on the toilet, they found only a few strips left, and no one would lend them any...

"Yanluowang, you guys are really lavish—just using tissues like this?"

Zhang Xin dramatically walked over to the table, ripped off half a pack, neatly folded it, and stuffed it into his pocket.

Zhang Su stared at Zhang Xin in confusion: "You're... you're a squad leader of the Survivors Alliance. You're really going to steal these?"

"Mr. Zhang, you don't understand—hygiene paper is now a scarce resource in the city!"

Li Zongkai shrugged, took off his coat, and before Zhang Su could ask, explained calmly: "These supplies were never stored in large quantities in cities—they relied entirely on periodic logistics networks. Once those networks collapsed, supplies vanished quickly.

The nearby supermarkets and apartment complexes have been cleared out, barely sustaining us. But without new supply or a factory restarting production, the Civilization Guardians' hygiene paper will be exhausted in three to four months—even counting hidden stashes in unsearched apartments. Some households... searched every corner and found only one or two rolls!"

(End of Chapter)