Chapter 16: Watching and Waiting

Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out from the distance.

“Hahaha~”

“I just knew it~~~hahaha!”

“I knew you wouldn’t die!”

“My brother Rat!”

“Even the King of Hell wouldn’t dare take you!”

People in the tent area all turned to look. There, a man with a rifle slung across his back, with a crafty glint in his rodent-like face, was running toward them, ignoring the curious stares of passersby. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he shouted incoherently, dashing forward with a group of excited men following, each with a steady stride.

Wang Ji saw Rat’s figure from afar, parted the crowd, and walked forward. Seeing the tears and snot on Rat’s face, he couldn’t help but smile bitterly, his eyes growing hot as he opened his arms.

“Brother…”

“You bastard, you old rascal!”

Rat threw his arms around Wang Ji and shouted, and the two embraced tightly.

Behind them, Li Chengming and his men hurried over, surrounding Wang Ji and Rat, their faces alight with the joy of Wang Ji’s awakening.

The nearby survivors, young and old, gathered around them in a circle.

After exchanging their excited words, Rat’s expression suddenly became serious. He knelt on one knee, placed a hand over his heart, and said, “Wang Ji!”

Those beside him were momentarily stunned, then smiled knowingly and followed suit, half-kneeling with one hand on their chests, all eyes focused on Wang Ji.

Nearly two hundred people knelt together, a scene so striking that the passersby turned to stare.

This made Wang Ji’s face grow increasingly warm. He hurried to pull up Rat and Li Chengming, but they remained unmoved.

“Wang Ji, listen to me!” Rat looked at him earnestly. “You saved all of our lives! You are our leader now! From this moment on, we’ll follow you through fire and water, unwavering!”

“Through fire and water, unwavering!”

Wang Ji felt their sincerity, saw the fervor and trust in their eyes, and bowed deeply to those around him. “Since you have chosen me, I, Wang Ji, swear to protect you all to the end! Now, please, stand up!”

“Haha, what a joke! Just find some extras to act out a scene and you think you’ve won their hearts?” A group of men strode out from the crowd, each with firearms slung over their shoulders and knives at their waists, looking hard and unruly.

“Tofu! This afternoon, go recruit a few people, give them some benefits, and I’ll put on a show as well.” The leader glanced at Wang Ji, who stood amid his followers, his tone dripping with mockery.

The men around Wang Ji glared furiously and stood up. Rat was the first, bristling with anger, ready to rush over and teach the man a lesson.

Wang Ji held him back. Since waking, Wang Ji had found his injuries not only healed but his strength and mental power vastly increased. He hadn’t yet checked the system status for exact numbers. Now, suppressing his emotions, he stepped forward to stand before the group, looking calmly at the intruder.

“Who are you? What do you want?”

A burly, bald man behind the leader stepped forward and pointed at Wang Ji. “You don’t know Brother Long? You don’t belong here!”

“Yeah! What an idiot…”

“Why does this guy act so tough? Is he some clown brought in for laughs?”

“Hahaha…”

Brother Long’s men doubled over with laughter, and Brother Long himself watched Wang Ji with great interest.

Rat was immediately indignant. He hefted his gun and strode forward. “Did you eat shit for breakfast? Is that why your mouth is so foul?”

“Screw you! Not convinced? Come on, let’s settle this outside!”

Both sides squared off, glaring at each other and trading insults, on the verge of clashing.

Wang Ji walked slowly to stand face to face with Brother Long, his gaze as sharp as knives. His enhanced mental power focused into two piercing points, stabbing directly at Brother Long’s spirit.

Brother Long shuddered under Wang Ji’s imposing presence, stepping back two paces, his face turning pale. Catching his breath, he found he couldn’t meet Wang Ji’s eyes.

“Hmph! I’ll let you off this time!” With that, Brother Long turned and hurried away, not daring another glance.

At that moment, several soldiers approached at a quick march from the distance, apparently alerted to the brewing conflict.

Brother Long’s men quickly followed their leader, not daring to look back.

Rat and the others burst out laughing. Then the soldiers arrived, faces stern, rifles in hand.

“Who’s causing trouble here? Was it you?” the lead soldier barked at Rat.

Li Chengming hurried forward, shook the soldier’s hand, and discreetly slipped him half a pack of cigarettes.

“Officer, it’s nothing. We were just chatting, no trouble here.”

The officer’s expression softened as he recognized Li Chengming as a familiar face from the camp. He said quietly, “Be careful. The higher-ups are cracking down hard, afraid of a mass riot in the camp.”

Li Chengming chuckled. “No problem, sir. Sorry to trouble you.”

With a wave, the officer led his men away.

Li Chengming wiped the sweat from his brow and returned to Wang Ji’s side. “Boss, that’s how these soldiers are. Fighting is strictly forbidden in the camp, and we can’t afford to break the rules.”

“It’s fine, Chengming. You handled it well,” Wang Ji said with a satisfied smile.

“But who was this Brother Long?”

Rat leaned in. “Boss, Brother Long is just one of the armed leaders in the camp. He’s got fifty or sixty guns under him. Only difference is, he got here a few days earlier than us and acts like he owns the place.”

“Oh? An armed leader? Is he officially appointed?” Wang Ji mused.

Li Chengming snorted. “Not by the military. The official camp force is the army. These armed leaders are self-organized; they just register their teams with the camp authorities.”

“Oh, right, we registered as an armed team, too. I’ll add your name as leader later.”

“No rush. Let’s disperse for now. Chengming, Rat, come with me and fill me in on the situation,” Wang Ji said.

After sending the others away, Wang Ji led Rat and Li Chengming back to the tent, where Xiaoyin and Xiaocong waited with expectant eyes.

More than an hour later, Li Chengming and Rat had finished recounting all that had happened during Wang Ji’s coma and the basic facts about the camp.

“So we ended up here, at the refuge Captain Zhao Gang mentioned, but why isn’t the army opening up the base to take in these refugees?” Wang Ji wondered, forming a basic assessment of the situation.

“By the way, has there been any word from Liu Shanye and his family?”

At the mention of Liu Shanye, Rat’s expression faltered and he sighed. “No news. We’ve asked around for a long time. I hope they’re all right.”

“The last I saw, he was with Uncle Zhao Wu’s convoy heading east. I’m sure they’re fine.”

Wang Ji felt sympathy for the man with his family in tow, but now was not the time for sentiment.

He composed himself. “You both have done well.”

“But after our breakout, I understand one lesson deeply.”

“If your strength isn’t your own, you’ll never stand firm. Only by becoming strong can we face any hardship without fear.”

Rat and Li Chengming nodded in agreement. During the breakout, failure to follow orders and poor coordination had cost them dearly; otherwise, more might have escaped.

“That’s why I’m going to build a team as professional as the army!” Wang Ji declared, looking at Rat and Li Chengming.

“I’m with you, Boss! Whatever you say, I’ll do!” Rat spoke up, as quick as ever.

Li Chengming, however, fell silent, thinking. “Boss, I agree, but we only have around thirty capable fighters. Most of our people are elderly, women, and children. I’m afraid we can’t meet your requirements.”

Wang Ji, instead of being discouraged, smiled approvingly. “That’s fine. Quality over quantity.”

“I plan to form four teams.”

With his heightened mental clarity, Wang Ji fused his knowledge of infantry tactics from the simulation space with the current reality, laying out his plan.

“First team: Reconnaissance Vanguard. Li Chengming, I remember you like sniper rifles—you’ll lead this one. Five people for now. I’ll give you training methods and equipment later.”

“Second team: Infantry Mobile Unit. Rat, you’ll be captain. Twenty people, split into two groups. Pick two deputies. Your main force should cover support, ammo, defense works, firepower suppression, and so on. I’ll prepare the details for you.”

Rat scratched his head, smiling wryly as if it were all Greek to him.

Seeing his expression, Wang Ji raised his voice. “Don’t worry. I’ll train you myself. Just follow my lead. As for the theory, I’ll make sure you memorize it all, even if you don’t understand it now!”

“Understood, Boss!”

Wang Ji nodded, satisfied. “The third team will be under my command—just five people for now. For now, it’s just me. When I find suitable candidates, I’ll recruit them. The team will be called Watchers.”

Li Chengming pondered the name, then nodded in understanding.

“The last team is Logistics. Originally, Liu Shanye would have overseen it…” Wang Ji paused, then looked at Li Chengming. “For now, since we’re short-handed, you’ll handle logistics as well. You seem suited for it.”

Li Chengming, resigned, joked, “As long as you don’t blame me if it becomes a mess.”

Wang Ji smiled, looking at him steadily. “I trust you.”

That single phrase, spoken with such deep trust, made Li Chengming straighten his expression and silently resolve to do the job well.