Chapter Forty-Eight: The Apocalypse Corporation

In the Skyward Base, the first truly sensational event was the hunting operations. The returns from these exceeded everyone’s expectations so greatly that the daily influx of dozens of tons of food brought an air of vitality to the entire base. Thanks to the distribution ratio of the spoils from the hunts, the base had returned to a level where white steamed buns were once more available to everyone, and a special addition was made: a breakfast of thin pancakes made from diluted flour. Those with some connections could even enjoy a bowl of savory fine noodles.

But if one were to speak of the most peculiar event, it would be the founding of the Apocalypse Corporation. In peaceful times, the establishment of a company would be entirely ordinary. In a cosmopolitan city like Skyward, hundreds if not a thousand new companies emerged every day; no one would pay this any special mind. Yet now was not an era of peace, but a post-apocalyptic world plagued by rampant zombies, where every person struggled simply to eat. In such circumstances, the founding of a company was nothing short of bizarre—if this was not strange, what could be considered so?

Ordinarily, the creation of a company would attract little attention, perhaps just serving as a topic for idle chatter after meals. However, once the conditions offered by this company became known, only the inhuman could remain unmoved. A daily wage of five pounds of fine flour was, in these times of dire scarcity, an astonishing offer—higher by nearly half than the three pounds allotted to base workers.

Perhaps five pounds of fine flour meant little to the hunters, but for the physically weak and scholarly, it was hope—the possibility of supporting oneself, even an entire family. Because of this, nearly everyone possessing a skill flocked to the Apocalypse Corporation’s site to interview. The entire street was filled to overflowing, yet the crowd continued to swell, each person vying for a chance at this hopeful yet elusive opportunity.

Those conducting the interviews were, of course, Qi Feiwu and the elders like Old Gu. Xie Han himself had no experience in such matters, nor did Xu Qiang or Taishan, who knew only fighting. The sheer number of applicants surprised even Xie Han and his companions. Who could have guessed that, in just this one base, so many people would possess specialized skills? Chu Tianhe, who had just been promoted to the team’s logistics officer, was ashen-faced—who knew how many talents lurked among these masses? If they hired even twenty or thirty, his meager resources would be exhausted, and the company might become a laughingstock within a month of its founding.

Naturally, an event of this scale could not escape the notice of figures like Chen Liu. On the day the company was founded and began recruiting, all of Xie Han’s acquaintances came to show their support. Chen Liu and his peers enjoyed a certain prominence in the base, and their presence only added to the Apocalypse Corporation’s mystique. Xie Han, having brought much from the modern world, was able to host them lavishly: two heaping platters of cured meat and several bottles of wine labeled vintage 2001, making everyone giddy with excitement. In this post-apocalyptic world, such fifty-year-old wine was a priceless treasure.

No words were needed—everyone devoured the meal ravenously, not leaving even a drop of sauce. Sated and content, Chen Liu clapped Xie Han’s shoulder and said, “Brother, this is the best meal I’ve had in over three years. If you ever need help, just ask. I may not have much, but I can easily bring together a hundred men if needed.”

His words were echoed by the others; all present were leaders of teams, commanding anywhere from dozens to hundreds of followers—a formidable force within the base. This was exactly what Xie Han wanted. In just a week, the Yellow-haired Kid’s team had expanded their influence at a frenzied pace, nearly monopolizing the hunting operations.

Xie Han was not one to shy away from trouble, but even more, he hoped to build the Apocalypse Corporation in peace; after all, this was the start of his true career in the new world.

Thanks to his connections with Chen Liu and the other twenty-some leaders, the company, within just three days, had quietly recruited several top experts and safely gathered over thirty elite talents from various fields. Although the base’s management made no official comment, they sent personnel to observe and record; after all, this was the first company founded since the apocalypse—a milestone of great significance.

After several busy days, the recruitment drive concluded. Those who were hired were overjoyed; those who weren’t left disappointed, lamenting their missed opportunity, some even lingering outside the company for days, unwilling to leave.

While the outside world speculated about how the Apocalypse Corporation would survive, Xie Han had already summoned Qi Feiwu and the entire leadership team to gather in the company’s conference room.

The management team was essentially the old core group from their days on the run. After two weeks of rest and rich nutrition, Lu Haiyang and his two companions looked much improved—no longer the sickly, sallow figures Xie Han had once seen. Because of this, he decided to include them in the meeting, intending to cultivate their abilities.

Once everyone was seated, Xie Han, without any pretense, took his place at the head of the table. After glancing over the group, he began, “The smooth founding of the Apocalypse Corporation is thanks to everyone’s hard work these past days. Without you, I could not have built this company alone.”

Laughter rippled through the room. Taishan winked at Chu Tianhe and said, “Boss, what hard work? You don’t know how many zombies I’ve killed, but this—this is a first. It’s exciting and new. If you really want to reward us, do you still have any of that red wine? Bring some out for a celebration! That’s the best thanks you could give us.”

Xie Han laughed and scolded, “Red wine? Do you know how many pounds of food a single bottle can fetch now? And mine are all top-quality vintages, decades old.” The others looked disappointed, but Xie Han continued slowly, “However…” He drew out the word, “however, since we have successfully established the company, it’s worth celebrating.” He had already prepared for this, reaching under the table and producing five bottles of wine from his storage space, placing them on the table.

Taishan let out an excited yelp, “Damn, Boss, when did you stash those in there?” Xie Han just smiled. He realized now that, to his team, he must seem almost unfathomable—the things he produced were all rarities in the base: cured meats every day, wines that even the base officials couldn’t drink, all of mysterious origin.

Distributing the wine, Xie Han said, “We’ll drink in a moment. For now, we have things to discuss.”

Chu Tianhe, already acting as general manager, grinned, “Boss, if there’s something to decide, just give the order. This isn’t peacetime—efficiency matters more than endless discussion. Do you really think having too many voices is always a good thing?”

His words quieted the room. Qi Feiwu opened her mouth as if to speak, then stopped; the three elders remained impassive, while Xu Qiang and the others were long accustomed to following orders and saw nothing amiss.

Xie Han paused—was this not dictatorship? But then, in this world, his subordinates had already accepted his authority, and the company was his; only his modern upbringing made him hesitate to embrace such power. He smiled, letting the matter drop, and said, “The main purpose of this meeting is to establish the company’s structure and assign roles, so we can get on track as quickly as possible.”

He had thought this all through. Qi Feiwu, once an executive at a major firm before the XR virus outbreak, was the perfect choice for vice president. Chu Tianhe’s strength was logistics, so he would oversee all food and supply matters. Xu Qiang, with his special forces background, was not suited to office work—Xie Han intended him as his personal aide. Taishan, meticulous by nature, was ideal for security and warehousing. The elders would head the various technical departments, their lifelong expertise finally put to use.

The appointments surprised no one; everyone had been working according to their strengths even before the company’s founding, and the assignments were just as they had anticipated.

With the appointments settled, Xie Han knew the next subject was the company’s profitability and survival—matters of utmost importance. Not only did these determine whether the Apocalypse Corporation could endure, they were the foundation of the team’s unity and belief in a future together.