43: Chapter 43 Mobilizing the masses, employing both kindness and severity!

"For the fifth round, we'll use Carriage 5 as our temporary base!"

"Each of you bring your trusted team members. Lure all the zombies from the three carriages ahead and behind to one spot and clear them out together!"

"During this period, every team must kill at least 200 zombies!"

As Lin Xiao announced his plan, everyone gasped in shock.

"Two hundred? That many!" Xu Shan exclaimed.

"Is it?" Lin Xiao countered. "In the third round, I killed over three hundred zombies by myself."

At these words, Xu Shan instantly clenched his fists.

Damn, so this is the rank one big shot?

"I hope you don't miss such a good opportunity." Lin Xiao said nonchalantly. "Additionally, I'll be bringing two people with me."

He turned slightly and glanced at the two women behind him.

Everyone naturally understood the implication and didn't dare say much.

At this moment, Xiao He calculated the number of people present and felt something was off. "Brother Lin, if every team kills 200 zombies, but we only have seven carriages, and the maximum number of spawned zombies is 1400, then for eight people... there won't be enough to go around, right?"

This was indeed a problem, and the others looked over one after another.

Lin Xiao didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his conditions:

"I'll only be responsible for controlling the field, helping you heavily wound the zombies to ensure you can kill them safely and efficiently, and successfully make it onto the leaderboard!"

"Of course, I can't work for free. I'll take a fifty percent cut of all the materials and stardust dropped by the zombies. You can keep the equipment and skill books for yourselves."

He paused and continued,

"If you agree, we'll cooperate. If you feel it's a loss, the door is over there. You can leave now, and I won't stop you!"

"But let me be blunt, you aren't the only ones on the leaderboard with potential."

"Moreover, the fifth round is a crucial window to widen the gap. If you miss this chance, the price you'll have to pay to catch up later might be ten or a hundred times higher!"

After speaking, Lin Xiao said no more. He picked up a coconut and sipped it slowly, giving them enough time to weigh their options.

The people in the private room looked at each other, each with their own calculations.

Fang Yuan didn't hesitate; he already had his answer.

Without Lin Xiao, Carriage 5 would have been finished long ago.

Besides, he had also promised to save Chen Pingan.

Forget fifty percent, he would even accept ninety!

Xu Shan and Zhou Jun stood together. Although they didn't communicate openly, they had already sent many private messages to each other.

[02-04 Zhou Jun: Without Lu Yu, our strongest combatant, the pressure of killing zombies in Carriages 2, 3, and 4 has increased a lot. It's tough!]

[03-03 Xu Shan: Sigh, the fifth round is going to spawn 200 of them. If we're unlucky and get bitten by a zombie, it'll be too late for tears!]

[03-03 Xu Shan: So what are your thoughts? Are you going to work with Lin Xiao?]

[02-04 Zhou Jun: I think with him leading the cleanup, not only will our pressure be much lower, but we can also get the rewards for the top ten on the leaderboard.]

[02-04 Zhou Jun: Although I don't know what the rewards are, based on the prestige of the ranking, they probably won't be small...]

The two exited the private message interface and nodded in unison.

Let's do it!

Compared to the others, Fan Sinian thought more deeply.

Lin Xiao had personally killed Lu Yu's group and snatched the elite monster right in front of the people from Carriage 14. This showed not just martial prowess, but a profound and ruthless method.

One couldn't help but admire him.

And with Liu Bi's faction watching like hawks, if they didn't cling to this thickest of thighs, were they just waiting to be stepped on?

Now that the rank one big shot was willing to lead them, paying some price was worth it.

Besides, following Lin Xiao meant there was meat to eat and coconut juice to drink!

The silence didn't last long.

Holding a coconut, Xiao He, who felt it most deeply, was the first to stand up and speak.

"Brother Lin, I'll follow your lead!"

"To be honest, if Carriage 7 didn't have you, my flimsy door would have been smashed by zombies long ago!"

"And that Planting Box, when I first asked to borrow materials from you... I didn't expect..."

As he spoke, he turned to the others, his voice filled with emotion,

"I didn't expect Brother Lin to trade the materials over without a word. Not only did he give them, but he also sent stardust and a bag of compressed biscuits later!"

"You guys have no idea, I was practically begging everyone back then, acting all humble, but not a single person would give me the time of day!"

"Now, being able to grow so many coconuts is all thanks to Brother Lin's help!"

"I'll remember this kindness for a lifetime. Forget fifty percent of the materials, even if I gave them all to you, I, Xiao He, wouldn't say a word!"

At this point, Fang Yuan followed suit, his voice booming: "Brother Lin, I'm with you!"

"Yes, Brother Lin, we're in!" Fan Sinian, Xu Shan, and Zhou Jun also stood up one after another to voice their support.

"Very well!"

Lin Xiao looked at the emotional group before him, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"I believe in you, which is why I'm bringing you on board. Therefore, I hope your performance will satisfy me!"

As he spoke, he flipped his hand and took out the double-bladed battle axe. His aura shifted abruptly, and his gaze became piercing.

The sharp blade of the axe reflected a chilling light that swept across every alarmed face opposite him.

"Remember, I can bring you up, but I can also kick down anyone who doesn't follow the rules!"

The terrifying pressure lasted for several seconds before slowly dissipating as Lin Xiao restrained his aura.

The backs of everyone were already drenched in cold sweat, but the awe and determination in their eyes were clearer than before.

"Brother Lin..." Fang Yuan thought of a question. "If we clear out all the zombies, then what about the other passengers? If they have no monsters to fight, won't it be even harder for them to survive?"

"The apocalypse is inherently this cruel!"

Lin Xiao glanced at Fang Yuan and then pointed to everyone present: "In the previous four rounds, everyone had a chance to become stronger. If they didn't seize it, they could only be eliminated. Only those who seized the opportunity can sit here now and discuss the plan with me!"

At these words, everyone smiled sheepishly, their hearts burning with even more fervor.

At this point, Lin Xiao's tone softened slightly, but it still carried an unquestionable authority:

"After getting on the leaderboard, you will manage your respective carriages yourselves."

"The large amount of resources obtained will also be concentrated in your hands. You decide how to use them and who to give them to."

"If you encounter problems you can't solve, you can come to me. But normally, don't waste my time with trivial matters!"

At this moment, Fan Sinian scratched his head, his face showing unconcealable distress.

"What, is there a problem?" Lin Xiao looked at him. "Is it people, or something else?"

"People? Uh, there's no problem with people, it's just..." Fan Sinian glanced at Wen Yiran, who was sitting quietly nearby with an innocent look, and steeled himself to say, "It's just that Sister Wen is too ruthless... No, she's too good at business!"

"We brothers in Carriage 8 finally managed to save up some resources to buy equipment and repair facilities, but she drained us completely. Now looking at the online trades, it's all Sister Wen's goods, and the prices change every day..."

Hearing this, the others couldn't help but show wry smiles of shared experience.

They had all experienced Wen Yiran's business tactics.

Lin Xiao's expression remained unchanged as he said calmly, "Wen Yiran's trading channels can offer exclusive discounts to our own people later on."

Hearing this, Fan Sinian slapped his thigh hard in sudden realization.

Lin Xiao thought he was going to thank him, but he didn't expect the guy to speak first.

"I knew it! No wonder Sister Wen is so confident and dares to monopolize the market like this. It turns out you're the one backing her!"

"Whoa, Brother Lin, this move of yours..." Fan Sinian gave a thumbs up. "It's truly brilliant!"

He turned to the others and said excitedly, "Brothers, do you see? Brother Lin has grasped both the military force and the logistics economy in his hands. We definitely can't go wrong following him!"

"Right, right, right, Brother Fan is right!" The others also realized and chimed in.

The way they looked at Lin Xiao became even more admiring.