Chapter 50 – Authorization
Third Floor Office.
Wu Fan leaned back in his chair, routinely opening the Hive system panel and watching the fluctuating numbers.
Points earned: +450. Expenses: -230. Net gain: +220.
Every day, they earned several hundred points, while spending over two hundred on ammunition, supplies, and equipment maintenance. It was a constant cycle—barely breaking even.
He frowned.
Merle had taken a Humvee and ten men out on a mission, yet the kill count was this low? Even if his men were still rough around the edges, their efficiency shouldn't be this poor.
Wu Fan stubbed out his cigarette and picked up the phone.
"Have Sandra come to my office."
Five minutes later, Sandra entered.
She had changed into a clean combat uniform and looked far more presentable than when she returned from the University of Georgia. Still, faint dark circles lingered under her eyes.
Wu Fan gestured for her to sit.
"I have a mission for you."
Sandra immediately straightened her posture.
"Southeast of Atlanta…"
Wu Fan unfolded a map on the desk and pointed to a marked location.
"There's a National Guard training base that's now functioning as a refugee camp. You know it?"
Sandra nodded.
"Yes. I trained there before the outbreak. Medium-sized base—barracks, training grounds, supply warehouses. Fully equipped."
"Now it's a refugee camp," Wu Fan continued. "Survivors and National Guard personnel are maintaining order there."
He leaned back slightly.
"I want you to go there."
Sandra waited for the rest.
"Talk to them," he said. "See if they're willing to join us. If they agree, bring them back for processing. If not…"
He shrugged.
"I won't force them."
Then his tone turned colder.
"But those bastards who use power or weapons to oppress others—ignore them. If you feel like beating them up, feel free."
Sandra paused for a moment, then smiled faintly.
It was the first time she had smiled since returning.
"Understood, Boss."
She stood up.
"When do we leave?"
"The sooner the better. Take armored vehicles and your team. Be careful."
Sandra turned to leave, then paused at the door.
"Boss… what if things get out of control there?"
"Then bring them back," Wu Fan replied. "As long as they're not rotten to the core, I want them."
Sandra nodded and left.
Wu Fan lit another cigarette, but before he could take a drag, there was another knock.
Amy entered, looking slightly tense.
"What now?" Wu Fan asked.
"There's a situation in the quarantine area."
Amy frowned.
"The innermost room on the second floor is locked. Red Queen sealed it."
Wu Fan's expression darkened slightly.
So Red Queen detected it first.
Smart system—quick containment.
Amy continued, "Through the observation window… an elderly man who was fine last night turned into a Walker this morning."
Wu Fan was silent for two seconds.
It had finally begun.
Deaths in quarantine would become inevitable.
Old age. Weak bodies. Sudden cardiac failure during sleep.
Transformation was only a matter of time.
The rooms were reinforced, so containment wasn't an issue.
Red Queen locking the door was the correct response.
"Open it and handle it," Wu Fan said calmly.
Amy hesitated.
"Use your access card," he added, holding out his hand.
Amy handed it over.
Wu Fan inserted it into the system and authorized access through the Red Queen interface.
Then he returned the card.
"If this happens again, handle it directly. Don't report every case to me."
Amy nodded and left.
"Wait," Wu Fan called again.
"Bring Rick, Sean, and Edwin here."
Ten minutes later, the three arrived.
Rick had just finished training and was still sweating.
Sean followed silently, expression unreadable, eyes bloodshot.
Edwin came from the lab in a white coat, still carrying the calm curiosity of a researcher.
They stood in a line.
Wu Fan got straight to the point.
"A room in the quarantine area is locked. An elderly resident turned into a Walker. Red Queen contained it."
The three understood immediately.
"These cases will increase," Wu Fan continued. "I can't handle every one personally."
He placed several authorization cards on the table.
"From now on, each of you gets access to the quarantine floor. Handle these incidents yourselves."
Rick took his card.
"Got it."
Sean said nothing and pocketed his.
Edwin turned his card over curiously.
"Can this open other areas?"
"No," Wu Fan said flatly. "Don't even think about the Hive's restricted floors."
Edwin smiled lightly.
"Just asking."
Rick turned to leave, then paused at the door.
"The old man who turned…"
"Handle it according to protocol," Wu Fan interrupted.
"Confirm identity. Notify family. Then cremate."
He added quietly:
"The sooner, the better."
Rick nodded and left.
The office fell silent.
Wu Fan leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.
Deaths in quarantine would become routine.
Old age. Infection. Accidents. Transformation.
Someone would always have to deal with it.
He picked up the phone again.
"Amy, after the quarantine situation is resolved, have Dale check on the deceased's family. If they need help… offer what we can."
"Understood."
Wu Fan hung up.
Then he opened the system panel again.
Points still increased steadily—slow, consistent growth.
But his mind was elsewhere.
Sandra was recruiting National Guard soldiers. If successful, it would significantly strengthen the base.
Merle's efficiency still needed improvement.
Resources were not enough. Expansion was necessary.
And Sean…
He switched to the surveillance feed.
Sean was walking across the base toward the training ground.
His steps were steady.
His expression calm.
But Wu Fan knew better.
That calm was only on the surface.
Beneath it, something was slowly building.
Dale's conversation helped a little—but not enough.
This couldn't be solved in a single talk.
Wu Fan turned off the monitor.
Outside the window, construction teams continued pouring concrete for the perimeter wall.
The roar of machinery echoed faintly in the distance.
Farther away, elderly survivors sat in wheelchairs under the sun, chatting, knitting, and laughing as if the world outside didn't exist.
For a brief moment, it almost felt peaceful.
Wu Fan watched them for a while.
Then turned back to his desk.
There were still endless reports waiting.
The world outside was still chaos.
But here, in this small controlled corner of the apocalypse…
People were trying to make it less broken.
And that…
Was enough.