A week later, after the Freedom Carrier company had launched the operation New Dawn that had razed Tokonosu City to the ground, the beautiful landscape of the once bustling metropolis was now reduced to ruins that were littered with carcasses of not just zombies but also some survivors who got exterminated along with the zombies by the Freedom Carrier exterminator force.
"Hey, be careful of your step, you dumbass! You want to kill us all?!"
"Holy fuck?! There's a butt-naked dude hidden inside the fridge!"
"He's alive! Someone call the van to pick him up!"
In the city amidst the many piles of rubble from the destroyed buildings, many Freedom Carrier deliverymen, the volunteer survivors, and a small group of civil servants could be seen diligently cleaning up the place as they cleared out the rubble and discovered some alive survivors from time to time, while the lifeless bodies of both the undead and the unfortunate survivors who didn't heed the Freedom Carrier warning to evacuate the city were being transported away by the Freedom Guards as they loaded up the bodies in big military trucks, and then they will deliver the bodies to a large white dome structure that was built in the center of Tokonosu City for recycling process, hidden away from anyone's sight.
Within the white dome is a huge pile of human bodies mixed together with the rubble and all kinds of objects that were dumped there, as the Godblood cube is currently converting them all into a multi-block of dirt for later use while the Freedom Carrier deliverymen are secretly transporting the converted dirt blocks out of the dome to the warehouses deep underground of the secret underground base that are located underneath Tokonosu City that were built by the Freedom Carrier before the apocalypse started.
Inside the warehouses, there were all kinds of things being stored there, as most of the supplies and resources of Freedom Carrier were coming from these warehouses after the dirt blocks got fed to the Godblood factory in the underground base to build and produce whatever Zeno thought he might need in the future, as the total amount of resources in the warehouses could probably last even the previous population of Tokonosu City for a decade.
Inside the underground base, countless shadow clones of Zeno could be seen working tirelessly without the need for breaks or food, efficiently sorting through the supplies and resources in the warehouses as they delivered the things that needed to go to the shelter camp and the four bases on the surface according to the instructions. The entire base is not only populated with the shadow clones but also with automated drones and machines that are busy whirring and moving around, delivering the dirt blocks into the factory to process them into building materials for the new city that Zeno was going to build.
As of right now, the overall situation in the city above has started to settle down for the most part, and it won't be long before the Freedom Carrier company can start rebuilding the city for the survivors to live in again, although there were also the group of troublesome survivors that had chosen to stay in the city before the operation New Dawn started but were not bad enough to be marked as the target to be exterminated, waiting to be dealt with.
Right now they are under the strict watch of the Freedom Guards in one of the four bases. They were already given two simple choices: to either join the other survivors in the shelter camp and be the citizens of the new city that was about to be built or just go on their own way with some supplies that would be given to them as a generous farewell gift.
They are pretty hesitant about what to choose and currently arguing with each other for some reason or another. It was a very frustrating sight to watch for the Freedom Guards, who were watching them with annoying expressions, since they just kept dragging on and on with their stupid hypotheses and conspiracy theories.
"Make up your goddamn mind already…"
One of the Freedom Guards muttered out loud what all of the Freedom Guards were currently thinking as he wondered if he could help them decide faster with a fist-to-the-face persuasion technique...
"It's very hard to be a civilized people..."
This quote has become rather popular amongst the shadow clones of late, as they have to deal with these types of people. They are also disgruntled at the fact that Zeno still has some restraint and doesn't want to just enslave all of the stupid people for his convenience.
"Well, at least we still can beat up the one who gets too annoying."
Of course Zeno is not naive enough to let such people walk all over him just to be called a good guy, since he still believed in competitive violence, the universal solution for all problems with the people who can't be reasoned with; if not, then you're just a weakling who others will happily prey upon, since it's animal nature to hunt the weak, after all.
÷×÷×÷
Back at the temporary shelter camp, after Zeno had declared the operation New Dawn was successful, he then announced to the survivors through the TVs that he would be in charge of the rebuilt Tokonosu City in the future as its owner, lord, mayor, or whatever title they used to call the person in such a position—he doesn't really care much about that.
And then he started informing the survivors in the shelter camp that they are free to choose if they want to be under his rule and live in the city that is about to be built, or they can go on their own way with some given supplies that will probably last them for a week. He also gave them a week grace period before they had to make a decision and go inform one of his assigned shadow clones about this stuff that will register them as citizens or send them away with an escort that will make sure they get out of the camp.
The reaction of people to this news has been mixed but mostly positive since they will not have to worry about the undead any longer if they choose to be under Zeno's rules. Some are still skeptical and remain wary but have decided to keep their heads down and obey for now since the company is keeping them fed and providing security for them without demanding anything excessive. It's the only logical choice for them to obey Zeno since he seems to be the only one who can provide them with what they need in this zombie apocalypse.
In one of the residence tents of the temporary shelter camp, Rika Minami, a former sniper of the Tokonosu police force who had arrived at the shelter camp to find her friend Shizuka, subtly looked around inside the tent she was staying in with Shizuka for any presence that might hear her. As she saw no one, she held up the black satellite phone to her ear, her voice whispering slightly as she relayed her report of the camp back to her superior at the international offshore airport, who she made a deal with to allow her to come find Shizuka in return for being their spy inside the temporary shelter camp of the Freedom Carrier company.
"The current situation at the shelter is surprisingly stable, sir."
Rika spoke through the static-filled line while she relaxed slightly as she sat down on her bunk bed while the murmur of the people outside the tent could still be heard faintly as they discussed the recent events.
"The survivors are... well, they're adapting as well as they can to the strict but reasonable living standard that the company provided for them, and they are very obedient to the company rules since those who cause trouble will either be exiled or forced to labor for the company."
She has seen how careful and obedient the people here are to the company authority; she can't imagine anyone else could have achieved equilibrium in administration like this company with their usual soft or too harsh methods of rulership in the pre-apocalypse world.
"There's also talk of relocating the survivors back to the city after they finished building the residence zone for the survivors."
Rika added, with a small smile on her lips. To be honest, she feels quite glad that the situation is finally getting better for the people here and doesn't really care that the city was basically demolished by the company to achieve that.
"The Freedom Carrier company is planning to start rebuilding immediately, and they allow everyone who wants to contribute something to help them too. Many job boards are already set up in the shelter for the survivors to pick what they want to do with a reward in the manner of credit points that can be used to purchase various services from the company. It's all very... structured system."
On the other end of the line, the deep voice of her superior crackled through the phone.
"Good, keep us updated on any changes in the camp and the Freedom Carrier's force movement."
"Understood, sir. I'll keep you informed."
As she hung up, she couldn't shake off the feeling that her actions were not very covert, like she believed she was but couldn't really tell why. The strange feeling of being watched is always there, but she doesn't see anyone that might be watching, so Rika just brushes it off as the paranoia that comes with her current espionage mission.
"I am really not cut out for this kind of sneaking around, huh?"
Rika muttered to herself as she placed the satellite phone under her pillow while shaking her head with a wry smile. Please don't judge; she doesn't really have anywhere else to hide the phone that can be easily accessed without the Freedom Guards spotting her other than here, alright?
Rika then took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves, as, despite her successful remaining hidden for now, the constant fear of discovery was weighing on her psyche. She knew that Zeno and his Freedom Guards were pretty unhinged when they were dealing with hostile people. She could imagine what they might do to her if she was discovered, and her friendship with Shizuka will probably not going to save her.
"I should not make that deal and just come here without telling them anything…"
She is now regretting her decision a little since she might indirectly cause trouble for Shizuka's relationship with her crush if she is discovered somehow as a spy.
"Hah…"
Rika sighed as she stepped out of the tent to the outside world; the warm breeze greeted her as it brushed against her cheeks. The camp around her was buzzing with activity as she looked around while the survivors and the Freedom Carrier's employees were moving past her as they only gave her a quick glance.
Currently she wore a white choker, a black jacket over a white sports bra, a pair of jeans with a leather belt, and black combat boots. It can be said that her current appearance is not that much different from what she wore when she first arrived at the camp.
As Rika saw some of the people who still had hope in their eyes despite the horrors that they must have seen and experienced when the outbreak began, which was so much different than the people at the international offshore airport who had either expressionless or depressed faces with dead looks in their eyes, Rika's mood now became a bit better because of the hopeful atmosphere in the shelter camp that was caused by the announcement from Zeno this morning.
Rika looked up at the orange sky as the sun was starting to set on the horizon while it cast a warm orange glow over the landscape; Rika couldn't help but feel hopeful for the future as well as a sense of sentimental melancholy for Tokonosu City, once her home, now lying in ruins, and the friends in her squad who had lost their lives, some of whom she had taken with her own hands.
"Mmh?"
Then her thoughts were interrupted by an unexpected sight of Shizuka, the dizzy school nurse and best friend of hers, who was strolling alongside Zeno Zavior, the mysterious and handsome owner of the Freedom Carrier company.
Both of them are dressed in casual getups with ice creams in their hands, and they are generating a dense rom-com aura around them so shamelessly, which is such a stark contrast to the grim reality around them, as the two blondes are very notable in this entire shelter camp.
"..."
The corner of Rika's lips twitched a little as she took in the scene of the pair walking around the refugee camp with ice creams in their hands. It was almost comical if not for the group of the intimidating Freedom Guards walking behind them closely.
"Are~? Is that Rika~? Oiii~! Rika~!"
Eventually Shizuka ended up noticing Rika as she waved at her and called out to her cheerfully; her carefree voice seemed to visibly brighten the place as Rika couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy since her best friend looked so carefree, so unbothered by the horrors around them.
The two blondes then made their way over to Rika as the people quickly steered clear of the two, while Zeno looked at Rika with his icy blue eyes, a small smirk playing on his lips as he took a bite of his ice cream; his thoughts are unfathomable.
Shizuka, on the other hand, was practically beaming, her eyes shining with excitement as she went and grabbed Rika's hand and put her in front of Zeno while she stood next to Rika.
"Zeno-san, let me introduce you to my best friend, and Rika, let me introduce you to Zeno-san!"
"Oi, Shizuka…"
Shizuka's cheerfulness was a stark contrast to the somewhat awkward Rika, who was not ready for any of this introduction yet. She practically got dragged by Shizuka to be at the front of Zeno unprepared while he was just watching them with an amusement in his eyes.
"Hi, nice to meet you~"
Zeno greets as he gives his half-eaten ice cream to one of the Freedom guards behind him, while the guard gives him an incredible look before he grumbles under his breath as he receives the half-eaten ice cream from Zeno.
"What the hell do I do with this…?"
The Freedom Guard now knows what all the parents must feel when their kids dispose of their half-eaten snacks onto them like they think their parents can magically make the leftover snacks disappear or something...