Big Camphor Tree Base.
The sky was just beginning to lighten when Xiao Jun arrived at the wall.
Uncle, who was on duty, fetched Li Yu who was out jogging in the morning.
Li Yu wiped off his sweat and let Xiao Jun and his party in, still in his sweaty shirt.
Xiao Jun spoke plainly and directly to Li Yu: "Director Li, we’re going to the steel mill today and need your support for something."
"What’s the matter?" Li Yu asked, looking up.
Xiao Jun looked at Li Yu and said:
"He Chao mentioned there are many zombies near the steel mill, we’d like to borrow a drone to attract the zombies away when the time comes."
Upon hearing this, Li Yu immediately understood.
Initially, Li Yu had stockpiled some drones, and after the apocalypse broke out, he had collected quite a few more, including some large ones.
Therefore, the base was not short on drones; basically, everyone going out on missions would be equipped with a drone.
Additionally, the personnel on duty would regularly use drones to scout around the base.
Li Yu waved his hand broadly and said: "Sure. Also, do you have enough bullets?"
Upon mentioning this, a trace of embarrassment appeared on Xiao Jun’s face as he spoke:
"We had some stock left before, but after coming over from Juzi Island, we don’t have much left now."
Hearing this, Li Yu thought for a moment, then said:
"I’ll give you 1,500 rounds to support your operation this time. If you consume more at that time, I’ll provide you with additional supplies."
In the apocalypse, bullets, aside from food and weapons, were one of the most important things.
Without bullets, firearms are just fire sticks, even worse than cold weapons.
At least cold weapons are still sharp.
Xiao Jun gratefully said: "Thank you, Director Li, leave it to us this time, we’ll ensure it’s handled."
Li Yu replied cheerfully: "I believe in you. Okay then, anything else you need?"
Xiao Jun thought for a moment, then asked, "When do we set off?"
Li Yu was not sure about the preparations He Chao and the others had made, as he had seen them fueling the trucks last night.
So, he picked up the walkie-talkie and called He Chao over.
He Chao appeared, dusty and fully equipped, looking ready to go.
Li Yu asked: "When are you planning to depart today?"
He Chao, seeing Xiao Jun had come, said somewhat embarrassedly: "Right away."
Then he turned to Xiao Jun and said: "I’m so sorry, I was too busy yesterday to tell you about today’s timing, my apologies."
Xiao Jun waved his hand, indicating it was no issue: "We’re all ready, we can leave at any time."
Hearing this, He Chao became even more embarrassed, smacked his head, and said:
"It’s all my fault. I got too busy with some building materials yesterday and lost track of time. Captain Xiao, we will come over and meet up with you right away."
Xiao Jun nodded, exchanged a few words with Li Yu, then returned to the small courtyard on the country road.
Li Yu, looking at the somewhat weary He Chao, considered the construction materials the base needed recently, all of which had been managed by He Chao, not only distributing to the Extra Staff but also leading teams out to search.
So, he said: "You’ve been working hard lately. Here’s what we’ll do: the work assigned to the Extra Staff, for now, let Li Hang take over the coordination.
You can focus on gathering supplies for the time being. Once this busy period is over, you’ll get a break."
He Chao scratched his head and said: "No problem, I’m not the only one busy. I’ll coordinate with Li Hang regarding the Extra Staff."
Li Yu nodded his head.
Afterwards, He Chao left.
At the base, Second Uncle was mainly responsible for internal operation management, as well as liaison with external cooperative teams.
Uncle took charge of security for the base and regularly patrolled its surroundings.
Seeing that Li Hang had become much more steady recently, Li Yu intended to train Li Hang a bit more by giving him some extra responsibilities, exercising his management and communication skills in a position without too great a risk.
Lao Lu and a few others found Li Yu. Li Yu also told Lao Lu about the drones needed by Xiao Jun and asked him to bring them along when he went out.
He then found Li Yuan, had her approve the 1,500 bullets, and handed them to Lao Lu to be delivered to Xiao Jun when everyone left.
Fortunately, the caliber of the bullets they used was the same, avoiding any mishaps.
Before departure, Li Yu, along with Lao Lu, He Chao, and others, saw them off outside Xiao Jun’s courtyard.
Also, based on this mission, he indicated who would hold the leadership authority.
Both He Chao and Xiao Jun expressed willingness to follow Lao Lu’s orders during this operation, which greatly relieved Li Yu.
In a team, the most important thing is clear leadership authority; otherwise, when carrying out tasks outside, different views could lead to a loss of opportunity, and most importantly, in this world fraught with dangers, it could easily result in casualties.
Worst case scenario, it could lead to a complete wipeout.
After all, Lao Lu had been the captain of an Armed Police Battalion in a prefecture-level city before the apocalypse, and during his time in Jiefang City, he also took on important roles leading teams.
So, he had experience in leadership and management.
Xiao Jun also understood that even though he was a key member, having recently joined and being in a cooperative relationship, it was only natural for him not to take a leadership position.
This Lao Lu seemed to be a capable person, unlikely to issue incorrect commands.