Chapter 3: Establishment
Three days later, the campus had completely fallen.
I stood at the window on the fifth floor of the library, looking down at the infected wandering below. They were once students, professors, and janitors; now they had all turned into bloodthirsty monsters.
"Ethan, you're amazing!" Marcus ran over excitedly. "Everything you predicted came true!"
I turned around and looked at the Black boy whose face was full of adoration. In my previous life, he died in the second wave of infection; this time, I rescued him ahead of time. Not out of kindness, but because he was useful.
"It was just good luck." I pushed up my glasses, feigning modesty.
"Luck?" Sarah emerged from behind the bookshelf, carrying a pile of medical supplies. "You prepared all the supplies in advance, predicted the infection routes, and even knew which buildings were the safest. This isn't luck!"
Sarah Jones, a psychology graduate student, is a typical opportunist. She follows whoever is stronger, without any principles. In her previous life, she followed Madison; in this life, she's with me. Standing next to her is Liu Feifei, Madison's cheerleader best friend, the blonde girl we rescued three days ago.
"You've all worked hard." I glanced at the twelve survivors in the library. "Now we need to build a more robust defense system."
Over the past three days, I have successfully built this shelter using the knowledge gained from rebirth. The library is located in the center of campus, is a sturdy building with multiple entrances and exits, and has an independent water supply system in the basement. Most importantly, it is far enough away from the chemistry building that it is not on the main path of virus spread.
"Ethan is right," a voice came from the stairwell.
Madison slowly walked up, carrying a cup of hot tea. Her face was pale, and her eyes were red and swollen, as if she had been crying for a long time.
Taylor is dead.
Three days ago in the chemistry building, he was bitten by one of the first infected people. We successfully rescued him, but the virus had already entered his bloodstream. Twelve hours later, he died in agony, then stood up again and attacked others.
I ended his suffering with my own hands.
"Madison, are you alright?" Sarah asked with concern.
"I'm fine," Madison forced a smile. "Taylor wouldn't want to see me wallowing in grief. We have to keep living."
What a perfect performance.
In her previous life, she did the same thing, immediately switching to the persona of a strong woman after her boyfriend's death. Then she began her path of becoming a saint, using moral blackmail to control the entire team.
"We definitely need to establish a better management system." Madison walked up to me. "Ethan, you've done a great job, but I think we should be more democratic."
They've arrived.
"Democracy?" I feigned confusion. "What do you mean?"
"What I mean is, important decisions should be discussed together, not made by one person." She looked around at the others. "After all, we're a team, aren't we?"
Several people began to nod. Democracy always sounds wonderful, especially to those who haven't experienced the brutality of the apocalypse.
"Of course, I agree with democratic decision-making." I nodded. "Then let's discuss the issue of resource allocation."
This is the first trap I set.
"Yesterday we collected a batch of medical supplies, including antibiotics, painkillers, and bandages." I pointed to the medical kit on the table. "Based on my advice, they should be given priority to the injured."
Marcus cut his thigh with glass during yesterday's search operation. The wound is deep and requires antibiotics to prevent infection.
"Wait a minute," Madison suddenly spoke up, "I think we should be fairer."
"fair?"
"Yes." She walked to the medical kit, picked up a bottle of antibiotics, and said, "These medicines are precious; we should save them for those who need them most."
"Isn't Marcus the one we need most?" I asked, knowing the answer already.
"Of course, Marcus needs treatment." Her eyes gleamed with a saintly light. "But Liu Feifei's condition is more serious."
Liu Feifei is her cheerleader friend, a pretty blonde with blue eyes. Three days ago, she fainted due to excessive panic and is still running a low-grade fever.
"Liu Feifei only has a slight fever, and Marcus's wound may become infected," Sarah objected.
"A fever is dangerous too!" Madison's voice rose, tears welling in her eyes. "In this environment, any disease can be fatal! We can't assume Marcus is more important just because he's a man!"
A clever sleight of hand.
She transformed the issue of healthcare priorities into a gender discrimination issue, making anyone who opposed her appear to be discriminating against women.
"Madison has a point," a boy named Peter said. "We really should care more about our female compatriots."
Peter had always secretly loved Liu Feifei, and now that he saw an opportunity to get medicine for her, he certainly wouldn't let it go.
"I agree with Madison," another girl chimed in. "In a post-apocalyptic world, women need even more protection."
The situation began to tilt in Madison's favor. That's what makes her so remarkable; she can always find seemingly righteous reasons to justify her own selfish motives.
"Let's vote then," I suggested. "Raise your hand if you agree to give the antibiotics to Liu Feifei."
Six people raised their hands.
"Raise your hand if you agree to give it to Marcus."
Only four people raised their hands, including myself.
"Okay, it's a democratic decision." I sighed and handed the antibiotics to Madison. "Liu Feifei definitely needs these medications."
Madison took the medicine bottle, a victorious smile spreading across her face. But she quickly composed herself, donning a mask of gratitude.
"Thank you all for your understanding." Holding the medicine bottle, she said, "I promise Liu Feifei will recover quickly and then contribute even more to the team."
I looked at Marcus; his face was grim. His wound was still bleeding, but he said nothing. This twenty-year-old Black boy understood the harsh reality better than anyone else present.
"Marcus, how's your wound?" I walked over to him.
"It's okay, I can manage," he said through gritted teeth. "It's just a minor injury."
"I have some iodine here." I took a small bottle of disinfectant out of my backpack. "Use this to treat it first."
Marcus gave me a grateful look. At that moment, he was completely on my side.
"Ethan's so thoughtful," Madison said from the side. "We should all learn from you."
study?
I fought off the urge to vomit. This woman had just stolen a wounded boy's life-saving medication, and now she was praising me for being considerate. Her skin was thicker than an armored vehicle.
"Alright, everyone, take a break," I announced. "We need to continue gathering supplies tomorrow."
The others gradually left, leaving only Marcus and me.
"Ethan," he said in a low voice, "I feel like something's not right."
"What's wrong?"
"Madison." He glanced at the stairwell to make sure no one was eavesdropping, "Her friend Liu Feifei doesn't have a fever at all. I just touched her forehead, and her temperature is perfectly normal."
I feigned a shocked expression. "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely certain." Anger flashed in Marcus's eyes. "They're lying."
"Maybe it's a misunderstanding." I patted him on the shoulder. "Liu Feifei probably just had her fever break."
"No, this isn't a misunderstanding." Marcus shook his head. "I saw Liu Feifei talking to Madison in the corner; they were laughing."
Are you laughing?
My murderous intent intensified. These two bastards were treating stealing life-saving medicine like a game.
"Marcus, I understand your anger," I said earnestly, "but we need to stay united. If the team falls apart, everyone will die."
"I know," he said through gritted teeth, "I just feel disgusted."
"Just bear with it," I added to myself: They'll pay for this soon enough.
Marcus nodded, then dragged his injured leg toward his sleeping bag.
I stood alone by the window, looking at the ruins outside. In the moonlight, the figures of the infected wandered the streets, emitting low growls.
This is the second time.
In my previous life, Madison stole Marcus's medicine in the same way, causing his wound to become infected and worsen, ultimately leading to his death in my arms. Back then, I naively thought it was an accident, but now I know it was a meticulously planned murder.
I touched the recording device in my pocket. Today's conversation had been completely recorded, including her tricks of changing the subject and Liu Feifei's fake illness.
The evidence is piling up.
In a few days, when her true colors are fully revealed, I will let everyone see the true nature of this hypocritical saint.
Then, I will personally send her to hell.
