The most exciting moment was tallying the night's haul! Yet the results brought both disappointment and exhilaration. Disappointment: In four and a half hours, they'd killed only 306 zombies. Adding the 28 John and Charles dispatched during the day, the total was 334. Despite the numbers, the energy crystal yield was dismal—just two crystals. Exhilaration: Their killing efficiency had skyrocketed. Maintain this pace, and crystals would flow like water. When distributing the spoils, Charles followed protocol: Jeff received one crystal. The second went to Nicole. She'd risked her life with Jeff retrieving the guns and ammo, boosting the team's power and kill rate. Charles's fairness was absolute—no favoritism for his granddaughter. John wholeheartedly agreed. John was shrewd. He'

