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墨書 Inktalez
In the post-apocalyptic world, east of Ruiguan has become a new Gathering Place where humanity struggles to survive, hoping to live another day.
Rampant Zombies roam the mountains and forests, and despite continuous purges over the past month, it has proven futile.
There are simply too many Zombies, numbering in the millions. Although there are no Third Stage Zombies among the wandering hordes, even Second-Level Zombies are beyond the capability of ordinary people to withstand.
Only the Firestorm Team, consisting of 00 members, can effectively eliminate the Zombies. Their leader, Left Guard, holds significant power. Though few in number, they are considered the strongest force within this Gathering Place.
On the other hand, the former Devil's Advocate, now known as Pu Qiang, has successfully recruited members for the Bloodbath Legion. While they lack Plate Armor, they have trained with their spear formations for over half a month.
Most of the members were selected from those who had previously served in the military, while others were chosen for their strength.
Currently, both teams have cleared a Safe Zone within a ten-mile radius towards Jiang Direction from the Gathering Place beneath Ruiguan.
Within a five-mile range lies an absolute Safe Zone where very few Zombies can breach.
The goal for other explorers is to scavenge items outside this Safe Zone—things from Zombies and items from villages, including metal furniture, computers, and household appliances.
Everything is collected as if locusts had passed through, leaving nothing behind.
In the Gathering Place, cars have gradually been phased out. The further away from the outbreak of the apocalypse, the more severe the effects of that mysterious force became; everything ceased to function just a few years ago.
A storm reminiscent of the apocalypse swept through, causing four or five dozen people in the Gathering Place to suddenly mutate into Zombies.
After a period of panic, calm was eventually restored. Of course, those who still live now fear not even a newly transformed Zombie.
"The pace of land cultivation needs to accelerate. The planting of Winter Wheat must be resolved this autumn; otherwise, food will be a major problem next year. The supplies provided by the leader are enough for us until May next year, but we must have our own crops to maintain the stability of the Gathering Place."
"Although I don't know where the leader's food comes from, it must be from the national Granary. Over a year has passed since the apocalypse, and food from a few years ago must be starting to spoil. The food issue is the foundation for the entire Gathering Place's survival."
Li Qiang looked at the notebook in his hand and began his work.
Since he applied for the job a month ago, his life had undergone a transformation. He was no longer that proud young man but an ordinary advisor.
Or rather, a member of Zheng Yifan's Think Tank.
His job was to coordinate all information within the Gathering Place, clearly and impartially conveying everything to the leader, along with a personal recommendation report.
The task seemed simple, but to Li Qiang, it was anything but. This was a stepping stone to another stage. Through investigation, he became increasingly alarmed; without data support before, he only knew that this Gathering Place, with its mere three thousand people, seemed to have abundant resources.
However, after conducting his research, he realized he was wrong. It was not just abundant; it was simply unimaginable.
The plentiful weapons and armor, the bountiful Granary, and the leader's formidable combat power all excited him.
The tasks of the advisory team revolved around the leader; they shared glory and loss together. They dedicated their thoughts and efforts to strategizing for the development of the Gathering Place.
He appeared to have no authority, yet he was becoming increasingly trusted by the leader.
And Li Qiang was recently one of the most valued talents by Zheng Yifan—smart, clever, insightful, with a broad perspective—managing and coordinating this Gathering Place as if he were observing patterns in his palm; everything was clear at a glance.
Although he lacked experience and insight in warfare and combat, he was still considered a valuable asset.
If he managed political affairs, success would surely follow.
However, Zheng Yifan did not need to send anyone to manage those below him; he needed to slowly cultivate talent. He established a new school in a location just outside the Gathering Place, where the buildings were all model houses, and construction was completed quickly. Here, a large number of selected former university students underwent assessments and received indoctrination education, pledging loyalty solely to Zheng Yifan. Graduates were gradually assigned to grassroots positions to form a management structure.
Han Rui had long since retired from her previous roles and now only managed Zheng Yifan's household, becoming his steward in this apocalyptic world.
She understood that if she intervened in matters concerning the Gathering Place, it could easily destabilize the people's hearts and potentially lead to her own downfall.
She was a wise woman who knew when to advance and when to retreat; otherwise, while Zheng Yifan might hesitate to act against her, those whose interests were tied to him would not spare her.
The entire Gathering Place needed only one voice; any interference with Zheng Yifan's rule was absolutely forbidden.
This was the consensus of the current Management Team.
The Administrator now consisted of only a dozen or so individuals, even fewer than the number of advisors. These included the heads of public security, taxation, labor, education, technology, supervision, agriculture, as well as the president of the Explorer Guild. They had initially structured the operational framework of the entire Gathering Place.
Ordinary people could seek a full meal and stable lives in their positions, while joining the Explorer Alliance offered opportunities for overnight wealth—if one was willing to work hard, unexpected riches awaited.
New buildings established by wealthy explorers were slowly appearing around the Gathering Place. Materials like cement and steel reinforcements brought back from explorations could be purchased with Ration Tickets, allowing individuals to construct their own homes.
As long as they applied for land according to regulations and paid a small processing fee, they could build their own residences.
The ongoing constructions on the outskirts were all luxurious mansions designed in the style of post-apocalyptic villas.
With labor costs low, one could hire a strong man for work in exchange for just a few pounds of Ration Tickets. Those whose pockets were gradually filling up saw potential in the development of the Gathering Place and began preparing to establish their own homes there.
While continuing to record everything about the Gathering Place in his notebook, Li Qiang walked towards what was now the military camp.
It was located ten miles away from the Gathering Place, surrounded by barbed wire. He could see bicycles speeding along the paved dirt road, followed by several tricycles—commonly referred to as "backward donkeys."
The tricycle was loaded with goods, all of which were brought to the military camp to record Military Merit. The camp placed great emphasis on regulations; to be promoted, one had to accumulate enough Military Merit, which could be exchanged for various items.
At the entrance of the camp stood a solid concrete wall over fifty meters long. The wall was painted pure white, covered with thousands of items on the Exchange List.
Almost everything they needed for daily use was listed there.
For instance, exchanging for a tube of Toothpaste required only 1 point of Military Merit. This amount of Military Merit could easily be earned by bringing back any small item during missions.
A pound of food also cost just 1 point of Military Merit. The only prohibition was that military members were not allowed to trade supplies among themselves.
Food exchanged here could only be consumed by oneself or given to family members; casual trading was not permitted.
Interestingly, a pound of pork cost exactly 7 points of Military Merit. Usually, fellow soldiers could redeem it for their families.
As for themselves, the camp had a five-star hotel chef from the Post-Apocalypse who personally cooked, assisted by four or five apprentices preparing delicious meals.
Such luxuries were unimaginable for ordinary people in the apocalypse: fresh vegetables, beef and lamb, Seafood.
Recently, the chef even managed to set up an oven; the taste of Peking Duck was simply irresistible. The richer menu ensured that every meal left them savoring every bite.
The only thing that troubled them was the extra training after completing missions. Everyone in the camp took up shovels and picks to begin digging a cellar for storing ice and tunnels leading outside Ruiguan.
The cellar was manageable and could be completed in a few days with everyone taking turns digging from dawn till dusk. However, the tunnel required much more effort; each tunnel twisted and turned with various partitioning measures.
Warriors who had once lived in Howling Wind Gathering Place knew that these tunnels resembled the facilities beneath Howling Wind Gathering Place and Gladiatorial Arena. While those were expanded using existing Underground Pipelines and wiring, their own tunnels were being excavated anew.
But the purpose remained the same: to connect both Gathering Places and the area outside, allowing the military to swiftly deal with any zombies attempting to cross over. This would enable soldiers to traverse directly through the tunnels to reach outside Ruiguan.
More importantly, release the Zombies and slaughter the Zombie Crystal s.
In this tunnel, there is also a mechanism with a Dragonstone observation hole, allowing for constant monitoring of the number and levels of Zombies within. At any moment, the tunnel can be sealed off instantly if necessary. Additionally, there are oil injection holes set up inside, ready to ignite the entire tunnel and burn all the Zombies within to ashes.
Even if a Third-Stage Zombie enters this tunnel, there would still be no escape. The fierce flames fueled by oxygen and gasoline would consume everything.
Of course, if a Fourth-Stage Zombie were to appear, they would have to accept their fate. Fourth-Stage Zombies possess the ability to directly cross Ruiguan, making it irrelevant whether they sneak over or not; none of them would have any means to deal with it.
Li Qiang was outside carefully examining the military camp's Exchange List, re-evaluating all items and adjusting his pricing suggestions for exchanges.
For instance, regarding the first exchange item, he felt a deep sense of regret; it only required 10,000 Military Merit. Searching outside for just a few dozen Tricycles worth of goods would be enough for an exchange—far too easy for those people.
The Essence from the original man-eating plants amounted to only seven that were about to produce. Moreover, they were all low-level plants, yielding only the lowest grade of Essence, with a low chance of evolving into Superpowered Individuals.
He learned this from high-ranking personnel who had escaped from Hansui City.
"I wonder when the leader will return. It has been over three days since I last saw him; he comes and goes like a ghost. I have no idea what he is up to."
Meanwhile, Zheng Yifan was on a flight back to his homeland, resting with his eyes closed as he awaited his return to familiar surroundings and looked forward to seeing the gradually rising smiles of those refugees in this apocalyptic world once again.
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