In the girls' dormitory, room 202, four friends were deep in conversation.
Nazi broke the silence first. "I visited the floating island, and ever since I got back, this dorm feels way too cramped."
Orange nodded in agreement. "It does feel small. This room is only half the size of ours."
Mina leaned forward. "What do you think about Hu Tuan'er and Rice Noodles joining the team?"
Ruoruo responded with enthusiasm, "They're both really attractive, so I don't think there will be any issue."
Orange smiled slyly. "Oh, Hu Tuan'er is definitely going to join. With a face like that, a figure like hers, and those long legs—people will be envious."
Ruoruo laughed. "I bet Hu Tuan'er will score super high on looks."
Nazi chuckled. "Looks won't be an issue. We just need Mina to charm them and ask about their past. As long as there's no skeletons in their closet, they can join the team."
Orange added, "If they do join, we'll gain 80 attribute points. That'll definitely boost the team's overall strength."
Mina smiled. "I hope so. Right now, there aren't any issues, but when Hu Tuan'er and Rice Noodles come downstairs, one of you should take Rice Noodles aside while I work my charm on Hu Tuan'er."
Nazi stood up. "I'll take Rice Noodles. Leave it to me."
Mina nodded. "Great. Ruoruo, you'll record the conversation, so we can report it back to the captain later."
Ruoruo smiled and gave a thumbs-up. "On it!"
Meanwhile, on the floating island...
Yuto Saito received a call from Officer Song Yi.
After hanging up, Yuto pulled Yun Yun close, a grin spreading across his face. "Song Yi is bringing us crystals."
Yun Yun and the others looked surprised.
Ni Shuang couldn't contain her curiosity. "Xiao Tutu, what did you discuss with Officer Song? Why would she give us crystals?"
Yuto explained, "She called and invited me to join the military. I turned her down but offered to cooperate instead, and she agreed."
"I told her that if their military struggles with high-level monsters, we can step in. In exchange, we'll receive crystals—400 for a fourth-tier monster, 500 for a fifth-tier, and so on."
He paused, then continued, "Remember that fourth-tier human-faced demon spider I killed earlier? I told her if we were going to work together, she needed to settle the payment for that first. She agreed."
The group erupted in excitement.
Yu Qi clapped. "Captain, you're a genius! This is a great deal."
Natto practically bounced in her seat. "Wow! 400 crystals just like that? We'll be able to upgrade our floating island to level 4 soon!"
Yuto nodded. "We were planning to upgrade in three days, but now it looks like we might do it by tomorrow or the day after."
Ni Shuang grinned, her eyes sparkling. "The sooner, the better. Then we can expand the area, build houses, and start planting crops."
Yuto agreed. "Yeah, we'll plant the seeds first, then build residential and commercial areas."
Natto's face darkened slightly. "I saw in the news that several foreign countries have completely fallen. The survivors there are in a tough spot without military support."
Ni Shuang sighed. "Our Dragon Country is doing okay for now, but who knows how long that will last."
Yuto was more practical. "The country is huge. No matter how hard they try, they can only protect a few cities at once. If we want to save more survivors, we need to expand the floating island."
Yu Qi's voice was soft with hope. "I just hope our Dragon Country doesn't collapse like other places. It would be too hard to survive."
Yuto's expression grew serious. "If zombies evolve and higher-tier monsters appear, I doubt the army will be able to hold them off. We need to stay vigilant, even in times of peace."
Ni Shuang, though hopeful, was pragmatic. "You're right. As much as I don't want it to happen, we need to be ready for the worst."
Yun Yun, lost in thought, leaned against Yuto's shoulder.
He noticed. "Xiaoyun, what's on your mind?"
She looked up. "I'm just thinking about how we can quickly expand the floating island and collect more crystals."
Yuto gave her an encouraging look. "Go on, tell me what you're thinking."
Yun Yun sat up. "First, we need to keep hunting zombies and monsters to strengthen ourselves and gather more crystals."
"Second, we should coordinate with the officials to find higher-tier monsters and earn bigger rewards from the military."
"Third, we should set up the commercial street on the floating island and start trading food for crystals with survivors in other cities."
"Fourth, we need more offline bases. Even if we're not there, they can help us collect crystals."
"And fifth, we should find a pharmacist to make potions that strengthen ordinary people. That way, we can recruit more people to help us fight zombies and monsters."
The group listened intently, and when she finished, Yuto smiled, clearly impressed.
Ni Shuang nodded. "I completely agree with what you said."
Natto chimed in. "Same here. Let's get to work!"
Yuto grinned. "Then let's move forward with this plan."
He checked his watch.
Yu Qi asked, "Captain, when are you meeting Officer Song?"
Yuto replied, "7:30. It's only 7:10 right now, so we've got time."
Meanwhile, Hu Tuan'er and Rice Noodles had finished their meal.
Rice Noodles leaned back with a satisfied sigh. "I'm stuffed. That was amazing."
Nana Kane smiled brightly. "Yeah, it was so good! I can't even describe it."
Zhou Shuyi nodded. "It'd be great to have food like this every day."
Hu Tuan'er stood up. "Sister Zhou, take your time. Xian Xian and I are going down to meet Mina and the others."
Zhou Shuyi waved. "Alright, see you later."
Hu Tuan'er and Xian Xian left the dorm, heading to room 202 to find Mina and the rest of the girls.