Shortly after the big rat on the "motorcycle" set off with a group of rat brothers, a pioneer team of 500 refugees had moved from the temporary shelter to Changjiu Farm.
There are currently about 1,500 refugees stranded in the temporary shelter.
Now that winter has come to an end, the snow is slowly melting and seeping into the soil. They can't stay in the crowded dangerous building forever, which is neither safe nor hygienic, especially in spring, it is easy to become a breeding ground for germs.
Walking in front of the refugee team, Jiuli found Luca who was waiting at the east gate and shook hands with him.
"I was delayed on the road for a while and kept you waiting."
Luca said gently.
"It's okay. It's snowy all the way. It's not easy for you to come here. I'm relieved to see that you have arrived safely."
After a simple greeting, Jiuli got straight to the point.
"Where do we start? Here? Or somewhere else?"
Last year, their camp was at the east gate, but it was destroyed by a blizzard, and the remains can still be vaguely seen on the ground.
Old Luca looked at Jiuli and said.
"According to the instructions of the manager, your home is at the west gate. Now the most urgent thing is to solve the housing problem. Bricks, cement and wood have been delivered to the construction site, and someone will guide you on how to build. After the house is built, we will assign you spring farming tasks."
"Land is allocated according to households. A household with two people is allocated 10 mu of land. For each child in the family, an additional 1 mu is allocated. For those who are sixteen years old and unmarried, 3 mu is allocated per person. After getting married, a new household is established and 10 mu of land is allocated again."
"The land rights belong to Changjiu Farm collectively and cannot be transferred or leased. It will be checked every quarter. Violators will be expelled from the household registration and their land will be confiscated."
"In the first three years, we will provide you with seeds and fertilizers, and you only need to hand over half of the harvest to us in return. At the end of the three years, if the land is not abandoned, the land allocated to the household will be completely taken care of by you, and you only need to hand over 20% of the harvest. The rest of the grain can be kept by yourself or sold to the granary."
The refugees were whispering, and everyone's face was filled with excitement.
"Provide seeds?"
"And fertilizer!"
"Only half of the harvest is required... This is incredible."
Not to mention them, Luca himself also found it incredible.
In the wasteland, allowing the hired farmers to keep 20% of the crops is already generous.
However, the administrator not only allowed them to keep half of the crops, but also generously stated that they would provide them with seeds, fertilizers and professional guidance in the first three years.
"Refugees are refugees because they are rootless. The food grown on the land is one thing, and on the other hand, we need to use the land and work to bind them to us, and don't think about profiting from trivial matters."
"Each household contracts 10 mu of land. According to the statistics of 500 farmers, they can plant at least 5,000 mu. These 5,000 mu of land can not only allow more than 500 households to live well, but also provide food for thousands of people, so that the other part of the refugees staying in the factory can fill their stomachs and develop production."
"The remaining 25,000 mu, part of it is operated by collective farms, mainly cultivated by prisoners of war. The other part is contracted and operated by residents of the shelter, and the food produced is purchased by the granary."
The above is the original words of the manager.
Luca did not fully understand, but he had a new understanding of the kindness of that adult.
He sincerely hoped that these poor people could live a good life.
Such a kind heart is really rare in the wasteland.
After settling the Jiuli people and handing over the tools and building materials to them, Luca handed over the rest of the work to the foreman and guards and returned to the farm alone.
In the office, the captain of the guard team, Wrench, was waiting for him there.
At present, Changjiu Farm is short of staff, especially in logistics.
In addition to standing guard, the guard team occasionally has to take on the work of communicating with refugees.
The same statement from the administrator.
This is a stopgap measure, and reforms will be made later.
After all, for refugees, a straight black uniform and a large-caliber rifle on the back are far more convincing than a piece of paper full of words at any time.
To put it bluntly.
Literacy education has only reached the primary stage, and most people can't even recognize a few words, and they can't remember the rules at all.
For them, things like laws are far less important than a verbal order from the administrator wearing power armor.
This makes them feel safer than anything else.
At least in Qingquan City, the wasteland people recognize this.
"The transportation route to the Elm District has been restored. Currently, the transportation capacity and human resources are very tight. We can only guarantee the supply of 500 to 800 logs to the farm every day... This is on the premise that it does not affect the land reclamation work."
"The manager said that land reclamation work is the first priority. I will arrange for people to handle these logs. Just hand them over to me after they are transported to the farm."
Luca paused for a moment and continued in a serious tone.
"In addition, the brick factory has given priority to the production capacity to Changjiu Farm. We need to build at least 500 houses before the end of the month, and ensure that the three collective dormitories in the farm are completed, and the refugees in the temporary shelter are completely transferred here."
Wrench hesitated for a moment and said.
"Is such a short time enough?"
They also need to prepare for spring plowing, and it may be difficult to spare many people.
However, Luca's answer was beyond his expectations.
"At first I thought this task would be difficult to complete, but the diligence of the residents in the shelter exceeded our expectations... At present, they have completed one-fifth of the land reclamation task they are responsible for, and the remaining tasks can be completed in a week at most."
"The manager said that if the situation is optimistic, they can solve another 10,000 acres of wasteland before the 20th."
"Including the 10,000 acres of land reclamation task undertaken by the prisoners of war, there is no problem in completing the 30,000 acres of land reclamation task before the spring plowing."
"In this way, the saved labor can all be involved in the construction of houses, and the resettlement of refugees can be accelerated."
As he said, Luca unfolded a picture.
It showed a brick-and-wood structure house, which was square in shape and looked ordinary, but it had all the necessary designs.
"This is a row house designed by the residents of the shelter. Each household is 36 square meters, with a brick-wood mixed structure. The amount of building materials required is not large, and the thermal insulation performance and safety are quite reliable."
Wrench stared at the drawings for a while. Although he didn't quite understand it, he intuitively felt that the bricks and cement used in this kind of house were indeed much less than those brick houses in the farm.
After a long time, he couldn't help but sigh.
"I pay the highest respect and gratitude to these respectable people."
Luca also nodded with emotion.
"We really have to thank them, they have paid too much."
War, natural disasters, famine, disease...
Even compared with the most difficult days in the past, this year's winter is undoubtedly hell mode.
Without those blue coats, let alone those refugees from other places, I'm afraid that few people in the entire northern suburbs can survive this winter.
This winter, no one died of hunger, and even had a prosperous New Year.
This is almost unimaginable.
Of course, for Luca himself, his gratitude was much simpler.
If it weren't for the bargaining chip from the administrator, he would have died at the gunpoint of a guard.
He didn't understand too many great principles, and he didn't even understand what the administrator said to him, "Stand up, don't kneel."
Luca only knew one thing, that he saved his life.
Then this life was his.
...
At night.
The caravan heading to Boulder City settled in an abandoned office building.
They cleared the gnawers from the lobby to the corridor and came to the second floor of the office building.
A trip rope was tied to the exit of the safe passage, and the caravan guard who was responsible for escorting Qian Lai and others back to Boulder City walked up to Xu Shun and Fang Chang and said to them.
"This is our safe house on the edge of the Fourth Ring Road. We will rest here for one night and continue on our journey after dawn."
His name is Luo Guang. He has been working for Lister for five or six years and is considered an old employee of the caravan.
The other two guards have worked for two years each. The man with a submachine gun hanging on his chest is called Wang Zhong, and the man with a bandage on his right arm is called Kaiya. Fang Chang asked Xu Shun about these.
Before the group came here, they were ambushed by a group of looters. The unlucky guy named Kaiya was unfortunately shot in the right arm.
Those goblins hiding in the ruins always appear unexpectedly and open fire without saying a word, without hiding their naked desires.
Everyone present had a frightened expression on their faces, except for one person who looked normal, as if nothing had happened.
That person was Fang Chang.
Isn't it common sense in RPG games to encounter robbers while doing business?
The production team asked you to bring a gun, so they will naturally give you a place to use it.
Basic operations are not stupid.
He didn't find it strange at all, but felt that the group of people were too weak.
"Safe house?"
Xu Shun took a look around, and there were molds in the corners and fungal mats formed by mutations. He didn't feel that there was any safety here.
Qian Lai, who was standing next to him, grinned and said.
"Don't be nervous, those gnawers will not jump out of the ground. Even if there is a small incubator on the roof, a large number of them will not suddenly appear. As long as they are used properly, the gnawers wandering in the corridor will become our cover."
There are at least hundreds of gnawers in the lobby on the first floor. When they came up, they only killed a dozen of them, and there are still a lot left.
If there are predators who intend to attack them, they have to clear the gnawers from the lobby to the safe passage like them.
Even if those predators don't fire a shot, the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground will be heard by people on the second floor if they execute those gnawers in close combat.
As long as someone is left on guard near the exit of the safe passage, it can basically be guaranteed to be foolproof.
Qian Lai patiently said to the two rookies who had never traveled far: "It is dangerous to light an open fire here. We may have to spend the night in the dark. Do you have dry food?"
Xu Shun said.
"I did."
Qian Lai nodded.
"That's good. There is no place for you to make a fire and cook."
The dry food of the caravans is nutritional paste. Although there are also wheat cakes, they are frozen hard and no one wants to eat them.
Xu Shun took out the warmed steamed buns from his arms, and then reached into his backpack and took out the pickles in the jar. He cut the steamed buns with a knife, poured some pickles on them, and then put them in his mouth and took a bite.
The caravan guards around him looked at him curiously and whispered quietly.
"Why is this bread white?"
"Strange food."
"I've seen it in their market... but it's very expensive, one piece costs 4 chips!"
Upon hearing this, the other two guards showed surprised expressions on their faces, and looked at Xu Shun with a hint of envy, as if they were looking at a rich man.
4 chips for a meal!
This is too luxurious!
Fang Chang ate steamed buns, which he finished quickly. He walked to the window and sat down. He took out the small notebook in his pocket and took a look at it in the faint moonlight outside.
There were densely written small words on it, all of which were his experiences along the way. He planned to update them on the forum after logging off.
The situation in Qingquan City was completely different from that in the northern suburbs.
They encountered at least two attacks by looters along the way.
The first time was five people who shot at them with iron pipe rifles, but three were quickly killed and the remaining two fled.
The second time, there were slightly more people. I saw a total of twelve, a team of ten.
Sitting against the wall, Kaiya treated his wound with alcohol and cursed in a low voice.
"What a bunch of bastards! They only bully the weak and fear the strong!"
Xu Shun looked at him and asked.
"Why are there so many looters?"
Kaiya muttered, "They are everywhere. Those empty buildings may have a pair of eyes hidden in the windows. They can see where the bullets can't reach. They probably targeted us from the moment we entered the city."
Xu Shun suddenly said with vigilance.
"If they come around..."
Kaiya chuckled.
"Relax, man. Not all raiders will become like the Bone Chewing Tribe, just like not all cancer cells will eventually become tumors. At least one-third of the raiders were mercenaries before. They either killed their employers or harmed their companions. They couldn't go back to Boulder City, and they couldn't muster up the courage to start a new life. In the end, they just went all out and became bandits. How capable do you expect such scum to be?"
Wang Zhong, who was sitting next to him, interrupted and said, "We are lucky. We only met small businesses. If we were big businesses, it would be troublesome."
Xu Shun: "...What do you mean?"
"That's what I mean," Kaia pinched out a bullet with tweezers, shook it in front of him, and said with a grin, "Steel ball, about 6mm... Thank God, if it was a lead bullet, my arm would probably be useless."
Wang Zhong laughed and teased.
"Then it's just right to change to a mechanical arm."
Kaia rolled his eyes.
"Come on, I can't afford it."
Such expensive equipment is not something that people like him dare to think about.
Lister and most of the people here are temporary employees. Only a few can become core employees and serve the caravan for life, which is also the motivation for their struggle.
Looking at the subtitles that appear intermittently on the VM, Fang Chang thought for a long time and continued to write in the small notebook under the moonlight.
[…Mercenary is a very common profession in Boulder City, and most of those engaged in this business are poor families. ]
[At the same time, the private armed market with a serious oversupply has led to extreme involution in the mercenary industry. Most mercenaries must risk their lives to earn a pitiful salary to make a living, and this is also the root cause of the chaos in Qingquan City...]
[At least one of them. ]
He closed the notebook in his hand.
Fang Chang was about to log off, but for some reason, he suddenly had a vague intuition in his heart.
It was as if he was being stared at by something.
Putting the pen in his pocket, Fang Chang's hand unconsciously touched the mechanical compound bow against the wall.
After awakening, he has 7 points of perception.
Although it is not high compared to perception players, it is 140% intuition compared to ordinary people.
Coupled with the experience accumulated in battle, his actual perception of danger is not weaker than that of low-level perception newbies.
Noticing the movement of his hand, Luo Guang cast an inquiring look at him.
"Did you find anything?"
Fang Chang didn't understand what he was asking, but he could guess it from his expression, so he nodded silently.
The three guards and Xu Shun on the side immediately became alert and tightened their weapons, while Qian Lai hid in a safe place.
He knew his own combat power, and he also believed that these people could successfully deal with the predators without his own action.
Everyone was quietly on guard.
And at this moment, Fang Chang's hand had moved.
He raised his mechanical compound bow, an explosive arrow was fastened on the bowstring, and after counting down a few seconds, he shot the arrow cleanly and neatly towards the window across the corridor.
Across a distance of dozens of meters, the arrow exploded with a flash of fire the moment it shot out of the window, and the steel balls sandwiched in the paper shell flew around, and soon there was a miserable wail and the sound of heavy objects falling to the ground outside the window.
"Enemy attack!"
"It's the looters!"
Kaia chased after the window opposite, while the other two watched the corridor and the door to the safe passage.
If you don't take the elevator, that's the only way to get up.
The looters downstairs heard the sound of the exchange of fire and immediately rushed down from below.
Luo Guang, standing at the entrance of the corridor, held a submachine gun in his hand and fired at the looters who rushed in. Two were killed on the spot, and the other one was lucky enough to hide behind the bunker and tried to fight back. However, an arrow pierced his forehead before he fired two shots, and he fell backwards with dilated pupils.
Just as Xu Shun was aiming and preparing to shoot, Fang Chang had already put away the compound bow.
The battle was over.
"There are still three minions who haven't come up!"
Kaiya, who was standing by the window, raised his rifle and fired two shots at the fleeing back. Seeing that he couldn't hit them, he put the muzzle back and spit.
"Damn it, let these dogs run away!"
Carefully approaching the entrance and exit of the safe passage, Luo Guang confirmed that the looters had retreated, and then squatted down to check the bodies.
"...I'm afraid they are the same group of people we met during the day. They have been following us."
Kaiya couldn't help but curse.
"What do these idiots want to do?"
Wang Zhong laughed and joked: "Maybe they are starving."
Everyone chuckled a few times.
Although it was a close call, it still made everyone nervous.
Luo Guang patted Kaiya on the shoulder.
"We still have a long way to go tomorrow, and we will probably reach Boulder City at noon. I will sleep for a while and come to replace you in the second half of the night."
Kaiya gave him a reliable look.
"Okay, boss."
Fang Chang returned to the window and sat down. After confirming that the crisis was resolved, he calmly glanced at the small notebook, then put it back in his pocket, closed his eyes and prepared to go offline.
Xu Shun walked over to sit next to Fang Chang.
Of course, the manager had told him that when his residents were sleeping, he must do a good job of keeping watch and not let anyone get close.
Luo Guang glanced at Fang Chang with his eyes closed, then at Xu Shun sitting next to him, and asked in a low voice.
"Is he asleep?"
Xu Shun nodded.
"Yes."
According to the agreement, Fang Chang will come to replace his shift at around 3 a.m., and he will not wake up during this time.
"Enviable psychological quality," Luo Guang grinned and continued in a low voice, "I just wanted to tell him that those two arrows were beautifully shot."
Among the mercenaries in Boulder City, few people would use bows and crossbows if they could choose. After all, the output of such weapons is unstable, and the maintenance difficulty is much greater than that of guns.
Only some awakened people, considering their upper limit, will choose weapons that can better play their physical advantages.
However, most of them are mainly throwing objects.
For example, throwing knives, javelins, and grenades are the most common.
Although he is not as discerning as Captain Han Long, Luo Guang is sure that this sleeping master is an awakened person!
Xu Shun nodded and said.
"I'll let him know when he wakes up."
Luo Guang made a gesture that it was all right, then he covered his face with his hat, leaned against the wall, and soon began to snore.
The room became quiet.
As if the previous battle had never happened.
Xu Shun glanced at the VM.
There was no signal here, and the only signal that could be retrieved was the short-distance signal from Fang Chang's device.
"The edge of the Fourth Ring Road... If we can reach Boulder City tomorrow, this place should be stuck in the middle."
Xu Shun muttered to himself and made a mark on the map.
This area can be used as a signal transfer station, and caravans from the northern suburbs to Boulder City can also stop here.
However, there are predators around, so we must be cautious.
...
No words were spoken that night.
The next morning, the group continued on their way.
As they got closer and closer to Boulder City, Fang Chang unconsciously quickened his pace, and the excitement in his heart was indescribable.
The Stone City that has always lived in the official website settings!
The largest survivor settlement in Qingquan City!
Soon, he will use his own eyes to confirm what kind of surprises the game production team has prepared for the players!
Turning a corner and standing on a straight twelve-lane elevated road, the excitement on Fang Chang's face was gradually replaced by shock.
A towering giant wall, as high as a twenty-story building, stands like a dam between two buildings that reach into the sky.
The sense of pressure from the giant is overwhelming.
Even a kilometer away, it can be clearly felt!
"Seeing the giant wall is equivalent to seeing the Stone City. The road behind will be much easier to walk," Qian Lai showed a relieved smile on his face, "Finally, there is a warm mattress to sleep on. You can stay at my house. Although it is not big, the environment is definitely much better than the hotel!"
Also shocked by the scene in front of him, Xu Shun couldn't help but speak.
"How many tons of cement does this take?"
Qian Lai said with a smile.
"Who knows? Besides, it's not all cement. Maybe there's some garbage or discarded concrete blocks mixed in. Anyway, it has some history. This giant wall is mainly to deal with the threat of alien species and the 'wave', but to be honest, the wave hasn't threatened the corners of the Boulder City for a long time."
Xu Shun: "Incredible!"
"Indeed incredible, but I heard that this settlement was built in the image of the ideal city... but the specifications are far worse."
At this point, Qian Lai paused for a moment, squinting his eyes and looking into the distance, looking at the giant wall with a trace of yearning.
"I hope to visit the ideal city one day."
Xu Shun: "... Ideal City?"
Qian Lai: "Well, our boss went there once and said that it was the closest place to the pre-war society in the entire wasteland... although I bet he doesn't know what the pre-war society was like."
Xu Shun didn't quite understand.
For him, who grew up in the northern suburbs, pre-war was a very vague concept.
He only heard that people in that era had endless honey and milk, and they could even drink a bottle of clean water and throw it away.
The cans, glass bottles and other treasures they picked up from the wasteland were all unwanted garbage in that era, and no one would even look at them.
On the contrary, those daunting high-rise buildings were the treasures that attracted them.
Everything about the prosperous era seemed to be completely opposite to this era.
Fang Chang had no time to read the subtitles at this moment. He put on the headphones given to him by the manager and excitedly took more than a dozen photos of the Boulder City.
Although this place was out of communication range and the photos could not be sent back, it didn't matter.
He could save them in VM's album first!
After all, this was an opportunity he exchanged for 250 silver coins, so he couldn't waste it.
When he returned, he had to take these photos and make a good article!