Care Center Established

Some people brought their parents into the shelter.

Most of them were in their fifties or sixties—not exactly old, but no longer young either.

They definitely could not handle heavy labor.

But if they could work in factories, where the work was relatively easy and safe, they could earn more Points!

"We girls can work too!"

"Long live Mr. Li! I'll go tell my parents about this when I get back."

This news was undoubtedly a shot in the arm for the residents.

The elderly and women at home would no longer need to risk going outside.

At the same time, the men who joined the Resident Combat Team would no longer have worries holding them back.

Even if they ran into danger outside, their families could continue earning Points in the shelter's factories.

"Next is the matter of the Resident Combat Team."

Li Chen smiled faintly and continued explaining.

"Unlike the shelter's own Combat Team, the Resident Combat Team focuses on gathering supplies. You can think of it as the Star-Level Shelter's second line of defense."

"Crystal cores acquired outside of missions do not need to be handed in. You can exchange them for Points."

At that, some of the sturdier men grew excited.

The Resident Combat Team sounded dangerous, but it was not actually all that risky.

And crystal cores obtained outside missions did not need to be handed over, which meant another source of income!

But...

"Mr. Li, I have a question."

A woman raised her hand.

She wore a training uniform, her entire body taut with defined lines.

It was easy to see that she was heavily muscled.

Li Chen clicked his tongue.

He had not expected there to be a female bodybuilder in the shelter.

After all, women naturally had higher body fat percentages than men.

Building such explosive muscles took dozens of times more effort than it did for men.

However, Li Chen did not stare at her. He merely asked casually, "What is it?"

"My name is Xu Ruoxi. I previously served in the Special Forces. I should meet the requirements for the Resident Combat Team."

"But my mother is blind. My father had always taken care of her, but when the virus outbreak happened, he unfortunately passed away. Only my mother and I escaped."

"If I join the Resident Combat Team and go out on missions, could someone help take care of my mother?"

As Xu Ruoxi finished speaking,

everyone noticed an elderly woman of around sixty sitting beside her.

Her hair was graying, and she leaned on a white cane.

The elderly woman reached out and touched Xu Ruoxi's shoulder.

With emotion in her voice, she said, "Ruoxi, don't worry about me."

The elderly woman knew that she had become a burden to her daughter.

"Mom, don't say that. Dad told me to take good care of you for him."

Xu Ruoxi took her mother's hand and shook her head.

This question made many people prick up their ears.

They wanted to hear how Li Chen would answer.

Everyone had parents and children.

Children were easier to handle; they could attend school in the shelter.

But elderly people who could not care for themselves were a problem.

People had to worry about their families even while working hard outside.

This was the apocalypse.

If they were outside, survivors would never have such concerns.

Because the brutal struggle for survival made it impossible for the elderly and children to live at all.

But the Star-Level Shelter was different.

Li Chen did not claim to be a saint.

But he still deeply valued human kindness.

Those who were still willing to bring children and the elderly with them in their struggle to survive the apocalypse

had to be kind-hearted by nature!

"Rest assured, everyone. In addition to the school provided for minors in the shelter,"

"we will also establish a Care Center, staffed with the most professional caregivers."

"When you go out on missions or training, you only need to pay a certain number of Points for your family to receive the most comprehensive care at the Care Center."

"When you return to rest, you can also bring them home to be together."

"Also, the Resident Combat Team's guaranteed monthly salary will be 6,000 Points, with additional bonuses based on mission difficulty and other factors."

After Li Chen finished speaking,

the elderly people present immediately burst into tears.

In this cruel apocalypse,

countless people had abandoned their aging parents for their own selfish interests.

Even those with enough conscience not to abandon them were forced by all kinds of pressures to make a choice.

But now, the Star-Level Shelter's Care Center had given the elderly a way to survive.

Besides the elderly,

everyone else was deeply moved as well.

Li Chen's measure let them know

that as long as they worked hard in the shelter,

even when they grew old in the future, they would have someone to rely on and someone to care for them!

"That's wonderful! Thank you, Mr. Li!"

"I'll go sign up for the Resident Combat Team right now! I'll devote everything I have to the Star-Level Shelter until the day I die!"

Xu Ruoxi laughed brightly.

Li Chen had proposed three measures in total.

His explanations were still fairly broad.

The finer details would need to be worked out later.

After that dinner,

the shelter residents finally felt completely at ease.

At least everyone knew that the Star-Level Shelter was highly humane.

From three-year-old children to eighty-year-old elders,

everyone had a place to belong.

Most importantly, everyone would have stable work to earn Points.

Li Chen returned to the Command Center.

He tapped the desk twice with his fingers and said, "Adam, pull up Xu Ruoxi's personal file and personality profile."

Retrieving data...

Xu Ruoxi, female, 29 years old, a native of Donghai City. She enlisted through high school recruitment at seventeen and was specially recruited into the Lone Wolf Special Forces Group at eighteen.

She received six First-Class Merits, two Second-Class Merits, and eleven Third-Class Merits. At twenty-eight, she retired and transferred to civilian work due to psychological trauma.

Calm by nature, demanding of herself, and extremely filial.

What did six First-Class Merits mean?

Third-Class Merits came from hard work, Second-Class Merits came with blood and sweat, and First-Class Merits were bought with one's life!

It could be said that Xu Ruoxi had earned those merits through countless brushes with life and death.

Li Chen looked at Xu Ruoxi's photograph in astonishment.

He could hardly believe that a woman had achieved something like this.

To Li Chen,

someone like Xu Ruoxi was exactly the best candidate for the Resident Combat Team in his mind.

Capable, and with someone she cared about.

But what did the psychological trauma noted in her file mean?

"Noah, investigate the cause of Xu Ruoxi's psychological trauma at age twenty-eight."

Li Chen immediately ordered.

However, this time, even the all-powerful Noah had no answer.

"Reporting, Commander. Current records only show that Xu Ruoxi underwent psychological counseling after carrying out a Red Sea Mission, after which she retired. There is no further information."

Noah's answer surprised Li Chen once again.

But Li Chen quickly understood the reason.

Psychological counseling was confidential.

And with someone as talented as Xu Ruoxi, confidentiality had to be even stricter.

There had been no recordings or file records during the counseling.

Naturally, Noah could not look it up.

As for what the trauma was...

As long as it did not affect her missions, Li Chen was not the type to pry.

"Immediately arrange an important talent residence for Xu Ruoxi and her mother," Li Chen said at once. "Also inform the Management Team to establish the Care Center as soon as possible and make proper arrangements for Xu Ruoxi's mother."

"Add Xu Ruoxi to the priority observation list. I need to see what she eats, says, and does every day!"

"Yes!"

Noah answered crisply.