Li Jin and Lei Jian nodded thoughtfully.
"According to what we were thinking, there's no need to rush off." Li Jin spoke first.
"Yeah, let's develop slowly for a few months before deciding." Lei Jian picked up the thread.
Li Ye firmly shook his head.
"No. In three months, the entire Wasteland Zone will be completely destroyed. No, there's already less than three months left."
The two were instantly shocked.
Seeing how unusually serious Li Ye was, they chose to believe him.
City Ruins, Mobile Maze, Freshwater Lake, and the mountains.
Li Ye explained the general situation in the Wasteland Zone to the two of them.
"The west side of the Wasteland Zone is actually a Level 1 Zone too?" Lei Jian mused. "Then I'll head west."
For the Conqueror, equipped with Lava Treads, crossing the mountains was no difficult task.
As for Li Jin, his Azure had no treads like the Conqueror and naturally couldn't cross the mountains. The western route was the first to be eliminated.
"If we head north, we can travel together and cross the City Ruins," Li Ye suggested.
Li Jin thought it over carefully before making his decision.
He thanked Li Ye for his kindness, but ultimately decided to develop here for a month before heading south.
After all, this was the southern part of the Wasteland Zone. The journey south to the new zone was short, taking less than a week.
"What if it's a Level 2 Zone, or an even higher-level zone? Then Azure will be finished." He laughed and scratched his head.
Before leaving, Lei Jian asked Li Ye to commission a Rolls-Royce for him.
The burly man immediately took it for a spin.
"Building it might be a bit extravagant, but it's really satisfying to drive!" he roared with laughter.
Li Jin, watching from the side, was itching to try it himself, so he also had Li Ye commission one.
At last, the moment of parting arrived. The three looked at one another and nodded.
After boarding the decks of their respective mobile cities, the three lords gazed at one another from afar and waved lightly.
Parting was always sorrowful. No one knew when they would meet again.
Perhaps it would be an exhilarating reunion and embrace. Perhaps everything would have changed beyond recognition.
Li Ye watched as the two mobile cities departed in their respective directions, then waved to the people behind him.
"Set off! We're heading all the way north!"
"The new route has been set, and all the parameters have been configured. For the next five or six hours, the two of us can leisurely drink tea and chat."
Inside the cockpit, Tang Fang rested both hands behind his head and lounged back in his chair.
The other helmsman also slowly nodded.
This helmsman was named A Bai. Like Old Zhou, he had originally been a slave who joined Li Ye in rebellion.
Although A Bai was a few years older than Tang Fang, he acted more like a junior in front of him. Tang Fang's skill at piloting Tomorrow far surpassed his, and he often patiently taught A Bai various piloting techniques.
As time passed, the two gradually developed a tacit understanding.
During this period, Tang Fang had gradually become familiar with piloting Tomorrow. He could even be said to handle it with ease.
"I told you long ago that you could become an excellent helmsman."
A leisurely voice came from outside the cockpit. Li Ye walked in and casually tossed the two bottles of cola he had brought to Tang Fang and A Bai.
"Brother Li, you're here?" Tang Fang was pleasantly surprised.
Li Ye smiled and rubbed his head, then nodded at A Bai.
"I heard you've even learned Mobile Evasion now?" he asked.
Tang Fang nodded.
"Yeah, I just don't know how it'll work in actual practice."
While the three chatted, Old Zhou also hurried in.
"A-Li, the newcomers' rooms have been arranged."
Li Ye nodded.
"Good."
Tomorrow had originally had eighty-four people, but during this period, six wounded people had died from their injuries, leaving only seventy-eight.
This caused Li Ye tremendous pain and regret.
At the same time, he felt an even stronger urge to recruit a doctor.
However, finding a doctor in the wasteland was extremely difficult. In fact, specialized talents like doctors were even scarcer than mechanics and helmsmen.
Training a doctor required a good learning environment like a medical school, as well as abundant medical resources for practice and growth.
In the wasteland, where everyone's primary goal was survival, no one would think about becoming a doctor from childhood.
The lords of the mobile cities wanted to train doctors, but they couldn't build hospitals or find that many medical resources.
After dealing with Gross Mine, Tomorrow had suffered more casualties, while the forty newcomers filled its labor shortage.
To Li Ye's surprise, one of them had even volunteered to become a lookout.
That person was Lin Xia.
After carefully assessing her, Li Ye nodded in surprise.
"Your skills are pretty good. When did you practice?"
Lin Xia smiled faintly and gently brushed back the short hair by her ear.
"I learned from my mother when I was little."
"Hm?"
"When I was young, Roland Fortress was still only a Level 1 Mobile City."
Lin Xia gazed into the distance and spoke softly.
"My father was the lord of Roland, while my mother was Roland's lookout. When I was little, I often sneaked over to my mother's side and watched the distant scenery from the Watchtower. She taught me a lot about being a lookout."
"Back then, I would stand on the Watchtower with my eyes narrowed against the gentle breeze, occasionally watching the adults bustling about below. It was such a wonderful feeling."
As she spoke, a hint of bitterness appeared at the corners of her mouth.
"But later..."
Li Ye gently patted her shoulder without saying anything more.
After Lin Xia left, Li Ye seemed to think of something. Surprise and emotion appeared in his eyes.
Helmsman, gunner, mechanic, lookout, Combat Captain. Before he knew it, he had gathered them all.
Tomorrow now had seventy-eight people. Its strength was gradually becoming sufficient, and it was steadily becoming more organized.
Therefore, it could no longer operate like the ramshackle crew of a dozen people it had once been.
Li Ye was the lord, while Old Zhou was his deputy and also served as Combat Captain.
The helmsmen were Tang Fang and A Bai, the mechanic was Lin Wu, the gunner was Ning Wen, and the lookout was Lin Xia.
There had originally been twenty combat personnel, with everyone else being ordinary residents.
Li Ye thought about it and decided to expand the combat personnel to thirty.
After setting aside one person to assist Lin Wu and his friend's younger sister Xiao Yao, thirty-nine people were currently available for assignment.
Li Ye quickly made his arrangements.
Fifteen people would be responsible for mining, logging, and similar work.
Ten people would be responsible for tending the fields and caring for the Sun Fruit Trees on the upper level.
Five people would be responsible for Tomorrow's daily cleaning.
Five people would stay on Tomorrow's lower level and work in places such as the fuel room and engine room.
The remaining four would serve as logistical personnel, filling in wherever people were needed.
Li Ye assigned every person work as best he could. After all, mobile cities did not support idlers.
At the same time, he also established a rank system.
From lowest to highest, the ranks and benefits were divided as follows.
Level 3 Resident.
Level 2 Resident.
Level 1 Resident.
Combat personnel.
Combat Captain, helmsman, lookout, gunner, mechanic, and other specialized talents.
Deputy and management.
Lord.
The higher the rank, the more Freshwater, steamed buns, and potatoes one could receive each day—somewhat comical, perhaps, but Tomorrow had only so many resources at present.
Aside from that, there were also cola, Instant Noodles, and, once they ripened, Sun Apples to distribute. Some vegetables and fruits were also stored in the warehouse and could be given to higher-ranking personnel.
Establishing a rank system on a mobile city was necessary. It could motivate the residents to work actively.
Soon, Li Ye gathered everyone and announced his arrangements and the entire rank system.
To his surprise, everyone had no great demands regarding the food supply.
That was only natural.
After all, in the wasteland, survival and safety were the foremost needs.
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