Preparing to Establish a Shelter

Hearing Lin Yi say that a more severe situation might be looming, the people in the hall felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads, and they fell silent at once.

Zhou Jianjun's expression was extremely grave. He seemed to have thought of something but wasn't quite sure, so he asked Lin Yi:

"Xiao Yi, haven't those Abyssal Wolves outside already been deterred by you, to the point where they dare not approach? Do you mean to say that they haven't actually given up, but have only retreated temporarily?"

"Correct."

Lin Yi nodded, first turning his gaze toward Chen Yu, pausing for a moment, and then looking at Zhou Yuxuan.

"A Yu... never mind. Squad Leader, do you remember that biographical story we read about the Oroqen and Evenki tribes? The one from the recommended extracurricular reading list back in our second year of high school."

"I remember."

As the top student in the class, the recommended reading list was naturally mandatory for Zhou Yuxuan.

He frowned as he recalled the plot of the book, and soon his expression turned serious as well. "You mean those Abyssal Wolves will act like the wolf pack in the book during a hunt—when they aren't confident, they will surround without attacking, waiting until they have gathered enough numbers to launch a full-scale assault?"

"Yes."

Lin Yi sighed. "That's why I'm making a bold guess: they won't just let us hide here. If I'm wrong, then they won't come, which is fine. But if the Abyssal Wolves really do launch a full-scale attack, even if we can hold our ground, most of the other survivors in Hongfu Tower will likely not be spared."

"Therefore, we must seize this new window of opportunity to strengthen our defenses and collect supplies."

Lin Yi's gaze swept over everyone in the hall.

He keenly noticed that everyone had already begun to get used to him calling the shots.

And this was exactly the effect he wanted.

"I suggest we divide into three groups to take action."

Lin Yi cleared his throat.

"The first group will be led by Zhou Yuxuan, along with A Yu, Li Jie, and you others."

Lin Yi pointed to a few people who looked quick and nimble. "Your group's main task is to thoroughly search the first to third floors of Hongfu Tower. Aside from the Fujin Hall where we are now, check the other banquet halls, private rooms, the back kitchen, the storage rooms, and the staff break areas! As long as they aren't locked, collect and transport every useful supply you can find back to Fujin Hall!"

He thought for a moment and specifically emphasized, "Remember to follow the suggestions in the official emergency manual: food and water are the top priorities! Unopened beverages, bottled water, rice, flour, grain, and oil from the kitchen, substantive content, canned goods, seasonings... bring it all here. If it's perishable, bring it too; we'll eat it first."

"In addition, look for weapons and tools: various knives from the kitchen, fire axes from the hallways, fire hoses, fire extinguishers, steel pipes from the tool room, wrenches, and so on... don't overlook anything with a bit of weight or hardness."

"Also, medical supplies. Large hotels like this usually have first-aid kits at the front desk..."

As Lin Yi spoke, he saw the walkie-talkies on the waists of the two hotel staff members he had saved, and added, "See if you can find the walkie-talkies used by the staff. Oh, and most importantly, an emergency generator! Large hotels usually have them in case of sudden power outages."

Zhou Yuxuan nodded. Suddenly, as if thinking of something, he asked hesitantly:

"That... these aren't our things, after all. What if there are hotel staff hiding in other rooms or halls who come out to stop us when they hear the noise?"

"It's fine."

Chen Yu, who had been listening silently, suddenly interjected.

"The owner of this hotel is my fourth uncle. He's abroad and hasn't returned, so I'm calling the shots. Take whatever you need."

"Eh... A Yu, you never mentioned that. Are there any other properties nearby that we can just take from..." Lin Yi teased Chen Yu, then raised an eyebrow at Zhou Yuxuan. "You see, President Chen has spoken. Take whatever you need."

After cracking a joke, Lin Yi, fearing that Zhou Yuxuan might have psychological baggage, specifically guided him.

"Don't have any psychological burden either. We can consider this an emergency necessity. Once it's safe, the owner can just come to us to be compensated for his losses."

"That's true... the immediate situation is what matters." Zhou Yuxuan wasn't a stubborn person. "Don't worry, I know what's important. I guarantee we'll scavenge everything clean."

Lin Yi nodded slightly to show he understood, then looked at the women.

"The second group."

"Led by... hmm... Ye Qingyu."

Lin Yi thought about how Ye Qingyu had served as a shelter logistician for a long time in his past life, so she must have had some talent for it; at least, she never made any mistakes.

"However, that was all in the past life. The current Ye Qingyu is still just a little kid; she needs someone to help her..."

Thinking this, Lin Yi's gaze naturally turned to the female office worker he had saved earlier.

"That... miss, what should I call you? What industry do you work in?"

"My name is Li Ling, and I'm the deputy manager of the finance department at Changyang Group." The female office worker answered hurriedly when she saw Lin Yi asking her.

Among the people in Fujin Hall, only she and the two hotel staff were outsiders, so she felt a strong sense of crisis.

"Alright, Sister Li, you assist Ye Qingyu, and... Mom, Aunt, Su Xiao, you ladies will be the second group, responsible for organizing and categorizing supplies and logistical support."

"Put everything everyone collects into the small break room next to Fujin Hall. Use that as a temporary warehouse, sort the items by category, and it would be best to keep a simple log for easy management and retrieval."

Li Ling immediately agreed. Although Ye Qingyu felt nervous inside, she gritted her teeth in secret, gave herself a boost of confidence, and immediately nodded in agreement.

"The third task is the most urgent!"

Lin Yi's gaze turned toward the entrance of the banquet hall. "We need to seal off the spiral staircase leading from the second floor to the first. This is currently the most direct path, and the one most likely to be breached by the monsters."

He walked to the window and pointed to the Abyssal Wolves still wandering at the edge of the plaza below, occasionally looking toward Hongfu Tower with vigilance.

"Although they are temporarily deterred and dare not approach, that is currently just a guess. Furthermore, it's unknown how long this deterrence will last, so we must block this passage and leave only one entrance and exit that we can control."

"Xiao Yi, tell us, what do you need us to do?"

Zhou Jianjun asked proactively. This was clearly heavy physical labor, obviously left for the remaining adult men.

"My idea is to completely block the spiral staircase with heavy objects."

"Everyone else will be considered part of the third group. Use whatever you can find—the heaviest, sturdiest things available—and pile them up at the entrance of the spiral staircase until it's at a level where even the large monsters we've seen online won't be able to break through for a while."

"At the same time..." Lin Yi shifted his tone, "leave a narrow space on the far right side where the staircase hangs, use a few round tables to create a makeshift door, and leave a simple rope ladder for entry and exit."

"A rope ladder for access..." Zhou Jianjun's eyes lit up, "Good idea! It's the same principle as building makeshift fortifications back in the military—you can advance to attack and retreat to defend. Leave this to me; I guarantee I'll make it rock-solid."

"Mm, I'm definitely at ease if you're the one doing it, Uncle."

After saying this, Lin Yi looked at Lin Ruiheng.

"Finally," Lin Yi looked at his uncle Lin Ruiheng, "Uncle, once we've basically finished collecting our internal supplies, I need you to take a few people to contact the survivors in the other Banquet Halls and private rooms in the building."

"You must go only after we have initially organized our own supplies to avoid any chaotic situations or looting."

"Tell them about our basic situation here, show them the videos, explain my identity, and invite them to join us, or at least establish contact to share information and defend together."

He emphasized with a serious expression, "But there is one prerequisite: those who are willing to join must follow our rules, accept unified distribution of supplies, and obey commands."

After finishing, Lin Yi pondered for a moment and added, "Remember, safety first. Be sincere in your attitude, but also have principles. We are willing to help others, but we aren't pushovers."

Lin Ruiheng nodded with a serious expression: "I understand the gravity of the situation. Once things are settled here, I'll take some people to go. Don't worry, Xiaoyi, your uncle knows how to handle these kinds of social situations."

With the tasks assigned, everyone immediately began to move as if they had been wound up like clockwork.

As for Lin Yi, he carried the bag containing the three Source Energy Crystals, walked to a corner relatively close to the second-floor spiral staircase, and sat down cross-legged.

This spot allowed him to observe the movements on the first floor without disturbing others too much.

The reason he chose this place to cultivate was mainly to create the appearance of guarding against a surprise attack by Abyssal Beasts, so that everyone could feel at ease.

Lin Yi observed silently for a while, and after confirming that everyone had begun to act in an orderly manner, he withdrew his gaze, took out a Spirit Shine Crystal, crushed it in his hand, and began to cultivate.

Having performed it once, he no longer needed to deliberately fake a painful expression; geniuses are always different from others.

Strong willpower and adaptability are also a form of talent.

Occasionally, when Li Jie or Zhang Haotian passed by Lin Yi while jogging with supplies, they would subconsciously lighten their footsteps, steer slightly clear, and cast a glance mixed with awe and curiosity.

Inside the Fujin Hall, Ye Qingyu and Li Ling were leading several women to sort the scavenged bottled water, canned goods, and vacuum-packed food, stacking them neatly in a corner of the lounge.

Zhou Yuxuan was leading Chen Yu and the others to search the upper floors for potential supplies, their footsteps echoing through the empty corridor.

Everything was busy and orderly.

However, they were still unaware that an information bombshell sent by Chen Yu's Magic Sound Number was, at an astonishing speed, stirring up a massive storm in the crumbling online world that far exceeded their expectations—and even Lin Yi's own.