Preparing to Establish a Sanctuary

Hearing Lin Yi mention the possibility of a more dire situation, the people in the hall felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over them, and they fell silent at once.

Zhou Jianjun's expression was extremely grave. He seemed to have thought of something but was not quite sure, so he asked Lin Yi, "Xiao Yi, haven't those Abyss Wolves outside already been deterred by you and are afraid to come near? Do you mean to say that they haven't actually given up, but have only retreated for the time being?"

"That's right."

Lin Yi nodded. He first turned his gaze toward Chen Yu, paused for a moment, and then looked at Zhou Yuxuan.

"A-Yu—no, Class Monitor, do you remember that biographical story about the Oroqen and Ewenki people we read back in our second year of high school? The one from the recommended extracurricular reading list?"

"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 Abyss Wolves are like the wolf packs in the book—when they aren't sure of victory, they surround their prey without attacking, waiting until they have gathered enough numbers to launch a full-scale assault?"

"Exactly."

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

"Therefore, we must take advantage of this new window of opportunity to strengthen our defenses and gather supplies."

Lin Yi's gaze swept across the people in the hall.

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

And this was exactly the effect he wanted.

"I suggest we divide into three groups."

Lin Yi cleared his throat.

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

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

He thought for a moment and added a specific emphasis. "Remember to follow the advice in the official emergency manual: food and water are the top priority! Unopened beverages, bottled water, rice, flour, cooking oil, dried goods, canned food, and seasonings from the kitchen—bring it all. If it's perishable, bring it too; we'll eat those first."

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

"And 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 rescued hotel staff members 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, but suddenly, as if thinking of something, he asked hesitantly, "Um... these aren't our things, after all. What if hotel staff hiding in other rooms or halls come out and try 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 yet, so I'll take responsibility. Take whatever you need."

"Oh? A-Yu, I've never heard you mention 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 heard the boss—take whatever you need."

After the joke, Lin Yi, fearing that Zhou Yuxuan might have some psychological burden, specifically offered some guidance.

"Don't feel guilty about it. We can consider this a state of emergency. Once it's safe, the owner can just come to us to settle the losses."

"That's true. The immediate situation is what matters." Zhou Yuxuan wasn't a rigid person. "Don't worry, I know the stakes. I'll make sure we scavenge everything clean."

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

"The second group."

"Will be led by... well, Ye Qingyu."

Lin Yi recalled that in his past life, Ye Qingyu had served as a shelter logistician for a long time, so he figured she had some talent for it—at least, she had never made any major mistakes.

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

Thinking this, his gaze naturally shifted to the female office worker he had rescued earlier.

"Um... how should I address you, miss? 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 woman replied hurriedly, seeing Lin Yi ask 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, please assist Ye Qingyu. Also... Mom, Aunt, Su Xiao, you ladies will form the second group, responsible for organizing, categorizing, and managing the logistics of the supplies."

"Put everything collected into the small lounge next to Fujin Hall. Use that as a temporary warehouse. Sort the items by category and keep a simple log to make it easier to manage and distribute."

Li Ling agreed immediately. Although Ye Qingyu felt nervous inside, she gritted her teeth, gave herself a mental boost, and 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 barricade the spiral staircase leading from the second floor to the first. It 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 Abyss Wolves still prowling the edge of the plaza below, occasionally glancing vigilantly toward Hongfu Restaurant.

"Although they are currently deterred and afraid to come near, that is only a guess. Furthermore, it's unknown how long this deterrence will last, so we must seal off 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 labor, meant for the remaining adult men.

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

"Everyone else will be in the third group. Use whatever you can find—the heaviest, sturdiest things available—and pile them up at the stairwell entrance until it's at a level where even those large monsters from the internet videos 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 of the stairwell where it hangs over the void. 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 simple fortifications back in the army—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 leaving it to you, Uncle."

After speaking, Lin Yi looked toward Lin Ruiheng.

"Finally," Lin Yi looked at his eldest 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 wait until our own supplies are initially organized before going, so as to avoid any chaos or looting."

"Tell them our basic situation, show them the videos, explain my identity, and invite them to join us—or at least establish contact, trade 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 solemn expression: "I understand the gravity of the situation. Once things are settled here, I'll take some people to go. Don't worry, Xiao Yi, your uncle still 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 to a relatively quiet corner near 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 from an Abyss Beast, 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 Radiance Crystal, crushed it in his hand, and began to cultivate.

Having gone through it once, he no longer needed to deliberately feign a painful expression; geniuses were always different from others.

Strong willpower and adaptability were 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 and detour slightly, casting a glance mixed with awe and curiosity.

Inside 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 corridors.

Everything was busy and orderly.

However, they were still unaware that an information nuclear bomb, sent by Chen Yu's Moyin Ship, was stirring up a massive storm at an astonishing speed within the crumbling internet world—a storm far exceeding their expectations, and even Lin Yi's own.

The next chapter was censored again, I have to edit it first.

After repeated back-and-forth, it was finally unblocked...