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墨書 Inktalez
The aroma grew increasingly enticing, and several people could hear their stomachs protesting like drums, causing annoyance. Yet, they continued to endure. In this apocalyptic world, food was the most precious commodity. They trusted Old Guo; since he hadn't resorted to cannibalism, it must mean that the big sheep had brought out their own provisions.
Since it was someone else's food, especially meant for their son, Old Guo felt too embarrassed to just mix in and take a bowl of porridge.
However, they didn't want to intrude, but Zheng Yifan couldn't refuse them entry. After all, it was someone else's home. Besides, the group had already eaten well at the bar; having consumed so much greasy food in the morning, even a Superpowered Individual wouldn't be hungry.
A pot full of porridge made Guo Xing's face flush with excitement. They had already faced death directly; even knowing that his father wanted to fight desperately, he still held back his sorrow.
He didn't want to make his father feel worse. In fact, he wanted to plead with Zheng Yifan to give his father a chance, to give the Riot Mercenary Group an opportunity.
"Invite your father and the others in to have something warm in their stomachs," Zheng Yifan suggested.
The three behind him began washing the dishes. After all, this was a place inhabited by a bunch of rough men, and the bowls and chopsticks were indeed dirty and messy. Most of them were plastic products from the Post-Apocalypse era, and two bowls were merely pieces of metal hammered into shape.
With Zheng Yifan's words, the room quickly filled up. They drooled as they stared at the pot of porridge, their eyes nearly sparkling with anticipation.
Zheng Yifan, Li Ning, Wu Yingzhou, and Tian Ye each served themselves a bowl and began slurping slowly.
There was nothing about their leisurely chewing that resembled life in an apocalypse; meanwhile, the others had already begun devouring their food ravenously—one could say it was a sight worthy of "three thousand feet of drool."
Having been hungry all morning and now faced with delicious food, they paid no heed to appearances. Guo Xing was almost non-stop in serving himself rice while he had already taken his portion separately.
The members of the Riot Mercenary Group were far too familiar with this scene; now it hardly mattered. However, with so many people and so little food, half a kilogram of rice could hardly satisfy these big eaters. Each person only managed to get half a bowl before the entire pot of porridge was wiped clean.
Old Guo and his son both blushed; originally guests in their home, they were now being treated to a meal by others.
"Uncle, can I ask you for a favor?" After finishing his bowl of porridge, Guo Xing seemed to have made a decision as he slowly approached Zheng Yifan.
"What is it?" Zheng Yifan asked with interest.
"My dad and the others want to join the Suicide Squad. That would be tantamount to certain death. Could they work for you instead? Just enough food to eat would be fine; no salary needed," Guo Xing said firmly, stepping forward without hesitation or pretense.
He knew that at this moment, things could easily backfire. In the apocalypse, no one would pity others; it was a world where the weak were preyed upon by the strong.
"I happen to have something I want to do right now. I wonder if your father and the others can handle it," Zheng Yifan said with a smile as he looked at Guo Xing.
His plan was becoming increasingly refined in his mind. Since there were few people in the Hope Gathering Place, they needed to attract others. However, these newcomers couldn't be openly brought into the Hope Gathering Place; it was their stronghold, and they currently lacked the strength to initiate a large-scale battle. Moreover, autumn farming had gradually begun, marking one of the most crucial times of the year. The Han Sui City Gathering Place was also busy with autumn farming, hoping for a good harvest so they could enjoy fresh grain next year.
The food in the warehouse was gradually deteriorating, forcing them to move faster. They could no longer afford to pay attention to matters within the Gathering Place. A large number of civilians had been hired to cultivate the land, but mercenary groups still ventured out to hunt. Even those who joined the Suicide Squad were reluctant to engage in farming because it was much harder work with less security; once they went out, they might not return.
Only those who were forcibly conscripted had no choice but to cultivate land under duress for the First Division.
As for the Hope Gathering Place, Zheng Yifan wasn't worried at all. Large agricultural machinery had already begun to be put into use, making farming a simple task for them. One machine could replace hundreds or even thousands of people without any problem. The effectiveness of their farming was also significantly better.
However, the Hope Gathering Place wasn't as generous as the Han Sui City Gathering Place; they didn't place a Zombie Crystal on every square meter of land.
The energy from the Zombie Crystal s was slowly absorbed by the plants, making the crops more resilient to disasters and increasing their yield.
Now, Zheng Yifan was preparing to take advantage of the First Division's busyness to bring back tens of thousands of people to enrich the Hope Gathering Place.
Of course, it wouldn't be a direct mix; instead, they would slowly select individuals to join the Hope Gathering Place. Initially, these newcomers would be settled outside Ruiguan, and only those who passed selection would enter Ruiguan for further evaluation. After officially passing this assessment, they would join the current Hope Gathering Place.
This task wasn't difficult and could be done easily. Zheng Yifan didn't want to do it himself; if he had to handle every job personally, he would surely exhaust himself. He had been eagerly wanting to return to the real world for a break, feel the sea breeze, and find ways for his parents to enjoy some comfort as well.
He had already transferred tens of thousands into his parents' bank account, but he knew his parents would never touch a single cent; they would save it as his dowry.
Thinking about his parents and looking at Guo Xing before him made him feel how fortunate he truly was.
As for Guo Xing, his mother had already passed away by his age. Although he hadn't seen her demise, she must have either been devoured by zombies or turned into one herself.
There would definitely be no good ending for her.
All these thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant as Old Guo looked at Zheng Yifan in astonishment, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest.
"Sir, do you really agree to let me work for you? Thank you so much!" Old Guo expressed his gratitude, trying to bow but finding his legs unyielding, as if gripped by an iron vice.
Zheng Yifan's right foot rested lightly on his leg, preventing him from bending. He still couldn't accept that someone would kneel before him, nor could he understand how anyone could accept such a position with calmness.
"Working for me comes with great risks; you could lose your life at any moment. And if your identity is exposed, I'm sorry, but we won't protect you. All I want is safety and efficiency," Zheng Yifan stated plainly.
He had no desire to be burdened by such worries.
"No problem! Whatever the job, we can handle it. These are my brothers, brothers I can trust with my life. No matter what, we will stand together and never betray our own," Old Guo assured earnestly. The others echoed their loyalty.
They were at the end of their rope, facing their last hope. Who didn't want to live? Who didn't want to live well?
Now another opportunity lay before them; if they missed it, they would surely regret it in the underworld.
"Now let me briefly explain your mission."
"Your goal is to recruit those in the Gathering Place who are brave, loyal, and trustworthy to form the Suicide Squad. Gather them and refine the best among them, keeping the number limited to 1,000 per week, aiming for a total of 10,000 in the short term. During this time, I can provide you with food, medicine, and safe shelter as resources for building the Suicide Squad. Wu Yingzhou and Tian Ye, along with another person, will accompany you on this mission."
"Once you achieve your target, I will allow you to officially join us and reveal our strength. Also, do not entertain any ulterior motives," Zheng Yifan briefly outlined.
Then came the details—many of them—but he revealed nothing about his identity; at most they would know he was the Boss of Hope Mall. Everything else remained confidential.
Leihong, who was nearly as capable as the Left Guard and had been under his command for some time, was someone he trusted greatly. This young man was bold and tenacious; though a bit reckless, his loyalty ranked among the highest in the Gathering Place. With him overseeing things, Zheng Yifan felt much more at ease.
As for strength, Zheng Yifan currently had no shortage of Essence. Leihong's Military Merit was sufficient as well; before they set off, Zheng Yifan would allow him to use Essence to evolve into a Superpowered Individual.
Regarding Superpower levels, Zheng Yifan truly had no way of knowing; he had never seen any fruits that could advance them—only heard rumors about them.
The testimony from Thunder Fist only described its appearance without any practical use; all he knew was that it was something Ice King had procured for him.
The specific methods remained completely confidential.
Now, this had become a thorn in Zheng Yifan's heart. Without knowing this secret, his subordinates would never be able to produce true strong individuals. No matter how powerful a Superpower was, it could always be suppressed by a higher First Level or two levels of Superpower.
After the explanation, the entire room seemed to fall silent. The members of the Riot Mercenary Group looked at each other, as if waiting for someone to come up with an idea.
Only Old Guo pondered for a moment before voicing everyone's thoughts: "These plans only have a future. What about us right now? For example... what about food?"
Zheng Yifan suddenly realized. He had grown accustomed to the treatment in the Hope Gathering Place, where almost no one would ask such questions. Now, he was caught off guard by the sudden inquiry.
Li Ning quickly pulled out several contracts from her bag and handed them to Zheng Yifan. He took the last one, glanced at it casually, and passed it back.
It was merely the lowest level of contract, offering benefits that were even less than those provided to ordinary people in the Hope Gathering Place—just meals. Yet, with just this one contract, the members of the Riot Mercenary Group agreed without a second thought.
After setting up the meeting location, code words, and contacts, Zheng Yifan's journey was abruptly declared over.
All of this happened because...
The wind outside had arrived.
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