Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 100 Situation

The Jetta team's first formal meeting was held in a dimly lit, spacious underground cave.

The Rat Advisor's small eyes slowly swept over his fellow clansmen present, and he cleared his throat, saying:

"Your Majesty, we are currently short of troops. If we follow the principle of one out of five, we can initially assemble a guard of four hundred ratmen."

"This is the safest scale, sufficient to meet the initial defense needs. After that, we will consolidate our territory while encouraging the population to multiply, and then gradually expand."

He speaks slowly and uses simple words to ensure that every word is understandable.

Jetta had no objection and turned his gaze to Zhuang Fan, who was sitting in the main seat.

After listening to the Rat Advisor's words, Zhuang Fan did not comment on the size of the army, but instead raised another question.

"Master, besides the guards, I need a group of scouts who specialize in gathering intelligence."

After considering his words for a moment, he continued, "Whether inside or outside the city, we must have our own eyes and ears, especially the Nuclear Group and the Mori-Ban Network. We cannot let any of their movements go unnoticed."

Establishing an efficient intelligence system is difficult to accomplish in a short period of time, but it is something that must be done.

He looked at the Rat Advisor: "You are in charge of screening and training. Screen all the intelligence and send the useful ones to me."

"Understood, sir." Master Rat bowed and accepted the order.

The previously silent old Fukang finally spoke, his voice tinged with lingering worry:
"My lord, the food and lodging of the rat guards is a major problem. They need to train and fight, and their consumption far exceeds that of ordinary people. Our current food reserves are probably..."

"It doesn't hurt to just say it."

Old Fukang stroked his rat whiskers, hesitated for a moment, and then offered the most direct solution: "Could we halve the quota for ordinary clansmen?"

Santana felt a pang of anxiety upon hearing that his rations had been reduced.

The Skaven had recently experienced a split, and he didn't want to cause further turmoil because of this.

"inappropriate."

The Rat Advisor objected: "Withholding food from the tribesmen may solve the problem in the short term, but in the long run, it poses a great threat. People's hearts will be scattered, and the guards will find it difficult to be truly loyal."

Jetta agreed with the advisor's words: "We have just experienced a split, and we cannot afford to fight each other again."

Zhuang Fan raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, setting the tone immediately.

"No deductions allowed."

His voice was firm and resolute: "All ratmen are part of the race, they are the spark. If you want the fire to burn brighter, you can't be stingy with any piece of firewood."

"If there is a shortage of supplies in the early stages, the Firewood Base can provide them, but this is only an emergency measure. In the long run, the Skaven must be self-sufficient."

Jetta, Master Mouse, and the others nodded emphatically.

"If the population expands blindly and the food supply can't keep up, it means you're moving too fast and you have to stop and slow down."

After listening, the Rat Advisor quickly considered the matter:
"Sir, we need 100,000 gold coins as start-up capital. The majority of this money will be used to purchase water purifiers and potato seeds."

Zhuang Fan agreed, saying that clean water is essential for survival, and that potatoes are tolerant of poor soil, have high yields, and are indeed the best staple food.

The Rat Advisor continued:

"...In addition, if conditions permit, we can grow some fast-growing fungi in humid areas."

Fast-growing fungi are the second most ideal crop after potatoes. They can complete a growth cycle in just two days when growing in a humid and dark environment.

Mycelium contains a large amount of protein and is also a supplement to staple food.

Zhuang Fan approved the plan and added:

"One more thing, in addition to daily training and combat readiness, rat guards must participate in labor in all their spare time and cannot be separated from production."

Upon hearing this, Santana whispered, "Sir, won't this affect training efficiency?"

He's the head coach now, and he only cares about the guards' combat effectiveness.

"You must remember that discipline is more important than mere combat skills."

Zhuang Fan's gaze fell on Santana. "We need an army that knows how to obey and work hard, not just brutes who only know how to brandish weapons."

"As for the meaning of labor, only by growing food with your own hands can you understand the preciousness of food, and only by participating in the construction of your home can you learn how to protect it."

Santana pondered for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "Sir, I will personally keep an eye on the new recruits and make sure they don't slack off in the slightest!"

Zhuang Fan nodded slightly and finally mentioned the fundamental survival strategy of the rat-people: scavenging.

"All scavenged items must be piled up in the underground platform cave near the recycling station."

He looked at Jetta and said, “You need to send people to expand that area immediately and open up an escape route for the recycling station. Remember, you need to set up both living and dead tunnels, combining light and dark areas, so that it is convenient for you to enter and exit, and also to confuse the enemy.”

"Boss, I'll finish it as soon as possible!"

After explaining everything, Zhuang Fan stood up.

Jetta, Master Mouse, Old Fukang, and Santana immediately bowed and respectfully saw him off.

Only after the adult's figure disappeared did Old Fukang straighten up and sigh softly:
"The Demon General... seems to be becoming more and more like a true human leader."

Jetta glared at it and lowered its voice: "Don't talk about the boss behind his back."

Old Fukang realized he had spoken out of turn and quickly shut his mouth.

……

Zhuang Fan returned to the Firewood Base, where the last rays of the setting sun were burning on the horizon.

Behind him followed three newly recruited coal miners. They were taciturn, their faces covered in indelible coal dust, but their eyes were simple and honest.

The base was bustling with activity.

The twenty cat-people had finished unloading the goods and were enjoying a rare moment of leisure.

Some lay on the eaves, while others climbed trees to sharpen their claws;

Several cat-people used discarded wood and ropes to build a complex climbing frame.

More cat people followed Hua Xin, busying themselves in a small, newly reclaimed plot of land.

They chattered incessantly as they worked together to build a fence using wooden stakes and barbed wire.

Inside the fence, tender shoots of silver vines sprouted from the soil, and a patch of catnip was planted nearby.

"Aren't the gaps between these fences too wide? What if a mutant rat manages to get in?"

An orange cat stood with its hands on its hips, looking worried.

"What are you afraid of? If they dare to come, we'll turn them into little dried fish!" The calico cat waved its paws.

A tabby cat suddenly spoke up: "Could we plant some dried fish saplings next to the catnip? That way we'll have more than enough to eat later."

"You guys are even more prone to overthinking than I am..."

Hua Xin stood among them, her fur soaked with sweat, pressed against the cat's face.

She patiently taught the youngest cat-person how to use a hammer and how to drive nails steadily into wooden stakes.

As someone who is half "of the same kind", she has a natural affinity with these cat people.

Not far away, Cole was leading several members of the Torch team in shooting practice.

When he saw Zhuang Fan return, he raised his hand in greeting from afar as a sign of acknowledgment.

Zhuang Fan walked over and asked softly, "How's the scavenging going?"

Cole put down his rifle and wiped the sweat from his brow:
"Boss, today's scavenging volume is three times higher than usual. Those newcomers are quite good; they work tirelessly."

"It's the warehouse... I'm afraid we'll have to empty it every day, otherwise it'll be full in two days at most."

Zhuang Fan was somewhat surprised to hear this.

He walked toward the warehouse, and before he even entered, he heard shouts coming from inside.

Watson's face turned red as he arm-wrestled with Xiong Da using his iron arm.

He had used all his strength, but Xiong Da's paw was as steady as Mount Tai, and he even had the leisure to yawn.

The surrounding crowd joined in the commotion.

With a loud thud, Watson's iron arm was easily slammed onto the table.

“It’s mine.”

Xiong Da reached out and took the protein bar.

He let out a satisfied hum, turned and left, leaving Watson still in shock.

Watson deflated like a punctured balloon, panting heavily on the spot.

Zhuang Fan waited a while before going in, pretending not to notice his embarrassment, and casually asked, "Did you manage to hire anyone today?"

Upon seeing Zhuang Fan enter, Hua Sheng stood up and reported:

"Boss, I recruited two people, a brother and sister. They're not very old and seem quite honest."

Zhuang Fan nodded: "The three behind me are also newcomers. You settle them in first, and I'll go for the interviews after I finish dealing with the warehouse."

For him, this was just a formality.

He had previously observed them in secret and confirmed that the five newcomers were all honest and reliable.

Watson accepted the order and led five apprehensive newcomers into the base.

Zhuang Fan walked into the depths of the warehouse, while Xiong Da loyally guarded the outside, pulling the heavy iron door shut to prevent anyone from approaching.

He looked at the mountain of scrap in front of him, closed his eyes, and slowly raised his hand.

The dark brown, decaying mist that lingered on the surface of the waste gradually thinned and dissipated little by little.

He could clearly feel that his efficiency in extracting the decaying mist was several times faster than before.

Perhaps it was that sixteen-day slumber that allowed his mental energy to recover and be refined.

In the past, dealing with this pile of clutter would have taken at least five hours, but now it only takes an hour.

After disposing of all the waste, Zhuang Fan went to the base's underground warehouse.

Six power armor units were mounted on a support frame, and a diesel generator hummed beside them, charging them.

Gage was engrossed in his workbench, fiddling with a bunch of complex parts.

“Gage.”

“Boss!” Gage immediately looked up.

"The ratmen will be opening up a passage between the underground recycling station and here in the next few days, which will make it easier to transfer waste from the warehouses in both places."

Zhuang Fan stepped forward, his tone slightly stern: "You coordinate with Master Rat and make sure to draw a map of the underground passage and mark it to prevent our own people from getting lost."

"Understood, boss."

Gage understood instantly.

This is not only for convenient transportation, but also for planning ahead.

Once the surface is sealed off, these underground passages will be the last resort for survival.

After giving instructions to Gage, Zhuang Fan returned to the ground and began interviewing the five new recruits.

His questions were still tricky, and the result was unsurprising: all five passed.

As for the specific division of labor, Zhuang Fan let Hua Sheng arrange it according to their strengths.

At that moment, the panel on his wrist vibrated.

It was a short message sent by Pipi, Chu Ningyan's confidante.

The team leader is busy out and said he'll withdraw the money when he has time.

Zhuang Fan replied with an "okay".

As night deepened, Xiong Er came down from the watchtower for a short rest and to replenish his energy.

He sat at the dining table, a kettle in one hand and a loaf of black bread in the other, silently munching on it.

As Zhuang Fan passed by, his gaze fell on the sniper rifle behind him, which was still that old model.

"Aren't you used to using the Gauss sniper rifle?" Zhuang Fan asked casually.

Xiong Er stopped chewing, looked up, and his usually expressionless raccoon face showed helplessness.

"Boss, I've been dreaming of using this, but there's no way around it. The rate of fire is locked. The faster the bullets go, the more likely something bad will happen." Zhuang Fan understood his helplessness.

In this world shrouded in eerie mist, the faster an object flies, the more "cracks" it creates by rubbing against the mist.

At best, a bullet will self-destruct in mid-air; at worst, it will explode the moment it leaves the barrel.

This is a physical law that no long-range thermal weapon can overcome in the wasteland.

Zhuang Fan pondered for a moment: "What's the rate of fire of the gun you're using right now?"

Mach 2.5.

Xiong Er replied, "At this speed, as long as it's in a light fog environment, it's not easy to trigger a fissure."

Gage happened to come up from the basement and, after overhearing their conversation, came over.

"Even the most advanced technology is useless."

He shook his head, with a hint of regret typical of engineers. "They're all locked down by the eerie fog. Humanity keeps developing weapons, and technology is advancing every day, but what's the result?"

He then changed the subject, saying, "If it can't fly fast, it can't fight fast, and once it leaves the Radiant Crystal, all its advanced gadgets become a pile of scrap metal."

Cole was passing by and stopped as well.

"The same goes for fog lights."

He added, "When I was a quartermaster, a lamp cost fifty gold coins; now it costs two hundred."

Gage curled his lip:

"Fog lights are not technologically advanced; they're just a matter of electrifying a crystal."

"Boss, why don't we just buy some brilliance crystals? I'll cut them into shapes with a cutter, put them in the lamp, and they're ready to use. It's much cheaper than buying finished products."

Cole retorted softly, "You're being presumptuous. The shape of the crystal, the internal electrical patterns, and the magnitude of the current are all important. Otherwise, why would those gentlemen dare to sell fog lights for two hundred gold coins?"

But Gage felt that this was not a technological barrier, and that he could overcome it completely.

Zhuang Fan thought for a moment and then spoke:
"A fog light costs two hundred gold coins, but it requires one gram of Brilliant Crystal, while one gram of Brilliant Crystal only costs 50 gold coins. The price difference is indeed too big."

Cole frowned: "But the raw stones can't be bought directly; they're all monopolized by large suppliers."

Hua Xin was carrying a gun and preparing to go out when he overheard their conversation and curiously chimed in:
"Can't the Radiant Crystal also dispel fog? Does it really need to be powered? If it's not powered, it won't be consumed."

“Without electricity, the defogging effect is very weak, almost negligible,” Gage explained.

"But it won't consume anything!"

Hua Xin's cat-like eyes lit up, and her tone carried a hint of smugness:
"If we cover our entire base with Brilliant Crystals, we'll never need fog lights again, and we can save a lot of money!"

Zhuang Fan and Gage shook their heads at the same time.

"In that case, our base will become a treasure trove of Brilliant Crystals, and all the bandits will come here to buy them. Moreover, its fog-dispelling ability is weak, and its cost-effectiveness is low."

Gage picked up where Zhuang Fan left off: "Your idea is far-fetched and too costly."

Hua Xin, however, was unconvinced and started arguing with Gage.

Kerr smiled and smoothed things over:
"Actually, this idea is not wrong. The underground tunnels between human cities are made of concrete mixed with pyroxene powder."

"But this only ensures the structural stability of the tunnel and prevents it from being corroded. Vehicles and people passing through the tunnel still need fog protection, so we still need electricity and fog lights. It doesn't save much money."

Hua Xin paused for a moment: "Then we can increase the lighting inside the tunnel, add more light..."

As soon as she said it, she realized it was a stupid question. No matter how bright the light was, it couldn't penetrate the human body, let alone dispel the eerie mist inside.

Cole sighed softly, "I just have a vague feeling that the current reserves of Brilliant Crystals are probably not enough."

Zhuang Fan hadn't said much because he was searching through the old man's fragmented memories.

The amount of pyroxene consumed by humans each year is astronomical, originating from a lunar crater.

According to Xu Renyi's estimate, the existing reserves of Brilliant Crystals... are probably less than a quarter left, and all forces have begun to hoard them, listing Brilliant Crystals as strategic resources.

"Cole guessed right, the situation is probably even more dire..."

When Zhuang Fan revealed this vague information to everyone in an uncertain tone, the atmosphere at the scene instantly froze.

Everyone realized what this meant.

Without the Radiant Crystal, human cities will be completely swallowed by the eerie mist, and civilization will come to an end.

This is a countdown hanging over humanity's head.

Zhuang Fan, however, had even more in mind.

Linhai City is a mining city built on a lunar crater, mainly producing and processing pyroxene.

The activities of the ratmen, mutants, the Apocalypse Cult, the Demon General, Tiros (suspected to be Zhuang Li)... in Linhai City are likely also for the sake of the Radiant Crystal.

Putting yourself in his shoes, if he were an enemy of humanity, he would definitely try to occupy or destroy Linhai City.

Regardless of the choice made, the ultimate goal is to cut off humanity's supply of brilliance crystals.

Now that his move to shift the blame has led to the complete annihilation of the Apocalypse Cult's strongholds in the city, the officials of Linhai City should already be on guard.

Zhuang Fan felt that his abilities were limited and that this was all he could do. Moreover, he was currently a wanted criminal and did not want to get involved in this vortex.

He only wanted to confirm Tirose's true identity, but never wanted to become a savior.

“We went out to scavenge today and came to an abandoned town near the mountains.”

Cole broke the silence: "The town looks quite new, and there are still quite a few hydroelectric power stations, but they're all abandoned. Some valuable parts can still be salvaged from them. We're planning to go back again tomorrow."

Hua Xin remained puzzled by this: "It's so strange, there's a ready-made hydroelectric power station, why don't they live there?"

"This is just the beginning."

Zhuang Fan slowly explained, "In the future, the living space for humans will continue to shrink, and the closure of numerous hydroelectric power stations and the abandonment of non-strategic areas are all unavoidable..."

Seeing Hua Xin's confused expression, Zhuang Fan used a more common analogy.

"Just like when you make black bread every day, if there's too much flour, you add water; if there's too much water, you add flour. Fog lights, which are huge power consumers, have a similar relationship with power plants."

"We built hydroelectric power stations and photovoltaic panels to power fog-dispelling lighthouses, but these power generation devices, supporting facilities, pipelines and power lines along the way also require a large number of fog-dispelling lights."

"Over time, the electricity they produced couldn't even meet their own fog-clearing needs, while the consumption of scintillans increased exponentially. Capital, of course, also seeks profit and does the math, so it naturally gave up."

Hua Xin was a little disappointed: "What about nuclear power?"

Cole chimed in: "The nuclear power plant has been reduced to less than a third of its original capacity, barely enough to operate."

The discussion continued, but the atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

Zhuang Fan didn't speak again, still thinking about Linhai City.

He increasingly felt that the city was a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

“Cole,” Zhuang Fan suddenly spoke.

"Boss?"

"Where is that abandoned town you went to scavenge in today? How far is it from here?"

Hua Xin answered first: "It's about one kilometer from Linhai City, but there are many mountains there, the sunlight is blocked, and the fog is very thick, so scavengers don't want to go there."

For scavengers, it is a high-risk, low-return, and ultimately undesirable area.

But for Zhuang Fan, the more people feared him like a tiger, the safer his team would be.

That small town could serve as a secret refuge, a forward observation post, or an emergency evacuation route; its location was superb.

"When you go tomorrow, keep an eye out and see if there are any well-hidden and safe shelters nearby."

Cole and Hua Xin exchanged a glance and nodded slightly.

Just then, King Mao's caravan arrived and stopped at the entrance of the base.

This time, he also brought five new scavengers, but according to the rules, they still had to pass Zhuang Fan's interview first.

After passing the interview, Zhuang Fan arrived at the warehouse, where Mao Shanwang directed his men to unload the goods, with Hua Sheng standing nearby.

"Today's goods are worth 300,000."

Mao Shanwang fanned himself with a palm leaf fan. “It’s a little less than before, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve reached an agreement with a landfill owner in the city. Starting tomorrow, they will transport six truckloads of waste out of the city every day.”

"Is it reliable?"

"An old acquaintance, reliable."

Zhuang Fanmo did a quick calculation.

After processing six truckloads of scrap, it will bring in at least 200,000 gold coins in net profit.

In addition to the output of his own scavenging team and Jetta's side, the base's daily net profit will be stable at over 600,000.

He could earn a net profit of 600,000 gold coins every day; he had never fought such a wealthy battle.

"Boss, Master Rat just sent someone over and took away the 100,000 gold coins as start-up capital."

Hua Sheng reported quietly from the side: "In addition, we have 600,000 gold coins in our base account, and the four power armors cost one million, so we are still short 400,000."

Zhuang Fan nodded, "It can be settled tomorrow."

He turned to Mao Shanwang: "Old Cat, will those four power armors arrive tomorrow?"

"Don't worry, it will be delivered on time."

"Starting the day after tomorrow, you will send two power armors over every day, for a total of ten."

Upon hearing this, Mao Shanwang's eyes lit up, and he fanned himself even faster. A business worth 500,000 every day...

"No problem! You're a big spender, I'll charge you whatever you want!"

Mao Shanwang toured the base and saw that his people were adapting well, which brought a look of relief to his face.

He sat back down in his crab-shaped chair and leisurely left.

……

Meanwhile, in Linhai City, there's an underground black market.

Under the dim light, the investigation team from Morisaka Networks finally tracked down the virtual pod that had been dismantled down to just a pile of parts.

A team member crouched down and used specialized equipment to scan the outer shell of the cabin, confirming the hidden serial number.

But these black market dealers dismantled it too thoroughly; the core motherboard was removed, the fiber optic cables were cut, and the casing was cut into pieces, making it impossible to find any useful information.

The team member frowned and reported truthfully:
"Team leader, the serial number matches, but the user data on the logic board has been completely erased, and all physical traces of the interfaces have been processed, so we can't trace the source."

The team leader's face grew increasingly grim.

In recent days, the stability issues of Senban Networks' servers have been met with fierce criticism from the media.

Competitors are stirring things up behind the scenes, causing Morisaka's stock price to plummet. The board of directors has issued a strict order to find out who is behind this.

"Since we can't find out who the user is..."

The team leader's voice grew cold: "Then let's start investigating from these traffickers, digging down layer by layer! I refuse to believe we can't find the source!"

They used their authority to search the vendors' transaction records one by one, and even forcibly extracted their memories.

Finally, they located a slum and found a well-known middleman.

However, the middleman was adamant and refused to provide any information about the seller.

"Get out! Don't cause trouble here!"

He didn't even look up, he just wiped the prosthetic parts in his hands with an oilcloth.

Behind the middleman, a dozen enhanced humans lifted their coats, revealing guns at their waists.

Twenty minutes later.

Those dozen or so enhanced humans had been reduced to a pile of twisted metal and flesh.

The trafficker was tied to a metal chair, his face deathly pale.

The interrogator didn't ask any questions, but started the cutting machine, and the rotating grinding wheel slowly approached and pressed against his chest.

The middleman, who claimed he would never leak secrets or reveal the seller's information, finally broke down.

"Stop! Stop! I'll tell you! The person who sold me the virtual reality pod... it's Mao Shanwang! That big fat cat!"

(End of this chapter)