The construction speed had been squeezed to the limit. However, whether at least 80% of the project could be completed by March was still unknown. In particular, the rain didn't show any signs of stopping, which cast a shadow over this unstarted battle.
Fifty construction robots had just walked down the production line of the factory at Sixth Street and were dispatched to Yizhou Island by the airship as an emergency. More expeditionary soldiers and employed survivors were also assigned to the project.
Li Wang personally stood at the front lines and supervised the construction. Although he knew that this was more for psychological comfort than any practical purpose, he still did it.
At that point, a deputy officer came to his side.
"There are survivors in the west construction sector protesting. They are demanding salary payment."
Li Wang didn't move his eyes and said emotionlessly:
"In the beginning, we said the salary would be paid after completion."
The deputy officer hesitated but still truthfully reported.
"They are afraid that the project will never be completed."
After a long silence, he said:
"Salary will be paid out on March 2. I don't care what method you use to suppress their attitude."
"Roger!" The deputy officer saluted.
Li Wang clearly knew about how they absolutely could not pay the workers' salaries. As for why, it was not because the NAC lacked the funds, but it was because once the money had been paid out, these people would not stay here to work. Instead, they would take the crystals and go hide in the fallout shelter.
Their pay had to wait until March 2nd, after the door of Fallout Shelter 79 was closed...
At the moment, inside Fallout Shelter 79.
A man dressed in a PAC military uniform was standing in the doorway, staring at the feeble and weak survivors lining up to enter the fallout shelter with his eyes narrowed. He enjoyed the feeling of watching poor people bowing their heads, praying for his protection, and handing him their meager crystals with both hands.
Yuan Yi, mayor of Town No. 79, was also the director of Fallout Shelter 79. Constrained by the understanding of the apocalypse, in the "history of rises and falls" of many fallout shelters, very few blueskins managed to conquer the chaotic wasteland "refugees" and succeed in establishing stable order.
Town No. 79 was undoubtedly an exception.
Long before opening the door, the director of the fallout shelter completed the transformation from democracy to totalitarianism. With sufficient reserves of arms, almost all men in the group of 2,000 were enlisted as soldiers.
When the fallout shelter opened, his attitude toward these wasteland refugees wasn't to aid them - he wanted to conquer them.
Obviously, he succeeded.
Regardless of whether or not the means were extreme, Fallout Shelter 79 successfully survived the first year of its opening and had existed until now.
While Yuan Yi was admiring the expressions of those survivors, his men came over and saluted in a PAC gesture and spoke.
"Director, there's still has no sign of evacuation of the NAC Expeditionary Force from Desperate Beach."
After hearing this news, Yuan Yi narrowed his eyes slightly.
Every Month of Disaster, he could harvest tens of thousands of crystals from these poor worms who came to seek refuge. The size of Town No. 79 developed to today's scale was based on people's fear of the Month of Disaster.
Unlike most survivors, he was unwilling for this disaster to disappear as a vested person in the Month of Disaster.
However, at the moment, he couldn't blatantly act.
The strength demonstrated by NAC made him deeply wary. Disregarding everything aside from the steel airship, he knew very well that the strength on both sides wasn't at the same level.
Yuan Yi thought with his arms folded for a moment before a sinister smile suddenly appeared.
"Let the survivors, who are lurking in the labor forces, make preparations. Before February 28, call for a strike in the name of demanding payment."
The subordinate's eyes lit up and he immediately said:
"The director is brilliant!"
Yuan Yi waved his hand and laughed.
"Make the order for me. If this can be done, there will be great benefits."
"Yes!"
The subordinate nodded but didn't leave immediately.
"Why aren't you leaving?" Yuan Yi asked, frowning.
"There's one more thing to report." The man lowered his head as he spoke.
"What's wrong?"
"The Datun Nature Park scout discovered someone attempting to enter the park..."
...
Today was the 26th, only two days away from the start of the Month of Disaster.
The heavy rain in Yizhou showed signs of easing, but the dark clouds hovering above them made the weather turn into continuous drips.
Muddy water was washed off the road, and due to the lack of maintenance, the cracked country road became a dirt road. Two centimeters of mud later, the concrete road underneath could be seen.
In raincoats, three people stood at the entrance of Datun Natural Park.
Jiang Chen took off his hood and scanned everything in a circle. The dark forests on both sides were disturbing, but after turning on the radio life detection device, they didn't catch any traces of mutant activities. From this point of view, this forest couldn't be safer.
However, it was abnormal.
Jiang Chen frowned slightly.
"It's not just humans who choose to seek refuge in the Month of Disaster. Many mutants will also hide in the caves or rubble of the buildings and avoid the crabs that will eat everything." Seeing the confusion in Jiang Chen's eyes, Chen Guangning explained to him.
"So that's the case." Jiang Chen nodded.
"I'm saying... Do we really have to go up?" Looking at the road leading to Datun Natural Park, Lin Lin's face was filled with intimidation.
Seeing her frightened appearance, Jiang Chen laughed.
This little girl was a digitalized human, but she was even more timid than humans.
Chen Guangning hesitated but also offered his perspective, "I have the same point of view as Miss Lin. The mole said there may be something bad here, so it's better for us to be cautious. In addition, do we really not need the assistance of the expeditionary forces? More than 100 people sent by Fallout Shelter 79 were lost here. We have only three people. What's more..."
[Not to mention you are still NAC's general.]
How could he transport nuclear devices and materials with such a large number of people? As for the danger, Jiang Chen didn't worry too much. As long as he was wearing power armor, there was no possibility of being "killed instantly." No matter what kind of danger he was in, he could quickly disengage.
What's more, the pile of technology hidden in the storage dimension could freely be used, and he would possess the fighting power equivalent to one hundred people.
"You can wait here. And you, Lin Lin, wait until you see my signal."
Leaving these words, Jiang Chen, disregarding how Chen Guangning and Lin Ling would react, revealed a Ripper Assault Rifle under his raincoat and walked alone onto the misty mountain road.