15: Chapter 15 The Million Uses of Ghost Soldiers

On the second day of the barbecue party, the Fortress's operational efficiency noticeably improved. The fear in the newcomers' eyes hadn't vanished, but it was replaced by a sense of resignation and diligence. They understood that here, obedience and labor were the only ways to survive, and that their unfathomable master, Lin Chen, truly had the ability to carve out this "Pure Land" in the apocalypse.

Meanwhile, Lin Chen began developing all sorts of unimaginable uses for his pay-to-win private army—the Yin Soldiers.

Early morning, at the construction site for the east exterior wall of the Fortress, which needed heightening.

Dozens of survivors were struggling to lift heavy alloy plates, chanting work songs and dripping with sweat. Zhang Hao stood to the side, cracking a bone whip as a supervisor, cursing and swearing.

"Have you all fucking skipped breakfast? Hurry up! This wall must be finished today!"

Just then, a squad of twenty Yin Soldier Centurions marched into the construction site with synchronized, silent steps, like a black tide.

The workers were so terrified they immediately stopped their tasks, staring in horror at these soldiers radiating a nether aura, unsure of what they intended to do.

The Yin Soldier Centurions paired off and walked up to the giant alloy plates that normally required four or five people to barely lift. They reached out with arms covered in black armor and gripped the edges of the plates.

Then, under the dumbfounded gaze of everyone present, they lifted the heavy plates as easily as if they were picking up feathers, precisely placing them into their designated spots! Their movements were orderly, and their efficiency was terrifyingly high!

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

The sound of metal clashing was dense and rhythmic. A workload that originally would have taken over half a day was perfectly completed by this squad of Yin Soldiers in less than half an hour! The wall surface was as smooth as if it had been cut by a machine!

Zhang Hao's mouth hung open for a long time before he finally slapped his thigh hard. "Holy shit! That's badass!"

But that wasn't all.

By the experimental field planned inside the Fortress, Su Qingyu was fretting with a few people who had some agricultural experience. The soil had been eroded by the Bizarre Mist and was heavily compacted; ordinary tools couldn't dig into it at all.

At that moment, another squad of Yin Soldiers walked over. They didn't carry weapons; instead, they extended their ghostly fingers and thrust them into the hard earth!

*Sizzle—*

Like a hot knife through butter, the hard ground was easily turned over, broken up, and leveled under their hands as if it were tofu! The thick Yin energy even neutralized the Bizarre Mist pollution in the soil to a certain extent! In just a short while, a large area of land suitable for planting was prepared, with efficiency comparable to large-scale agricultural machinery!

Su Qingyu watched this scene with a complex expression. These terrifying killing machines could actually be used like this?

Patrolling? That was the most basic function of the Yin Soldiers. They were tireless and had keen senses, patrolling every corner of the Fortress twenty-four hours a day, eliminating any possibility of infiltration or internal unrest.

Lin Chen even came up with new tricks on the Fortress's newly built "Training Ground."

He had a squad of Yin Soldiers stand there to serve as "living targets" and "sparring partners," allowing selected survivors who performed well (mainly Zhang Hao and a few courageous people he'd picked) to attack them with various weapons.

Of course, ordinary swords and blades wouldn't even leave a white mark on the Yin Soldiers' armor. However, this greatly trained the survivors' courage and combat skills when facing Bizarre Monsters. Zhang Hao was especially excited, howling as he used an enchanted machete bestowed by Lin Chen to frantically hack at a Yin Soldier Centurion. Though it was useless, he never tired of it.

"See that! I'll be able to split these iron lumps in half sooner or later!" Zhang Hao boasted, even while gasping for breath from exhaustion.

The Yin Soldier Centurion he was hacking at faced him with empty eye sockets, completely unresponsive.

Under Lin Chen's philosophy of "making the most of everything," the entire Fortress was being built at an incredible speed, becoming as solid as a rock and perfectly organized. The Yin Soldiers became the ultimate multi-purpose tools: construction workers, farmers, patrollers, sparring partners... They were silent, efficient, and absolutely obedient, running the Fortress like a precise and terrifying war machine.

The survivors went from their initial terror to gradual numbness, even beginning to rely on the "convenience" and "safety" brought by these nether soldiers.

Qin Weiwei watched all of this, her heart pounding with fear. The more skillfully Lin Chen used the Yin Soldiers, the more it proved his control over the Fortress was frighteningly powerful. She had to transmit the latest situation as soon as possible, especially the terrifying logistical capability and organization reflected in this "multi-functional" use of the Yin Soldiers!

However, what she didn't know was that all her worries and observations were merely insignificant footnotes in Lin Chen's script.

That afternoon, an exploration team consisting of three Yin Soldier Centurions and five elite survivors (including two of Zhang Hao's trusted subordinates) went out as usual to search for usable supplies and intelligence.

At dusk, the exploration team returned. The news they brought back made Zhang Hao charge directly into the control room in excitement.

"Master! Great news! Amazing news!" Zhang Hao was so excited he was incoherent. "We discovered an abandoned armory! It looks quite large! There are definitely massive amounts of weapons and ammunition inside! Maybe even heavy weapons!"

Lin Chen, who was checking the system interface, looked up, his face showing little surprise.

Zhang Hao continued gesturing wildly. "It's right under that abandoned industrial park to the north! But... there are quite a few Bizarre Monsters wandering outside, and the armory doors are tightly shut. There's a very sinister aura inside, so we didn't dare get close."

Su Qingyu was also drawn over by the news. Hearing about a large number of weapons, her eyes lit up as well. In the apocalypse, weapons meant stronger defense and more say in matters.

"An armory?" Lin Chen tapped the armrest lightly with his finger, seemingly thinking for a moment. Then he looked at Zhang Hao and asked a question that stunned everyone.

"How many nether talismans would it take to just buy it?"

Zhang Hao: "...Huh?"

Su Qingyu was also stunned. Buy... buy it? Buy it from whom?

Lin Chen didn't explain. His consciousness sank into the system, and he pulled up the Ghost Tycoon Information Network, inputting the approximate coordinates and characteristics of the abandoned armory.

Information was fed back instantly:

[Target: Former Seventh Ordnance Depot (Abandoned and occupied by a "Rust Demon Puppet" swarm)]

[Internal Estimated Value: Approximately 150,000 nether talismans]

[Suggested Acquisition Price: 200,000 nether talismans (Includes clearing service of current occupants)]

[Initiate acquisition?]

Lin Chen looked at the name "Rust Demon Puppet" and the system's helpful note: "Specializes in physical defense, low resistance to energy attacks, fears pure nether aura." A slight smile touched the corner of his mouth.

"Two hundred thousand nether talismans?" he murmured to himself. "Includes clearing? That's quite a bargain."

He glanced at the still-dazed Zhang Hao and the thoughtful Su Qingyu.

"Get ready." Lin Chen stood up, his tone as casual as if he were saying he was going to the supermarket downstairs for a pack of cigarettes.

"Tomorrow, we go to collect our new asset."