456: Shanlanzhou Front Army

When Lao Liu heard this, he realized Pan Han was testing him!

He grinned widely, his stubble dancing up and down as he said, "Commander, the next step is naturally to develop our own troops."

"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Pan Han nodded slightly, feeling a bit more at ease.

He was afraid that Lao Liu would just slack off in Shanlan Province and ignore everything.

A general in the field is not bound by the orders of the sovereign, and with Xiao Jiu by his side, these were all unstable factors.

"Heh, Commander, you were right to leave me in Shanlan Province. I find that my personality really fits in here!" Lao Liu put down the half-eaten meat in his hand and wiped his mouth.

"Hmm! It’s mostly because your personality fits in anywhere you go," Pan Han teased.

The others covered their mouths to stifle their laughter; they rarely saw Lao Liu being so serious.

It was like seeing a burly man holding a flower with a delicate gesture; he didn't even have to do anything to make people laugh for half a day.

Only Xiao Jiu, standing to the side, frowned slightly, her palms clenched tight, even sweating a little.

She realized that her man was the designated comic relief among the top brass of Dawn Base!

It wasn't that this role was bad, but as a woman, who wouldn't want their husband to be a pillar of strength?

Moreover, Xiao Jiu knew best what Lao Liu had been doing in Shanlan Province these past few days.

Lao Liu seemed to know what Xiao Jiu was thinking, so he looked at her affectionately, conveying immense determination.

After reassuring Xiao Jiu, Lao Liu smiled at everyone, paused, and continued, "Commander, what I said about our personalities fitting in, I truly meant it."

"Although the people of Shanlan Province are bellicose and pugnacious, they don't have so many hidden agendas."

"As long as you are stronger than them, or treat them with sincerity, they will immediately accept you."

"During this time, I've met quite a few people, and some already want to follow me."

"Since that's the case, I thought it was time to build an army!"

"Shanlan Province has a large population, and their combat effectiveness is not weak. If we can form a batch of the Dawn Army, I believe it will help the Commander's great cause of unifying the country in the future."

Lao Liu stated his thoughts in one breath. The scene fell silent, as if everyone was imagining the scene of the Shanlan Province troops being formed.

Cheng Xiao quietly took a sip of wine; she was also a little nervous.

At first, when she and Lao Liu were quelling the chaos in Shanlan Province, she was worried that Lao Liu wouldn't be able to hold things down, but unexpectedly, it went exceptionally smoothly.

Later, she was also worried that Lao Liu didn't have a plan for the next step, but now, after hearing him, she felt her Sixth Brother was fine.

Now it was just a matter of waiting for Pan Han's attitude. As long as he approved, Lao Liu should have smooth sailing from now on.

There were 700,000 people in Shanlan Province alone. If the mobilization work was done well, they could at least raise an army of 50,000 to 60,000 people.

Clap, clap, clap!

This was the sound of Pan Han applauding. He didn't speak, but took the lead in encouraging Lao Liu.

As the applause rang out, everyone's doubts and worries were instantly shattered.

"Well said!" Pan Han patted Lao Liu on the thigh, wearing a satisfied expression.

"Heh heh! Thank you for the compliment, Commander." Lao Liu picked up the wine bottle and lowered it by half an inch to toast Pan Han.

After the two of them downed a bottle, the others followed suit and applauded.

Xiao Jiu had held her breath watching this scene, her face flushed red, and she was so nervous she almost fainted.

Now she was completely relaxed; her man had passed the test.

Cheng Xiao said, "Sixth Brother, do you need any help?"

"Seventh Sister, not for now. Boss Qin is over there helping me select and reorganize."

However, he changed the subject and said, "But before I left, Boss Qin asked me to bring more food over. If we recruit soldiers, the benefits must be higher than for ordinary people."

"Pfft!" Pan Han steadied his wine bottle, almost spitting it out.

You rascal, Lao Liu. First you used Xiao Jiu to take a jab at me, and now you're bringing out Boss Qin to ask me for food.

If you went to play Pinduoduo, you'd probably be able to cut your way to real money!

Who knows if this was said by Boss Qin or Lao Liu.

And Cheng Xiao, how did she coordinate with Lao Liu so seamlessly?

Every time she set up the pole, Lao Liu was responsible for climbing it; there were absolutely no flaws, it was incredibly smooth.

At this, even Ellie, who hadn't spoken the whole time, saw what was going on and couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.

She quietly pulled Cheng Xiao aside and said, "Sister, why don't I join the Dawn Squad too? It feels like you guys are more like a family."

"Sister, don't rush. In the future, we can cover for each other; there will be plenty of opportunities. Hee hee!" Cheng Xiao stuck out her tongue.

Pan Han remembered the over 100,000 tons of grain he had just transported from the Knight Order into his space, and could only shake his head and say, "Fine, fine, fine, I'll give you 100,000 tons!"

"Oh! My dear Commander! Then, on behalf of the 700,000 people of Shanlan Province, I thank you!"

After saying that, Lao Liu hugged Pan Han and kissed him, his beard pricking Pan Han's cheek painfully.

"Alright, alright! Be steady; you're a governor now, at least." Pan Han pushed him away and wiped the saliva off his cheek.

Hahahaha! Everyone at the scene burst into laughter.

However, Pan Han was actually starting to admire Lao Liu a little.

This guy had a keen mind beneath a rough exterior; he could be shameless when necessary, yet he was also genuinely sincere.

"Damn, if I had half of Lao Liu's wit back then, my work might have taken off long ago." As Pan Han muttered to himself, he saw someone appear in front of him—it was Xiao Jiu.

"Commander, I would like to propose a toast to you. Thank you for bringing us a brand new life!"

"Come on, younger sister-in-law!" Pan Han quickly picked up a bottle of wine.

"You should call her sister-in-law," Cheng Xiao reminded him from afar; she also had to call Xiao Jiu sister-in-law now.

"No, no need. Commander can call me whatever he wants." Xiao Jiu blushed immediately; how could she dare to hope for that title?

"Right, right, right, calling her 'younger sister-in-law' is fine; it makes her sound young." Lao Liu gave Cheng Xiao a wink, signaling her to stop talking.

"Lao Liu, you want to be my younger brother so it's easier to ask for supplies in the future, right?" Pan Han caught the gesture and immediately teased him.

"Heh! You saw right through me, Commander. That's exactly it." Lao Liu said with a fawning smile.

"Damn, you're not even trying to hide it now. You're too shameless. Come on, drink a bottle with me." Pan Han picked up a bottle of wine and handed it to Lao Liu.

People like Lao Liu appear happy-go-lucky on the surface, but are extremely firm inside. Once he considers you his older brother, he will protect you in every way, and perhaps in the future, he really might be too embarrassed to ask for things.

This line in the heart really works sometimes; even a little bit off won't do.

That's why Lao Liu was determined not to let Pan Han call him brother like Cheng Xiao did.

But then again, in the apocalypse, if you don't rely on your remaining inner convictions, what else can you rely on?

"Yes! Then the two of us will toast the Commander, wishing you an heir soon."

"Good! Thank you both! Come, bottoms up!"

The three of them downed their drinks in one gulp, and everyone applauded and cheered.

Next, it was time for free-form drinking; whoever wanted to drink with whom could just go ahead.

Pan Han was in high spirits today; he didn't refuse anyone, actively engaged, and soon made several rounds.

Meanwhile, Lao Liu and Xiao Jiu soon sat together, and he kept putting food in Xiao Jiu's bowl, telling her to eat more.

Cheng Xiao and Ellie whispered to each other, "Look at other people's men, and then look at our men."