61: Hilltop Village

“Oh my goodness! 500 people?” Old Liu exclaimed loudly upon hearing the number.

“Oh my!” Cheng Xiao’s eyes widened.

Qin Zhong didn’t speak, silently watching Pan Han, waiting for his analysis.

“That’s right! It’s 500 people! Cheng Xiao, last time when the slaves drank the Evolution Potion, how many failed to evolve?” Pan Han remembered the previous rule that those who failed to evolve would be driven away. Now he had a new plan.

“11 people! They were supposed to be exiled, but then Fifth Brother had an incident, so it was delayed,” Cheng Xiao immediately replied.

“Keep them. The situation has changed, and to expand our power, we need to make adjustments.”

“Lord Pan, what do you mean?”

“Right now, we have about 100 people. Starting tomorrow, we will recruit another 400 slaves. But there’s a new rule: anyone who has already evolved will move directly into the inner city of the base. Those who haven’t evolved, or failed to evolve, will all go outside the base to build their residences,” Pan Han said seriously.

“Lord Pan, what’s the purpose of having them build residences outside?” Old Five asked.

“It sounds like they will consume a lot of our food. But they are an excellent buffer zone. Once enemies invade, the outer slaves will be the first line of fire. So, not only should we give them food, but we should also teach them how to use weapons and build defensive fortifications,” Pan Han extinguished his first cigarette and lit another.

“Lord Pan, this will consume a lot of our resources!” Qin Zhong calculated internally and found that whether it was food, weapons, or building materials, the numbers were astronomical.

“So, we need to find gold again!” Pan Han went straight to the point.

“Oh, by the way, Lord Pan. About 150 kilometers north of the Iron Gang base, there’s a large bank with a vault,” Old Three suddenly remembered and immediately reported.

“Hmm. Previously, this vault wasn’t within our search range. Firstly, it was too far, and secondly, the Iron Gang was blocking the way. Now, we should be able to go explore it,” Qin Laoda also agreed to look for it in the bank vault.

“Then let’s divide the work. Time waits for no one!” Pan Han urged everyone to redouble their efforts.

“Alright, tomorrow I’ll take Old Three and Old Four to check out the vault. Cheng Xiao and Old Liu will go buy slaves. Second Sister and Old Five will guard the home. Lord Pan, how do you plan to act?” Qin Zhong asked.

“I’ll be away for a few days to get some supplies back; we don’t have much in stock,” Pan Han mused, thinking he needed to return to his own world and have Wang Cheng exchange the remaining gold bars for cash.

“Good, then that’s how we’ll do it!”

“Everyone get a good rest today; we’ll act together tomorrow.”

“Meeting adjourned!”

Everyone noted their tasks and returned to their rooms to rest. Old Liu saw that everyone was tired and voluntarily went out to stand guard.

Pan Han returned to his small room on the second floor to rest. Not long after he lay down, he heard someone knocking on the door.

“Who is it?”

“Lord Pan, it’s me!”

Pan Han heard that it was Wei Monk, so he told him to come in.

“What’s wrong, Heshang? Something wrong?” Pan Han got up and handed Wei Monk a cigarette.

“Lord Pan, I just heard that you want to recruit people?” Heshang took a puff of his cigarette.

“That’s right! We urgently need manpower and plan to expand to 500 people.”

“Lord Pan, can I call some people back?”

“Oh? How so?” Pan Han’s spirits lifted upon hearing this.

“Before, I lived in a Mountaintop Stronghold for a while. They were all villagers from the same village. After the apocalypse came, they hid in the mountains.”

“What kind of people are they? Are they trustworthy?” Pan Han still maintained a degree of caution.

“In the apocalypse, they are considered a group of conscientious people. I was taken in by them before.”

“Hmm, how many of them are there? Who’s in charge?”

“When I was there, there were about 700 people. The leaders are a couple. The man is named Reich, and the woman is named Ma Ji!”

“Why do those names sound so familiar?” Pan Han scratched his head after hearing the two names.

“Lord Pan, after they hid deep in the mountains, they set up checkpoints everywhere and basically didn’t leave the mountains. And none of them have evolved. But they are very strong in combat, and they are all self-sufficient. If we can win them over and have them stationed directly outside the base, it should be very suitable,” Wei Monk briefly analyzed the pros and cons.

“How far is their base from here?”

“Very close, just over 100 kilometers to the west.”

“Oh? Isn’t that Xiliang Mountain?”

“Exactly! It’s Xiliang Mountain.”

“This mountain isn’t small, but it’s relatively desolate. How have they managed to survive for so long?”

Pan Han thought, to feed over 700 people, their daily food, drink, and waste would be a huge number. Relying on just one mountain shouldn’t be enough.

“Lord Pan, you don’t know, but in this mountain, there’s a special plant. After mutation, its fruit is very large. Not to mention feeding 700 people, even if there were 700 more, it wouldn’t be a problem,” Wei Monk said, gesturing with his hand how big the fruit was.

“It sounds like a breadfruit tree.” Pan Han extinguished his first cigarette and lit another for Heshang, and the two continued to chat.

“I don’t know what exactly it’s called. Anyway, this thing tastes good. It’s also easy to prepare; just pick it, put it on fire to roast, then crack it open and eat.”

“So when are you planning to go?” Pan Han felt it was worth a try after hearing this, as it could save a lot of resources for buying slaves if they came.

“Lord Pan said the situation is urgent, so I plan to go tomorrow.”

“Alright, what do you need me to do?”

“I wouldn’t dare. I just hope to bring some supplies over. After all, going to talk to them empty-handed shows neither sincerity nor our strength,” Wei Monk said, rubbing his hands.

“You clever Wei Monk, you haven’t even accomplished the task, and you’re already trying to get something from me!” For some reason, when Pan Han spoke to him, he always thought of Li Yunlong, and his tone unconsciously changed.

“Hehehe. I truly want our base to develop quickly. After all, in this world, you can’t find a good person like Lord Pan anymore,” Wei Monk quickly flattered him.

“Alright, alright, stop with that old trick on me. How much do you want?”

“Not much, a few dozen cans will do. They definitely haven’t eaten meat in a long time. These cans as a meeting gift will probably impress them.”

“Okay. Tomorrow, go find Cheng Xiao and get 50 cans, and I’ll also provide you with a car. Can you go alone?” Pan Han waved his hand grandly.

“For the first time, I’ll go by myself. After all, I’m familiar with them. If others go, it might have a counterproductive effect,” Heshang thought for a moment and still insisted on going alone.

“Done! It’s settled! Heshang, if you succeed in this matter, I’ll increase your pay. You’ll get an extra can every day.”

“Thank you, Lord Pan! Heshang will not fail his mission!” Wei Monk stood up abruptly upon hearing this and saluted.

“Oh, right! Does this base have a name?” Pan Han suddenly remembered he hadn’t asked.

“Mountaintop Stronghold!”