94: Chapter 94 Appreciating the Green Leather

Lin Li finished reading the viral post on the forum, closed the webpage, and wore a look of mixed amusement and exasperation.

His original intention in posting the bounty quest was to let the newbie players who hadn't grabbed a base wander around the wilderness, hunt a bit, scavenge for trash, and bring back any stranded natives they encountered.

As it turned out, the way these players thought never followed the beaten path.

They had forcibly turned a rescue mission full of humanitarian spirit into an organized and premeditated cross-regional tug-of-war over the population.

They were driving cars, transporting people from Shahe Town to Shelter, one truckload after another.

"These guys without any bottom line have all turned into human traffickers," Lin Li muttered to himself.

But he had to admit, this way of exploiting loopholes was immediately effective.

As transport trucks loaded with refugees arrived one after another, the population statistics for Shelter were skyrocketing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

In less than a day, the main base had gained over a thousand new laborers.

However, the joy was short-lived.

Because all five thousand player clones on the fourth underground level had logged in.

Coupled with the newly recruited refugees, the daily food consumption of Shelter had reached a terrifying figure.

The food reserves in the camp warehouse were plummeting at a breakneck speed.

"The people have been recruited, but there isn't enough food to feed them."

Lin Li rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He couldn't really let the players go out into the wilderness to catch Orks and roast them for the natives, could he?

Just as he was about to issue an order for everyone to ration food, a new report file popped up.

Sender: [ikun True Fan].

Lin Li opened the report, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

ikun explained in detail in the report:

The players under his command used the [G-22 Type III Firefighter Ultrasonic Vibration Axe] that Lin Li had listed in the store to forcibly cut open the heavy blast doors deep in the ruins of the Food Factory.

In the deepest part of the ruins, they not only found several completely sealed sterile cold storage rooms, but also recovered hundreds of tons of compressed protein powder blocks that, despite being expired, were completely free from nuclear radiation contamination!

Even more exciting was that ikun and several STEM experts had disassembled and analyzed several giant industrial machines in the ruins.

They discovered that these devices were actually [Polymer Starch Synthesis Machines] left over from the Golden Age!

As long as power was restored, these machines could supposedly absorb carbon dioxide directly from the air and, through a complex internal catalytic matrix, synthesize amylose and amylopectin out of thin air!

After reading the report, Lin Li was so excited he jumped straight up from his chair.

"Air-synthesized starch?! Isn't this the legendary ultimate food-making machine that creates something out of nothing?!"

If this could be pulled off.

Then the basic food problem for Shelter would be completely solved!

Let alone feeding fifty thousand people, it wouldn't even be a problem to support the population of the entire planet.

Fire Seed Shelter would usher in a true population explosion!

"Well done!"

Lin Li rubbed his hands excitedly and immediately sent a special commendation to ikun True Fan in the system backend.

And while he was at it, he made some wild promises:

"As long as you can fix this machine and put it into mass production, I will grant you the unique exclusive hidden title of [Founder of Human Renaissance]!"

Lin Li happily picked up his water cup, preparing to take a sip to calm his nerves.

"Beep—"

The door recognition system of the command room suddenly beeped.

The door opened.

The farming player [Penny Is My Wife] ran in excitedly.

[Penny Is My Wife] rushed in, holding a yellowish tuber with a rough skin that was the size of an adult's fist.

"Report, Administrator! The hydroponic sand potatoes on level B3 have had a bumper harvest!"

Penny Is My Wife was dancing with excitement,

"The first batch of the experimental field has just been harvested and weighed. We harvested a total of 832 kilograms of sand potato tubers! I just crunched the numbers with a calculator, and that equates to a yield of 3,200 kilograms per mu! The output is simply heaven-defying!"

Lin Li sat in his computer chair, looked at the mutated potato covered in nutrient solution, and raised an eyebrow.

Although this was indeed good news worth celebrating, with the tens of tons of compressed protein powder blocks that [ikun True Fan] had found in the Food Factory basement, and the hope of restarting the starch synthesis machine, these few hundred kilograms of sand potatoes were, at best, just the icing on the cake.

However, Lin Li knew the way of a capitalist in managing subordinates.

When dealing with such high-quality workhorses who worked overtime for free, you had to provide maximum emotional value.

Lin Li immediately abandoned his lazy posture, stood up, and his expression became solemn and serious.

He strode forward, patted Penny Is My Wife's shoulder firmly, and said in a low, infectious voice:

"Very good! High spirits!"

"Your efforts will be forever inscribed on the monument of human renaissance! Next, Shelter will grant you more permissions. Please continue to expand the planting scale and lead all of humanity to completely shake off the food crisis! The Emperor will watch over your achievements!"

Penny Is My Wife was so fired up by this big promise that he stood straight and gave a sloppy military salute:

"Yes! Administrator! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

Watching the farming expert rush out of the control room like he was on steroids to go back to grinding progress, Lin Li let out a long sigh of relief and collapsed back into his chair.

"These players are really easy to fool."

Lin Li opened the logistics report and began to recalculate the camp's food consumption.

To his surprise, in the past few days, with all five thousand new players logging in, Shelter's food reserves hadn't run low; instead, consumption had been suppressed to a very low level.

The reason was simple.

This group of unscrupulous The Fourth Calamity had completely put Orks on the menu.

It was unclear which wicked player had posted a rumor on the forum, claiming with certainty that [eating raw Ork meat had a chance to gain a hidden experience bonus].

As a result, a crazy frenzy of tasting Orks swept through the entire camp.

Before, players only dared to cut off some Ork thigh meat to roast and eat.

Now, these people were no longer satisfied with that.

In the food section of the forum, veteran eaters analyzed the taste and texture of various types and parts of Orks every day.

"Gretchin meat is no good; it's too sour and carries a lingering sewer stench."

"The meat of Orc Boyz and bosses is the toughest; the fibers are as coarse as steel wire and must be stewed in a pressure cooker to soften."

"The meat of that Orc Warboss is the most ridiculous; it's as hard as tire rubber and cracked two of my teeth."

"I highly recommend Squig! The meat is firm and juicy, the texture is very similar to high-quality beef shank, and charcoal-grilled is excellent!"

"The calf meat is springy and suitable for braising; simmer it slowly over low heat to let the juices be fully absorbed. One bite and you're set for life."

"Ork tenderloin can be said to be the most tender part; I recommend grilling it on a stone slab over fire, and sprinkling it with salt after it's medium-rare—it tastes delicious."

Driven by this foodie frenzy.

The [Brotherhood of Steel] warband, located at the Northwest River Mouth Pass, directly transformed into a professional meat supplier.

Because their base was closest to the Orks, these tough guys weren't even doing infrastructure anymore; they spent all day in the wilderness looking for trouble with the Orks.

To save ammunition, this group of warmongers hand-crafted uniform silver metal heavy armor.

Every day, hundreds of heavy infantrymen, carrying machetes and maces, would howl and charge into the pile of Orks for hand-to-hand combat.

They could bring back at least dozens of tons of fresh Ork meat every day.

A portion was hauled to the other two bases to trade for construction materials and ammunition, and the rest was hung in the wind to be made into air-dried Ork jerky.

Under such locust-like sweeping by the players, not only were the scattered Ork tribes around Shelter eaten to extinction,

but even the surrounding mutated fish and beasts, with their disgusting appearances and festering sores, were almost eaten into an endangered species by this group of people.

"What a bunch of lunatics without any bottom line."

Lin Li looked at the report and couldn't help but complain,

"But these lunatics are indeed useful. Once ikun fixes the starch synthesis machine, the food crisis will be completely resolved."

Lin Li closed the logistics report and clicked on the daily base report sent by Flame Fist, the commander of the [Brotherhood of Steel].

In the first half of the report, Flame Fist bragged that their base's basic defensive fortifications were completed and strongly suggested that Lin Li try the honey-glazed smoked Ork tenderloin newly developed by their legion's cafeteria.

It was said to be marinated in sugar water and then smoked with special spices, making it incredibly delicious.

Lin Li scoffed at this; of all the players, this kid boasted the most.

"Only a ghost would eat that radiation-tainted Ork bio-meat; I have proper protein powder to eat."

But the second half of the report made Lin Li's expression turn serious.

Flame Fist mentioned in the report that another new player in the Brotherhood of Steel had awakened their Psyker powers.

After testing by Flame Fist, the first-generation Psyker, the newcomer's Psyker power intensity was astonishing.

"The Psyker level is about Delta grade. They can even easily twist steel plates with their mind."

Lin Li gasped.

In the Warhammer Psyker level classification, Delta grade was already a very powerful existence.

This was equivalent to the level of those senior Librarians in a Space Marine chapter.

In a real Imperial Hive City, once a wild Psyker of this level lost control, they would be enough to destroy half a city block overnight and attract the black ships of the Inquisition.

Lin Li leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping the desk unconsciously.

"Players awakening Psyker powers is indeed a huge boost in combat power."

After observing Flame Fist for this period, Lin Li discovered an interesting phenomenon.

Perhaps it was because players used clones, or perhaps because the essence of the players' souls did not belong to this universe.

Their Psyker powers were very stable.

There were no physical mutations caused by overuse, and no risk of attracting Warp rifts.

It was just like a simple magic skill blue bar.

"As long as it's players awakening, let them be. But if local residents in Shelter awaken Psyker powers in the future..."

A trace of worry flashed in Lin Li's eyes,

"Then they must be strictly controlled. Local Psykers in this universe are mobile Warp bombs."

… At the same time. To the south, over a hundred kilometers away, in Shahe Town.

Deep in the slums, in a third-floor room of that red-light district club.

Governor Jia Mei, the leader of the Shahe Town rebel army, was holding Miracle Walker's hand tightly, his eyes red.

His face, which was usually tense and filled with vigilance, was now filled with uncontrollable excitement.

"Really... I don't know how to thank you."

Governor Jia Mei's voice trembled slightly,

"Not only did you provide us with hundreds of fine rifles at an extremely low price, but you also sent us two trucks of precious clean water and food!

If it weren't for the fact that there are so many suffering compatriots in town who need me to lead them, I would definitely take my brothers and join your Shelter immediately."

Miracle Walker didn't follow up on his words with any hot-blooded encouragement.

He just calmly withdrew his hand, pointed to the two people beside him, and introduced:

"This is our legion commander, Ming Shen. This is the deputy commander, Liver Emperor. They are both our own people."

Governor Jia Mei immediately stepped forward and respectfully shook hands with them one by one.

Although he felt that these people's names were ridiculously strange, the wasteland was vast and full of wonders, and cultures varied from place to place, so he just assumed it was a special title from some ancient tribe in the north.

[Praise Ming Shen] adjusted the tactical goggles on the bridge of his nose and got straight to the point:

"Leader Jia, Walker has already reported your situation to us in detail."

Ming Shen's tone didn't sound like a gamer; instead, it exuded the calm temperament of a politician,

"If you want to completely change the status quo of the poor in Shahe Town, armed and bloody struggle is the only way out. You must completely overthrow the trade aristocrats who monopolize water and other resources."

"But..."

Ming Shen stared into Governor Jia Mei's eyes and threw out a sharp question,

"Have you ever thought about what you will do after you take the weapons we provided and overthrow those aristocrats?"