35: Chapter 35 Taking Over the Outpost

After Wang Ting left, the two people in Zhao Kun's room wore drastically different expressions.

Fan Da frowned, faintly revealing a hint of worry, while Zhao Kun was somewhat calmer than him.

"You tacitly allowed him to trade in the black market? That will expose the existence of the Infinite Building, and what will we do if trouble arises then?"

"If he doesn't go to trade, won't trouble be avoided? As long as the outpost is established, those hounds wandering in the desert will all discover the differences in this place. It's a good thing that he has ambition; only with ambition can he grow stronger, and only in this way can he guard this outpost well."

Zhao Kun knew in his heart that even if they did not allow Wang Ting to privately contact other Shelters and the black market, would Wang Ting really not go? If another captain-level figure were sent over, would they really abide by the current agreement with them?

A general in the field is not bound by the orders of his sovereign.

Even if Zhao Hu went over, he might not completely obey Fan Da's instructions.

Fan Da fell silent: "Just do as you arranged. The transcendent materials in your hands should have accumulated to 100 portions by now, right?"

"Except for those distributed to subordinates, there are a total of 137 portions of transcendent materials. If Jumu City takes out transcendent potions to exchange, the Gardener potion should be enough, but the Painless potion might fall a bit short. However, Jumu City probably won't release too many slots. If purchased on the black market, the price should be somewhat higher."

"During this trip to trade in Huangyan Town, I will help you gather information. But before that, it's best not to act rashly."

Zhao Kun nodded: "I trust you when you handle things. Once the outpost operates smoothly, our speed in accumulating transcendent materials will become much faster afterwards, and I will help you exchange for a transcendent potion then."

...

Wang Ting returned to the dormitory area, and someone was already waiting for him here.

The leader was naturally Zhao Hu, and accompanying him were Feng Bo, Ren Chuan, and others; more than half the team had come over.

"Come, come, come, brothers, let's welcome together our 7th Regiment Captain Wang Ting!"

Before even walking up to him, Zhao Hu was already clapping and jeering, smiling more happily than anyone else. Regardless of how long Wang Ting stayed in his regiment, he was someone brought out by Zhao Hu anyway.

The members of the same Guard Team also stepped forward with radiant smiles to congratulate Wang Ting.

If it were before the apocalypse, these guys probably would have known how many salute firecrackers they had set off by now.

Wang Ting smiled. Facing everyone's goodwill, he immediately said in a clear voice: "The cafeteria will have extra meat tonight, treated by Captain Zhao."

Zhao Hu widened his eyes: "What the fuck?!"

He actually wanted to slap Wang Ting on the back of the head, but thinking that Wang Ting was very formidable in a fight, probably even more formidable than him, he dropped the idea.

Do not bully middle-aged poverty; I'll settle accounts with you after I break my limits for the second time.

Everyone fooling around for a while gradually quieted down.

Zhao Hu put on a serious expression and said to Wang Ting: "The people under your command should first be drawn from my current regiment. I can select 10 people here, and the remaining 10 will be arranged by Boss Zhao's side for them to report to you."

Hearing Zhao Hu's words, everyone also quieted down, their gazes wandering between Zhao Hu and Wang Ting, as if pondering who would be leaving.

Zhao Hu swept his gaze across them and then smiled: "The path of the outpost has high risks, but also high rewards. You have seen Wang Ting's talent; at least on the path of breaking human physical limits, he will walk farther than me, and might even compare to both Boss Zhao and the others. Those who are willing to follow him can step forward directly without worrying about anything."

Zhao Hu was an enlightened person, and what he was saying now wasn't sarcasm. If he hadn't already settled down with a family and didn't want to take risks anymore, perhaps the preferred captain to head to the outpost should have been him.

Everyone was silent for a good while before Feng Bo strode out: "I'll go along. That side needs experienced people, and I believe in Captain Wang's strength."

Addressing by official title while working, Feng Bo was a trustworthy veteran whose competence, emotional intelligence, and experience were all top-notch.

"I'm going too."

With Feng Bo taking the lead, Xiang Nan, Ren Chuan, and Qu Ling, who had worked with Wang Ting over the past two days, stood up one after another. They had witnessed Wang Ting's methods; he was a decisive person.

"Count me in too."

At this moment, Fu Xing's voice suddenly sounded.

Not only him, but Ding Yu, Huang Han, and Hu Kang unexpectedly stood up as well.

Seeing that they were newcomers, Zhao Hu couldn't help but frown: "Go on, go on, what are you guys joining in the fun for? You haven't even trained properly yet, and you want to go over and hold him back?"

The exploration of the outpost was extremely dangerous, as was already known just from the probing over the past few days.

The deeper one went into Vine Town, the more likely stronger and more powerful monsters would appear. If it were just Wang Ting, given his aptitude and physical fitness, he would still be able to protect himself as long as he didn't advance rashly.

But when a few newcomers were added to the team, the situation would not be easy to control.

Fu Xing was left speechless by Zhao Hu, realizing that he might possibly become a burden. Just as he wanted to speak, he was interrupted by Wang Ting from the side.

"Just let these four go; knowing how to shoot is enough. As for combat skills, Feng Bo and the others can help train us, so it won't be too bad either."

Zhao Hu pondered for a moment; it seemed to be the same logic, and newcomers had a clean foundation, which was actually beneficial to Wang Ting.

So he nodded in agreement: "Alright, since you nodded, there's no problem. Lin Dagui, you go over too."

"Yes, Captain Zhao."

After selecting his own core team, soon other personnel and supplies were also being rapidly prepared.

The development of the outpost was urgent; both Zhao Kun and Fan Da were pushing this matter forward.

The personnel dispatched by the Medical Group and the repair technicians dispatched by the Maintenance Group had all reported to Wang Ting on time.

At the same time, the Supplies Group had recruited 50 town residents dispatched to the outpost. Among the 50 people, the male-to-female ratio reached 4:1, and most of them were in good health and knew how to build, all heading there for the purpose of constructing the outpost.

In addition to the preparation of personnel, the Supplies Group fully prepared firearms, bullets, construction tools, and vehicles allocated to the outpost, handing them over to Feng Bo and the others.

After tossing and turning until the morning of the second day, the food, bullets, and firearms that needed to be transported had all been loaded into the trucks, and the assembled personnel had also boarded the trucks prepared by the town, ready to be sent over in batches.

The sun in the sky above Scarecrow Town was still so blazing hot, shining on people's bodies as if chili peppers had been smeared on their skin, scorching and uncomfortable.

"Preparations are complete, set off."

Wang Ting waved his hand grandly, first signaling to the Guard Team members guarding the city gate, and that person immediately opened the gate.

The motorcade was like a kite with a broken string, plunging headfirst into the barren wilderness, stirring up rolling earthy-yellow dust and smoke, resembling an earthen dragon continuously moving away.

The number of trucks in the Shelter was limited, and there was no way to gather 10 trucks at once to transport all the people and supplies, so it was carried out in batches.

The first batch accompanied Wang Ting's departure. The supplies they carried were extremely minimal, and the vehicles were almost entirely used to transport Guard Team members.

After the first batch of personnel arrived at the periphery of the Infinite Building, they replaced the Guard Team members stationed here.

Li Yunding, who had stayed behind previously, directly led the team back to Scarecrow Town with the motorcade, while the other leader, Dong Hu, stayed behind.

The first batch of supplies was transported into place, and everyone from combatants to Shelter residents gathered on this Vine Oasis.

The Guard Team members who stayed here over the past few days had already built some foundations for the initial camp.

They roughly outlined the four corners of the Vine Oasis and drove in wooden stakes. The tents of the entire camp were not dismantled either; they were still deeply rooted in the ground, but their quantity was far from enough for the number of people moving in now.

On the periphery of the camp, several bonfire spots were also set up as markers for night watch, and the general situation of the camp right now was one of waiting for rejuvenation.

"I took a rough look. According to the current area of the Vine Oasis, if it is completely enclosed, it can probably build a camp that can accommodate three to four hundred people to live and move around."

Feng Bo began to report the camp's situation to Wang Ting.

After they entered, all camp construction tasks would fall upon them. So they had to make arrangements now, otherwise these eighty or ninety people would consume one more day of resources for every extra day they stayed here.

Ren Chuan then made a suggestion: "There is not enough wood and stone around, nor is there a water source. We must solve these problems first."

Dong Hu was also an experienced hand. Having stayed stationed for an extra day or two, he had already thought about ways to build the camp, and now brought them up together.

"We can build the camp using rammed earth walls plus wood. There aren't many other things in the wilderness, but yellow clay soil is plenty. However, the water source is a big problem. I think we can look for it inside the Floor World; such a large Vine Town definitely has a sufficient water source."

Feng Bo nodded: "Wood can also use materials from Vine Town. The area we have explored the most currently is the residential area; we can directly dismantle the houses, take down the wood, and use it as material. Then explore further towards the outskirts to see if there is a small forest that can be felled. If so, that would be even better. Also, for barbed wire, the Shelter still has some barbed wire resources left, which we can apply for from Boss Fan and the others. As long as everything goes smoothly, in less than half a month, the wall can be built."

Everyone expressed their own views. Wang Ting wrote down all their opinions, pondered carefully in his heart, and sorted out what he needed to do right now.

First, to find a stable and sufficient water source, and not completely rely on the Shelter's supply.

Second, to find a small forest, or transport a sufficient amount of wood out from the Floor World.

Only by completing the above two points can we proceed to the next step of outpost construction, and then have the capital to conduct deeper explorations into the floors of Vine Town and establish a bridgehead inside.

"Dong Hu, you take 10 people to look for suitable soil sources around the camp to see if we can directly ram earth to build walls. Feng Bo, you currently lead 20 people to pitch the tents first, so that everyone has a place to live. Ren Chuan, you take 10 people to re-survey the situation around the camp, making it convenient to set up patrol points later and determine the location of the wall. Qu Ling, you take 10 people to organize all the supplies. Xiang Nan, you lead the Guard Team members to guard the stair passage, and at the same time enter the Floor World to check the situation inside."

Wang Ting quickly made arrangements, and under his division of labor, everyone began to operate methodically.

Some people were pitching tents, while others went out to look for water sources and soil. As long as the soil moisture in the found place was sufficient, they might be able to directly ram earth to build walls.

Meanwhile, on Wang Ting's side, he was concentrating his mind, turning his attention onto his current status.

[Collector: Wang Ting]

[Life Rank: Tier 0]

[monster points: 198 points]

[Cataloged Monsters: Scarecrow, Rot Soil Hound, Sand Scorpion, Zombie, Lizard Hound, Parasitic Fungus Vine, Thorn Vine Beast (57%)]