Cooperation

As newcomers, Dashu and his group found everything in Sun City endlessly fascinating during their first few days, which only cemented their determination to stay.

There were fifty-four people in their group, all of them robust and strong. Forty-three were sturdy men, while the rest were women with exceptional physical endurance.

To survive a long escape and slip away from the jaws of fierce beasts, anyone who lacked physical strength would never have made it alive.

Even so, they had been reaching their limit. Fortunately, they crossed paths with Heitu and his people and came to Sun City, where they finally felt entirely secure.

Although Dashu did not know what hematite was used for, the people of Sun City needed it. As long as they led the way to the hematite deposit, they could trade it for ten courtyards.

To show their sincerity, Huangye and the others had already arranged for construction to begin, building the houses in the area belonging to the Fifteenth Group.

That area was spacious enough, and the number of residents there was fewer than in other groups, making it convenient for building new courtyards.

Although it was only a promise of ten empty courtyards with just the houses built and nothing else provided, Dashu and his group were already overwhelmingly satisfied.

Once they had a place to settle down, they would figure out everything else on their own.

Before setting off, a few people had already gone to work at Old Hei’s kiln in exchange for food.

Dashu was terrified of venturing out again, but if he wanted to stay in Sun City, he had to pay the price. Seeing that Heitu had brought so many people, his worries eased slightly.

For the first three days, Heitu and his men knew the route and moved swiftly, pressing on without a single delay until they reached the pool where they had first encountered Dashu. From there on, Dashu and his group needed to take the lead.

With the hurried pace, Lin Yan was carried in turns, her eyes darting everywhere, unable to stop looking around.

Watching the contribution points in the Science and Technology Museum steadily tick upward, she felt deeply fulfilled. Going out for a walk every now and then was definitely worth it.

She was just over four hundred contribution points away from reaching the thousand mark.

Paper-making was currently progressing slowly, and she hoped the next unlocked room would bring a surprise. No matter what, earning contribution points brook no delay.

Not far from the pool, the group found a concealed spot and settled down, planning to rest there for the night.

Starting tomorrow, the path ahead was unknown, and no one could predict what they might encounter.

Heitu asked Dashu to gather all his people, as there were some matters to discuss.

The ten people, including Dashu, had been provided with clothes before departure—long-sleeved shirts, long trousers, and sturdy straw sandals—which at least allowed them to cover their bodies properly.

The ten of them were deeply grateful. Now that they had food and clothing, their hearts felt much more at settled.

The expedition team was divided into ten smaller squads, each led by a captain bearing their respective duties.

Heitu summoned the captains of each squad, with Huohong and Lin Yan also present.

More than twenty people gathered in a circle. As dusk fell, a bonfire was lit in the center, its flickering light illuminating each other's faces.

Heitu glanced around the circle and lowered his voice. "Starting tomorrow, we will rely on Dashu and his people to lead the way. If anyone has any concerns, raise them early. From tomorrow onward, we must travel cautiously. We will only light a fire once a day to boil water and cook food; at other times, we will eat what we carry, and everyone must stock up on water."

The squad captains nodded to indicate they understood. Being out in the wild was naturally nothing like being at home, and just having a bite to eat was already a blessing.

Dashu’s ten people looked at one another. An older, rugged man spoke in a muffled, heavy voice, "When we encounter danger, you must promise not to abandon us."

Although they looked strong, they paled in comparison to Heitu’s people. Having fled all the way while suffering from hunger and hardship, how could they possibly compare to Heitu’s warriors?

The rapid pace of the past few days had made the stark difference painfully clear. Heitu's people moved with light steps and carried loads without showing much effort, whereas Dashu's group lagged significantly behind.

Heitu looked at them and said earnestly, "Rest assured. When danger arises, you must obey orders and not act on your own initiative. We still rely on you to lead the way, and we will not leave you behind."

Dashu said, "Dali is just worried. We will definitely do our best to guide you to the location."

"Good. It is better to clear the air so we can trust each other. Our people will be responsible for guarding, and your people only need to lead the way."

"Right, we will definitely find it. You can count on us." Dashu looked at his own people. One person might not remember clearly, but between ten people, they would surely find it.

After all, they had just traveled this path once, and even while fleeing for their lives, they had managed to retain some memories of it.

Heitu turned to Huohong. "Tomorrow, you take Lin Yan and join the sixth squad, marching in the middle of the formation."

"Understood," Huohong nodded in agreement. Her task on this trip was to look after Lin Yan.

Heitu then looked at Lansing, the captain of the sixth squad. "Your squad must keep a close eye on Lin Yan and not let her take any risks."

Lansing nodded solemnly. He fully understood Lin Yan’s importance; the sixth squad’s mission was to protect her, while the other squads were responsible for offense, defense, and hunting.

Lansing came from the Lan family and was Lan’s second son, currently in the prime of his life. Before he left, his mother had given him repeated instructions.

Having arranged for Lin Yan and Huohong, Heitu looked at the other squad captains one by one. "Do you all remember your tasks?"

"We remember," the captains answered in unison.

"Very good. This is our first time cooperating to fight enemies, so we will see how effective it is. You are all warriors, but remember never to fight alone. Everything must be done according to orders."

Heitu had previously discussed with Lin Yan how to fight fierce beasts, and Lin Yan had shared everything she knew with him.

From that time on, Heitu had been quietly training these warriors, and now it was time to formally organize them into units, ensuring everyone held their ground and fulfilled their roles.

This expedition was an opportunity to test the results of that training.

Lin Yan watched Heitu’s methodical arrangements. It seemed he had truly taken her words to heart. This was shaping up to be a small, coordinated combat unit.

Upon returning this time, it would likely form the prototype of the initial guard force.

Lin Yan was more than happy to see this happen; she fully approved of Heitu’s ambition.

Sun City would sooner or later have its own armed forces, but it wasn't the right time for her to push the matter heavily, and Heitu was the most suitable candidate for the job.

Her initial proposal to make Heitu the arbiter had also been part of a long-term plan: to have Heitu, the foremost warrior, take the lead in organizing and establishing Sun City's military.

If they were to expand their territory in the future, armed forces would be indispensable.

This expedition was merely the beginning.

Heitu possessed great leadership talent, assigning tasks to each squad appropriately, and the others obeyed his commands without hesitation.

Only a team like this could advance and retreat in an orderly fashion when facing danger, without descending into chaos.

With everything arranged, those assigned to the night watch took their turns, and the rest of the group rested in place.

Lin Yan had some trouble falling asleep. Having been carried around all day without exerting herself, she felt no fatigue and consequently lacked any drowsiness.

She asked Pangbao, "Among all the plants we've collected so far, are there any suitable for cultivating as crops?"

Any item cataloged by the Science and Technology Museum came with a thorough understanding of its properties, meaning it definitely knew which plants could serve as food staples.

Lin Yan herself didn't recognize them; she had only read about them in books and had no idea what they actually looked like. Even if she bumped into them, she might have missed them entirely.

The variety of collected plants had increased over the past few days, and while she hadn't examined them closely, Pangbao certainly knew.