Chapter 32: Until We Meet Again! The Respective Choices of the Three Mobile Cities

Li Jin and Lei Jian nodded in contemplation.

"In our view, there is no need to rush," Li Jin said first.

"Indeed, let's take a few months to develop further," Lei Jian added.

Li Ye, however, shook his head firmly.

"That won't work. In three months, the entire Wasteland District will be completely destroyed... No, the remaining time is actually less than three months."

Both men were instantly taken aback. Seeing that Li Ye’s attitude was more serious than ever, they chose to believe him.

City ruins, moving labyrinths, freshwater lakes, mountain ranges... Li Ye gave them an overview of the situation in the Wasteland District.

"The west side of the Wasteland District is also a Level 1 zone?" Lei Jian mused. "Then I shall head west."

For the *Conqueror*, equipped with lava treads, crossing the mountain ranges was not much of a challenge. As for Li Jin, his vessel, the *Azure*, lacked such treads and could not traverse the mountains, so the western option was immediately ruled out.

"If you are heading north, we can travel together and cross the city ruins as a group," Li Ye proposed.

Li Jin thought it over carefully before making his decision. He thanked Li Ye for his kind offer but ultimately decided to stay here for a month to develop before heading south. Since they were in the southern part of the Wasteland District, the journey to a new region to the south was short, taking less than a week.

"If that turns out to be a Level 2 zone or something even more dangerous, the *Azure* would be done for," he said with a self-deprecating laugh.

Before parting, Lei Jian asked Li Ye to help fabricate a Rolls-Royce. The burly man took it for a spin immediately. "It’s a bit of a luxury to build this, but it’s quite a thrill to drive!" he laughed heartily. Seeing this, Li Jin felt a bit envious and had Li Ye fabricate one for him as well.

The moment of departure finally arrived. The three men looked at each other and nodded. After boarding their respective mobile cities, the three lords exchanged glances from a distance and waved gently. Partings are always sorrowful, and it was unclear when they might meet again. It might be a joyous reunion, or perhaps everything would have changed by then.

Li Ye watched as the two mobile cities departed in their respective directions, then waved to the people behind him. "Let's go! We head north!"

***

"The new route is set, and all parameters are configured. For the next five or six hours, we can sit back, drink tea, and chat," Tang Fang said, hands clasped behind his head as he leaned back in his chair in the cockpit.

The other helmsman nodded slowly. This helmsman was A-Bai, who, like Old Zhou, was one of the slaves who had risen up with Li Ye. Although A-Bai was a few years older than Tang Fang, he acted like a junior in front of him, as Tang Fang’s skill in piloting the *Tomorrow* was far superior, and he often patiently taught him various techniques. Over time, the two had developed a tacit understanding. During these days, Tang Fang had become increasingly familiar with piloting the *Tomorrow*, to the point where he could handle it with ease.

***

"I told you long ago that you could become an excellent helmsman."

A slow voice drifted from outside the cockpit. Li Ye walked in and tossed two bottles of cola to Tang Fang and A-Bai.

"Brother Li, you're here?" Tang Fang said, pleasantly surprised.

Li Ye smiled and patted his head, nodding at A-Bai as well. "I heard you’ve even mastered evasive maneuvers?" he asked.

Tang Fang nodded. "Yes, though I'm not sure how they'll hold up in a real situation."

As the three chatted, Old Zhou walked in quickly. "Ah Li, the rooms for the newcomers have been arranged."

Li Ye nodded. "Good."

Originally, the *Tomorrow* had 84 people, but over this period, six wounded had died from their injuries, leaving only 78. This filled Li Ye with deep sorrow and regret. It also made him more desperate to recruit a doctor. However, finding a doctor in the wasteland was incredibly difficult. In fact, professional medical personnel were even scarcer than mechanics or helmsmen. Training a doctor required a proper educational environment and abundant medical resources for practice. In the wasteland, where survival was the primary goal, no one grew up dreaming of becoming a doctor. Mobile city lords wanted to train them, but they lacked the capacity to build hospitals or provide the necessary resources.

After the Battle of Gloss Mine, the *Tomorrow* had suffered more casualties, but the 40 new arrivals helped fill the labor gap. To Li Ye’s surprise, one of them had volunteered to be a lookout. That person was Lin Xia. After a thorough assessment, Li Ye nodded in astonishment. "Your skills are impressive. When did you practice this?"

Lin Xia smiled faintly, brushing her short hair behind her ear. "I learned this from my mother when I was a child."

"Oh?"

"Back then, the Roland Fortress was only a Level 1 mobile city," Lin Xia said, gazing into the distance. "My father was the lord of the *Roland*, and my mother was its lookout. I would often sneak up to the watchtower to look at the scenery, and she taught me many things about being a lookout."

"Standing in the watchtower, squinting as I felt the breeze, watching the adults busy below... it felt so wonderful back then..." She trailed off, a bitter expression touching her lips. "But then..."

Li Ye patted her shoulder gently without saying anything more. After Lin Xia left, Li Ye seemed to realize something, his eyes filled with surprise and reflection. Helmsman, gunner, mechanic, lookout, combat captain... he had somehow assembled them all.

***

The *Tomorrow* now had 78 people, and its strength was gradually growing as it moved toward a more formal organization.

Li Ye served as the Lord, with Old Zhou as his deputy and combat captain. Tang Fang and A-Bai were the helmsmen, Lin Wu the mechanic, Ning Wen the gunner, and Lin Xia the lookout. There were 20 combat personnel, with the rest being ordinary residents.

Li Ye decided to expand the combat team to 30. After accounting for the assistant assigned to Lin Wu and the younger sister of his friend, Xiao Yao, there were 39 people remaining to be assigned.

Li Ye quickly made the arrangements: 15 for mining and logging, 10 for farming and tending to the sunlight fruit trees on the upper deck, 5 for cleaning, 5 for the lower decks (fuel and engine rooms), and 4 as logistical support to fill in wherever needed. Li Ye tried to give everyone a job; after all, a mobile city could not afford to keep idlers.

At the same time, he established a rank system: Third-Class Resident, Second-Class Resident, First-Class Resident, Combat Personnel, Specialized Professionals (Combat Captain/Helmsman/Lookout/Gunner/Mechanic), Management, and Lord.

Higher ranks received more fresh water, steamed buns, and potatoes. It was somewhat comical, but that was all the *Tomorrow* had. In addition, there were allocations of cola, instant noodles, and eventually, the mature sunlight apples. The warehouse still held some vegetables and fruits, which could also be distributed to higher-ranking personnel.

Establishing a hierarchy was necessary to incentivize the residents to work diligently. When Li Ye gathered everyone to announce the new structure, he was surprised to find that no one had major complaints about the food supply. This was not entirely unexpected; after all, in the wasteland, survival and safety were the highest priorities.