Man was the most savage of animals. In this jungle world, his own strength was the only reliable thing — he had to place himself in safety first!
Of course, Han Huohuo had his own calculations, and he wouldn't waste gathering efficiency either. He sent all the giant mechanical wolves to guard the black stone mine, and let them hunt nearby on their own while they were at it.
There was a warehouse there to hold black stone, and of course it could hold food too.
The only thing was, a warehouse outside camp wasn't safe; supplies still had to be transported back to camp periodically before he could rest easy.
Floaters flew through the air silently. They looked like mechanical octopuses, but could fire laser-like beams to attack enemies at range.
He had the Floaters replace the giant mechanical wolves on patrol around the camp.
Because he'd built quite a few structures, he had only five hundred-some wood left and just over two hundred stone. The giant mechanical wolves had been hunting all along, so food, on the other hand, still sat at five or six hundred.
Wood and stone were still very important to him.
So they couldn't be sold!
And since he hadn't hired many workers, for now food was in surplus and had no immediate use.
Han Huohuo returned to the trade channel and started buying scrap iron again.
The moment he went in, he found the market had changed.
"Big bro, scrap iron isn't this price anymore. Everyone's started preparing armies, and armies need weapons. Here's the deal — give me 30 food and I'll sell you this junk armor!"
"Hold on, this junk armor only recycles into 5 iron, and you dare ask 30 food?"
"Don't believe me, go ask around. This is the going rate now, big bro — I'm not cheating you!"
Han Huohuo didn't trade, backed out, and asked several more people in a row. Sure enough, they all said the same — this was the price.
No helping it; he still had to trade.
But however he ran the numbers, Han Huohuo still came out ahead, because he had the Time-Space Recycling Furnace and could recover scrap iron at 100%. Others only got 5 iron ingots breaking it down, while he got 10.
In one go he traded away all five hundred food.
He'd swapped for another heap of corroded copper and rusted iron. Han Huohuo crouched before the recycling furnace, tossed the junk in to break it down, and got 83 iron ingots, over 120 wood, and 60 stone out of it.
Back at the Mecha Workshop, he hurried to recruit 8 more workers, all sent off to mine iron ore.
Resources began to snowball, and Han Huohuo kept a close eye on the numbers.
For every 10 iron ingots produced, he hurried to recruit a worker and send him to mine iron ore, so the iron gathering grew faster and faster.
A virtuous cycle quickly formed — more and more workers, faster and faster gathering.
Resource collection finally got on track and began accelerating.
"Big bro, what do you need so much scrap iron for? You've sold off this much food — don't you need to recruit workers over there?"
Han Huohuo looked — it was from a youth called Yu Dong. The boy was just curious; he'd traded with Han Huohuo once, and the more he thought about it afterward the stranger it seemed, because Han Huohuo's approach defied common sense, so he couldn't help asking in a private chat.
Han Huohuo's heart lurched, knowing his behavior was too odd and surely many people had noticed.
In the spirit of quietly getting rich, a thought came to Han Huohuo, and he came up with a cover story. "Brother, let me tell you a secret — you must never tell anyone else. Near my stronghold there's a government city called Wanqing City. I happened to get acquainted with a great clan there, the Wang family. They need huge amounts of iron, the price is fair, and I make a little turning around and selling it to them. They give more food. That's all."
Yu Dong was surprised. "Big bro, I've heard of Wanqing City. What do they want iron ingots for?"
Han Huohuo curled his lip. "Didn't you hear the system? In a few more days it's the day the soldiers come to suppress the bandits. They need huge amounts of iron ingots to forge weapons, so iron ingots sell especially well right now!"
"...??? Hold on, big bro, let me get this straight. You sell iron ingots to Wanqing City, and then they use the iron ingots you sold them to make weapons to suppress the bandits?
Why does that sound so strange to me? Big bro, aren't you a bandit yourself?"
"Is there a problem?"
"Big bro, if they were buying a gallows specifically to send you to your death, would you sell it?"
"As long as the price is right, why not?"
"Big bro, you're a hard man. I salute you!"
"It's nothing. A businessman has to have a businessman's mindset. Loss-making deals are absolutely off the table; head-losing deals, on the other hand, are no big deal. Now, brother, this is a secret — don't tell anyone else, eh!"
"You got it, I'll definitely keep it quiet, big bro, don't worry!"
After a pleasant chat with Yu Dong, Han Huohuo's mood much improved.
Before long, Han Huohuo found that everyone knew about his business with the Wang family. They messaged him one after another in private, asking how to get a line to the Wang family.
And every one of them swore they'd absolutely keep Han Huohuo's secret!
Han Huohuo feigned fury and cursed Yu Dong roundly on the forum, accusing him of failing to keep his secret. The two of them traded vicious, filthy insults.
The gossip-watchers were numerous and flooded in, and a grand war of public opinion broke out.
Now everyone knew Han Huohuo was trading with the enemy — some supported it, some despised it, and in the end it became a running joke.
No one ever again asked him the stupid question of why he sold so much food and bought so much iron.
Han Huohuo developed in silence.
Before long, the total number of mechanical workers had snowballed past ninety, and gathering efficiency soared.
At noon, the black stone count hit 50 again, and Han Huohuo immediately built another Charging Station in the Main Base.
The Main Base here could exactly sustain charging for 60 mechanical workers.
Now 30 workers mined black stone, with an independent Charging Station over there.
Here at the Main Base, 20 workers logged wood, 20 quarried stone, and twenty-some mined iron ore.
The workers couldn't be increased further — he'd hit the cap. With black stone insufficient, he couldn't build another Charging Station right now.
Han Huohuo let out a breath!
Barring surprises, within two days he could upgrade the Main Base to Tier 3.
And at this point, the Lords who'd reached a Tier-2 Main Base could be counted on one hand. His construction progress had already pulled far ahead of the other Lords, and he could finally relax a little.
Busy workers everywhere.
The feeling was very fulfilling.
A pity — before he could relax for even a moment, something uncanny suddenly happened.
A great many white cranes suddenly flew over the peaks of the Hundred-Thousand Mountains!
"Huh?"
Han Huohuo stared at the white cranes overhead, very puzzled. These white cranes looked off somehow — so strange in appearance that something felt wrong.
One white crane flew right over the top of Black Wind Stronghold.
"Damn it, shoot it down for me. Yours truly refuses to believe in the supernatural!"
At Han Huohuo's command, a Floater immediately opened fire. Struck, the white crane drifted lightly down into the yard.
No bloody mess as he'd imagined, and no death cry.
Han Huohuo ran over and saw that what had fallen to the ground was — a paper crane?
What was this?
Han Huohuo picked the paper crane up off the ground. Unfolded, it was just an ordinary white rune-paper, with a big hole punched through it by the Floater's laser.
"C-Chief!"
Han Huohuo turned to see Liu Qiang's face full of alarm.
"Huh? You recognize this kind of paper crane?"
Liu Qiang was almost incoherent. "I... I do... This is a paper crane of the Great Qian's royal monks, used for reconnaissance. But... but... I'd only heard of Rattan Armor Soldiers suppressing bandits. I've never heard of monks joining the suppression force!"
Han Huohuo was surprised. "Monks? Are they strong?"
Liu Qiang nodded, his expression alarmed, clearly badly frightened.
Han Huohuo sneered. "When soldiers come, a general blocks them; when a flood comes, earth dams it. What's there to fear — we just fight!"
【Paper cranes have appeared and detected a major threat. The Loyalty of all workers and troops in the Hundred-Thousand Mountains drops by ten points!】
"Fuck!"
Across the entire Hundred-Thousand Mountains, every worker's and soldier's Loyalty dropped by ten points. These paper cranes could not only scout — they were more like a grand spell of terror.
Was this a show of force?
Han Huohuo was thoroughly displeased. Goddamn it, this can lower Loyalty too? What a pack of cowards! Contemptible.
He shooed Liu Qiang away.
Han Huohuo stared at the sky, where many paper cranes were flitting about, scouting the real-time situation of every peak!
It really was a little unnerving to watch!
Just as he was looking up observing these paper cranes, the alarm suddenly sounded again, startling him.
【Warning: your giant mechanical wolves are being attacked by the Lord of Blood Wolf Stronghold!】
【Warning: your giant mechanical wolves are being attacked by the Lord of Blood Wolf Stronghold!】
【Warning: your giant mechanical wolves are being attacked by the Lord of Blood Wolf Stronghold!】
......
Han Huohuo was already in a bad mood, and hearing his giant mechanical wolves were under attack made him angrier still.
He hurried to open the map and check the location of this Blood Wolf Stronghold. He'd already scouted it out — it was quite far, requiring him to pass two strongholds to reach it.
Sending troops on a long march was a great taboo; if his Main Base were ambushed while his army was away, it would be very troublesome.
Just as Han Huohuo frowned and wavered over what to do —
【The battle has disengaged. The Blood Wolf Stronghold's army has left the battlefield.】