After logging off, Zhang Shi called Lao Bai to help him take stock of his loot. He used the tools and facilities directly and placed them in various locations within the shelter. He also handed over all the blueprints to Gong Yi for distribution.

By interrogating the fat man and his group of prisoners, Zhang Shi learned about the terrain and resource distribution near the transit station. He planned to personally go and check the area tomorrow to see if there were any gains.

The group discussed tomorrow's work briefly before dispersing.

The fortress was extremely quiet at night. Zhang Shi was kept awake by the sound of raindrops, so he simply opened the system panel and went to the chat channel to dart around.

Even late at night, the chat channel remains lively.

At this moment, many survivors are talking about the heavy rain outside, including several IDs that Zhang Shi recognizes.

Zhu Dachang: By the way, I feel like the rain has suddenly gotten heavier. You guys take a look too, maybe I'm seeing things.

Cheng Xiaobai: Brother Zhu, you're right, the rain has indeed gotten much heavier. My location is relatively low-lying, and the area outside the door has become a small river.

Hou Kun: Hey, luckily I had the foresight to spend a lot of money to get a shelter relocation card in advance, so I moved my family to the mountains and don't have to worry about the rainstorm.

Wang Wu: Well, the main problem is that my neighborhood is all flat land, there are no mountains, so I can't move even if I wanted to.

...

Zhang Shi looked out the window and saw that the rain had indeed intensified considerably, and it seemed to be turning from heavy rain into a downpour.

Fortunately, thanks to the soldiers' hard work today, the excavation work in the direction of the shelter's main gate is nearing completion, and the moat is taking shape. Old Bai is arranging the drainage work inside the shelter, and it can be installed once the pipes are built by the craftsmen. The heavy rain should have little impact on the shelter.

At this moment, several similar chat messages suddenly appeared on the screen, catching Zhang Shi's attention.

Tang Long: Fellow Survivors, the Eagle Gang has been bullying men and women, committing arson, murder, and looting. Our Dragon Tiger Alliance refuses to stand idly by while our comrades are oppressed and has decided to officially wage war against the Eagle Gang. We will not rest until they are annihilated. We are now recruiting like-minded individuals to join us in upholding justice and restoring order. Those interested, please contact us privately.

Xie Dong: Fellow Survivors, the Eagle Gang is bullying men and women, committing arson, murder, and looting. Our Brotherhood refuses to stand by and watch our comrades be oppressed and has decided to officially wage war against the Eagle Gang. We will not rest until they are wiped out. We are now recruiting like-minded individuals to join us, uphold justice, and set things right. Those interested, please contact us privately.

Tang An: You two big shots, what are the requirements for joining? What are the benefits and compensation? Is there a salary?

Zhang Shi didn't expect that these two groups would join forces to deal with the Eagle Gang so quickly, but Brother Long didn't seem to mention him at all.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Shi guessed that the other party was unaware of his identity and was too ashamed to admit their defeat, so they swallowed their pride and suffered in silence. He never expected that the other party would blame all the grievances on the Eagle Regiment.

Zhang Shi shook his head and lay back down on the bed. Bored, he used all the skill cards in his backpack as feeding materials for Instant Shadow Step.

Unexpectedly, the experience growth of several skill cards resulted in a critical hit, and the Shadow Step skill leveled up once again under Zhang Shi's inhumane feeding.

【Shadow Step (Orange): A scaleable mobility skill. After use, it allows you to blink behind the target unit, increasing the damage of your next attack by 70% for 3 seconds. This skill can be charged, holding a maximum of two charges. Each unit killed grants one charge immediately.】

Overjoyed by the unexpected upgrade to his skill, Zhang Shi jumped out of bed. The Shadow Step skill not only increased his damage output, but also gained a powerful refresh effect. This meant he could now engage in close combat with groups of monsters, killing enemies in the midst of battle and escaping unscathed.

"I'll have to try out the new effects of the skill when I have the chance in the future."

With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Shi calmed down and slowly drifted off to sleep.

...

On the third day of the devastating rainstorm, Zhang Shi checked in and received a 7-day Wilderness World VIP membership card, renewing his soon-to-expire card. This VIP membership was quite good; on one hand, it made Zhang Shi's information stand out in the vast chat channels, saving him a lot of trouble; on the other hand, the soldiers were bringing back a treasure chest almost every day through mining and hunting, making full use of the double rewards from opening chests, allowing Zhang Shi to accumulate a considerable amount of resources.

After having breakfast early in the morning, Ge Dalong led twenty fully armed soldiers to escort the Dragon Tiger Alliance members captured the day before to work in the mining area.

Ge Dalong had already done psychological work with these prisoners in advance, promising them freedom after they served 30 days. During their service, they would be provided with food and lodging, and their meals would be the same as those of the soldiers. Their working hours would be 8 hours a day, with a two-shift system of morning and evening shifts. Those who performed well could have their sentences reduced and be released earlier.

The prisoners initially scoffed at Ge Dalong's words, but after a dinner and a breakfast, their views on the shelter were completely changed.

"Dinner consists of four dishes and a soup, with fish and meat. This is simply the life of a god."

"Exactly! Breakfast included meat buns and congee, which made me feel like I was back in the modern world. Waaah, I miss home."

"If you ask me, if I were to continue receiving this treatment, I'd rather be a miner here for the rest of my life. At least here I have Boss Zhang Shi protecting me, I don't have to go out and fight, I have no worries about food and drink, how comfortable would that be?"

Hearing the prisoners' chatter, Ge Dalong smiled. He used to be a senior executive in a company, and he was already very familiar with the skill of making empty promises. Besides, the benefits he mentioned were all real. It was a piece of cake for him to manipulate these ordinary survivors.

Driven by both welfare benefits and the promise of a big pancake, the prisoners worked exceptionally hard, with few slacking off. On the contrary, the soldiers guarding them became bored and wished they could pick up shovels and join in the work.

Ge Dalong, meanwhile, was writing and drawing on paper and pen.

He sensed that there might be many more conflicts with other forces in the coming days. Now that the rain outside was getting heavier, he was worried that the soldiers' muskets would malfunction after getting wet, and he was studying how to modify the muskets a second time.

Zhang Shi increased the deployment of exploration troops. This time, the transit station was staffed with a total of 100 soldiers, including 40 cavalry, 50 infantry, and the remainder were scouts and support soldiers.

Zhang Shi plans to use this place as a base, invest resources in its long-term development, and expand it outwards.

The sky was dark today, and with the torrential rain, visibility was low. Fortunately, he and Zhao Feng were in excellent physical condition and weren't afraid of catching a cold. Moreover, the soldiers produced by these systems were almost unaffected by harsh environments, which allowed them to venture out and explore despite the extreme weather.