Hope City.

Towards the end of the extreme cold, temperatures briefly rose, especially in the last few days when they almost returned to normal, and the city hopefully experienced a brief period of prosperity.

In particular, the arrival of people from Jinyu County brought a lot of supplies and also needed accommodation. Under Qiao Yu's leadership, the people of Jinyu County, along with the people they hired, began a vigorous expansion in Hope City.

The period of low temperatures is over, but a month of high temperatures is yet to come.

When the temperature is at its highest, a person exposed to sunlight will lose all the moisture in their body within minutes and die from sunburn.

People need buildings to block out the sun.

At the same time, all the previously prepared insulation equipment and facilities need to be removed and replaced with cooling and ventilation equipment.

The one hundred houses built by the Hope City government naturally do not need these, but ordinary Hope City residents need to DIY various cooling and heat-avoidance devices.

When the convoy that went out to seek opportunities returned from Hope City, they saw people coming and going, and everyone was busy in Hope City.

When the residents of Hope City saw the convoy returning laden with goods, and the large swarm of ratmen following behind it, everyone was shocked.

The harvest was surprisingly plentiful?

As expected of the city lord, his actions are truly extraordinary!

Everyone thought so.

However, only those who participated in the operation knew who the key figure was who had reaped such a rich reward.

That's how prestige is built up step by step.

Perhaps, even if the city lord were to immediately turn against Zhang Lin, there would still be a group of people who would choose to side with Zhang Lin and oppose the city lord.

Of course, Zhang Lin was too lazy to fall out with the city lord now.

Currently, he and the city lord are getting along quite well.

He had an idea in his mind: if the system refreshed and produced an item that could solve the city lord's mechanization problem, he could exchange for one and give it to the city lord to restore her flesh and blood body and win her favor.

I won her over too.

Isn't Hope City his own?

There's absolutely no need for fighting and killing!

Of course, that's for later. After returning to Hope City, Zhang Lin's first task is to settle the ratmen he brought back.

Hope City covers a large area, encompassing several nearby hills.

One hundred villas were built on a flat area halfway up the largest hill. The city lord did not touch the rest of the land, but as the population of Hope City increased, these areas were developed by the residents of Hope City.

Log cabins, brick and stone bungalows, tents...

"The map is right here. Choose a place yourself." Inside the city lord's mansion, the city lord took out a huge map and spread it on the table. "However, there should be people in these places. Don't be too domineering. Just give them some compensation and let them leave."

"What are you saying? Do you think I'm the kind of person who would forcibly demolish someone's house and drive them away?" Zhang Lin said with dissatisfaction while looking at the map.

"I feel like that's the kind of person you are..." The city lord glanced at him, too lazy to even say a word.

"This hill will do. Give me the whole hill, and I'll have someone build a wall around it at the foot of the hill. That way, we'll be completely safe." Zhang Lin pointed to a location.

The city lord took one look and saw that the small hill was right behind the city lord's mansion.

She was immediately furious. "You've put all the rats in my backyard. How am I supposed to sleep at night now?"

"Robots need to sleep?" Zhang Lin stared at her wide-eyed in astonishment. "Don't you have a power-off button? You could just press it!"

"Xia..." The city lord gritted his teeth, "That damned woman, she really does value romance over friendship, she tells you everything!"

She only told Xia Xiaonuan about her mechanical skills.

Even her head housekeeper, Wu Zhihui, didn't know.

Now that Zhang Lin knows, there's no doubt it was Xia Xiaonuan who said it.

"You're so ungrateful!" Zhang Lin accused her. "Xiao Nuan told me all this because of you!"

The city lord's face contorted with rage, his mask nearly falling off. "What the hell? She revealed my secret, and it was all for my sake?"

"What do you know?" Zhang Lin said matter-of-factly, "Xiao Nuan knows the situation and has been wanting to help you, but she has no way to do so, so she had to tell me, hoping I could help you."

"Is...is that so?" The city lord's anger immediately dissipated, replaced by a sense of guilt for having wronged her friend. Then, she looked at Zhang Lin expectantly, "Do you have a solution?"

Mechanization has always been a source of pain for her.

She was once a very beautiful woman, but most of her body tissue has turned into metal, and she can only live her life wearing a robe and a mask...

If possible, she would certainly like to wear a beautiful dress and confidently show off her beauty.

"Not for now," Zhang Lin said, pouring cold water on her enthusiasm.

"Oh," the city lord said in a flat tone, concealing his disappointment.

"Temporarily? Do you even understand what 'temporarily' means?" Zhang Lin said irritably. "You just wait. I'll solve your problem sooner or later, but..."

"But what?" the city lord pressed. She didn't think Zhang Lin was bragging. So far, Zhang Lin had given her too many surprises, and she believed that Zhang Lin could continue to create miracles.

"You'll have to pay a price then," Zhang Lin said with a smile. "The price will be high, so be prepared."

"As long as it doesn't violate my principles, I can agree to anything you ask for," the city lord said decisively, taking a deep breath.

She figured that at worst, Zhang Lin could just ask for Hope City.

Just give it to him.

Anyway, Hope City is just a tool for her. By the time Zhang Lin can solve her problems, he will definitely be very strong. At that time, Hope City's mission will be completed.

"Okay, then it's settled." Zhang Lin nodded. "Is there any problem with building this ratman's den behind your city lord's mansion?"

Zhang Lin's promises had satisfied the city lord so much that she couldn't possibly refuse.

"Uh... let's build it behind the city lord's mansion."

"Thank you!"

Having achieved his goal, Zhang Lin waved goodbye, "Bye-bye, I'm going back now."

Looking at his retreating figure, the city lord sensed something was amiss.

Is he just making empty promises?

But then, she took off her robe, revealing a full-figured, tall, silver-white mechanical body beneath it.

She then removed her mask, revealing a face that was half metal and half flesh. She walked to the mirror and looked at herself in it.

The remaining half of her face had fair skin and delicate features.

The mechanical eye on one side showed no emotion whatsoever.

On the other side, a look of reminiscence appeared in her bright single eye.

She raised another hand, which hadn't yet become mechanical. It wasn't large, but small, fair, and delicate. She gently touched her face, half of it cold and half warm.

Can I really change back?