"Go and make preparations. Prioritize manpower and resources for this project. I have only one request."
Lin Feng's gaze swept across the blueprints, finally settling on the three characters "Zichen Palace": "That means we must use the best."
"Yes, sir! We will not let you down!" Li Xiangbin and Wang Jianguo bowed and accepted the order, their eyes burning with fervent passion. They solemnly put away the blueprints and quickly retreated.
After the two left, Lin Feng stood alone in front of the huge sand table, remaining silent for a long time.
His thoughts had already drifted from this palace to far more distant places.
The size of the palace depends on the number of its subjects. And three thousand people are far too few.
This fertile land is enough to support ten times, or even a hundred times, more people. Food, resources, technology... everything is ready. The only shortcoming now is people.
"It's time to bring back our kind scattered throughout the wilderness," Lin Feng murmured to himself.
He walked to the communicator and connected with the other two core ministers.
"Pang Dahai, Tang Bao, come to me."
Soon, Pang Dahai, the logistics minister, who was becoming increasingly well-off and always had a friendly and prosperous smile on his face, and Tang Bao, the civil affairs minister, who was serious and meticulous, arrived together.
"Leader." The two bowed in unison.
Lin Feng cut to the chase: "I want to build a new city, a palace. But this requires a much larger population to support it. The sea, our current food and resource reserves, how many people can they support?"
Pang Dahai answered without hesitation: “Leader, ‘Golden Fox Rice’ has already had its third bumper harvest, with an astonishingly stable yield per mu. The production of various meats at my farm is doubling every month.”
"It is no exaggeration to say that if we are given enough time to cultivate and build, we can easily support another 100,000 people! Our productivity has far exceeded our population limit!"
Lin Feng nodded, then looked at Tang Bao: "The Ministry of Civil Affairs needs to adjust its focus. Starting today, we will form an expeditionary team. Head east, across the Golden Plains; head west, around the freshwater lake; head south, deep into the swamp; head north, to explore the deeper parts of the Red Rock Mountains."
His voice was steady and powerful, filled with unquestionable authority.
"The exploration team has only one goal: to find survivor settlements. Record the location and assess the size of any settlements found, but do not make contact with them lightly. I want to make the entire shelter a giant magnet, attracting all the scattered 'iron nails'."
A glint of light flashed in Tang Bao's eyes: "Understood, Leader. We will develop a detailed plan and select the most elite personnel to execute it. The abundance and safety of the shelter are our strongest attraction."
Lin Feng waved his hand: "Go ahead, I look forward to your good news."
With the departure of the three ministers, a series of new orders, like precise instructions, were issued from the administrative center and quickly transmitted to every corner of the shelter.
The entire shelter, this behemoth that had transformed from a war machine into a production machine, began to adjust its operating direction once again. Its core gears began to spin with a roar toward a brand new goal—"expansion".
A few days later, in a flat area.
At a grand groundbreaking ceremony, thousands of people gathered to witness this historic moment. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lin Feng did not use any machinery; he simply extended his hand slowly.
With his deep gaze, a massive obsidian stone weighing a hundred tons, which served as the foundation of the "Purple Palace," was slowly lifted into the air by an invisible telekinetic force. Then, amidst a thunderous roar of cheers, it landed steadily in the designated base, without the slightest deviation.
"A miracle! This is a miracle from the leader!"
"Long live the shelter! Long live the leader!"
The people's fervor was completely ignited. What they saw was not just the commencement of a palace construction, but a deity walking among the earth, ushering in an unprecedented era of glory for them.
The call to action for construction has now been sounded.
Meanwhile, several well-equipped exploration convoys, fully loaded with supplies, also officially left the shelter's "safe zone" for the first time, speeding towards the unknown distance.
A storm that will sweep across the entire planet is quietly brewing.
In the evening, Lin Feng sat in the back seat of "Black Dragon No. 1," with Qin Lan driving for him. The car drove smoothly along the newly widened "Victory Avenue."
On both sides of the road are newly built residential areas. Rows of two-story stone houses with their own courtyards are neatly arranged.
Smoke curled from the chimneys of every household. Children chased and played in the streets, while adults tended to the flowers and plants they had just received from the civil affairs department in their yards.
A peaceful and tranquil scene.
This prosperous era is just as he wished.
"Qin Lan," Lin Feng suddenly spoke.
"Yes." Qin Lan drove the car without looking to the side, her voice as cold as ever.
Do you think your life is good right now?
Qin Lan remained silent for a moment, then glanced at Lin Feng's face through the rearview mirror.
"Where you are is the best place." Her answer never disappointed Lin Feng.
Lin Feng smiled. He knew that asking Qin Lan this question was unnecessary.
This woman is too smart.
“I’ve decided,” he said slowly, looking out the window at the happy, smiling faces, “to hold a celebration. A grand celebration, one that everyone participates in. To celebrate everything we have now, and to… to celebrate the future we are about to have.”
"To celebrate and to promote the gold dollar, I have decided to give a reward of one hundred gold dollars to every official citizen of the shelter, regardless of age or gender."
Qin Lan's grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly.
She wasn't Pang Dahai, and knew nothing about economics. But she understood what this act of "giving out money" meant.
This means that the leader's grace will descend upon everyone in the most direct and tangible way. This will be an unparalleled feast for winning hearts and minds.
The news quickly spread throughout the entire shelter via Tang Bao's public welfare department.
At first, there was a brief silence.
Then came a sky-high celebration that almost lifted the entire sky!
"What?! The leader is going to give each of us one hundred gold coins?!"
"My God! Am I dreaming?! One hundred gold coins! I heard that one gold coin can be exchanged for five roasted Jade Feather Chickens at Minister Pang's logistics store!"
"That hundred gold coins could be exchanged for five hundred chickens, right?"
"Not only that! We're also having a celebration! At the celebration, all food and drinks will be free!!"
Long live the leader!
"Mr. Lin, you are like a second parent to us!!"
The entire shelter was in an uproar.
People rushed out of their homes, embracing, cheering, and weeping with joy in the streets. They shouted Lin Feng's name again and again.
Having experienced hellish wilderness, they understand better than anyone how hard-won this paradise-like life they have now is.
And the one who bestowed all of this upon them was that godlike leader.
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