Just as Lin Feng and his team were working with great enthusiasm, two disheveled figures slowly appeared outside the fortress.
One of them was fat and big-eared, about forty years old, dressed in rags, covered in mud, with a haggard but shrewd face.
The other was a young man in his early twenties, thin, with an honest but dull face, and eyes full of fatigue and confusion.
They had clearly traveled a long way to get here.
When they saw the towering steel fortress in the distance, their eyes instantly lit up with ecstatic joy.
"There's someone here! There's someone here!"
The fat, burly man shouted excitedly, his voice hoarse from prolonged thirst, "Help! Is anyone inside?!"
The young man next to him also shouted, though his voice was weak, his desire to survive was just as strong.
Their shouts quickly penetrated the thick walls and reached inside the fortress.
It was time for the watchtower to change shifts. Tang Bao was on duty today, and she stood atop the towering tower, holding Lin Feng's specially made binoculars, vigilantly scanning her surroundings.
Since the fortress was built, she has never slacked off in her work.
Her gaze inadvertently caught sight of two figures moving around the perimeter of the fortress.
She immediately raised her binoculars, and when she saw that they were indeed two humans, her heart skipped a beat. She immediately pressed the alarm in the watchtower. The sharp whistle echoed through the shelter, shattering the morning's tranquility.
"Brother Lin Feng! Something's happened! There are two people outside!" Tang Bao immediately rushed to the communication port and loudly reported to those below.
Lin Feng was instructing the Jin Si Miners on cutting steel in front of the new forging furnace when he heard the alarm and Tang Bao's shouts, and he frowned slightly.
Someone? They haven't found any other humans in the vicinity since the beast tide subsided.
He immediately signaled the gold miners to stop working, and then said to Qin Lan and Su Wanqing, "Come with me."
He led Qin Lan, Su Wanqing, Zhao Ya, and two "guards" from the gold miners' team—the two largest golden monkeys, each clutching a thick steel pipe, ready to respond to any emergency. The group quickly climbed the watchtower.
Lin Feng took the binoculars from Tang Bao and looked in the direction she was pointing.
When his gaze focused on the two disheveled men, a barely perceptible hint of surprise flashed across his cold eyes, which then turned into a cold laugh.
"So it was them." Lin Feng put down his binoculars, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Qin Lan and Su Wanqing looked at him with confusion.
"Mr. Lin, do you know them?" Qin Lan asked.
Lin Feng didn't answer directly, but a smile played on his lips: "Let them in. Open the side door."
The side door of the fortress opened slowly, emitting a dull metallic scraping sound.
The two men perked up as soon as they saw the gate open, and despite their exhaustion, they stumbled and rushed toward it.
When they rushed into the fortress and saw Lin Feng's face, their reactions were completely different.
The moment the fat, big-eared man saw Lin Feng clearly, the ecstasy on his face froze, replaced by an incredulous astonishment, followed by a gloomy and resentful expression.
The honest and taciturn young man, upon seeing Lin Feng clearly, had a surge of pure surprise and excitement in his eyes.
He even forgot his fatigue and rushed forward, his voice trembling with excitement: "Big Brother! Brother Lin Feng! It really is you!"
He was Li Xiangbin, Lin Feng's former colleague and only friend.
Lin Feng looked at Li Xiangbin rushing over, a rare tenderness flashing in his eyes.
He nodded, his voice gentle: "Xiang Bin, it's been a long time."
Li Xiangbin was so excited that he was incoherent, and his eyes were red.
The fat, big-eared man was Zhao Delong, Lin Feng's former landlord.
He stood there, his face ashen, his gaze sweeping menacingly over the towering steel walls, the orderly buildings, and the respectful woman standing behind Lin Feng.
"Since it's you, then come in," Lin Feng said again, his tone turning cold.
Soon, the two men were led into a makeshift meeting room inside the shelter.
This place was originally where Lin Feng handled official business, but it is now being used temporarily for receptions. The room is simply furnished, but clean and tidy, and exudes a faint smell of wood and metal.
After entering the room, Li Xiangbin looked around with curiosity and excitement.
He saw the animal pelts hanging on the wall, the neatly stacked tools in the corner, and the greenhouses and the gold mining team that could be vaguely seen outside the window.
His face was filled with disbelief: "This place...this place is amazing! Brother, you actually built this place like this!"
Zhao Delong's face, however, was extremely grim.
He was restless, his eyes darting around as he constantly scanned his surroundings. He read indifference and contempt in Lin Feng's eyes, which made him extremely uncomfortable.
He originally thought Lin Feng would be a mere employee whom he could easily manipulate, just like before. He never expected that Lin Feng would become the one who controlled everything here.
Lin Feng gestured for them to sit down, and then went straight to the point and began asking about their experiences.
From them, Lin Feng learned that Li Xiangbin and Zhao Delong were transported to the alien forest together during a sudden anomaly.
They had no idea what was happening or why they had come to this godforsaken place.
With his rich "social experience," Zhao Delong quickly gained Li Xiangbin's trust amidst the initial chaos.
He tricked Li Xiangbin, saying that he knew how to survive in such a place, and that as long as Li Xiangbin followed him, he could find a way back, promising to give Li Xiangbin a house as a reward upon their return.
Li Xiangbin was honest and simple-minded, and he believed Zhao Delong's words wholeheartedly. He served Zhao Delong diligently and endured a lot of hardship along the way.
At this point, Zhao Delong finally turned his gaze to Lin Feng, forcing a fawning smile on his face: "Little Feng, it's so good that you're here. Uncle is saved now!"
He spoke warmly, as if Lin Feng were his long-lost son, completely forgetting the exploitation and oppression he had inflicted on Lin Feng.
"We'll stay here for now, and go back once we find a way out."
Zhao Delong continued, his tone carrying an air of self-righteousness.
He had even started planning his wonderful life after returning to Earth, saying, "When the time comes, I'll give you a house."
Upon hearing Zhao Delong's words, Li Xiangbin immediately looked at Lin Feng excitedly, his eyes sparkling with anticipation for a "house": "Big brother, this is a great opportunity! We'll have a house!"
He was completely oblivious to the increasingly cold smile on Lin Feng's face.
Upon hearing this, Lin Feng sneered, "Xiang Bin, you've been completely fooled by him. Let's not even talk about how this is an alien planet where we have no idea if there's even a way out. Even if we could go back, do you think he'd keep his promise?"
Zhao Delong's face stiffened, cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and he hurriedly retorted, "Of course! I swear to God! I, Old Wang, keep my word!"
Lin Feng snorted coldly, disdainfully exposing his lie: "You swore to God back then that you wouldn't raise the rent, but what happened? Didn't you still secretly raise it by five hundred yuan? Do you even remember what you said back then?"
“‘Xiao Feng, Uncle is a little short on cash lately, so I'll only raise the rent a token amount, by five hundred yuan. Uncle promises this is the last time, and it definitely won't go up next time!’ Do you remember?”
Zhao Delong's face immediately turned a deep purplish-red, and he stammered in rebuttal, "That...that's because...that's because their prices have all gone up! It's the market situation, there's nothing I can do about it!"
"Enough!" Lin Feng interrupted him coldly, his tone filled with unquestionable authority: "This is not Earth, but an alien planet!"
He stood up, walked to the window, and glanced at the sturdy steel walls and the busy gold miners outside. His voice was cold and forceful: "Here, there is no house for you. You can no longer lie around collecting rent and reaping our blood and sweat!"
He turned around and looked directly at Zhao Delong, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "The fruits of our labor belong entirely to us. Every bit of gain we earn with our sweat and lives will belong only to us. The days when you could lie down and collect money just by relying on your property certificate are gone forever here."
Zhao Delong, pale-faced, forced a dry laugh as he tried to explain, "Xiao Feng, what are you saying? We're all from the same village..."
"Don't try to get close to me." Lin Feng interrupted him with a cold smile. "If you want to stay, that's fine too. Our shelter is currently undergoing large-scale infrastructure construction, and you can come and help."
When Li Xiangbin heard that he was to do some work, he didn't hesitate at all. Instead, he immediately nodded and said, "Great! I'll help out! Big brother, I'll do whatever you ask me to do!"
His eyes were pure, unaffected by Zhao Delong's words. He felt that being able to follow Lin Feng was the greatest fortune.
Lin Feng glanced at him, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes.
He only had this one friend, this honest and kind young man, who, like him, came from the countryside and came to the big city to work as a food deliveryman.
They used to share a partitioned room that had been divided into more than twenty smaller rooms, and they sympathized with each other because of their shared plight.
Li Xiangbin is honest and simple-minded, but he is too easily deceived.
Even his parents, with the idea of "doing what's best for him and saving money for his wedding," made him send his salary back every month, thus exploiting him in various ways.
But he trusted Lin Feng completely, because Lin Feng was the only one who genuinely cared for him and warned him not to be deceived.
"From now on, you'll follow me, and I'll give you the life you've always dreamed of."
Lin Feng looked at Li Xiangbin and, unusually, revealed a gentle smile.
Li Xiangbin nodded firmly: "I know, brother, you won't treat me unfairly!"
His trust in Lin Feng was genuine.
Zhao Delong's face was now extremely pale.
He had always kept Li Xiangbin firmly under his control by lying about getting a house after returning home, making him willingly work for him.
Now, with just a few words, Lin Feng not only exposed his lies but also won over Li Xiangbin, this free laborer, which made him burning with jealousy and wishing he could tear Lin Feng to pieces immediately.
Lin Feng glanced at him, his eyes cold and warning: "Now, it's time for you to get to work."
Zhao Delong froze, then hurriedly waved his hand: "We haven't eaten anything yet... Xiao Feng, look at how we've been traveling all this way, eating and sleeping in the open..."
"Then finish eating before you get to work." Lin Feng interrupted him coldly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Don't disappoint me, I don't keep idle people here."
Li Xiangbin immediately nodded: "Okay, no problem!"
Soon after, a woman came in to announce that the food was ready.
Only then did Li Xiangbin notice Qin Lan, Su Wanqing, Tang Bao, and a group of other women standing in the room and at the door.
He was usually busy delivering food and didn't have many opportunities to meet women, let alone these beautiful women who, though simply dressed, possessed unique charms. His face instantly turned bright red, and he stood there somewhat flustered.
The women also looked at the new young man with curiosity.
Although Li Xiangbin has an ordinary appearance, he is physically strong and has pure eyes, which is a stark contrast to the greasy Zhao Delong next to him.
When Zhao Delong looked at these women, his eyes gleamed with greed and excitement.
He had already made up his mind to use his "social wisdom" and "mature charm" to seize this sanctuary, kick Lin Feng out, make these women submit to him, and return to his former life as a powerful landlord.
He had even begun to fantasize about himself surrounded by beautiful women and in control of everything.
Lin Feng had noticed Zhao Delong's gaze long ago, and a hint of disdain flashed deep in his eyes.
He had anticipated that this guy would cause trouble, but he would make him understand completely that this was not a Blue Star where he could act like a tyrant.
However, killing him like this would be too wasteful.
Why not let him stay and be free labor? We can talk about it when he can't work anymore.
After finishing his meal, Li Xiangbin immediately went to work, eager to prove his worth.
But Lin Feng stopped him, signaling him to wait, and then said coldly to Zhao Delong, "You, go and do your work first."
Zhao Delong was somewhat dissatisfied. He had thought that Lin Feng would at least be more polite to him because he was a few years older, and might even let Li Xiangbin, his "little brother," do the work first.
His face showed displeasure as he retorted, "Xiao Feng, look at my age, and I'm new here, so perhaps..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Feng's eyes turned cold, and he raised his hand to deliver a resounding slap to his fat face.
Zhao Delong's head was buzzing from the slap, and five bright red finger marks immediately appeared on his face. He staggered and almost fell to the ground.
He covered his burning cheek, his eyes filled with shock, anger, and disbelief.
He never imagined that Lin Feng, the tenant who used to be so timid and subservient to him, would actually dare to hit him!
Lin Feng sneered, "You think this is Blue Star? You collect rent every day without doing anything, just playing mahjong, going to foot massage parlors, living a life of debauchery. Do you think you can still get by here like before, just by talking?"
He stepped forward, looking down at the trembling Zhao Delong with a cold, authoritative voice: "Unfortunately, there's no house for you here, and you have nowhere to collect rent! Your crooked tricks are worthless here!"
"The fruits of our labor belong only to us. The house we built with our own hands is also our own. Do you understand? You have no special privileges here!"
Zhao Delong was completely intimidated by Lin Feng's imposing aura, his body trembling, and he dared not utter another word.
He could only cover his face, get up dejectedly, and follow the Jin Si Mining Team to the construction site designated by Lin Feng.
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