Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 56 Division of Labor
Gage remembered his previous owners.

They also tried taking off his collar and playing a cat-and-mouse game.

This time, he thought the outcome would be similar.

His deeply ingrained sense of obedience made him blurt out, "Master, should I run away now?"

"You don't need to run, I won't catch you."

"host"

Zhuang Fan interrupted him.

"In the past six months, I have been a guinea pig, a prisoner, a vagrant, a criminal, and a fugitive."

“I wore the same collar as you, carrying corpses on the front lines, digging coal in mines, and cleaning up skeletons in incinerators.”

“I have eaten all kinds of unpalatable food, been beaten, threatened, exploited, betrayed, and fooled.”

“We’ve experienced all of these things.”

Zhuang Fan's gaze swept over Hua Xin.

"She was the same, helpless and adrift in the wasteland, doing illegal work, hiding everywhere, starving until she was just skin and bones."

Watson lowered his head and clenched his fists.

Hua Xin twitched her cat ears slightly, her emerald eyes carrying a hint of sadness.

Gage's stiff body relaxed, and a glimmer of light finally appeared in his numb eyes.

He looked at Zhuang Fan, then at the Watson siblings, and finally understood that they were all survivors who had crawled out of the same abyss.

It was not just another drama orchestrated by slave owners.

He opened his mouth, his dry throat squeezing out a few syllables, sounding awkward: "I thought... you were like them."

"So, Gage."

Zhuang Fan's tone became serious:
"I don't think anyone should be trampled underfoot."

“We are all weak, but that’s okay. If we stick together, we can generate some strength, and a small spark can start a prairie fire.”

"I hope you can stay and help me."

Gage was a little confused: "But what can I do?"

"I need your technology, mechanical repair, weapons manufacturing, shelter design, etc., which are all things we lack."

Gage's eyes lit up. "Yes, I know a lot about these things."

Zhuang Fan looked at the three people present.

"The team is just starting out and we don't have much start-up capital. Once things stabilize, I will settle your salaries. I keep track of every single transaction."

Watson looked at Gage: "Stay here, we can work together."

Hua Xin took off her hood, revealing a delicate face that was somewhere between a human and a cat.

"This is home." She said earnestly.

Gage slowly bent down and picked up the toolbox from the ground.

"Boss Wuya."

His voice was hoarse but firm: "If there's anything I need to do in the future, just let me know."

Zhuang Fan sincerely said, "Welcome."

Watson grinned, walked over, and patted him on the shoulder.

Hua Xin laughed along with her.

The new team was officially formed at this moment.

Zhuang Fan wasted no time. He took out the remaining 10,000 gold coins and immediately contacted King Mao.

Fat Cat was very efficient; in less than two hours, a warehouse truck was parked at the entrance of the recycling station.

The truck was loaded with the supplies they urgently needed at this stage.

Ten fog lights are enough to cover the entire recycling station, both above and below ground.

A water purifier ensures basic drinking water safety.

There is one basic model Wasteland Traveler, plus the one Zhuang Fan owns, making a total of two.

Radiation-reducing tablets, starch cakes, and protein bars are enough for four people to last for more than half a month.

An old warehouse truck is used for loading and unloading goods.

Zhuang Fan also bought two iron-pipe pistols and a hundred rounds of ammunition, along with some necessary tool kits for repairs.

After completing the procurement, he only had one thousand gold coins left, barely enough to keep the team operating at a minimum.

That evening, the four of them sat around a simple table.

On the table sat a lamp made of animal oil, its flame flickering in the wind.

Zhuang Fan began to assign tasks.

"Watson and I were responsible for going out to scavenge."

"Gage, Hua Xin, you and the two repaired androids are responsible for repairing and reinforcing the base's defenses, and at the same time clearing that abandoned underground passage, the sooner the better."

"Make a list of any building materials you need, and I'll go and purchase them."

Hua Xin raised her hand, her cat ears twitching: "Brother Wuya, I'm more suitable than you for scavenging. I'm much more perceptive now, so I'll be more efficient at picking up trash." "No, your identity is too sensitive."

Zhuang Fan looked at her and said, "You will stay at the base for now and help Gage with organizing the warehouse items."

"Okay, fine."

"Of course, you can also observe the surrounding area from the watchtower; you are our last eyes."

Hua Xin twitched her cat ears, and although she was reluctant, she nodded slightly.

Zhuang Fan handed her the Wasteland Traveler, saying, "Keep in touch. The fog is thinner during the day, so the signal will be better."

He then placed two iron-pipe pistols on the table, one for Gage and one for Hua Xin.

Gage picked up the pistol and examined it carefully.

"Boss, the barrel wall is too thin, and the rifling is almost worn down. It won't be long before it explodes."

Zhuang Fan frowned; this was indeed a problem.

Higher-quality pistols start at three thousand gold coins, not to mention rifles.

Gage looked at him, his eyes now showing a seriousness typical of a technician:

"Boss, if I had a weapons processing station, I could make guns ten times better than this, pistols or rifles, I'd do it."

"Good idea, I'll ask Old Cat tomorrow."

The next morning, before dawn.

Zhuang Fan and Hua Sheng got into the warehouse truck, the motor emitted a low hum, and then drove into the wilderness.

There are many garbage mountains in the wild, and just as many scavenging teams, making the competition between them extremely fierce.

Gunfire continued, and limbs were scattered everywhere.

To keep a low profile, Zhuang Fan specifically chose remote areas shrouded in eerie fog and rarely visited by people.

The vast majority of the equipment here is severely corroded by the decaying mist; often, just touching the outer shell will turn it into ashes.

The truck stopped in front of a charred forest ruin.

The air was filled with the smell of burning, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of grayish-black powder.

Zhuang Fan got out of the car and saw a powered armor set half-buried in the scorched earth.

The armor shell was covered by a layer of dark brown decay mist, making it almost impossible to see the original metallic color.

He placed his hand on the armor surface, trying to draw away the decaying mist, but a heavy resistance came his way, and exhaustion surged into his brain.

He also struggled just as much when he manipulated the black mist.

Zhuang Fan seemed to be deep in thought.

With his current abilities, dealing with the dark fog and the dark decay fog is already his limit.

Going any further requires even more mental effort, and it's easy to become exhausted, making it a losing proposition.

He didn't insist and instead looked for other targets.

After a whole day, the two only picked up twenty pieces of equipment, which was not very efficient.

On the way back, a modified truck with huge wheels roared past us.

Several scavengers on the vehicle poked their heads out, glanced at the "junk" shrouded in decaying mist in their warehouse, and burst into laughter.

"Look at these two idiots, they've picked up a whole cart of garbage."

"Hey, you guys are new here, right? You can't even tell what can be sold for money. What are you even doing here?"

"Thanks for reminding."

Zhuang Fan smiled and ignored him.

They returned to base in the evening.

Together, everyone carried the collected trash into the basement.

Afterwards, Zhuang Fan stayed inside alone.

Watson stood guard at the door, making sure no one would disturb them.

Gage was unaware of his boss's extraordinary abilities, and for safety's sake, he figured he could keep it a secret for as long as possible.

Hua Xin walked over to her brother and handed him a bottle of water.

"Sis, what do you think of Gage?" Watson asked in a low voice, taking the water bottle.

“I’ve been observing him all day, and he seems quite honest.”

"How to say?"

"He works very hard, never slacks off, and doesn't do anything suspicious. He's a workaholic."

Watson nodded: "Keep an eye on it. If anything seems amiss, tell us immediately."

"Yeah, I will."

Although Zhuang Fan had passed Gage's lie detector test, Watson was unaware of this and remained cautious.

This is their habitat, and it cannot be lost.

(End of this chapter)