Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

An hour later, Li Ya reorganized the team and completed the headcount.

The group left the canteen and headed towards the shelter gate.

Along the way, many survivors, both new and old, who were participating in clearing snow and building container houses stopped what they were doing and spontaneously paid their respects to the team that was about to set off.

Many more people walked towards the side and front of the procession, offering simple words of thanks and blessings:

"Lord City Lord! Thank you for saving my life!"

"Big brother! Thank you for saving Nannan!"

"Thank you for taking us in! Thank you for taking us in!"

"Watch out!"

On every face, whether old, young, or weary, was filled with genuine concern and reliance.

Lin Chen didn't say much, only occasionally nodding or raising his hand to signal, his calm aura soothing people's hearts.

Upon arriving at the open space inside the gate, Lin Chen made a thought, and dozens of brand-new snowmobiles appeared.

Li Ya inspected the vehicle, turned to Lin Chen, and asked crisply, "Brother Lin, what about the equipment and supplies?"

Lin Chen nodded, his gaze sweeping over the assembled team.

Immediately in front of them were piles of weapon boxes, ammunition boxes, food, and first aid kits.

This scene once again drew hushed gasps and exclamations from the surrounding survivors; such a sight is always breathtaking, no matter how many times you see it.

"Each team should collect the supplies according to the newly compiled list and verify them carefully," Lin Chen's voice was clear and steady. "Bring enough supplies."

"Yes!" The team leaders responded and began to direct their team members to move and distribute the goods in an orderly manner.

After a long while, all the supplies were loaded and the personnel boarded the vehicles.

Li Ya, in the lead vehicle, turned around and gave Lin Chen an "OK" sign.

The roar of engines broke the silence of the snowy plains in the early morning.

The convoy, like a long steel dragon, slowly drove out of the open shelter gates, rolled over the snow, and headed deeper into the university town, soon turning into a string of blurry black dots in the snowstorm.

After watching the group leave, Lin Chen turned around.

Near the shelter's entrance, Jiang Yingxue, Jiang Yingyue, and Bai Xin had already set up the makeshift tables and chairs at the recruitment area again.

The construction of the underground shelter is now mainly handled by Hua Hua, Xiao He, and the newly discovered earth and metal elemental ability users. Lin Chen only needs to go there periodically as a "porter" to transport the excavated soil and rocks away.

The current headache is the water and electricity lines. These young girls have absolutely no idea how to install them, and Lin Chen himself is only a novice. Although they work, they look terrible.

His gaze swept across the distance and he saw Zhou Tiannian standing with his hands on his hips, spitting as he scolded a young man with dyed yellow hair and a hunched neck.

"Zhou Tiannian!" Lin Chen shouted.

Zhou Tiannian, who was engrossed in training, suddenly stopped and turned to see Lin Chen. His angry expression instantly transformed into an almost fawning smile. The blond-haired boy, feeling like he had been granted a pardon, took the opportunity to slip away.

Zhou Tiannian strode over, almost running, and stopped in front of Lin Chen, slightly out of breath, his back straight: "Boss Lin! You called me? What are your instructions?"

Lin Chen didn't beat around the bush and directly ordered, "Among the people currently living in the outer city, are there any experienced plumbers or electricians? Or any skilled workers with relevant experience would also be fine. I need manpower, find me about fifty people first."

He originally wanted to say ten, but then he thought it would be better to provide more job opportunities, which would not only solve the problem but also give more people the chance to exchange for survival supplies.

Zhou Tiannian's eyes lit up—this was a fantastic opportunity! He nodded eagerly, "Yes! Definitely! This place is full of hidden talents; I'll go and ask around, and I guarantee I'll find you the most experienced master craftsman!"

"Yes," Lin Chen added, "Make it clear to them about the compensation: one day's work will be accompanied by five days' worth of standard food rations and drinking water. Understand?"

"Understood! Understood! With such treatment, those experienced craftsmen will definitely be scrambling to get it!" Zhou Tiannian readily agreed. In the apocalypse, these conditions were considered very generous, enough to tempt anyone with a skill.

"Once everyone is found, take them directly to Su Yun, and she will arrange their work."

She then called over a member of the duty team and asked her to inform Su Yun to be on the lookout for this group of people to go to the underground shelter to install water and electricity lines.

"Alright! Don't worry, Boss Lin, I've got it covered!" Zhou Tiannian patted his chest to assure him, then turned around and hurried off to make arrangements.

"Come back," Lin Chen called out to him again.

Zhou Tiannian immediately stopped, turned halfway around, and remained respectful: "Boss Lin, is there anything else you need?"

Lin Chen looked at him, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority: "While we're searching for people and during your routine patrols, please remind everyone again. According to the initial regulations, today is the last day the shelter will provide basic food for free. Starting tomorrow, all food, water, winter supplies, and medical services must be obtained through participating in designated labor or by exchanging zombie crystals. Rules are rules, and there are no exceptions."

Zhou Tiannian's expression hardened, and he nodded emphatically: "Yes! I've got it. I'll make sure the publicity is thorough and everyone knows!"

He understood that Lin Chen was completely shifting the shelter's operation onto the right track of "distribution according to work and exchange of resources for contributions," which, although cruel, was necessary for long-term survival.

Lin Chen then waved his hand.

Zhou Tiannian felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and with his mission in hand, he quickly left. Soon, his voice rang out from the direction of the outer city as he began calling out for the "plumbing and electrical master".

After seeing Zhou Tiannian off, Lin Chen strolled over to the recruitment area.

Jiang Yingxue and Jiang Yingyue were busy with interviews, while Bai Xin was organizing registration forms.

Lin Chen waved to Bai Xin.

Seeing this, Bai Xin handed the form to an assistant beside her and quickly walked over: "Brother Lin?"

"Hmm," Lin Chen lowered his voice, "Remember yesterday I told you to keep an eye out for those people who are still willing to help others amidst the zombie horde?"

Bai Xin nodded immediately, her memory was excellent: "I remember, I did as you instructed, and secretly noted down the features and approximate locations."

"Okay. Now go and contact these people. The key is to ask them if they might not be able to awaken their own superpowers, but they are hardworking, resilient, and willing to do relatively stable work for us long-term. Ideally, they should have some rural background and know a little about planting or raising animals."

He explained briefly that although the situation in the Creation Pearl space was special, some experience was better than none.

Bai Xin carefully wrote it down: "Understood."

Lin Chen nodded, "We'll start by gathering around one hundred people. They can bring their families."

"When making contact, be sure to use your special ability to test the personnel to ensure their reliability. If there aren't enough people, have Zhou Tiannian send a few people familiar with the outer city to accompany you, expand the area, and visit other survivor areas."

"Once you've found enough people, bring them to the underground cafeteria to find me."

"Okay, I'll take care of it right away." Bai Xin acted decisively and immediately accepted the order.

She pointed to the two female team members on duty next to her, gave them a few brief instructions, and then walked towards the outer city resettlement area.

Lin Chen looked in the direction Bai Xin had left and murmured to himself: It's time to introduce the first batch of "pioneers" to that vast and monotonous world inside the Creation Pearl.

He then returned to the underground shelter alone.