Volume 1, Chapter 18: The Thor Base

"I intend to reorganize the base. We must clearly demarcate the living quarters to ensure everyone’s basic needs for food and shelter are met. A training area must also be established; I won't have anyone capable of fighting acting like dead weight. As for the fortifications, I’ve already discussed them with Old Zhou; he will have a plan."

His gaze shifted to Su Mengyi.

"Mengyi, regarding your 'Gift of Life'—besides healing, I recall you mentioning it could also stimulate plant growth?"

Su Mengyi’s eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded vigorously.

"Yes, Mr. Li! I can feel it! After absorbing the source crystals, that energy has a strong affinity for plants. The sensation is so much clearer than before!"

"Very good."

A subtle, nearly imperceptible curve appeared at the corners of Li Hexuan’s mouth.

"There’s an open space behind the villa with decent sunlight. Try to see if you can get those vegetable seeds we collected to sprout. In this man-eating apocalypse, food is the only absolute truth for survival."

"I will do my best!"

Su Mengyi clenched her fists, filled with confidence.

"Nanzi."

Li Hexuan looked at Zhang Nan.

"Beyond your daily drills, you are responsible for patrolling and guarding the base. Also, lead teams to scavenge for supplies. Safety is the top priority—don't let me down."

Zhang Nan slapped his chest with a resonant thud.

"Don't worry, Brother Xuan! If anyone dares to stir up trouble on our turf, I’ll be the first to object, and I’ll make sure they learn exactly why the flowers are so red!"

The entire Thor Base began to mobilize in earnest.

Zhou Yong led a crew, working day and night to reinforce the defenses and dig deep traps. Following Li Hexuan’s guidance and applying his own professional expertise, he turned Fallen Leaf Mountain into an increasingly tough nut to crack.

Li Hexuan was not idle either. He personally took action, pushing his "Electro-Control" ability to its limit, working with Zhou Yong to plant insidious electrical traps at key defensive points. These devices looked inconspicuous, but any intruder who bumped into them would certainly experience a swift "ascent to heaven."

Su Mengyi found a sunny spot in the villa’s backyard and turned it into a vegetable garden. She carefully planted the few cabbage and radish seeds they had painstakingly scavenged. Every day, she would visit the plot, channeling the energy of her "Gift of Life" into the soil, bit by bit.

A few days later, under the constant infusion of Su Mengyi’s "Gift of Life," those seeds miraculously broke through the soil, pushing out tender green shoots. Although the growth was not explosive, that vibrant touch of green was more dazzling than gold in this lifeless, apocalyptic world.

Under Li Hexuan’s unified command, the other survivors performed their respective duties. Some were responsible for cleaning the surroundings, others repaired damaged buildings, while some accompanied Zhang Nan outside to net small fish in the relatively calm nearby waters or scavenge for useful scraps.

From those who had proven their loyalty and willingness to risk their lives during the fish-tide battles and subsequent construction, Li Hexuan selected a dozen quick-witted and diligent individuals, formally inducting them into the base’s outer circle. Their treatment was naturally a cut above that of the ordinary survivors. This move further ignited everyone’s motivation. The entire Thor Base began to display a busy and orderly scene.

That evening, a blood-red setting sun hung on the horizon, setting the western clouds ablaze.

"Mr. Li! Brother Zhang! People have arrived at the foot of the mountain!" The survivor on sentry duty ran over, breathless and hoarse. "They’re refugees, and they look... they’re barely holding on!"

Li Hexuan and Zhang Nan hurried to the foot of the mountain.

Several rafts, even more dilapidated than the ones used by Zhao Desheng’s group, lay crookedly on the shore. The people on the rafts were skeletal, their bodies barely covered by rags, their eyes filled with a hollow, profound despair. Several base members were lifting them off the rafts, offering them clear water and meager portions of food.

Just then, in the crowd, a woman with hair as withered and yellow as dry grass, her face smeared with mud and her cheekbones jutting out, caught a glimpse of Li Hexuan. In an instant, a complex light erupted in her otherwise numb eyes.

It was Jia Shuwen!

Beside her was a young man, equally disheveled but with a dark, gloomy expression—it was Wang Rui, the one who had followed her and plotted against Li Hexuan in the past.

Jia Shuwen could never have dreamed that the man she and Chen Hao had conspired to betray—the man she had once deemed worthless—had transformed into the leader of a faction in this chaotic world! Looking at the heavily guarded, bustling base and the intimidating presence Li Hexuan now carried, alongside Zhang Nan, who stood as sturdy as an iron tower, a mix of jealousy, regret, and resentment roiled within her.

She took a breath, forcing an expression she believed was pitiable, and shuffled toward Li Hexuan with unsteady steps. Her voice was dry and raspy, tinged with a sob.

"He... Hexuan... is it really you? I... I thought... I would never see you again..."

She reached out with trembling hands, attempting to grab the corner of Li Hexuan’s coat, hoping to stir some scrap of the "old feelings" she had shattered herself.

Li Hexuan remained expressionless, stepping aside and letting her hand grasp only empty air. He didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Liu Zhong."

Li Hexuan’s voice was flat, devoid of joy or anger.

"Yes, Mr. Li!"

Liu Zhong immediately jogged over, bowing at the perfect angle.

"Handle them according to the rules for newcomers."

Li Hexuan dropped this instruction and turned to head up the mountain. From beginning to end, he didn't spare Jia Shuwen another glance; to him, she was no different from a pebble by the roadside.

Jia Shuwen’s hand froze in mid-air, her expression stiffening as the color drained from her lips. The embarrassment and humiliation made her tremble from head to toe. Wang Rui, watching from the side, gritted his teeth until they clicked, yet he didn't dare utter a sound. His current plight was worse than a dog’s; he had no leverage to act out.

"This young lady, and this brother," Liu Zhong said with a thin, insincere smile, his tone brooks no argument. "We have our own rules here at Thor Base. New friends must be observed for a few days and contribute some labor before they can earn a full meal. See over there? Those are the temporary shelters; go rest there for now. As for your chores, someone will assign them shortly."

Having once relied on her looks to thrive among men, Jia Shuwen had never experienced such cold indifference. She looked at the other newcomers, ragged and dull-eyed, and then at her own tattered clothes; the massive disparity nearly drove her mad.

But she knew that in this moment, having something to eat and a roof over her head was a stroke of immense luck. She bit her lip hard, lowered her once-proud head, and followed the others toward the crude shanty area.

Wang Rui was assigned to clean up the foul-smelling entrails and bones left behind by the fish monsters; the pungent stench made him want to retch on the spot.

Watching Jia Shuwen and Wang Rui descend to the bottom of the hierarchy, performing the filthiest and most grueling labor in such a miserable state, Zhang Nan leaned toward Li Hexuan and grinned broadly.