"If it were up to Fu Shiwu himself, the old city area wouldn't be a problem."
But Wen Zhaoming might have had other considerations, so Fu Shiwu graciously accepted his advice. None of them got off the car, politely declined the arranged rooms in the old city area, and turned the cars around, leaving.
The officials with the surname Zhu were busily settling over ten thousand people who had arrived in Pingnan City. For the revitalization and reconstruction of Peicheng, the influx of so many people was undoubtedly a great boost.
Regardless of whether these people chose regular jobs or joined the Public Trust Hall, it was beneficial for their survival base.
Fu Shiwu's group of five cars departed. Compared to the vast population of Pingnan City, the small group from Yuancheng didn't attract much attention.
Of course, for individuals like Fu Shiwu, who would later shine brightly, the officials with the surname Zhu regretted not taking the opportunity to build connections at that time. Their regret was palpable later on.
Previously, they had only taken a cursory glance. Now, driving along the main road, they headed slowly towards the new city area.
Even though it was a new city area, the positions of the major roads hadn't changed much. It had only undergone repairs and modifications. Wen Zhaoming, who had lived in this city before, noticed the enormous differences between then and now.
"Where are we heading now?" Tang Xuhai asked.
"The Public Trust Hall."
Miao Jia swiftly pulled out a map and said, "Turn left at the next intersection, then go straight after two more intersections, and finally turn right."
On both sides of the main road were commercial streets. After passing through two streets, they reached the administrative office area.
When they caught sight of the newly constructed Public Trust Hall, they realized it was livelier here compared to the commercial street.
The Public Trust Hall was impressively massive. Tang Xuhai and the others parked their cars, leaving a few to watch over the vehicles while the rest walked into the hall together.
As they entered, the hall's clamor hit them immediately—a continuous buzz of discussions.
Inside, massive LED displays hung, constantly rolling out messages—missions, recruitment, self-promotions—leaving Tang Xuhai's group bewildered.
Apart from the entrance, there were service windows in all three directions. Each window had a display screen showing numbers. The office staff sat behind desks, facing a crowd of people.
In the center of the hall were rows of seats for those waiting to rest.
A pleasant female voice announced the numbers, calling individuals to the counters for their business.
"There's a calling system too?" Miao Jia was astonished.
Tang Xuhai, amidst the chaos in his mind, looked around and found a number distribution system placed near the central information desk.
Walking over, he saw several options listed there: "General Services," "Mission Submission," "Mission Settlement," "Personal Business," "Group Business." The system and service windows seemed familiar.
Meanwhile, Wen Zhaoming had approached the information desk and started inquiring with the staff seated there.
After a while, Wen Zhaoming returned, holding a promotional pamphlet.
Miao Jia, curious, rushed to the information desk and sweetly requested multiple pamphlets. Each person received one.
"I think... we need to register as a group in advance," Wen Zhaoming weakly suggested.
Fu Shiwu blinked, feeling a bit out of sync with the situation.
It wasn't that he was slow to respond but rather that the world was changing too rapidly!
Despite knowing humanity's adaptability, he hadn't anticipated the creation of such a comprehensive operational system based on the current situation.
"Well..." Tang Xuhai furrowed his brow, "What kind of group should we register as?"
The pamphlet listed services available for ability users clearly.
Individual ability users could create a file within the Public Trust Hall's system, then carry out various tasks with the identity card provided. These included forming groups, publishing missions, seeking teams, undertaking missions, converting trust points to work points, and all related matters.
The groups that could be created fell into three categories: Adventure Teams, Brigades, and Guilds.
These three types of groups belonged to different categories.
Adventure Teams involved exploring to survey the situation, scouting areas with uncertain information for alien distributions, and valuable resources. They could also search for resources, which the government or necessary institutions would purchase.
Brigades were solely focused on combat-related missions, such as eliminating various aliens, mutations, anomalous plants and animals, rescue missions, and anything related to combat.
Guilds were comprehensive, capable of not only the functions of the above two but also undertaking complex tasks like construction, escort, cultivation, production, and more.
"Brigades." Fu Shiwu adjusted his glasses. "While our team could do what Adventure Teams do, most of our members specialize in combat. I have a feeling Brigades suit our development better."
"Brigades?" Wen Zhaoming pondered. Originally, he thought Guilds were more appropriate for him. However, recent events made him realize the importance of maintaining the team's singularity. Sometimes, excessive complexity wasn't necessary in this post-apocalyptic world.
His initial thoughts were mistaken...
"Creating a sharp blade?" Tang Xuhai tilted his head. "Then it's settled."
Wen Zhaoming's gaze flickered but ultimately nodded. "Since you've decided, let's register as a Brigade."
Once the three-person leadership team made a decision, there was no turning back.
Just as Tang Xuhai was about to retrieve a number from the distribution system, someone weakly called out from behind, "Wait a moment..."
Surprised, Tang Xuhai turned around to see Ma Dong looking uneasy, hesitantly saying, "Um... for this Brigade thing, can I not participate?"
"Hmm?" Tang Xuhai furrowed his brow, puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Ma Dong bit his lip and explained, "Since we've arrived at our destination, can't I leave? I don't necessarily have to join this kind of Brigade. I'm just an ordinary person. I don't want a life involving fighting. Right now, Peicheng is recruiting earth ability users for construction work. I think that's more suitable for me."
Tang Xuhai remained expressionless, devoid of emotions. He simply acknowledged, "Indeed, when we were in Yuancheng, we formed this temporary team to come to Peicheng. You're free to leave now. I never forced you to join. You can go, right now if you wish."
Ma Dong hadn't expected such a straightforward response. Feeling flustered, he glanced around at his companions, some surprised, some conflicted, some angry.
His eyes met Fu Shiwu's cold expression, causing a shiver in his heart. He stopped hesitating and hastily left.
Tang Xuhai crossed his arms, observing the rest. "Anyone else? If anyone wants to leave now, feel free to speak up. We're not dictators; there's still personal autonomy. It's better to say now if you're not interested, to avoid future discomfort."
Liu Zhao hesitated, scratching his face. "It's not that I'm heartless. It's been enjoyable spending time together. But I'm just
a mutant. I can't match up to you ability users. As the anomalies become more dangerous in the future, I'm afraid I'll be more of a liability than help."
Fu Shiwu nodded slowly. "It's your freedom; others don't have the right to interfere. Anyone else?"
As Fu Shiwu spoke, the atmosphere grew solemn. Wu Shan coughed and said, "There are a few people still watching the cars. Perhaps we should inform them of the situation to avoid trouble later."
Miao Jia glared at Wu Shan. Was the plan to tie them up without their consent?
Fu Shiwu's voice turned stern. "Miao Jia, go and check their opinions. If they don't want to, let me know."
Miao Jia took a few promotional flyers and left the Public Trust Hall.
Tang Xuhai stood expressionless, but inside, a raging fire had been brewing for a while.
He thought that after enduring the hardships together, these people were already united. He hadn't expected such a situation to arise.
Silence fell as several stood before the number distribution system, the tension palpable, causing people to quietly pick up their numbers without any confrontation.
Miao Jia returned, saying, "Wang Dan, Olande, and Zhen Zi—all three want to stay."
Fu Shiwu's gaze turned to Liu Zhao and Wu Shan.
Liu Zhao took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said, "Thank you all for this time. If we have the chance, let's eat together in the future."
Then, nodding to everyone, he left. Wu Shan hesitated for a moment, awkwardly managed a smile, and said, "I'll leave too. Till we meet again."
Once the two were out of sight, Horn Ting suddenly spoke up, "Mr. Fu, Tang Xuhai, I can't continue fighting alongside you. I need to find my clan elder and figure out a way back to the capital. My family is there, and my fiancée is waiting for me."
Fu Shiwu was slightly surprised. While he had foreseen others leaving, he hadn't expected Horn Ting to depart as well.
Fu Shiwu glanced at Horn Ting and said, "If you need help, don't forget we're here."
Horn Ting looked at him gratefully, saying, "I'll never forget these unforgettable days. Don't forget about me, your friend."
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