Invincible through Touching Corpses

Chapter 321: Changes in the Shelter

Many Mercenary Corps were heading back this time, and almost all of them were Third Level Mercenary Corps.

Although the supplies and equipment at the sub-base had been steadily improving, it was still a far cry from what the Star Shield Shelter had to offer.

These Third Level Mercenary Corps had earned a ton of Points over the past half-month. Besides returning to rest, they also planned to significantly improve their corps’ strength.

In particular, many Mercenary Corps had performed exceptionally well against the zombie tides, and the Military Department had rewarded them with some Merit Points, which were all the more precious to them.

These Merit Points would allow them to acquire some military-grade equipment. Even though they were already Third Level Mercenary Corps, their strength would still see a considerable boost.

At noon, after Zhang Yue bid farewell to everyone on behalf of the Military Department, dozens of Mercenary Corps drove away from the sub-base, heading back toward the Star Shield Shelter.

Lin Xinghai had originally thought the drive back would take quite some time, but to his surprise, many sections of the road had been repaired.

The Armored Vehicles were already high-performance machines; as long as the road was passable, they could travel at full speed.

On top of that, the Star Shield Shelter had sent out dozens of supply runs during this period, which had essentially cleared out any safety hazards along the route. Even if there were stray Zombies, they wouldn’t dare provoke such a massive convoy.

After only about an hour, they were approaching the Star Shield Shelter.

However, when they came within five kilometers of the Shelter, they saw something else that surprised them: simple fences had been erected in the area.

While these fences couldn’t do much to stop a horde of zombies, they were undoubtedly a sign—a sign that they had entered the territory of the Star Shield Shelter.

And after passing through these fences, the original dirt road instantly turned into a newly paved concrete one.

Looking into the distance, they could also spot a few excavators and bulldozers at work.

Of course, they weren’t constructing any buildings. Instead, they were leveling the land—small hills were flattened, pits were filled in, and scattered boulders were all hauled away.

"They’re doing preparatory work!" Lin Xinghai remarked, moved by the scene.

Many of the cleared plots of land were already marked, presumably indicating what was planned to be built there in the future.

"I really can’t wait to see the Star Shield Base when it’s finished. We won’t have to live underground anymore," Fang Tianhe said with anticipation.

The others in the vehicle heard him and all agreed. Although the sub-base was also on the surface, it was located inside Guanghan City, where danger could strike at any moment.

More importantly, the sub-base was built purely as a military fortress. Its main function was to gather supplies, and it didn’t have a single recreational facility. How could a place like that possibly compare to a fully developed base!

As everyone chatted and marveled at the sights, the convoy quickly covered the five kilometers, passed through the tunnel, and arrived at the elevator hall.

To their surprise, the elevator hall had also been expanded. The original dozen or so elevators had become more than thirty, more than doubling the transport efficiency.

Of course, this didn’t have much to do with the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps. Mercenary Corps had their own rules: the strong go first.

Under such circumstances, the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps was naturally the first to pass through.

And when Lin Xinghai and the others took the elevator up to the Mercenary Plaza, they were once again struck by the immense changes in the Star Shield Shelter.

Normally, when they returned, the Mercenary Plaza would be crowded with onlookers. But today, only a few scattered people were there—fewer than the staff.

More importantly, when Lin Xinghai looked out from the Mercenary Plaza toward the distance, he discovered that the streets of the Lower Level District were much cleaner. Many of the haphazardly constructed shacks had been demolished and replaced with new houses.

There were also fewer people on the streets. Even those who were out and about were mostly hurrying along, but their faces showed no signs of anxiety. Instead, they seemed mostly joyful.

Looking further out, the holographic projections of natural scenery were turned off, revealing the steel walls.

Numerous large machines were at work on the walls, and a dense crowd of people was working below. It was obvious that the Star Shield Shelter had begun its expansion.

The impact of this was felt in every aspect of life.

The Lower Level District had once been unbearably crowded. Many of its residents saw no future, and over time, a sense of despair took hold. This was what had fostered the growth of vicious gangs.

But now, with the base’s expansion, a large number of high-paying jobs had become available. As long as people were willing to work, their quality of life would visibly improve.

The once somewhat lifeless Lower Level District now exuded a vibrant, upwardly mobile energy.

"It feels like we were gone for half a year, not half a month," Fang Tianhe couldn’t help but say, filled with emotion.

He had lived in the Star Shield Shelter ever since the apocalypse began. For over ten years, the Shelter had barely changed, but now, it had transformed completely in just half a month. How could he not be moved?

Fang Tianhe wasn’t the only one who felt this way. Basically, anyone who was a long-term resident of the Star Shield Shelter felt the same.

Although Lin Xinghai wasn’t as deeply moved, he was still delighted to see it.

Even though he had only been in this world for a little over a month, he had already developed a sense of belonging to the Star Shield Shelter. Of course, he hoped to see it prosper.

Soon, the group returned to the Middle Level District.

But their return here marked the beginning of a busy period for the members of the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps.

They had now officially been promoted to a Third Level Mercenary Corps—and the wealthiest one at that. Their original headquarters was clearly no longer suitable for their status.

Besides building a new headquarters, their most important objective for returning was to recruit new members.

A Third Level Mercenary Corps was allowed a full roster of 200 people, but the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps currently had only 100. They needed to double their numbers, which was no small task.

After all, not just anyone was qualified to join the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps now. The multi-layered screening process would probably take at least a few days.

Moreover, they had to integrate the new members while recruiting them, and none of this would be easy to accomplish.

Of course, Lin Xinghai participated in selecting the location for the new headquarters.

At his request, the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps bought two adjacent, three-story buildings, each over 200 square meters. Once they knocked down the walls between them, their new headquarters would have a total area of at least 500 square meters.

It would be more than enough space to accommodate 200 people.

As for the rest of the tasks, which were too tedious and complicated, Lin Xinghai simply dumped them on Fang Tianhe.