Chapter 1729 - 946: Third Uncle Is Proud

At the main gate, City Lord Li Yu of the Big Camphor Tree Base walked toward them, with Luo, Li Tie, and a few others behind him carrying guns.

Clatter—

The crowd quickly stepped back, opening up a space.

Creak, creak~

Behind them, Qu Xing and another person pushed over a platform with retractable wheels. The platform had three levels and stood about 1.5 meters tall; this was a stairway they’d taken from the Outer City to serve as a podium.

They moved the podium to the center, then Qu Xing kicked up the wheels underneath, so it wouldn’t slide and whoever stood on it would be more stable.

Li Yu held a roster in his hand and slowly stepped up onto the podium.

Luo and the others guarded around the podium, clearing people out of a three-meter radius to ensure Li Yu’s safety.

Li Yu swept his gaze across the crowd that had gathered, taking in all these familiar faces, then spoke:

"I won’t waste words. This time, the promoted teams are the former Cooperative Personnel: Sha Wenji Team, Noble Consort Team, Dongfeng Team, Jiu Ge Team...

Their Contribution Points have reached the threshold, and they’ve passed assessment. From now on these teams are promoted to Extra Staff, entitled to the Big Camphor Tree Base’s monthly basic subsidy and free access to all Satellite Cities...

Congratulations to you all!"

"Now, each team whose name is called, come up in order to receive your first month’s food subsidy. First team, Sha Wenji Team."

As soon as Li Yu finished, Sha Wenji, with his big bald head, came over grinning from ear to ear, cheerfully bringing a man with him.

Standing behind Li Yu, Li Tie picked up a small sack of food from the cart and handed it to the man following Sha Wenji.

"Thank you, thank you." The smile never left Sha Wenji’s face.

Li Yu handed Sha Wenji a badge bearing the symbol of the Big Camphor Tree Base, a towering tree engraved on its surface.

Sha Wenji took it, looking visibly moved. This iron badge represented the Big Camphor Tree Base. As the base grew and more people joined, whenever they were out on missions and ran into danger, they could show this badge and call for aid.

Beyond that, it was mostly symbolic.

Li Yu patted Sha Wenji on the shoulder, offered a few words of encouragement, and then Sha Wenji left with the food and the badge.

Next up was Dongfeng.

"Dongfeng Team."

Hearing Li Yu call his team, the expression on Dongfeng’s face, usually as calm as still water, rippled.

Suppressing the surge of emotion inside, Dongfeng led Liu Youguang forward.

Li Yu remembered this Dongfeng. Dongfeng had a military background; after demobilizing, the Doomsday broke out, and by a twist of fate he set up a thousand-strong base over by Poyang Lake.

But the natural disaster was brutal, and together with raids by Ma Di and those convicts from the prison, the base was finally destroyed. As they headed south, they arrived here with only a little more than twenty people left.

Li Yu sighed inwardly, then handed Dongfeng the iron badge that marked affiliation with the Big Camphor Tree Base. Face flushed, Dongfeng said, "Thank you, City Lord."

Li Yu smiled and said, "You’ve earned it."

Looking at the small sack of grain in Liu Youguang’s arms, Dongfeng felt an inexplicable urge to cry.

It had been so hard.

This time last year, the ice-and-snow natural disaster had just begun. He’d watched countless people who followed him die. He hated his own powerlessness, hated that he couldn’t save them.

From leading a survivor team of over a thousand, they’d been battered and wandering all the way here. Every single day had been agony for him; in his heart he prayed over and over that no more of his people would die.

He was a man with a sense of responsibility. It was one thing for his brothers under him to suffer, but the key was they couldn’t even keep their lives.

On the way here, too many people had left this world.

After reaching the Big Camphor Tree Base and diligently carrying out missions, they had finally become Extra Staff. He was elated inside: from now on he no longer had to worry that his team members might starve to death.

At last, he could pound his chest and tell the brothers who’d stuck with him, with real confidence, "From now on, we’re not going to starve to death!"

The promise he’d made them—he had finally managed to fulfill part of it!

Walking back to his brothers, Uncle Wan’s eyes were red. He thought of Mei Lan, thought of Xie Feng, thought of so many, many others.

"Brother Dongfeng, from now on we’re Extra Staff, right? If this were before, wouldn’t that be like having an iron rice bowl?" Tie Tou, his face full of acne, asked excitedly.

Dongfeng shook his head and said, "You think becoming Extra Staff means we can sit around and do nothing? We still have to carry out missions. It’s just that at least our monthly ration will be a bit more."

Uncle Wan laughed and said, "That’s enough, that’s enough. This is plenty good."

"Noble Consort Team."

Noble Consort and Xiao Ye walked over together, and when Li Yu saw Noble Consort, his mind immediately flashed back to the time over at Oil City.

Back then, Noble Consort wore all white. Now she had on a leather jacket and her hair was cut short, looking neat and sharp.

At the time, Noble Consort had relied on her archery skills to convince Li Yu to take her in, but all he’d given her was a chance to become Cooperative Personnel.

He hadn’t expected this tough woman to stand out amid such fierce competition, and to rise to Extra Staff so quickly.

"We really owe you for sounding the alarm earlier. You did well." Li Yu said with a smile.

Noble Consort took the iron badge from Li Yu’s hand and said:

"It was what we should do. I really like the Big Camphor Tree Base, and being able to contribute is my honor."

Hearing her answer, Li Yu was even more pleased.