newbobooks Chapter 39 Merger
Chapter 39 Merger
After making the arrangements, Li Chenglong temporarily chose Shen Menghua's old restaurant for a short rest. He himself was relatively unaffected, but Yun Lan had just endured two battles with Ximen and Lei Bao, leaving her quite exhausted. As soon as Yun Lan entered the hall, she found a clean spot to sit down, raised her right leg, and said, "Little Li, give me a leg massage." Li Chenglong chuckled and patted Yun Lan on the shoulder, but he also squatted down to massage her legs. The soldiers guarding the area nearby were astonished; they never expected that the highest-ranking officer of a base would actually squat down to massage someone else's legs.
After massaging Yunlan's legs, Li Chenglong took off her shoes and massaged her feet. Yunlan giggled, "Brother Long, you're so good to me." Li Chenglong smiled but didn't say anything. At this moment, Shen Menghua led several people in. Seeing Li Chenglong squatting there massaging Yunlan's feet, she joked, "A good man like Captain Li is really rare. Yunlan, you'd better keep a close eye on her, or she might be snatched away by another woman one day." Yunlan was about to speak when she saw several strangers behind Shen Menghua, so she immediately put on her shoes and stood up. Li Chenglong also stood up at this moment, smiling and saying, "Yunlan is our great hero this time. What's a little foot massage for her? And who are these gentlemen?" Shen Menghua then began to slowly introduce them: "This is Ma Tiancheng, the former mayor of Linhai City; this is Zhao Xin, the former deputy mayor of Linhai City and also the police chief; and the third is Li Jianguo, the former executive deputy mayor of Linhai City." Li Chenglong shook hands with each of them.
Ma Tiancheng smiled and said, "When Comrade Shen Menghua first mentioned you to me, I thought you were just another Lei Bao, wanting territory. But as I've come this far, I've found that your Dawn Army doesn't even enter residents' homes, yet you cook and distribute food to them, treating everyone very kindly. We even saw the city lord giving someone a foot massage upon arrival. With these qualities, we can confidently entrust this base to you." Li Chenglong shook his head: "Not to us, but to the people. And we'll need your help a lot. We plan to announce the merger of the two bases after our people have moved here, and then we'll need Mayor Ma and your team to join our management." Ma Tiancheng said, "Since Captain Li needs it, we brothers will gladly oblige. Just let us know when you need us." After exchanging a few more pleasantries and casually discussing future plans, Ma Tiancheng and his group left.
The following day at noon, under the supervision of Wu Gang, Zheng Aiguo, and Zhao Xin, a public trial of Lei Bao's subordinates and criminal gang was held in the main square of the Tianqi Base, watched by thousands of residents. A total of 130 people were executed, and the audience applauded with delight. Over the next three days, personnel from the Shuguang Base entered the Tianqi Base in three batches, bringing the total number of people in Tianqi to over 7000. On February 25, 2024, after extensive preparations, the first Shuguang City General Representative Assembly was solemnly convened.
The conference was held in the center of the university town, which is also the auditorium of Linhai University. Five hundred representatives from the residents, one hundred representatives from the Dawn Army, one hundred representatives from the management personnel of Dawn City, and more than 30 former management personnel from the Apocalypse Base attended the meeting. After a four-hour conference, six resolutions were issued, and the conference concluded amidst enthusiastic applause.
The first resolution of the conference was: Tianqi Base would be renamed Dawn City, with Li Chenglong appointed as City Lord, and Yun Lan, Zheng Yong, and Ma Tiancheng as Deputy City Lords. It would be divided into six departments: Logistics Department (Minister: Yun Qian; Deputy Minister: Shen Menghua); Security Department (Minister: Liu Dongliang; Deputy Minister: Zhao Xin); Publicity Department (Minister: Liu Qingqing; Deputy Minister: Chu Kexin); Personnel Department (Minister: Chen Anbang; Deputy Minister: Wu Suqiang); Medical Department (Minister: Academician An Qingyuan; Deputy Minister: Li Xue); and Construction Planning Department (Minister: Li Jianguo; Deputy Minister: Yun Qian).
The second resolution of the congress was to establish the Dawn City General Committee and the People's Representative Committee. The General Committee consisted of nine members: Chairman Li Chenglong, and members Yun Lan, Yun Qian, Zheng Yong, Ma Tiancheng, Liu Dongliang, Liu Qingqing, Zhao Xin, and Shen Menghua. The People's Representative Committee would elect one representative from every 200 residents, with the number increasing as the base expanded. Chairman Wu Suqiang and Vice Chairman Wang Bing were appointed. A Military Committee was also established, consisting of six members: Chairman Li Chenglong, Vice Chairman Yun Lan, and members Zheng Yong, Wu Gang, Zheng Aiguo, and Wang Yousheng. The Dawn Army would be expanded with the addition of a Fifth Battalion, commanded by Wan Dahai, with the deputy commander to be determined. The surrendered resistance fighters, including Zhao Rui, would be placed under Wan Dahai's command.
The third resolution of the conference was to establish its own schools, sending all school-age children to school, but the subjects would differ from those of peacetime, primarily focusing on Mandarin, mathematics, and martial arts techniques. The conference also mandated the establishment of its own hotels, grain and oil shops, and other facilities, encouraging people to purchase these using crystals. Under the existing points system, the principle of rewarding hard work, rewarding those who work less, and rewarding those who do not work at all would be upheld. Furthermore, white crystals were designated as currency, usable for purchasing various supplies.
The fourth resolution of the assembly is to promulgate the laws of Dawn City, punishing all lawbreakers and criminals according to the law, with additional penalties for Dawn City administrators who commit crimes. A Dawn City court will be established to handle all types of cases in accordance with the law and in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Security. Furthermore, case handling and adjudication will be made public, and public oversight is welcome.
The fifth resolution of the congress stipulates that the six-story luxury hotel where Lei Bao previously resided will be converted into the Shuguang City office building, where, except for certain special departments, the main leaders of all other departments will work. A supervisory system will be established, with the People's Representative Committee having the right to exercise a certain degree of oversight over the resolutions and actions of various departments.
The sixth resolution of the conference: temporarily implement a strategy of recuperation and development, and begin a gradual offensive against the zombie army in Linhai City one month later, in order to achieve the strategic goal of occupying Linhai City.
After the conference concluded, at Li Chenglong's suggestion, a large feast was provided for all the residents of Dawn City, and announcements were posted throughout the city. Simultaneously, Dawn City issued a recruitment notice to all, seeking talented individuals from various industries to join different departments and strengthen their workforce.
That evening, Li Chenglong and his group arrived at a courtyard house. This courtyard house was originally a farmhouse-style place in the university town, and it was also the place Lei Bao had originally chosen to settle down. Li Chenglong later also lived here. This courtyard house had three houses in total. The three houses on the north side were given to Li Chenglong and Yun Lan, the three houses on the west side were given to Shen Menghua and the two girls, and the three houses on the east side were given to Yun Qian, Chen Xiaoke, and Li Xue. Although the Dawn Base currently has more than 7,000 people, it is a university town with three universities and various supporting facilities, so the area is still very large. According to Yun Qian's investigation, even if there were 50,000 to 60,000 people, one room per person could easily accommodate them, especially the dormitory buildings of Linhai University, which could accommodate 20,000 people with one room per person.
The group was gathered in the north-facing room, where a large brazier provided warmth. While Li Chenglong and the other ability users didn't need it, Shen Menghua and the two children were also present. A charcoal-fired copper hot pot sat in the center of a table, bubbling gently. Yun Lan and Li Xue brought out various hot pot ingredients. Li Chenglong smiled and said to everyone, "Although the New Year has passed for many days, today is a day worth celebrating. First, to celebrate the establishment of our Dawn City; second, to enjoy a late-year New Year; and third, I have an announcement to make: I'm getting married to Yun Lan." Chen Xiaoke, Han Xiaoling, and Cao Yuechan all offered their congratulations. Yun Qian showed a slight hint of disappointment but quickly suppressed it and also offered her congratulations. Shen Menghua asked, "Didn't you say you'd get married after conquering Linhai City? Why is it earlier? Still, congratulations!" Yun Qian replied, "Yes, I felt that with the establishment of Dawn City and Gangan, it was a time of urgent construction, so we probably couldn't give you a grand wedding."
Li Xue placed a piece of cooked mutton into Cao Yuechan's bowl and said, "I feel that a grand wedding isn't necessary. A simple, ordinary wedding will suffice. And after the wedding, you and your brother can be together openly. By the way, brother, did you know that our medical department delivered a baby today? Mother and child are safe. This is the first newborn in our Dawn City." Li Chenglong exclaimed in surprise, "Really? That's a very good omen!" Yun Lan said, "I don't ask for a grand wedding; I just want to be with Brother Long." After thinking for a moment, Li Chenglong told everyone present about his and Yun Lan's shared life and death experiences. Shen Menghua, Yun Qian, and Chen Xiaoke were shocked upon hearing this. Chen Xiaoke even shed a few tears, saying, "Brother and sister, you two have really gone through so much."
After a moment's pause, Yunlan said, "I've made up my mind. Long Ge and I should postpone our wedding until we've truly conquered Linhai City and established the real Dawn City." Shen Menghua and the others wanted to say something, but Yunlan quickly served them some food, adding, "Thank you for your blessings, though." Li Chenglong didn't say much after hearing this and continued chatting with everyone about various matters concerning Dawn City. The group finished their "New Year's Eve dinner" in pleasant conversation.
After finishing their meal and cleaning up, Shen Menghua and the others returned to their rooms. Yun Lan stepped forward and said, "Wu Gang said they've discovered a hydroelectric power station, located a few kilometers east of us, south of a reservoir. If we can take it down, our base's basic power supply shouldn't be a problem." Li Chenglong nodded, "The electricity issue is indeed an urgent matter. I'll go with Wu Gang and the others to check it out tomorrow. We don't lack water resources, but with electricity, many tasks can be carried out." Yun Lan looked at her notebook, "Yun Qian said they also found a lot of supplies in the Tianqi base's warehouse. It's not the private warehouse that Lei Bao confiscated; it's their public warehouse. Based on our current consumption, plus the original reserves of our Dawn Base, it should last another three or four months. And if we include the things in our rings, it's enough to sustain Dawn City for half a year."
Li Chenglong nodded: "The northern part of Linhai City is an important grain-producing area, and the grain reserves should be sufficient. We can send the Second and Third Battalions to search their granaries; we're sure to find something. And if we can hold out for another two months, we can start planting. Then, once we occupy the high-tech development zone of Linjiang City and use the Dawn Base blueprints, we can focus on agricultural production. Food is the most important thing for the people. As long as we have enough food, even if we have to fight a protracted war for another two or three years, it won't be a problem." After saying this, Li Chenglong took out the Dawn City blueprints: "This is only a level one Dawn City, a huge circular city with a diameter of 10km. I can't imagine how big it will be after it's upgraded." Yun Lan also looked at the Dawn City blueprints flashing white light, her eyes filled with joy: "With this, we'll never be afraid of the zombie army again." The two talked for a while longer, then Li Chenglong took out several buckets of hot water from his storage space and told Yun Lan to go to the inner room to wash up. The inner room had an indoor toilet and shower. I then went to the east room of Li Xueyunqian and the west room of Shen Menghua and the other two to ask them if they needed anything. Since Yunlan was taking a bath in the inner room, it was inconvenient for me to go into the north room, so I sat down in the courtyard.
The three houses on the east, west, and north sides all have indoor toilets, showers, and sewers in their inner rooms, but showering is currently impossible due to the lack of electricity and solar water heaters; bathing is done using buckets. Shen Menghua came out to fetch water and found Li Chenglong sitting on a stone bench in the yard. Upon asking, she learned that Yunlan was bathing inside. Shen Menghua covered her mouth and laughed, "Captain Li, you haven't touched Miss Yunlan yet, have you? And even for privacy, you don't need to sit outside; there are thick curtains in the inner room. The weather is still quite cold; it snowed a few days ago." Li Chenglong smiled and said, "Tomorrow I'll take some people to the nearby hydroelectric power plant. Our power lines are still in good condition; as long as we can connect there, our daily electricity needs should be met. Even if it's phased power supply, it's better than now." Shen Menghua was also very happy: "Having electricity would be wonderful! We could use electronic accounting instead of relying entirely on handwriting, and the hospital could also perform some minor surgeries with electricity."
After a while, Yunlan came out of the room, her hair still a little damp. Hearing Li Chenglong and Shen Menghua talking about electricity, she came over. Shen Menghua saw Yunlan, who looked like a lotus emerging from water, and went over to pinch her cheek: "You're so tender! If I didn't know your real age, I'd think you were only eighteen or nineteen." Yunlan said shyly, "Sister Shen takes good care of herself too; you don't look like the mother of an eight or nine-year-old at all." "Oh, not at all, I'm old and faded." The two were discussing skincare, and Li Chenglong, unable to join the conversation, made an excuse to go into the room and quickly shower.
After a while, Yunlan came in, her face slightly flushed, and locked the door. In the candlelight, Yunlan looked exceptionally beautiful. Li Chenglong made the bed, and Yunlan slowly lay down under the covers. Li Chenglong read his report for a while longer before also lying down. After the candle went out, Yunlan said in a very soft voice, "Hold me while I sleep." Li Chenglong hugged the curled-up Yunlan from behind, feeling the warmth of her body and smelling the fragrance of her hair. Then, the two of them slowly drifted off to sleep.