Chapter 84: Selection

"The next day, as long as you called the day before, they could basically all come the next day. If they couldn't finish the repairs in one day, they would stay at that engineer's house and wouldn't have much contact with others; anyway, they just looked down on people like us."

After asking enough, Liu Mu gave an instruction, "Tell everyone to be careful lately. If you spot strangers in the town or the surrounding area, report it to Uncle Fugui and the others in time."

Fearing that Cai Zhenlong wouldn't take it seriously, she added, "This organization has killed many people since the disaster. Do you know what is being fought over most fiercely out there right now?"

Cai Zhenlong had actually thought about this, "Food, clean water, weapons? Isn't that what it's always like in post-apocalyptic movies?"

"Young man, don't be so naive," Liu Mu said. "Twenty-five? Never mind power plants, there aren't even many hydroelectric ones left that can be used. So, do you think the Sky Viper Gang, which kills and burns everywhere, will remember you?"

He wasn't sure about this, but it was enough to scare a young man or two. Cai Zhenlong immediately became nervous, "Then, what should we do now? A large group like them must be very powerful, right? Will they have an army? Isn't killing people like us as easy as stepping on a few ants?"

"They don't have an army, but there are plenty of mercenaries willing to sell their lives for them. Do as I say: go back first and ask if there have been any other strangers active in the vicinity lately."

You are the ants. Liu Mu waved her hand, "Go quickly. If there is news, tell me immediately. If you can't find me, report to Li Gang."

Knowing how serious the problem was, Cai Zhenlong ran toward the living quarters in a panic. He slipped not far away, but he didn't stop even after falling and getting covered in mud.

Liu Mu had already begun to ponder: if the Sky Viper Gang really wanted to come and seize the coal mine, where would they strike, and when would be the best time to do it?

There was one more thing: did they know that she had already taken control of this place?

After telling Liu Fugui and Li Gang about this matter, both of them were also very worried.

Liu Fugui didn't know much about the Sky Viper Gang; he only worried about it affecting the restoration of coal mine production.

Li Gang, however, said immediately, "I will go seek reinforcements. In the current situation, they have no reason not to come and seize the coal mine. Although the geographical environment of Yang Family Town is in the mountains, it is not isolated; there are already several roads leading out. Having energy and being hidden makes it a natural choice for building a base. We alone cannot defend it."

That was how he put it, but Liu Mu hesitated, "How about this: you take two people to seek reinforcements. Use my identification documents to see Commander Yang directly and explain the situation to him. Tell him to step up the search for the Sky Viper Gang on the outside as well. You don't need to bring many people back, but ask for as many weapons as possible."

"But, will he be willing to give them?" Li Gang really wasn't sure about this; after all, the Haicheng Barrier also needed sufficient military force for protection.

"He will. Just tell him I agree to trade fifty tons of steel for them, and once the Sky Viper Gang is wiped out, I will go to the Barrier to settle the account in person," Liu Mu said firmly.

The steel she had given to Haicheng so far was only one thousand tons, but she now had tens of thousands of tons in her possession. This was a long-term business deal, and it was also the biggest bargaining chip that the Barrier could not do without and could not kick her out of.

Before the apocalypse, it might have been easy for Yang Shuo to get fifty tons of steel, but now, over ninety percent of all the steel in Haicheng could be said to be in Liu Mu's space.

The reconstruction of the Barrier could not do without steel. The transportation cost of bringing it in from other places was too high, not to mention that the road conditions didn't allow Yang Shuo to do so.

The three of them discussed it for a while. Liu Mu wrote a handwritten letter of commitment and let Li Gang take it along with the 'Deputy Minister of Commerce' credentials she had just obtained at the Barrier.

Liu Fugui took on all the management work for the reopening of the coal mine alone, because Liu Mu had other things to be busy with.

That night, Liu Mu stood by the river in the town again, not wearing a raincoat.

In front of her stood a neat row of young people.

Besides Yang Pingxi, Yang Mang, and Yang Shun, there were also Cai Zhenlong and a few other energetic young men... and a young girl, ten people in total.

Liu Mu looked pointedly at the few people in the back, "What are you here for?"

The few looked at each other, their firm expressions revealing a hint of excitement.

Cai Zhenlong, acting as the representative, stepped forward, "Reporting to Boss, we can all fight to protect the mine!"

"Right, protect the mine!"

"Right, protect, pfft..."

Yang Pingxi pulled his tongue back in with some annoyance. He had been practicing controlling his overly long tongue for the past few days and was almost able to retract it at will, but he was a bit excited now.

His action drew laughter from a few people, making him even more ashamed and angry, "Don't laugh! You haven't undergone Mutation, you guys can't do it!"

His speech had actually improved a lot compared to before; although he still had a bit of a lisp, he could make himself understood clearly.

"Ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, our tongues aren't up to it."

Another burst of laughter, but everyone quickly quieted down because Liu Mu said, "You really can't do it."

Cai Zhenlong knew why they couldn't, but he had his own ideas, "Boss, we really can't do it in head-on combat, but what about long-range? Using guns? It can't be that just you few people go to fight them in such a big town. What if they have airplanes or heavy weapons? What then?"

"If they have airplanes and heavy weapons, would you be of any use?" Liu Mu said indifferently, "You'd just be throwing your lives away if you went up there. Get going, don't get in the way."

The few young people instantly wilted, but there were also those who were unconvinced.

Another somewhat sturdy youth asked, "Then we can at least protect the ordinary people, right?"

Yang Pingxi finally found an opportunity, "If we fail, you'll still be mining for them anyway. You just won't have wages or food, and you'll be worked to death."

How could he say that? Liu Mu wondered if he was talking about her. However, she didn't deny them food, so that wasn't it.

"If you're really that idle, follow Niu Boyi to run laps and exercise on your days off. I need to train them to use their own abilities now. Everyone go back, wash up, and sleep!"

Since it had come to this, there was no need to say more.

The only girl in the group refused to leave, "Boss, I want to help. I can do logistics for you; I can be of help."

This girl had large-scale burn scars on her face, and the remaining half of her face and her eyes looked somewhat like Yang Pingxi's.

Liu Mu looked at Yang Pingxi, who immediately understood the meaning and turned back in annoyance, "I told you not to come. Go back quickly. How can a girl like you go fight people? Hurry up and follow them!"

"I won't!" Yang Pingqiong did not compromise. She stubbornly lifted her small face covered in scars, her feet not moving an inch. Seeming to fear that Liu Mu wouldn't believe her determination, the young girl quickly unzipped her raincoat and took it off.

Her exposed figure was as slender as a small sapling, standing in the wind and rain, which made Liu Mu frown.

"I can do it, Boss. I can train with you, and I can undergo Mutation. I'm not afraid!"

At these words, the youths who had already walked a few steps stopped and turned back one after another to look at her.

"I'll be damned!" Cai Zhenlong cursed in a low voice and was the first to lift his feet and walk back.

This time, he didn't stand behind Yang Pingxi and the others, but stood side-by-side with them in front of Liu Mu, "Boss, I can also accept Mutation. I'm not afraid either!"

The remaining few also ran back and stood level with him, "We aren't afraid either!"

Instead, they blocked Yang Pingqiong. The young girl stepped forward and pushed aside Cai Zhenlong and another youth in front of her, "Why are you copying me? I'm the one who's staying!"

"Do you understand what Mutation is?" Liu Mu looked coldly at the few in the rain curtain, "You will turn into monsters. The process consumes a lot of resources; you can't afford it."

The first half of the sentence didn't scare them, but the latter part made them feel ashamed for a moment. After the great disaster, they could be said to be penniless.

"I can sign a contract," Yang Pingqiong was the first to speak again, ignoring Yang Pingxi who came over to pull her, "Brother, I can! Sign a contract, work for you. Boss, let me stay. Really, I'm not afraid of those bad people, and I can also protect everyone."

Liu Mu looked at her bean-sprout-like figure and didn't have the slightest intention of letting her stay, "Today I'll teach you a principle: in the apocalypse, trying to be a hero will only cause the people around you to lose their lives. I'm not running a charity; you aren't qualified."

As she spoke, she pulled a blade out of thin air and swung it casually under the astonished gaze of the crowd.

The rain curtain over five meters wide was sliced open. As the lower part fell, the upper part rolled and rose, shooting in different directions like high-speed steel beads.

The water droplets shot into the mud and the collapsed houses, actually piercing through the concrete and broken bricks.

And five meters of distance was not the limit of this blade, but rather there was a concrete pillar with a diameter of over half a meter standing five meters away.

Amidst a sharp cutting sound, the concrete pillar was left with a cut over ten centimeters deep.

Whoosh—

After a moment of stillness, the heavy rain fell once again, and the crowd was silent as the grave.