Chapter 43 Rapid Advance

Not many days later, Liu Meng of Eagle Beak Stronghold, Chen Feng of Clear Wind Stronghold, and Zhao Laoqi of White Cloud Stronghold arrived at Black Wind Stronghold, each leading the people from their respective factions.

Combined, the people from the three strongholds numbered around a hundred. Children made up a significant portion of them, leaving about sixty to seventy individuals capable of physical labor.

Life in these mountain strongholds had always been harsh, and most of the elderly had failed to survive those difficult years, resulting in a relatively small elderly population.

As soon as everyone arrived at Black Wind Stronghold, Chen Tong stepped forward to welcome them warmly. Standing before the crowd, he spoke in a clear, resonant voice.

"Welcome, brothers, to Black Wind Stronghold. From today onward, we shall work together to build our new city."

Following this, Chen Tong announced the details regarding their wages.

"The wage I am offering you is one hundred coins a day, settled once every ten days."

In truth, Chen Tong had his own little calculation going on in his mind.

Copper coins could be exchanged for a relatively large amount of system currency within the system, whereas silver taels yielded considerably less. Therefore, he intended to pay out wages in silver taels after ten days.

Upon hearing of such generous wages, the crowd immediately burst into cheers and shouts of joy.

"One hundred coins a day? That's even more than what we used to make from a raid!"

"Indeed! Working under Brother Chen means we will surely live a good life!"

Everyone chimed in, their faces radiant with excitement and anticipation.

The men of Black Wind Stronghold also moved swiftly to arrange temporary accommodations for the newcomers.

They cleared out some rooms within the stronghold and set up several makeshift tents. Although the conditions were far from luxurious, it was enough to let everyone feel the sincerity of Black Wind Stronghold.

Once arrangements were properly settled, Chen Tong gathered with the three stronghold leaders and the core members of Black Wind Stronghold to discuss the subsequent construction plans.

They sat closely around a large table, upon which the blueprint of the new city was unfurled.

Pointing at the map, Chen Tong explained in detail, "Look here, everyone. This is the general layout of our new city.

For now, we will focus primarily on constructing the main body of the city. This area here is the residential zone, designed with houses of various specifications to accommodate everyone's different living needs.

Over here is the commercial district, which will eventually feature all sorts of shops to make buying and selling convenient for everyone."

The group listened intently, occasionally raising questions and offering suggestions. Liu Meng scratched his head and asked,

"Brother Chen, how do we plan to build the houses in this residential zone?"

Chen Tong replied with a smile,

"We will adopt some new building materials and methods. I have already connected with special channels to acquire a substance known as cement. By mixing lime and gravel with cement as a binder, the houses we build will be much sturdier and more durable.

Furthermore, the design will take lighting and ventilation into consideration, ensuring that everyone lives comfortably."

"At the same time, we will leave ample space around the houses to facilitate everyone's daily life."

Chen Feng then asked, "What aspects do we need to pay attention to regarding the construction of the commercial district?"

Chen Tong patiently explained,

"First and foremost, the construction of the commercial district must ensure spacious streets to facilitate pedestrian traffic and cargo transport.

The architectural styles can be somewhat diversified to attract more merchants to set up shop.

We also need to plan the drainage system in advance to prevent water accumulation on rainy days.

Moreover, cement will be utilized in constructing the buildings within the commercial zone as well, guaranteeing their longevity."

Zhao Laoqi chimed in from the side,

"Brother Chen, you have thought this through quite thoroughly. However, building a city is bound to encounter quite a few hurdles, so we must be well prepared."

Chen Tong nodded resolutely and said,

"Stronghold Master Zhao is entirely right. But as long as we remain of one mind and pull together, there is no difficulty we cannot overcome.

Next, we must organize a group of people to clear the site, preparing the ground for subsequent construction.

Another group will gather and prepare other building materials, and once the cement arrives, we can officially commence work."

...

As soon as the plan was finalized, Chen Tong took prompt action.

Based on the headcount from the four strongholds, Chen Tong divided everyone into four squads.

With Black Wind Stronghold forming the core, the first squad was established under the leadership of Xie Hu.

The people of Eagle Beak Stronghold constituted the second squad, commanded by Liu Meng.

The members of Clear Wind Stronghold made up the third squad, led by Chen Feng.

As for the people of White Cloud Stronghold, they formed the fourth squad, under the command of Zhao Laoqi.

With the divisions established, Chen Tong stood before the crowd and proclaimed in a loud voice,

"Brothers, from this moment on, we officially begin the construction of the new city!

Each squad has its own assigned tasks. You must all work in unison and execute your duties well!"

The crowd responded enthusiastically, and morale soared. Black Wind Stronghold had already accumulated abundant food and grain reserves, which completely relieved everyone of any domestic worries.

For these bandits who usually scrambled for a livelihood amidst mountain forests, having not only a stable income but also enough food and warm clothing naturally filled them with fiery passion for their work.

The brothers of the first squad, hailing from Black Wind Stronghold, took the initiative. Shouldering their tools, they marched toward the designated site to clear away weeds and rubble.

Leading the charge while working, Xie Hu shouted at the top of his lungs, "Put your backs into it, brothers! Our Black Wind Stronghold must set a stellar example!"

Liu Meng of the second squad was not about to be outdone. Leading the men of Eagle Beak Stronghold, he searched everywhere for suitable timber to serve as the structural framework for the buildings.

The third squad, led by Chen Feng, was tasked with gathering sand and gravel. They shuttled back and forth along riverbanks and mountain hollows, filling basket after basket with materials.

Meanwhile, Zhao Laoqi's fourth squad searched the vicinity for a reliable water source to prepare for the upcoming construction needs.

In an instant, the entire worksite buzzed with bustling activity. Everyone stuck to their respective duties and worked with boundless enthusiasm.

As the engineering project proceeded at a blazing pace, Chen Tong moved busily back and forth among the various squads, inspecting progress and resolving issues on the spot.

Seeing everyone's zealous work ethic filled Chen Tong with a sense of gratification, yet it also stirred a trace of concern.

The existing tools were far from sufficient for a construction project of this scale; he needed to supplement their inventory with new equipment.

Taking advantage of a brief lull in the labor, Chen Tong hurried along the path toward his general store.

The moment Chen Tong stepped inside, Liu Er, who was busy organizing merchandise, immediately rushed forward with a face wreathed in smiles and spoke respectfully.

"Boss Chen, you've finally arrived. Business at the shop has been rather good today."

Chen Tong nodded slightly and replied with a smile,

"Good work, Liu Er. I've come today to withdraw a large quantity of copper coins. Have all the copper coins in the shop readied for me."

Though somewhat puzzled, Liu Er did not dare to ask questions and hurriedly responded,

"Right away, Boss Chen. Please give me just a moment."

Before long, Liu Er brought out the massive pile of copper coins accumulated in the shop. The coins were stacked high, arranged neatly in orderly piles on the floor.

Gazing at the piles of currency, Chen Tong secretly calculated how much system currency they could be exchanged for.

Carrying the coins with him, Chen Tong quickly returned to his quarters in Black Wind Stronghold, bolted the door shut, took a deep breath, and mentally summoned the system.

In a flash, a faintly glowing virtual interface materialized before his eyes, displaying flashing data and options.

With practiced ease, Chen Tong operated the interface, converting the copper coins into system currency.

As the progress bar surged forward rapidly, a system notification chime rang out.