It was better to borrow the City Defense Force’s artillery to settle everything once and for all—simple and crude.
As for whether it would accidentally blow up other innocent vagrants?
They were just rats in the ruins. If they died, they died. Who would care?
For Lieutenant Liu, this was a lucrative opportunity dropped right into his lap.
He could perform the “search for the Shadow-Stalker Beast” mission assigned by his superiors on the surface while doing a favor for Panshi Exploration Company and pocketing a substantial personal benefit.
As for how many vagrants would turn to ash under the artillery fire?
What did that have to do with him?
In his eyes, the lives of those people weren't worth as much as the Energy Crystal Core from Panshi Exploration Company currently sitting in his pocket.
Colonel Yan finally lowered the observer and turned his head, his gaze sweeping over Lieutenant Liu with indifference.
That look seemed to pierce through the man’s soul, making Lieutenant Liu’s heart skip a beat.
But Colonel Yan didn't expose or question him. Instead, a meaningful curve tugged at the corner of his mouth, as if he had seen through everything long ago.
“Mhm,” Colonel Yan responded flatly, his voice devoid of any rise or fall.
“The Research Institute is pressing hard, and that beast is indeed troublesome. Plowing the area with artillery will either blow it up or force it into the open. At the very least, it will worsen its injuries, making it easier for us to capture later.”
He paused, his gaze returning to the distant flames and pillars of smoke, speaking as if to himself or to Lieutenant Liu:
“As for whether anything else gets cleared out under this fire... that is none of our concern.”
“The Ruin Zone needs a periodic purification anyway. Lieutenant Liu, your intelligence and suggestion were very timely.”
A heavy weight lifted from Lieutenant Liu’s heart, and he quickly lowered his head. “It was all due to the Colonel’s brilliant decision-making! I was merely doing my duty!”
Colonel Yan stopped looking at him and waved a hand. “Have the artillery units complete the remaining rounds of coverage fire as planned.”
“Then deploy two drone wings to scan the bombardment zone at low altitude. Focus on searching for high-intensity life or energy signatures.”
“I want to see the beast alive, or its corpse if it's dead.”
“Yes, sir!” Lieutenant Liu responded loudly, turning to convey the orders with a notably lighter step.
Colonel Yan remained alone by the edge of the wall, his eyes deep as he watched the land being ravaged by artillery in the distance.
How could he not know about his subordinate’s little schemes and the dirty dealings of Panshi Exploration Company?
But he didn’t care.
As long as the results aligned with his mission to hunt the beast and maintain regional stability, and as long as the process left no evidence, it was harmless for his subordinates to make some extra money, take the opportunity to clear out unstable elements, or even do a favor for those large corporations.
This was how the system operated.
The only thing he cared about was whether that priceless Shadow-Stalker Beast, which the Research Institute was obsessed with, would truly be flushed out or heavily wounded by the fire.
...
The deafening roar of the shelling finally faded into silence after nearly an hour.
Dust and smoke hung over the Ruin Zone like a slowly descending grey blanket, obscuring the already dim daylight.
Upon this scorched earth that had been repeatedly plowed by artillery, one could hardly find a single intact structure taller than two meters. Yet, a twelve-story grey building stood miraculously, like a mythical ark.
The Terminal Station Shelter.
Every single pane of glass in its windows was intact. Amidst the swirling dust, the lights shining from within the building acted like a prominent beacon in the dark night.
Above the entrance, the faint glow of the “Terminal Station” sign was even clearer and more eye-catching than before the bombardment.
Inside the building, the deathly silence had long since been replaced by the frantic joy of surviving a disaster.
The vagrants huddled in the rooms and hallway corners only dared to raise their heads and look at each other long after the shelling had completely stopped.
They listened to the dead silence outside and felt the unshakable stability of the building. Then, looking through the windows, they saw the ruins outside—completely transformed and nearly leveled to the ground...
“The... the building is really okay?”
“We... we survived?”
“My God... how is this possible...”
Whispers began to rise, filled with shock and relief.
Toward Su Wan, an indescribable sense of awe and fear had taken root in all their hearts.
She was the one who had forced them to stay and used the most terrifying methods to intimidate them.
And now, the facts proved she was right!
This building could truly withstand artillery fire that could tear through steel!
Su Wan stood by the window, her expression solemn.
She knew that although the shelling had stopped, the crisis was not over.
Sure enough, almost at the same moment the sound of explosions vanished, the system’s notification rang in her mind again with a warning:
【Warning: High-altitude aerial reconnaissance units (“Falcon-III” Multi-functional Reconnaissance Drones) detected approaching.】
【Quantity: 2. Estimated time of arrival over this area: 3 minutes.】
【Warning: This model of drone is equipped with high-precision optical, infrared, vital signs, and energy fluctuation scanning modules. If the intact state of this building and the large amount of life activity inside are detected, there is a high probability of attracting high-level attention and subsequent investigation from Inner City factions.】
【Suggestion: Take counter-reconnaissance measures immediately. Optional Solution: Exchange for “Area Energy/Information Cloaking Field Generator (Basic).”】
【Item Description: Generates a composite interference field over a designated area to distort, absorb, or simulate environmental data, effectively evading most optical, infrared, life, and energy scans at the current technological level.】
【Coverage: 200-meter radius (adjustable). Consumption: Must be connected to the building's energy system or a separate energy core; consumes 5 Points per hour of continuous operation.】
【Exchange Cost: 3,000 Points.】
Attention? Investigation? This was exactly what Su Wan wanted to avoid most right now!
Her wings were not yet fully fledged; she absolutely could not be exposed to the spotlight, especially the scrutiny of a behemoth like the Inner City.
She immediately pulled up the system Points panel to check.
Previously, due to exchanging for various serums and other expenses, her Points had once dropped to over negative ten thousand.
But after this return trip, the situation was completely different.
【Current Points Details:】
- New Income:
- First month's rent from new tenants (65 people) (Calculated at an average of 800 Star Coins/person for basic singles, adjusted for family shared rooms): approx. +42,000 Star Coins (Points)
- Star Coin Exchange Machine transaction fees (gold acquisitions, material exchanges, etc.): approx. +15,000 Star Coins (Points)
- Convenience store and medical station sales revenue (profit portion): approx. +8,000 Star Coins (Points)
【Current Total Points: +54,080】 (Real-time exchange of Star Coins to Points at 1:1)
As expected, population was wealth!
In a short amount of time, the rent, transactions, and consumption brought by the sixty-five tenants had directly flipped her Points from negative to positive, reaching over fifty-four thousand!
And this was only the beginning.
Rate on N.U.
