NOVPUB
Chapter 213: Chapter 213: New Homeland
At night, they naturally stayed to camp in Ancient Yujing City.
Han Jiaojiao sat in front of the tent, looking up at the star-studded sky, lost in her thoughts.
Han Yi came over holding a cup of warm milk, "Why don’t you come in? It’s chilly outside at night."
Han Jiaojiao cradled her cheeks and gently shook her head, "I’ll watch for a little while longer."
Han Yi sat down beside her, passing the milk to her, which she took and sipped slowly.
She loved stargazing, and Han Yi loved watching her. — To Han Yi, her eyes, sprinkled with starlight, were even more beautiful than all the stars in the sky.
"Do you really like it here?" Han Yi asked.
"Mmhmm," Han Jiaojiao leaned against his shoulder as usual and said softly, "I really want to live here forever." Surrounded by exquisite towers and elaborate carvings, it was as if she was in another world, like a dream, almost fantasy-like.
"If my darling likes it, then we’ll stay here," Han Yi said in a low voice, wrapping one arm around her.
Han Jiaojiao, thinking Han Yi was jesting, laughed it off, "It would be nice to come visit once in a while... I just wonder if it’ll always stay this peaceful. If it were taken over by alien species or mutant beasts, it would feel such a waste..."
"No worries, after we settle down, we can clean up the perimeter regularly. They won’t dare to break in," Han Yi said casually.
Han Jiaojiao was stunned for a moment, looking bewilderedly at Han Yi, "...Brother?"
Han Yi smiled as he lightly flicked her nose, "Darling, this kind of prime location should be snatched up quickly. Once the people from other bases regain their senses, they’ll probably come to claim the territory."
"Brother..." Han Jiaojiao’s eyes widened, her face in utter disbelief, "Are you saying that we... we are going to settle here?!"
Han Yi smiled and said, "Isn’t that good? Didn’t my darling say she wanted to live here forever?"
"But, but... there’s nothing to eat or drink here," Han Jiaojiao said in a somewhat panicked and jumbled manner. "There’s also no water, no electricity!"
"Silly girl, if there was nothing, how could people in ancient times live?" Han Yi played with her long hair, speaking gently, "If there’s no food, we can grow our own; if there’s no electricity, we can generate our own. And about the water, darling, have you forgotten the spring we found earlier?... There’s a river outside, and high city walls, we’ll be safe living inside."
"But... but..." Han Jiaojiao, her mouth agape, didn’t know what else to say. Deep down, she too wanted to stay, didn’t she? Only... why did it feel as if she was dreaming, so unreal?
Was it just because she liked this place that her brother wanted to... establish a base? How could that be possible?
As if hearing her internal doubts, Han Yi smiled and kissed her forehead gently, speaking softly, "Why wouldn’t it be possible?"
"Because... setting up a base is a big deal," Han Jiaojiao struggled to articulate her thoughts, speaking hesitantly, "It would be very troublesome... extremely troublesome..."
Base construction is complex, not merely about gathering a group of people to live together, which could at best be considered a survival camp, not a base.
A base is a small society with order and proper functionality, touching on multiple aspects, such as: management of residents, organization of the base’s management layer, functions of each department, law enforcement and punishment, and planning for the development of industries like farmers, workers, craftsmen, and merchants.
"No worries, we’ll take it step by step," Han Yi said with a gentle smile, "Every private base goes through a process from nothing to something. At least we already have clean water and secure walls, right? Plus, we have plenty of weapons."
"But, we don’t have people..." Han Jiaojiao showed a conflicted expression, feeling incredibly torn.
Having her own base was like a dream. How wonderful it would be, her own base... in such a beautiful place, free from heavy taxation, no worries about forced conscription, and Pepper, Cotton Candy, Xiaogua, and Xiaodou wouldn’t need to hide anymore; they could play to their hearts content here.
But... could it really be done? Could they, just a few people, really achieve it?
Electricity and water supply were restored, good fields were cleared, and security patrols organized... Every single task required a lot of manpower. Even with the new recruits from Lu Changyuan’s side, there were only about fifty people...
"Didn’t you say that the Ice Age is about to start?" Han Yi’s voice was calm and steady, providing her with an inexplicable sense of security, "By then, many bases will not be able to withstand the severe cold, and there will definitely be a lot of displaced people and refugees... We will have enough manpower, enough food. Baby, you don’t have to worry about anything, just need to stay here peacefully."
"Brother..." Han Jiaojiao felt warmth in her heart and her eyes welled up with heat as she couldn’t help but hug Han Yi, saying emotionally, "Brother, you are so good..."
Brother, you are the best person in the world, I am the luckiest person in the world, because I have you, my dearest and most beloved brother.
"Cough, cough!"
An untimely cough sounded.
Yan Xiao stood not far away, facing Han Yi’s unwelcoming gaze, he stiffly said, "... Han brother, well... Lu brother is looking for you for something."
The communicator was already properly connected, and Lu Changyuan’s voice clearly came from inside.
"Old Zhu’s son has been found, the person is at Qingyang Base, but has been detained. Old Zhu plans to go there to rescue him tomorrow, I’ve already agreed, just giving you a heads up..."
"Is the information accurate?"
"Yeah, accurate. The information was brought back by a Superpower User who escaped from Qingyang Base, and it’s said that he was able to escape with the help of Old Zhu’s son. That Qingyang Base is a bit strange, they’ve captured a lot of Superpower Users for experiments. My thought is, if you’re nearby, take a trip to Qingyang, I’m worried about Old Zhu getting in trouble there."
Han Yi frowned, turned around to check the map, and as soon as he turned his head, Yan Xiao came over diligently with the map, unfolding it for him to see, a sycophantic smile on his face.
Han Yi looked at the map and said, "Not too far, about a five-hour drive. I’ll take some people over there tomorrow. You guys get ready, we’ll meet up at Qingyang Base tomorrow."
There was a moment of silence from the communicator, then Lu Changyuan asked, "Everyone?"
Han Yi replied calmly, "Mhm, we’ve found a good place here, suitable for establishing a base."
Upon hearing this, everyone gathered around the communicator held their breath, staring at Han Yi in shock.
Lu Changyuan seemed to be stunned as well, and after a long pause, the only word that came from the communicator was, "Damn!"
Han Jiaojiao looked nervously at everyone’s shocked expressions, thinking: I wonder if everyone is willing to stay here... What if they aren’t?
At that moment, Lu Changyuan’s voice came through again, sounding a bit excited and a little angry, certainly very unusual compared to his usual calm demeanor.
"You like that place? It’s suitable?"
Han Yi looked around at the majestic buildings and said lightly, "There are walls, water sources, houses, and space for sustainable development. I think it’s very suitable."
After a brief silence on the other end of the communicator, a sudden burst of piercing laughter erupted!
Han Jiaojiao quickly covered her ears, astonished, "What’s happening?"
Yan Xiao, covering his own ears, glanced at her and replied with a twitching mouth, "... It’s Lu brother laughing."
Xiao Jian also covered his ears, remarking, "It’s been years since I’ve heard Lu brother laugh so loudly..."
Han Jiaojiao: "..."
