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Chapter 585, You Even Gave Orders
The people in the room exchanged confused glances.
More printing presses?
The last time they obtained printing presses, they hadn't seen any newspapers published or other printed materials.
Now, they were being told that more were needed, and it sounded like it wouldn't be just one or two.
Gao Rong looked at Qi Hancai, who then asked, "How many do you need? Gao Rong needs to plan accordingly."
"Initially, two or three, but we'll need them continuously afterward," Wu Heng said.
Given the structure of the other world, a significant number of printing presses would be necessary.
The first two or three were being prepared for Rentam City.
Qi Hancai nodded and told Gao Rong, "I'll contact a few other cities and have people look for printing factories or old newspaper agencies. You should also start designing the blueprints so we can produce them ourselves later."
With Qi Hancai helping him, Gao Rong readily agreed. "I'll start preparing immediately."
After giving instructions regarding the power plant and printing presses…
Wu Heng turned to Qi Hancai again and asked, "How's the skeleton army attacking the cities?"
Qi Hancai replied, "Everything is going smoothly. No issues with combat or transport."
"Any new updates?"
Qi Hancai thought for a moment and said, "The central rescue team has also begun organizing missions, setting up evacuation points, and deploying helicopters to rescue survivors who can reach rooftops.
But people from other cities are still flooding our channels, requesting that we send teams to their cities for rescue."
The central rescue team must be feeling the pressure as well.
His own civilian-run shelters were already rescuing survivors along the way. If the central team did nothing, it would reflect poorly on them.
However, their rescue method was somewhat restrictive.
Only those who could reach an evacuation point or a rooftop for helicopter pickup had a chance.
Meanwhile, his method—directly clearing out zombies in the cities before rescuing people—was far more reliable.
Wu Heng considered it for a moment before saying, "Announce over the radio that more teams will be dispatched to rescue survivors. As long as they hold on, we'll save everyone."
The people present froze for a moment.
That promise—to save everyone.
It carried an inexplicable sense of duty.
"Alright, I'll have someone broadcast it right away," Qi Hancai nodded.
Wu Heng looked at the others. "Do any of you have other matters to report?"
The group shook their heads, indicating they had none.
Wu Heng glanced at Qiangzi, who was sitting at the far end on the left. "Qiangzi, how's the stab-resistant clothing?"
Qiangzi, who had been quietly listening, immediately snapped to attention. "We're still working on it. Currently, we have two directions—one is improving the outer fabric of the stab-resistant clothing to achieve specialized density and toughness. The second is adding adhesive to the fabric so that both sides can be glued onto an iron plate."
Wu Heng asked, "Which direction is being prioritized?"
"We're working on both simultaneously. Over the past two days, we've recruited two more specialists in this field. But getting results will take a few more days," Qiangzi said.
The base didn't have experts in this area.
Qiangzi was creative, but he was originally just an auto mechanic.
He was essentially leading a small team to figure things out, so progress was bound to be slower.
Moreover, Qiangzi was one of the first people to join Wu Heng alongside Li Yanhong. They had a good relationship, and he was trustworthy.
He couldn't always have Qiangzi driving or repairing cars—transitioning him toward technical work would be better.
"Speed things up. We can refine it further down the line."
"Got it!" Qiangzi nodded.
Wu Heng added, "And keep working on the machine-gun wyvern project."
"Understood."
The meeting ended, and the group dispersed.
Wu Heng and Qi Hancai took a walk around the factory, while Xiaoxiao went to visit her mother.
By the afternoon…
After lunch at the cafeteria, Wu Heng returned to his dormitory and entered the dimensional gate.
...…
Island Lord's Manor.
Wu Heng came downstairs and instructed someone to call Andviel back.
He gathered the maids in the living room for a meeting.
Once everyone was present, Wu Heng got straight to the point. "I need to return to Rentam City. You'll be in charge here. Andviel, aside from handling municipal affairs, make sure to oversee the newspaper updates every seven days. The serialized stories have already been compiled—just publish them by chapter."
"Minnie, you'll manage the entire island lord's manor. Try to minimize trips outside. If Shanaila or Sheila Grey ask for me, tell them I had to step out temporarily. If others ask, just say I'm unavailable at the moment."
The newspaper had to keep running to maintain its current momentum.
Gold-Silver Island had been relatively peaceful lately—even common crimes had started to decline.
But he still had to be cautious when leaving, as he had plenty of enemies.
And that number was only increasing. It was hard to predict when someone might show up on the island.
So, caution was necessary.
Of course, the manor's defenses were quite solid. Even without him, an 18th-level Professional would struggle to break in.
Dozens of level-15 skeletons, numerous level-10 skeletal guards, and armored vehicles.
More than enough to handle most problems.
"Understood, Master," the maids responded in unison.
Then, Minnie hesitantly asked, "Master, did something happen over there?"
"It's nothing dangerous. A friend ran into some trouble, and I'm going to help," Wu Heng explained.
Minnie continued, "When are you leaving?"
"Right now."
"I'll have the kitchen prepare some food for you, in case you don't like the meals over there."
"Alright."
Minnie stood up and said, "Robe, Annette, prepare some clothes for Master. It's still cold over there. I'll go ask the kitchen to make some food."
"Oh, got it!" The maids split up, each attending to their tasks.
Wu Heng sat in the living room and chatted with Andviel for a while.
The other maids finished organizing everything.
Wu Heng stored them in his spatial ring, put on [The Conductor's Hat], and the train whistle sounded.
The Ghost Train appeared out of thin air.
He waved goodbye to the maids and boarded the train.
Filling in Rentam City on the itinerary, the train started and plunged into the void.
...…
Outside the window was nothingness.
Wu Heng walked into a side carriage and took a seat.
The loss of sensory perception allowed his mind to focus more.
It also helped him think through issues more clearly.
This trip to Rentam City was not only to handle Beni's situation but also to work on the city's development.
The entire city would be electrified, and he would also establish the newspaper system there.
Rentam City had a sizable population, and if the newspaper could gain popularity like on Gold-Silver Island, he could significantly boost his reputation.
Perhaps even reaching level 19.
On Gold-Silver Island, the plans for development and expansion were already set.
The only pressing issue now…
Was forming a Gold-Silver Island trade caravan.
With Shanaila removed by the Wood Elves, she was now free to help him. But what she said made sense.
Just selling a single potion as a product would only make them an alchemy supplier at best.
It wouldn't qualify as a proper trade caravan.
He needed to expand his product range to sustain a full trade caravan.
He pondered this for a while.
Then closed his eyes, setting aside further thoughts.
Waiting for the train to reach its destination.
...…
A few days later.
Scenery appeared outside the window as the train slowly came to a stop.
The door opened, and Wu Heng stepped off the train.
The air was still chilly, but the once hard, frozen ground had softened. Piled-up snow had begun to melt, revealing rotting leaves and animal remains beneath.
Wu Heng scanned his surroundings, confirmed Rentam City's location, and…
Cast Mansion Spell. After eating a quick meal inside, he pulled out the motorcycle he had prepared in advance.
With skeletal attendants accompanying him, he sped toward Rentam City.
Dust kicked up as he raced forward.
Merchants driving horse-drawn carriages on the road turned their heads in shock, exclaiming in surprise.
They debated what kind of mount he was riding.
Like a lump of iron running at full speed.
As he neared Rentam City's outskirts, the population density increased.
Glancing toward the city, he noticed that the number of houses extending outward had grown significantly since his last visit.
The farther out he looked, the simpler the houses became.
Wu Heng slowed down, moving forward at a steady pace.
People stepped aside, casting curious glances his way.
Clatter~!
Suddenly, a group of riders burst out from a side alley on the right.
Blocking the path in front of his motorcycle.
They sized him up, and the leader spoke, "What kind of mount is that? Get off for an inspection."
Wu Heng lifted his helmet visor and glanced at the group blocking his way.
There were both humans and beastmen—seven in total—wearing thick armor, looking aggressive.
"Who are you people?"
"This is White Rock Gang's territory. When we say get off, you get off. No need for all that talking," one of them muttered.
"I'm a friend of your city lord, Wen Mansa."
The gang leader eyed him again and sneered, "You? Don't give me that crap. If you don't want an inspection, just pay a security deposit—two silver coins per person."
As they spoke, the merchant caravan that Wu Heng had overtaken earlier arrived from behind.
They passed through without being stopped. No inspections, no security deposit.
"They don't have to pay?"
"They're city merchants. You think you're the same as them? Hurry up and pay, unless you want trouble." Saying that, he reached to grab Wu Heng's arm.
But before he could touch him, Kashu, who was sitting in the backseat, grabbed his wrist.
Crack.
The metal bracer on the man's wrist slowly tightened and deformed.
"Shit, you dare fight back?" The gang member struggled violently, while the others behind him drew their weapons.
The crowd began gathering, forming a circle to watch the commotion.
Kashu stepped off the bike, preparing for battle.
Meanwhile, at the back of the crowd…
Another group pushed their way in.
Leading them was a towering beastman, flanked by over a dozen armored skeletal warriors with "Patrol Guard" inscribed on their chestplates.
"What's going on? The city lord ordered no trouble. Are you all looking for a beating?" the beastman roared. His voice boomed across the area.
"Sir, this guy is highly suspicious. He just tried to attack me. I think there's something off about him," a gang member quickly said, stepping forward.
The beastman gave Wu Heng a puzzled look, furrowing his brows.
Wu Heng wasn't interested in wasting time and simply waved his hand. "Arrest these men."
"Shit, you even gave orders now."