Chapter 334.2: Construction Machine

A glimmer of light had appeared in the darkness.

"Don't just stand there," the foreman patted his shoulder and said with a smile, "We still have 3 houses left. Let's put in more effort and try to finish another before lunch!"

Hearing the foreman's voice, Liu Dali snapped out of his reverie, suppressing his excitement and nodding vigorously. "All right!"

Liu Dali's team wasn't the only one to complete their first house. Nearly all the construction teams on the site were working tirelessly.

As the first 300 sets of prefabricated housing components were assembled, the second batch of materials was quickly delivered to the camp's storage area.

By noon, the previously barren land was now home to nearly 500 container-style houses.

Though those houses were simple, they had all the essentials to provide shelter and could easily protect against wind and rain.

As for insulation... It was only the end of May.

River Valley Province was about to enter its hottest 3 months of the year, so worrying about insulation was still too early.

Many people couldn't believe their eyes as they witnessed this spectacle before them.

Especially Yang Duo, who had previously served as the warehouse manager in Hope Town. He was not just surprised; he was deeply shocked.

In his understanding, even for emergency shelters, one would need to scavenge corrugated iron sheets, steel bars, and concrete blocks from the city. It would take at least 3 to 5 days to house all 5,000 people under a roof.

However, the construction plan of the New Alliance completely overturned his knowledge.

Houses' prefabricated components produced on an assembly line were delivered by trucks to the front lines and assembled by workers on-site.

Even people with no construction experience could assemble an entire house under the guidance of the lower-level construction personnel.

The entire process took less than 3 hours, and with practice, it could be done in just 2 hours.

It was done so quickly as though it was a copy and paste process.

With such massive construction, industrial, and mobilization capabilities, it was no wonder they could win the war.

"How much do these houses cost?" Wu Chengyi, who stood nearby, couldn't help but ask quietly.

Ma Ban thought for a moment and provided a rough estimate. "I'm not sure about the exact cost, but I heard the average cost is around 300 silver coins, and they are sold for 500 silver coins... equivalent to 2.5 automatic rifles."

Upon hearing this, the surrounding people gasped in astonishment.

It was said that the average monthly income of New Alliance residents was around 400 silver coins. Did this mean that they could buy a set in just 1 month?

It was incredibly affordable.

Seeing the expressions of those around him, Ma Ban couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

Though he had only joined the New Alliance for a few months, it didn't stop him from being proud of the New Alliance's achievements.

"One house would cost 300 silver coins, and we need 1,000 of them, which means it would cost at least 300,000... Isn't it a bit wasteful to accommodate only 6 people in such a large house?" Yang Duo's expression showed some hesitation.

Even though they were all part of the same family now, they had just joined this big family. Spending so much money right after joining them made him feel a bit uneasy.

Seeing his concerns, Ma Ban didn't explain and just smiled. "This is mainly for the sake of hygiene. High population density can easily lead to infectious diseases. The administrator emphasized that even in special times, we must ensure a minimum of 2 square meters of living space per person, with a maximum of 6 people per dormitory."

"What's more, that magnanimous leader told me that emergency housing should only be used temporarily and cannot be used forever. Within 3 months, we must ensure that every family in Daybreak City has their own house!"

Wu Chengyi and Yang Duo exchanged glances, feeling excitement in their hearts.

Had they still been living in underground tunnels, that would have been nothing but bullshit.

But now...

Almost no one doubted whether they could achieve it.

In a temporary shed not far away, large pots were set up. The mouth-watering aroma of food wafted from the pots, making almost everyone's mouths water.

While various construction teams were busy, the elderly, weak, and children who couldn't perform heavy labor were also trying to help. Under the guidance of the logistics personnel, they prepared lunch and carried food containers and water bottles to the construction teams.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner.

By 6:00 in the evening, the construction teams had not only miraculously completed 1,000 emergency houses, but they also exceeded their mission. They also managed to build public facilities like toilets and water storage tanks, which were originally scheduled for the next day.

The camp was bustling with activity.

People gathered together, sitting around a fire pit made of stones.

The firelight illuminated faces filled with smiles as they ate from their bowls, chatting and making future plans.

Dinner was exceptionally delicious, especially the juicy crab meat pies. Survivors from Hope Town had never tasted such delicious food!

Seeing their team members devouring their meals, the team leader chuckled and boasted. "When you get the chance, visit Dawn City. After you go there, you'll know what paradise on Earth is."

One survivor, still busy eating, blurted out with food still in his mouth. "I heard that you can eat your fill of crab meat pies there!"

The team leader laughed. "Crab meat pies? There are plenty of things more delicious than crab meat pies!"

Liu Dali swallowed hard. "Like what?"

Seeing the longing and expectant looks in their eyes, the team leader's sense of vanity was greatly satisfied, and he continued with a slow, teasing tone, "For example, ramen that costs 4 silver coins a bowl, stir-fried rice with chili sauce that costs 3 silver coins a bowl, 2 silver coin steamed buns, all kinds of skewered barbecues, stir-fried dishes made in a big wok, and even the more expensive grilled monster meat skewers..."

As he spoke, he cursed softly and said with a nostalgic look. "Damn it, I won't talk about it anymore; talking about it just makes me hungry again!"

Seeing their leader stop talking, the others became anxious.

"Don't stop."

"Please continue."

"What's that ramen you mentioned?"

"And the steamed buns."

"Explaining it is too troublesome; I can speak for half a day and it still wouldn't be as good as seeing it for yourself."

Putting away his own bowl, the team leader patted his pants, got up from the ground, and encouraged his team sitting by the fire. "Keep up the good work."

"Dawn City wasn't built in a day, and the same goes for Daybreak City. Everything they have there, we'll have here sooner or later!"

Near the bonfire.

Sword Execution, sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, looked at the pop-up window on his VM screen and finally revealed a joyful smile.

Feeling relieved, he let out a sigh. "Mission accomplished!"

[Mission:

Build 1,000 emergency buildings (Complete)

]

["Construction Machine" Achievement Challenge:

Complete the mission by 6:00 in the evening. (Achieved)

]

Even though the mission had been completed half an hour ago, the inspection took a bit of time.

This game always felt surprisingly realistic in strange ways.

"... I heard that this time the prize pool is quite generous. I hope we can get some good stuff." Sitting next to Sword Execution, Makka Pakka mumbled in excitement.

With no flying missions these past 2 days and nothing much happening on the farm, he had come to the front lines to earn some points.

"What's the grand prize?"

"They haven't announced it yet; they usually do that after the expansion is settled," putting away his VM, Makka Pakka suddenly remembered something and looked at Sword Execution beside him. "By the way, Sword Brother, do you work in construction in real life?"

He recalled that this guy had been a construction team leader for a long time and had even unlocked the title of New Alliance's Chief Architect.

Sword Execution casually replied, "You could say that."

Makka Pakka clasped his hands together with a face full of admiration. "Mad respect, boss!"

Building houses, he definitely deserved a huge respect!

Sword Execution was a bit bemused and said, "Boss? Not really, at my workplace, I'm just a slacker. Otherwise, where would I find the time to play games every day?"

Makka Pakka continued to ask curiously, "But, speaking of games, don't you get tired of doing this work in the game?"

Sword Execution thought for a moment and smiled. "Tired... I don't think so. To be honest, even if I work in construction in real life, it's not like I can design a city. Some of the ideas that are useless in reality have a market here, and I enjoy it."

Makka Pakka felt amazement for Sword Execution and he quickly spoke, "Awesome! You truly are a boss! Your vision is on a completely different level!"

Sword Execution cleared his throat. "I told you, I'm not a boss."

"You're too humble, boss!"

Makka Pakka glanced at the sky, stood up from the ground, dusted off his pants, and sighed, saying, "I, as a modern day slave, still have to go to work in a while. I'll leave first."

Sword Execution smiled and replied, "Go ahead, I'll be logging off shortly as well. See you on the official website."

"See you on the official website!" Makka Pakka sighed and said with envy, "I wish I could be as free as you."

"..."

...

Next to Daybreak City's military camp.

Chu Guang sat in the barracks, scrolling through the reports provided by the logistics department via his VM.

The construction of Daybreak City was progressing smoothly, with the construction teams completing 1,000 emergency houses in just one day.

𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

The New Alliance had a high level of electrification, with many tools relying on the electrical grid. While they had captured a batch of wood-burning trucks from the marauders, most of the trucks in the New Alliance were Electric Mules that they produced themselves.

These electric trucks were convenient but couldn't operate for an extended period without access to the electrical grid. The players' save points were also power-hungry. The front lines had no generators, so power supply relied on the truck's batteries.

"If only we could repair the reactor as soon as possible..."

After reading the logistics department's report from start to finish, Chu Guang pondered for a moment. He then put on his earphones and called out, "Little Seven."

A loud cry came through his earpiece instantly. "I'm here, Master."

Chu Guang said, "Notify Luca to prepare 5 wood-powered generators with a power output of over 100 kW as soon as possible and have them sent here."

Little Seven, full of enthusiasm, responded, "Hmm... Got it! Leave it to me!"

The communication ended.

Just when Chu Guang was about to get up and have something to eat outside, a communication request popped up on his VM screen.

Seeing that it was a call from Lu Bei, Chu Guang didn't hesitate and immediately answered it. He skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point. "How's the situation on your end? Have you met the residents of Shelter 101?"