Not long after, Xiao Wen returned to the room, and Wen Le did not ask any more questions. The most important thing now was to finalize the preliminary design of the military factory.
After nearly fifty people worked tirelessly to organize the materials, Wen Le presented a relatively detailed outline, although it could not be said that all the information had been classified.
That day, after dinner, everyone gathered in the conference room again.
“Today’s main focus is to determine our next development direction,” Han Ya looked at the people present.
“Wen Shao has brought back the preliminary data, and it has already been sent to everyone at noon. Whether you understand it or not, everyone should have a general idea. So now, everyone can share their thoughts.”
As soon as Han Ya finished speaking, Yan Wei Guo knocked on the table.
“Let me interject here. Xiao Wen came to me earlier and mentioned his thoughts about when to enter the Central Plains, whether it should be now or after the military factory is fully built. I think not only me but also other people have been asked by him.”
Everyone nodded. Although Xiao Wen did not bring this up at the meeting, he had asked each person in the base’s internal senior management about it.
After getting everyone’s response, Yan Wei Guo continued, “I understand Xiao Wen’s mood very well. As a soldier, I am more anxious and worried than him. However, what I am going to say today is not just for Xiao Wen but also for most of you. Among our base, except for our troops who arrived later, you have experienced a smooth journey from the end of the world until now, with no fatal dangers obstructing your progress. So some of you may not realize the gravity of the situation!”
As he said this, Xiao Wen, Han Ya, and other’s faces changed slightly.
Yan Wei Guo interrupted them and waved his hand,
“You may feel that you have gone through a lot of difficulties on this journey, encountering zombies, natural disasters, and so on. You have struggled to get to where you are now. But let me ask you, Xiao Wen and Han Ya, just the two of you, what have you lost since the apocalypse began until now? Don’t tell me about living in peace and having a stable home. That’s all nonsense. Just compare yourselves to our troops. Have you suffered more losses than they have? Have you experienced more than they have? In this apocalypse, how many people have had it as easy as you have? Internally, you lack nothing in terms of warm clothing, life-saving food, and even the resources to establish a base on this grassland. Let me be blunt, without the comfort and resources that you have had along the way, do you think you could have made it so comfortably? In this apocalypse, how many people have had comfort to help others?!”
Yan Wei Guo paused and looked at everyone, and everyone fell silent.
“Now let me say this, if Wen Le were in my unit instead of with you, do you believe that our entire military district would directly establish a top-notch secure base in the country?”
Although they didn’t want to admit it, Xiao Wen and Han Ya nodded their heads.
Yan Wei Guo smiled slightly,
“I said these things today to hit you because from Xiao Wen’s last question, I saw that you were getting complacent. Now things are different from before the apocalypse. Before, if we gambled, we might lose our fortune, but now, we may gamble away our base and the lives of everyone in it! I just said that if the military district had Wen Le’s ability, we could become the best base, because we have more people, stronger combat power, and only need to deal with zombies and natural disasters, without worrying about other survivors and other bases spying on us. But now, if we divide our forces to go to the Tarim Oilfield or march into the Central Plains, our base will not be safe, and it will be easily swallowed up by others. I don’t deny that a base needs sufficient personnel to support its operation, but you have to think, if a base is not solid, it cannot deter those around it, including survivors who come to join us. Is there still a possibility for this base to become strong?”
Speaking of this, Yan Wei Guo slowly took a sip of water and stopped talking. Seeing that almost everyone present was deep in thought, he glanced at Wen Le subtly.
Wen Le pursed his lips, his eyes flashing with gratitude.
The reason why Yan Wei Guo said so much today was actually because Wen Le had gone to his room last night while Xiao Wen was inspecting the base.
Wen Le had thought about it over and over again. Just like he had thought before, this life was different from the last one. Wen Le could not rely on their evaluation from the last life and blindly venture out, thereby losing everything they were fighting for now, even their own lives. However, these words were not something he could say. Yan Wei Guo, regardless of his status or age, could keep Xiao Wen and the others in check. Therefore, in order to prevent them from becoming runaway horses, the reins could only be held in the hands of this teacher and elder.
Yan Wei Guo also agreed with Wen Le’s thoughts. As he said, he was more concerned about the lives of the Central Plains people than Xiao Wen and the others. However, they could not blindly go out to save people. Only by ensuring their own safety and building a solid fortress could they save more people. Killing the chicken to get the eggs was the most unworthy method.
The whole conference room was quiet for a long time. Finally, Xiao Wen stood up and bowed solemnly to everyone.
“Previously, I didn’t think it through. Since entering the Tibetan area, we have hardly encountered any difficulties until now, which made me too impatient and forgetful of the cruelty of the end times. I apologize to everyone here. As the leader elected by everyone, I absolutely cannot make such mistakes. But I did, and if we didn’t have Captain Yan’s guidance today, and everyone trusted me blindly, it would be something we couldn’t bear. Here, I am very grateful for Captain Yan’s guidance. In the future, I hope that everyone will consider any of my ideas as seriously as Captain Yan does, and prevent any possible losses to us from happening.”
Xiao Wen’s words were sincere, and the response from everyone was applause.
Yan Wei Guo smiled at Xiao Wen and waited for the applause to die down before cheerfully speaking up, “You are all young people, and our base needs your energy and courage, while I am old and have only eaten a few more decades of meals than you. So in the future, you can let go and do what you need to do, and I’ll be there watching you. When you charge too fast, I’ll come out and pull the reins to make our foundation stronger.”
Most of the people present were young and agreed with Captain Yan’s words.
“Alright, let’s get back on topic. The main purpose of this meeting is to determine our next steps,” Han Ya clapped his hands and brought everyone back to the topic. “After listening to Captain Yan’s speech, I think our own development should be our top priority. When our military factory is built and put into production, I believe there are few bases in the country that can match our military strength. At that time, our equipment can make up for our numerical disadvantage in defense. I believe we will have the confidence to go find oil or rescue people in the Central Plains.”
“Yes, when we are able to produce weapons and equipment for ourselves and even have a surplus, we should take over the Tibetan military district first. I don’t believe they will dare to challenge us then!” Bai Yang finished speaking and even snorted.
Wen Le’s lips twitched imperceptibly.
It seems that Brother Bai is very dissatisfied with our neighbors.
But it’s not surprising. We’re both military districts, but we still have to be careful not to be discovered, otherwise, we could be taken down in one fell swoop. This makes Brother Bai and other military district personnel feel frustrated and are waiting for the military factory to be built so they can hold their heads up high.
Yan Wei Guo nodded in agreement.
Xiao Wen thought about it and felt it made sense. Moreover, it was a relatively reliable plan. With more military personnel at the base, it would be safer to go anywhere.
“This proposal is good, but let’s first settle the matter of the arsenal,” Han Ya brought the topic back, lest they stray off topic.
“I’ve looked at the data. First of all, in terms of the area occupied, whether it’s in the mountains or underground, it’s a considerable project. I think it would be better to build and use it gradually. Otherwise, even if we work ourselves to death, we may not be able to build an arsenal. After all, we don’t have any technical or tool support,” Lin Yan pointed out the biggest problem.
Xiao Wen nodded. “I also think so. That’s why I have an idea to manufacture some essential weapons and equipment, as well as the fastest producible weapons. We’ll place the factory near here, at a geological location that is relatively solid. We’ll build a small military factory first and wait until we have enough power to expand personnel and recruit more people. Then we’ll officially build an arsenal.”
Wen Le nodded. “If it’s close by, in case it’s discovered, I can quickly put away the machines and avoid being robbed.”
Later, everyone agreed to this proposal, supplemented many details that needed attention, and together selected the first batch of weapons to put into production.
It wasn’t until the middle of the night that they finished the meeting. After the meeting, Lin Yan called in several people with geological exploration experience that they had found earlier and formally began searching for a suitable location nearby.
After returning to their room, Wen Le and Xiao Wen directly entered the space.
Wen Le carried the bowl of shark fin porridge he had prepared and sat down next to Xiao Wen. After taking the porridge, Xiao Wen stared blankly at the lake.
Wen Le sighed inwardly. He knew that the talk with Yan Wei Guo today had hit Xiao Wen hard. It wasn’t that Xiao Wen couldn’t accept criticism, but rather he hadn’t realized that he had made such a serious mistake that could be fatal if he wasn’t careful.
“Le Le, do you think I’m becoming arrogant and forgetting my place?”
Wen Le hugged Xiao Wen’s waist. “It’s not that you’re arrogant, it’s just that we’ve had a smooth journey so far. Do you remember how cautious we were when the apocalypse first came? We had nothing, and we didn’t even know if we could establish a safe base. But since entering the Tibetan area, the people here are really simple and kind, making us forget the cunningness of human nature. We can’t treat everyone as bad people, but we also can’t assume that everyone is as safe as our base members. Moreover, we’ve forgotten how terrifying zombies can be after such a long time.”
Xiao Wen nodded. He had to admit that they had been too safe during this period of time, which had gradually eroded their vigilance.
“Fortunately, Captain Yan’s words today made us realize our mistake. He deserves our respect!”
Upon hearing Xiao Wen’s words, Wen Le pouted in his heart, thinking, “The person who truly deserves respect is right beside you, you know?”
Thanks for the update!! 🤗🤗
Thanks for the chapter!