Inside the cockpit, Li Ye once again logged into the Eternal Night Zone City Channel.
During this time, he had been casually chatting with Bishop Heath about various operational details, trying to complete the plan as thoroughly as possible.
While chatting, he glanced over at the System Panel.
The sixth piece of intelligence from the previous round was still there.
【6. Below is the map of the plain where you are located. Duration: 5 days. (Intelligence Value: Epic)】
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The topographical map showed that the Tomorrow Alliance was currently situated on a plain, where the zombies had deployed Mobile Cities, patrol convoys, airships,
fortresses, sentry posts, and towns—all clearly visible at a glance.
Additionally, it detailed iron ore, forests, rare veins, and lakes scattered across the plain.
As the Tomorrow moved, the corresponding distances were clearly displayed."Quite a lot of resources."
Gazing at the map, Li Ye began to ponder cautiously.
For this operation, it seemed that it would be best for the Tomorrow to advance alone.
After all, as an Assault-type Zombie City, the Tomorrow had both an Energy Shield and City Camouflage for defense, and 2nd-level Frost Cannon, 1st-level Molten Cannon, Storm Infantry Vehicle, Black Hawk Helicopter, and Bloodtear Ripper for offense.
Its weapons included 2nd-level shotguns, 2nd-level flamethrowers, and 2nd-level military daggers.
It possessed formidable combat and self-preservation capabilities.
In contrast, the Iron Whale and Engineer were a Defensive-type Zombie City and an Engineering-type City, respectively, and might struggle to exert their abilities in combat situations—potentially even dragging the Tomorrow down.
Rather than having Fang Yong and Zhou Xing follow him into the Eternal Night Zone, it would be better to have them hide nearby, send out convoys to gather resources, and wait for his return.
After all, the map did indicate safe zones.
A few hours prior, Li Ye had hurriedly drafted a map and handed it to Fang Yong and Zhou Xing.
Staring at the map in their hands, both were momentarily stunned.
The map accurately marked the locations of the zombies' fortress strongholds, possible patrol routes for their convoys, airships, and Mobile Cities, as well as various field resources.
One had to admit—Li Ye was extraordinary. Every time he faced danger, he managed to turn it around and provide the best decisions and directions.
Like when he precisely located that 2nd-level Wild BOSS earlier.
Though it was surprising and puzzling, as companions, they found it hard to see it as anything but a good thing.
Snapping back to the moment, Li Ye continued conversing with Bishop Heath.
【Tomorrow: This time, I will venture alone into the Eternal Night Zone. As for my two companions, if possible, I hope you can find a way to help them escape the Eternal Night Zone and head to the Cretaceous Zone.】
【Holy Vessel H3: I completely understand your wish to protect your companions.】
【Tomorrow: Is it possible?】
【Holy Vessel H3: Apologies.】
Seeing this, Li Ye couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
But with maps in hand, the Iron Whale and Engineer should be safe.
Zhou Xing had proposed a concealment plan.
Though the Engineer was only a fully equipped Level 1 city, and its combat power was weak, it still had ways to survive in the wild.
Through a series of engineering methods, it could disguise itself as a mountain.
The Engineer could produce a Level 1 item, "Bionic Rock Layer," which consumed 0.2 units of Iron Ore and 1 unit of soil to create. It resembled a rocky mountain surface.
The seams in the Mobile City's armor could be disguised as rock crevices. By operating the support rods to elevate the Bionic Rock Layer, the city could mimic a slowly growing mountain.
Once that was done, the entire Mobile City could gather plants to camouflage itself as mountain vegetation—mission accomplished.
“There’s even a method like this?”
Li Ye was astonished.
The three of them thus made a decision.
Li Ye would venture alone into the Eternal Night Zone to carry out the Apocalypse Sect's mission. The Engineer and Iron Whale would hide in a safe location on the map, disguise themselves as mountains, and enter a long standby state.
Meanwhile, they would send out convoys to sneak out some resources.
The Iron Whale had no convoys, while the Engineer had projects for regular motorcycles and off-road vehicles.
When the Tomorrow returned, all three Mobile Cities would leave together.
【Tomorrow: Then I’m off. Take care.】
【Iron Whale: Go for it, Lord. Don’t worry about us.】
【Engineer: Take care.】
Li Ye then bade farewell to his companions and ordered the Tomorrow to depart.
When Li Ye opened his eyes again, darkness still filled his vision.
He slowly stood up and looked at the clock on the wall.
It clearly showed "11:12".
Li Ye dressed, washed up quickly, and headed straight for the cockpit.
It was now the eleventh day since the Tomorrow had entered the Eternal Night Zone.
According to Li Ye’s estimation, the Tomorrow should already be in the central area of the Eternal Night Zone.
He came to this conclusion because zombie strongholds and patrol convoys were becoming more frequent.
They encountered a lit beacon every few kilometers.
At this point, the once-despised darkness had become the Tomorrow’s best cover.
This Level 2 city moved as slowly and silently as possible, pressing deeper under the cover of night.
Li Ye then arrived at the cockpit and glanced at the Eternal Night Zone City Channel.
Since the City Channel was under public control, each message sent was extremely concise and efficient.
Important messages were pinned to the top.
During this period, the Engineer and the Iron Whale remained safe. They communicated privately through the City Channel.
Using the map arranged by Li Ye, the convoy produced by the Engineer safely gathered 2412 units of Level 2 Iron Ore, 1994 units of Level 2 Coal, 1013 units of Level 2 Saltpeter, and a total of 764 units of various Level 2 Rare Ores in the wild, along with one Level 2 Shadow Crystal.
If not for some mines being occupied by the Zombie Army, they could have extracted even more resources.
Upon learning this, Li Ye couldn’t help but feel an itch of desire.
But these resources could only be shared once the Tomorrow rejoined its companions.
Through the pinned message, he briefly summarized the current situation.
Over the past few days, the human forces had entered full-scale war with the Zombie Civilization.
The fiercest battle was at the Northern Front, where the humans had deployed the most Mobile Cities. Naturally, the Zombie Civilization matched them by dispatching even more Mobile Cities and a million-strong Zombie Swarm.
According to intelligence gathered from the frontlines, the Supreme Commander stationed at the Northern Front for the Zombie Civilization was a Zombie Marshal named Ryan.
Even though the Northern Front had the majority of the Apocalypse Sect’s forces, they were still struggling heavily.
The situation at the Western and Eastern Fronts was even worse, teetering on the brink of collapse.
The worst was the Southern Front, where there was no effective force resisting the zombies. The Breach in Decayed Bone Bastion had been repaired,
and the zombies were continuously invading the Wasteland Zone from the south.
During this time, Li Ye also learned something unexpected: faced with overwhelming threat, the monsters and humans of the Wasteland Zone had set aside old grudges and united against the common enemy.
Li Ye was shocked upon hearing this.
Goblin, Antfolk, and Boarmen monsters fighting side-by-side with humans against the Zombie Swarm... he found it hard to imagine such a sight.
Additionally, he learned a surprising piece of frontline news.
The zombies’ Mobile Cities and Zombie Swarm appeared endless—each time a group was destroyed, another would quickly arrive within a day or two.
As a result, even if the human forces fought bravely and in perfect coordination, they would eventually be worn down to death by the Zombie Army.
And once the human defense lines collapsed, the Zombie Army would surge across all zones like a black tide.
Thinking of this, Li Ye couldn’t help but shake his head.
"How can the Zombie Civilization be this strong?"
What reassured him was that the Iron Whale and Engineer were currently unharmed. Zhou Xing and Fang Yong reported their safety to him daily through the City Channel.
When Li Ye looked at the screen, he found a newly received private message.
【Holy Vessel H3: Tomorrow, where are you now?】
Li Ye shook his head and typed to say he had no idea.
Though already deep within the Eternal Night Zone, the Tomorrow had no knowledge of the surrounding area and could only wander aimlessly like a headless fly.
But there was no need to worry—new intelligence would be refreshed tomorrow.
This time, there would be eight entries—plenty of valuable information.
At that moment, Bishop Heath sent another message.
【Holy Vessel H3: The war situation is currently very unfavorable for our human side, and you are the only member who has broken through into enemy territory.】
【Holy Vessel H3: All our hopes rest on you.】
Li Ye couldn’t help but shake his head.
If that were true, then the pressure on him was just too overwhelming.
After ending the communication, he stretched and rubbed his face to calm himself.
It was time to eat.
During this period, the Level 1 crops planted in the fields on the Tomorrow had already matured.
Rainbow Tomatoes, Exotic Oranges, Dragon Breath Peppers, Crystal Cabbage, Windsong Rice, Emerald Lettuce, Black Corn... together with the previously stored Blueheart Potatoes and Morning Wheat in the warehouse, the food on the dining table had significantly increased.
Not only that, but the Sunshine Apples and Yunmeng Cotton planted on the upper deck also reached harvest.
All crops combined totaled 20421 units.
After harvesting, a new batch of seeds was immediately planted.
In the weeks to come, the Tomorrow could harvest a batch of crops every one or two weeks—vegetable supply was now stable.
Moreover, the chickens and ducks originally raised on the Tomorrow had started laying eggs and reproducing. Their numbers had multiplied several times and could now supply poultry meat and eggs.
The residents of the Tomorrow joyfully gathered in front of the warehouse, using their saved Contribution Points to exchange for vegetables.
Hundreds of people from the entire city swarmed to the warehouse, creating a lively scene.
The City Residents’ Committee and those responsible for managing the warehouse were sweating profusely from the rush.
Measuring vegetables, manually deducting and recording residents’ Contribution Points, maintaining order... everyone was overwhelmingly busy.
Li Ye simply called over Old Zhou and had him fetch a batch of all vegetables and fruits—except for Yunmeng Cotton.
He also had Old Zhou collect a batch of eggs and slaughter one chicken and one duck.
"A rare harvest—call Lin Wu, Tang Fang, Ning Wen and the others. Let’s all gather and enjoy a proper meal," he said.
The gathering was set to take place at the Public Canteen.
Soon, everyone arrived one by one.
Except for Helmsman A-Bai, as the cockpit of the Tomorrow always needed someone on standby.
In addition to the originally assigned personnel, the Public Canteen now employed 2 cooks and 4 assistants.
The cooks were selected from among the Ordinary Residents and were paid at Tier 6 level.
As their working hours increased, the tier level would gradually rise.
During this time, the Public Canteen on the Tomorrow had officially opened.
Initially, it sold two types of food.
First, all kinds of flour-based food such as mantou, rice noodles, noodles...
Second, various dishes made from Blueheart Potatoes.
Since newly sown crops like Rainbow Tomatoes had not yet matured, the only vegetable available in the canteen was Blueheart Potatoes.
To enrich the menu, the cooks at the Public Canteen racked their brains.
Shredded potatoes, potato chips, mashed potatoes, potato cakes, potato noodles..：.
Considering the residents’ "income levels," Li Ye had the Public Canteen set cheaper prices, controlling them between 3 and 20 Contribution Points as much as possible.
Even though the early canteen supply was limited, residents still flocked to it.
Food sold at the Public Canteen was basically sold out every day.
Seeing this scene, Li Ye couldn’t help but feel emotional.
In the apocalypse, being able to eat and drink well was truly rare.
Upon learning that the Lord himself was visiting, the resting cooks and assistants hurried over and got to work.
Lin Wu, Ning Wen, Tang Fang, Old Zhou and the others arrived shortly after, everyone taking their seats one by one.
Tomato scrambled eggs, stir-fried shredded potatoes, stewed chicken, stir-fried greens, corn and meat stir-fry, salted duck..：：：
Soon, one fragrant dish after another was served.
An assistant came in carrying a large pot filled with steaming hot white rice.
At the center of the table was a large platter of Sunshine Apples and Exotic Oranges.
Before coming, Li Ye had also used a batch of Freshwater in the Production Workshop to produce Cola, Orange Juice, and Iced Black Tea and brought them along.
"Here I come!" Lin Xia came running in.
Seeing the abundance of food on the table, she widened her eyes in delight.
"Wow, so many dishes!"
Then the young girl realized something, looked up at Li Ye, and cautiously asked, sticking out her tongue, "Inviting everyone to such a big meal at once—isn’t this a bit wasteful?"
"It’s not," Li Ye waved his hand with a smile.
He wasn’t reluctant. After harvesting the crops, a new batch of seeds had already been planted. In another week or two, another harvest would come.
From now on, the Tomorrow would maintain this level of vegetable and fruit supply.
Everyone took their seats and began eating.
To facilitate discussion, Deputy Lin Wu sat beside Li Ye.
On his other side was his friend’s younger sister, Xiao Yao.
Since Lin Wu was now a Deputy, his status had clearly improved, and Xiao Yao’s daily meals had gotten much better.
Li Ye ate heartily, this was the first time since crossing over that he could eat so well.
The others also feasted.
After a sip of Cola, Li Ye turned to Lin Wu and said:
"Distribute a batch of these newly harvested vegetables and fruits to the canteen, let them launch new dishes, and also settle on pricing."
Lin Wu nodded.
"By the way, Lord, these days the City Residents’ Committee has been collecting opinions from everyone," he said, "According to the residents, they want more public facilities in the middle zones."
"Public facilities?" Li Ye was surprised.
Lin Wu nodded.
"Yes, things like basketball courts, soccer fields, small parks, and squares."
Li Ye put down his chopsticks and pondered.
After upgrading to a Level 2 City, the Tomorrow’s scale had increased severalfold, and the available transformable area in the city also expanded greatly.
Just as he thought, the residents’ living standards should also be improved.
"Alright, then build a small square and a small park. Get the required materials from the warehouse and hand it over to the City Residents’ Committee for arrangement," he nodded. "As for soccer fields, they’re too space-consuming. But we can build a few more basketball courts."
"But we currently don’t have any basketball production projects," Lin Wu reminded. "Not even the basketball courts themselves."
"Mm," Li Ye snapped back, "Then let’s postpone the basketball court project for now."
Once things settled down, he would find a way to gather some blueprints for regular items, such as basketballs, pool tables,
badminton gear, and so on—then produce them in the Production Workshop and build various sports facilities to enrich the residents’ lives.
Considering his current workload, he made a decision.
Delegate some authority to the City Residents’ Committee, allowing them to handle everyday public construction projects independently.
For especially important matters, they would still need to report to Li Ye and obtain his signed approval before execution.
"Not just that, Lord. The residents’ clothing on the Tomorrow is also too limited," Lin Wu continued. "We still need to purchase blueprints for summer and winter clothing, as well as gloves, thermal hats, thick socks, and so on. These items don’t necessarily have to be Level 1—as long as they’re Ordinary grade, they’ll suffice."
Li Ye nodded repeatedly as he listened.
Just then, he realized something and spoke:
"It’s autumn now, isn’t it?"
Since arriving in this world, he rarely paid attention to the months—in fact, on the wasteland, it was hard to find things like calendars.
Usually, he asked Lin Wu and the others.
"Yes, it’s autumn now," Lin Wu nodded, "I think in another month or two, winter will arrive."