Half an hour later, the city walls were finally completed.
The walls, with sides of about three kilometers, enclosed not only Jingcui Garden but also several nearby teams. Everyone was astonished by the sudden appearance of the walls, and they rushed to touch and examine them from atop the ramparts.
"It's miraculous, walls appearing out of nowhere!"
"This must be the work of our commander. I'm so glad I joined the Rock Solid Battle Group."
"With these walls, what can the apocalypse do? No matter how many zombies come, they'll just be targets for us."
Since the apocalypse, everyone had lived with a sense of impending doom. The walls created by Qin Shilei, however, brought a moment of relief to their taut nerves and fostered a greater sense of belonging to the Rock Solid Battle Group.
Just then, Zhang Cheng hurried over. "Shilei, you created these walls, didn't you?"
Qin Shilei nodded. "Yes, I did."
"This is absolutely wonderful," Zhang Cheng exclaimed. "These walls significantly enhance our safety. However, they have also enclosed the camps of over a dozen other teams, and they've come to confront us about it."
Qin Shilei followed Zhang Cheng to the Rock Solid Battle Group's office, where more than ten people were seated.
"Commander Qin, you created these walls. Can you open the gates to allow us passage?" a middle-aged man in his thirties inquired.
"I am indeed the one who created them."
Qin Shilei stated calmly, "I intended to discuss something with you all. I am claiming this area, so please find another location for your camps. I will offer appropriate compensation."
Upon hearing Qin Shilei's demand that they leave, everyone in the room objected.
"Commander Qin, we were living here perfectly fine. Forcing us to move now seems unreasonable."
"Commander Qin, the area enclosed by the walls is vast. Our small living spaces hardly affect you. Why insist we leave?"
"Commander Qin, it's livelier when more people live together. Even if zombies attack, we can contribute to the defense."
Qin Shilei frowned. "I created the walls, and we cleared most of the surrounding area. Is it really too much to ask you to move out?"
"Tell us where you'd like to go, and I'll have the area cleared for you to move in easily."
The others exchanged glances, unsure how to respond. It was true that Qin Shilei's group had cleared the land where they lived. They had chosen to establish their small camps nearby with the intention of relying on the Rock Solid Battle Group. Now, with the immense walls protecting them, they were even more reluctant to leave.
"Commander Qin, since the walls are up now, why don't you become the city lord? I'm willing to be your citizen," someone suggested suddenly.
As soon as he spoke, the others' eyes lit up, and four or five immediately chimed in, "Yes, Commander Qin, you should be the city lord, like in the ancient times!"
"City lord?" Qin Shilei mused, "The military also promised that whoever claims territory owns it. Now that I've enclosed this area with walls, becoming a city lord is certainly a possibility."
Zhang Cheng also urged, "Shilei, this entire area belongs to us. It's only natural for you to be the city lord."
"Very well. From this day forward, this place shall be called Hope City, and I, Qin Shilei, am its City Lord," Qin Shilei declared with sudden magnanimity.
He paused, then added, "If you wish to reside here, it is permissible, but you must abide by the rules I set."
"First, no wrongdoing or criminal acts."
"Second, in the event of a zombie or beast siege, you must obey orders for defense."
"Third, you will need to purchase residency qualifications. Given that you already live here, you will only be charged one-fifth of the price."
Qin Shilei tentatively set the price for residency at two crystal cores.
"We still have to pay crystal cores?" Zhang Xingrong, the leader of the Wolf Fang Gang, displayed a hint of displeasure. His gang had around four hundred members, and even at one-fifth the price, it would cost him one hundred and sixty crystal cores.
Qin Shilei stated calmly, "Whether you choose to live here or not is entirely voluntary. There will be no coercion."
Zhang Xingrong ultimately could not bear to part with the one hundred and sixty crystal cores. He thought, "I can easily find an apartment complex in a place without zombies. Why waste precious crystal cores?" It was a decision that would make him regret it for a long time, all for a mere hundred-odd crystal cores.
In the end, nine teams chose to purchase residency qualifications, while four teams decided to relocate. Those nine teams, along with their families, totaling nearly five thousand people, became Qin Shilei's first batch of citizens.
Subsequently, many other teams who heard the news came to inquire, including several whom Qin Shilei was familiar with.
Xie Xingjian exclaimed, "Brother Qin, you truly achieve miracles repeatedly."
Qin Shilei replied humbly, "Brother Xie, you flatter me."
Xie Xingjian tentatively asked, "If my Flying Star Association wishes to reside here, what are the conditions?"
Qin Shilei smiled and answered, "You must abide by the rules of Hope City and purchase residency qualifications at two crystal cores per person. As a friend, I will only charge you one crystal core per person." He then briefly outlined the rules of Hope City.
Xie Xingjian pondered for a moment. "Alright, I wish to purchase sixty-seven hundred and fifty-six residency qualifications."
Xia Yunyan, standing beside him, immediately interjected, "Brother Qin, perhaps I could also get a discount?"
Qin Shilei nodded. "Alright, one crystal core per person for you as well." Xia Yunyan's team, along with their families, numbered over five thousand people. With an influx of over ten thousand crystal cores, Qin Shilei suddenly felt that being a city lord was quite rewarding. Xie Xingjian and Xia Yunyan both felt the money was well spent. The tall, thick city walls instilled a sense of security. They had come from Crane Mountain District to kill zombies, and their established bases had been repeatedly besieged by zombies, causing significant losses. Now, with the protection of the sturdy walls, they had no further worries and could focus solely on killing zombies.
As the Flying Star Association and Cloud Smoke Pavilion, two major forces, established themselves in Hope City, more and more teams moved in with their families. In less than two days, Hope City grew into a small city with over eighty thousand inhabitants. Qin Shilei had also earned over seventy thousand crystal cores from selling residency qualifications.
Despite the diverse population of Hope City, the safety of Jingcui Garden had not diminished. His swarm of ants had finally been brought back and housed in a small park next to Jingcui Garden. The vast number of ants surrounded the entire complex, and anyone attempting to infiltrate the walls would be overwhelmed and devoured by the swarming ants.
Given the large population of Hope City, Qin Shilei also designated a street as a trading market. He opened a department store and a restaurant there. Gradually, other teams rented shops and started various businesses. In no time, Hope City began to exhibit a burgeoning prosperity.
On this same day, Kong Zhendong arrived.