The two women began to stroll around Huai City, and Feng Jun, who couldn't interject, had no choice but to follow behind them like an attendant. Fortunately, there weren't many clothing stores in the Doomsday, so after a while, the two women lost interest. At Feng Jun's urging, Jiang Xueling led him to the place where slaves and equipment were traded.
In the wasteland, conflicts between various factions occur daily. In Huai City, the five major forces mutually restrain each other, maintaining relative peace, but in the wilderness, it's a different story. Every day, weaker survivor camps are annexed, and most of the men and women within them are enslaved. In Huaicheng District, an ordinary adult male slave sells for 20-30 helium crystal points, while those with professional soldier experience cost between 50-80 helium crystal points.
“You're very lucky. The Blackwater Merchant Guild just acquired a batch of slaves from slave traders. They all have combat experience, and with a little training, they can form a formidable fighting force. Although there are only over two hundred of them, it's better than ordinary people holding a gun for the first time,” Jiang Xueling pulled up a list of personnel on her tablet and handed it to Feng Jun. It displayed the list of slaves for sale by the Blackwater Merchant Guild, including their information. Ordinary people with no skills were rated lowest with no special marks, while those with combat experience and soldiers were listed separately. There were also some technical personnel who could engage in processing and manufacturing, and some special talents, even some good-looking women were among them.
Feng Jun first selected the two hundred-plus people with combat experience, and then began choosing strong, ordinary people and some technical personnel, ultimately picking out a total of five hundred slaves.
After Feng Jun finished selecting, Jiang Xueling instructed her subordinates to bring this group of people out of the cells. It only required entering a few strings of code into the IEM terminal, and the control of these people's slave collars was transferred to Feng Jun. From now on, the power over the lives and deaths of these five hundred people completely fell into Feng Jun's hands.
Feng Jun stood on the high platform and looked down. Five hundred slaves had already lined up, waiting for his arrangements. These slaves also saw Feng Jun standing on the high platform, and many of them already understood that this man would be their future master. In this wasteland, a slave's life entirely depended on the slave owner's mood, and they were all praying that their new master would be a little more normal.
This was the first time Feng Jun had been watched by so many people. The last time so many people looked at him was when he was participating in a play at school. But at that time, he was just a student making a guest appearance, and now he held the lives of five hundred people in his hands. Although a little nervous, Feng Jun still prepared to say something. These people would be his first wave of recruits for starting a business in the Doomsday.
Cough, cough~ Feng Jun cleared his throat and said, “You can call me boss from now on. What I see in your eyes is fear of the unknown, but there's an advantage to following me, and that's plenty of food. As long as you wholeheartedly complete my tasks, I guarantee you won't go hungry.” Feng Jun didn't have particularly outstanding eloquence, and for these slaves in the wasteland, being able to eat their fill was the greatest luxury.
After a brief and hasty speech, Feng Jun called Song Zhan. The two hundred people with combat experience were formed into a separate team to be led by him. Power Armor, mechanical exoskeletons, and the best equipment would be prioritized for them. Afterward, Feng Jun led this group of people out of Huai City and prepared to return to Iron Nail Town. Jiang Xueling also led a force of two hundred Blackwater Merchant Guild soldiers to accompany him.
Jiang Xueling's return to Iron Nail Town with Feng Jun this time was not only to fulfill the promise of hired soldiers that Feng Jun requested, but also to be responsible for bringing the food provided by Feng Jun back to Huaicheng District, as Feng Jun had only issued a blank check for now. If Feng Jun reneged on the deal after taking Iron Nail Town, it would be easier to settle accounts with him.
Including the slaves Feng Jun purchased and the soldiers led by Jiang Xueling, there were over seven hundred people in total. To quickly return to Iron Nail Town, Jiang Xueling also mobilized a batch of vehicles specifically for transportation. It was also Feng Jun's first time seeing vehicles that could still operate in the Doomsday; normally, he only saw various vehicle wrecks on the roadside.
Due to energy shortages and various reasons, vehicles in the Doomsday are extremely precious, and there are all sorts of them. There are traditional four-wheel drives, modified tracked vehicles, and the best is the hovercar Jiang Xueling was riding in. This car was very well-preserved, with a streamlined body, silently hovering above the ground, without a single sound from the engine.
Feng Jun circled the hovercar a few times as if he had discovered a new continent. Jiang Xueling opened the driver's seat and got in. “Want to come in and sit together?”
“Okay,” Feng Jun agreed without thinking. This was a hovercar, and it was his first time seeing one.
As soon as Feng Jun opened the passenger seat, Li Lu squeezed in ahead of him, saying confidently, “I must protect the employer's safety at all times.”
Feng Jun had no choice but to sit in the back with Song Zhan. After getting in the car, Feng Jun carefully observed the hovercar's interior. It was similar to ordinary sedans in the current world, with a driver's seat, passenger seat, and back row, but the interior space was larger, allowing even the front passenger to stretch their legs. The steering wheel in the driver's seat had been replaced by a virtual screen, and the vehicle was equipped with an assisted driving system, allowing routes to be set with just a touch. However, it could also switch to manual mode, at which point the steering wheel would automatically extend from the screen.
“If I didn't absolutely have to find some gene seed, and I brought the hovercar technology back to the current world and released it, I should easily win a Nobel Prize. Handing it over to the country would also earn me an academician title, ensuring a lifetime of comfort,” Feng Jun thought to himself.
With the vehicles, Feng Jun returned to Iron Nail Town before dark. Song Zhan directly led ten soldiers wearing Power Armor and swaggered in through the main gate.
“With these few Power Armors, I can personally hack Chen Jianbin to death,” Song Zhan said, brandishing his large saber.
The population of Iron Nail Town was only five to six thousand, and Town Chief Chen Jianbin's armed forces were only over four hundred, with basically no heavy weapons. The most powerful equipment they had was mechanical exoskeletons. The soldiers guarding the city gate wisely disarmed themselves, and Song Zhan led a large group of people directly towards Chen Jianbin's residence.
“Will the Red Hand Mercenary Group not intervene?” Since Chen Jianbin was supported by both the Blackwater Merchant Guild and the Red Hand Mercenary Group, Feng Jun was worried he would seek help from the Red Hand Mercenary Group.
“No, they won't. The Red Hand Mercenary Group recently took on a big job, and their main forces have gone to explore the city ruins. Besides, President Hei Qin has already spoken to their leader; Iron Nail Town will be yours to command from now on.”
At this moment, gunshots and explosions could already be heard from within Iron Nail Town. Song Zhan, who had entered the town, immediately contacted his elder brother Song Peng. The two of them directly led soldiers to surround Chen Jianbin's residence.
“Damn it.” Chen Jianbin was originally still entangled with several women in bed when his subordinate suddenly reported that he was under attack. He was so scared that he grabbed his gun and ran out without even putting on his pants.
After recognizing Song Peng and Song Zhan as the leaders, Chen Jianbin already understood what was happening. He remembered that he had clearly arranged for people to keep an eye on Feng Jun and his group and report any movements immediately. Angrily, he grabbed his subordinate and questioned him about the situation.
The subordinate, whose face was already blackened by explosions, stammered his report. “A few days ago, Feng Jun left the city with a few people. Two people were assigned to track them, but they never returned.”
“Then why didn't you report to me?” Chen Jianbin roared.
“But, but boss, you said that when you were with women, unless someone came knocking on the door, we shouldn't disturb you,” the subordinate said with a wronged expression.
“You~ you did a great job.” Chen Jianbin wanted to devour this subordinate, but since the opponent had already reached his doorstep, he had to quickly come up with a plan.
“You stay here and hold them off. I'll go contact the Red Hand Mercenary Group,” Chen Jianbin turned and ran into the house.
Hold them off? What a load of crap. The other side has Power Armor, they must have reached an agreement with the people from Huai City. Only Huai City can get these things. Chen Jianbin, who became town chief by relying on the Blackwater Merchant Guild and the Red Hand Mercenary Group, naturally knew what was going on. As long as there's life, there's hope. Chen Jianbin, back in his house, hurriedly packed some items, lifted a floorboard to reveal a pre-dug sewer pipe, jumped into it, and fled in a hurry.
Under the suppression of the Power Armor, Chen Jianbin's subordinates quickly laid down their weapons and surrendered. Afterward, Feng Jun's soldiers quickly occupied the entire Iron Nail Town.
“Boss, you're finally back. That kid Chen Jianbin escaped through the sewer. I've already sent people to chase him, but the chances of finding him are slim,” Song Peng ran over to report to Feng Jun. The battle ended quickly, and Feng Jun's side suffered almost no losses, with only a few people injured. Most of Chen Jianbin's forces chose to surrender. Feng Jun planned to lock these people up first and then take them to Huai City in a few days to install slave collars.
“Scavenge the battlefield, collect all the assets that belonged to Chen Jianbin. I've brought back quite a few people this time; you arrange them all. We'll have a celebration feast tonight,” Feng Jun assigned the tasks. Next was to have his people take over the defense of Iron Nail Town, arrange patrols, and a host of other trivia, but luckily, Song Peng and Song Zhan were both former soldiers, so they were naturally familiar with these arrangements and quickly put them into place.
Walking into Chen Jianbin's residence, he happened to see several soldiers escorting a group of ragged women out. After asking, he learned that these were all women Chen Jianbin had plundered from various places, many of whom were the wives and daughters of ordinary people in Iron Nail Town. After clarifying the situation, Feng Jun had the soldiers send them home. If they had nowhere to go, they could stay and be responsible for cooking and washing clothes for the soldiers later on.
At this moment, Li Lu came over with Old Eight. Dressed in women's clothing, she appeared particularly petite against the backdrop of the several soldiers beside her.
“I'm leaving for the ruins for a few days. I need to go now and won't be back for a few days. I'm asking for a leave of absence,” Li Lu said.
“Going to the ruins? Are you sure you want to go now? I was just about to invite you and Jiang Xueling for a meal,” Feng Jun was surprised to hear Li Lu say she was going to the ruins.
“Invite me for a meal? Hmm~ wait until I get back. It'll be three to five days at the fastest. I often go to the ruins alone for missions, so you don't need to worry. As for dinner, you can invite me separately when I get back,” Li Lu hesitated when she heard Feng Jun say he wanted to invite her for dinner, but still decided to go to the ruins.
“If you need any equipment, just tell Song Peng. I can even lend you Power Armor,” Feng Jun was a little worried about her and wanted to lend her some equipment.
“Haha, thanks. But I'm not used to wearing too much armor. And my own strength isn't weak,” Li Lu leaped onto Old Eight's back and galloped out of Iron Nail Town on Old Eight.