Connecting with the Sang Family members can be done immediately without directly stating the purpose.

Additionally.

Cheng Ye took out the Defense Communication device and dialed a number, "Long, starting tonight, stop the militia night training. Let everyone have a good sleep and keep the weapons ready, be prepared to head into the Wilderness."

"Yes, sir!" On the other end of the phone, Long responded crisply, with the background filled with sounds of shouts and calls.

The 300 militiamen chosen by Elder He began intensive training four days ago.

All of these men are retired veterans from the Pioneer Corps, but due to not having ventured beyond the Happiness Defense Line for many years, their combat effectiveness can’t be relied upon just yet.

However, after a few days of formation training and basic tactical coordination, they are now able to comply strictly with orders, forming a small team that can be quite formidable.

Cheng Ye knew that the second round of Satellite City allocation wouldn’t wait long.

Tomorrow marks the seventh day of the first round’s start, and the second round will commence in just three to five days at most.

The critical point for its start is when the Void Mist enveloping Stone Province completely dissipates.

After hanging up the phone, he leaned back on the seat of the Big Golden Cup, processing the refugee management data in his mind.

In these six days, the Satellite City has recruited over 200,000 refugees from outside the Happiness Defense Line, and although it still looks bustling with people, the data shows there are now less than 500,000 refugees outside the Defense Line.

Of these, 200,000 will stay in No.1 Satellite City for development, and 100,000 will settle in the Buffer Zone.

The remaining 200,000 rely on the second batch of Satellite Cities for resettlement.

On the surface, Happiness City appears to be absorbing the million population at a stable pace, but only those in the Buffer Zone know how many undercurrents lie beneath the calm.

Recently, the sounds of artillery and gunfire at night have become increasingly frequent, often lasting from two or three in the morning until dawn.

With the migration of populations, infection sources and Infected Bodies roaming around Stone Province seem to be drawn towards the Defense Line, and can currently be suppressed by the legion’s firepower, but once the second batch of Satellite Cities begins construction and the scope expands, even timely firepower support might leave gaps for infiltration.

"I wonder what’s happening in Matthew Lee’s Dongping Town..."

As the vehicle departed from the South Inspection Station, Cheng Ye’s gaze skimmed over the faint outlines of tents outside the Defense Line, his mind couldn’t help but wander.

Matthew Lee mentioned that it would take a month to return to the Buffer Zone, and as it’s just been six days, he’s likely still handling the assessments; I wonder if the construction plans for Dongping Town have encountered any difficulties.

Nonetheless, these musings didn’t last long; as soon as the Big Golden Cup returned to the Mechanical Bureau, Cheng Ye immediately adjusted his state and immersed himself in vehicle assembly preparations.

Compared to refurbishing old parts and repairing faulty components, assembling vehicles isn’t considered a technical job; just follow the blueprint and piece together the parts.

Yet precisely for this reason, the future stability of the vehicles depends entirely on the details during assembly.

Are the screws tightened enough, are the wire harnesses correctly connected?

The bumps in the Wilderness, the battles, might lead to various problems with the vehicles, or even a breakdown.

At six in the evening, all the parts and batteries completed their secondary inspection, and corresponding parts were neatly stacked beside the six car frames.

Sang Hezheng did not dare to be careless and called upon two seasoned craftsmen from other warehouses for assistance.

Three craftsmen, together with Sang Tao and Sang Zhe, along with Cheng Ye, each responsible for assembling one car.

The apprentices even brought two strings of fireworks, wanting to set them off before starting work for good luck.

But just as they were about to light them, the sky suddenly darkened, lead-gray clouds swiftly gathered, and raindrops fell like a tangled mess, drenching the ground instantly.

"This..." Sang Hezheng frowned, glancing at Cheng Ye, his tone hesitant.

"It’s alright; this is a good sign." Cheng Ye looked up at the sky, then towards the horizon, "This rain falling means the Void Mist is finally going to disperse."

The others followed his gaze and indeed saw the faint white mist enveloping the distant Wilderness dissipating at a visible speed; the previously blurry horizon gradually became clear.

"Let’s get started!"

Without further hesitation, Cheng Ye stepped forward and took the lighter, igniting the fireworks.

Crackling sounds exploded amidst the rain, with sparks quickly extinguished by the rainwater, dispelling the hesitation in everyone’s hearts.

In this world, even the Extraordinary are real; Cheng Ye has even seen battles between "Immortals" with his own eyes.

He long ceased to believe in "immortal gods or spirits," nor in "fate or reincarnation."

Stopping work because of a rain, don’t be ridiculous.

Not to mention rain, even if knives fell from the sky, the six cars must be assembled tonight.

The rain gradually intensified, pounding against the iron roof of the warehouse, creating a "pitter-patter" sound that seemed to add white noise, focusing each person further.

The atmosphere inside was bustling with Heat Fire.

No unnecessary discussions, only the "click" of a wrench tightening bolts, the "dinging" of parts colliding; everyone was bowing their heads, their eyes fixed on the work in their hands.

Since there were no complex intelligent devices involved, no precision sensors needing calibration, nor any so-called vehicle systems requiring testing.

Even things like chassis comfort or suspension stiffness, those "delicate tasks," didn’t require much thought; vehicles traversing the Wilderness need durability, not comfort.

This makes the progress quicker than expected.

By eleven o’clock at night, Sang Hezheng, along with six apprentices, was the first to complete the framework of the first transport vehicle.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, reached out, and pressed the start button.

Click.

The headlights on the vehicle abruptly turned on, with warm yellow light piercing the darkness outside the shed.

He then got into the driver’s seat, shifted the gear to drive, and the vehicle moved half a meter forward smoothly, coming to a steady stop, prompting a round of applause from within the shed.

"Haha, didn’t expect us old folks would come first!"

Sang Hezheng chuckled, pushed open the car door, waved, and immediately instructed the apprentices to start installing the interior.

The seats Cheng Ye scavenged from the junk car yard were quite substantial, enough to fill every vehicle.

With ample parts available, naturally, everything must be installed at once, avoiding subsequent hassle.

Within half an hour, the other two craftsmen also completed the assembly of their respective assigned vehicles.

Power-on, test-driving, each vehicle steadily starting up, garnering rounds of applause that seemed to overpower even the rain.

However, unexpectedly, the fourth person to complete the assembly wasn’t the Sang Brothers but Cheng Ye.

The off-road vehicle had finished the installation of major components.

Upon initiating the engineering test mode, Cheng Ye squatted in the driver’s seat, his fingertips somewhat tensely gripping the steering wheel, and nervously pressed the accelerator pedal.

Buzz.

The faint sound of the electric motor started operating, with the speed limited to 1 mph.

The tires hesitated momentarily, then began to roll forward slowly.

Cheng Ye focused on the iron wall ahead, his peripheral vision catching the figures slowly retreating outside the car door, as his heart seemed to leap.

He had never imagined that assembling a car with his own hands would be such a wondrous experience.

The emotions buried inside his chest for many days seemed to explode instantly.

Whether it was excitement or thrill, it was hard to define.

The mechanical apparatus before him was no longer mere cold parts but rather an extension of his limbs, capable of leading him through the Wilderness, reaching the target.

As he reversed the car back to its original position and opened the car door, the applause beside him was already resounding.

"Impressive, Master Cheng!"

Sang Hezheng gave him a thumbs up, eyes filled with admiration.

Sang Tao and Sang Zhe joined in applause, their gazes devoid of any annoyance at being surpassed, only pure recognition.

What a bunch of genuine people.

Cheng Ye thought to himself, smiling, increasingly fond of this feeling in the Wasteland.

No need for scheming, no need to be disturbed by external matters, just focus on doing a good job, and receive sincere recognition.

"The major task is settled."

Taking a towel handed by an apprentice to wipe the sweat from his head, he exhaled deeply, looking towards the crisscrossing rain.

Lightning flashed across, accompanied by thunderous sounds.

With vehicle assembly complete and the void mist dispersing, finally, it’s time to initiate the next phase of the plan!

...