Chapter 564, A Fight Inside?
Leveled up twice in a row.
Almost reaching level 18 now.
"Uncle, that's all," Xiaoxiao flew back.
"Alright," Wu Heng nodded and ordered those around him, "Clean up the battlefield!"
Clatter—!
The skeletons behind him sprang into action.
They began clearing the battlefield, dragging mutated zombies and aberrant zombies into a pile while the regular zombies were stacked separately.
After collecting the corpse cores, he cast [Battlefield of the Dead], causing skeletons to rise all along the street.
They joined the ranks of the skeleton army in the rear.
...…
The team continued forward.
The earlier battle had lured away most of the zombies in the area, making the path ahead much smoother.
Only a few abandoned cars blocked the road.
They had to get out and clear them before moving on.
Eventually, they arrived at the clothing factory district that Gao Rong had mentioned.
Clothing factories and shoemaking factories were clustered here.
The group entered the first factory complex.
As soon as they opened the main gate, two mutated zombie dogs lunged at them.
They were swiftly grabbed mid-air by a Skeleton Heavy Boxer, which crushed their necks with a single squeeze, killing them instantly.
The corpses were tossed aside.
Gao Rong and the two technicians, reacting belatedly, gasped and took half a step back.
Then they realized—the creatures were already dead.
"Let's go in and take a look," Wu Heng said, leading the way inside.
The others quickly followed behind.
They entered the factory building together.
Various pieces of equipment, covered in filth and grime, appeared before them.
After confirming that there was no danger inside, Wu Heng said, "Gao Rong, take your people and inspect the equipment here. We'll check the other side. If there's any danger, call us over the radio."
"Got it," Gao Rong nodded.
He led his team to begin inspecting the machines.
Meanwhile, Wu Heng took Qi Hancai to the warehouse section in the back.
They opened one storage unit after another, revealing clothing from various brands inside.
"We'll transport these back later and distribute them to everyone during the holidays."
"Alright," Qi Hancai said as she pulled out her radio, instructing the convoy to start loading the goods.
While standing at the warehouse entrance, they waited for a while.
Soon, Gao Rong and his team returned and reported, "At first glance, there doesn't seem to be any issues. But to confirm if the machines are operational, we'll need electricity for testing."
Wu Heng frowned and considered for a moment. "No rush. Let's check the other factories first."
"Understood."
The group moved on to inspect the other factories.
They checked them one by one.
Once the inspections were done, they assigned some skeletons to remain on guard.
The rest of the team boarded the trucks and began their return trip.
...…
Inside the truck—
Wu Heng re-evaluated the situation with the clothing factories.
Currently, there were two possible solutions.
One option was to restore power to the area, allowing all the machines to function in their original location.
But the downside was that supplying fabric would be a major hassle in the long run.
Wu Heng would need to purchase fabric materials from Gold-Silver Island, transport them to this world, and then move them to the factories.
Besides, in the zombie world, the survivors still had enough clothing for now.
The main goal of manufacturing clothes was to sell them in the otherworld, establishing a proper industry and market.
The second option was to relocate the equipment to Gold-Silver Island. This would make material supply and production much simpler.
The challenge was that he would need to train some skeletons to operate the machines.
These devices, at a glance, clearly required manual operation.
"Tomorrow, bring some solar panels over. Once we get electricity running, have Gao Rong's team inspect the machines." Wu Heng said, looking to the side.
"Understood. I'll have everything ready tonight, and we'll head over first thing in the morning," Qi Hancai replied.
The convoy returned to the factory.
While the others went to eat dinner, Wu Heng returned to the island lord's manor.
...…
The next morning—
"Come take a look! Gold-Silver Express, Issue No. 2 now available! The dire situation in Ekow Kingdom, the Divine Destiny Sect officially declared a cult by the Guild, and the latest installment of the Great Detective series!" A newspaper vendor shouted from atop a stone platform in the plaza, waving a newspaper in the air.
His calls instantly caught the attention of passersby.
"The second issue is out already? That was fast!"
"What's going on with Ekow Kingdom? Come to think of it, there haven't been any Ekow Kingdom trade caravans arriving lately."
"Buy a copy so we can check it out."
"Not buying."
"Let's pool our money and buy one together. We can take turns reading it."
"Yeah, good idea."
Soon, a small crowd gathered around the newspaper vendor.
Some bought individual copies, while others chipped in to buy one and share.
After all, it was just text—once one person finished reading, someone else could take over.
With more people making purchases,
The vendor's face lit up with a smile—business was finally picking up.
...…
Saban squeezed out of the crowd, clutching the newspaper he had just bought, looking somewhat disheveled.
Last night, he had been up late with "Marin," and so he had woken up later than usual.
Because of that, he happened to see the vendor selling the second issue of the newspaper.
The first issue had brought a surge of business to the tavern after it was read aloud there.
More and more people had started coming in just to hear the stories.
And as a bard performing in the tavern, Saban's status had also risen.
Now, a second issue had been released.
If the price was reasonable, he would buy it. Even if it was expensive, he would still get one—
It might change his fate.
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he stepped into a quiet corner.
As a child, he had been one of the few talented individuals in his village.
He had a good voice and an excellent memory—he could remember things after reading them just once or twice.
After becoming a Bard, he had also mastered performance and storytelling, making him even more skilled.
His village had pooled money to send him out, hoping he could have a different future.
But after leaving, he found that things were not as he had imagined.
His talents weren't as impressive in the outside world.
After traveling by ship, he arrived at Gold-Silver Island and found a job at a tavern.
Just enough to make ends meet, so he wouldn't starve to death.
In the quiet corner,
Saban unfolded the newspaper and started reading carefully.
When he reached the story section, he took out a pen and marked the key dialogue sections—
Making it easier to perform later.
After reading through it twice,
He tucked the newspaper into his coat, stood up, and looked toward the island lord's manor.
"Island Lord Wu Heng, my future depends on your story."
...…
Near the tavern—
Saban frowned.
It was still morning, and the tavern shouldn't be crowded yet.
But from a distance, he saw a crowd gathered at the entrance—men, women, and children chatting as they stood outside.
"Good morning," Saban greeted them politely. "Was there a fight inside?"
"Saban, we've been waiting for you! You're late today," a familiar patron called out.
"I'm not late. There's still time! What's going on? Why are you all waiting for me?" Saban looked around skeptically.
Though he was a Professional, Bards weren't known for fighting.
If all these people were here to beat him up…
He might die.
"What else? The second issue is out, and everyone's waiting for you to read it aloud!" someone explained.
Saban let out a deep breath.
As long as they weren't here to beat him up.
"Hurry inside! Everyone's waiting for you!"
Someone gave him a shove from behind, causing him to stumble forward and push open the tavern door.
Inside, the dim lighting revealed a packed room—there wasn't a single empty seat.
"Start already, Saban!"
...…
Saban took a deep breath.
He cast [Silver Tongue][Heroic Presence][Resonant Voice] on himself, then strode confidently onto the wooden stage.
Clearing his throat, he signaled for silence.
Glancing at the packed tavern and the eager eyes peering through the windows—
He smiled and said, "Ladies and gentlemen, today's newspaper reading begins now…."