Chapter 15
Xia Yan still needed to recuperate over the next couple of days, so that night, An Tianhe did not press for more and went to sleep early.
The next morning, Xia Yan assumed he had gone to his military unit for duty, while she herself tidied up the lounge, washed and dried clothes, and returned to the rhythm of her daily life.
Back in the command hall, the adjutant informed him that the barracks had been completed and they could now begin mass-producing clone soldiers.
In the main console's construction menu, the icons for the Weapon & Equipment Manufacturing Center, the Logistics Support Warehouse, and the Resource Recycling Platform also lit up. An Tianhe was overjoyed. Although funds were still tight, he could finally start building a force.
A Level-1 main base could construct a maximum of two buildings simultaneously. At the moment, the Ore Refinery was still occupying one slot, so An Tianhe could only build the Weapon & Equipment Manufacturing Center first. Otherwise, his soldiers would be unarmed and useless.
The Weapon & Equipment Manufacturing Center cost 2000 energy credits. An Tianhe arranged for it to be built in a mountain valley near the reservoir, not far from the barracks. The construction time was 12 hours.
He then opened the barracks' production menu.
It was divided into three main categories:
1. Combat Troops
2. Combat Technical Support Troops
3. Combat Service Support Troops.
The first category mainly included: Regular Infantry (Motorized Infantry, Mechanized Infantry), Armor Troops (Tank Crew), Artillery (Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Field Artillery), Missile Troops (Rocket Troops), Army Aviation, etc.
The second category mainly included: Engineers, Communication Troops, Chemical Defense Troops, Military Intelligence, Electronic Warfare Specialists, Army Nurses, Army Medics, etc.
The third category mainly included: Military Police (Security and Patrol), Adjutants (Personnel Administration), Finance, Military Justice, Ordnance, Quartermaster, Sanitation Services, Medical Services, Railway Troops, etc.
The latter two categories could both directly participate in combat and also perform missions to support the combat operations and daily activities of other troops.
Looking at these diverse options, An Tianhe's head swam for a moment, not knowing how to choose.
"Commander, in the initial stages of establishing the unit, it is recommended that you simplify the troop composition as much as possible to reduce logistical pressure." The adjutant filtered the troop types, leaving only a few options like Regular Infantry, Engineers, Communication Troops, and Nurses/Medics, making things much clearer. Finally, he saw a Military Dog option, and that familiar feeling returned.
As the most basic troop type, a single Regular Infantryman cost only 100 energy credits. However, after being equipped with weapons and gear from different eras, the cost could reach 180 or even 220, which was not to be underestimated. Among the other troop types, the most expensive was the Engineer, whose price jumped directly to 500 energy credits.
"A Level-1 barracks has 12 bio pods. Each pod can only produce one soldier at a time. Each regular infantryman clone requires 40 minutes to manufacture and has a maximum service life of 30 years. The production process for other troop types will be correspondingly longer," the adjutant continued.
An Tianhe did a quick calculation. If he went all-in on mass-producing a single unit, he could get over four hundred clone soldiers a day. That speed was astonishing, and he was very satisfied. As long as he solved the funding problem, his massive army would no longer be just a dream.
Upgrading the base buildings not only required a Combat Lab but also consumed a certain amount of merit points. He couldn't wait to lead his troops into battle and build his reputation!
"Manufacture 12... no, 10. Wait... let me think again..." Due to his tight funds, An Tianhe kept agonizing over the exact number.
Suddenly, the adjutant displayed a special troop on the screen. Conscripted Soldiers.
"Commander, with funds being tight in the early stages, you could consider producing Conscripted Soldiers. They only cost 75 energy credits. Their data are collected from retired veterans, essentially making them reservists. Although their combat level and physical attributes are inferior to regular soldiers, their combat effectiveness is still considerable as an emergency force."
An Tianhe was overjoyed. This time, he didn't hesitate. Including the four members of the previous guard force, he decided to form a squad first. Once the mine was built and he had a stable income, he would begin mass-producing troops.
"Produce 4 Regular Soldiers and 4 Conscripted Soldiers!"
"Please select the soldier template, or choose random generation."
Since this was his initial guard force, An Tianhe chose strong, imposing type. Due to system limitations, the Conscripted Soldiers were relatively thinner and weaker.
The system could have randomly generated names to make it easier for them to blend into human society without being detected.
An hour later, the eight soldiers were picked up from the barracks by an assault vehicle and brought to the headquarters base.
Inside the headquarters' weapons and equipment depot, they stood in a straight line, wearing standard military uniforms, and saluted An Tianhe in perfect unison.
"Reporting to the Commander! Wang Chao, Ma Han, Zhang Long, Zhao Hu; Dong Ping, Xue Ba, Li Gui, Lou Qing, reporting for duty!"
An Tianhe looked at the soldiers before him, each with a different face but all strong and robust, full of spirit. He laughed heartily with satisfaction, "Hahaha~ Good! Very good!! Broth... cough, soldiers. From today on, you have officially joined my army, becoming a loyal force under my command.
The world outside is undergoing terrifying and unpredictable changes. No one knows where the future will ultimately lead! And the only ones I can rely on are you. Relying on you to protect my family and reclaim my homeland! On this boundless land, I will carve out a vast territory of my own! Can you do it?!"
"Loyal and fearless! The mission must be accomplished!!"
"Loyal and fearless! The mission must be accomplished!!"
***
An Tianhe hadn't expected these clone soldiers to spontaneously shout a slogan, and one that was so fitting. It must have been programmed into them by the system. From this, it seemed the clone soldiers' intelligence was not low at all!
"Good! Next, the weapons issuing ceremony!" The headquarter's armory, like the canteen, could provide a basic firepower for up to 30 people. This was one of the few free benefits.
He presented each of the eight soldiers with a brand-new assault rifle, smelling faintly of gun oil. After exchanging salutes, the simple ceremony was quickly completed. If an outsider had been present, they would have been rolling on the floor laughing at this unorthodox speech and weapon issuing ceremony. But for An Tianhe, this was his own personal moment. He didn't have to care about any so-called formal procedures or rules; he could act as he pleased and unreservedly voice his goals and ambitions without worrying about being overheard.
Perhaps the process might have been crude, but his heart was content.
In his previous life, he had been crushed by the powerful hand of fate, he was unable to hold his head high, merely surviving humbly like an ant. But now, he finally had some confidence to raise his head and look fate in the eye. No matter what the future held, he would face it with all his might.
Including the three initial regular soldiers and one sniper, An Tianhe had finally assembled a full squad together. Although still weak, it was a good start. He was very excited. He left half the personnel to guard the base and got the rest seated into the 8-seater CTJ-02 armored assault vehicle with him before speeding out of the base. The construction costs of the past two days had almost depleted his exchanged energy credits, and the AI had just reminded him that before the Ore Refinery was completed, it would be best to build a Energy. Otherwise, the base risked shutting down due to insufficient power. Therefore, the most urgent task was to get some funds quickly.
When he and Xia Yan had left the villa before, they had left behind some cash, gold and silver jewelry. These could be used to get through the current difficulty. Once the mine was operational, he could extract minerals and convert them into funds.
Now that he had guns, An Tianhe's courage had naturally grown. He not only wanted to retrieve the things he had left behind at the villa but also wanted to check out Shanghe Village, which he hadn't dared to enter before. The area was densely populated, so there should be more scattered resources.
The diesel-powered Mengshi assault vehicle sped along the national highway. An Tianhe watched the scenery fly by outside the car window, feeling exceptionally relaxed and at ease. The power of a military vehicle was formidable. It didn't take long to return to the familiar front courtyard of the villa.
He ordered the soldiers to stand guard outside while he went in alone.
Arriving at the second-floor bedroom, the room's furnishings were just as they were previously, unchanged, as if they had only just left. He found the remaining cash and jewelry, stuffed them into his backpack, and then went to the walk-in closet, planning to get a few more changes of clothes for Xia Yan.
Besides the everyday wear, An Tianhe looked at the sexy and alluring lingerie. Remembering how captivating Xia Yan had looked wearing them last time, a heat surged through him, and he unceremoniously stuffed them all in.
Halfway through packing, he happened to glance at a discarded packaging bag nearby. It featured a model with long legs wearing sexy stockings.
"Oh… Almost forgot!" An Tianhe slapped his thigh. That day, he had accidentally discovered some stockings in a hidden compartment of the closet. Xia Yan had told him they were imported high-end stockings. Whatever, he'd take them all, hehe.
After taking all the high-end stockings, he rummaged through the closet one more time but didn't find anything else of value. An Tianhe shouldered his bag and left. Thinking about how anxious he had been when he had left that day compared to his current situation, the difference was like night and day, a world apart.
Leaving the villa, the assault vehicle drove along the national highway towards the densely populated Shanghe Village.
Entering the private mini-market at the village entrance again, he found that the goods inside had been almost completely looted.
There were indeed survivors near this village!
An Tianhe hesitated for a moment out of habit, then looked at his fully armed soldiers, the sturdy assault vehicle, and the 12.7mm caliber remote-controlled machine gun mounted on the roof. What was there to be afraid of! Charge!
The assault vehicle slowly drove into the village. There were much more houses on both sides of the road than on the national highway. Some were three-story buildings, others were courtyard-style farmhouses, which apparently also did some catering business.
The roar of the diesel engine didn't seem to stir any unusual activity. After driving a little further, An Tianhe waved his hand, ordering five of the clone soldiers to search the houses they had already passed, while he and another soldier who could operate the fire control system stayed behind to provide cover.
Watching them successfully search the first few houses with little gain but also no abnormalities. It wasn't until they reached the fifth house that… Da-da-da! The short, controlled bursts of assault rifle fire instantly shattered the village's silence.
Bang! Da-da-da! Another burst of continuous gunfire followed.
An Tianhe immediately used his helmet's built-in communication headset to ask, "Wang Chao, what's the situation inside?"
"Reporting, Commander! We encountered two of the walking corpses you mentioned. They have been terminated on the spot!"
"Stay alert at all times! You must aim for the head to kill them with one shot!"
"Yes, Commander!"
By the time the soldiers had safely withdrawn from the house, more than a dozen walking corpses had appeared on the road ahead of the village, shuffling towards them, drawn by the sound of the gunfire. Past the walking corpses, several private cars could be seen, skewed into the ditches by the roadside, or crashed into utility poles, or piled up horizontally, blocking most of the road.
An Tianhe shook his head. "It seems we can only go this far for today. Let's come back when we've built up enough strength."
Once all the soldiers were aboard, the assault vehicle quickly turned around and soon disappeared from the village entrance. The walking corpses had rushed for nothing.
Deep within the village, in a dark storeroom a house decorated like a mountain resort, several disheveled heads were huddled together, peering out from a ventilation window in the direction the gunshots had come from. In their originally numb eyes, a glimmer of hope was beginning to spark.
*****
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