Lu Yuan chatted with Shen Quan for a while longer and learned that there were hundreds of villages and towns in this Desert, ranging from small ones with only a dozen households to large ones with thousands of people, totaling over 150,000 inhabitants, which was twice the population of Oasis City.
These settlements were all under the control of Oasis City, each responsible for producing different raw materials. To put it plainly, they were colonies of Oasis City.
Oasis City monopolized the three lifelines: drinking water, fuel, and electricity, and would exchange these for the resources produced by the colonies.
Furthermore, during this process, Oasis City had the power to set prices, and the purchase prices were suppressed to the extreme.
Finally, Lu Yuan opened the team channel.
"Bring this Shen Quan back to me. Be nice to him on the way."
Caoyuan: "Are you going to make him voluntarily reveal the location of Red Iron Town?"
"Yes, that would be best, but there's no rush," Lu Yuan said with a slight smile.
"This kid is very clever and speaks logically. Moreover, judging from his professional vocabulary, he has a considerable knowledge reserve. You guys don't think he's just an ordinary kid, do you?"
Ye Xing: "Team Leader, do you mean he's being trained as a senior management talent? Is he the descendant of some important figure in Red Iron Town?"
Lu Yuan: "That's what I mean."
A moment later, Caoyuan found Shen Quan.
"Young man, here's some water and food. Can you walk back to Red Iron Town by yourself?"
Shen Quan shook his head vigorously.
"There are wild beasts on the road, Officer."
"Don't call me Officer. You can just call us by our names from now on. I'm Caoyuan, and my comrade is Ye Xing."
"Understood, Officer Caoyuan!"
"...What about if I give you a gun? Can you go home then?"
Shen Quan still shook his head.
I knew it.
Caoyuan smiled.
In this vast Desert, while wild beasts are certainly dangerous, the Raiders are more concerning than the beasts.
Even more terrifying than the Raiders is the scorching sun during the day. A traveler walking alone across the Desert is simply seeking death.
"Alright then, come with us."
Before dawn, Shen Quan arrived at the crash site and met Executive Officer Lu Yuan, as well as "Chief Science Officer" Shenceng Jubian standing next to him.
The other party was as tall and imposing as he had imagined, but much younger than he thought, appearing to be even under 30 years old.
"Sand dweller Shen Quan, if you are unwilling to reveal the location of Red Iron Town, I won't force you."
Lu Yuan walked down from the aerospace plane step by step.
"However, people in the Desert should help each other. I can provide you with shelter, water, and food. In return, you must work for me, earning all of this through honest labor."
"Certainly, sir!"
Shen Quan bowed deeply.
"Alright, go take a shower, change into clean clothes, and then fill your stomach. Ye Xing will help you get settled."
Lu Yuan called Ye Xing over.
"As my Chief Investigator, you will be responsible for contacting and negotiating with the local indigenous people from now on. This is a very important diplomatic matter, so don't disappoint me."
"No problem! I'm very good at dealing with people!"
The five words "Chief Investigator" made Ye Xing's heart race.
A peak in bullet screen comments appeared in the live stream room.
"Did the streamer get a promotion?"
"His leader reputation probably reached the next level. The way it's presented in the game is very natural and more realistic compared to other games."
"By the way, has no one found the game's official website yet..."
Under the guidance of Ye Xing, Shen Quan took a shower and changed into cotton clothes freshly printed by the 3D printer.
The players slept in hibernation pods, so there were four empty bunks in the living area, which was just enough to give him one.
As soon as he walked into the aerospace plane, Shen Quan's mind completely relaxed.
He had only experienced such comfortable air conditioning and fresh air systems when he followed his grandfather to Oasis City to meet the City Lord.
And this bed, although narrow, was a bit too comfortable, wasn't it? Was this the legendary memory foam? A mattress like the City Lord's?
"Kid, how do you feel? Are you getting used to staying here?"
Ye Xing walked over with a light step and plopped down onto the chair by the bed.
"I feel great!" Shen Quan quickly sat up as well. "Actually... I got enough rest when I was in the vehicle. Is there anything you need me to do?"
A sentence the Executive Officer had said deeply resonated with him.
This Desert was a place that could devour lives whole.
People in the Desert, if they didn't intend to harm each other, should help each other.
"Hmm, let me take a look."
Ye Xing took out a Pad.
"Team Leader wants you to arrange the newly produced solar panels and adjust their direction every two hours so they always face the sun. You'll also be responsible for the daily cleaning work."
"Yes!"
"When you're free, you can rest for a while. When you've rested enough and there's nothing else to do, come find us to help out!"
"Okay, bro!"
"Oh, right, remember to wear your combat suit when you go outside the cabin so you don't get sunburned."
"Got it!"
Meanwhile, Lu Yuan called Caoyuan and Jubian to the cockpit.
"You've seen the situation at the Raiders' camp. I'd say the conditions are excellent."
"Yes, Executive Officer," Caoyuan agreed. "It's easy to defend but hard to attack, and it offers protection from the sun and sandstorms. There are unknowns about the caves inside the camp, but since the Raiders have been living there all along, it should generally be safe."
"That's right, which is why I plan to move our base there. The current environment has no natural defenses around it and is definitely not a long-term solution," Lu Yuan said.
"In short, this requires us to first repair the aerospace plane's atmospheric flight capability, and then park it on the flat-topped stone mountain above the camp."
"Won't parking it that high be too conspicuous?" Jubian voiced his concern.
Caoyuan shook his head.
"You don't need to worry about that. The mountaintop is very flat and has a huge area. As long as we park it a little further in, it will be completely invisible from below."
"Then it's settled."
That massive mountaintop could be developed into a helipad and a solar power plant in the future.
Lu Yuan looked at Jubian: "Are there any technical difficulties?"
Jubian: "There are still some. According to the scan results, the damage to the four jet engines is not severe. We just need to print new compressor blades and replace them."
"So what's the problem?"
"The problem is that disassembling and installing the engines is very difficult, not to mention welding..."
This was indeed a problem; none of the players had such a high level of mechanic proficiency.
"No matter how difficult, we must try. We have no room to retreat," Lu Yuan said. "You focus on resolving the remaining issues, and I'll figure out a way to handle the mechanic proficiency."
"Yes!"
In the early morning, the three players got into their hibernation pods and went offline, while Lu Yuan needed to keep an eye on Shen Quan and stay with him until the players woke up to complete the handover.
Production continued, and soon, the second methane generator came offline, and the number of battery panels also increased to 46.
Now, even without consuming methane tanks, at least 150 units of surplus electricity could be generated every day, and Lu Yuan's task was to use it all up.
In other words, producing player hibernation pods, which consume 60 units of electricity, was now a trivial matter.
It was time to increase the number of closed beta players.
