Chapter Thirty: Allocation

Last night, everything went smoothly, but some mishaps were unavoidable.

Take, for example, a friend named Ding Long—every one of his ten fingers was bloodied. By the time he cut open his fourth finger, even Wang Xiao could barely bear to watch, but Ding Long was so persistent that he had to write his name down. The monument they used was the Lord’s Stone, with the lord’s name at the top and the names of the subjects beneath. Only one’s true name could be inscribed, and there were certain special restrictions. Most importantly, the true names were tied to the individuals’ souls.

Currently, Wang Xiao’s territory had 179 subjects under his command. Meanwhile, Yang Ming and others were recruiting their own followers, bringing the combined total to about three hundred. Wang Xiao calculated that, for now, Xiao Gu could accommodate fewer than five hundred people most comfortably. That number would prevent food shortages and overcrowding—after all, beyond housing, other structures needed to be built as well.

Before everyone arrived, Wang Xiao had Xiao Gu prepare houses for them, so each person now had their own dwelling. Of course, these houses were not given for free; the price was their contribution to the territory. The methods for earning contribution points were still being researched.

At dawn, after a lively breakfast among more than a hundred people, Wang Xiao began assigning tasks. Upon inquiry, Wang Xiao established three departments: Logistics, Combat, and Livelihood.

Wang Da Lin, the cook from last night, was put in charge of Logistics, which had twenty members. Wang Xiao himself led the Combat Department, the largest group, responsible not only for fighting but also for construction. The Livelihood Department, headed by Wang Xue, managed the farms and kept records of each person's contribution points.

The main duty of Wang Xiao’s Combat Department was to fight, with Xiao Gu assisting in construction, sparing them much worry. Wang Xiao led eighty combatants from the territory out on their mission. Their goal was simple: hunt more monsters and gather more resources.

In Wang Xiao’s territory, contribution points served as the universal currency. Most necessities required points to exchange, and hunting monsters was the fastest way to earn them.

…

The unknown is the greatest danger; none dared be careless before the fog. This was a matter of life and death, and nobody knew what they might encounter. Ten minutes passed, and no one dared step forward.

Wang Xiao shook his head and strode ahead into the mist. Seeing their leader enter, the others could not retreat; they gritted their teeth and followed him in.

Inside, they saw Wang Xiao standing atop a giant bear, blood dripping from its maw. Upon inspection, they found it was a Tier-3 creature. In their minds, Tier-3 monsters were invincible foes, yet now it lay quietly beneath Wang Xiao’s feet. Still, they noticed his expression was grim.

They knew Wang Xiao was disappointed in them.

“You are among the stronger ones, but your performance has disappointed me,” he said. “Don’t let yourselves be embarrassed by failing to earn even a single contribution point.” Wang Xiao’s words stung.

The others were stunned—after all, this concerned their ability to eat in the future. Without contribution points, how could they even have a meal?

Wang Xiao then reassured them: “Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, you won’t die. If there’s danger, you run ahead; I’ll cover the rear.”

The group fell silent, realizing their own shortcomings.

“Alright, let’s continue,” Wang Xiao prompted.

After that, things went much more smoothly. The Combat Department no longer shrank back, and a spirit of boldness welled up. Whenever danger arose, Wang Xiao was always there to save the day, which made the entire team feel safer.

By the afternoon’s end, their exploration had yielded plenty: twenty tons of meat and several treasure chests. What could be packed was packed; what couldn’t be, they carried. Smiles lit their faces, as nearly everyone earned contribution points, all recorded by Wang Xiao and reported to the Livelihood Department upon return.

The hunt was a resounding success; only five or six people suffered minor injuries, likely to heal on their own without even needing the Angel of Healing.

Wang Xiao wondered how Ji Weijie and his team were faring. Well, he’d ask at dinner.

The Combat Department returned to the territory, envied by the other departments.

…

Envy aside, the others remained sensible, aware of their own limits. They focused on their own tasks, which were safer and gave them a sense of satisfaction from harvesting food.

Wang Xiao stored the meat in the territory’s warehouse and brought out the treasure chests. He had no intention of opening them; they would be available for exchange with contribution points.

…

Evening arrived, and it was time for dinner. Now, if you wanted something tasty, you had to spend your points. If you were willing, you could enjoy all kinds of good food and drink. Even if you had no points, you could still receive two free buns to stave off hunger—a touch of humanity.

That night, Xia Mengsi and the others returned, each having established their own territory adjacent to Wang Xiao’s.

Xia Mengsi’s group numbered about fifty; Yang Ming’s side had around a hundred, and Ji Weijie, the bald one, had the fewest, only thirty or so.

After some discussion, each of the three set up their own department. Xia Mengsi formed the Shadow Department, specializing in gathering intelligence and carrying out special missions. Yang Ming established the Security Department, responsible for maintaining order and engaging in combat. Ji Weijie, meanwhile, had recruited experts in various fields, so he created the Research Department to discover innovations beneficial to the territory.

They too adopted a contribution point system.

Contribution points could be freely exchanged for goods across all four territories.

Although their numbers were still small, that did not mean the territory was weak. Wang Xiao believed that, if ever a truly safe haven existed in this world, it would surely be here!

This was not blind optimism, but the truth. Once Xiao Gu truly matured, who could defeat it? Even if someone could, who could defeat Wang Xiao himself?

You might be powerful, but Wang Xiao had never lost.

He would only grow stronger. For now, Wang Xiao was intent on rapid development, sensing that a new storm was about to break.