A curious expression appeared on Lin Xinghai’s face when he heard Fang Tianhe say that.

The chairman of the Mercenary Guild rarely made public appearances, so even after being a Mercenary for so long, Lin Xinghai had never once seen him.

He only knew the chairman’s name: Jin Canlan.

Of course, the chairman must have been present to oversee the situation during the great war with the Morgan Conglomerate, but they had missed it because they were on a mission for the Military Department at the time.

Now, as Lin Xinghai got a clear look at the chairman of the Mercenary Guild, he couldn’t help but stare, dumbfounded.

He had speculated before about what the Mercenary Guild’s chairman might look like. Perhaps he would be as swift and decisive as a soldier, or maybe a hulking man with knotted muscles. He even considered the possibility of a decrepit old man whose true power was unfathomable.

But he had never, ever imagined the chairman would be a fat man weighing over 220 pounds. The fat on his face even jiggled as he walked.

The man’s chubby face was wreathed in a brilliant smile. As he walked over, he seemed able to share a laugh and a few words with any Mercenary Corps Leader he passed, giving the impression that he was very approachable.

Moreover, the Mercenary Guild uniform he wore was completely different from everyone else’s. Many of its patterns were woven from gold thread, making his entire person seem to glitter with a golden light, giving him the air of someone who had just struck it rich.

"This... If I couldn’t sense the Blood Qi Power inside him, I would’ve thought he was a merchant," Lin Xinghai couldn’t help but remark.

"But maybe that personality is exactly what allows him to manage the Mercenary Corps so well. At least, I’m more than willing to deal with him," Fang Tianhe chimed in.

Lin Xinghai thought about it and couldn’t help but nod. A high-risk profession like being a Mercenary meant you might not live to see tomorrow. Because of that, the Military Department’s high-pressure management style would probably be counterproductive.

In contrast, a cheerful and easygoing chairman like this one was much more likely to be accepted by the ill-tempered Mercenaries.

After arriving at the Mercenary Plaza, Jin Canlan swept his beady little eyes over the crowd and, to their surprise, walked straight toward the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps.

"Haha! You must be the Gun God! A man of remarkable talent, indeed. Truly worthy of being called the number one expert in our Mercenary Guild." His hearty laughter reached them before he did.

"Chairman Jin, you flatter me. I’m just one of the Optimized. How could I possibly compare to the corps leaders who have broken through to the Blood Qi Realm?" Lin Xinghai quickly replied.

"Little Brother Lin, you’re being far too modest. If it came down to a real fight on the battlefield, not a single one of them could match you."

"Besides, your intelligence is acknowledged even by the military! It gave me some serious bragging rights in front of that old ghost, Lin Zhengyang!" By the end of his sentence, Chairman Jin was practically beaming with delight.

Lin Xinghai rubbed his nose. He couldn’t very well respond to that; Lin Zhengyang was a top brass in the Military Department.

Jin Canlan seemed to understand Lin Xinghai’s predicament. He let out a hearty laugh and changed the subject. "Little Brother Lin, after this whole business in Guanghan City is over, I’ll treat you to a feast. When it comes to finding real delicacies here in the Star Shield Shelter, nobody knows better than me."

As he spoke, he patted his own round belly, making his point with undeniable conviction.

Lin Xinghai was a little surprised. He hadn’t expected Chairman Jin to invite him to dinner. But since the man was the chairman, he certainly wasn’t going to refuse.

Seeing Lin Xinghai accept, Jin Canlan chuckled and led the high-ranking members of the Mercenary Corps behind him over to where the military personnel were gathered.

Soon, the order to prepare for departure came from the front. The 5,000-plus soldiers from the military boarded their Armored Vehicles first and began taking the elevators to the surface in succession.

Meanwhile, Jin Canlan walked to the front of the plaza with a megaphone in hand. He cleared his throat, preparing to give a speech.

He was clearly planning to give a speech to boost morale before they set off, but his very first sentence made Lin Xinghai’s mouth twitch.

"I won’t waste time with pleasantries. I’m sure you all know what our mission is today. That’s right! It’s the opportunity I fought so hard to secure for all of you—a chance to go to Guanghan City and earn Points..."

Listening to the man’s passionate, rousing speech, Lin Xinghai’s first thought was, ’Shameless.’ It was the Mercenary Guild that had begged the major Mercenary Corps to go to Guanghan City, but coming from his mouth, the story was completely twisted.

But Lin Xinghai didn’t care about any of that.

Jin Canlan continued his impassioned speech, listing all the benefits of going to Guanghan City.

His words did manage to stir up some excitement among the Mercenaries below, but most of them remained impassive.

The veteran Mercenaries, in particular, even looked a little impatient.

Anyone who was going to get excited had already done so when they received the news yesterday. As for the sense of honor and whatnot that Jin Canlan mentioned, that was far less important to them than tangible rewards.

After five minutes of effusive rhetoric, Jin Canlan finally stopped, though he seemed reluctant to do so.

"Alright, that’s enough talk. The Points and all sorts of equipment are ready and waiting. How much you can take from the Mercenary Union is all up to your own skills."

"Move out!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jin Canlan was the first to board an Armored Vehicle. He then fell in behind the military convoy, lining up to enter the elevator.

Lin Xinghai was surprised to see that the chairman was also leading a team on the expedition, but his surprise quickly faded into understanding.

At the command, the other Mercenaries also began to board their vehicles.

One after another, the Armored Vehicles departed from the Star Shield Shelter, heading toward Guanghan City.

This was, without a doubt, the Star Shield Shelter’s largest operation to date. With nearly 300 Mercenary Corps and over 5,000 soldiers, their convoy comprised more than 1,000 Armored Vehicles.

The sheer scale of the massive convoy was enough that any zombie hordes along the way, sensing the instinctual danger, kept their distance.

After nearly two hours of driving, the convoy finally closed to within 10 kilometers of Guanghan City.

At that point, the vehicles at the front of the convoy began to slow. They found a wide, open area by the roadside and came to a stop.

Soldiers jumped out of the vehicles one by one. Some carried materials, others carried tools, and they quickly began constructing defensive fortifications.

According to the plan Lin Xinghai had previously proposed, clearing out such a large area of Zombies would be impossible to complete in just one or two days. It would take at least eight to ten days.

The distance between Guanghan City and the Star Shield Shelter was too great; spending four hours on a round trip every day simply wasn’t worth it.

Therefore, the Military Department had decided to establish a temporary encampment near Guanghan City.

And this was where they would build it.