Zou Jianghe stared at Du Yu as if he were looking at a monster, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

Luo Gang looked dazed. He subconsciously glanced at Cao Biansheng in his team, who gave a slight nod, confirming that what Qin Ziwen had just said was true.

"Chairman Qin, it’s a good thing we’re on the same side," Luo Gang said, letting out a long sigh of relief. "If we had an opponent like Du Yu, I’d have to sleep with one eye open."

Qin Ziwen picked up the conversation. "Right, I have some news to share with everyone. I’ve managed to get some information about the next map ahead of time. The environment will be an Island, and it’s a competition mode.

I suspect the competition won’t be among us, but between us and other Gated Communities."

"With Du the Brave on our side, it’s our opponents on the next map who should be worried," Zou Jianghe laughed. He looked at Du Yu with a hint of envy. ’If only he were my Recruiter.’

Luo Gang reasoned, "If the next map also has a Hunting Celestial List, then the competition will most likely revolve around fighting for prey."

Qin Ziwen looked at the two of them. "The number of animals around the Gated Community is dwindling. Most of them are migrating east toward the Oasis."

"We’ve already spotted traces of Red-winged Dragons on the eastern cliffs," Zou Jianghe interjected, "but they can fly, which makes hunting them extremely difficult."

Luo Gang laughed heartily. "Don’t worry about that, Chairman Qin. We’ve been keeping an eye on the movements of the two beast packs from the hunting missions. As soon as you’re ready, we can lead the way and complete those two missions."

He paused, then added, "However, our water reserves are about to run dry. I’ve assembled a hundred-man expedition team to the Oasis to fetch water. To make transport easier, I also had eight water carts built."

"Water carts? What do they look like?" Zou Jianghe asked curiously.

Luo Gang showed everyone their finished product: a two-wheeled flatbed cart made of multiple layers of wooden planks pieced together. The cracks in the corners were filled with clay mixed with grass stems.

"How’s the seal?"

Luo Gang said, "The seal is very good. Although the wooden planks do still leak a little, the rate is very slow. We can guarantee that basically all the water will make it back over a two or three-day trip."

"Each cart can carry one ton of water, so eight carts is eight tons. For our Student Union’s population, that shipment will only last four or five days. The Oasis is thirty to forty kilometers from here, so a same-day round trip is out of the question. The journey will take at least two days, and that’s if everything goes smoothly. That’s why the convoy has to leave tomorrow; the missions after this are scheduled back-to-back."

After making a quick mental calculation, Qin Ziwen pointed out, "You don’t have enough carts. Considering your population and the size of this expedition, you’ll need at least fifteen carts to be safe."

"This is all we could manage, even with working overtime." Luo Gang gave a wry smile. "New carts are still under construction, but this first batch has to carry out the transport mission."

Qin Ziwen thought for a moment before making a suggestion. "How about this: I’ll lend you three tons of water for now, and you can pay me back later. If you delay your departure by two days, how many more carts can you make?"

Zou Jianghe was secretly astonished. ’Just how much water does Qin Ziwen have?’

’They don’t have many people, yet they can afford to be so extravagant.’

Qin Ziwen himself didn’t know exactly how much water he had. He only knew that his Fish Pond had dimensions of 20x30x4 meters. Based on the calculation that one cubic meter of water is roughly one ton, he probably had over two thousand tons.

Hearing this, Luo Gang was pleasantly surprised. He hesitated for a moment before giving an answer. "In two days, we can make five more carts. Any more than that, and we’ll run out of materials."

Qin Ziwen said, "Don’t worry, I’ll have some two-wheeled flatbed carts made as well. We can transport the water together."

"I can contribute as well," Zou Jianghe added.

After some calculation and discussion, the three of them decided to delay the departure by two days. The convoy would now consist of forty flatbed carts, with a single-trip capacity of forty tons.

For the entire Gated Community, this water supplement, while still tight, would be enough to establish a basic supply cycle.

Of course, this meant that water usage for personal hygiene, handicraft workshops, the Blacksmith Shop, carpentry workshops, and other such places would be drastically reduced, and work efficiency would inevitably be affected.

But at least there was now hope for a stable water supply. They were no longer just depleting their reserves. This was a good sign.

Back at his residence, Qin Ziwen summoned the Mongolian Horse.

He took out two Animal Enhancement Cards.

When the Beaked Eagle saw them, it instinctively flew over and started nudging him with its head.

Qin Ziwen said helplessly, "You don’t have to nudge me. You can’t use these for now."

Hearing this, the Beaked Eagle froze, its expression turning to one of surprise.

"NEIGH~" The Mongolian Horse squeezed over, a sleazy smile on its face.

Qin Ziwen first used Insight on it.

Ordinary Three Stars.

’Then these two Enhancement Cards should be just enough to max it out.’

Qin Ziwen used both Cards on it in quick succession, and the Mongolian Horse was instantly enveloped in light.

When the light faded, the Mongolian Horse’s physique had completely transformed. Its muscles were bulging, its limbs powerful, with a shoulder height of nearly 1.9 meters and a body length of 2.3 meters.

It was in no way inferior to a Shire Horse.

[Ordinary Mongolian Horse: ☆☆☆☆☆]

Compared to before, the Mongolian Horse was now much larger, but when it revealed its smile, that familiar sleazy feeling returned.

"You’d better not smile." Qin Ziwen pressed its lips shut.

"Iron Mountain." Qin Ziwen waved Li Tieshan over.

Ever since returning from that ruin, Li Tieshan had been in a frequent daze.

"My lord." He walked over and clasped his fists.

"We’re preparing to build a batch of two-wheeled flatbed carts for carrying water. There are only two requirements: they must be waterproof and have a large capacity."

"Yes, my lord," Li Tieshan replied.

After Li Tieshan left, Jia Liangcai came to report on their recent progress.

Qian Muzhen’s medical clinic had already opened in the Gated Community. Since it just opened, there weren’t many patients yet. Most were members of the Qin Alliance coming in for treatment. However, Dr. Qian’s medical skills were solid, and she was already gaining a small reputation in the Gated Community.

At the Leather Armor Workshop, 12 new sets of Sand Worm Armor have been added to the Inner Treasury, with the remaining 18 sets being rushed to completion.

The Blacksmith Shop has newly forged two Iron-cast Pure Iron Long Spears and two Car-Mounted Crossbows. Two more Car-Mounted Crossbows are currently under construction and are expected to be completed tomorrow.

The farmlands have yielded one harvest, and vegetable cultivation has been greatly expanded. The pumpkins have borne fruit, the cultivation of Gray Sweet Potatoes has doubled, and the second batch of ripe Gray Sweet Potatoes has been stored in the cellar.

The purple fruits on the Mysterious Fruit Tree have developed. According to Wei Zhaohua’s assessment, they are expected to ripen in another week.

The Water Dew Fruit has been examined. It was found that grinding the husk into powder still retains its detoxifying effect, and its shelf life seems to be extended. At the same time, the juice inside the Water Dew Fruit can quench thirst and stimulate saliva production.

After listening to the report, he offered a few words of encouragement to Jia Liangcai.

Afterwards, he took Du Yu to the tavern.

He sat there for a while, expecting it to be empty like before, but after only a few moments, customers arrived.

It was a family of four, carrying large and small bags of luggage. From their discussion, he gathered they were heading south to seek refuge with relatives.

After speaking with them, he learned that things in the Great Yong had descended into chaos.

Uprisings were breaking out everywhere. At the same time, six Princes of the Great Yong had simultaneously raised armies to "aid the sovereign," claiming to be "cleansing the court of corrupt officials."

As for more detailed information, they didn’t know anything else.

Qin Ziwen asked if they wanted to stay, but the scholar of the family refused. He said that although this place was remote, quiet, and seemed safe, he still hoped his son could pass the imperial examinations and earn an official post in the future. If they stayed here, his son would never have that chance.

Qin Ziwen understood his reasoning.

With the Great Yong on the brink of a chaotic era, prices were soaring. Qin Ziwen considered whether he should raise the price of the alcohol in his tavern as well.

But after thinking about it, he decided against it.

...