Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 946 - 664: Preparations for the Expedition (Part 2)

He paused, then continued, "But I must tell you, this road will not be smooth. We defeated the pirates here, but there are more enemies outside, larger challenges. We need to fight for resources and face the various forces eyeing us in the Stellar District. There might be bloodshed, there might be sacrifices."

"But I also promise, as long as you follow me, you will no longer be mining slaves bullied by others, but warriors and builders fighting for yourselves, for your families, for a better future. We will have our own ships, our own weapons, our own home. The Mine Star should not forever be a forgotten and plundered corner."

Tears welled up in the cloudy eyes of the miners, for the first time feeling that there might be hope in life.

"Victor." Bai E turned to the young Mech Pilot, "You take people to assist the miners here, first settle the injured and clear out the most basic living areas. Catherine, you come with me."

In the temporarily cleared-out shack that originally belonged to the pirate leader "Split Claw," Bai E, Catherine, and several young miner representatives from the base mine were gathered, their eyes filled with eagerness.

"The situation here is worse than at the base mine." Catherine looked at a rough list just compiled, her brows furrowed, "Under slavery, miners have almost no living security. Most huts are drafty, water purification equipment is outdated and broken, food consists only of the poorest nutritional paste, and medical conditions are almost nonexistent... Many miners have injuries and chronic illnesses."

She handed the data pad to Bai E, "The materials we tallied from the pirate warehouse mainly consist of ore, some weapons and ammunition, two old small transport ships, and a small amount of supplies the pirates enjoyed themselves. Resources to improve the miners' living conditions... are a mere drop in the bucket. Just to reach basic survival standards for nearly a thousand people here requires filters, medicine, food, and building materials... a number we currently cannot afford."

Bai E silently looked at the list.

The situation did not fundamentally improve by taking over one mining area; it became even heavier with the addition of more people.

The pirate heritage in this mining area was not as rich as imagined, and most of the output had obviously been regularly transported away.

"We cannot stop." Bai E's voice was steady, "Stopping means sitting idle until resources are exhausted. The legacy of the 'Reef Star Domain', we must seize it."

"I agree." Catherine nodded, "But neither this place nor the base mine can be left unguarded. Although the main force of the Blood Claw Pirate Group is not here, the movements here can't be hidden from other forces in the mining district. We must leave enough strength to prevent others from taking advantage and prevent new allegiance from faltering due to a lack of protection."

"Is there any news from those former subordinates you contacted before?" Bai E asked.

"Yes." A trace of comfort flashed in Catherine's eyes, "Victor has contacted some of his former subordinates, and they are willing to offer some help, with many even willing to come over."

She pulled up another communication record, "They are already on their way and should arrive within the next two days. Once they arrive, they can maintain the order of the mining district and its basic defenses. They all have a certain level of military training, capable of dealing with ordinary small pirate or local thugs' harassment."

"Very good." Bai E made a decision, "Once they arrive, take over the protection work. Then you and I will set out. Additionally, we need to draft a temporary management directive, focusing on a few core points:

First, abolish all slavery and forced labor, and record all work by labor for future uniform reward distribution; second, establish basic patrol and self-defense teams, with personnel selected from miners willing to join, trained and led by your former subordinates; third, concentrate the distribution of existing materials, prioritizing the injured, women and children, and the most basic living needs; fourth, restore and maintain key production facilities, gradually resuming orderly mining while ensuring survival to accumulate resources for future development."

Catherine quickly took notes: "Understood. Distribution based on labor, self-defense arming, material allocation, production restoration... I will refine it into regulations and publish them in the two mining districts."

Bai E looked at the few young miner representatives from the base mining district: "Are you willing to follow Victor and Captain Catherine to take care of this place and our home? This is also a battle, crafting a stable rear for ourselves."

The young people stood tall, nodding vigorously: "Sir, we are willing! You saved us, gave us hope, we won't let our rear catch fire!"

"Good." Bai E's gaze swept over everyone, "Until I bring back enough resources from outside, we can't truly start building a home. Until then, holding on and waiting also demands courage."

He stepped out of the shack, watching the miners busy transporting pirate corpses, clearing debris, and helping the injured.

The miners of the Black Steel Mine looked at him with gratitude and awe, the news quickly traveling back to the original mine district along with the transport.

In the tunnels of the base mining district, the discussions for the first time in years became lively.

"Have you heard? Those bastards in the Black Steel Mine have really been wiped out!"

"Is that mech-piloting sir really that powerful?"

"Not just powerful, I heard he abolished slavery on the spot and said things will be distributed based on labor in the future…"

"Really? Not another empty promise?"

"Doesn't seem like it… Those guys who went along came back and said they saw it with their own eyes! The pirate nest has been taken down, and the stuff is being inventoried. Also, Captain Catherine's people are coming to help guard our home…"

"So you're saying… there might really be a future following this leader?"

The longstanding ice of despair finally cracked, pierced by a powerful force bringing real change.

Many miners who had been observing now actively inquired about the situation of the "New Bauhinia," with some skilled technicians and strong laborers even secretly seeking Victor or familiar miner representatives, expressing willingness to contribute to the new order.

Bai E stood on the newly cleared ground of the Black Steel Mine, watching Catherine commanding people to post temporary management directives, watching Victor organizing the self-defense team, and gazing at the distant stars.

…

"Did he really make a move?" Xing Zhuo received reports from his subordinates.

Although he resigned in disgrace, the council rejected his request.

In fact, because he has experience in facing the Bug Race fleet head-on, he was appointed as the joint commander to annihilate the Bug Race fleet this time.

Before setting off, he received news from the Mine Star that originally belonged to Bauhinia...

In fact, the Alliance wasn't concerned about this resource-poor Mine Star.

Since Bauhinia disbanded and surrendered, they hadn't sent anyone to actually take over.

However, Bai E's words personally left a mark on him.

The other party was just one person, and developing a planet is definitely not something that can be accomplished by personal force... but he always felt that man seemed capable of anything.

And just a few days later, that man made a thunderous move and eradicated a pirate-controlled mining district.

He began to wonder if he made a mistake by not reporting Bai E's decision to the highest council...

But currently, what's more important is, without that man sitting in charge, can the joint fleet he leads really eliminate the Bug Race fleet lingering near the match planet?

In fact, the Alliance recently hasn't had time to deal with anything else, as they are focusing all their power on this matter.

They want to use an indisputable victory to make the so-called "Bug Race threat theory" disappear and once again prove the supremacy of human civilization.

But as the frontline commander of the joint fleet, he had no confidence...