Having said this, Chen Weiguo shifted his tone and looked at Qi Zhenshan. "Minister Qi, you mentioned earlier that Beacon Fire Town has few combat personnel. I admit that... but aren't you glossing over the more important points?"

He tapped a spot on the map, pulling up the detailed data for Beacon Fire Town. "Beacon Fire Town was indeed just established, with only a dozen or so combat personnel."

"But its city defenses—twenty-meter-high stone walls, twelve watchtowers, four blue-quality city gates, plus a five-meter inner city wall."

"What does that represent? These are defense standards that even some county-level territories might not necessarily achieve!" 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Qi Zhenshan frowned and was about to speak, but Chen Weiguo raised his hand to interrupt him. "The lack of combat personnel is indeed an issue."

"But it's the easiest problem to solve. We can support them by sending some Awakened or providing a batch of Class Change Books, and they'll be able to pull a team together in a few months."

Chen Weiguo lowered his hand, his gaze sweeping across everyone present. "But what about Panshi Town and Hongmu Town?"

His finger moved across the map, pointing out two locations. "Panshi Town and Hongmu Town are both to the west of Zhenyue City. If Cataclysm comes from the west, they will be the front line."

"After the intensity of Cataclysm escalates, even if they both upgrade to county-level, how long can these two hold out?"

"Can you guarantee that they will survive Cataclysm?"

No one answered.

Chen Weiguo continued, "The task given to us by the General Bureau is to have at least one county-level territory in the Nightmare World. Not two, not three, but one."

"What is the purpose of the Rongcheng Nightmare Affairs Bureau? It is to hold a piece of the world for Great Xia within the Nightmare World."

"If we lose all our territories in the Nightmare World, will there still be a need for the Rongcheng Branch Bureau to exist?"

These last words were like a heavy hammer striking everyone's heart.

Everyone knew the consequences; if the Rongcheng Nightmare Affairs Bureau did not have a single county-level territory, there would indeed be no need for the Rongcheng Branch Bureau to exist.

Xu Boyong was silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Xiao Chen, you mean..."

"What I mean is..." Chen Weiguo looked directly at him.

"Beacon Fire Town's location is excellent, which is a natural advantage. As long as Cataclysm doesn't fall directly on its /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ head, it will have enough time to develop."

"And as long as it's given time, with Lin Feng's potential and our support, reaching county-level won't be a problem at all."

Silence fell over the meeting room once again.

This time, it was a silence of contemplation.

After a long while, Xu Boyong was the first to speak. "I agree with Xiao Chen's opinion."

He looked at his two deputies on either side; the two exchanged glances and also nodded.

Qi Zhenshan and Zhou Ming exchanged a look. Finally, Qi Zhenshan sighed. "Since Elder Xu has said so... I'll reserve my opinion, but I will follow the decision."

Zhou Ming also nodded in agreement.

A weight lifted from Chen Weiguo's heart, but his expression remained steady. "Then it's settled. The Rongcheng Branch Bureau's quota will be given to Beacon Fire Town."

He looked at Li Wenshan. "The Intelligence Department will continue to closely monitor Beacon Fire Town's developments. Report any major situations immediately."

He then looked at Zhou Ming. "The Logistics Department will prepare a resource package, allocated according to the highest standards. As soon as Beacon Fire Town has a need, it can be mobilized at any time."

Finally, he looked at Zhao Hua, the clerk in charge of archives sitting at the end of the conference table. "Where is Xiao Lin?"

Zhao Hua hurriedly said, "Director Chen, Lin Xiaoyu is on field duty today and hasn't returned yet."

Chen Weiguo nodded, picked up his communicator, and dialed a number.

A moment later, the call connected.

"Xiaoyu, it's me." Chen Weiguo's voice was unusually gentle. "I have a task for you. If Lin Feng contacts you, tell him immediately that I have important matters to discuss with him. Have him contact me as soon as possible."

Lin Xiaoyu's crisp voice came from the other end of the communicator: "Understood! Don't worry, Director Chen, I will definitely pass the message along immediately!"

Chen Weiguo hung up and looked out the window at the bright sunshine.

Cataclysm was approaching, but hope remained.

...

The meeting ended, and the crowd began to leave one after another.

Chen Weiguo sat alone in the meeting room, staring at the map on the wall, at that tiny red dot labeled "Beacon Fire Town."

"Lin Feng..." He softly whispered the name. "Don't let me down."

In the early morning, the first glimmer of dark red dawn appeared on the horizon.

At the west gate of Beacon Fire Town, the twenty-meter-high stone walls cast a huge shadow in the morning light. The city gates were wide open, waiting for the first batch of "guests" of the day.

Lin Feng stood outside the city gate, with Zhao Hu, Wang Wu, Tie Dun, and other core members behind him.

Seven Beacon Guards were lined up on both sides holding halberds, the blades glinting coldly in the morning sun.

"Lord, how many people do you think will come this time?" Tie Dun craned his neck to look into the distance, his face full of anticipation.

Lin Feng did not look back, his gaze fixed on the plain shrouded in morning mist. "Zero casualties in a Level 2 Nightmare Tide; our performance should be quite good. According to previous patterns, at least three or four hundred people."

Zhao Hu grinned and said, "Three hundred is not a small number! Combined with the group from Xiaoyao Stronghold, our population is almost reaching a thousand."

"Reaching a thousand?" Wang Wu shook his head. "Old Zhao, we have five hundred and seventy-five people now. If three hundred come, that's only eight hundred or so. We're still far from a thousand."

"What's the rush? We'll get there eventually," Zhao Hu said dismissively. "With the Lord here, are you afraid we won't have people?"

The group chatted and laughed as time ticked by.

Ten minutes later, in the sky above the distant plain, space began to ripple like water.

The ripples grew larger and denser, finally opening in the void like an invisible portal.

Immediately after, figures stepped out from the portal, turning from ethereal to solid, from blurry to clear.

One, ten, fifty, one hundred, two hundred...

The crowd surged out like a tide, instantly crowding the open space outside the west gate.

Lin Feng's pupils contracted slightly.

This number... was not right.

Three hundred... five hundred... eight hundred...

When the last figure stepped out from the ripples and the invisible portal slowly closed, the open space outside the west gate was already densely packed with people.

Men, women, young and old, in tattered clothes and with faces full of fear, as if they had just undergone a long migration.

Lin Feng did a rough sweep, and his heart skipped a beat.

At least a thousand people.

"This..." Tie Dun's mouth hung open wide enough to fit a fist. "This is way too many, isn't it?!"

Zhao Hu stared blankly at the sea of people and muttered, "Zero casualties in a Level 2 tide, is the reward really this good?"

Wang Wu took a deep breath and looked at Lin Feng. "Lord, we've struck it rich this time."

Lin Feng suppressed the surprise in his heart and said in a deep voice, "Zhang Ping!"

Zhang Ping had already been waiting nearby with over thirty young men; hearing this, he immediately stepped forward. "Here!"

"Tally the population. Categorize and register them: able-bodied men, women, the elderly, and children. Those with Life Profession specialties should be marked separately."

"Yes!"

Zhang Ping waved his hand, and the thirty-odd young men immediately rushed into the crowd and began their work.