It's still summer now, and winter is at least four months away.

Zhou Yi, after his return, had convened a formal meeting with the core staff in Room 3101, where he announced the formation of the Development Alliance and the forthcoming honor war they would face.

Everyone appeared very calm.

Others were optimistic, possibly due to unawareness of the strength of Duke Destructive. However, Uncle Zheng had broad knowledge, and Qian Su was a Weapon Merchant; they too seemed confidently optimistic, which puzzled Zhou Yi.

Perhaps Qian Su thought of herself as one of the Heavenly People and could directly suppress the Governor with her rank?

Uncle Zheng spoke, "This is a war between different regions, and as long as it can't be concluded in a short time, what we'll be fighting is logistics."

"I'm not familiar with the weaponry field, so I'll talk about the food supply."

This agricultural advisor meticulously explained, "In such wars, humans typically serve as support troops, logistics personnel, and craftsmen—they outnumber the regular military but are indispensable. These human soldiers need to eat and drink. If they aren't well fed, their morale will be low, making it difficult for them to operate on the battlefield."

"From the Shuanghe Region to Shell City, there are 840 kilometers. We need to continuously transport dried mushrooms to the front line, which must be done by several ships. The Guangna Species won't do this heavy labor. The transport ships are operated by human crews, and their speed does not exceed 10 kilometers per hour. At maximum speed, a one-way direct trip takes 84 hours, that is, 3 and a half days, so a round trip takes 7 days."

He gestured with his hands, "A round trip, this will incur extra days of significant food consumption. The natural losses occurring during the collection, packaging, and transportation are over 60%, with at most 40% of the food actually reaching the human soldiers on the front lines."

"Shell City has a large reserve of food, with low losses, and combined with our shorter logistics lines and higher transport efficiency, our side has an advantage in the field of food supply."

"We also have the Jade Soup supply, which can substitute for two meals in one, making it not only easy to transport and store but also rapidly replenishing people's energy after consumption."

Zhou Yi remembered.

When he had initially attacked Shell City, he saw many humans wielding Firearms, also serving as auxiliary troops for Sea Horse Shooters, handling things like tripod stands and Long-range Shooters.

There were indeed a large number of humans in the city's military.

Zhou Yi then turned to Qian Su, "What about you?"

The irongirl pondered for a bit before speaking, "There are many variables in the weapon field, making accurate assessments difficult. Duke Destructive specializes in aerial suppression and land assaults. I believe with Condensers and Lie Hai, we have sharp enough blades in the air to tear through the enemy lines."

"At sea, we have the Sea God and St. Petersburg, which are also highly mobile. The issue is the lack of sufficient core numbers; I suggest we could hire some more Electromechanical Life Mercenaries."

"Considering that ahead there are two defensive lines of Shell City and Steel Refining City, we also have room to maneuver. Their strength is not insignificant and they won't be easily breached."

She said, "Uncle Zheng is right, war is fought with logistics. The Sea lord's Guangna Species warriors need to continuously consume Light Seeds. If these can't be supplied during war, their combat effectiveness won't materialize. Large-scale combat formation will always be equipped with a large number of auxiliary combat members."

Qian Su was counting on her metal fingers, "Ships, vehicles, various detecting and fighting devices, all require continuous loading of Energy Packs, which is also a significant expense that needs constant transportation to the front lines."

"Compared to the enemy, our side has a unique advantage, and that is our courier center."

Zhou Yi initially thought she would talk about Architectural Life available for combat.

The advantage was the courier service?

He didn't understand and asked, "I'd like to hear more details."

She happily said, "Chairman, we have one-of-a-kind Bone Fish and Sheng Snake deliverymen. If the north gets blocked, even though Recursice City's operations might be temporarily suspended due to irresistible factors, we can shift to Coral Port in the south—a mere change in region. That's our logistic earning's protection!"

"This month's bill has already been issued, have you seen it?"

Zhou Yi really hadn't.

He clicked open the Recursive City page and checked the background information.

The numbers astonished him.

In the past month, they had completed 566 orders, totaling 22,640 Light Seeds. The delivery center took a cut of 6,792 Light Seeds, but he still had 15,848 Light Seeds credited to his account.

Zhou Yi wondered, "With only eight Bone Fish deliverymen, even if you include Sheng Snake's help, how can they finish so many orders?"

"Yes."

Qian Su revealed a proud smile. "Chairman, we've improved the process by having each deliveryman permanently responsible for a specific area. They are familiar with the routes and can respond quickly."

"However, the main reason is the previous delivery uniform, which has significantly improved functionality. The Sheng Snakes' coordination with the Bone Fish has also become more stable."

"If not for considering stability and safety, we could still take at least 200 more orders..."

She couldn't stop talking about the delivery center, but eventually restrained herself and brought the topic back. "As the delivery center is not affected by the war, it can generate a continuous income of Light Seeds for the company. As we continue to expand, this income will increase. With money and transportation support, we can afford to fight."

Qian Su stated seriously, "Chairman, we can't build a strong army quickly, but we have money, so we can hire external military forces. There are many excellent mercenary groups that can handle the attacks from Duke Destructive."

Zhou Yi knew immediately that she had a list in mind.

"Recommend a few."

The girl's metallic fingers moved slightly. "From a professional standpoint, I suggest choosing the Dead Sea Knights or the Northern Ocean Army."

The Dead Sea Knights were understandable, as they possessed a well-known powerful fleet and had rich combat experience in the Dead Sea.

The other one Zhou Yi had never heard of.

"Is the Northern Ocean Army related to the Beiyang Knight?"

"Yes."

Qian Su nodded. "The Beiyang Knight is a heroic group, usually operating individually, but the army represents their collective combat power. They are the left and right arms of the Beiyang Group."

"Among them, the Beiyang Knight is more famous because of their legendary status and the support and promotion by earth officials, thus having more contact with the secular world. However, within the Weapon Merchant circle, the Northern Ocean Army is held in higher regard."

"The main force of the Northern Ocean Army is Artificial Body Warriors."

Zhou Yi was surprised. "Fully modified artificial bodies?"

"Exactly."

Qian Su was serious. "They can be considered as an all-around enhanced version of humans. They possess both the intellect and dexterity to use tools like humans and can adapt to complex environments while extracting natural Death Light, enabling them to fight in harsh environments for extended periods."

"Many of the powerful lives killed and pillage groups eradicated by the Northern Ocean Army have been publicly credited to the Beiyang Knight. Plus, they maintain a low profile, so not much is known about them externally."

"The Beiyang Region has been able to maintain its independence for a long time because of the Northern Ocean Army's presence. Historically, they have fought three honor wars for the Beiyang Region, with two victories and one draw, and they have a track record in this regard."

"I've done business with them, so I know some specifics about them."

Zhou Yi nodded as he listened.

Since they were preparing for war, they would need both.

For the Dead Sea Knights, they could directly contact Qin Xie, asking him to recommend a fleet to specifically contain Duke Destructive's naval forces in the Dead Sea.

The Northern Ocean Army could serve as the main defense.

There was still a small issue.

"Price range?"

Qian Su said, "Hiring a fleet of the Dead Sea Knights to participate in the winter season would require at least 50,000 Light Seeds."

"The Northern Ocean Army is much cheaper, just 20,000 Light Seeds to hire a large team of 300 people, but additional consumption and configuration are calculated separately."

Zhou Yi decided to contact the Northern Ocean Army first.

Red Kestrel checked the Recursive City's database and said, "I found the Northern Ocean Army in the labor market; their credit rating is B. You can contact them through this channel. Do you want to contact them now?"

Zhou Yi said to contact.

The unmanned drone's electronic eye flickered, emitting a slightly hoarse voice, "Hello, Northern Ocean Army."

Zhou Yi said, "I want to hire the Northern Ocean Army to participate in the defense of an honor war."

"Who is the opponent?"

"Duke Destructive."

"That would require at least two large teams."

The reply was concise and to the point.

Zhou Yi asked, "What's the price?"

"Two large teams, 40,000 Light Seeds for one year, with an advance payment of 20,000. There's no guarantee of victory, and they will directly withdraw after a fifty percent casualty rate."

To fight until half are dead before retreating was considered a bloody battle.

Zhou Yi looked at Qian Su next to him.

The girl gave a thumbs-up gesture, indicating that the price was acceptable.

Zhou Yi immediately decided, "Good, come to Jade City in the Sand Port Region before the arrival of winter."

"Are you from the Wasteland Development Company?"

"Yes."

"We've sent you the partnership agreement, have a look."

Zhou Yi looked at the electronic screen displaying the agreement.

This time, using Recursive City as the intermediary, an agreement was reached between the two parties, and Recursive City would charge a 1% brokerage fee. Both parties' actions would be completely supervised by Mechanical City.

The company's patent profits were still growing, so the payment was directly deducted through an electronic account.

Next was the Dead Sea Knights, whose fame resulted in a high premium.

Zhou Yi decided to first talk to Qin Xie.

He activated the cylindrical contact device left by the other party.

The device emitted a faint green light.

Before long, Qin Xie's light voice came through, "Mr. Zhou, it's been a while, your Wasteland Express has been really hot lately..."

"At Coral Port, many people wanted to emulate the taming of the Bone Fish, but not a single one succeeded. Can I join in? We have some acquaintance, and we've even been fellow inmates before..."

"Yes."

Zhou Yi's response surprised the other party.

"Really?"

"Really."

"What are the terms?"

Zhou Yi explained about the honor war.

"In this region, Duke Destructive is indeed one of the top powers."

Qin Xie suggested, "If you don't mind, why not consider the Seventh Fleet? Our fleet is actually quite good, and it ranks in the upper-mid level within the entire Dead Sea Knights."

Zhou Yi mentioned, "The key is it needs to be cheaper."

"The price isn't negotiable. It's all clearly marked. The formation of the Seventh Fleet must have 70,000 Light Seeds, or else it wouldn't pass the headquarter's review… You can ask around about this."

Qin Xie thought for a moment, "However, there is a way to lower the price. You could hire the heavy cruiser guard."

The Seventh Fleet had four B-class heavy patrol warships, each commanding a guard team, and the White Dove, which was led by five ships, was the patrol guard under Qin Xie's command.

"The price of the heavy cruiser guard is much cheaper, the lowest can go to 7,000 Light Seeds for one year. But the extra costs due to damage and firing need to be paid by the employer. Altogether, the maximum cost would be 21,000 for one year."

Zhou Yi felt that this price was reasonable.

"Then I shall hire you."

"Good, I'll go to the commander to process the formalities right now."

Zhou Yi also put forth real money, "This operation will count as your technical investment. I'll give you a 1% shareholding, with annual profit dividends. However, when the company needs assistance, you must help out."

It was time for Jade City to find a proper external ally.

Qin Xie, who had resources from two major knight orders and was in a period of rapid growth, was a suitable choice.

This way, when the honor war commenced, he also couldn't slack off.

"Mr. Zhou is still as straightforward as ever."

Qin Xie gave a response, "Honored by your trust, I must really put forth some effort this time. However, since the opponent is Duke Destructive, I also need to plan thoroughly."

"In any case, wait for my performance when the time comes."

The young ship captain said jokingly with a laugh.

Zhou Yi suddenly felt some anticipation for this winter.

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