"You, you, and you—not bad, not bad at all. From now on, follow me."

Chen Luo called out the names of the familiar faces one by one, preparing to take these dozen or so people back to the base.

I did say that I would never lift a finger, didn't I?

A word to the wise.

About half of these people were Lin Tian's confidants. When Chen Luo called their names, their expressions changed drastically. Was this a purge?

The slow-witted looked at them, their eyes filled with envy.

The clever ones guessed that this might be a purge, but they didn't dare say it out loud.

Zhou Qiang forced a smile, trembling with fear. "Brother Chen, I'm doing fine with my brothers here. I think I'll pass."

Chen Guang laughed loudly. "The boss is personally inviting you, and you're not giving him face? Come on, come on, let me tell you about the benefits we have over there."

Soon, the familiar faces, whether they wanted to or not, were taken away.

As for the remaining people, Chen Luo certainly wouldn't lay a hand on them; he wasn't bloodthirsty.

Chen Luo planned to keep them around as reserves, to do the dirty work.

They would have to find their own food and supplies, relying on their own efforts. If they wanted to leave, they were free to go; he wouldn't try to stop them.

As for who would manage them, Chen Luo hadn't decided yet.

Chen Luo said solemnly, "Anyone who performs well can officially join our base. That's a promise."

Zhou Nannan whispered to Xiong Wenhui.

"I see now. Our new boss doesn't actually have any malicious intentions towards us. After arriving, he hasn't hurt a single person. He just used force to intimidate us."

"He deliberately said he was going to kill us all to force out the opportunists. The ones who are left are the true sisters."

Xiong Wenhui wasn't too dim-witted. After Zhou Nannan's explanation, she suddenly understood.

Xiong Wenhui whispered, "To be honest, I'm not cut out to be a boss. It's too tiring, taking care of so many people every day. It's a constant worry. I feel liberated now."

"Exactly! I wonder if he gets enough to eat, and what if he's a womanizer?"

Zhou Nannan winked and said, "Being a womanizer isn't a problem. Who knows who'll end up sleeping with whom?"

Chen Luo: !!!

I forgot to tell you guys. First, my hearing is excellent, and second, I'm a good man.

This girl is driving faster than the guys.

Chen Luo coughed and said, "Xiong Wenhui, just bring your food and a change of clothes. We have everything over there. Just move in."

Xiong Wenhui agreed.

Xiong Wenhui felt a little relieved. It wasn't that she didn't want to keep taking care of those who ran away; it was that they chose to leave her first.

This boss has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Most importantly, his acting is phenomenal. When he first appeared, he was every bit the villain.

Xiong Wenhui really thought they were all going to be killed.

What left Chen Luo speechless was that, despite being told to only bring food and clothes, they brought everything, like they were fleeing from a famine.

Suddenly having to move, Xiong Wenhui and her group, with their complex emotions of confusion, apprehension, and a hint of anticipation, followed Chen Luo towards the base.

The closer they got to the base, the more Xiong Wenhui and the others realized how amazing Chen Luo was; people greeted him all along the way.

That's right, even Da Zhu is more impressive than me, and who knows how many others like him there are.

When they arrived at the base, it was dusk, almost dinnertime.

Xiong Wenhui stared in shock at the base's tall, sturdy walls. Walls like these couldn't have been built in a short time.

The area outside the base was clean and tidy, with no disgusting stench, and no lurking, ill-intentioned wanderers.

"It's the leader! The leader is back!"

"Greetings, leader!"

The members on duty greeted him one after another, very sincerely.

Chen Luo inexplicably felt a warmth in his heart. Being a respected leader was pretty good.

Entering the base, the clean environment and orderly arranged houses made Xiong Wenhui's eyes light up. This was much better than her own doghouse.

Chen Luo looked back at the girls. Those who were ambitious could go kill zombies; those who weren't could become support staff.

The support staff's待遇 (daiyu – treatment/benefits) could only be described as not letting you starve—maybe half-full.

Anyone who didn't want to do anything and just waited to be fed would be thrown out.

Chen Luo didn't plan to recruit support staff from outside. In the future, some members might be limited by their talents and unable to keep up. It would be cruel to drive them away, as they had some loyalty and affection, so they could stay and become support staff.

Chen Luo instructed, "Have Elder Shu Yun come to see me."

Soon, Shu Yun arrived, smiling. "Leader, you called for me?"

Xiong Wenhui and her group stared at Shu Yun with wide eyes. She was so beautiful, with such a good complexion. At first glance, they could have mistaken her for a stylish urban white-collar worker.

Chen Luo said, "Settle them in, take them to eat, uh, give them each a土豆 (tudou – potato), and tell them about our rules here."

Xiong Wenhui turned in an eighth-level crystal. This was considered a welcoming gift to win over the people.

Originally, Zhou Nannan was looking at Shu Yun, Elder? What is an Elder?

Does she have connections?

Upon hearing the word "potato," they were all drawn to the potato.

A moldy or rotten potato?

Shu Yun took them to the concentrated area for female members. There were so many girls—more than their original entire group.

In comparison, Xiong Wenhui and the others looked like refugees. Xiong Wenhui felt like she had found the main force.

Shu Yun patiently explained everything to them one by one.

Chen Luo patrolled around and found that two new people had joined the base, and elite members were questioning them.

"What's your name?"

"Xu Qing."

This name sounded familiar. Chen Luo looked over, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

He saw a young man in his twenties, with a somewhat baby-faced, youthful appearance, standing there.

Meteor Fire Sea Xu Qing?

A future King-level expert.

Xu Qing was relatively skilled in fire sea techniques and meteor fire rain. Having such a title wasn't a unique skill, but Xu Qing could cast it more times and consume less异能 (yìnéng – supernatural energy).

Why is he here?

Entering my base, interviewing to be a new member?

He heard an elite member exclaim in surprise, "You're Level Five?"

Chen Luo walked over, his face expressionless.

The nearby people hurriedly said respectfully, "Leader."

Xu Qing also looked curiously at Chen Luo. This was the leader of this base, the legendary Boss Chen?

He seems to be about the same age as me.

Chen Luo smiled slightly and said, "Xu Qing, right? Level Five? I wonder why you chose to join us here?"

Xu Qing said, "I heard that you guys are strong here, have guaranteed meals every day, good food, good待遇 (daiyu – treatment/benefits), and a good reputation, so I came."

Chen Luo was a little恍惚 (huanghu – dazed) when he first heard it, and then he laughed heartily in his heart.

That's right, one of the purposes of building a strong base is to attract elites to come and join us.

Is Xu Qing's purpose strange?

Chen Luo felt a little excited. In the past, King-level experts like Xia Haoran, Jin Yuanjiang, Xiong Wenhui, Sun Yu, Ouyang Lu, and others...

He had to fight for them himself.

This was the first time a King-level expert had come because of his reputation.

Heh, without lifting a finger, he came to my door.

To verify, Chen Luo hurriedly went back to bring the rice, secretly observing Xu Qing.

Rice said, "No malice."

Chen Luo laughed. This was really爽 (shuang – awesome)! He looked forward to more awesome people taking the initiative to become his little brothers.

Then it's even more necessary to make a name for ourselves.