Chapter 248: Dawn
The next day, Su Tao finally received the blueprint for the 1,200-square-meter plot of land designated for Hui Shu.
Old Mei frowned, looking dissatisfied with his design. Shaking his head, he muttered,
“The space is too small. Accommodating 500 people while ensuring decent living conditions, having enough training grounds, warehouses, and parking lots, and ideally even some recreational facilities… Forget it, let’s go with this for now. If it doesn’t work, I’ll modify it again.”
Zheng Xing looked just as troubled. “Boss Su, both my teacher and I think it’s too cramped. If possible, I’d suggest they bring fewer people.”
He and his teacher had spent days racking their brains before finalizing the design. No matter how they adjusted it, they weren’t satisfied—otherwise, they would have submitted it much earlier. Boss Su had even urged them twice, clearly growing impatient.
Su Tao flipped through the blueprints, scanning them briefly before saying,
“I think it’s fine. You’ve met all their requirements. If it’s a bit cramped, so be it—that’s their own choice.”
She then sent the blueprints to Hui Shu for confirmation.
More than half a day later, she received a message:
“Boss Su, my friend thinks it’s great—no need for changes. They just hope it can be completed as soon as possible. When will they be able to move in?”
Su Tao replied, “Is your friend in a hurry? If so, I can work overtime tonight. By 9 a.m. tomorrow, they’ll be able to move in with their bags.”
Hui Shu quickly expressed his gratitude.
They really were in a rush. Just last night, Boss Gu personally led the charge to repel a horde of zombies. While they didn’t lose any ground, the casualties were severe.
If Dr. Zhong hadn’t secretly rushed over to provide emergency treatment in the middle of the night, the death toll would have been even higher.
Sigh, Dr. Zhong had a soft heart after all. He kept saying he wouldn’t leave Taoyang, but the moment he heard that Boss Gu’s men had suffered heavy losses, he rushed over without hesitation.
Su Tao, unaware that Zhong Gaoyi had gone to Dongyang the previous night, nodded and asked,
“Has your friend named this place yet?”
She had obtained management rights by spending crystal cores but hadn’t given it a name.
Hui Shu replied, “Hold on, I’ll ask.”
About ten minutes later, he messaged back:
“Call it ‘Dawn’.”
The people living here would be teenagers from the Eastern District, all of them orphans taken in by Boss Gu over the years. They were the hope of the Eastern District—a symbol of dawn.
Su Tao immediately updated the system with the name and added,
“Our planner asked me to remind your friend that if they have enough crystal cores, it would be best to expand Dawn’s area. At 1,200 square meters, housing 500 people is still quite cramped.”
Hui Shu smiled bitterly to himself.
There were extra crystal cores, but they had to be saved for the brothers who were about to evolve.
Boss Gu had many people under his wing, and recently, six or seven of them had shown signs of evolution.
The crystal cores earned from last night’s battle weren’t even enough for these men to advance, let alone to expand Dawn.
Still, Huíshù responded politely, “Got it, I’ll let him know. So, Boss Su, it’s settled—our people will arrive at 9 a.m. tomorrow.”
After hanging up, Su Tao narrowed her eyes.
Was Hui Shu’s friend avoiding her? They could clearly communicate with her directly, yet they insisted on using a middleman.
She’d see for herself who this person was when they arrived tomorrow.
Holding the blueprints, Su Tao headed to the site of Dawn.
The entire layout was designed in the shape of a “gate”.
Upon entering the main gate, parking spaces lined both sides, able to accommodate 4–8 vehicles, depending on their size.
Further in was a small open space, not very large—just enough to serve as a front courtyard.
On either side of the courtyard stood rows of vending machines, providing easy access to food and daily necessities.
Beyond the courtyard was the main dormitory building.
Upon entering, the left side housed four elevators, while the right side contained a stairwell. Directly ahead were the first-floor restrooms and toilets, arranged in rows to accommodate high-traffic usage.
Each floor contained eight rooms, all designed as eight-person dorms. Upon entering, wardrobes lined both sides, with four bunk beds placed against the walls. A long table sat in the middle, providing enough space for all eight residents to study together.
Since the incoming residents were teenagers who still needed to learn, desks were essential.
Every room also featured a small balcony equipped with a washing machine and dryer, sufficient for all eight occupants.
Su Tao replicated this layout across seven additional floors, making the dormitory a total of eight stories tall.
Above that was the rooftop, designed as a training ground capable of accommodating 200–300 people for drills.
Lastly, there was the basement.
The first underground level was also a training ground. Combined with the rooftop training area, it was more than enough to accommodate the training needs of 500 people.
The second underground level, however, was a massive warehouse.
Following Hui Shu’s specifications, Su Tao had built over 20 different rooms of varying sizes, leaving the door plates blank so they could organize and store their belongings as they pleased.
After the construction was completed, Su Tao stood in the basement warehouse, lost in thought.
It felt like a multi-purpose storage facility—for food, fuel, weapons, and other essential supplies.
Smart move. They knew that hiding their supplies on her turf was the safest option.
That got her thinking—should she build a secret underground warehouse for Taoyang as well?
There was a lot she could store.
Once she returned from Xindu, she’d get started on it. Digging underground didn’t require crystal cores—just some extra Federation credits.
With that in mind, Su Tao became even more determined to make a huge profit at the Alliance Summit and bring back the funds for major construction projects.
Her thoughts drifted, and she began to feel drowsy. She gazed into the dark night sky, wondering which human base had been attacked this time.
Zombies always preferred to launch large-scale assaults on human settlements at night.
By morning, if they won, it meant bloodshed. If they lost, it meant losing their homes.
Perhaps Dongyang had drawn away most of the zombie hordes, because Taoyang had never experienced a large-scale siege.
The town remained so peaceful and quiet—it felt almost out of place in this chaotic world.
