Chapter 1017 - 371: Chu Kuanglan Falls in Love and Builds a City Outside the Great Wall!?_4

So his footsteps unconsciously quickened.

When he finally stepped onto the metal gangway linking the pier to the ship’s side.

His gaze instinctively swept over the dense crowd in the reception area ahead.

The next second, Chu Kuanglan’s footsteps suddenly nailed to the spot.

Right at the edge of that noisy, surging tide of people, a slender figure was quietly standing there.

The cold wind lifted her dark brown long hair and cream-colored scarf.

Revealing a side profile flushed slightly red from the cold yet still delicately beautiful.

Her eyes were shockingly bright, like a lake filled to the brim with shattered diamonds.

And behind her, a burly veteran was holding high a sign hastily written on cardboard.

On it was his name.

That sign was so conspicuous in the crowd, like a lighthouse in the night.

Time seemed to freeze in that moment.

...

Beside the high railings of the Ark of Hope’s deck.

"Click!"

"Click click!"

"Tsk tsk, this angle is killer!"

Wei Banmeng and Qi Hao, Old Qin and the others.

Even Jiang Wei, whose face was as calm as ever, were all standing in a neat line at this moment.

Everyone had a phone in hand, lenses all aimed down at the gangway on the harbor.

Shutter sounds and muffled, half-suppressed laughter rose and fell.

Liu San craned his neck, staring at his terminal screen where that tower-like Chu Kuanglan was hugging the petite Hua Jing.

A close-up of him crying like a little kid.

He couldn’t help smacking his lips, looking genuinely enlightened as he sighed, "Tsk tsk tsk, not bad at all, never thought our Old Chu with those thick brows and big eyes, would be this... mm, pure when it comes to romance. Tears and snot all over his face—compared to his usual Evil-God look, this contrast is insane, love it."

"More than just love it,"

Qi Hao’s fingers were flying over his phone as he zoomed in on the photos he just snapped, his eyebrows dancing as he chimed in.

"This is straight-up epic-level material, the glorious reputation of Old Chu’s entire life—tsk, all right here! If this gets out... hehe."

He let out a gleefully malicious chuckle.

Even the usually steady Old Qin couldn’t keep a straight face now.

His stern features were flushed with excitement as he leaned over to look at the photo on Qi Hao’s screen, then slapped his thigh hard: "Everyone got their shots, yeah? We unify the narrative internally first: minimum ten dinners from each of us. Miss even one, and not a single photo or video’s getting deleted."

He didn’t spell it out, but that menacing "hehe" at the end.

Made the few people around him instantly get the message.

They bobbed their heads like pecking chicks.

"Agreed!"

"Has to be!"

Fang Qingyu listened to his teammates divvying up their spoils by his ear.

The corners of his mouth couldn’t help lifting; he shook his head, helpless and amused.

His original intention was to let Chu Kuanglan go enjoy his reunion in peace.

But that slightly out-of-control moment got captured...

Well, he couldn’t be blamed for that.

Anyway, most of the stuff on the ship had already been unloaded.

And nothing unexpected had happened.

Seeing this, Fang Qingyu’s smile slowly faded. He turned his head and said in a low voice to Wei Banmeng and the others beside him:

"Next up is settling people, inventorying supplies, and linking up with Shen Zhou over at Deep Blue Heavy Industries about the early-stage preparations for city-building. I’m counting on you for all that. The framework of the City of Dawn has to go up as fast as possible. Every detail, you handle it fully."

Wei Banmeng’s expression tightened, and she immediately nodded: "Got it."

Liu San also thumped his chest in assurance.

Fang Qingyu nodded, his gaze finally landing on Jiang Wei at his side.

The girl’s scarlet eyes were quietly fixed on him.

Fang Qingyu raised his hand and gently rubbed the soft top of her head: "Stay with them for now, I need to take care of something."

Jiang Wei obediently nodded, her little head rubbing lightly against his palm.

With everything explained, Fang Qingyu didn’t linger for even a second more.

The next moment.

Under the gaze of Wei Banmeng and the others, who were already used to this sight.

Fang Qingyu’s figure turned into a stream of starlight, his outline blurring and turning translucent.

Then completely vanished from where he stood.

...

Inside the Arctic Great Wall.

In an office, two people were sitting face-to-face by the tea table.

Old Man Hong was brewing tea as he looked at Fang Qingyu opposite him, a faint, hard-to-read smile at the corner of his mouth: "Kid, you’ve still got a bit of conscience in you, knowing to come find me first thing after you get back."

Fang Qingyu froze at that.

But quickly smiled and said, "Ahem, well of course."

Old Man Hong picked up the thermos cup on the table, took a slow sip of strong tea without even lifting his eyelids: "Compliment you once and you actually take it seriously. Just say it—if you’re not busy properly settling those ten thousand people you brought back, what are you doing running over to this old man? What, worried I’ll block them from entering the Great Wall? Or worried logistics won’t give you your quotas?"

His tone was casual, with a touch of teasing.

Clearly, he already knew all about Fang Qingyu bringing back a whole army.

"Neither."

Fang Qingyu shook his head at that, his voice calm and even.

"I want to build a city."

The mouthful of hot tea Old Man Hong had just taken nearly sprayed out.

He set down his cup, giving Fang Qingyu a very odd look.

Only after confirming Fang Qingyu wasn’t joking did he say, "Build a city in the Arctic? You guys think you’ve got what it takes?"

Hearing this, Fang Qingyu didn’t explain much, just nodded.

"We do."

Old Man Hong understood Fang Qingyu’s temperament.

Since he was confident he could build a city now... he clearly had his own way.

So he started seriously considering the possibility.

After a moment of silence, he agreed.

"All right then, build it. Just don’t come asking me for money or gear, and we’re good. I’m even poorer than you lot right now."

At the idea of Fang Qingyu founding a city, Hong Qitian wasn’t all that surprised.

After all, he’d brought back ten thousand people—no decent force would happily swallow such a huge third-party power bloc.

Building a city was indeed one of the options.

He just hadn’t expected Fang Qingyu to actually take that route.

And Fang Qingyu, hearing this.

Immediately smiled and said, "Of course we won’t... it’s just about the location of this city..."

Old Man Hong paused at that.

Then frowned slightly: "Where are you planning to build it?"

Seeing this, Fang Qingyu lightly cleared his throat twice.

"Ahem."

Then he pointed at the map behind Old Man Hong.

"...We want to build it here."

Old Man Hong turned, following the direction of Fang Qingyu’s finger.

Fang Qingyu’s finger didn’t land on any of the green light spots behind the line, the ones representing human cities.

Instead, it passed over that boundary line symbolizing absolute defense—the Arctic Great Wall Defense Line.

And landed...

Beyond the Great Wall.

On that ice field marked in red, representing the forward buffer zone.

Old Man Hong’s mouth twitched hard on the spot.

Then he turned back, looking pitifully at Fang Qingyu as he said, "You kids aren’t... battle-addled already, are you? You want to build a city outside the Arctic Great Wall!?"

Fang Qingyu didn’t respond to Old Man Hong’s snark.

He simply nodded seriously: "Yes, outside the Wall. Think about it—if we build in the rear like everyone else, what’s the difference from any other city? At most we’re just a fresh logistics point for the Arctic Great Wall. But if we build outside, we can not only share some of the Wall’s pressure, we can also be the first to head out and fight."

Listening to this, Old Man Hong’s mouth kept twitching.

His first instinct was to shake his head.

Setting aside whether the city could even be built.

Even if it could.

This city, isolated outside the Great Wall.

Simply wouldn’t survive.

Unless they stationed major forces there long-term, and permanently guaranteed sufficient combat strength for the city.

Just like the Wall itself.

But that was something he obviously couldn’t agree to.

He might think extremely highly of Fang Qingyu.

Even grooming him as the next Number One of the Human World.

But this was a racial war.

Wrong decisions needed to be vetoed, no matter what.

And seeing the old man’s attitude.

Fang Qingyu had long expected it.

He simply bent down a little and picked up the small case he’d brought in.

Set it on the table and opened it.

Inside lay a complete skull, radiating golden light.