Top-tier workhorses.
Isn't this just what I needed?
When Cheng Shuili saw this message, she was already sitting at the same table as the four people from her small group.
Joining them were Su Rui, Yu Bing, Zhou Zhuxing, and the two rather special consultants and guides.
It could be said that the entire core team of Black Feather was present.
She sipped the hot tea prepared by the consultant; it was far better than the cold-brew tea she had managed to scrape together back in the dungeon.
As the warm tea touched her lips, Cheng Shuili squinted her eyes like a satisfied cat, only then finding the time to reply to Glory.
The reply she sent was a very simple invitation.
Since they were going to follow Cheng Shuili, they only had one choice—join Black Feather!
The two of them didn't hesitate at all; for them, this was also the best choice!
Two more people immediately occupied seats at the long table.
The guide stood up to pass them some tea. Cheng Shuili watched the two of them relax before tapping the table to interrupt the bickering of the others.
There were twelve people in total sitting at the long table, but as Cheng Shuili made her move, everyone quieted down, putting on serious expressions and turning their gazes toward her, waiting earnestly to hear what she had to say.
Cheng Shuili's gaze swept calmly across every face present, from the earliest followers like Qi Wanyi, to Su Rui who had walked the path with her, and then to the newcomers like Yu Bing and Zhou Zhuxing.
These were people Cheng Shuili had spent time getting to know, and at the very least, they had no major issues with their character.
Cheng Shuili set down her teacup, the crisp clinking sound echoing distinctly in the silent hall.
“Alright.”
She spoke, her voice not loud, yet carrying a power that made people involuntarily focus their attention. “Most everyone is here. Black Feather is now officially established, and this place is our starting point.”
Cheng Shuili used to be a gloomy tech nerd. She was quite good at amusing herself, and she was also quite good at pretending to be an extrovert.
But giving a speech like this was actually a first for her.
However, these people were indeed acquaintances and trustworthy individuals; speaking in front of one's own people was always relaxing.
Although she had only briefly conceived the points while drinking tea and waiting, Cheng Shuili's speech went unexpectedly smoothly.
She paused and continued: “The name is set, the territory is secured, and the core members are all here. But this is only the first step. Next, we must transform this empty shell into a faction that can truly survive, stand firm, and even become a force to be reckoned with.”
“First, the construction of the base.” She pulled up the faction panel and pointed at the upgradeable options, letting everyone see the long list of resource requirements. “Walls, defenses, living quarters, functional buildings... we need a lot of things, and the savings we've accumulated so far are far from enough. Collecting resources is our most urgent task.”
“Especially these defensive facilities,” Cheng Shuili paused before continuing, “I suspect there might be offensive and defensive battles between factions where territories can be seized. But as of now, we are the only faction in Partition 12, so this hypothesis cannot be verified yet.”
“Second, the people.”
Cheng Shuili looked at the constantly refreshing requests to join on the regional channel. “Many people outside want to get in, but we cannot just accept anyone. Standards must be set, and rules must be established. Glory, you have experience with this. You take the lead in discussing a preliminary plan with Xinxue, and post it in the channel before 8 o'clock today so we can discuss it properly.”
Glory and Xinxue nodded immediately: “Understood, Boss.”
People were the most fundamental issue, but this problem could not be rushed. There were no people right now, but once they started accepting them, a large group would flood in.
Cheng Shuili had just checked, and it was written very clearly on the faction page: they were currently a Tier 1 faction, capable of holding up to 200 people, and would only be able to hold 500 after upgrading.
And the resources required to upgrade the faction were nothing short of astronomical!
Of course, this was not something to worry about right now.
What mattered most now was making full preparations ahead of time for the arrival of new members!
The faction page came with a contribution system; items submitted by players would turn into contribution points, which could be used to purchase items in the warehouse.
That's right, the things in the warehouse had to be purchased.
Although Cheng Shuili felt this place should be called the “faction shop,” she didn't have the authority to change the name, so she had to make do.
Everything was well-structured, but one important detail was that the system, for convenience, only set a single custom pricing option.
In other words, Cheng Shuili had to arrange for someone to calculate the value of all items based on the contribution points at the time of submission to establish a relatively reasonable price system.
Such a task, of course, had to be handed over to Xinxue, the little commercial genius.
Other scattered matters were handed out one by one, and by the time the meeting concluded, it was already nearly nine o'clock at night.
During the interim, Qi Wanyi had stepped away to cook a meal, and it was the first time Glory and Chen Qingshan had tasted such cooking. Their reactions were no different from Xinxue and the others, which allowed the camaraderie among them to grow significantly.
When they discussed matters after dinner, these people had already begun to chime in with one another.
After making all the arrangements, Cheng Shuili tapped the table once more.
For the first meeting of Black Feather, she naturally had to say something.
“Finally,” Cheng Shuili's voice lowered slightly as her gaze swept slowly over everyone present, “it concerns the future of all of us, and the meaning of Black Feather’s existence.”
She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the table and interlacing her fingers.
“We are gathered here because we need a place where we can rely on each other and survive together. Everyone knows what the world outside has become. Fighting alone might allow one to luckily survive a month or two, but it definitely won't take you far.”
“Black Feather is not about ruling or dominating... at least, not right now.”
She paused, her tone exceptionally earnest. “Its primary goal is survival. To let us, and the trustworthy companions of the future, have a relatively safe stronghold where we can share information, exchange resources, and have a place to catch our breath and prepare before entering the next deadly dungeon.”
“Therefore,” Cheng Shuili emphasized, “internal unity and trust are the bottom line.”
Cheng Shuili rarely said so much, but these words today were truly spoken from the heart.
“I do not wish to see infighting occur over a few resources or a disagreement.”
“If there is a problem, put it on the table.”
“If anyone feels the rules or the people here are not to their liking, the doors are wide open, and you may leave at any time. But if you stay, you must abide by the rules here.”
Her gaze lingered for a moment on the faces of those she had known the longest, like Qi Wanyi, and what she saw was complete agreement and support.
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