"First up is Electric King Junior. He's incredibly arrogant and has openly boasted about his powers—though he might just be pulling everyone's leg. He possesses three lightning-based abilities. One: the Static Field, which allows him to sense all high-energy fluctuations within range, including those from other ability users. This means no one can ambush him."

"Two: Electric Sphere, which can envelop his body for defense and enhance his speed and reaction time."

"And three: Lightning Whip, a terrifyingly powerful attack that packs a punch equivalent to hand grenades! However, it seems his stamina can only sustain this attack once."

James Lone quietly nodded. That made sense; Junior could detect him likely due to that Static Field.

Jack George continued, "Next is Barbarian King Aron Scott. I managed to bribe one of his favorite mistresses, Liu Bingqian, for a piece of information using 500 work credits. Aron Scott has about three to four abilities and boasts significant physical strength. One of his abilities allows him to grow in size. That said, it seems he's lacking in another area, as Liu Bingqian appears to have some disdain for him."

"You managed to bribe his mistress that quickly?" James Lone shot Jack George a surprised glance.

Noticing James's expression, Jack George felt an inward sense of pride. It wasn't every day one could impress someone as powerful as James Lone. Moreover, the greater his demonstrated value, the more stable Lancy George's position would be in the future.

"Huh, maybe I'm just good at dealing with strangers," Jack George said modestly.

Right after, he presented a wealth of information. From the strengths of various ability users, the military's capabilities, to details about production and agriculture, he covered it all.

Nearby, the Suton Heavy Machinery factory had been seized by the 910 base, rescuing many workers and engineers. However, due to insufficient power, much of the machinery was still non-operational. The high-ranking officials of the 910 base were considering how to restore power, at least to meet production needs.

They also organized many personnel and auxiliary ability users to establish farming zones. There are three main crops.

The cheapest was a plant known as "Shit-flavored Shepherd's Purse." The second was a purple mushroom, which served as the primary water source for the settlement; James Lone had seen it in the Wealth Center district as well. However, it seemed the 910 base had figured out how to identify which purple mushrooms were toxic.

The third was a tree similar to a mutated poplar, known as the Breadfruit Tree. This tree grew rapidly, reaching heights of several hundred meters. When harvested for food, its trunk had a texture reminiscent of stale bread and was rather difficult to eat. However, soaking it in the water from the purple mushrooms made it edible.

These two items had become staples for most survivors, gradually replacing the unpalatable Shit-flavored Shepherd's Purse.

...

Jack George made every effort to showcase his capabilities: "To sum up, Bruce Scott is certainly competent, but he lacks the experience necessary to manage a population the size of tens of thousands. Consequently, when the influx of survivors occurred, he appeared somewhat overwhelmed. Now, the entire settlement is rapidly moving towards becoming more organized."

"With the swift increase in the human population, along with patrol teams actively exterminating nearby mutated creatures, the surrounding environment is becoming increasingly safe."

"Given the disproportionately high ratio of young men, exceeding 97% of the population, there's a significant demographic dividend, resulting in a vibrant settlement. As long as we can get through this dangerous initial phase, stability will come quickly."

"However, the 910 base faces four major risks."

"First, energy sources are limited and cannot be replenished quickly. Whether it's diesel, gasoline, or any other fuel type, the quantities are certainly small. If this issue isn't resolved, development will stall."

"Second, the sudden influx of ability users has effectively resulted in a situation where high-end military power is out of control. If things go awry, the ability user unit may not be able to manage the situation, potentially leading to rebellion."

"Third, the gender ratio is imbalanced—this is an obvious risk. Luckily, for now, most survivors are too preoccupied with survival to think about relationships, but once these individuals start to relax and have enough to eat, this issue could turn into a potential powder keg. The saying 'when you're warm and well-fed, you think about lust' speaks volumes. Therefore, I speculate that the 910 base will adopt three strategies: one, relax or permit the sex industry; two, control prices so that survivors' wages only suffice for food, leaving them no time or energy for anything else, thereby prolonging the time before crises erupt; and three, employ various means to plunder women from surrounding smaller settlements."

"The fourth risk is the most uncontrollable. Bruce Scott came to power through rebellion, and he isn't even a part of the military. Allegedly, other military districts have a somewhat ambiguous stance toward him, but I couldn't dig up specific information. If this isn't addressed, Bruce Scott's relationship with other official settlements will become a significant threat. Moreover, the stronger the 910 base grows, the less likely Bruce Scott will bow to the authorities."

Jack George's detailed explanation gave James Lone a comprehensive understanding of the current state of the 910 settlement. However, the biggest threats to 910 didn't stem from these mundane issues but rather from the groups of tentacled monsters and the aliens.

But that little detail was best kept from Jack George for now.

James Lone was highly satisfied with Jack George's performance. In such a short time, he had managed to gather a wealth of intelligence and formulate targeted analyses. Indeed, those who could rise from nothing to affluence during peaceful times still had their merits.

"I must say, Chairman George, you've done exceptionally well. From my profit-sharing, I'm allocating 5% to you for the purpose of developing intelligence personnel. Also, try your best to recruit reliable ability users," James Lone proclaimed.

Jack George let out a sigh of relief. He knew he had passed his first major test; James Lone had tentatively approved of his abilities.

Jack George added, "Tonight, there's an auction at the black market in Saint Martin Town, and I plan to enter our purified water for bidding. I hear there will be some valuable items up for grabs, even women! Mr. Lone, would you like to check it out?"

Good grief! They're starting to engage in semi-public human trafficking—it's madness!

James Lone responded with curiosity, "Sure, come get me when it's time."

Before leaving, Jack George had one last thought: "Mr. Lone, I managed to acquire a college girl named Doris. Would you like me to bring her over for you to meet? It's quite unsuitable for you to be without someone to help around here."

Even though James Lone was marrying his daughter, Jack George felt no embarrassment at all. Helping those in power find women was simply part of a trusted advisor's responsibilities. He had done it plenty of times in peaceful times.

Jamie Lone's eyes brightened. "Oh? Bring her over."

"Alright, I'll go now," Jack George said eagerly before rushing off.

...

A few minutes later, Jack George arrived at James Lone's door with a few armed subordinates, bringing along a woman. The woman was draped in a large black robe that obscured her figure, revealing only a clean and lovely face.

Her long hair draped over her shoulders, and her skin was fair, but the most striking feature was her captivating hazel eyes, which were incredibly alluring.

The nearby male survivors gazed in shock. Among the scruffy, unkempt survivors, this woman stood out like a diamond.

Moreover, she carried a scent of soap with her.

In peaceful times, soap would have seemed trivial. But now, it was a symbol of luxury!

Firstly, soap itself was quite expensive, costing 30 work credits for a bar. Furthermore, using soap to bathe required a sufficient supply of water!

While others struggled just to get enough water to drink, this woman had the luxury of bathing!

The crowd murmured among themselves:

"What kind of big shot lives in that house?"

"She must be an ability user!"

"She's definitely powerful!"

"Duh! Who aside from an ability user has the time or energy to chase after women when they're exhausted every day?"

"I wish I could take care of his house, not sure if he'd want that..."

"Ha! Don't make me laugh. This kind of ability user definitely doesn't need lackeys!"