The rain continued to fall.

In the ruined city, samurai crabs roamed, carefully searching under the lead of the Weapon Master for any trapped survivors showing signs of life. Walls continued to collapse around them, but only they could withstand such impacts.

In a simple tent on an open ground, Dr. Feng Ying finished treating a wounded person.

"Doctor, will my hand ever grow back?"

The wounded person was an eight-year-old boy named Bei Ta.

He looked at his right hand, of which only the upper arm remained, covered in thick bandages.

Fortunately, they had enough anesthesia, anti-infection medication, and hemostatic tools; otherwise, the amputation's mortality rate would have been very high.

Dr. Feng Ying never lied to her patients, "No."

"Oh."

The boy seemed disappointed.

Dr. Feng Ying said, "However, when you grow up, you can get a prosthetic arm. The precision of today's prosthetics is so high, they're almost indistinguishable from a real hand in everyday use."

"Isn't that very expensive?"

The boy slightly moved his arm stump, "I know someone with a prosthetic limb, but his family is very wealthy. We breed shells, we can't afford it."

"Even if it's not possible now, it doesn't mean it won't be in the future."

Dr. Feng Ying softly spoke, "When you grow up, come work for us at the Wasteland Development Company, you'll definitely be able to afford it."

"Really? Even if I don't have a hand, you'd still hire me?"

"Yes."

Dr. Feng Ying told him, "At the company's Guangtai Dam, there is an inventor named Wang Tai. He's quite lazy, but very clever. He invented a tool called the Desperate Machine, which can complete almost any job just by turning a crank. Operating it with one hand is no problem at all."

"Because one Desperate Machine can do the work of several people, the chairman even awarded him the 'Wasteland Invention Award' first prize; the prize was 100 Light Seeds, or in other words, 100 million mushrooms. This is a well-known fact in the company."

The boy's eyes widened, "That's a lot!"

"Also, the Jade Soup you drink was invented by company employees Qin Mo and Qin Shu. It's even sold to many cities through Coral Port and every serving generates a dividend. They're all ordinary people, Qin Mo is also a patient."

Hope reignited in Bei Ta's eyes, "I want to work at the company!"

"Recover well, and when you're an adult you can come and try."

Dr. Feng Ying smiled.

The boy blankly said, "Doctor, you look really nice when you smile."

"Thank you."

Dr. Feng Ying removed her gloves and stood up, ready to go outside and check on the situation. Some wounded couldn't be moved and needed to be rescued on the spot.

There were a few more tents like this nearby, all filled with patients who had received emergency treatment.

However, Dr. Feng Ying was just one person, and her capacity to help was strictly limited, feeling much powerlessness and helplessness during the rescues.

A voice devoid of emotion came through the receiver clipped to her ear.

"Rescue teams, please coordinate properly with the reinforcements."

"The reinforcements are led by Sun Chonglai, comprising 14 Black Hand Mushrooms. They will begin constructing temporary dwellings. Please cooperate with their movements."

The team leader, Red Kestrel, was concise.

Dr. Feng Ying was a bit surprised, it was people from the Mushroom Forest.

Yet she quickly immersed herself back into the emergency work because doctors were being called for and cries for help were everywhere.

...

According to the meteorological satellite scan, this Level 17 typhoon reached speeds of 208 kilometers per hour, forming suddenly off the distant sea unobserved due to the heavy fog.

Inside the typhoon, the winds of Level 12 extended a radius of 60 kilometers, scraping past the east of Shell City and causing massive destruction to buildings and homes, some residents were swept away and went missing immediately.

The typhoon lasted on land for 16 hours before it gradually subsided.

The latest news Dr. Feng Ying received reported that the disaster had resulted in 141 confirmed deaths, 1,500 injuries, and 3,700 people left homeless in Shell City, with a fifth of the buildings either destroyed or unusable due to safety issues.

Numbers could hardly describe the actual devastation on the ground.

Dr. Feng Ying worked against the clock to save the wounded. Yet, due to worsening injuries, lack of medical supplies, infections caused by humid conditions, and the absence of necessary equipment, many patients, mostly elderly and children, died during rescue and recovery.

More than once, she thought.

If only Maria Hospital were here, it could provide the best treatment and recuperative environment.

But patients in Jade City also needed help; it was impossible to transfer resources here.

The survivors were immensely grateful for the company's aid. They had Jade Soup to fill their stomachs, blankets to keep warm, and tents to stay dry—all currently in short supply.

Duke Beidu also thanked the rescue teams, "I'm very thankful for your support. Without you, we would have lost dozens more lives this time."

"I see your hard work and effort. After the disaster relief, I will definitely speak to Mr. Zhou to commend you and arrange a generous reward."

Dr. Feng Ying wasn't really taken by the sea lord.

The company wasn't here to make money from the disaster relief.

To talk profit, having the express center take more orders, or having the Guangtai Dam operate at full capacity, would be far more efficient and safe than being here.

Dr. Feng Ying also asked the team leader, Red Kestrel.

"Does the company's assistance to Shell City stem from moral obligation or compassion?"

The drone replied, "Both. Zhou has said before, only when you treat others as your own will they treat you as one of their own. It's normal for us to rescue our own when they're in disaster."

An image of Chairman Zhou Yi crossed Dr. Feng Ying's mind.

He always oscillated between being reflective and setting himself free, sometimes seeming like a spirited young man, and other times, displaying an unfathomable maturity.

It was tricky to judge when it was his whim, and when he was weighing pros and cons.

There's a saying among the Beiyang Knights.

— What one does is who one is.

The implication of this saying is that a person's actions define their character.

Zhou Yi was making every effort to help the affected people here. That was enough.

Whatever he was thinking didn't matter.

...

Six days later, Bone Man Sun Chonglai found Feng Ying and asked her to test the latest invention from the Mushroom Forest.

"This is the Mushroom House. Although it passed Dr. Da Vinci's assessment and was deemed non-toxic, Dr. Feng, you still need to judge whether there are any issues with it on this land."

Feng Ying was somewhat surprised.

Before her stood a giant mushroom, three meters high and two meters in diameter, which was to be used as a house.

She opened her portable medical kit and performed a series of assessments.

"No toxins detected."

"Humidity normal."

"Air normal."

Feng Ying even crawled inside and took a nap.

She ended up sleeping hazily for over an hour.

Because the soundproofing inside was so effective, the noisy storm outside was completely inaudible.

She said, "The Mushroom House itself is non-toxic and, as a dwelling, it is more comfortable than it appears."

"That's good, that's good."

Sun Chonglai rubbed his hands together with a look of joy on his face: "The chairman is truly ingenious; he saw this very accurately."

Originally, the Mushroom Houses were introduced at the chairman's request.

The homeless disaster victims were each assigned a Mushroom House. At first, they were fearful because the bright red mushroom caps looked dangerous, and giant mushrooms were well-known to be poisonous.

However, under the demonstration by Dr. Feng Ying, they eventually chose to trust her.

Just two days later, all the displaced locals had moved into the Mushroom Houses, and these soft yet sturdy houses quickly won everyone's affection.

A rhombic stone placed inside was enough for lighting, the space inside the mushrooms was very clean and dry, no insects dared to approach, and the umbrella-shaped mushroom cap served as a naturally high-quality roof.

Some even tried to cook slices of the giant mushrooms. But they soon gave up, because these rapidly growing mushrooms were like grass, full of tough fibers that were simply too hard to chew.

Bei Ta excitedly said to Feng Ying, "Doctor, the Mushroom House is so magical, the Wasteland Development Company is incredible! They can actually grow houses!"

"Doctor, you must have many more things like this, right?"

"I've heard everyone say that the chairman is a Heavenly Person, or a Weapon Hunter, some even say he is a sea god disguised as a human... What kind of person is the chairman exactly?"

Feng Ying thought to herself, how would I know.

But.

It was crucial for the company to promote a good image of the chairman.

So she seriously thought for a moment: "He is that kind of... very special person."

"Very special? In what way?"

Feng Ying furrowed her brows: "Very strong."

"That's for sure," Bei Ta said matter-of-factly. "With so many aliens as his employees, he must be incredibly strong."

"..."

After much thought, Feng Ying could only say: "Also, he is good-looking, the kind of person you won't forget after seeing just once."

She knew far too little about Zhou Yi.

"And then he has a lot of Light Seeds, it seems he has never lost a fight."

"That's it."

Yet young Bei Ta looked utterly despondent: "Doctor, you must like his type, strong and wealthy, and good-looking too. I'll never have a chance, not even when I grow up."

Feng Ying didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

But this was just a minor episode.

The rapid establishment of the Mushroom Houses injected vitality into a city devastated by brutal disaster, finally providing people a shelter from the storms, and the bright red umbrella-shaped mushroom cap rooftops also added a touch of brightness to Shell City.

The people further developed this durable yet simple housing option.

On clear days, residents would climb up on the mushroom caps to enjoy the breeze and the view. They tied ropes around the mushroom stalks or hung wooden plaques with pictures and text on them to mark their residences.

Even many of those with houses, citing concerns about their safety, wanted to apply for Mushroom Houses.

Humans were extremely fragile in a world filled with various mighty forces.

Everyone had to learn to forget from the moment they were born, as only in this way could they go on living.

The rebuild brought about by the Mushroom Houses diluted the pain of losing loved ones and helped everyone adjust their direction faster, to look forward once more.

What Feng Ying completely did not expect was that Duke Beidu had brought out a large amount of Light Seeds, exchanged them for dried mushrooms and copper, and distributed them to every disaster-affected person, and also gathered the deceased in a specially built cemetery for burial.

Besides, this sea lord had directly brought in a batch of doctors from Gongneng City, provided free treatment for all the disabled residents, and uniformly replaced their limbs with prostheses.

Bei Ta had also received an extendable prosthetic right hand. The limb length could be adjusted and would grow with him.

"Doctor, you knew we were going to get prostheses! You should have told me earlier; I was upset for quite some time!" Bei Ta happily swung his iron arm.

Feng Ying felt strange.

Although these prostheses were all E-1 grade, cheap devices made in the Human City, just installed and calibrated by mechanical doctors from Gongneng City, even so, the price of hundreds of prostheses was still staggering.

Duke Beidu didn't know where he had gotten so much money.

Did he borrow it from the chairman?

It wasn't until she returned to Maria Hospital that Doctor Da Vinci told her: "News from the front lines, the typhoon caused a small Light Amber vent 12 kilometers south of Shell City, Duke Beidu is already mining there. The economy of Shell City will grow rapidly in the upcoming period."

Only then did Feng Ying understand.

No wonder she hadn't seen many Guangna Species Soldiers during the disaster; they had all gone to the maritime mining area.

The sea lord only made decisions that were in his own best interest.

These casualties were just the cost.

Before Feng Ying left, the one-armed boy named Bei Ta gave her a small wildflower.

"I don't have money now, so I can only use this to thank you, Doctor."

"I will come work for the company when I'm an adult! I'll aim to be as impressive as the chairman, you'll see."

Feng Ying just hoped that he could grow up healthy, and not become another cost.

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