Chapter 554, Changing the Name Doesn't Seem Right
Wu Heng glanced at the time.
It was now 9 a.m.—there was plenty of time.
"Anything else?"
Gao Rong said, "There's also the matter of the weapon production line. We need some weapons to confirm the specifications and dimensions."
"We have weapon blueprints. Whatever you need, let Qi Hancai provide you with a copy."
"Alright, then I have nothing else." Gao Rong closed the folder in front of him.
Wu Heng nodded and said, "Qi Hancai, get the convoy ready. We're going to check out the printing factory Gao Rong mentioned."
"Okay." Qi Hancai pulled out a walkie-talkie and began giving orders.
Outside, the survivors started loading vehicles, making preparations.
Before long, the convoy and skeleton troops were assembled and ready.
Wu Heng and Qi Hancai shared a truck.
Gao Rong followed in another truck, heading together toward the northern district's printing factory.
...…
Inside the Truck.
Wu Heng asked, "How do you feel about the Tiancheng Group members?"
During meetings, Gao Rong always reported normally.
But since Wu Heng wasn't always around, he needed to ask Qi Hancai for her thoughts.
Qi Hancai thought for a moment. "No issues. They don't interact much with others, just focus on their work. They only come out at lunchtime."
"I'm thinking of assigning some skeleton apprentices to them later, to learn technical skills."
Qi Hancai glanced at him. "Wouldn't that cause resistance?"
"Introduce the idea to them first—show them examples of others teaching skeletons their work. The skeletons won't replace them." Wu Heng said.
"Alright, I'll take Gao Rong to check out the electricians later."
"Good." Wu Heng nodded.
Qi Hancai continued, "Every day on the radio, survivors from different places are talking on our frequency—it's chaotic."
Wu Heng raised an eyebrow. "What are they arguing about?"
"They want us to go clear out zombies in their cities. Many are even offering up local resource points, practically begging us to go immediately. Some say they'd join us and only ask for food—sounds really pitiful." Qi Hancai explained.
Wu Heng furrowed his brow slightly.
As his influence grew, he did need to kill zombies to gain experience, and forming connections with more survivors would help him accumulate reputation.
But the problem was, he was already overwhelmed with tasks.
Yantong City hadn't been fully cleared yet, and the Zombie King brought in by the rescue team was still unaccounted for.
He wanted to help survivors in various cities, ensuring more people lived.
But at the moment, there just wasn't enough time.
"I'll think of a plan when I get back. For now, explain to the survivors that we're making plans and tell them to hold on until we arrive." Wu Heng sighed.
Qi Hancai smiled. "I'll let them know when we get back."
The convoy continued forward.
Before long, they reached their destination. The lead vehicle reported zombie activity.
...…
Clang!
The gates of the printing factory were pushed open.
Roar!
From the dimly lit factory, zombie growls echoed as several of them rushed out.
They bared their fangs and claws, exuding a foul stench.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The moment they reached the entrance, they were skewered by spears.
The spears thrust repeatedly, killing the incoming zombies.
Wu Heng led the skeletons into the factory to take a look.
Bloodstained handprints covered the walls, and the floor was drenched in dried blood.
In the center stood three printing machines.
Wiping off some dried blood, the model GC6180 became faintly visible.
The machines weren't as large as expected.
About four meters long, over two meters wide.
The conveyor chains at the back stretched four to five meters.
After confirming the area was safe—
Wu Heng pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Qi Hancai, bring Gao Rong over."
"Copy that!"
Footsteps approached as Qi Hancai led Gao Rong inside.
She frowned at the surroundings and said, "Go check the machines."
"Alright." Gao Rong quickly moved forward and began inspecting them.
After a while, he returned.
"No major issues. We'll need to fine-tune them once we get back."
Wu Heng nodded and said to a nearby skeleton, "Remove the mounting screws."
The skeleton stepped forward while Gao Rong instinctively took two steps back.
The skeleton unfastened all the bolts securing the machines to the ground.
Wu Heng waved his hand—and all three machines vanished.
Gao Rong flinched, startled by the sudden disappearance.
He almost reacted, but seeing Qi Hancai remain unfazed as if nothing had happened, he forced himself to keep his composure.
Yet his feet unconsciously shifted back half a step.
Another supernatural ability.
The leader of Xinfu City's base clearly had more than just skeleton control.
Powers were truly incredible.
After collecting the machines, Wu Heng led the group to check the warehouses.
Inside, they found an entire stockpile of paper and printing ink.
This trip had turned out to be quite worthwhile.
With these materials, he had enough supplies to last for a while.
After storing everything away—
The convoy began their return journey.
They arrived back at the industrial complex.
Wu Heng handed the machines over to Gao Rong for cleaning and calibration.
He then used the portal to return to Gold-Silver Island.
...…
Dinner.
Wu Heng wiped his mouth and looked at Andviel. "Andviel, I plan to establish a newspaper. We'll be printing it in the next few days. I need you to organize content at the town hall and hand it over to me."
"I heard about the newspaper from Minnie. What kind of content do you need?" Andviel asked curiously.
"Island policies, development plans. Wasn't there talk about adjusting taxes and selling housing? Include those. Also, copy some guidelines from the guild's manual and send out a first issue to test the response." Wu Heng thought aloud.
"Understood, I'll prepare it when I get back."
With business concluded—
The group continued chatting for a while before heading to their rooms.
...…
Back in the Study.
Wu Heng stood before a bookshelf, gazing at the titles.
Aside from skill books, it contained collected novels and comics.
Glenda floated over and asked, "Picking a novel for your newspaper's serialization?"
"Yeah, got any recommendations?" Wu Heng asked.
Glenda's main hobby was reading.
Aside from skill books, she had read nearly everything else on the shelves.
She was fluent in both worlds' languages, making reading effortless.
"I recall a detective novel from a while back—it was quite good." Glenda gestured, summoning a copy of Sherlock Holmes' Complete Cases into the air.
Wu Heng raised an eyebrow—he hadn't expected her to recommend this.
Glenda continued, "The name and setting fit well here. The cases are intriguing, but some adjustments would be needed to align with this world's context."
"What kind of changes?"
"Place names, descriptions of things that don't exist in our world, and—most importantly—the protagonist's identity. It'd be better if you made the main character Wu Heng."
Wu Heng scratched his head. "I get modifying unfamiliar elements, but changing the protagonist's name feels excessive."
Glenda floated around him. "You're already copying the book—why worry about names? Besides, what's your goal here? If the newspaper spreads like you plan, having the protagonist as you will boost your reputation. You still want to be a hero, don't you?"
Wu Heng hesitated.
Xiaoxiao nodded eagerly. "Auntie's right! If you're going to copy, at least change the name—it'd be weirder if you didn't!"
Uh…
Wu Heng glanced at Xiaoxiao, unable to respond.
Xiaoxiao nodded in agreement. "Auntie is right! You've already copied the homework—if you don't change the name, that'd be even weirder."
Uh…
Wu Heng looked at Xiaoxiao again. Her perspective was certainly unique.
But he wasn't sure how to respond.
Originally, including a serialized novel in the newspaper was just to boost sales.
After all, serialized stories were always appealing.
But in Glenda's view, it was about creating Wu Heng's own story. If it became popular, his reputation would naturally increase.
It would establish the image of a meticulous detective.
Stories like this weren't uncommon in this world.
The guild even supported Level 18 Professionals by distributing similar stories across various regions.
They were often adventure-based, emphasizing teamwork.
Wu Heng suddenly hesitated.
Glenda had a point. Since he was already copying the story, he might as well maximize its benefits.
But changing the protagonist's name to his own…
That felt a bit shameless.
"Don't worry about it. I'll edit it tonight, and you can check it afterward." Seeing his hesitation, Glenda made the decision for him.
"You're really going to rewrite it?"
"I've written before. Trust me, it'll be fine." Glenda spoke with confidence.
Wu Heng nodded. "Alright, I'll leave it to you."
"Good!"
After a brief chat—
Glenda returned to the desk and started revising the novel, while Xiaoxiao flew off to play games on her tablet.
Wu Heng went back to his bedroom to rest.
...…
The Next Morning.
Wu Heng sat in the living room, watching skeletons install garden lamps in the courtyard.
Meanwhile, Xiaoxiao, who had been wandering outside, suddenly flew back in a hurry.
She rushed in and said, "Uncle! I saw that six-armed lady—she brought people onto the island, acting all sneaky!"