In the early summer season, under the shroud of severe cold, the Federation, which had been bleak for a whole year, finally welcomed the long-awaited sunshine and warm breeze.

After the snow and ice melted, the wilderness was full of vitality, a scene of vigorous competition among all living things leaping into everyone's eyes... except in Hai Province.

Hai Province is damn near getting sunburnt!

Every winter's coldest period is still a tolerable temperature for Hai Province, but once winter is over, the fierce sunlight and terrifying heat quickly descend.

The humid and sultry air fills every inch of space, and under the blowing of the sea breeze, the brutal summer shows itself again, with temperatures continuing to rise further.

Barely into summer, many areas have already exceeded thirty degrees. According to experts on TV, this year the temperature might break a new record, and residents are advised to take protective measures to avoid sunburn.

Of course, the residents referred to here specifically mean those who have electricity, water, and internet in the city and can afford to pay peak electricity bills and cool down with air conditioners at home - the 'urban people'.

As for the wilderness outside the city...

Ha ha, junk collectors dreaming of air conditioning, who would have such unrealistic dreams?

"One! Two! Three!!!"

"One! Two! Three!!!"

In the wilderness, outside the settlement by the swamp, dust was flying, and shouts could be heard.

Under the blazing sun, with high temperatures steaming, the air filled with the smell of decay and foul water from the swamp, forcing people to cover their noses. Under the terrifying sun that could sunburn a dog, a group of bare-chested men, with sunburned and taut muscles, pulled tightly on the ropes in a tug-of-war fashion.

Whether old or young, strong or skinny, even fat, there were even a few kids pretending to help at the back, more for participation.

In this heated pulling, they replaced cranes and slowly hoisted blades dozens of meters long, inch by inch, and finally connected them at a signal whistle to the steel tower that had been standing on the ground.

Immediately, a few people with ropes tied around their waists jumped over and began to connect and reinforce.

At the moment of letting go, everyone collapsed on the ground. Some had hands marked with blood from the steel cables, but they just carelessly wiped them on their pants and dug out scattered tobacco from their pockets to roll a cigarette.

"That piece of junk should have been replaced long ago."

Lu Feng, in sunglasses in the shade beside, bad-temperedly kicked a scrap crane several times his own age: "What a damn hassle, how much time did this delay?

Just buy a new one, and you'd even get a discount."

"It can still be used, can still be used."

The accompanying person, the leader of the settlement, a skinny old man with dark skin, took out a box of unopened cigarettes from his pocket and offered it: "Would you like one?"

Lu Feng instinctively reached out but hesitated as if recalling a mop handle from his mother, shook his head, sighed, and tossed two pieces of chewing gum into his mouth:

"Never mind, quit."

"Quitting is good, quitting is good." The leader smiled companionably, continuing to chat with Lu Feng with little to say.

Soon, cheers could be heard from a distance.

"It's spinning! It's spinning!!!"

"Damn, there's finally electricity."

"Pretty fast!"

As the huge motor started with the rotation of the blades, under the blowing sea breeze, lights flickered back on.

Even if it seemed shabby compared to ordinary wind turbines...

On the towering tower, except for the top cabin sent from Xinquan, everything was built with concrete, with internal steel rods as scrap from Spring City.

As for the blades, they were merely the result of crudely processing and welding loads of scrap material, covered in scars and patches, making a mouse cry. It perfectly embodied the junk collectors' spirit of making do rather than replacing, squeezing value out.

The only technically sophisticated part of the whole generator was probably the knockoff motor and monkey model cabin produced by Coastal Industry from Xinquan—corrosion-resistant and high-temperature resistant, capable of stable operation in Hai Province's long-term sea breeze and humidity corrosion, durable, easy to repair, with maintenance so simple that anyone literate could resolve issues after reading the manual for ten minutes.

Priced dirt cheap as well.

Specifically tailored for junk collector babies.

Now, such generators stand like forests throughout the wilderness of Hai Province and have even been installed in such small settlements with only a hundred or so people.

In just over a month, it replaced the various manually-crafted, ingeniously designed power equipment made by skilled craftsmen in the settlement, with its stability, durability, and most importantly, price... receiving widespread acclaim.

"That'll do, though the power is a bit low and can't supply any large equipment, at least it's enough for you to blow an air conditioner."

After chewing the gum, Lu Feng spat carelessly, waving at the old leader trying to make small talk: "Go enjoy it, you old fart."

"Thank you, thank you!"

Seeing the giant hand-cranked air conditioner in the settlement roar back to life, the old man was overjoyed, holding onto Lu Feng's hand, reluctant to let go.

"Thank you for what? You signed a contract, just do your work honestly."

Lu Feng shook off his hand, glanced back at him: "When it's time to repay, you won't make me chase you up, right?"

"No, no, no!" The old man waved to someone beside him, and immediately someone handed him a small pouch, offering eagerly: "I'm aware of your habits. This is the first payment, ah, with interest too. Please check it."

Lu Feng glanced at him suspiciously and opened the pouch.

Inside the bag were only a few rough stones and even a handful of metal scraps, like dust... The only difference from dirt and sand was they all shimmered with a pleasing golden glow.

Gold, it's all gold.

A few naturally formed raw ores, and a large handful of gold sand.

Lu Feng glanced at it and handed it to his subordinates. Immediately, someone pulled out the equipment to start on-site testing, quickly calculating the purity and price, almost matching the first installment of repayment agreed in the contract, even slightly exceeding it.

"It's alright, no impurities."

Lu Feng rubbed his beard and nodded, "You're quite clever, old man."

The old man's tense expression finally loosened as if he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He grinned sincerely, "Who would dare make false claims about Coast's debt."

Lu Feng didn't laugh, he just glanced at the seemingly honest leader, finally patting him on the shoulder, "Quite well-informed."

At the very least, aware of the consequences of defaulting...

"Alright, let's pack up and head out."

Lu Feng looked up at the sun, waved his hand, pulled open the car door and jumped into the car.

The old man followed closely behind, exceedingly courteous, "Won't you have a meal? Chicken, free-range chicken, all prepared!"

"We've prepared as well, going home to eat, stop dawdling, everyone hurry up!"

Lu Feng couldn't bother with such scheming courtesy, partly out of laziness, partly because it was unnecessary. The smiles of junkyard folks have always been cheap; the simplicity and foolishness of the wildlands come hand-in-hand; cleverness and malice share the same origin.

In the end, the old man handed over yet another bag, not light.

With utmost sincerity, lowering his head and pleading:

"Please extend my greetings to Mr. Ji."

Behind the car window, Lu Feng took one last look, meaningful, suddenly chuckling softly.

"Don't worry, he can hear."

The car window rose, the engine started.

The three large trucks roared away from the settlement gates, kicking up dust, thundering into the distance.

Along the way, all that was seen were ordinary wildland vistas, as the workers, having busied themselves for half a day, smoked and shared lewd jokes and gossip, arranging for massages or scrubs, with tacit understanding in their eyes as they laughed.

Occasionally glancing out the window, there was always a sense of search.

More and more towering iron towers entered their line of sight, those blades silently rotating in the sea breeze, and in their eyes appeared a bit of habit and a tinge of joyful accomplishment.

In just a few months, starting from New Spring Town and radiating in all directions, Coastal Industry's wind turbines have spread throughout Hai Province, almost becoming a landmark for the convoy.

Upon seeing these disparate, stitched-together and ragtag yet still functioning turbines, everyone knows they've entered Hai Province.

Thanks to its low price and maintenance cost, barely earning any considerable profits compared to big brands, overall cost slashed by half and still negotiable lower, even cheaper if just purchasing the nacelle and generator, now Coastal, besides its mini three-wheelers, has acquired another flagship product.

Additionally, there's the newly launched motorcycle...

On the edges of Spring City's old site, Coastal Industry, officially established less than a few months, has already become a true junkyard titan in the wild.

Together with the entire 'New Spring Town' built on the ruins of Spring City, transforming day by day, and even last week, following the restoration of electricity, has completely reinstated its water supply.

In terms of price, it's fifty percent more costly than within the city, but stable supply and guaranteed quality are advantages. If unhappy, there's always the alternative of buying a wind turbine alongside...

All the trifling profits that city enterprises disdain are gathered up by Coastal Industry. All the technological products that junkyard folks outside the city can't procure or handle are shamelessly copied by Coastal Industry.

From vehicles to water and electricity, Coastal Industry is establishing its influence in the wildlands at a terrifying speed and irresistible momentum.

Curving past the mountain roads, when the ever-expanding settlement comes into view from afar, the first thing that stands out is that gate beyond which a steel giant, squatting on the ground, towering over ten meters high.

It seems dormant, covered in rust marks, like a toy pieced together from junk.

Yet ironically, the moment everyone passes by the giant and steps inside the gates, everything feels drastically different.

The patches of red rust on the steel giant's fists seem like a mysterious purifier.

In an instant, the lethal hostility and fierceness in the wild disappear, the calculations and covetousness vanish without a trace, replaced by the immaculate eyes and smiles of junkyard folks, resembling college students.

Showing simplicity and warmth.

Pure and harmless one after another.

Though it's sometimes hard to control the tone in their speech, their tempers quickly grow genteel, even their formerly unclean little hands become disciplined.

In the vast and bustling marketplace, people from various settlements, having rented booths, are peddling local specialties or vegetables, minerals...

Amid the uproar, order prevails.

In the distance, at the end of the market, on the two main avenues wide enough to accommodate several large trucks side by side, there's only a single archway without any fencing or door installed. The scribbled 'Mo's masterpiece' by the founder was enlarged proportionally and prominently displayed above the gate.

——[Coastal Industry]

"Finally home."

Lu Feng sighed, glancing down at his watch.

Wondering if he could still make it in time.

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