Chapter 293 Start preparing the land immediately.

Fully automated farming equipment meant that Hope Base would no longer have to rely entirely on manual labor to maintain its agricultural production.

The food-processing equipment was equally valuable.

Instead of simply growing crops and storing them, they would now be able to process those resources efficiently, allowing them to produce and preserve far more food for the base.

With a five-hundred-percent increase in agricultural production efficiency, Hope Base’s food supply was bound to reach an entirely new level.

Ivy couldn’t help but smile.

The High-Tech Zone had truly been worth coming for.

"Captain Ivy?"

Erick’s voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

She turned around and looked at him.

"What is it?" she asked.

"We’ve finished checking the area," Erick reported, straightening slightly. "Everything is secure. There are no remaining monsters inside the zone, and the soldiers have already checked the major facilities."

Ivy nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. Have the soldiers gather everything useful. Anything related to agriculture, food production, machinery, or energy must be transported back to Hope Base."

Erick nodded immediately.

"Understood."

Ivy looked back at the technological facility, her eyes lingering on the impressive machinery inside.

A strange sense of anticipation filled her chest.

Hope Base’s food production was about to undergo a massive transformation, and she couldn’t wait to see the results.

****

When Ivy finally returned to Hope Base after the other bases had also returned to their respective settlements following the completion of the task, she didn’t waste any time.

"Call the agricultural team."

"Yes, Commander."

Within minutes, several people hurried over. Ivy immediately led them directly toward the farmland.

"What’s going on?"

"I hope there’s no problem. She just got back and already summoned everyone."

The survivors murmured among themselves, confusion and curiosity etched across their faces.

They had barely seen Ivy return before she had already begun making arrangements. Naturally, everyone wanted to know what was happening.

Ivy looked over the vast stretch of farmland before finally raising her voice.

"Starting today, we’re expanding the farmland."

The people exchanged surprised glances.

"Expanding it?"

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"And by expanding it, where exactly are we expanding it to?"

The questions came one after another.

Ivy remained calm as she looked across the existing fields.

"Ten times the current size."

Her declaration immediately sent waves of shock down the survivors’ spines.

"What?!"

The agricultural team stared at her in disbelief.

Ten times?

The existing farmland already occupied a considerable amount of land. Expanding it tenfold would mean taking up an enormous portion of the surrounding territory.

One of the men hesitated before finally speaking.

"Commander, even if we expand the farmland, do we have enough people to manage it? I mean, we only have a few survivors working on the farmland after all. Everyone already has their own assigned tasks."

"We have enough manpower now," Ivy replied confidently.

After saying that, she clapped her hands.

Immediately, the sound of a huge machine filled the air.

The survivors turned their heads toward the source of the noise, only to see Darren coming into view. He was driving a large piece of equipment toward them.

Ivy smiled as she watched the shocked and confused expressions on the survivors’ faces.

"What is that?"

"That is farming equipment," Ivy replied as she stepped forward with a smile.

She had already included Darren in her plans, so he knew about the machine beforehand. That was why he had been the one to bring it out and demonstrate it to the survivors.

"When I said we already have enough manpower, this is exactly what I meant," Ivy explained. She then raised her hand, signaling for everyone to calm down. "And please, everyone, calm down and listen to me."

The murmuring gradually died down.

Ivy moved closer to the machine and gestured toward it.

"This equipment can automatically prepare the soil, plant seeds, water crops, and monitor their growth."

"Huh?"

"Is she being serious right now?"

"Oh, no. That’s impossible."

The survivors continued murmuring among themselves, confusion and curiosity still etched across their faces.

Ivy wasn’t bothered by their disbelief.

"It is possible," she assured them with a warm smile. "And once the crops mature, the machines can harvest them and transport them directly to the processing area."

The workers’ expressions gradually changed from confusion to complete disbelief.

"This..." One of them walked closer to inspect the machine, his eyes filled with fascination. "Does it really work automatically?"

"Yes."

"Then we won’t need nearly as many workers in the fields."

"Exactly." Ivy nodded. "That’s why we’re expanding the farmland. Since we now have these machines to help us, we can manage a much larger area without needing to assign hundreds of people to manual farming."

She turned toward the surrounding territory and pointed toward the empty land.

"Start preparing the land immediately. I want the entire expansion completed as soon as possible. Captain Erick will guide you on the use of the machine."

"Yes, Commander!"