The Number of People Breaking Four Hundred

Xiao Fan's current platoon-level unit allocation is as follows.

There are three combat platoons, each with thirty people, including three squads with 24 people, one platoon leader, one sniper, one flamethrower soldier, and a three-man heavy machine gun team, for a total of thirty people exactly.

Since the establishment of the cooking squad and medical squad, these two soldier types are no longer equipped at the platoon level.

The cost of each of the three squads is 7,200 gold, the platoon leader recon soldier is 500 gold, the sniper 800 gold, the flamethrower soldier 1,000 gold, and the heavy machine gun team 2,000 gold.

So the total personnel cost for one platoon is 11,500 gold.

Three platoons is 34,500 gold.

Then there is the cooking squad with eight people and the medical squad with eight people, totaling 3,200 gold, plus two vehicles at 3,000 gold, totaling 6,200 gold.

The guard platoon has eight warriors plus the platoon leader at 1,700 gold, totaling 7,700 gold.

This is the standard organization, with a total of 114 people.

The total cost is 48,400 gold.

Xiao Fan hasn't sorted out the remaining special soldier types yet, and now it's time to finalize them.

He decides to equip each company with one infantry fighting vehicle, three armored vehicles, one warrior armored vehicle and three 212 Jeeps.

The total cost of these vehicles is 18,000 gold.

The infantry fighting vehicle comes with three crew members, and the armored vehicles also have drivers, for a total of 118 people.

One engineer, as a technician, costs 800 gold, total 119 people.

Plus a reconnaissance company commander, costing 500 gold, the number is 120.

There are still 20 slots left. Xiao Fan is in no hurry to fill them up. He'll add new soldier types after the physical buildings are constructed.

With this allocation, the cost is 67,700 gold!

Xiao Fan looks at the money on hand and feels like he can make it work.

Determined, Xiao Fan decides to directly add 2nd Company.

He brought two platoons and basic vehicles. Using them as the 1st and 2nd platoons of 1st and 2nd Company.

This way, he only needs to add the manpower for four more platoons.

Each platoon costs 11,500 gold. Four platoons is 46,000 gold.

Spending this money, production begins.

Xiao Fan does not stop there. He continues increasing the cooking squad and medical squad.

He already has one cooking squad and medical squad. Just adding one more of each is good.

He also already has one vehicle each, just adding one more works.

There is also the guard platoon. He needs to add two more. These four squads cost 9,400 gold.

He also already has armored vehicles and infantry fighting vehicles, as well as the warrior. He adds six more 212 Jeeps as rides for the six platoon leaders.

That's another 6,000 gold spent. Xiao Fan's production queue has become very long, with over ten hours total time.

After Xiao Fan selects all of these, he has spent 61,400 gold!

But when production is complete, his total troop number will reach four hundred!

Two understrength companies with 240 people. Three engineer platoons with 90 people.

There is still one Yanshan Town platoon with 30 people, plus 10 engineers.

Plus other assorted soldier types, the number reaches exactly 400 people.

More than half a fully staffed battalion. He doesn't have much money left now.

Seeing soldier after soldier appearing, Xiao Fan feels an unspeakable sense of satisfaction.

Platoon leader Xu Qiang is appointed 1st Company commander. 2nd Platoon leader Shen Guangming is appointed 2nd Company commander.

The previous platoon leader positions are filled by the newly enlisted recon soldiers.

Xiao Fan also issues orders for the new troops to immediately collect resources after enlisting.

They now need a lot of resources, not just construction materials, but also food and fuel.

With so many vehicles on site, they all need fuel. If there are gas stations nearby, drain them without hesitation.

At the same time, Xiao Fan gives the new troops another mission, which is to eliminate the zombies at Kaoshan Farm and Baihua Town.

Because he still needs money, lots of money for infrastructure construction.

While Xiao Fan is commanding, Shen Ruihui, the guard platoon leader behind him, is a little anxious.

Seeing more and more new recruits joining up, the team getting bigger and bigger, those newly enlisted greenhorns are all platoon leaders, while he, a veteran soldier, is still just a platoon leader.

He can't help but cough next to Xiao Fan, reminding him of his existence.

"Platoon leader Shen, do you have something?"

"Commander, it's like this. You see company commanders are allocated guard platoons now. As the overall commander, shouldn't you allocate a guard company?"

Xiao Fan ponders for a moment. "What you said makes sense."

"Right, I think it makes sense too." Shen Ruihui sticks out his chest, showing he's the obvious choice for company commander.

"But money is tight now. Let's wait until funds are more abundant."

Xiao Fan really thinks so. He just spent over 60,000 gold, leaving only 35,000 remaining. He has to be frugal.

Shen Ruihui immediately deflates like a pierced balloon, not daring to raise any different opinions.

Seeing Shen Ruihui's expression, Xiao Fan feels he might be too free.

Putting on a stern face, Xiao Fan says to him: "Platoon leader Shen, we urgently lack resources at the base now. I need a highly capable solo soldier to scout the surrounding situation, roughly including Baihua Town, Kaoshan Farm, and Qingyang County Town. Who here do you think can accomplish this arduous task?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Ruihui immediately realizes it's an opportunity.

He pats his chest without hesitation: "Commander, this kind of thing must be done by a recon soldier. The only recon soldiers more senior than me are Xu Qiang and Shen Guangming, but they're now company commanders with heavy duties and probably no time. So only I can handle it."

"Good, then I'll leave it to you. I hope you can bring back a satisfactory answer."

"Rest assured commander, I guarantee to complete the mission!"

Shen Ruihui excitedly rides off on the base's only Bianjing SWM150 motorcycle.

With Shen Ruihui gone, it quiets down here. Xiao Fan concentrates on construction.

In the next few days, Xiao Fan's base is a hotbed of activity.

Leveling ground, digging tunnels, laying drainage pipes, this infrastructure seems endless.

Some simple workshops are built here for soldiers to live in temporarily.

Xiao Fan does not sleep in the workshops, only sleeping alone in his Scorpion light tactical vehicle.

After eating, he looks at the work progress. Sometimes soldiers come back bringing some resources.

Although the scattered resources are small, they accumulate over time. All four basic resources keep increasing.

Xiao Fan's funds also grow, but very slowly. In three days, funds only increase from 35,000 to 39,000.

This makes Xiao Fan a little impatient. At this rate, how long before the city walls can be built?

On the morning of the fourth day, Shen Ruihui runs back covered in dust.

"Commander, big discovery!"