Chapter 21 — I Built an Empire in the Wasteland

Three weeks after the great battle, Camp Dawn had changed beyond recognition from the early days when there was only a makeshift hut hastily built next to the ruins. With the contributions of the settlement coalition, and the resources and technology from the now fully exploited Lôi Long bunker, the area around the camp gradually transformed into a clearly planned residential cluster that appeared for the first time in the Phế Thổ area since the Great War.

Tư Rỗ, with his extensive mechanical experience, headed a small team of workers who reinforced the houses with recycled materials from the surrounding rubble, redesigning the drainage and air filtration systems based on technology found in the shelter. Simple but sturdy houses gradually appeared in rows, replacing the previous temporary huts.

"Look," he said Tô Bạt Phong one morning while inspecting the project, his voice full of pride. "Just three weeks ago, this was an empty lot full of rubble. Now there are nearly thirty houses, enough room for more than a hundred people to live stably." Bạt Phong nodded, looking around at the scene that was gradually taking shape. His heart swelled with a feeling of both pride and fear at the increasing responsibility placed on his shoulders. From a bullied scrap collector, he has now become someone that hundreds of people consider their support and guide for their future.

Not everything goes smoothly. With the growing number of people, new problems began to arise — disputes over food distribution, disagreements over how to organize labor, and even suspicions between groups of people who had belonged to different settlements before consolidation. Bạt Phong realized that building weapons and defenses was only the easiest part; Building an equitable and sustainable community is the real challenge.

"We need a clearer system," he spoke at a meeting with Thanh Sơn, Yên Nhi, Diễm Thư, and representatives of groups that have joined the alliance. "Every decision cannot be based on just one person's wishes. We need common rules that we all agree to follow." Kình Bá Đông, now one of the new community's close advisors, nodded in agreement. "You're right. In the old Valley of Ashes, I ruled everything alone, and that left the people completely dependent on my decisions. If something happened to me, the whole settlement would fall into chaos. We shouldn't repeat that mistake here."

After many lengthy meetings, a small council was formed, consisting of representatives from each of the main population groups — Bạt Phong representing Camp Dawn, Kình Bá Đông representing those from the Valley of Ashes, an elderly woman named Mrs. Ca who was trusted by the people of Xóm Vá Sắt, and Diễm Thư representing the medical group and newcomers who did not belong to any particular group. All important decisions regarding resource allocation, construction, and security are publicly discussed before voting.

"This is not my empire," Bạt Phong spoke at the first public meeting in front of all residents, standing on a stone platform temporarily erected as a speaking place. "This is the home of all of us. I will do my best to protect and lead, but the final decision about the future of this place belongs to everyone standing here."

That declaration received a standing ovation from the crowd, many people applauded, some older people shed tears because for the first time after the Great War, they heard promises of a just community, not from the mouth of a self-proclaimed dictator.

During the first week of the small council's operation, a serious dispute broke out between two groups of residents—on one side, the old families of Camp Dawn, on the other, a group of newcomers from Iron Patch Hamlet—over the division of a rare area of farmland that had just been partially decontaminated. Both sides believed that the better part of the land should belong to them, arguing so fiercely that a fight almost broke out.

Bạt Phong, instead of making a judgment himself as is the habit of an authoritarian leader, convened a council to listen to both sides. Diễm Thư proposed a plan to divide the land according to the ratio of the number of people in each group, while Ms. Ca from Xóm Vá Sắt said that priority should be given in order of who joins the community first. The discussion lasted all afternoon, with the participation and opinions of ordinary people watching.

Finally, a compromise plan was adopted by public vote: farmland would be divided according to demographics, but the group that arrived first would have priority in choosing the first location within the divided land. Both groups were not completely satisfied, but accepted the outcome because the decision-making process was seen as fair and transparent.

"This is exactly what I want to see." Bạt Phong told Yên Nhi after the meeting, his voice was relieved. "Not everyone is completely satisfied, but no one feels trampled or abandoned. That is the foundation for a long-term community to exist." Yên Nhi nodded in agreement. "My father once told me, though I don't remember when, that true justice isn't about pleasing everyone, but about making sure every voice is heard before a decision is made. You're doing just that."

Lôi Quang Việt, now no longer the leader of a bandit but just an ordinary resident of the new community, stood quietly at the back of the crowd, listening to the speech. After the battle, he and the few remaining members of the Gray Wolves volunteered to stay and work on Tư Rỗ's construction team, gradually regaining some trust from those who had been their victims, although the road to redemption was still long and not easy.

"Do you think that crowd really believes what you say?" Hạ Tử Kỳ, who also stayed with him after leaving the path of robbery, asked softly.

"Not today, perhaps," Lôi Quang Việt replied, his eyes following Bạt Phong as he stepped down from the stone pedestal, surrounded by people who wanted to shake hands and thank him. "But if he continues to act as he says, perhaps one day, they will truly believe it."

That afternoon, Bạt Phong spent time visiting each area under construction, listening to people's opinions, and noting problems that needed to be resolved. He met an old couple who were worried about growing crops on land that was still slightly radioactive, met a few orphans who were being arranged to stay with families willing to take care of them, and met people who were once part of the Gray Wolves and were now diligently carrying construction materials under the fading sunlight of Phế Thổ.

That evening, when he returned to the small house that had been built much more solidly than the original hut, Bạt Phong sat down next to Yên Nhi. They both looked out at the scene of small lights flickering throughout the new settlement - light from recycled solar-powered lights that Thanh Sơn and his technical team had installed everywhere over the past few weeks.

"Have you ever thought that just a few months ago, I was a scrap picker who was bullied every day?" Yên Nhi asked, her voice gentle, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Have," Bạt Phong replied, smiling slightly, although the smile was somewhat tired after a long day. "And I still can't believe how quickly things have changed. But I know, without you, without all the people who believed in me and stood by me, I would never have gotten here."

Yên Nhi smiled, held his hand tightly, and they both watched the lights of the new community gradually light up a dark corner of Phế Thổ, like a quiet promise of what could still be built from the ashes of a collapsed world.

Farther over the horizon, where the Black Eagle's limestone base once stood, news spread that most of the organization's remaining forces had disbanded after hearing of their Colonel's capture, with a few surrendering to the newly formed spontaneous government around Camp Dawn, and others fleeing to distant, unexplored lands. The biggest threat that had hung over the past weeks had now dissipated, giving way to a new, quieter but no less important task: rebuilding trust between people who once considered each other enemies, turning a land that was once only filled with struggle and fear into a place where people can truly live, not just survive.