"Hurry up, hurry up!" Sergeant O'Connor's face was anxious as he urged the two workers carrying pieces of concrete.

Jericho Town was in a state of construction, and almost everyone was mobilized to carry the broken bricks and rubbles from the ruins of New Canaan, which were piled up around Jericho Town and connected to the ruins to the east.

Some townspeople responded to Sheriff O'Connor's call without expecting anything in return, bringing their own tools to participate in the construction work, while others remained on the sidelines, watching the workers in blue overalls working under the supervision of armed policemen, and in whispered conversations, they felt that the people should do the work, and they only had to watch from the sidelines.

What's more, they are already thinking about leaving temporarily. Today, the town is closed, all the merchants are persuaded to leave, the plant is rarely completely shut down, and the workers no longer produce clean water, but start building

"Walls" .... Well, or improvised fortifications. All in all, when Sergeant O'Connor learned from the spy who had escaped death that there was a terrible gang of gangsters called the 215 gang coming to the south, he immediately understood how serious the situation really was.

"I told you to hurry up!!" Sheriff O'Connor was in a hurry to lose his mind, for no matter how much he shouted, the workers were always slow, and some of them began to rest on the spot without looking, and only got up reluctantly until they were discovered.

At this efficiency, after two days they would probably only get some small mounds surrounding the town of Jericho, so what was the use?

He even raised his pistol, which made the workers move a little faster, but their eyes were still cold, and if the muzzle of the black hole drooped slightly, they would immediately return to normal.

"How can this be true? You don't know what's going to happen next, and the marauders are coming! Sergeant O'Connor was furious and suddenly gave orders to the other cops.

"Give me a whip, and whoever doesn't work, whipped hard! If anyone dares to resist, they will be shot on the spot! Hearing this, a Jericho policeman immediately took out a long whip, and when he saw a young worker pretending to be lazy, he immediately swung the black whip in his hand and slapped him fiercely.

"Bang-Bang-Bang——!" The young worker screamed and rolled on the ground with a whip, and blood began to soak the blue overalls, but instead of boosting the productivity of others, the horrific scene had the opposite effect.

The workers looked numbly and indifferently at the policeman who was vigorously whipping his companions, and they stopped what they were doing, some throwing stones to the ground, others clenching their shovels..... Sergeant O'Connor's pupils narrowed, and he ordered the officers to shoot into the air, and after the gunshots rang out, the workers began to work reluctantly with their heads down, only to be even less efficient than before.

Andy was hurrying in with Battery, Alexandra and Otto to to witness it. He walked up to Sheriff O'Connor and pointed out the crux of the matter.

"Don't force them with violence anymore, Sergeant O'Connor, if you continue like this, before the Marauders of the 215 Gang come over, Jericho Town itself will be in trouble!" Sergeant O'Connor wiped his face, and felt that it was very dangerous just now, although those workers did not have guns in their hands, but the heavy objects and tools in their hands could still kill, once they swarmed up, the outnumbered police officers would not be able to resist, and soon someone would be killed and then taken away from their weapons, and then things would be out of control.

"I understand, but what else can I do? Whatever the method, the wall will have to be repaired in two days! He made up his mind with a straight face, but Andy just shook his head.

"I can't finish it." Sheriff O'Connor turned to retort.

"I said that the repair is finished, but they don't want to do it, it's a big deal that tomorrow I'll find a lazy one to hang on the gallows, I see if they're afraid!" Andy also became serious, and he walked straight up to Sheriff O'Connor to raise his voice.

"Really?! Then let me tell you, even if you hang all three gallows, if you can't finish it, you can't finish it! Because those workers only feel that they are your slaves, slaves of Jericho Town! They felt that the wall was not built to protect their families and homes, but to serve the slave owners! Think about what they would think? Perhaps in their opinion, those marauders did not come to kill them, but to rescue them, and if this idea does not change, this wall will never be finished! There was a quiet moment around, and some of the workers stared at this side in a daze, and even the policemen looked fixedly at the two people who were standing together.

Sheriff O'Connor was speechless. Andy dragged the battery and Otto behind him.

"Tell Sheriff O'Connor about your findings and thoughts." The two pondered for a while, and then began to talk about what they had found in the waterworks in the past few days.

"We have already seen the design of the terminal, this water plant was originally designed to be a saltwater desalination plant that can be operated automatically, in the earliest design, the whole plant only needs one or two human employees to participate in the management work to maintain normal operation, but this requires a group of robots that have been carefully programmed, which is a condition that we cannot achieve now.... We didn't find robots in the water plant, just some debris in some corners. The battery spoke for a while, and Otto replaced him with a hoarse voice.

"Well, can I make a guess that there were robots here, but then they didn't." Sheriff O'Connor let out a long sigh.

"That night, we broke into New Canaan and chose to stick to the waterworks area, and the robots inside seemed to have become violent because of our intrusion, so we had to break all the iron lumps, and then because no one knew how to use robots, they were all packaged up as scrap metal and sold to merchants." Otto shrugged and complained.

"Oh, what a horrible massacre, those robots are only industrial models, but you should be glad that they have long since been removed from all weapons or potentially lethal self-detonation devices, which were originally set to factory basic configuration, which is really frustrating, thanks to the conscientious and reliable technician at the Jericho Water Plant in Ogden.... Ah, that's a long way off. He coughed twice as if he had a weak heart.

"Ahem, that, where did it go.... Ah, by the way, there's good news. Although there is no way for us to have a reliable fleet of robots, some of the equipment in the water plant can now be better replaced. You know, I'm talking about the primitive hand pump that you made out of all sorts of scrap metal, and the battery told me it was a much more sophisticated and complex pumping device in the beginning, right? Sheriff O'Connor nodded.

"That thing is broken, we can't fix it.." Otto touched his fleshless chin and suddenly grabbed a nut.

"Please don't tell me that you sold it as scrap metal." Thankfully, things weren't so bad this time, and Sheriff O'Connor told him that the dismantled premium pump was still stored in a warehouse.

"That's great, just reinstall that thing, and you don't have to have to pump it out by hand." Sheriff O'Connor asked with some hope.

"What do you mean.... That thing can be fixed, right? But.... Okay, maybe those complicated structures won't be a problem for you, but the repairman I hired told me that even if I tried to fix the pump, it wouldn't move because it needed energy, and Jericho didn't have the energy to make it move... Our boiler can barely provide the power to make the water purifier move, and taking care of a pump really can't do it. As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly remembered the agricultural expert that Andy had talked to him about earlier.

Andy nodded duly. The hesitation in Sergeant O'Connor's heart was partially unraveled, maybe there really won't be manpower needed to pump water in the future, but...

"Even if it can be achieved, what about the boiler? Coal doesn't run into it with its own long legs to burn itself, what kind of biodiesel power generation you are talking about, I don't particularly understand, but is it so powerful that it can completely replace coal-burning boilers to supply energy for the equipment of an entire water plant? With excitement, Battery told Sheriff O'Connor another piece of good news.

"Of course not, but we have also found another energy channel, in fact, there is a power supply cable that extends all the way under the water plant, which can continuously transmit strong power to here, which is the energy that originally supplied all the needs of the water plant, God, I really want to see what kind of great machinery can make such a huge amount of electricity." Otto shook his head.

"Trust me, kid, there's not much to look at, and the attitude of the Hoover Dam toward Buraku is a little stronger than that of a ghoul like me." He made a suggestion to Sheriff O'Connor, who was contemplating.

"You can make some agreements with the Hoover Dam and get the engineers there to allow Jericho to use the electricity generated by the Hoover Dam, and don't try to steal the electricity, it won't be long before it is exposed; The engineers there are all from NcR, and although they still don't know much about advanced pre-war technology, it won't be a problem to find you, and Jericho Town will fall into passivity at that time. ”

"Once all this equipment is fully equipped, Jericho will no longer need anyone to act as a worker, and the plant will start to run automatically, which will not only be much cheaper than before, but will also be much more efficient." Andy interjected.

"Moreover, it can be taken as a hope, the hope of the workers, that if they know that their fate will change in the future, that they will be able to regain their freedom, then they will not drag it any longer, and it will only be possible to finish these walls in two days if you announce it to them." Alexandra adds another aspect.

"I've seen people hiding in their homes, I've seen people running away with big bags and bags, and if you let them take the lead, you know what will happen in the end, and that's when you have to say something and let everybody know what they have to do." After several people's explanations and persuasions, Sheriff O'Connor finally understood what he should do at this time.

...................... During the lunch break, he summoned all the police for a small meeting, and then while the workers were eating, the ruler of Jericho Town ascended to a small podium that had been set up improvisely.

Looking at the workers below with different expressions and all kinds of rough food in their hands, Sergeant O'Connor had a wonderful feeling that he had never imagined that this day would really come, and so quickly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I have something to announce to you..."

Sheriff O'Connor thought for a moment, no longer hesitated, and let what he had to say blurt out.

"Soon I will abolish the worker system in Jericho Township. In the future, there will no longer be any workers at the water plant in Jericho, and you will all be free, and you will be free to go wherever you want, and it doesn't matter if you stay or go anywhere else. Not only that, but the laws of Jericho Town will also be reformed, and in the future, I will reduce the punishment for those who commit minor crimes, so that no one will be forced to re-educate for their crimes, and no one will be sent to the gallows for committing less serious offences. I vouch for my reputation and my life that what I say is all true. Bursts of astonishment came from the mouths of the workers, who looked at each other and whispered, their eyes began to show some color, and their expressions were no longer as numb as before.

Sergeant O'Connor waited for the chatter to cease before continuing.

"But—I will say a but, all this will not be carried out at once, for there is a vicious group of marauders on the way, and they are coming, and they will kill everyone here, and if we are not fully prepared in two days, then things will be like that! I know some of you have always resented me, but I have a clear conscience that I have always considered all decisions in the interests of the entire town of Jericho. ”

"Without those strict laws, the little settlements built on the ruins would not be what they are today, and you are not one of the many people in the wasteland who do not have enough to eat, drink, or even a decent piece of clothing; There are some of you who don't care about this and think that your freedom is more important than eating and drinking, and I can understand that. But the matter has come to this, just two days, two days, let us repair all the walls and fortifications, we must be in the same boat during the special period, only in this way can we survive this hurdle! ”

"After that—you'll be free!" The workers cheered, they hugged each other, and even cried with joy.

Sheriff O'Connor turned his attention to the townsfolk again.

"I am here to thank all those who have responded to my call to work here, for your willingness to sweat and participate in the defense of our homeland. You've all heard what I said before, don't worry, the water plant won't stop, our technical consultants have solved all the problems, and it won't be long before our water production in Jericho Town will be even higher than before, and we will earn more bottle caps than before. ”

"When you drink in the future, you don't have to worry about whether you will be arrested and go to work in the water plant because of drunken fights, and you don't have to worry about going to the gallows if you have a small dispute with others on the road, I know that those strict laws have given you too much pressure on life while ensuring the safety of our town, but this will not be the case in the future, everything will be better!"

"But again, if you want to have a good future, you must first get through the difficult present, what the marauders will do once they capture this place, I don't need to explain, everyone has seen a lot! The east is not as good as the NcR hinterland, everyone knows that walking here two or three kilometers away, there are more than two or three gangs of bandits and natives, this is the cruel wasteland, you live and die! Everyone, those who can hold guns, those who can take hoes, whether Jericho can continue to exist is up to us! Cries of approval came from everywhere, and Sergeant O'Connor's eyes changed, and he noticed that there were still many townspeople who were not here.

"I have one more thing to say, from now on, no one can leave Jericho without my consent! There are people who want to leave at this most critical time, I tell you, don't think! You've enjoyed Jericho's prosperity and peace in the past, and now you want to walk away and come back when the dust settles? What a thick skin! Everyone, everyone! You have to get involved! ”

"Defend Jericho!" This decision was approved by everyone present, and the faces of those who were planning to pack up their belongings and flee Jericho suddenly looked as ugly as flies.

....................... Dr. Lane's gaze wandered with the movement of his eyes, and he had tried to hide and find a chance to slip away, but now it became troublesome, and when he returned to his clinic full of thoughts, he saw that all his medicine stocks had been removed by the police.

"What are you doing here?!" He lunged at him, only to be kicked away by the police, and Bart looked at Dr. Lane as he fell to the ground with contempt.

"Dokleline, I officially inform you that all of your medicine has been requisitioned on the orders of Sheriff O'Connor!" Dr. Lane's mouth was wide enough to fit a fist into him, and he rolled on the ground, then yelled and clung to a policeman's ankle.

"Robbers! Bandit! How can you do that?! In response to his splattering, he was slammed with a relentless butt.

"Enough! Don't think Sheriff O'Connor doesn't know you're not a doctor at all, just a drug dealer and a liar! If you don't get out of the way, you'll just wait to eat the gun! We'll give you bottle caps when this battle is over, now grab your tools and repair the wall! Dr. Lane, who was at a loss, was beaten and had no choice but to give up his medicine and drag a shovel to the construction site.

On the other hand, the same thing happened in Anson's shop.

"Stop me!" With a straight face, he pointed the shotgun in his hand at the Jericho police officers who were rummaging through the cabinets.

"Whoever dares to touch my things again, I will shoot!" Calwell, who was leading the team, stood up and stared at Anson with the other policemen, and the terrible pressure made Anson's already pale and stiff face extremely difficult to see.

"Put my things down, I'm fed up with your town, no one cared about the thief who stole my things before, and now you're just coming to rob it, right? I don't care about you! I'm getting out of here! Calville shook his head slowly.

"You can't go, and I'm hereby informing you, in my capacity as Jericho's Deputy Sheriff Jack Cauwell, that your things are all requisitioned by order of Sheriff O'Connor, and the bottle caps are to be reimbursed afterward; And now you have to work, too, and your bars and brothels are going to close. Anson screamed and was about to pull the trigger, when a man suddenly appeared next to him with lightning and knocked him unconscious with a punch.

"Beautiful, but I think it's better to just kill him." Alexandra walked over to Andy, and Anson on the ground had fallen into a baby's sleep.

Andy saw that the few remaining drunken customers in the tavern were all driven away by the police, and three scantily clad women rushed out of the back room, which were probably the three stunners that Anson said belonged to him before, and now it seems.... It's an exaggeration, but only a younger look is okay.

She looked a little nervous, though the other two were just as nervous.