In the center of Songguomu Farm, there is a magnificent manor house.
Standing in the study of the manor, farmer Zhao Tiangan was holding a telescope in his hand, staring out the window intently, his sight passed through the densely packed houses and fell on the trading post beside the wall.
Six trucks were parked there, with the guards and mercenaries of the convoy standing next to them, and a circle of fully armed soldiers outside.
Wu Wenzhou, who got off the truck, was talking to the officer who came forward to question him. Soon, several soldiers holding LD-47 assault rifles came forward and dragged several wooden boxes from the truck.
One of the soldiers came forward and used a crowbar to pry open the boxes one after another, revealing the golden bullets and neatly stacked rifles inside.
That was exactly what he needed.
Seeing this, Zhao Tiangan finally showed a bright smile on his face and put the telescope in his hand on the table beside him.
Almost at the same time, there was a knock on the door behind him.
Zhao Tiangan, who was in a good mood, said casually.
"Come in."
The door opened.
His housekeeper walked in.
"Yang He's caravan is back. He changed the silver coins he earned into arms according to your instructions..."
Ma Zhongxian reported respectfully, and his eyes fell on the table and the open window next to the master.
He understood.
Before he reported, the master had seen it.
Zhao Tiangan said slowly with a smug smile on his face.
"I knew that Mr. Yang was a smart man. He was just delayed on the road for a while. We almost wronged a good man."
Ma Zhongxian nodded slightly.
"There is one more thing, about... Apostle Zhang Zhengyang."
Zhao Tiangan asked immediately.
"Any news?"
Ma Zhongxian nodded silently and continued.
"After you gave me the order, I asked the security team to send a few scouts to Chen'ai Town to inquire about the situation. As a result,... it has been destroyed."
"Destroyed?!" Zhao Tiangan opened his eyes wide, stared at him anxiously and asked, "Then... where are the apostles?!"
Ma Zhongxian's face showed a bitter expression and shook his head.
"I don't know. The whole town was burned clean, but no bodies were found. Our people searched the town and found no trace of Mr. Apostle, but we found a pile of bodies in the graves in the north... The militia we sent to assist Mr. Zhang was also in it."
Zhao Tiangan clenched his fists.
What he felt sorry for was not the 41 militiamen. There were as many serfs as needed in the farm, and the most abundant thing was people and livestock.
What made him nervous was that Zhang Zhengyang's whereabouts were unknown.
If he could have ignored the Torch Church before and didn't care about offending those crazy people, he would never dare to do that now.
Ever since Naguo "cured" his lung disease, he has been inseparable from the "good news" of the Son of God.
"Where is the body of the Apostle?!"
Ma Zhongxian said respectfully.
"Our people have carefully searched, and it is not in that grave."
Zhao Tiangan breathed a sigh of relief, muttering to himself.
"At least he is still alive."
Looking at the master, Ma Zhongxian hesitated for a moment and continued.
"Later, our people continued to explore the nearby area, trying to find the traces of the Apostle... However, when they walked about ten kilometers south, they found traces of mutant activities."
Hearing this, Zhao Tiangan's face showed a look of surprise.
"... Mutants?"
"Yes, sir, and there are at least a hundred of them," Ma Zhongxian nodded and said in a heavy voice, "There are traces of battles nearby, and all signs indicate that... it was that group of mutants that destroyed Dust Town."
"And then they went to Hope Town!"
Zhao Tiangan looked out the window blankly.
He could understand going to Dust Town. The strange tribe in the city was an ally of the Torch Church, and it was natural to help an ally when something happened.
But why go to Hope Town?
Isn't that the parish of the Torch Church?
He remembered that the apostle had personally promised him that as long as they converted to the faith of the Torch, they would be free from the invasion of mutants.
And this was one of the reasons for his conversion.
His intuition told him that something was happening on this land that he didn't understand, and it was very likely that he had been involved...
After thinking for a long time, he gritted his teeth.
"...Let the priest come to see me."
He must talk to the bishop!
Ma Zhongxian nodded slightly.
"Yes, sir."
...
Just as Zhao Tiangan paced back and forth in the study, a group of players were standing at the door of the Pine Cone Farm, looking around curiously.
Although it is called a farm, it looks like a classical city. The granite walls surround the brick and wood buildings, and outside are orchards and farmlands.
If you put aside the trees full of pustules and the farmlands covered with emerald green fungal spots, there is a sense of pastoral here.
Xiao Yu looked around a little uncomfortably.
Noticing Xiao Yu's reaction, Luo Yu whispered in the communication channel.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"
Xiao Yu whispered back.
"Um..."
There is a smell here that it hates.
Something dirty is nearby.
This feeling is like standing next to excrement. Although the garbage does not threaten it, it makes its fruiting body feel uncomfortable instinctively.
"Be patient for a while, we will leave soon." Hearing the discomfort in the "Yi Wu", Luo Yu whispered a few words of comfort in the communication channel.
Xiao Yu murmured sensibly.
"Yi Wu..."
At the same time, standing next to the leading truck, Wu Wenzhou handed a cigarette to the middle-aged officer with a big belly.
The middle-aged officer took it skillfully, approached his lighter and lit the cigarette, puffing and talking.
"Why didn't the guy surnamed Yang come back this time."
Wu Wenzhou said respectfully.
"Mr. Yang He just happened to have business matters to deal with..."
The middle-aged officer grinned and said.
"Doesn't he want to spend time with his precious daughter?"
"The busyness is only temporary, and he will be reunited with his family later." Wu Wenzhou smiled and looked around, "It's said that there are big changes here..."
"That's right," the middle-aged officer smiled and talked freely, "Since the master introduced a batch of new crops from the south, life has gradually improved."
"The new crops are..."
"Emerald trees, that's all."
The middle-aged officer stretched out his hand holding a cigarette butt, pointed to the orchard outside the wall, smiled mysteriously, and continued.
"Not only can it be sold at a good price, but it also has other uses... Isn't it great?"
"That's... really great." Wu Wenzhou smiled, but sighed softly in his heart.
He had read the report about "Naguo" in the "Survivor Daily", and cited the analysis results of the Alliance Biological Research Institute on this special crop.
According to the Alliance Biological Research Institute, this special crop is actually a fungus similar to mushrooms, and animals or people who eat it will eventually become its bait.
Plant this thing.
This settlement is basically doomed.
"It would be great if we could sell this thing to the north." The officer was still dreaming, squinting his eyes as he looked towards the north.
Wu Wenzhou said with a smile.
"That might be a little difficult. The survivors in the north... can't accept such advanced things."
"The solution is thought up by people," the officer retracted his gaze from a distance, patted Wu Wenzhou on the shoulder, grinned and said, "As long as we can let them eat a few bites, they can't leave us."
As long as the factory owners in the north get addicted to Naguo, the status of Jinchuan Province will become important again.
Looking at the daydreaming guy, Wu Wenzhou smiled ingratiatingly.
It's okay if we can't leave...
If that day really comes, with the style of the Alliance, those guys will probably come directly to eliminate the problem physically.
Just as the soldiers on the farm unpacked and inspected the goods on the truck, Ye Shi, who was standing aside, quietly looked at those people.
"Wow... The soldiers here also use LD-47?"
If you just look at the weapons in the hands of these guys, he feels like he's back home.
Fang Chang glanced at the rifles in the hands of the soldiers and said.
"They seem to be using the foreign trade version."
Ye Shi looked at him curiously and asked.
"Is there any difference?"
"In short, the power and recoil have been reduced a lot. The 7mm full-power bullet has been replaced with an intermediate-power bullet. Theoretically, it should not be able to penetrate the front armor of the K-10 'Iron Wall' and the Type 6 'Heavy Cavalry' exoskeleton at a distance of 100 meters."
While speaking, Fang Chang looked around and had a rough idea of the armed forces here. At the same time, he wrote down the distribution of several firepower points at the door.
Like most farm-style settlements in Jinchuan Province, Songguomu Farm has almost zero independent industrial capacity, and most weapons come from Boulder City or the Alliance's military factories.
The most common weapons here are those eliminated by the Alliance.
Machine guns are mainly Maxim I, rifles are mainly LD-47 and "Drone" assault rifles, exoskeletons are mostly KV series and a small number of "Miner" modified versions, and support weapons include some 20mm quadruple anti-aircraft guns, etc.
In addition, he also saw some RPGs and recoilless guns, all carried by the most elite soldiers, or installed with fixed brackets behind the sandbag wall.
This place is simply an enhanced version of an African plantation. In addition to serfs, there are private soldiers recruited from serfs, which is completely different from Hope Town, where most free people live.
From the perspective of equipment, this settlement is not worth mentioning. The only thing worth noting is that there are quite a lot of soldiers here.
This settlement of 50,000 people actually retains three thousand-man teams!
According to the NPC named Wu Wenzhou, the farmer named Zhao Tiangan had planned to do something long ago and integrate all the farms in the Jinhe City area, so he never skimped on the investment in armaments.
In addition to these visible light weapons, it is said that they also bought some strange guys from farther away.
But Fang Chang still didn't take it seriously.
Just kidding.
The group of people next to him had killed their way through Falcon City, so would they be afraid of these rookies who even bought their equipment from everywhere?
At this time, Wu Wenzhou, who had completed the handover of the goods, walked over here and said in a low voice.
"I told the chiefs of these guards that you are from the Flame Mercenary Group, and you are very famous in the Xizhou City area... They have never been to such a far place, and they don't even know where Xizhou City is, but this doesn't stop them from trying to please you."
Fang Chang raised his eyebrows.
"What do you mean?"
"They want to treat you to dinner, probably to win you over, and by the way, talk about your tone... The location is Xinglong Hotel on the farm."
Ye Shi was surprised.
"There is also a restaurant here?"
If he remembered correctly, wasn't this Pine Cone Farm closed to the public?
Moreover, the survivors here are basically serfs, in other words, they are the private property of the landlords. Not to mention no salary, this place may not even have its own currency.
Open a restaurant and put it there for fun?
Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Wu Wenzhou coughed and explained.
"Of course there is. Although the Songguomu Farm is not open to the public, the officers and managers here are all paid, usually in dinars. They can't just eat with dinars, they also need entertainment, and they can't go to the next town every time to spend. And occasionally they have to entertain some distinguished guests here... In short, the environment of the restaurant is not bad, and the chefs there are the same group of people as the chefs in Mr. Zhao's manor mansion."
Not caring about those minor issues, Fang Chang asked directly.
"How far is that place from the farmer's manor?"
Wu Wenzhou thought for a while and said.
"It's just across the street... about 600 to 700 meters."
"600 meters?" Fang Chang touched his chin and nodded, "No problem."
Through the previous Kong Lingkai, he had a better understanding of the suspicious and fearful mentality of the farmers here. If nothing unexpected happens, the master will arrange their accommodation near the wall or even outside the wall, and will also send people to keep a close eye on them.
And this is probably their only chance to get close to the manor in the center of the settlement.
After all, in name, they are mercenaries who are paid to do things, and no one can guarantee that they will accept a mission.
It is not difficult to see from the soldiers around that the farmer does not really trust the subordinate who has been away for many years and helps him do business.
This banquet may also have the meaning of testing. Those guys may try to bribe them at the banquet.
Looking at Fang Chang with a flickering look in his eyes, Wu Wenzhou asked in a low voice.
"What are you going to do?"
On the way here, he had been asking questions in a roundabout way, trying to get some words out of these people, but these people refused to reveal anything.
In his own words, he actually preferred that these people use the Spitfire plane to rush in and kidnap people directly.
However, seeing the four-barreled anti-aircraft guns on the wall, he thought it might be difficult for the plane to fly in.
Looking at Mr. Wu who was asking carefully, Fang Chang smiled faintly.
"This is not something that can be explained in a few words."
That smile was unpredictable.
Wu Wenzhou couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"My family..."
"Don't worry, let them stay at home, and leave the rest to us."
Fang Chang patted him on the shoulder and gave him a reliable look.
However, looking at the happy smile on the man's face, Wu Wenzhou didn't feel reliable at all, and his heart was beating.
But it seems too late to get off this pirate ship now.
There is only one way to go.
Seeing that the officer has been looking at this side, Wu Wenzhou swallowed his saliva and nodded.
"Okay."
After that, he turned around and walked back, bringing the news that these people agreed to attend the banquet to the officer. The officer showed a happy smile on his face and turned to report to his superiors.
Watching the man leave, Fang Chang reached out and pressed the headset.
"The opportunity has come... Lao Bai, the support is left to you."
After the noisy electric sound, Lao Bai's voice came from the communication channel.
"No problem! We are ready!"
...
No weapons can be brought into the Pine Fruit Farm.
Except for Luo Yu and Xiao Yu who stayed at the door, the players of the Burning Corps left their equipment at the gate of the settlement.
"I'll leave it to you to take care of the equipment."
Taking the rifle from Fang Chang's hand, Luo Yu said hesitantly.
"Is it okay for you to just go in like this?"
"No problem," Fang Chang said with a smile, "Anyway, Lao Bai and the others will help us deliver the things we need."
Luo Yu nodded and said solemnly.
"Take it easy...don't ruin my mission."
"Don't worry, that's impossible!" Fang Chang laughed, waved his hand, and followed the guy who took them to the banquet.
Xinglong Hotel is located in the core area of Songguomu Farm.
This is probably the cleanest and most prosperous street in the entire settlement.
Most of the businesses on the street are run by the farmer himself, including shops, restaurants, and some places that you can't tell what they are doing just from the outside.
Regardless of the type of store, the facade is quite luxurious and tasteful.
The feeling of walking here is completely different from the outside. Only here doesn't look like a plantation at all, but more like a commercial street that normal settlements have.
However, what is not right is that these shops are deserted, with no customers at all, and they look like landscapes planted on the roadside.
The person who accompanied the players to the restaurant was the guard chief of the north gate, named Liu Lei, a very talkative middle-aged man.
Under his leadership, the ten little players of the Burning Corps effortlessly passed through the layers of defense in the farm and came to the street closest to the central farm.
Along the way, the NPC's mouth was not idle, and he kept introducing them to the pillar industry of the Pine Cone Farm, Naguo.
It was as if they were not mercenaries, but businessmen who came here to investigate.
Fang Chang listened with an interested expression, and occasionally flattered a few words, but he didn't agree in his heart.
He knew what the master behind this guy was thinking.
It was nothing more than wanting to sell the "special products" here to the Alliance through his "mercenary group with considerable strength in the Alliance".
However, this guy probably would never have dreamed that he was describing his master's business plan to whom.
Finally, they arrived at the destination, where an officer in formal attire who looked of high status was waiting for them.
Seeing the group of people coming, the officer's eyes lit up, a bright smile appeared on his face, and he took the initiative to extend his right hand to greet them.
"Welcome! Friends who have come from afar! I am the captain here, Luo Feihui. The master asked me to express his gratitude to you on his behalf. Thank you for helping us deliver this batch of precious arms from the north!"
Unexpectedly, the person who had dinner with him turned out to be the captain. Fang Chang made a flattered expression on his face, extended his right hand and shook hands with him, and said with a smile.
"You're welcome! We are just mercenaries who get paid to do things."
The captain named Luo Feihui said with a smile.
"You don't look like mercenaries."
Fang Chang asked with a smile.
"Why do you say that?"
The captain named Luo Feihui took his hand back and continued with a smile.
"I have dealt with many mercenaries. Most of them are rude and polite. Few of them are well-behaved. But you are different. Not only are you polite, but you don't even have any calluses on your hands... Excuse me, you don't look like a weathered wastelander at all. Instead, you look like--"
He paused for a moment as if deliberately.
"Instead, you look like a resident of the shelter."
When they heard this, except for Fang Chang who was standing in front of the man, the other players around them couldn't help but raise their eyebrows, and a hint of surprise flashed in their eyes.
Good guy.
Got it exposed? !