Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland

The sun is shining brightly.

The dilapidated camp and the compacted dirt road.

"In addition to the commission from the Shaq Kingdom, the share will be converted into cash according to the agreed ratio after we finish clearing the loot."

At the same time, Lu Meng was also discussing post-war distribution with the mercenaries accompanying him.

Strictly speaking, these mercenaries are not his team.

Instead, Bayan hired him in the name of the kingdom.

Just like everyone's attitude beforehand, they were not optimistic about the outcome of this battle at first.

In order to mobilize them and ensure their loyalty, Lu Meng had to make some promises.

Now the two major tasks of the caravan, communicating the food route and retrieving the princess, have been completed.

Then the employment relationship has almost come to an end, and Lu Meng also needs to prepare for settlement, and at the same time consider how to deal with the next step after losing this help.

Unexpectedly, I heard Lu Meng’s words.

The mercenaries did not readily agree, but looked at each other and made eye contact.

Then launched their leader.

"Ahem, Leader Lu," the mercenary said tentatively, "Brothers, I have thought about it, can we not accept the spoils this time?"

"Huh?" Lu Meng was confused.

The mercenary industry on the mainland of "Swordsman" is very developed. Even technology hunters can't let go of this industry and often take on some tasks to make extra money.

But no matter what, being a mercenary is not a charity.

Trading your life for money will not help you.

I have never heard of anyone not sharing the profits at the end of the war.

He motioned to several people to continue.

"Team leader, to be honest, what do you think of us doing?" The mercenary did not directly get to the point.

Lu Meng said truthfully: "Very good."

They really did a great job on the battlefield.

In addition, as a mercenary, after making the agreement, he did not slack off in work, nor did he hinder himself.

Very business spirit.

Of course, after all, it is screened by Bayan and has quality assurance.

If the current Lu Meng were to hire himself, unless he was a high-priced technology hunter, he would definitely not be able to find a replacement.

"That's good..." Several mercenaries seemed to breathe a sigh of relief.

The leading mercenary continued: "That team leader, after this mission is over, do you have any plans for long-term cooperation?"

"Brothers still want to follow you."

"Oh..." Lu Meng understood.

This is it.

In the mercenary industry, reliable mercenaries are certainly popular, but high-quality employers are equally hard to find.

For example, technology hunters use acquaintance recommendations and internal rating systems to receive tasks.

This is not only a benefit for old customers, but also a way to avoid encountering a cheating employer.

And ordinary mercenaries are like these people who go deep into the swamp.

Being able to access the official channels of the three kingdoms is considered very stable.

However, during this trip, they seemed to have discovered new opportunities.

——Lu Meng.

The mercenaries are not stupid either, you can find out after getting along with them.

Although this fellow member is the official team leader, his actual position is still different from that of the Shaker Kingdom. The two cannot be equated to a wave of people.

What Lu Meng did in the swamp refreshed the mercenaries' understanding.

Not to mention anything else, just by seizing the Stone Rat Regiment's camp, even if the share ratio is very low, the profits that the mercenaries can get can be converted into coins, which can be worth the pension money for the rest of their lives.

However, this is just one battle.

The mercenaries discussed in private:

This road leader obviously has other plans.

He has ambitions, the ability to realize these wishes, and is on the rise of his career.

If long-term cooperation can be established at this time, the future prospects can be said to be unlimited.

In contrast, if the contact is cut off due to one settlement.

That is picking up sesame seeds and losing green fruits.

More importantly, the mercenaries had a premonition.

If you don't seize the opportunity this time, the other person will still have second thoughts about you the next time you meet.

After all who would have thought:

The ordinary young man who accompanied the team at the beginning actually overturned one of the five major factions in the swamp in such a short period of time.

"Well... of course." Lu Meng quickly thought about the result.

"But I want to make a few points," he added. "It is certain that future tasks will not have such high rewards as today."

It's easy to understand, the first time is high risk and high reward, there is a premium.

But now Lumeng has shown its value, has more principal chips, and has higher bargaining power in the market.

"Secondly, I want to make sure that this is the result of all of your discussions, and what I want is not a freeloader."

"Of course!" the mercenaries said firmly.

When they reach this level, they are no longer newcomers who entered the industry due to the pressure of life.

They are all fighting for opportunities with their lives. If you are greedy for life and afraid of death, you will not do this business.

Lu Meng was satisfied.

From a planning perspective, he didn't want to rely on mercenaries for everything.

However, it can indeed solve the urgent need at present.

Even after the standing recruits are trained, this type of employment industry can also be an integral part.

For example, helping residents repair street lights, looking for cats, etc.

More importantly, Lu Meng saw an opportunity.

The swamp has been closed to the outside world all year round. Except for the black industry monopolized by several major factions, the development of other industries is lackluster.

There is no doubt that this is a big blue ocean.

Although Lu Meng's team of mercenaries is small in number, they can use their influence to attract other interested people.

First it was the major mercenary guilds, and then other industries came after hearing the news.

Investment and consumption naturally follow.

It's like moving wood to establish trust and buying horse bones with thousands of gold.

The Shark Kingdom initially recruited refugees and distributed cultivated land for free, using the same strategy.

"In that case."

Thinking of this, Lu Meng smiled at several people and said:

"I will still give you the reward for capturing the Stone Rat Regiment's camp this time."

"Huh?" This time it was the mercenaries' turn to be surprised.

They had already made plans to use profit sharing as a bargaining chip in exchange for subsequent cooperation opportunities.

Didn’t expect that the road leader and his future employer would be so generous?

As everyone knows...

Lu Meng had already planned it.

It was originally his own plan to become the enemy of the Stone Rats this time.

But now the nature is different.

The Stone Rat Group captured Princess Seto!

When I rescued her, would the Qishak Kingdom be embarrassed not to reimburse for the losses and expenses incurred during this period?

Lu Meng had no intention of paying this money himself.

Now Seto is in his hands.

He knew that he didn't have the ability to use Seto to threaten the Shaq Kingdom, and there was no need to take this risk.

However……

Lu Meng can blackmail Bayan!

If you dare not pay, let him know that he lost the Stone Demon's precious daughter and his own disciple.

Mr. Consultant, you don’t want everyone to know...

Speaking of which, this is also a coincidence.

Recovering the princess was originally a joint task for Lu Meng and Rui En.

If the Queen's envoy was present, Seto would naturally hand over the matter directly.

It was difficult for Lu Meng to forcefully demand a price for the two people's contributions.

However, just at Lu Meng's suggestion, Ryan returned to China to report on his work and asked for support.

As it turned out, it was Lu Meng who rescued the princess alone without the participation of the Shaq Kingdom.

There is nothing to say either publicly or privately.

Lu Meng can guarantee: he did not do it on purpose.

After all, he can't predict everything.

Of course, Lu Meng would not go too far.

This reimbursement of the mercenaries' expenses is regarded as a bonus.

On the one hand, it can win over people's hearts.

On the one hand, when they change employers, they will continue to follow Lu Meng.

The money earned can be used to eat, drink, have fun, and buy better weapons and equipment... In the future, it will not have to be spent on his own stronghold.

Just think of it as promoting consumption and industrial development, a win-win situation for everyone.

Thinking of this, Lu Meng's eyes became more solemn.

I have to say that finding Princess Seto in this operation was an unexpected gain, and it may also be the biggest gain.

The potential benefits are immeasurable.

It's no wonder that both Big Al of the Stone Rat Group and the black switchers who cooperated with United City were attracted to Seto after learning her identity.

However, there are potential benefits, and Seto is also a hot potato.

Whether you can hold it or not is the key.

Lu Meng is very worried now.

After discovering that the benefits cannot be realized, the black converter will break the pot and make Seto's identity and whereabouts public.

At that time, he will become the target of public criticism in the entire swamp out of thin air.

——Although it’s not far off now.

As for Shaq, in order to intimidate the Holy Kingdom, the stone demon as the king cannot move lightly.

But knowing the exact whereabouts of the princess, they had no problem sending a five-man general to greet her.

This is not necessarily a good thing for Lu Meng.

If someone with war-level strength enters the field, maybe Swampland can still rely on its local advantages to fight, but Lu Meng has definitely lost its dominance.

No matter who wins or loses, it has nothing to do with him.

When the time comes, the Shaq Kingdom will withdraw, and nothing will be left in the swamp except a mess.

All the previous operations were in vain.

Therefore, Lu Meng has not yet informed the Shaq Kingdom of his plans.

He didn't reveal Seto's identity to anyone.

Including Hamut.

This is not only for her safety, but also for Lu Meng's selfishness.

At present, the drifter only knows that the status of 'Aze' is very important, and at the same time, he cannot let her leave easily, otherwise it will lead to danger.

This warning is reasonable and easy to understand.

And Seto was seriously injured because he had exhausted too much energy.

Even with Lu Meng's medical treatment, he is still in a coma and is slowly recovering.

There is no need to worry about what the little princess might do for the time being.

Of course, in order to ensure this... Lu Meng once again used the anesthetic he was accustomed to in his province, breaking the widely praised principle of anesthesia-free surgery.

Promote quality sleep.

This trick is still very useful against berserkers, as it has been proven by Yamin.

After many days of treating the injured and injured, Lu Meng's [medical treatment] has also improved.

After returning to Huangshui Village, I will probably have more common topics with Dr. Zhong in terms of interpretation techniques.

By the way, Lu Meng's arrow injury has also recovered.

Resilience grows with it.

In addition to first aid treatment, this was more due to his own strong physique.

Blood Spider's 'exercise' was still effective.

Increasing resilience and defense means greater life safety.

To a certain extent, this gave Lu Meng more peace of mind than the increase in combat power.

After appeasing the mercenaries, Lu Meng followed them outside the camp.

Go and meet the so-called people who want to see him.

Surprisingly, there were a lot of people.

They were dressed in rags, their faces were sallow and thin from working all day long, and their skin had the dark sun-stained look common among swamp people.

Lu Meng recognized them: they were slave workers who originally worked for the Stone Rat Regiment's camp.

When he infiltrated, he disguised himself as a team leader in charge of a group of logging slaves.

I am naturally familiar with these people.

"This is..." Lu Meng looked at the mercenaries guarding them with questioning eyes.

"Report to the team leader," a mercenary replied, "They were discovered by the villagers when they were counting the loot. They seemed to want to sneak into the camp and steal, and they succeeded a lot."

The camp is vast, and Lu Meng and the others cannot guard it with just a few people.

"After we caught a few, we attracted such a large group. In the end, there was a stalemate, and they clamored to see you."

"...The squad leader?"

"seems like it……"

At this time, after seeing Lu Meng, there was a commotion in the crowd.

Some people had seen Lu Meng's appearance, and even now, without changing his clothes, they actually thought he was the captain of the Stone Rat Regiment who escorted the slave workers.

Lu Meng thought about it and stepped forward: "What do you want to do?"

The Stone Rat Corps camp was in chaos, and all the gang members who should have fled ran away, leaving no one to care about these slave workers.

After the fire broke out, most of the slave workers fled.

"Sir, we are all villagers in the swamp," a bold slave worker stepped forward and replied, "You... the Stone Rat Group recruited us here from thousands of miles away. The journey is long. If there is no food, we want to go home. There is nothing we can do.”

"Yes, sir," another slave worker said, "please be kind and give us some food..."

"Well..." Lu Meng realized this.

This time the Stone Rat Regiment went on an expedition, there were countless slave laborers accompanying them. In the process of recruiting young men, many people died along the way.

Now that they are empty-handed and unsupervised, it is extremely difficult for even the native swamp people to return to their villages.

Seeing the camp collapse, the slave workers sensed an opportunity and came in to steal supplies.

Lu Meng glanced at them again.

There are only a few mercenaries guarding the side, but there are at least hundreds of slave workers here. But they still stood obediently, with a look of fear on their faces, without the slightest thought of resistance.

"impossible."

Lu Meng sighed secretly, drew his sword and said.

Although, most of the current food supplies in the camp were collected from the swamp villages.

But Lu Meng spent so much effort against the Stone Rats and took huge risks. It can be said that if he makes one wrong move, he will lose everything.

Now that the camp has collapsed and all the members of the gang have fled, you dare to come to us and try to tempt us.

He's not here to do charity.

The law of the swamp: winner takes all.

Under the scorching sun, the clear light of the sword shone brightly, and all the slave workers trembled.

And after hearing Lu Meng's words, their faces turned even pale.

"Unless you are willing to stay," Lu Meng continued, "do things for me."

"This..." A slave worker swallowed and hesitated: "Are you going to repair our camp?"

They recalled the hard days of working in the Stone Rat Corps.

It can be said that my current difficulties are all due to this camp.

However, even if I couldn't go home at that time, I could still survive.

Some people also have a vague impression of the team leader in front of them: among the many members of the Stone Rat Group, he treats slave workers fairly well.

Thinking about it this way, it’s not unacceptable.

"No, I am no longer a member of the Stone Rat Group."

Lu Meng randomly picked up a knife from the ground and threw it in front of the slave workers.

The fine iron fell to the ground, making endless clanging noises.

He knew: Although the camp was destroyed, the headquarters was still there.

"First report to each village, and then follow me..."

"Go to Stone Rat Town and get back what belongs to you."