From the first moment she entered the city, Hiiragi never stopped observing her surroundings. As a city base that implements a strict rationing system, she could hardly see any traces of the private economy. There were only scattered people squatting on the street with items in front of them. There are vendors selling handmade supplies. The most common buildings on both sides of the street are not private storefronts for rent, but three to four-story collective apartments separated by walls and as dense as honeycombs. The buildings are basically wooden structures. After all, this is where they are. The cheapest and most easily available building materials in the area.

But this is not all of Xidi City.

Not long after driving into Xiti City, Hiiragi discovered: Not far ahead, a tall figure appeared in the same apartment building. This was also one of the few concrete buildings in Xiti City, with a height of six floors. The height of the dungeon city wall is more than twice as high. The spacious square in front of the building is planted with rare green plants in Xidi City. It looks quite neatly trimmed.

It is not difficult to be surprised when you suddenly see a building like this in an urban area filled with crowded and simple collective apartments, especially in contrast to the simple and ordinary houses around it. Its exaggerated specifications In terms of floor area, it is one of the best not only in Xiti City but also in Xinsheng City.

"Xi...the military government building in Xidi City?"

Through the car window, Hiiragi quietly read out the eight characters engraved in gold on the huge stone slab in front of the square.

"Hiti City was established not long ago, only three or four years ago. From the beginning of its establishment, it has been managed by the military government formed by the local militia. Like Xiti City, it is basically autonomous in the Southern Federation... …Here we are."

As soon as Ai Cheng finished speaking, the motorcade stopped in an open space not far from the military government building. They arrived at their destination in Xiti City. Hiiragi Jing, who was about to get off the car, just opened the car door a crack and felt a sudden heat wave. Then it surged in from outside the car, which made her hesitate a little. After staying in the cool air-conditioned environment of the car for a long time, people almost forgot the actual temperature outside.

"The temperature outside is still very high, are you okay now?" The short rest time made people have to pay attention to Hiiragi Jing's previous heatstroke. Ai Cheng, who also felt the drastic change in temperature, couldn't help but ask one more question.

"I'm fine..." Hiiragi opened the car door nonchalantly and was about to lean out. However, before she could finish her words, the heat wave that hit her face not only sent another wave of heat, but at the same time, it also awakened Hiiragi. Jing originally thought the dizziness had subsided long ago.

Her numb limbs were drained of strength in an instant. Her body, which was unable to stand still, swayed for a few times and then fell backwards without any support. The buzzing in her ears accompanied by the feeling of weightlessness seemed to isolate her from the world. generally.

"Hey, hey! Are you alright!"

Fortunately, Ai Cheng, who was concerned about Hiiragi's situation, did not get out of the car directly through the other door at the beginning. Instead, he waited in the car and watched Hiiragi's every move. When her body began to shake, After that, he immediately stretched out his hands forward to catch Hiiragi who was lying backward.

"I'm... what happened?"

I shook my head vigorously to relieve the buzzing sound that was still lingering in my ears. I was obviously in good condition when I was in the car just now, but why did my body become like this after a gust of hot air?This level of weakness is too exaggerated to be ridiculous.

"You'd better stay here and have a good rest. The electrical system responsible for the car's air conditioner operates independently. It can be used normally even if the vehicle is not started." He supported Hiiragi's back and let her slowly lie down on the reclining chair. , the weight of the other party was much lighter than Ai Cheng imagined. After hearing his words, Gene had already pulled out the car key and turned on and off the car air conditioner in a timely manner. However, Hiiragi Jing did not want to install it in the car. She planned to rest patiently, but after she regained consciousness, she immediately wanted to get up again.

"No...in that case my mission will be..."

In fact, it's not just because of the escort mission. What makes Hiiragi feel particularly concerned is that she is unwilling to accept that she was defeated by the mere heat. She has experienced many bad weather in her mercenary career, not to mention that she is now... Carrying out a long-distance escort mission that she had never done before, such a mistake was a big blow to her professional reputation as a mercenary and her inner confidence.

"This is not a dangerous area, so there is no need for protection now."

Just as Hiei Jing was about to struggle to get up again, Han Nianling's voice suddenly reached her ears from outside the car. Han Nianling, who had arrived at an unknown time, was leaning against the car door, her white coat rolled up and tied to the door. At her waist, from the way she was sweating profusely, it seemed that she had been quite heated along the way.

"We just want to say hello to the local management government here, and also explore the possibility of reaching an agreement between the two parties. Even if the communication fails, it will not delay us from continuing on the road. This kind of matter is left to the professionals sent by the Newborn City. This is the negotiation team, we won’t stay too long and will be back soon.”

"Employer Han?"

The appearance of Han Nianling surprised Hiiragi Jing. The gaze from the other party made her have to calm down. Since the employer himself said so, she could only give up the idea of ​​continuing to struggle. In this case, the next step would be She can only hand over all the tasks to Ling Jiu. She is not very worried about whether Ling Jiu is competent. After all, Ling Jiu's strength is superior to hers in all aspects.

No matter what, I can only wait quietly until my body gets better before I can regain my mobility.

After seeing Hiiragi Jing calm down, Han Nianling's attention shifted to Ai Cheng. She came here not only to appease Hiiragi Jing who was restless, but at the same time she also needed to officially start the business in Hexi City. Before the exchange, I reached a certain level of communication with this special traveler: "Master Ai, I'm sorry to trouble you about Hiiragi Jing's affairs along the way."

"It's nothing, it's just a piece of cake. My car is very spacious. If Researcher Ruohan doesn't mind, you can come and sit there." Ai Cheng smiled and patted the seat under him. As he said, even if one person is lying down in the car, The space is still more than enough to accommodate a few more people.

"I appreciate Master Ai's kindness, so I hope that the next conversation with Xidi City can get help from Master Ai."

"I can only do my best. I will definitely cooperate if necessary."

Ai Cheng's statement finalized the basis for cooperation. Han Nianling did not think that the other party would have any reason to refuse this opportunity to sell Newborn City a favor without much effort. As the two of them gradually left, they lay down on their seats. Hiiragi felt a sudden feeling of sleepiness coming over him, and his suddenly heavy eyelids brought an endless darkness.

I hope my body will be as good as before when I wake up again.

Hiiragi Jing, who was sleeping deeply, didn't know, or maybe the entire convoy didn't know: long before they entered Xidi City, a figure had already climbed to the top of the building, looking at the direction of the convoy's arrival under the scorching sun. .

Although he was clearly exposed to extremely hot temperatures, his heart felt faintly cold. Until he saw the long-awaited arrival of the Newborn City convoy, the uneasiness he had finally suppressed surged up again.

This surprise was beyond his expectation.

"General Zhao, all the guests from the Newborn City are here. If you don't prepare, it will be troublesome." At this moment, a young man wearing a pair of silver-framed round glasses walked behind him. Come, the black parasol covering his head brought a shadow to him, but it also made his heart even more irritable. Such a young man's words also made him more irritable.

"Hmph, if you could stop them on the road, you wouldn't have this trouble."

"Haha, General Zhao said it lightly. We lost two full groups of people. General Zhao, since you were so scared, why didn't you think of taking action? No matter how small Xiti City is, it still has mines and artillery. We That bit of junk is not enough for the people of Newborn City." The young man kept a slight smile on his face, and the accusation from General Zhao did not make him angry.

"Ask them to go to the living room on the first floor, and I will resolve these matters as soon as possible." General Zhao snorted and ignored the young man's words. He had completed the preparations before the news came from the checkpoint.

"So does General Zhao really think that his decision-making can fool these people in the newly born city? What if there is an eventuality? Should we consider second-hand preparations?" The young man made a suggestion with a smile, and for this He had rejected many proposals before. When faced with the situation that the Newborn City convoy had arrived downstairs, General Zhao fell into deep thought.

Finally, this time he gave a different answer: "All the people who should be arranged have been arranged, but there is one thing: you must not act rashly without my instructions, do you understand?!"

"I understand... of course I understand..." the young man replied softly, but the smile on his face became stronger and stronger. Just as he expected, the more critical moments came, the more uncertain General Zhao would be, but this was also true. This is what he wants to see. This time he came to Xidi City to find the right person.

However, the convoy of the Newborn City is indeed a hidden danger. Such a large scale is not a small problem that can be easily solved a few days ago. If improper handling attracts the attention of the Newborn City, then Xidi City will not be around for long.

Chapter 31 The Necessity of Outsiders

The long-lost constant temperature system isolates the heat outside the glass door. Crossing the boundary between hot and cool instantly makes everyone feel a sense of relief.The traces of sweat spreading even more coolness throughout the body, and the temperature absorbed along with the evaporation redeemed this group of people who had been tortured by the heat all the way.

In the spacious hall on the first floor of the military government building, a dozen guards wearing dark brown military uniforms have already lined up here. When everyone in Shengcheng walked through the gate and entered the hall, they saw this blocked guard at a glance. Welcome team behind one-way glass.

Although the neat and straight standing posture and the perseverance in the eyes are a bit like the performance of ceremonial soldiers, they can also be seen as having good combat ability. This is different from the lazy people outside the city and the group of people at the checkpoint. It is another completely different performance. Presumably these soldiers are the real power that the people in charge of Xidi City rely on. Their appearance has restored a lot of the image of Xidi City soldiers in the hearts of everyone in Chusheng City.

Is this the high-end combat capability of Xidi City?

The guards, composed of the Newborn City security team and the elite standing army, looked at the welcoming team standing in the lobby with great interest. Their original contempt and disdain for Xiti City changed. For them, they had seen the bases of other cities. In addition to protecting the safety of the convoy, the armed forces are also another important task during this outing.

"Welcome, friends, to Xidi City. I am the receptionist here. General Zhao is waiting for you in the living room. Please move over."

Before everyone's eyes could stay on the welcoming team for a while, a good-looking woman in formal attire came to Luo Shi and others from a not far away position and slowly bowed and said: Inviting gesture.

"?"

The appearance of the female receptionist and her words made Luo Shi, Cheng Fang and Han Nianling look at each other involuntarily. They all saw a similar unexpected look in each other's eyes.

General, isn't this the title of the highest officer of the military government in Xidi City?Is this the one who wants to receive them personally?

It was originally inferred that Xisheng City had sent envoys several times to communicate with no results before. In other words: the current attitude of Xisheng City's authorities towards them should be relatively cold, if not resistant, and they wanted to truly communicate with Xisheng City. It should take some effort for the city's top officials to start a dialogue, but unexpectedly the other party's principal seemed to have already made preparations for communication.

It seems that the other party's attitude still needs to be considered, but since the other party is already willing to communicate, it saves them a lot of effort.

"You guys are on standby here, remember to strictly abide by military regulations..."

Just as Luo Shi turned around and was about to say a few words to the twenty or so guards behind him, the female receptionist waiting on the side quickly answered: "We have prepared several special lounges for these guys, with tea, drinks and snacks. We have arrangements, and if there are any other requests we will try our best to accommodate them.”

How could Xidi City be so considerate?Is this an intentional way to send a message of goodwill to them?

"No, but it will be troublesome too much. Everything is up to you."

Since it was a good intention, there was no reason to refuse. After responding to the arrangement from Xidi City with an accepting attitude, Luo Shi, Han Nianling, Lingjiu, Cheng Fang, Ai Cheng and Gen were led by the receptionist. Head towards the living room where the general in chief is.

The scale of this military government building is impressive enough from the outside, but it is even more surprising when you are inside and experience its internal space. The specific internal layout is not yet clear, but at least Han Nianling is sure of it. : This place is much bigger than the research institute headquarters in Newborn City.

It is difficult to determine how much Xiti City, which is not wealthy, spent to build such a military government building, but it is definitely a large sum, and the scale of this building definitely far exceeds the administrative needs of Xiti City. It is obvious that the Xiti City government pursues luxury and excessive waste, but as an outsider, she cannot say much about the internal affairs of Xiti City.

After leaving the lobby, we walked through a long corridor. This area became noticeably deserted. There were hardly any people walking along the way. Finally, the female receptionist who was responsible for guiding the way came to a double door. He stopped in front of the room. What was written on the door plate beside the door frame was "waiting in the living room". This made Luo Shihan Nianling and others secretly brace themselves for the next meeting.

"General, the guests have been brought here." The female receptionist reached out and knocked on the door a few times as a signal, then opened the door through a narrow gap and whispered into the room.

"Let them in."

Soon after a brief reply came from the living room, the female receptionist opened the door for everyone in the Newborn City and stepped aside.

When they stepped into the door to the living room, the floor under their feet had been replaced by solid wood instead of ceramic tiles. There seemed to be a hint of incense hidden in the air that made people feel clear-headed.

A middle-aged man with short hair, also wearing a dark brown military uniform, put down the documents he had just browsed and stood up from the sofa and walked towards the people who had just entered the living room. A powerful voice immediately came: "Welcome. Come to the human city base of Xidi City and introduce yourself: My name is Zhao Anpan, and I currently serve as the general in chief of the military government of Xidi City."

Seeing the other party extending his hand to him, Luo Shi immediately took two steps forward to shake hands with Zhao Anpan and salute: "Luo Shi, military rank major, is currently the captain of the [-]th combat team of the Newborn City Security Team. These two are A from the Newborn City Research Institute. Senior researchers Han Nianling and Cheng Fang...here are Ai Cheng, the son of the chairman of Wushan City, and guard Gen."

Luo Shi was responsible for introducing the team members, while Zhao Anpan shook hands with everyone in the team one by one according to the order of introduction. When Luo Shi introduced Ai Cheng's identity, Zhao Anpan's eyes flickered a few times. He originally I thought that this team was all composed of people from the Newborn City, but I didn't expect that even the young master from Wushan City in the Southern Federation was in the team. Fortunately, I didn't follow that guy's advice and take any irreversible action.

"Stop standing around. Everyone, please take a seat. Sit down and talk about anything."

The etiquette of the first meeting came to an end. Zhao Anpan waved to several sofas to indicate that the visitors from Newborn City should take their seats. The female receptionist who finally entered the living room felt self-conscious after preparing tea on the table in front of everyone. He stepped aside and became silent as if he blended in with the background.

"Let's have a taste. This tea is specially purchased from the plantation in Changming City. I can't say how good it tastes, but it is definitely pollution-free tea." After Zhao Anpan finished speaking, he put the tea cup to his mouth. He took a slight sip, and when the warm tea entered his throat, he took a deep breath. He didn't know whether he was immersed in the fragrance of the tea or enjoying the peace of mind brought by 'no pollution'.

"By the way, everyone should go out this time for the researcher assessment that is about to be held in Changming City. Since Miss Han and Mr. Cheng are both A-level researchers, it should be for the title of 'Doctor'. I would like to wish them both the best in advance. Dr. Ren is a great success, if the team needs supplies, just ask."

"I appreciate General Zhao's kindness. The supplies have been replenished once before, so there is no other need for the time being." Cheng Fang raised the tea cup to her mouth and just moistened her lips but did not actually drink. After Zhao Anpan finished speaking, After finishing, he immediately thanked and clarified their purpose, "We came here this time just to reach a partial consensus with the Xiti City base government. General Zhao should already know: the JD abandoned city that hinders the transportation between the two places is here. The threat was basically lifted not long ago, and after that, the exchanges between the two places, which were suppressed by the objective environment, will become increasingly frequent."

"So we hope to sign some agreements as soon as possible in order to deal with issues arising from exchanges between civilians and officials. Please rest assured, General Zhao, that any agreement between us will respect the ruling power and economic interests of the Xiti City base government." As a premise, this will be a win-win negotiation.”

"Yes, to achieve a win-win situation." Zhao Anpan put down his tea cup and clapped while applauding. However, the people in the New Life City did not think that everything was fine with the agreement just because of Zhao Anpan's statement. The Xiti City government had repeatedly said Rejection speaks volumes.

"But..." Sure enough, Zhao Anpan regained his composure as soon as he finished speaking, "What exactly does Newborn City plan to do?"

"We are just passing by for a temporary visit. The specific matters need to wait until the professional team from the Newborn City comes to discuss. However, we have also learned some basic agreement conditions here, which can provide some reference for the general." Cheng Fang cleared his throat. He will relay what Dian Shanlin said at the observation post, "The first thing is to lay signal lines to facilitate communication between the two places. Newborn City is willing to bear [-]% of the total cost..."

After secretly observing Zhao Anpan's face, Cheng Fang continued: "Then we send permanent envoys to each other to facilitate the handling of affairs between the two places. This is the most common arrangement among the city bases of the Southern Federation. Diplomacy, the third point is trade. In addition to the official caravans of the Newborn City, caravans organized by private organizations will also visit frequently. The commercial taxes need to be worked out jointly by Xiti City and the Newborn City. These are the Newborn City. The agreement proposed in the first phase has been requested..."

Cheng Fang's words fell, and the living room fell into silence. Everyone in the Newborn City was patiently waiting for the reaction of the commander-in-chief of Xidi City who closed his eyes and meditated.

The silence in the living room lasted for several minutes. After a brief reflection, Zhao Anpan slowly opened his eyes and responded to Cheng Fang's gaze: "We can consider laying signal lines and establishing wired connections. I only ask Xi Di The city government can have actual control over the internal communications of its own city base. As for the permanent envoys, I will not object. I only hope that the envoys sent by the Newborn City will not conduct espionage activities against Xidi City..."

"This is natural. I have said that Newborn City respects the interests of the Xidi City government..."

"But about the caravans..." Zhao Anpan, who had been welcoming guests just now, interrupted Cheng Fang rudely and continued, "I hope that Newborn City can limit the frequency of private caravans traveling to Xiti City. And the number of times, by the way, the guards of the private caravans in Newborn City are usually mercenaries, right?"

"Well, considering the cost, it should be... yes."

"Then my second request is that after passing through the outer checkpoints of Xiti City, the mercenaries are not allowed to approach Xiti City, turn back or go around. The safety of the caravan at this stage is the responsibility of the Xiti City Guards. And private caravans are not allowed to stay in areas outside the city and are not allowed to communicate with residents in areas outside the city, how about that?"

"This……"

Such a request made it difficult for Cheng Fang to reply. He did not expect that Zhao Anpan's conditions would be so harsh, nor did he expect that Zhao Anpan was targeting private caravans. Everything he proposed was restricting Xidi City and Chusheng City. communication, but why is he so afraid?

"Xiti City does not have enough power to maintain order. Allowing private caravans and mercenaries to freely enter and exit will pose a threat to the public order of Xiti City."

Will Zhao Anpan be so concerned about civil public order?

It may be possible in the inner city area, but it is absolutely impossible to use it in the outer city area. But why is Zhao Anpan so restrictive in the outer city area and only allows private caravans to stay in the inner city area for supplies, although the outer city area is not What can provide a supply location...

Suddenly, an idea flashed in Han Nianling's mind, and she suddenly realized something: The group of outsiders living around Xidi City was precisely because Xidi City was the only human base in this area that could provide them with a sense of security. ?

But with the loss of the JD abandoned city threatening the smooth flow of traffic, it seems that Xiti City will no longer be their only choice. Once the people of the newborn city come into contact with these people outside the city, the people's livelihood policies and living standards of the newborn city will be It was known to people outside the city through word of mouth.

At that time, it is not difficult to imagine that batches of people outside the city who have not been completely numb and are still pursuing hope will move to the Newborn City because of their hearts. Although Xidi City has always ignored the life and death of people outside the city, they absolutely cannot tolerate this. The human barrier surrounding them was broken down, otherwise the only thing that could deal with the mutated creatures was the city wall.

Because of this, Zhao Anpan must restrict the spread of information about the Newborn City outside the city. Restricting private caravans and mercenaries from the Newborn City is the method he uses to achieve this goal.

Although these are just Han Nianling's own speculations based on the current situation of Xidi City, it is very possible based on Zhao Anpan's reaction and the conditions given.

This time, even Han Nianling, who maintained a bystander attitude, couldn't help but feel disgusted. He maintained temporary peace at the cost of many lives. The funds that should have been used to develop the city base were used for this magnificent military government building.

"This... I'm sorry that I can't give General Zhao a definite reply for the time being. I can only wait for the reply from the Newborn City base government..." Cheng Fang sighed in his heart. Obviously, this communication failed again, but he also They didn't expect much progress this time, so they just mentioned it when passing through Xiti City, "By the way, I have one more thing I want to ask the general in chief for confirmation."

"Just yesterday, our observation post dispatched a second team to Xidi City, but it still has not returned to the city. We did not find any trace of this convoy along the way. I wonder if General Zhao has information about their entry and exit from Xidi City. ?”

Chapter 32 Promoting Shocking Change

"Yesterday? The second dispatch team?"

The confusion on Zhao Anpan's face didn't look like he was faking, and there was no need for him to cheat. This performance made Cheng Fang and others' hearts sink: "I'm sorry, I haven't heard anything about this second Newborn City dispatch team." information……"

The original assumption that they were just stranded due to business seemed to be different from the reality. None of them seemed to have arrived in Xiti City. Zhao Anpan's answer led the fate of this second dispatch team to an unknown direction.

There is only one road from the observation post to Xidi City that can provide vehicle passage. There are no branching roads. Although there are many vehicle wreckages on this road, they are basically leftover from the pre-war world. Most of them are There was only a rusty frame left that had no recycling value, and there was no model from the Newborn City Dispatch Team among them.

Where else could they go... could they be nomads?

The disappearance of the second dispatch team reminds people of the previous group of marauders who rashly attacked the convoy and were suspected to be the remnants of nomads. However, even if the dispatch team's military strength is not as strong as theirs, they only have that little weapon. Nomads without strength could not capture it.

Could it be that...the remnants of the nomads who fled to this area were more than the ones they wiped out?

But if there are large-scale remnants of nomads, where did they come from?Guarded at both ends of the road are the two urban bases of Xidi City and Newborn City, and the giant tree jungles on both sides of the road are all the activities of mutant beasts. Small teams can still shuttle carefully, but large-scale personnel movements will inevitably cause The mutant beast's attention leads to conflict.

And even if they successfully pass through the vast forest and reach the highway to carry out the hijacking, where should so many people live?Since the JD Operation Abandoned City, the frequency of convoys going out in New City during this period has been extremely low, and not every convoy carries a large amount of supplies. Even if all convoys are intercepted, it will not be enough to support all their daily needs.

Could it be that this group of mercenaries has carved out a stronghold suitable for long-term survival somewhere in the wild against the threat of mutant beasts? This is not an easy task. If this is the case, then the perseverance of this group of nomads is quite impressive. People admire.

"If it's information about the Newborn City dispatch team, I have a potentially valuable report here."

Just as Cheng Fang was trying to continue asking questions to obtain information from other sources, the door to the living room was suddenly pushed open. A young man wearing a black vest and silver-framed round mirrors strode straight into the room. His clothes looked like He was polite, but his bird's nest-like hairstyle was extremely eye-catching and seemed incompatible with his image.

Cheng Fang couldn't help but frown deeply when he saw this figure intruding into the living room, but he immediately calmed down and returned to normal, and took the initiative to introduce the identity of this hasty intruder to everyone: "This is Youan is the assistant defense officer of Xidi City and is responsible for "

The young man didn't care about the looks from others. He walked towards Zhao Anpan carelessly and handed the printed copy he had prepared in his hand to the other party: "This is a report I left yesterday when I was sorting out the files. Just yesterday afternoon, the Southern Checkpoint No. [-] released a convoy of six armed vehicles from the Newborn City. The vehicles did have the identification of the Newborn City Base Government, but they did not enter Xiti City and took the ring road to bypass it. Xidi City is heading north."

Zhao Anpan quickly browsed the printed copy of the report in his hand and handed it to Cheng Fang. Cheng Fang and others circulated it in order to confirm the information written in the report.

Going north? !

The description given by the assisting defense officer named Euan was consistent with the information they knew about the second dispatch team, and the identification of the Newborn City government was even more conclusive. However, this convoy clearly received... Why do the people who communicate with Xidi City bypass Xidi City and head north?This behavior is really puzzling.What happened to them?

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