Chapter 463: Eve of the Storm
From ancient times to the present, how many people are arrogant enough to put a bounty on themselves?
Unless you think you have lived too long, you will not do such a crazy thing.
But Wang Teng did just that!
People who are not familiar with him may think he is a madman.
Even those who know him would be deeply shocked by his arrogance.
Hidden beneath that arrogance is his absolute strength and confidence.
"Three days later, in the evening, in Town No. 7..."
Su Xia's deep gaze rested on the system map, and he was thinking quietly.
From his current location to the town number seven, if it were normal times, it would take less than an hour to fly there directly.
But now there are many mechanical patrol soldiers around the city. We need to stay vigilant and not be so arrogant anymore.
Even so, it would only take Su Xia two or three hours to reach the mercenary town.
Before that, he had plenty of time to observe.
"The South Wind Organization will most likely send out rescue personnel. By then, we will not only have to find a way to rescue those dozen people, but we will also have to try our best to protect their safety. This may be a bit troublesome..."
Su Xia thought for a moment, then moved her index finger and slowly tapped on the old cash register.
The radio channel belonging to the mercenary organization still has sound, but it is no longer related to the masked monster, but is talking about the unity of the mercenaries.
Wang Teng is a very ambitious man. He wants to solidify his title of "King of Mercenaries" and make all the mercenaries in the southwest region recognize him.
In fact, his vision may have already gone beyond the southwestern region of the continent and has already seen places further.
He may want to establish an alternative large organization, a terrorist group that exists outside the normal world.
"If this is really a trap, then there are probably more people lying in ambush there than just him and his subordinates. There may be other forces involved, such as people from the Zero Point Tavern, or people from the Southwest Mercenary Union..."
Although there was not enough evidence, Su Xia was basically certain that Wang Teng had reached some kind of agreement with the people of the Southwest Mercenary Union.
They were like two thieves, one in the open and the other in secret, sucking the blood of major chambers of commerce in the southwest region.
No matter who it is, as long as he can destroy Wang Teng, his reputation will soar like a rocket and he will become the benefactor and savior in the hearts of many people.
"However, given Wang Teng's cautiousness, will he personally take charge of Town No. 7?"
This time, Su Xia not only wanted to save people, but also wanted to kill people.
The matter between him and Wang Teng should also have a conclusion.
That guy was like a mosquito, whispering all kinds of news in his ears all day long. Although it didn't cause any serious harm, it was enough to make people upset.
"If he is in Town No. 7, it means he has enough confidence." Su Xia continued to think, "Now, news about me is flying everywhere, Wang Teng can definitely estimate my strength."
"If he's not here, it means he has no confidence in the trap or his own strength, and is just treating it as a test..."
Su Xia slowly zoomed in on the map, wanting to see the mountains and rivers surrounding town number seven.
Unfortunately, since he had never been to Town No. 7 in person, there was still a lot of fog on his map. He could only compare the rough system map with the map explored by the players and could not see many details.
"The town is in a hilly area, surrounded by evergreen vegetation, which is suitable for hiding and ambushing." Su Xia slowly took off his headphones. "We can storm, or change our appearance and blend in with the mercenaries. There are many ways. We need to come up with a suitable plan."
"You are a little anxious." Wu Hongyu suddenly glanced at him and said lightly.
"No?"
Su Xia stroked his chin. He was just thinking about how to save people.
This time there are no task prompts, no rules or restrictions, nothing at all. It all depends on his personal actions.
This kind of free action can easily lead to unexpected troubles.
"Relax, the world can function without anyone." The woman Wu Hongyu said calmly. She didn't care about the lives of the members of the Nanfeng organization at all. After all, it had nothing to do with her.
"For some people, it's better to avoid being short of things if possible." Su Xia said.
"Refine the potion to calm your mind." Wu Hongyu said casually, "If there are too many things on your mind, you can put them aside for now."
"Yes, that's true. Thank you for your reminder, Auntie."
When refining a potion, one would indeed become focused unconsciously, discarding all unnecessary thoughts, keeping oneself calm, with only the potion in hand in one's eyes and mind.
Of course, this approach is also a double-edged sword.
If the refining fails, that feeling of peace will be shattered in an instant.
If you fail many times, don't even think about being calm. You might become irritable, and your condition might even be worse than before refining.
Hong Bafu used to become easily irritable. Once he failed too many times, he would start swearing and might even crush the reagent bottle. After his father passed away, he became more stable.
Time passed slowly, the sun set, and it was 6:30 in the evening.
Boss Zhao from the restaurant across the street called out, "Master Su, dinner is ready. Do you want to eat here?"
"Well, it's right there on your side."
Su Xia's smile returned to her face and she nodded slightly.
In the past, when my father was around, Boss Zhao would personally deliver meals to the store every time.
But now, Su Xia felt that it was too troublesome. It was just across the street anyway, so it would be more convenient to go there and eat directly.
After their father left, only the three brothers were left in the store. There was no warmth at all during meals, and they always felt like something was missing.
Hearing the sound of dinner being served, Hong Bafu was the first to run over, holding his stomach with both hands, with a smile on his face, and asked, "Boss Zhao, what's going on tonight? I can even smell the aroma."
"Master Hong, these are your favorite stir-fried lamb and crispy lamb chops, made according to your taste." Boss Zhao replied with a smile.
"I was wondering why it smelled so familiar!"
Hong Bafu's eyes lit up, he took a deep breath, and looked very satisfied.
Both he and Lan Bafu had experienced the war years when they were hungry. At the worst time, they were so thin that only a layer of skin was left on their bodies, and they looked like walking skeletons.
If they hadn't been taken in by their father , the two of them would have long since become one of the countless dead souls in the years of war.
Therefore, eating became the most enjoyable moment of his day.
There were not many people in the restaurant. The economic situation in Coral City was not very good right now, and ordinary people seldom went out to eat in restaurants.
At the round dining table at the door of the store, a group of children have been sitting in a circle, their big eyes bright, looking forward to today's dinner.
After seeing Hong Bafu, the children all spoke in a friendly manner.
"Uncle Bafu, good evening!"
"Good evening, Uncle Hong!"
“…”
"How many times have I told you not to call me uncle, call me brother!" Hong Bafu said with a straight face as he sat next to the children. "I'm only in my twenties, I just look plump and older!"
"Uncle Hong, the book says it's not good to be too fat." A little girl spoke in a sweet voice.
"What book?"
Hong Bafu rolled his eyes and argued, "It must be a pirated book! How could a legitimate book contain such content?"
These children were naturally the ones that Su Xia brought back from the last demolition accident in the east of the city. There were twelve of them in total, and they were Su Xia’s first batch of apprentices.
According to Su Xia's arrangement, these children have been supplementing their basic knowledge during this period.
The two Blessed Ones found the best teachers in the area for the children, who gave them tutoring every day, hoping to transform these children as quickly as possible.
Among them, Zhao Qin's child Zhao Xiaobai is the fastest learner. He is very smart and has mastered most of the knowledge that he should master at his age.
He is also the one with the best talent for potions among these children. He can understand part of the potion formula when he sees it for the first time.
At that time, Su Xia accepted him as his apprentice not only because of the mission "Zhao Qin's Last Wish" but also because he was impressed by his talent in potion making.
"Where is Xiaobai? Why hasn't he come back yet so late?" Hong Bafu looked around and found that Zhao Xiaobai was not at the dinner table.
After getting to know each other for a while, he became quite fond of Zhao Xiaobai, a smart kid, and wanted to take him as his apprentice.
But Zhao Xiaobai was Su Xia’s apprentice, so it was not easy for him to snatch him away. He could only assist in teaching.
"Yes, why can't I see Xiaobai?" Lan Bafu also came over and asked many children.
"Brother Xiaobai went to the east of the city." A little girl answered with her eyes wide open.
"What is he doing in the east of the city?" asked Hong Bafu.
"To teach." the little girl replied.
"Teaching?" Hong Bafu was stunned. "He is only in his teens. What kind of teaching? Who is he teaching?"
"Teach our friends, the friends who used to play with us in the slums. After Grandpa He passed away, there was no one left to teach them..."
Several other children spoke up, one by one, and revealed Zhao Xiaobai's specific whereabouts.
In the slums in the east of the city, where they used to live, educational resources are very scarce and almost everyone has only received prenatal education.
There used to be a retired teacher named He Qiubai who taught them for free, but after the accident, the old teacher also died in the collapsed house.
Knowledge is readily available to children in certain parts of the city, but that does not include the slums.
Zhao Xiaobai was worried that his friends would not receive any education, so he spent half of his time every day completing the day's lessons, and spent the other half going to the east of the city to personally teach his friends.
“I see…”
Hong Bafu suddenly realized and said with emotion: "Xiaobai, this kid, didn't even bother to tell us. We will definitely support this matter."
"The east of the city is so far away, and it takes half an hour to drive there. How does he get there? Does he have any money on him?" Lan Bafu asked.
"No money." replied the little girl.
"Oh? Why?" Lan Bafu asked again.
"There is a very handsome uncle named Chai An. He drives past the street every day to take Brother Xiaobai there." The little girl blinked her bright big eyes.
"Chai An?" Hong Bafu thought about it and felt that the name sounded familiar.
"He is the secretary of City Lord Qi Lang and occasionally appears on TV." Lan Bafu reminded.
"Oh, I remember now." Hong Bafu nodded. "That guy is wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, right? He looks like a scumbag, and he doesn't look like a good person. Does he have any intentions towards Xiaobai?"
"Xiaobai is only thirteen years old and has no use at all. What could Chai An be planning?" Lan Bafu shook his head.
"It's hard to say. I heard that some perverts like children, especially little boys!"
The two exchanged a few words in a low voice.
Hong Bafu was a little worried, but Lan Bafu felt that it should be fine.
It has long been circulating among the people and there are also rumors on various online platforms that the current city lord Qi Lang is a waste who can't even understand the basic city economics. If he hadn't had the help of a secretary named Chai An, he would have stepped down long ago.
Although many people have never seen Chai An, his name often appears in various news channels.
As the two were talking, Su Xia came over from across the street and sat casually next to Hong Bafu.
"Brother Su Xia, good evening!"
"teacher!"
"Good evening, teacher."
When they saw Su Xia, the children stood up from their stools and greeted him in their childish voices.
Su Xia nodded slightly and waved her hands, motioning everyone to sit down.
He doesn't have too many rules here, as long as the kids study hard.
"Let's eat first. You must be hungry. Eat more. This is the time when you grow up. You have lost too much in the past and you have to make up for it now." Su Xia smiled and said softly.
Then, he turned his head, glanced at the two Blessed Ones beside him, and asked, "What are you two talking about? Why are you being so secretive?"
"Brother Su, it's about Zhao Xiaobai..."
Hong Bafu turned around, lowered his voice, and expressed his concerns.
Hearing this, Su Xia's expression remained unchanged, and she said calmly: "It's okay, you can trust Chai An."
"Really?" Hong Bafu was a little confused.
"Well, he also came from the slums. He is not the second-generation kid who relies on family background and connections." Su Xia said.
"I see."
"You guys observe for a while. If Xiaobai doesn't fall behind in his studies, then let him do it."
Su Xia was very pleased with this disciple's choice and would not stop him in any way.
In the future, pharmacist schools will need a large number of students, and the slums in various areas of the city are the best source of students.
"Brother Su, do you have anything to do these days? Do you want to go to the slums with us to observe?" Hong Bafu asked him.
"I have a little thing these days."
"A small matter?"
"Well, it's just a small matter..."
Su Xia spoke in a normal tone and did not say anything explicitly.
In this world, killing is really not a big deal.
…
Meanwhile, in the far wilderness, amidst rolling hills, there is a very special town.
This town is none other than the Wandering Mercenary Town No. 7, which is hated by many business travelers.
In the northern part of the town, in a private room of a bar, more than a dozen people in black robes were discussing matters.
"Do you think that masked man will come?" One of them spoke. He was tall, with a hideous scar on his face and a murderous aura shrouding him. He was the person in charge of Town Number 7.
"Probably not."
Another person shook his head slightly and said, "The last time the masked man appeared was in the north. It is impossible for him to return to the south so soon. It is good enough that he is still alive under the heavy siege of the mechanical tribe."
"That's right, he is probably still lingering on an island somewhere." said someone nearby.
"Maybe he has already fled to the other two continents."
"As long as we can catch all the people from Nanfeng's organization, there's no need to worry about that masked man. He won't come!"
"What if he comes?"
"It's better that he comes!"
"Humph! With Boss Wang Teng here, even if that masked man comes, he will die here!"
Among these people, several of them had an almost blind trust in Wang Teng, and they believed that Wang Teng must have the ability to kill the masked man.
If not, given the masked man's vengeful character, why didn't he dare to come to Wang Teng?
"Don't worry, even if Boss Wang Teng can't keep him, don't we still have President Luo Xi?" The person in charge of the town spoke and looked at one of the men in black robes.
"hehe……"
The man in black robe smiled faintly, raised his head, and slowly took off the black hood on his head.
The face under the hood was a little sallow, and seemed unhealthy, giving people a sickly and gloomy feeling. It was Luo Xi, the president of the Southwest Mercenary Union.
"Thank you for your trust." He smiled faintly, "If Wang Teng can't stop the masked man, and the traps you set are ineffective, then... I will take action myself!"
"Thank you, President Luo!" said the town leader.
"It's okay, just don't forget our agreement." Luo Xi glanced at everyone present. He came here in person, of course, not just to watch the trial ceremony three days later.
"How confident are you, President Luo? How strong are you and that masked man?" One of them was a little worried and couldn't help asking.
"Haha, don't worry, everyone. As long as he dares to come, this place will become his grave."
