vncnus Chapter 46 Thinking of
Chapter 46 Thinking of
Watching the SUV speed away, the fat man in the gray windbreaker next to the truck cursed under his breath.
"Damn, it runs so fast."
"You think?" The man in the old yellow jacket leaned against the car, a hint of amusement in his voice. "You think people will come over just by waving your hand? That's not how robbers do it. You're new to the convoy, aren't you?"
"Ah, yeah." The fat man looked miserable and somewhat annoyed. "We haven't gained anything at all today."
The man in the jacket smiled and comforted her:
"It's alright, be patient. Besides, our route isn't easy either. Although it's Redfall Time now, most people wouldn't dare to go into the Azure Sea on the other side. Anyone who dares to take this route is strong. Scavengers wouldn't go this way."
"If you had summoned them over just now, we might have had to be careful to send them back."
The fat man's expression froze for a moment, then he scratched his head: "Uh, Old Wu, according to you, shouldn't we just release everyone we encounter?"
The man in the jacket shrugged, spat on the ground, and said nonchalantly, "Pretty much. No harvest, no harvest. Life is more important."
"But how are we going to explain this to the boss?"
"Let him scold us, it goes in one ear and out the other. Besides, there seems to be some kind of infection going on lately, and the convoy has lost a lot of manpower. He can't bear to kill us."
A hint of mockery flashed in the jacket-wearing man's eyes: "After all, he still needs us scavengers to make money, otherwise he can't afford to lick the stinking feet of the Rubik's Cube potion."
The fat man was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "What Rubik's Cube potion? I don't know anything about it."
The man in the jacket chuckled: "It's a pharmaceutical company. Apparently, they got their hands on a batch of evolutionary essence. Our new boss, who was parachuted in, supposedly got a spot by selling his genitals, so he's scrambling to raise money."
"Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone so far as to take the Azure Sea route; they're trying to kill two birds with one stone and take a chance."
The fat man blinked, then looked as if he had suddenly realized something.
He stroked his beard for a long time, then exclaimed excitedly, "Holy crap, you know what?! You really can't believe it!"
The man in the jacket nodded slightly and smiled.
What could be more interesting than being a cricket boss? It must be being a cricket boss with your colleagues.
But as he was laughing, he realized something was wrong.
Then I heard the fat man's voice beside me: "Damn Qi Mingxuan, his ass really is pretty perky."
That was the sound of excitement.
……
The man in the jacket silently moved a few steps away from the fat man.
An unusual atmosphere filled the air...
"Damn it, I can't take it anymore."
The fat man leaned against the truck and cursed under his breath. He opened the door next to him, grabbed a few pieces of paper from inside the truck, and stuffed them into his pocket.
The man in the jacket standing nearby noticed this and his expression changed. He shouted sharply, "What do you want to do?"
The fat man blinked, somewhat surprised, and said, "What's your reaction? I'm going to check out the Azure Sea. What, are you coming?"
The man in the jacket didn't answer, but his eyes showed wariness.
Seeing no response, the fat man didn't want to make a fool of himself. He adjusted his belt and walked towards the area shrouded in a light drizzle.
Under the serious gaze of the man in the jacket—
Once inside the special area, the fat man ran and shouted like a wild dog, attracting the phantom of the [Sea Spirit] in the sky. Dozens of monsters moved through the pale blue air and gradually gathered around the fat man.
Then, a ripple spread.
The sea nymph gradually shed her unsightly appearance, revealing a beautiful woman with alluring eyes and a captivating figure. Her curves were exquisite, and she was half-covered by a red veil, making her appear almost naked.
Her steps were like golden flowers, her eyes conveying affection.
……
In the distance, the man in the jacket stared blankly at the scene ahead, opening his mouth several times, but seemingly losing all ability to organize his thoughts.
At least, but not enough...
This is the Azure Sea, a special area that strikes fear into the hearts of many. Over the years, countless survivors have perished here. The psychedelic environment is like a veiled, sinister fang, capable of devouring life.
It is such a dangerous place.
Now, it has met its ultimate insult.
But ultimately—
How could anyone watch a monster illusion as a movie...?
The man in the jacket was speechless and disoriented in the wind.
……
Twilight Quadruple.
As the SUV drove along the road, Xu Yang glanced at the map on his wristband. The white location marker returned to normal the moment they left the median strip.
Ahead, a row of gray walls climbs up to the distant horizon.
Gathering place number sixteen.
Xu Yang looked at Newt beside him; the man was completely silent under the body bag.
Good.
After passing the detection by the red light on the gray wall, Xu Yang entered the reconstruction area smoothly.
Compared to the other two settlements, this reconstruction area is more prosperous. It leans against the black cuboid and, under the dim sky, looks like a cluster of colorful torches, with various lights shining.
After parking the SUV, Xu Yang carried Newt toward the giant cuboid.
Passersby were used to it and mostly just glanced at it before walking past. After all, it wasn't unusual to see a corpse being carried on the street.
Ahead on the street, there was another man slicing his belly with a knife, shouting that he wanted to prove how many bowls of noodles he could eat.
This is clearly more interesting than a body bag.
Xu Yang was walking along by himself when suddenly, a man with squinty eyes approached him from the crowd.
The man looked like a monkey, had an old face, and spoke in a shrill voice: "Brother, is this a bounty?"
"Um, is there something you need?"
Xu Yang raised an eyebrow.
The skinny man chuckled: "Uh, well, after you collect the bounty, could you sell the corpse to me? I'll... offer two hundred contribution points."
"Two hundred!" the man said, holding up two fingers.
"..."
"This is my friend."
Xu Yang waved his hand, feeling inexplicably tired, and just wanted to get rid of the person in front of him.
This place really produces a lot of talented people.
Just as I was thinking this, the man persisted, moving closer, "Friends can't fill your stomach, but that's two hundred contribution points, a whole two hundred!"
Xu Yang looked at the man, whose face was dark and whose eyes were bloodshot.
He was clearly not in a good mental state.
He sighed softly.
In a flash, his hand moved like a blur, and a dark gun barrel was pressed against the skinny man's forehead: "I'm not selling, understand?"
"..."
"You...didn't turn off the safety lock?"
The man blinked.
pat.
"It's closed now." Out of politeness, Xu Yang smiled. "Thanks for reminding me."
Gurgle.
The skinny man swallowed hard: "Are you serious?"
Xu Yang remained silent, wanting to intimidate this boundless guy. He simply held the gun up, his eyes as still as dead water.
The pedestrians around slowed their pace as they noticed what was happening.
Under the yellow streetlights.
The tall young man, with a pale complexion but slightly raised thick eyebrows, was holding a large-caliber pistol. He pressed his wrist down slightly, holding the muzzle against the head of a thin man, exuding a chilling aura.
"Brother, it can't be that bad. You're not the same person as before. You might not be able to escape."
The thin man smiled stiffly.
Xu Yang's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly glanced at Newt on his shoulder: "Which one?"
Without warning, he put away his gun as if he were drawing it, and nodded slightly, signaling the thin man to continue.
The latter took a breath, stared at the gun at the other's waist, and wanted to slip away, but his legs went weak.
That look in his eyes just now was definitely not from a kind person!
In fact, even in a time of catastrophe, there are people who would point a gun at someone's head on the street at the slightest provocation—
This guy is probably a jinx!
The skinny man put his hands in his pockets, fiddling with the tattered cloth, and forced a smile: "Brother, are you new here?"
"Just two weeks ago, there was this ruthless guy in our area named Newt who killed someone in public and then ran away. I even went to see him."
The man licked his lips, recalling the scene in his mind, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's in the middle of this street, at a place called Hongsheng Pharmacy."
"That guy arrived in the morning, and in front of everyone, he pulled out a gun and turned the pharmacy owner into a pile of mangled flesh. I heard he even changed the magazines several times, just kept shooting at the corpse. He was really ruthless."
Xu Yang's expression remained unchanged, and he instead asked, "Aren't the people around going to stop them?"
Perhaps after he finished speaking, the atmosphere gradually eased. The thin man glanced at Xu Yang's face and spoke more freely.
"Stop it? No way! Countless people wish that boss were dead."
Xu Yang's eyes flickered slightly.
"Hmm? Tell me more, brother."
He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, which he had taken from the corpse earlier. Although he didn't smoke them himself, they were convenient for striking up a conversation.
Most information can be obtained by simply smoking a cigarette.
He then handed one over and lit a fireball.
The skinny man reluctantly took the cigarette, glanced at Xu Yang, stared at the cigarette in his hand, took a deep drag of smoke, and then said, "Actually, the reason is very simple. The boss was secretly conducting drug experiments before. I heard that he found a special material in Zhenjiang."
Upon hearing this, Xu Yang was taken aback.
Special materials from Zhenjiang? The science lab ID card says there's a lab in that area, so... could the two be related?
Just then, the skinny man exhaled a puff of smoke and continued, "After this foreigner got the stuff, he started picking out his customers. He would find people who were neglected and poor, and secretly change their medicine. He was basically using people as live experiments to record their drug reactions."
"..."
"This is murder!" Xu Yang frowned deeply. "Isn't anyone going to do anything about it?"
"There's nothing we can do. He didn't openly kill anyone. The potions sold in the reconstruction zone are illegal. If there are any problems, he'll have to take responsibility himself. Going to the administrator won't help."
The skinny man curled his lip. "Anyway, it all fizzled out in the end. Those with family members paid some money privately, but for those without, the bodies just rotted at home and nobody cared."
"Then you mean Newt?"
The man chuckled.
"That's the problem. Newt works for the Department of Foreign Affairs and has a younger brother who is his only family. He went on a mission during this time and was delayed for a few days. Everyone thought he was dead. When he came back, he saw his brother and... oh my god!"
The man spread his hands: "He's gone."
"Perhaps the boss doesn't care, after all, I've heard from others that Newt is a very honest and straightforward person."
"But honest people are easy to bully."
The skinny man, a cigarette butt between his fingers, had a smug look in his eyes: "When the boss saw him come in, he was still chatting and laughing with the people around him, probably thinking he could get rid of Newt in a couple of words."
"As a result, he didn't even have a chance to speak. His head exploded with a single shot, and his body was smashed to pieces."
"Damn it, I heard that Newt even peed on that pile of rotten flesh at the end. I can't even imagine how good that must have been!" The man's face showed a look of pleasure.
Xu Yang nodded and followed up, "That was pretty cool. How did he manage to escape in the end?"
The thin man replied without hesitation, "They let him go. The guard on the other side of the gray wall pretended not to see it and let him leave directly."
"The guard is a very honest person."
"That's right. If he were to sabotage things even slightly, he could just collect the money once Newt's bounty is posted."
The thin man sighed.
Xu Yang sighed inwardly, having roughly figured out Newt's ordeal. He shook his head silently, carrying Newt's body away.
The man beside him stubbed out his cigarette, but then called out to him again, "Hey, bro, really not selling?"
Xu Yang almost burst out laughing; this guy was utterly incorrigible.
Why do you absolutely need a corpse?
The skinny man licked his lips, his eyes darting around, and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I have a bit of pica."
"..."
Xu Yang turned and left.
Damn it, a ghoul has appeared on the street. If you're into extreme tastes, then go for it! And then add pica (eating strange things) to that, making it all so academic.
……
Inside the settlement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
After entering the hall, Xu Yang went straight to the mission display, set the filter criteria, and the mission list refreshed to show Newt's bounty.
[Number: 5463]
[Type: Bounty]
[Description: Newt Darrow, a former junior member of the Department of Foreign Affairs (now removed) from Settlement 16, shot and killed the former owner of the Hung Shing Pharmacy in the Reconstruction District. A bounty was placed on his head by the Magic Cube. Kill the target.]
[Amount: 100000 Contribution Points]
[Time Limit: Unlimited]
Contact Person: Liu Guan
……
The quest interface doesn't mention the requirement to preserve the body, but why is the bounty offered by Magic Cube Potion? Shouldn't it be posted by Hongsheng Pharmacy?
The doubt in his mind was only fleeting, and Xu Yang placed the identity card next to the mission display to activate the mission.
Next, the body will be examined.
After finding a staff member, he was led into a dark blue room where two people in white coats were sitting on a brick-like bed, chatting about gossip.
Upon seeing the people entering through the door, they stepped forward, lifted the corpse from Xu Yang's shoulder onto the bed, and unwrapped the body bag. One of them raised an eyebrow.
"It's still a genetic breakdown."
The other person walked straight to a thin, transparent glass-like screen and started operating it.
Different images flashed across the screen. Xu Yang was more familiar with a few of them that looked like DNA fragments, but they only flashed by briefly.
This is a comparison of identity information.
Soon, in less than ten minutes, the identity verification was completed, the screen went out, and the verifier turned around and said, "Newt Darrow, the contribution points have been credited to your ID card."
"You're lucky. This guy didn't have much ability; he just had a high bounty. He caused quite a stir in the reconstruction zone a while ago, but I didn't expect him to still die." The doctor in the white coat said with some emotion.
Across from him, Xu Yang wasn't interested in continuing the argument, and simply said, "Now that it's over, I'll take the body back."
With that, he repacked the body and carried it on his back.
Beep~
Without warning, my wrist beeped, and I glanced at the contact—
Liu Guan.
Xu Yang frowned slightly and answered the phone: "Hello, what's up?"
"You're the one who killed Newt, aren't you? Do you want his body or not? If not, then—"
"want."
Xu Yang interrupted him directly, several black lines appearing on his forehead.
This is the second time. No matter how many times Newt dies, people still care.
Another case of pica?
There was a brief silence on the phone, then an arrogant voice came through again: "How many contribution points? Name your number."
Xu Yang clicked his tongue and raised an eyebrow: "One hundred million."
"..."
"Are you making fun of me?" The voice carried a hint of anger.
Xu Yang said in surprise, "So you knew that?"
He then chuckled softly and hung up the phone before the other person could speak.
A man in a white coat nearby spoke up, "Is this your contact person? Here to claim the body?"
Xu Yang was taken aback: "How did you know?"