I'm in Terra

There is no doubt that this is a test, a test with unclear purpose.

Looking at the gentle smile of the gentleman, Ansuo swallowed quietly. Whether for her life, to make amends, or even simply to leave this bar alive, she had to go all out to complete this test.

"Are you ready? Shall I start counting?"

The gentleman didn't seem to want to give the secret lock too much time. He opened his clothes, took out a pocket watch from his arms, and then counted down quietly: "10.9.8..."

Calm down, Ansuo, you must calm down!

Staring at the gentleman's open coat, Ansuo gradually lowered his body.

"6.5.4......"

The countdown continued. The ten seconds that used to pass in a flash now seemed so long. Ansuo's thoughts flashed through these few seconds, trying to find the correct solution to this test.

Got it!

Ansuo suddenly widened his eyes, but the man's countdown had also reached the end.

"3...2...1. Unfortunately, it looks like you don't intend to accept this job?" The gentleman covered the pocket watch regretfully and put it carefully into his inner pocket.

Looking at the gentleman's actions, Ansuo suddenly smiled: "That's not necessarily true. On the contrary, I think I passed the test."

The gentleman was stunned for a moment, then smiled and raised his glass: "Oh? Tell me about it."

Unlike the burly men at the next table, the gentleman was drinking a more expensive liqueur. The reddish liquor swayed between his fingertips, as if it contained magical powers.

Ansuo closed his eyes, recalling every scene he saw after entering: "You actually didn't bring a wallet with you, right? Your suit only has five pockets, four outside and one inside. You used the inside pocket to put your pocket watch, and the outside pocket... is extremely empty. So..."

pop - pop - pop -

"Yes, indeed." The gentleman smiled and clapped his hands, his eyes gleaming with undisguised admiration. "It's hard to imagine a girl with such skill and vision stealing on the streets of the slums. Nice to meet you. My name is Philip, Philip Bush, a successful businessman. William, please settle the bill and pick out a drink for this lady."

The towering burly man nodded slightly, then took out an exquisite wallet from his pocket. Just by looking at the decoration on it, the secret lock could confirm that this was definitely not the burly man's property.

Philip noticed Ansuo's look and explained with a smile, "When you go out, you always have to make a few more preparations. William is one of the best bodyguards, so it's perfect for him to keep the property. But now, I think you should be more concerned about that job, right, smart little lady?"

"Just call me Ansuo." Ansuo breathed a sigh of relief and took a sip from the beer. The low-quality beer didn't have much flavor, except for a slight sweetness.

"What a nice name." Philip took a sip from his cup and then stated his needs: "We, Tarkov Mining, have just arrived in Longmen and have already suffered a lot in this city. Therefore, we urgently need a reliable 'guide' to help us understand this city and make money here."

"That's all?" Ansuo was stunned, then his eyes widened. "Any old resident of Longmen knows all the rules. You spent three thousand yuan just to let me help you figure them out?"

"Yes." Philip nodded seriously. "What you're trying to do is a local custom that's hard for us to understand. We've already paid a lot of 'tuition' for it. If it weren't for the open-minded gang leaders in this city, we might have already started an all-out war. This is not good, very bad. We're here to make money. You understand what this means, right?"

"I understand." Ansuo shrank his neck. "I can do this job, but let me tell you in advance, I'm infected. If you can accept it, I'll work with you. If not, let's break up as soon as possible."

"Infected? It doesn't matter." Philip smiled and stretched out his hand. The strong man sitting inside handed him an injection with difficulty. Looking at the black particles on the strong man's arm, it was obvious that the proportion of infected people in this company was not small.

"This is your down payment for joining us. It's a recently developed anti-infection drug. We at Tarkov Mining sell more than just minerals and metals. We also sell weapons and equipment, medicine, and even hired services. As long as you can afford it, we're happy to help. Of course, if you need to buy more drugs later, you can use the company's internal price."

"Is this... the legendary anti-infective agent?" After listening to Philip's introduction, Ansuo took the potion with trembling hands. She had heard of this thing countless times, but this was the first time she had seen it.

This thing is the favorite of those slum bosses. She can sell it for five or six thousand yuan. If she handles it properly, it is not difficult to sell it for tens of thousands of yuan.

But if you want to join...

Ansuo glanced at Philip, then at the strong men surrounding him, gritted his teeth, and put the injection into his own blood vessel.

Snapped----

Just as she was about to give the injection, William came back with a cup of hot milk. "Silly baby, what are you going to use now? This thing is used after using that skill, or when you're sick. I guess getting an injection now won't do anything except let you sleep comfortably."

"Ah? So that's how it is? Ha, haha." Ansuo smiled awkwardly and quietly put the injection away.

Philip smiled and said, "Okay, here's your drink. Drink it, and you'll officially join the team. Don't betray me, and come to work on time. Tarkov Mining will not treat you unfairly."

"YES, BOSS!" Ansuo raised the milk, licked it carefully, and then drank it all in one breath.

Seeing Ansuo's unsatisfied look, Philip waved his hand with amusement and distress: "...add another cup for her."

--------

Compared to the bustling and vibrant slums, the Uptown area seemed much quieter. While the commercial streets and red-light district were equally packed, the Civic District in the heart of Longmen was devoid of pedestrians.

On the top floor of Longmen City Hall, the office of the top leader was still brightly lit.

Wei Yanwu, Director of the Imperial Guards and Governor of Longmen, was boiling water to make tea, and waiting for someone to arrive with another old man Zarak.

A moment later, there was a sudden knock on the door, followed by an elegant voice that sounded a little frivolous.

"Oh my, I'm really flattered that you two gentlemen waited for me so late at night."

Wei Yanwu struck a match, and the office door opened automatically. The visitor outside did not mind and walked in generously.

"I'm glad to have fulfilled my mission. I've compiled all the information Duke Wei wants. This business is not an easy one to handle."

Wine Pool and Meat Forest: 77 It's raining

"Mr. Li, you've worked hard. Please sit down and have a cup of tea first."

Lao Li's arrival did not cause much commotion. After Wei Yanwu poured him a cup of tea, the three of them sat at the table and quietly savored the fragrance of the tea.

Until old man Zalak spoke to break the deadlock.

"They're ruthless, each one of them can fight ten people with their bare hands. They must be soldiers without a doubt. But there aren't many of them, only about a dozen in total."

Wei Yanwu nodded and glanced at Lao Li.

Lao Li drank his tea in one gulp and sighed softly. "It's confirmed they're from Ursus, but they're most likely unrelated to Chernobog. They were very cautious with their shipments. I followed them for almost a week, and all I can confirm is that their final departure direction was northwest. Considering the quality of the steel they delivered, they must be from a small city on the northern border."

"North..." Wei Yanwu pondered for a moment, then asked inexplicably, "What are the chances of it being this?"

"Not high." Elder Zalak breathed a sigh of relief, a glint in his eyes. "The number of infected people in the slums is climbing steadily, and the smuggling customs is almost overloaded every day. It's certain that their main focus is still on Qie City and the Integration Movement."

Wei Yanwu nodded. He understood these principles. If he had the ability, he would rather kill someone by mistake than take such a risk. Unfortunately...

After a moment of contemplation, Wei Yanwu put down his teacup. "Then leave it there. You don't have enough manpower to take care of them now, right? Find two reliable guys to keep an eye on them. If they are indeed from that side, I will send someone to deal with them personally."

Elder Zalak said nothing, only nodded solemnly. Old Li, a younger man beside him, remained silent and calmly sipped his hot tea...

Even if Wei Yanwu didn't say it, Lao Li could feel that an unprecedented huge storm was sweeping across Longmen, and the various strange phenomena that Longmen was showing now were just appetizers.

And this night was not just planned by those in power.

In a luxurious villa, Shi Huaiya, freshly bathed, applied skin cream with the help of her maid and lazily lay on the sofa, reading the financial report. Her daytime job as a police inspector was only part of her life. As the heir to the Shi Huaiya family, managing the company and its assets was also part of her job.

But...the market trend in Longmen seems to be a little off recently.

"Has another company withdrawn from the Longmen market?"

The maid and assistant, who had also reviewed the financial report, nodded. "Yes, ma'am. A company jointly established by Colombia and RIM Billiton has decided to withdraw from the Longmen market. However, this did not cause much of a stir, as another RIM Billiton company took over the position and provided steel of even higher quality than the original company."

"That's not the point." Shi Huaiya waved her hand. She was of course aware of what the maid said, but her intuition as a police inspector made her sense that something was amiss. "How many companies have exited the Longmen market this month?"

"17 households." The maid reported the number.

Seventeen companies might sound like a lot, but in Longmen's context, it's a drop in the bucket. The city is always in need of investment and business opportunities, and each exit represents the investment of even more.

Shi Huaiya thought for a moment and then asked, "How many new companies have officially entered Longmen this month?"

The maid was stunned, and her expression changed instantly: "...There are only three."

Upon hearing this, Shi Huaiya rubbed his temple silently: "Do you think this is reasonable?"

There was no need for an answer; both knew the answer. While Longmen was currently prosperous, the business environment was far from saturated. This inexplicable decline in growth could only mean one thing.

Something is going to happen at Longmen, and it’s not a small matter.

"Please compile and send me a copy of the latest major news from all over the world. Quickly!"

Shi Huaiya rubbed his temples, and vaguely knew the answer in his heart.

As a police inspector, she was well aware of all the goings-on in Longmen. The recent surge in the number of inbound arrivals and the rumors she heard from her partners all pointed to that city.

The city that had just been declared completely lost due to the riots of the infected - Chernobyl.

But she didn't know that although the Qiecheng incident ended in a loss of contact and the location was not too far from Longmen, how could this affect the ecological environment inside Longmen?

No matter how close it is, Qie City is just a mobile city of Ursus, not a mobile city of Yan Country. What relationship does it have with Longmen?

Unless...

Shi Huaiya was shocked, and she thought of a somewhat outrageous possibility.

"Wait, don't go looking for news, help me get the communicator first."

beep - beep - beep -

After receiving the communicator, the first thing Shi Huaiya did was to call a certain Fenchanglong: "Hello! Fenchanglong, do you know that something happened at Longmen?"

"..." Chen Huijie on the other end of the phone glanced at the communicator, then at the midnight snack on his desk: "Did you eat too much barbecued pork and ruin your brain? There's always trouble at Longmen."

Shi Huaiya was furious: "Pah, pah, pah, you're the one who's lost your mind. I'm not talking about those little things, I'm talking about big things! Something big is going to happen in Longmen! Have you heard about what happened in Chernobyl? Hello?"

Toot toot————

The response to Shi Huaiya was the busy tone of the communicator hanging up.

Of course she had heard of the Chernobyl incident. As a required course for an inspector, she had of course learned about major events in every country on this earth.

And Chernobog, no, it should be said that the Integration Movement, is what she cares about most.

"Tallulah, are you coming back? Are you coming back to seek revenge on Wei Yanwu and Longmen?"

Putting down the turned-off communicator, Chen Huijie found that she suddenly had no appetite at all, and was left with only sorrow and anxiety.

She had guessed Tallulah's thoughts long before the news of the Checheng incident broke, and Shi Huaiya's phone call just now made her connect the recent strange phenomena with Tallulah.

Obviously, a city is not the whole of Talulah's plan. Her real goal is only Longmen.

"If you're here to seek revenge on that guy, I won't stop you. But if you want to drag the entire Longmen down with you..." Chen Huijie looked up at the sky, as if there was someone's face there: "I will stop you, absolutely."

After saying this, Chen Huijie lowered her head and wolfed down the midnight snack on the table. She must not fall down before Tallulah actually arrived.

She would protect Longmen and her aunt. As for Wei Yanwu? She didn't care.

78 Chaos will follow

The collapse of a building often begins at its weakest crack. The same is true for a city. Longmen has undoubtedly experienced rapid development in recent years, but that doesn't mean Wei Yanwu can rest easy.

On the contrary, it was precisely because of its rapid development that cracks appeared throughout Longmen. If it were an enemy, these minor cracks might not affect the overall situation, but this time it was different. Longmen's opponent was not those small-time soldiers and generals, but the man who was known for his insight into people's hearts and his scheming.

Kosice

No one can be too cautious when making an enemy of him.

Wei Yanwu took a deep puff from the cigarette holder, letting the spicy smoke flow into his mouth.

What a pity! If he had been given another ten years, he would have definitely turned Longmen into an iron barrel. But revenge wouldn't wait, and those infected wouldn't give him any more time.

"...Please ask the Emperor to come over and contact Rhodes Island, who we communicated with a while ago, and tell them that Longmen welcomes them."

Taking another deep breath, Wei Yanwu made a decision. Longmen's armed forces were currently overwhelmingly insufficient. The city walls and customs alone were clearly insufficient to keep the surging tide of people out. He had to find a way to increase his arsenal.

"Yes."

Only the voice was heard but the person was not seen. A black shadow flashed by and everything returned to calm.

......

At the same time, in a corner of the lower city, a man named Luper, dressed in low-key clothes, came to the outermost part of the lower city.

Unlike the relatively stable middle section, the outermost layer of the slums is the bloodiest and dirtiest area in the entire city. A large number of outsiders who have smuggled in are thrown here and left to fight and plunder for the most scarce resources.

Perhaps the leader of this area will be a floating corpse on the riverbank in three days. Perhaps the thug who threatened to kill your entire family the day before yesterday will disappear tomorrow.

And now, a group of guys with unknown origins have taken over one of the territories, and spiral patterns are embroidered on their shoulders.

"Pah! Aren't even the most advanced cities built with the blood of the infected?" Wiping the blood from her dagger, the Kingslayer spat with disdain. She and Bonebreaker had been in there for a week, but aside from controlling a small area, they had accomplished nothing.

But this cannot be blamed on them, because they have no assets (they have used up all the money they earned by smuggling) and no manpower (only a dozen subordinates have sneaked in). It is obviously a pipe dream for them to make a name for themselves in this most competitive place with only a dozen people and a few daggers.

"That's not the problem right now." Broken Bones, standing beside him, also had a grimace on his face. "Not only have we failed to find my sister, we've also failed to mobilize the infected here. If this continues, I'm afraid we'll have to wait for support from other cadres. I don't want to see Mephisto's sour face."

"......." The King Slayer put on his mask and regained his composure. "I don't want to disappoint the boss, but what else can we do now? Continue to expand our territory? Or recruit some useless minions? Don't forget, we can't even afford dinner tonight."

Broken Bones was speechless for a moment. It was obvious that there was no way to go any further unless they stole or robbed.

Da da da--

At this moment, a rhythmic sound of footsteps suddenly came from the corner of the alley. The King Slayer's ears moved slightly, and he instantly picked up the dagger he had just wiped clean.

"Who are you? Stop playing tricks!"