Terra Tinkers Construct is fine.

Just as Milan turned around, ready to call someone to verify her guess, she saw that Pavel hadn't even finished his meal—he looked flustered, as if he was about to put down his food and rush over, but Milan waved her hand.

There's no reason to disturb someone's meal.

So he looked to the other side—perhaps out of habit, the infected were eating much faster, and their temporary representative, Alexei, was no exception; seeing Milan's greeting, this somewhat refined man subconsciously straightened his tattered clothes, straightened his back, lowered his head, and said:

"Alexei Fedorovich Karamazov..."

"..."

He clearly saw Milan's bewildered expression, so he paused for a moment and then said, "That's how people from Ursus are called, please forgive me, you can just call me Alexei."

"...I had heard about it, so I wasn't completely unprepared, but it's still a bit unusual to actually encounter it."

Milan coughed and said, "Alright, I'll call you that for now."

"Regarding the impending disasters, we are powerless to do anything about the natural disasters; but in the face of subsequent man-made disasters, I need to build a combat team, a team that can at least fight to defend our homes and maintain order."

“I have prepared equipment for this purpose, but the equipment I have prepared may not be suitable for ordinary people, so... you are familiar with the infected, pick one person to come and try out the equipment with me.”

Milan spoke very seriously, and Alexei listened very attentively; clearly, as he had previously introduced himself, he was well-educated and trained and knew how to interact with those of higher status.

His actions and demeanor were as if they had been rehearsed, neither appearing overly humble nor failing to fully express a modest and serious attitude. Milan's explanation was clear, and he nodded, saying, "Rest assured, you have saved us from hell. My companions and I are prepared to follow your will, whether in work or in battle."

Milan: ...To be honest, I'm not used to you doing this.

Aside from forceful suppression, he hasn't truly adapted to the change in his role from "being controlled" to "controlling others."

And Alejandro González Ilya continued, "We believe what you said before, and considering the future, I understand the demand indicators you proposed."

"I believe that although my companions and I may not be good at combat yet, I am capable of this task if it is just to test the equipment, as I am currently able to express my feelings more clearly."

What do you think?

Chapter 63: Undercurrents

The air was filled with rust, dust, and the lingering smell of engine oil, bearing the distinctive marks of the underground area; but now, there was more than just these objective smells in the air, there was also a suppressed, restless atmosphere.

Originium lamps hung from the steel frame, emitting a pale light that barely dispelled the darkness in the room. It was clear that this was a fairly large independent space. Although there were still traces of mechanical structures and pipes on many of the top corners and edges, indicating that this was still a basement level that did not belong to the landmark building, it did not affect the fact that the space was large enough to be used as a warehouse to handle supplies.

Or do something else—for example, gather a crowd.

This is the underground structure of Block 8, a warehouse belonging to the Rust Gang... but now it's a secret stronghold of the Reunion Movement.

Within this stronghold, the personnel are now clearly divided into two groups.

On one side, the people were dressed relatively neatly and spoke with a local Chernobyl accent. They were surrounding two figures, one tall and one short. One of them was dressed in clothes that allowed for easy movement and wore a hood. Bright red hair and eyes above a mask were visible from under the hood. The other was fully armed, with a gas mask covering his face and his body covered with items that were far beyond the usual "functional style".

If I had to pinpoint a distinctive feature, it would be the black stockings that cover her relatively slender legs.

The other group was much more silent. Unlike the locals, their silence couldn't hide their more somber aura. If Milan were there, he might have recognized many familiar faces with distinctive gear at a glance.

For example, there are crossbowmen in camouflage, lurkers wearing goggles like those of the Wuju Blademaster, and Red, who can now be identified with his game character art and has a signature long sword.

Avenger - Red Blade Guy.

"What the hell is going on here?"

A local infected person couldn't help but break the silence: "These past few days, the military and police above have been acting like madmen! And those gangs too. In the past, they would at most drive away and extort our compatriots. Unless there was something special, they themselves didn't want to come looking for trouble with us."

"Now it's biting anyone it sees!"

"Old Cat's hideout in the West District was also raided. They said they were searching for infected individuals or dangerous individuals... What dangerous individuals could a bunch of bootlegging vendors have?"

Another person chimed in, "Not only that! Those bastards from the Gear Gang ambushed our people at the sewage treatment plant yesterday, and attacked them without even asking any questions! If it weren't for..."

The speaker glanced at the person on the other side, swallowed back the words that almost came out, but nodded clearly before lowering his voice to say, "...Anyway, something bad almost happened."

The Kingslayer leaned against a concrete pillar, his gaze sweeping over the excited local members, then glancing at the silent Reunion Movement personnel—during the infiltration phase, the Reunion Movement headquarters had sent elites to liaise with them, and elites who operated with minimal fanfare: Phantom Crossbowmen, Ghosts, dual-wielding swordsmen, and Avengers… In any case, they were far more secretive than the classic hammer-wielding, axe-wielding, and sorcerer types.

These silent people were clearly also somewhat angry.

When she looked at the person next to her... well, this young man, Broken Bones, was clearly even less able to control his emotions than they were. Even though his face was covered by a gas mask and his expression was not visible, you could still see his anger from the details.

Before the bones could shatter, the Kingslayer coughed and said, "Something's not right."

“Starting a few days ago, the searches and conflicts targeting us suddenly intensified; you may not be aware of this, but for us, the frequency and intensity are beyond what is normal.”

"So you're saying the situation isn't normal?"

A phantom crossbowman looked up and said calmly, "Then what we've observed is consistent—the gray forces in Chernobog, including some of the military and police colluding with them, have recently become very aggressive towards the infected."

"But there's been no word of it on the surface."

Ghost, skilled in stealth and intelligence gathering, said, whether in agreement or disagreement, "Based on the scattered intelligence we've intercepted, the enemy's targets seem quite diverse."

"How to say?"

"It's unclear. It's like they're looking for someone or something, and then taking their anger out on the entire infected population."

The ghost's calm voice brought a sense of calm to the others as well; several elite members and cadres of the Reunion Movement exchanged glances, and the Kingkiller asked in confusion, "Have we done anything out of line lately?"

"There probably wasn't one before this wave of popularity."

The Phantom Crossbowman shook his head: "Our operation is all in line with the plan, including confirming the entry point into the city, securing temporary settlements and initial control areas, as well as the preparation and allocation of resources for entering the city."

"The actions should be clean enough. The leader's plan has not yet begun, and we should not be the focus."

This is also what puzzled them: the Reunion Movement has been infiltrating Chernobog for some time now. These people, who openly have violent slogans such as "the infected should seize justice by the simplest means," were selected for this infiltration plan because even if they see the injustice in the lives of the infected, they can temporarily suppress their personal emotions and avoid impulsiveness for the sake of the plan.

They had been spreading like moss in the shadows of the city, waiting for the signal from headquarters before the final assault, and had been prepared for covert operations from the very beginning.

Instead of being caught up in some unknown undercurrent and subjected to pressure that shouldn't have been part of the plan, without even knowing what happened.

—When did the oppressors of Chernobog become so dedicated?

Even locals like the Kingkiller and the Bonecrusher, who were already mingling in Chernobog, couldn't help but feel somewhat surprised.

Is it simply oppression? Is it simply because the people of Chernobog are more aggressive towards the infected?

How come this local infection in Chernobog went undetected for so many years?

"Well, I have heard some rumors."

After a moment of silence, a local member hesitated before speaking: "I heard that it seems to have started from the third block."

"The third block?"

"That old industrial cluster?"

The Phantom Crossbowman, an elite commander of the Reunion Movement headquarters, and the Kingkiller, an infected cadre of the Reunion Movement in Chernobog, asked at the same time.

"Ah."

The infected person nodded, still somewhat uncertain, but said, "I heard from someone I know that an underground workshop that used infected people as illegal workers and engaged in illegal processing of Originium ore has been shut down."

Upon hearing that it was about "processing raw Originium ore," everyone present instinctively showed expressions of disgust and apprehension—they were infected people who survived in this area, so how could they not have heard of what that kind of process entailed?

What's the difference between that and burning human lives as firewood?

Oh, the difference is that it's much more efficient at making money than firewood.

"Who did it?"

The Kingslayer and the Bone Shatterer spoke at the same time. Although their purposes might be different, they asked the same question at the same time. The Kingslayer quickly followed up: "Is this a case of double-crossing? Or is it someone above cleaning house? This doesn't seem like something our people would do."

As she spoke, she looked at the newcomers: Although she didn't know the specifics, only these elites from the Reunion Movement headquarters likely possessed such military strength—the Reunion Movement's grand plan involved the entire mobile city, and she had no doubt that these people had such power, but regarding their motives…

"It wasn't us."

The phantom crossbowman turned around and saw that all the elite representatives were shaking their heads, so he shook his head as well. Then the local man shook his head as well and said, "I don't know. I heard there should be quite a few people inside, but only a few have come out of the news. They were arrested after only a few days of running around."

"I've only heard that the illegal workshop suffered significant losses along with its legitimate businesses, causing the person in charge to spend a lot of money and mobilize a large number of people to frantically search for traces of infected individuals... Could it be that the people who sabotaged their business took away the infected individuals, making them believe that this matter is related to the infected individuals?"

As the speaker continued, his tension gradually subsided, replaced by a sense of schadenfreude; but upon realizing this, he found the warehouse had fallen into a brief silence, and he involuntarily stopped talking.

"...So, we were actually implicated?"

Some people said incredulously, "Just because some guy suddenly appeared and did something big, we have to take the blame for him?"

"Come on, what do you mean by taking the blame? Can rescuing our compatriots be called taking the blame?"

Others expressed a different opinion: "Even if the enemy of my enemy is not a friend, he still has value for cooperation. Just because we have important things to do, does that mean we should complain about others rescuing our compatriots?"

"And do you really believe that just because of this? Or do you think their persecution of us would have stopped if this hadn't happened?"

The two people looked at each other in bewilderment.

Fragments of the truth were pieced together from subtle angles, but limited by a lack of intelligence and preconceived notions, they found it difficult to analyze the truth from the fog: Milan's small group was self-sufficient, while Azazel received a warning in advance and chose to retreat—during this time in Chernobog, the Reunion Movement certainly did not represent all the infected, but it was certainly the most powerful fish in the infected pool.

Especially these infected who have marched across the wasteland for a long time and attacked many infected persecution facilities and even ragtag outposts in Ursus; unlike the local infected in Chernobog who are used to being submissive, they instinctively chose to fight back when faced with sudden provocations.

Oppression and resistance thus formed a bizarre vicious cycle: on one hand, people felt that the infected had suddenly become rampant and fierce, and that they had to increase their efforts to suppress them; on the other hand, they felt that the oppression had escalated and that they had to retaliate, even if it was just by making a statement. The friction spread from the gang level and even formed a chain reaction, which caught the iron foundry managers who had initially issued the wanted notice off guard.

The escalating conflict has also drawn into more gray areas, making the atmosphere in the shadow of Chernobog tense, with even ordinary citizens vaguely sensing the unease in the air.

"...I've been toning it down a bit recently."

With this matter of great importance at hand, it was only after discussions between the two sides that the Phantom Crossbowman said, "I will send a letter to headquarters to allocate more resources for bribery, and we will also focus more on the route of switching sides."

"During this period, we must continue to be patient as we shrink the area where the infected are active... everything is for the leader's plan."

6 One Enterprise One Hundred Million Deaths of Slaughter

—The young man's warning came true... Does this mean that what he said he did has also been confirmed and was not just a rumor?

At Azazel's clinic, Herag rubbed his temples, feeling a rare headache.

As a clandestine clinic for infected individuals, Azazel does not exist openly as a clinic; while Hrag, a former Ursus general accustomed to strategizing, is not skilled in medicine, he is adept at maintaining and developing the clinic.

Even for someone as disillusioned with the military as him, handling this kind of matter was a real waste of his talents—so much so that he hadn't felt such a clear headache in a long time.

"Grandpa Director".

After gently knocking on the door, a young girl who was infected with the virus peeked out and said cautiously, "Um, our supplies are a bit tight. Even if we don't talk about medical resources, we're also running low on daily necessities... Sister Naiyin said that things aren't going well outside, and the people who usually provide us with resources haven't dared to show their faces for several days."

"..."

Herag didn't speak, but nodded to indicate that he understood. The little girl then left with an expression of undisguised worry. Meanwhile, his fingertips tapped on the table, and his gaze toward the door gradually drifted off into a daze.

Chernobog's underworld seemed to have been branded with a red-hot iron—the military, police, gangs, and forces that usually didn't treat the infected well had all become unusually agitated, like fanged beasts whose tails had been stepped on. Of course, his abilities were different from those of the Reunion Movement. The information he received from his network of relationships was fragmented, but it was enough for him to piece together a conclusion from a distance.

Before the natural disaster struck, man-made disaster had already occurred; Milan only dismantled a black market den, but the boss's large-scale search for infected people was like a landmine, and the resulting chain reaction led to escalating friction, making the situation on the infected people's side somewhat tense.

Although the idea was quickly suppressed, seemingly successfully quelled, and he even knew that champagne—no, vodka—was being opened in some places, he saw something different from what those people were seeing.

What gave the infected people in Chernobog the courage to provoke conflict?

What gave Chernobog the ability to rub against infected people?

He could guess at many possibilities, but without a doubt, none of them were good news.

crunch~

The old wooden door creaked open, drawing the attention of the clinic's members, whose average age was not high. A young woman peeked out from the room and saw him put on a slightly worn but still crisp coat and put a document into his pocket.

"Father?"

The girl was taken aback: "Are you going out at this hour?"

Herag touched the documents in his pocket, recalled the information he had gathered over the past few days, and nodded.

"I'm going out for a bit to meet with a potential new supplier."

We can't wait any longer.

Chapter 64 Azazel

It didn't take Hellager long to re-establish contact with Milan.

The shrewd and experienced general was used to considering all kinds of situations. Even in the previous situation that seemed like a charade, he did not completely shut Milan out, but cautiously left a way to make contact again.

Being prepared prevents trouble.

Finding Milan's sphere of influence, then Milan's subordinates, and then visiting Milan's "office" hideout was not difficult—that's how Milan arrived when they received the news. Hrag's arrival didn't cause much of a stir, but when he saw the former general looking at Boris's office decor, his micro-expression seemed rather strained.

"We meet again, Mr. Jung."

Upon seeing Milan arrive, Hrag nodded slightly and said in a tone that was neither praising nor criticizing, "The decor of this office... is quite unique."

"Let me make this clear first, sir. If you're implying something, then I'm not taking the blame for this."

Milan smirked: "This office belonged to the previous owner of this gang. He certainly had unique taste. I just hadn't thought about tidying it up."

“So that’s how it is. 企陸h（一）衫尔亻》; 尔揪,.

Hrag nodded, not asking what the previous person meant, but went straight to the point: "The reason for this unauthorized visit is that your previous request has yielded results, and there's also the matter of the cooperation intentions mentioned before..."

"Stop, sir, stop."