Chapter 178 People Have Three Urgent Needs

Koshvito led the gang members into the upper nest area they had always dreamed of.

Many people, either because they fail to repay their debts, are hunted by their enemies, or for a variety of other reasons, eventually fall from the upper nest to the lower nest, and this fall is often irreversible.

The life of the residents of Shangchao is not comfortable and affluent. They are also exploited and enslaved, but at least they have water, electricity, food, jobs, and the most basic living facilities provided by major merchant unions. Occasionally, there will be some bloody and exciting entertainment - slave fights.

But in the lower nest, no one will provide you with these. Even a can of pure oxygen for breathing or a mouthful of clean water to quench your thirst need to be seized through brutal and violent fighting.

As for the bottom nest, strictly speaking, it is the territory of mutant creatures and is not an area that humans should set foot in.

Koshveto covered his black Thor's Hammer assault power armor with a dark grey hooded cloak, and led his gang members, who were also covered up, into the bustling crowd of the Upper Nest.

Before, Fu Qinghai was either in the bottom nest, the lower nest or the suburbs, all of which were sparsely populated places. If he came here, he would understand what the population density of the nest city is.

It can be called the Warhammer 40K universe version of the Spring Festival travel rush.

Skyscrapers like cliffs are crowded together, with the distance between buildings so narrow that it is suffocating. The overlapping steel beams, cables and suspension bridges block the upward view. The overall light is dim, steam and smoke fill the corners, and the colorful neon lights are filled with the smell of corruption and decay.

Between the exhaust fans and the spiral staircases are dark, dirty alleys filled with sewage. The gas pipes and water tanks are always surrounded by densely packed pipes of varying thicknesses. The residents of Shangchao, dressed in various clothes, are shoulder to shoulder, and the noisy and bustling sounds fill the eardrums.

However, faced with this scene, the members of the Spartan Gang were still inexplicably excited. They had not been to the Upper Nest for a long time, and some of them were even born in the Lower Nest.

Compared to the cold cruelty and disorder of the lower nest, at least there is a dystopian vitality here.

Koshvito warned in a low voice:

"Everyone, don't forget our goal, don't forget our mission. If you feel that just coming to the Upper Nest is enough, leave the gang now. I will never stop you."

Hearing what Koshevitto said, the expressions of more than a dozen gang members were startled. They restrained their joyful and intoxicated expressions, silently clenched the weapons hidden under their robes, followed Koshevitto, squeezed through the crowded crowd, and walked towards a place.

These dozen or so gang members were carefully selected by Cocheveto. They were strong and healthy, without hidden injuries, diseases or drug addictions. These people were the troop formation that Cocheveto had built for himself according to the selection criteria of the Hell Paratroopers. After a period of rigorous training, they had initially mastered the combat skills and tactical awareness of the Hell Paratroopers, and were also loyal to Cocheveto, the gang boss.

Koshvito came to the agreed street corner and met the contact person arranged by the Sommerfeld family. Koshvito slightly lifted a corner of his hood, revealing his iconic golden mask. The contact person nodded and led the Spartan gang into the floor and headed to an unknown location.

Several people lined up in a row, walking through the narrow passages and stairs of the hive, with the distance between the front and the back evenly spaced, neither too close to seem crowded nor too far to be unable to echo each other. The dull and orderly footsteps sounded like an army marching in silence.

The contact person who was leading the way was slightly surprised. This group of people somewhat overturned his stereotype of the Xiachao gang.

Normally speaking, the so-called lower nest gangs were nothing more than a group of vicious, cunning, but decadent and corrupt scum, like wild dogs that would wag their tails and beg for mercy as soon as the nobles at the top of the tower threw them a few bones.

The group walked through the secret and winding passages. The complexity of the hive city's pipelines was enough to drive Super Mario crazy. The contact person walked quickly forward and whispered,

"The trade in the star zone has been cut off for a long time. The spaceport is no longer as busy as before. Although the shuttles between the spaceport and the main hive city are still operating normally, we cannot take the passenger shuttle to the spaceport. The airport passenger terminal is full of spies and eyes from other families. They will notice you. We will take the Sommerfeld family's cargo airship to the spaceport."

"Um."

Koshvito hummed, nodded, and said nothing more.

The contact person continued:

"According to the agreement between our clan leader and... that lord, the Sommerfeld family will not provide you with any armed forces, not only our family's private soldiers, but also weapons and equipment. The Sommerfeld family is only responsible for transporting you to the spaceport. Any conflicts that occur afterwards have nothing to do with us."

"Hmph." Koshvito snorted and said,

"No need. We can handle it ourselves."

Koshveto certainly does not need the equipment provided by the Sommerfeld family. If you lift the robes of the Spartan gang members at this moment, you will find that they are all filled with familiar hunting lord suits of weapons and equipment, including the weapons of the Sommerfeld family.

The contact person couldn't help but turn his head to look at the team behind Koshveto.

Only seventeen people.

A Sword-class frigate.

Can it really be done?

There was some element of coercion in the cooperative relationship between Gladys and Cyril and Fu Qinghai, but Valentine Sommerfeld was different. He was at the top of the tower and would not be threatened by Fu Qinghai. Although he agreed to Fu Qinghai's request after Gladys's persuasion, the cautious and suspicious old man still did not dare to bet everything on a stranger.

Even if he is a Space Marine.

In a nutshell, the Sommerfeld family is willing to assist Fu Qinghai in implementing his plan to seize the ship, but is unwilling to fall out with the other four major families and start an all-out war.

Everything is done in secret.

"This is inevitable and foreseeable; this is the inherent weakness and compromise of the bourgeoisie."

In the small room of the Xiachao base, Fu Qinghai said to Koshveto.

"I understand." Koshveto nodded. "My country was once a member of the former Soviet Union. I know what those words you said mean."

"So, Kesh, you have to make sure you can take control of that frigate by yourself."

"No problem, Qingshan, trust me."

Koshvito's tone was firm and his eyes were sharp, but his gaze suddenly wandered, as if he was silently recalling something.

"I have completed more difficult missions on Reach."

…

A middle-aged man with neatly combed black hair and complex iron-black metal implants on both sides of his cheeks, with a serious face and cold eyes, was walking hurriedly on the suspension bridge leading to the library.

He was wearing a gorgeous dress, with an Attila jacket draped over half of his shoulders, embellished with tassels and gems. He held a top hat in one hand and walked quickly, followed by several human servants and more mechanical servants.

Baron Zedu, the current leader of the Zedu family.

This noble family, which relies on the Great Library for its existence, was originally just a small-scale manager of secret knowledge, and also served as the manager of the Star Language Choir of the Schwerin Hive. However, in recent decades, under the leadership of Baron Zedu, it has gradually grown and become one of the top five families.

The Great Library is a special building in the Schwerin Hive. This suspended honeycomb structure is like a tumor-like nodule growing on the main nest. It existed in the dark ages before the Schwerin Hive was brought under the rule of the Human Empire.

The members of the Zeddu family collected tomes, data cores, and works of art from all ages of the hive, including paintings and sculptures from distant empires, loose parchment manuscripts left by unknown authors, and ancient scrolls of knowledge plagiarized from surrounding star regions. This collection formed the core of the Great Library, but over the years, numerous private donors have also added a large number of collections to the Great Library.

I don't know how this relic building filled with all kinds of mystical knowledge was preserved by the expedition fleet that spread the truth of the empire. In short, it has always been here.

The followers stayed outside the door, and Baron Zeddu walked into the library alone. He soon came to the top floor, where there was a high platform covered with ancient orchestral instruments. There was no one else except Baron Zeddu and the lonely figure standing on the platform. Baron Zeddu faced the old figure in a long robe on the platform and asked:

"Ms. Sheela, what did you see from the prophecy?"

The woman turned around, revealing a withered old face, her eyes wrapped in cloth strips. She spoke hoarsely:

"It's a fragmented picture, it's a dream, open your heart, Zedu, I will make you feel the same."

Baron Zeddu didn't seem surprised by this request. He nodded and closed his eyes as he was told.

"Wow——"

A moment later, a flood of images flooded Baron Zedu's mind. He suddenly realized that he had opened his eyes without knowing when, and was no longer on the top floor of the Great Library, but was at the meeting of the Noble Council at the top of the tower.

The scene was hazy and blurry. In the exquisite and luxurious meeting room with a view of the sea of ​​clouds, numerous nobles were sitting in their seats, arguing fiercely with red faces. Baron Zedu could not hear clearly what they said, as his ears seemed to be filled with water, with only gurgling echoes. However, he could clearly see the nobles' bulging veins, waving fists, and spitting saliva.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, they all fell silent, their eyes all turned towards the door, the door to the conference room opened, and a tall little giant in armor stepped in.

His armor was charred and tattered, with two swords hanging from his waist. He held a composite bolter with a sight, a grenade launcher, and an extended barrel. Then, he raised the gun and aimed it at all the nobles present...

"Bang!"

The picture in his mind shattered, and Baron Zedu woke up instantly.

He covered his sweaty temples, his eyes wide open, and stood there blankly.

Astartes, that is Astartes...

Astartes is coming. How come Astartes is coming?

There was no news from the spaceport, and the remote sensing satellites in orbit and the deep space probes outside orbit did not send back any news. How did he get to the hive city?

The point is…he killed people, he killed everyone.

"No, no…"

Baron Zeddu shook his head frantically.

He recalled everything he had done in the past, from his initial exploration of the ancient secrets deep within the Great Library, to his acquisition of fragments and vague instructions from the Lord of Change, and ultimately to his inducement of the Astropaths' corruption and degeneration, and his use of the psykers' prophetic power to make those perfect decisions that seemed to have foreseen the future, helping his family rise in the hive city... Others might be wronged, but he himself would definitely not escape death.

Baron Zeddu suddenly raised his head and shouted to the woman on the platform:

"Is there any other information? I want more, I want more. I can't make a judgment based on just this little information!"

There is no mistake in the poem, post, content, and read the book on 6, 9, and bar!

The old woman shook her head and said,

"Zedu, the situation has changed. The subspace storm that has enveloped the star region for many years is dissipating, the veil has fallen again, and His power is also moving away from the real universe. This prophecy is probably the last advice I can leave you. You can no longer get more from me."

"Ah...how could this happen?"

Baron Zeddu held his head and howled loudly, like a madman.

…

The Valkyrie transport plane landed steadily on the apron at the top of the tower.

The cabin door opened, and the officer led Fu Qinghai out of the transport plane and onto the circular apron. Then Cyril and Gladys also got out of the cabin of the Valkyrie transport plane.

The gentle wind from the stratosphere blew on the young officer's clothes, making a rustling sound. He turned around and said to Fu Qinghai and others:

"Sir, please follow me and go this way."

Fu Qinghai followed him silently and walked into the buildings at the top of the tower.

The ornately carved glass door behind him closed, and the sound of the wind suddenly disappeared.

A group of people walked on the smooth terrazzo floor. The fresh air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. In the distance, melodious music and the sound of fountains could be faintly heard. The top of the tower was so clean that it was almost spotless, which made Fu Qinghai a little uncomfortable.

The officer stepped aside and said,

"Sir, the representatives of the five major families have been waiting in the conference room for a long time. They are very much looking forward to your visit. All the noble families with a say in the entire Schwerin hive are here."

Fu Qinghai said calmly: "Okay."

After turning a corner, the officer suddenly stopped and turned to Fu Qinghai and said:

"Sir, before entering the conference room, I have an unwelcome request that requires your cooperation. You must take off all the weapons on you before entering the conference room."

Fu Qinghai pretended to think about it and asked:

"I have a question. Does this place, the spire of the Schwerin hive city, where we are currently, still belong to the human empire?"

The officer nodded and said,

"Without a doubt, sir."

Fu Qinghai stared at him and said coldly,

"In the human empire, no planetary governor has ever dared to make such a request to the Astartes, not to mention that you don't even have a planetary governor."

The officer looked embarrassed. He did not dare to look directly into Fu Qinghai's scarlet goggles. He could only lower his head and whispered:

"Sir, this is, uh, a special period after all. The people sitting in the conference room are all the patriarchs of the major families. If you insist on carrying weapons, I'm afraid... I'm afraid you can only see their holographic projections, but not the real people."

"Heh." Fu Qinghai chuckled and said, "What a 'special period'. I really can't see what's special about this period."

The officer lowered his head even lower. He was about to respond to Fu Qinghai's subsequent sarcasm with silence, but unexpectedly, Fu Qinghai suddenly changed the subject:

"Okay, I agree. I can leave all the weapons here."

The officer looked up and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Asking him to persuade this powerful and murderous Space Marine would be too much of a test of his psychological endurance.

"However," Fu Qinghai said calmly, "I have another request."

Seeing that Fu Qinghai was willing to compromise, the officer hurriedly said:

"Please go ahead."

Fu Qinghai took off the Blue Fang Chainsaw Sword and Blue Blade Power Knife from his waist, and the Composite Bolt Gun from his back, and handed them to Gladys and Cyril who were following behind him. Finally, he pulled out the Broken Heart Sword that was stuck in the side of his thigh, handed it to Gladys, and said:

"I only give weapons to people I trust."

After saying that, he glanced at Gladys.

The gray-haired noble woman was so happy when she heard that. She gripped the hilt of the Blue Fang Chainsaw Sword with both hands, struggling to pull the sword upright. She looked up at Fu Qinghai, her face flushed with excitement, and nodded.

Next to her, Cyril was holding a composite bolter and a power sword. The heavy weapons of the Space Marine almost bent his waist. He had a bitter face and dared not say a word.

The officer took one look and said, "That's fine. As long as you don't bring weapons into the meeting room, you can hand over the weapons to anyone."

"Yes, sir, please..."

"Wait a moment."

Before he could finish his words, he was interrupted again.

Fu Qinghai said confidently:

"I need to go to the bathroom before the meeting."

Go...go to the toilet?

The young officer was a little confused. He looked at Fu Qinghai in confusion and thought: Do Space Marines also need to go to the toilet?

Fu Qinghai looked at him calmly.

What, can't Space Marines have urgent needs?

"Uh, uh, okay."

"The bathroom is over here."

The officer led Fu Qinghai into the bathroom which was comparable to a luxurious club, and then stood outside the door waiting.

Fu Qinghai came out quickly, nodded to the officer, and said,

"Let's go."

Gladys and Cyril were left outside, while Fu Qinghai, empty-handed, followed the officers through the winding garden corridors and walked towards the meeting room.

...

　There's another chapter later.

(End of this chapter)