Chapter 362 A friend comes from afar

"Are you a glutton?!"

Looking at the mess on the table, Dolly stared in surprise.

A skewer of lizard meat as long as a forearm and as thick as two fingers, filled with roasted tail meat that was burnt red, was worth three chips.

She was full after eating one skewer, but this guy ate four skewers!

Dolly couldn't help but move her eyes downward.

She wanted to figure out where this guy put all the food he ate? !

"Didn't you tell me to be polite?"

Fang Chang calmly wiped his mouth with a tissue and admired the expression on her face for a moment.

After thinking for a moment, he continued to comment.

"The taste is really average, far worse than ours."

The lizard meat seemed to be imported from the south. I heard that the farm there raises edible lizards.

There is also crocodile meat, which tastes almost the same as chicken.

But then again, the prices here are really not cheap. Such a simple dinner actually cost 20 chips.

Fang Chang couldn't help thinking that he should be able to make a lot of money by investing in an old street barbecue in Boulder City.

Although most of the residents here don't have the spending power, the mercenaries can still afford it.

Looking at the pile of wooden sticks on the plate, Dolly's mouth twitched, and she reluctantly reached into her pocket.

However, Fang Chang had already thrown the green chips with a face value of 25 into the tray in the waiter's hand.

"... Help me get two more bottles of beer and a string of lizard meat, and you don't need to change the rest."

"... OK, sir." Looking at the green chips on the plate, the waiter rolled his eyes silently in his heart.

It's okay if you don't need to change.

There's no need to change in the first place!

Looking at Fang Chang who paid the bill, Dolly was stunned.

After a long while, when the beer and skewers came up, she muttered in a low voice.

"Didn't we agree that I would treat you... Why did you pay for me?"

"Take your first paycheck and treat me. You should keep the chips in your pocket to pay the rent and mortgage."

After taking a sip of beer that was as light as water, Fang Chang looked at Dolly with her mouth puffed up, and said with a smile, "And I always feel like I'm losing out when you treat me with the chips I gave you."

"Well, that's what I earned!" Dolly said with a red face, "How can you treat you with your chips?"

Looking at her funny reaction, Fang Chang couldn't help laughing.

"Yes, yes, yes."

He never thought that one day he would become friends with a piece of data.

But if you put this aside, this experience is also quite interesting...

...

Northern suburbs of Qingquan City.

At the entrance and exit of the inter-provincial highway, a group of dark figures were slowly approaching from afar.

Rather than a caravan, it's better to say it's a troop.

The leading man was wearing a light grey power armor, and the heavy steel and composite materials armed him from toe to tooth.

The Gauss rifle in his hand was like a broadsword across his chest.

The more than 100 people following him, except for 20 power armors, the rest were also wearing "Vanguard" exoskeletons and holding "Black Swan" assault rifles.

Unlike the crew members on the Pioneer, they were the army of the enterprise, real soldiers.

Judging from the bullet marks and scratches on the body and armor, their journey was obviously not smooth, and there were many fierce battles along the way.

And more than one or two!

At this time, the man walking in the front raised his right hand, and the team behind him slowly stopped.

Not far in front of him, there stood a blue power armor.

The man stared at the power armor for a while.

If I remember correctly, the name of this model should be "Supervisor", which belongs to the police armor of the Human Alliance era.

Behind the power armor, there were dozens of soldiers wearing "Type 5" exoskeletons, also police armor from the Human Alliance era.

This kind of thing can usually only be seen in shelters.

The man was about to say something.

The power armor standing in front of him took the initiative to remove the mask of the helmet and spoke in a loud voice.

"Welcome, friends from the East Coast, I am the manager of Shelter No. 404 and the manager of the New Alliance. You can call me Chu Guang or my code name Shuguang."

Seeing the other party remove the mask, the man walking in front of the team nodded twice on the side of the helmet and also removed his mask to show his sincerity.

As Chu Guang thought, there was a strong face under the helmet.

Younger than expected, he looked only in his early twenties.

"Yunsong, captain of the 26th Commando of the Enterprise Army Department."

"We set out from Ideal City and headed to the western desert to reinforce the Pioneer. We have already informed you of our purpose in the communication channel."

"We need to replenish supplies, stay here for a few days, and then continue on the road."

The captain named Yunsong spoke in a very direct and unequivocal way, quite like a soldier, completely different from the engineers Chu Guang had dealt with before.

Chu Guang observed his subordinates behind him. There were about 120 to 30 soldiers with live ammunition.

The remaining 30 to 50 people were probably logistics personnel, and only a few carried self-defense weapons such as pistols.

In addition, there were nearly ten half-wheel and half-track vehicles, which were probably loaded with supplies.

And the 20 to 30 two-headed cows and mutant donkeys carrying goods did not seem to be brought out from Ideal City. Maybe they were picked up on the way.

There was no change in attitude, and Chu Guang still had a spring breeze on his face.

"Welcome, the door of the alliance is always open to its friends!"

"This is not a place for conversation. We have prepared a welcoming banquet for you."

"Please follow me."

One of the exchange conditions for the "Long-term Farm" built by the Pioneer for the shelter was to provide a resting place for the company's employees and troops when the company's reinforcements passed through the northern suburbs of Qingquan City.

Seeing that the manager in front of him fulfilled the agreement, Yunsong's brows relaxed slightly, and a smile also stretched on his tense face.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

With the same smile on his face, Chu Guang said calmly.

"We are friends, and it is right to lend a hand to friends in trouble!"

...

Dawn City does not prohibit the entry of wastelanders carrying weapons, but there are requirements for the size of armed personnel and the type of weapons.

For example, ordinary mercenary groups and caravan guards can enter and exit freely, but armed forces with a size of more than 50 people need to register and report before entering the country.

Extra ammunition and explosives must be left at the trading post next to North Street and must not be brought into Dawn City. You can take them away when you leave.

The bullets in the magazine of the weapons you carry with you will not be checked, but the safety must not be opened at will, especially when on the street, the muzzle must be kept facing down at all times.

There are drones patrolling over Dawn City.

Once a violation is found, the guard will be dispatched within 10 minutes and issue arrest missions to nearby players depending on the threat level.

For these soldiers who came from afar, whether in terms of number, equipment, or nature, they have obviously exceeded the general scope, and naturally they cannot be treated according to the entry process of ordinary mercenaries.

However, the enterprise is a partner of the new alliance, and Chu Guang generously gave them permission for military passage.

As for the station, it was chosen in the military camp next to the airport.

Since the 2nd Corps was transferred to Xizhou City for duty, there are many ready-made barracks available.

When they arrived at the gate of the military camp, many soldiers showed a relieved expression on their faces.

It can be seen that they have suffered a lot along the way.

Yunsong's face was full of surprise, and he repeatedly compared it with the tablet in his hand.

The screen showed the photos taken by the Pioneer.

There was only a concrete wall and several barracks built with foam materials on the bare wasteland.

However, all this in front of him could not be said to have nothing to do with the photos in his hand, but it could be said to be completely unrelated.

Rows of neatly arranged barracks were located on the open ground, and there were several wooden hangars next to the straight runway, as well as a forest of 100mm artillery. Not far away, there was also a steel communication tower.

Looking to the southwest, you can see the bright lights under the night sky. Although you can't see the whole picture of the survivors' settlement, you can feel from the flickering outline that it is a prosperous settlement with a population of no less than 10,000.

The strong contrast made Yunsong stunned in place, and he couldn't help but look at Chu Guang beside him and asked.

"Is this...really Changjiu Farm?"

He suspected that he might have gone to the wrong place.

Knowing what he was surprised about, Chu Guang smiled and said.

"That is already a historical place name. Now its name is Shuguang City."

"As for the farm, it is just a corner of the northwest of Shuguang City. We reclaimed the wasteland on the north bank of the lake into farmland. If you came here half a year earlier, you can still see the tracks left by the tracks of the Pioneer on the land."

"But now, it has been covered by endless rice fields and corn fields."

Yun Song did not speak, but the shock in his heart was clearly written on his face.

If such a thing happened around Ideal City, he would not find it strange.

Due to doing business with enterprises, many survivor settlements in Yunjian Province have also developed quite well.

Especially the settlements around Yunshi City and Yunxia City, which are rich thanks to the well-connected trade routes and the legacy of pre-war civilization.

However, such a miracle actually happened in the wilderness deep in the land!

This is simply incredible!

However, now is not the time to talk about these things.

After suppressing his surprised look, Yunsong looked at Chu Guang and said seriously.

"There are 20 wounded in our team. Before settling us down, can you provide them with beds to rest?"

"Wounded?" Chu Guang looked at him with a little surprise.

Yunsong nodded and said with a heavy face.

"When we passed Yongdong City, we were ambushed by a group of slime mold creatures disguised as survivors... Four brothers stayed there forever, and 20 brothers suffered varying degrees of infection during the battle."

"Their symptoms are very rare. In addition to irritability, they are also accompanied by increased food intake, drowsiness, uncontrollable violent behavior and other symptoms."

"We don't have professional medical equipment and personnel to deal with their conditions, nor do we have cryotherapy equipment to relieve their pain. We can only give them regular injections of sedatives."

"It's a burden to take them on the road, and it will be dangerous for them. We plan to keep them here with you temporarily."

"In July, a caravan of enterprises will return from the west. They will take our wounded back to Ideal City. I'm afraid you will have to take care of the wounded for a while... Of course, we will pay you a reward."

Listening to the words of the commando captain in front of him, Chu Guang's face also changed slightly.

Slime mold disguised as survivors?

Has the mother nest in Yongdong City developed to that level?

What surprised Chu Guang even more was that even this group of professional soldiers armed to the teeth with high-tech equipment were caught off guard by the slime mold fruiting bodies there.

If I remember correctly, Bachi, who runs an aluminum factory in the northern suburbs, seemed to have been parasitized in Yongdong City.

"I'll ask my doctor to help you take a look." Chu Guang said seriously.

Although he didn't have much hope for the small clinic here, Yunsong still nodded.

"Thank you for the trouble."

…

The welcoming banquet was held in the military camp, and these soldiers were not picky about the dining environment.

It would be better to say that after so many days of living in the open air, having a table to eat at was already very happy for them.

Not to mention the rumors about the food.

When they just crossed the border of the Valley Province, many people were already full of expectations.

And at this moment, this expectation was indeed not disappointed.

More than 20 round tables were placed on the open ground, with a large pot in the middle of the table.

There were stones piled under the pot, and hot charcoal was burning inside. The boiling pot was rolling with foam, and the white air that came to the face was mixed with tempting aroma, making the people sitting at the table swallow their saliva.

Thinly sliced ​​meat and various meatballs were placed in the wooden frame on the table. In addition, there were cut cabbage, bean sprouts with water droplets, mushrooms, tofu cubes, instant noodles, etc.

Staring at the pot and the ingredients on the table, a soldier from the Enterprise sitting at the table couldn't help asking.

"...What is this? How do you eat it?"

"Hot pot is a common way of eating here. Put the ingredients in and cook them, then take them out and eat them." Lv Bei, who was sitting at the table, demonstrated while laughing.

He picked up a piece of beef cut as thin as paper with chopsticks, put it in the pot and rinsed it twice, then took it out and dipped it in the sauce dish and stuffed it into his mouth.

Seeing him eat so deliciously, the other soldiers sitting at the round table were eager to eat and followed suit.

The two groups of people ate and chatted, and the lively atmosphere was like the white mist floating out of the pot.

At first, everyone was a little unfamiliar.

But as they drank a few slices of beef with beer, they soon became familiar with each other and opened up the conversation completely.

Seeing the group of people wolfing down their food, the soldier of the Guards Regiment who was eating at the same table asked curiously.

"By the way, don't you have hot pot there?"

I heard that Ideal City is a very wealthy place, known as the utopia closest to the prosperous era in this wasteland.

Compared with that place, their neighbor, Boulder City, is as insignificant as dust on a diamond.

Although the rumors are exaggerated, looking at these guys who are wolfing down, Lu Bei can't imagine how wealthy it can be there.

Several corporate soldiers looked at each other and shook their heads at the same time.

"I don't know, I'm an F-level employee."

"I'm E-level, and I should be able to be promoted to D after I go back."

"The treatment of the defense department is half a level higher, but the Cr given is only enough to buy some ordinary food."

"We don't care about cooking methods there, but protein and fat are not in short supply."

"The restaurant will process the food before serving it, and the taste is generally not so strong."

At this time, a corporate soldier who was busy eating and not participating in the topic took the time to look up and couldn't help but burst out with an envious swear.

"Damn... do you eat like this every day?"

Lv Bei smiled embarrassedly.

"Not every day... just occasionally."

Who can stand eating hot pot every day?

Even if the stomach can stand it, the butt can't stand it.

There are many good things in the North Street of Shuguang City, and the treatment given to the soldiers by the New Alliance is not bad, so they don't stare at the same thing and eat it.

Hearing what the friendly army said, those envious enterprise soldiers finally showed a balanced expression in their hearts.

Sure enough.

Such delicious food can't be eaten every day...

...

Due to the rush of time, there was no time to prepare dinner for more than 200 people, so Chu Guang had an idea and simply invited them to eat hot pot.

This kind of food that can be cooked while eating is not very troublesome to prepare, and it can even be cut while eating, and the hot pot base is pre-made.

As for letting the soldiers of the Guards Corps eat with the enterprise soldiers who came from afar, it was also Chu Guang's arrangement.

The main reason for doing this is to enhance the friendship between the two sides and eliminate the other side's vigilance.

Of course, there is another reason, which is to borrow their signboard.

Chu Guang had heard a long time ago that the nobles and wealthy businessmen in Boulder City are the top "lickers" of the company. The entire industrial system of the outer city and even the layout of some blocks in the city are modeled after the company.

Goods from Ideal City, especially high-tech products, can often be sold at sky-high prices in the inner city of Boulder City.

If it weren't for the reluctance to give up the interests in the city and the long journey, those nobles would have gone to the East Coast to enjoy themselves.

Thinking of this, Chu Guang, who was sitting at the dining table, couldn't help but smile intriguingly.

If this photo appeared on the headlines of the "Survivor Daily" tomorrow, I wonder what those nobles in the inner city would think.

The company's visiting group arrived in the northern suburbs with the 26th Commando of the Army Department and held friendly exchanges with the Alliance Guards.

He even thought of the title of the news for the newly established newspaper.

"What is this noodle made of?" The commando's adjutant couldn't help asking after putting another piece of instant noodles into the hot pot.

There are noodles in Ideal City, but this kind of fried noodles is the first time he has seen it.

Although fried carbohydrates sound very unhealthy, they taste surprisingly good.

Especially when cooked in a hot pot, the taste is simply amazing!

Maybe because he was hungry on the road, he has not stopped eating since the first bite.

This is the third bowl he has eaten!

"... a convenient food that can be cooked in a hot pot or brewed with boiling water. You came too hastily. If you told us a day or two in advance, I can prepare more abundant food here." Chu Guang said with a smile.

It can be seen that the company has not invested much budget in them.

Even the logistics are outsourced to merchants in the wasteland.

The man sitting on Yunsong's right was a merchant accompanying the army. His name was Hedin, and he claimed to be a businessman walking in the wasteland.

However, being responsible for the logistics of the traveling team, he didn't look like an ordinary merchant.

"... Eating while cooking, I've never seen such a strange way of eating."

Chewing slowly, the merchant named Hedin had an interested expression on his face.

It seemed that he had discovered a business opportunity.

"Is there no other place?" Chu Guang asked casually.

"There are similar ones, but the taste is not so strong..." After taking a sip of beer, Hedin suddenly changed the subject and looked at Chu Guang and said, "Can I ask about the recipe of the seasoning? Of course, I can buy it with money."

Chu Guang said with a smile.

"This is not a secret. If you are interested, you might as well talk to the chef later."

Hedin shook his head and said in a joking tone.

"I've been doing business for so many years, and the first thing I learned is that free things are the most expensive. Give me a chance to pay for the goods."

Chu Guang looked at him with a little surprise.

It seems that this guy is not easy to fool.

But think about it.

Most of the crew members on the Pioneer are engineers, so it's normal that they don't know how to do business.

This guy is a serious businessman, and he obviously has dealt with the survivors' settlements outside the ideal city.

The tricks that have been tried and tested by me may not work so well on him.

Chu Guang said readily: "No problem! But let's talk about this after the banquet."

Heding said with a smile.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity. In fact, it's not just hot pot... I'm also interested in this instant noodle cake."

"Although the nutritional value doesn't seem to be high, I guess it shouldn't be difficult to preserve, and it can provide a lot of calories. If it is eaten with some dehydrated dried vegetables, it may be quite popular with mercenaries and caravans."

Okay.

This guy has something!

Chu Guang looked at him with more and more surprise.

Although this is not something that is hard to think of.

But he can smell the business opportunity in the bowl before he finishes the meal. This guy is really not simple.

Chu Guang said with a hearty smile.

"You found it!"

"The best-selling group of our instant noodles is really mercenaries, followed by caravans traveling far away."

Heding said with interest.

"Can you elaborate on it?"

"No problem!"

Chu Guang found that he and this guy were quite compatible, especially when talking about investing in factories, expanding sales, and opening up the market in Yunjian Province.

But at this moment, Chu Guang suddenly noticed that the captain named Yunsong seemed to be a little absent-minded while eating, so he spoke with concern.

"Is it not to your taste?"

"No, your food is delicious, thank you for your hospitality," Yunsong sighed, staring at the wine bottle on the table, with a trace of sadness in his eyes, "I'm just a little worried about the injured brothers."

Chu Guang could feel his mood at the moment, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only comfort him.

"Don't worry, although our hospital is not as good as yours, our doctors and biologists are definitely professional. Especially for the research on the mother nest and slime mold, we have been dealing with those ghosts for a long time."

While he was talking, the VM on his arm suddenly flashed, and a pop-up window popped up on the screen.

Chu Guang stretched out his hand and clicked it, and found that the message was sent by Heya.

[The inhibitor has been injected, and the injured are in stable condition. ]

The eyebrows raised a little surprised, and a happy smile immediately appeared on Chu Guang's face.

"...Just as I was talking, good news came."