Chapter 418 The real strength is not the level, but the courageous heart

"Good brother, the task of promoting artworks is now yours!"

"Hey, I remember you asked A Guang if you could create a female character? Here comes the chance to wear women's clothing!"

"Try black silk too!"

"Don't forget Teng Teng's artworks!"

"Get lost!!!"

Someone shouted at the top of his lungs on the runway of the airport. Amid the laughter and farewells of the crowd, the door of the "Orca" transport plane slowly closed.

The drum-shaped engine sprayed a blue arc of light downward, pushing the huge body to float up from the runway of the airport and fly steadily forward.

Carrying the friendship and blessings of the residents in the southern part of the Valley Province, the faint blue light disappeared in the distant sky.

It will bring more here.

In the crowd outside the airport, Dolly clasped her hands together in front of her chest and silently recited blessings.

After the plane disappeared, she quietly turned and left the crowd.

White, Night Ten and Kuangfeng stood outside the crowd, with a power armor and two exoskeletons, and an "Alpha Dog" beside them. The lineup was quite luxurious.

Walking to Dolly, White tapped his helmet twice and untied his mask.

"We will send you to Boulder City... But, are you really not waiting for him here?"

"I have to go back to work," Dolly said a little stiffly, looking at the power armor in front of her, and whispered, "That... I can't afford so much reward."

White smiled and said, "The guy has already paid the reward, so you don't have to worry about it. We will get you there safely."

Dolly was stunned.

"How much did he give you?"

"That must be at least three meals," White grinned and said, "Brothers, talking about money hurts feelings. By the way, don't think about paying for that guy, we don't recognize others' invitations."

Seeing that White said so, Dolly was still a little embarrassed, but she accepted the kindness of everyone and nodded slightly.

Before leaving, Fang Chang told her that these three were his good brothers.

When he was away, she could contact them if she encountered any trouble.

On the other side, at the airport.

Looking at the direction where the plane disappeared, Yi Chuan was stunned for a long time before he came to his senses and asked Chu Guang beside him.

"Just now... what was he shouting?"

I seemed to hear a word "Go away"?

What is "Go away"?

"Uh... Anyway, it means goodbye," Chu Guang coughed dryly and said with a subtle expression, "In Shelter No. 404, we only use this word for our best friends."

Yi Chuan's face showed a look of realization.

"So that's it... 'Go away' means goodbye, your language is really strange."

Shouting it out loud must be to express the strong feelings and the longing for friends.

Remember this.

"It's been 200 years... It's normal for the accent to change. Everyone has their own problems. Okay, let's not discuss this." Chu Guang quickly changed the subject, fearing that this guy would take it to heart.

Repeating the strange pronunciation over and over again, Yi Chuan nodded. Apart from memorizing the pronunciation, he didn't take it too seriously.

The world is so big.

There are so many shelters.

Compared to those weird plans and programs, in his opinion, Shelter No. 404 is more normal...

...

In the distant Luoxia Province, in a small town in the northeast, next to the coal mine that looks like a pile of loess, there is a row of shacks.

One side is for slaves, and the other side is for temporary workers.

"Wake up, get up quickly, it's time to go to work. Damn, you sleep like a pig, do you still want your wages?"

A calloused hand kept slapping his face.

Zhan Di Lao, who had just logged into the game, opened his eyes.

The scorching sun penetrated through the cracks in the wooden wall and sprinkled on his face, but what came into view was not a lovely face, but an old face that was sunburned and peeled, black and red.

That man was the supervisor of the coal mine.

The wrinkled skin reminded Zhan Di Lao of the gnawer, and his eyes subconsciously released murderous intent.

The supervisor was frightened by the miner's glare, and he subconsciously took a step back, but soon realized that he was the supervisor and glared back fiercely.

"What are you looking at? Are you still going to work?"

The guard standing at the door had a revolver on his waist, and his eyes drifted towards this side intentionally or unintentionally. The threat was as obvious as the shining silver light on the revolver trigger.

However, Zhan Di Lao didn't take him seriously at all.

As a third-stage agile awakener, even if he was lying on his back, he had at least three ways to rub these two idiots on the ground like dead dogs.

However...

He couldn't do that.

"... Do it."

Shaking his groggy head, Zhan Di Lao got out of his sleeping bag, picked up the pickaxe next to the shack, and walked towards the hill not far away.

Watching the man's back, the supervisor breathed a sigh of relief, raised his sleeve and rubbed his forehead, only then did he realize that his palms were full of sweat.

There are two types of people working in the mine.

One is the slaves of the mine owner, and the other is odd jobs.

The former is easy to manage. According to the laws of the Golden Lizard Kingdom, slave owners have the right to dispose of their slaves in any way as long as they can provide a fair contract as proof.

However, the situation of the latter is more complicated.

Some of them hid here to escape from the pursuit of their enemies, and some were merchants or mercenaries who lost their luggage and escaped here after encountering looters.

Just like the one just now.

That look...

It's like crawling out of a pile of dead bodies...

At this moment, the old man on the battlefield, who was walking towards the mine, didn't know what the ugly supervisor who looked like a gnawer thought of him. He was silently calculating how many gold lizard coins he would have to spend to reach Oasis No. 9.

This is the town of One-third, also known as the Three-thirds Town. The origin of the name is unknown. He only knows that it is located in the northeastern border of Luoxia Province, the southernmost of Oasis No. 8, and it belongs to the territory of the Golden Lizard Kingdom together with the oasis where it is located.

This place is rich in coal mines, iron mines, and the most common slaves in the wasteland.

The locals themselves do not capture slaves, but there are always travelers who lose their property for various reasons and cannot make up enough money to leave the desert. They can only sell themselves to nearby mine owners or local wealthy people.

This place is probably like the predecessor of the Red River Alliance.

However, due to the low output value, the futures market has not been developed.

In addition, the development here is also very low, unlike the southern part of the Valley Province where there are nutritional pastes to buy. The only generator in the town is in the mine, and a clock-in robot modified from a vending machine is probably the darkest technology here.

The cheapest food here is dry black bread, one gold coin can buy about one kilogram, and then there is milk, which is so cheap that the locals will drink it as water.

Zhan Di Lao calculated that if he wanted to walk to Oasis No. 9, he had to prepare at least two weeks of water and food, and it was for two people.

Even if he ate bread every meal, he had to prepare at least 32 gold lizard coins, including the cost of Danshui.

He would be given 4 gold lizard coins for a day's work. He was an awakener, and although he was an agile type, his strength attribute was not low. It should not be a problem to work hard to get 6 gold coins.

"...According to this calculation, it will take at least 5 days."

"Wait, no, I almost forgot to calculate the daily expenses... I can only save 2~3 gold lizard coins a day."

Zhan Di Lao counted on his fingers and suddenly found that even if he worked hard to mine, it would take nearly two weeks to save enough money for the trip.

"What a crappy game, what the hell!"

After cursing, he swung the pickaxe fiercely and hit the rock wall hard.

Damn!

The sparks that jumped up scared the miners next to him, and they all dodged to the side.

Good guy.

This grandson wants to collapse the mine!

Stay away from him!

Maybe the exaggerated action was too scary, or maybe his expression was too scary, and before he knew it, Zhan Di Lao was the only one left in the entire mine.

Zhan Di Lao, who turned his grief and anger into strength, seemed to have turned into a real pangolin at this moment. He could hear the sound of banging and banging continuously, and soon the ore he had chiseled filled a whole mine cart.

He rolled up his sleeves and worked all day.

Finally, he walked out of the mine exhausted and received today's wages from the annoying supervisor at the door.

The supervisor wanted to deduct some of the water, but was frightened by the angry eyes and did not dare to reach out to take it.

Weighing the pitiful 6 gold coins in his hand, Zhan Di Lao couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Compared with these vampires, their managers are so conscientious and gentle!

The minimum hourly wage of the alliance is one silver coin.

Working 12 hours a day can earn at least 12 silver coins, but this is the minimum wage, and since the establishment of the alliance, almost no one lives on the minimum wage.

Due to the rapid economic growth and the Alliance's reckless investment in industry, the Alliance encourages production internally and issues bonds to attract investment externally. All major factories in the Alliance Industrial Zone are recruiting workers.

As long as you can read, you can easily find a job with a monthly salary of 500 to 600 silver coins. If you can't read, you can also enroll in a night school and learn cultural knowledge while doing odd jobs.

And if you are a technician with a skill, the salary starts at four digits, and there is no upper limit.

The only thing that makes him confused is that since "Wasteland OL" always claims to be real, where does all this money come from?

I didn't see the managers fleecing anyone or cutting anyone's leeks. I only saw the Alliance Bank throwing money everywhere, and the rewards for tasks were never included.

How did this exaggerated quantitative easing hold down inflation?

Puzzled, Zhandi Lao decided not to think about this complicated problem for the time being.

Anyway, he couldn't figure it out, so he just did the job that Pangolin should do.

After receiving today's salary, Zhan Di Lao did not return to the shack, but went to the nearby town.

There was a burden waiting for him to feed there.

He swore.

When the task assigned to him by the manager is completed, he will definitely chop this guy to pieces!

Taking a deep breath, Zhan Di Lao put away his negative emotions and pushed open the door of the hotel.

As soon as he walked into the lobby of the hotel and before he went up the stairs, he saw Korwei lying drunkenly at the bar in the lobby, with a half-drunk beer next to him.

Noticing the shadow on the table, Korwei opened his half-closed eyes and saw Zhan Di Lao standing next to him.

Grinning, he waved his hairy arms.

"Ah... Pangolin, you're back, burp--"

"The beer here is really good... Let's have a drink together. By the way, do you have any money on you? Pay for the beer for me, and I'll pay you back when I get back."

Zhan Di took another deep breath.

Not good.

Blood pressure is fucking high!

Restraining the urge to kill, he looked at the boss behind the bar and asked with gritted teeth.

"How much?"

"5, 5 gold lizard coins."

Looked at by the murderous eyes, the boss's voice stuttered, and his hand had already touched the gun hidden under the bar.

5 coins? !

Hearing this number, Zhan Di almost vomited blood, his eyes instantly red, and reached out to grab Korwei's collar.

He didn't care about his identity.

He directly pulled up Korwei, who was drunk, and brought him in front of him, and wanted to poke his nose into his eyes.

"Are you crazy? 5 gold lizards, do you know how much I earn after working so hard for a day?!"

"6! 6!"

"I worked for those bloodsuckers all day and didn't even have a bite to eat, but you've been drinking here all day!"

"Do you still want to go back to the Legion? Are you still a man?"

Zhan Di Lao roared angrily, cursing and even shouting until he was hoarse, so that his originally stuttering human language was smoothed out.

The whole tavern fell silent, staring at this side in amazement... including the boss standing behind the bar.

Legion?

These two... are from the Legion?

His shoulders rose and fell violently, like waves hitting the shore, and Zhan Di Lao's eyes were as big as copper bells.

If eyes could kill, the guy in his hand would have died countless times, and he had never been soft-hearted in killing people from the Legion.

Fuck!

Damn it, I can't stand it anymore!

He felt like a young wife who worked two jobs to support her family, while her husband was a useless man who ate, drank, gambled, and drank all day.

The Legion was a red name, right?

It was a red name, right!

Red names can be killed, right?

It didn't matter whether it was a safe zone or not. He had already thought about it. If he killed this guy, he would commit suicide. Three days is three days. It's better than wasting three months!

Your NPC is not a human being——

Don't blame me for not being a human being!

"What the hell are you doing——"

Korwei, who was grabbed by the collar, was stunned. He looked at the pangolin who was grabbing his collar and was about to scold him angrily, but suddenly noticed the look of "hate iron but not steel", and the words on his lips stopped again.

A feeling of shame rolled in his chest.

While he rolled up his sleeves and worked in a coal mine to save money for the journey back to his original regiment, he actually used his hard-earned money to get drunk, using alcohol to numb himself, avoiding failure and reality.

As a noble Weilant, his loyalty to the Legion and His Majesty the Marshal was actually lost to a wastelander born in the wilderness...

The shame turned into regret, and Korway closed his eyes painfully and sighed.

"I'm sorry..."

"..."

Zhan Di Lao's chest rose and fell violently, and he gritted his teeth in hatred.

He was thinking about how to arrange a death for this guy, but he didn't expect to hear the three words "I'm sorry" in this mouth.

"... I know that my escapist look is ugly. My cowardice and incompetence have failed your loyalty. I am not a good leader."

Looking at the furious Pangolin, Korway's Adam's apple moved, and the guilt in his eyes became more and more intense.

Suddenly, as if he had made up his mind, he spoke.

"Pangolin."

"What?" Zhan Di Lao said viciously.

He was angry when he heard the name Pangolin now, and he was so angry that he wanted to chop himself off.

Kelway looked at him.

"Kill me."

Zhan Di Lao was slightly stunned, confused by the expression on his face and this sentence.

Seeing that he didn't speak, Kelway continued in a calm tone.

"Take my head back to the River Valley Province, the survivors' settlement there... should give you some money. I am ashamed of my decadence and self-abandonment. I am not worthy of your loyalty. This is the last reward I can give you. I hope it can compensate for your disappointment."

Looking at the sincere eyes, Zhan Di Lao fell into silence, and the hand holding his collar loosened, and then tightened again.

This bastard...

"... I walked for a week... no, two weeks, just for the head of a centurion?"

Who cares about your head!

Do you really think the Alliance is a native who cuts scalps?

Staring at this guy, he squeezed out a sentence from his teeth.

"...If you still have a little bit of self-esteem and pride in your heart, slap yourself twice, and then stand up from here! You lost, but you are still alive, and there is still something you can do, that is, die! Die on the way back!"

Zhan Di Lao let go of his hand and pushed him, throwing him back to the bar.

Killing a person is easy.

But a dead person is worthless.

Zhan Di admitted that he was indeed a little impulsive just now, and he was thinking of giving up.

It's just a game.

Do I need to be angry like this?

But after calming down and thinking about it, he finally let go of the anger in his heart.

Especially when he recalled the few girls who fought bravely with the legion's pursuers in the forest that night, he felt his old face blush.

People who came into contact with this game later than him and were weaker than him could persist optimistically and fight bravely to the end...

What qualifications do I have to give up easily?

He did very well along the way. Not only did he successfully gain the trust of the legion officers, but Kolwe even promised to introduce him to General Griffin. He was just a little bit away from success...

He was far from the end of his rope.

"...It seems that I am not strong enough." Looking at Kolwe who was lost in thought, Zhan Di Lao muttered in his heart.

For different reasons, the two seemed to be in reflection and calmed down at the same time.

However, at this moment, Zhan Di Lao suddenly noticed that everyone in the tavern was looking at him.

Also noticing the pairs of onlookers, Kolwe's expression suddenly became a little embarrassed and whispered.

"...Did you just say the legion?"

It was useless to deny it at this time. The people around him obviously heard it.

Zhan Di's Adam's apple moved and nodded slightly.

"Hmm..."

Damn, it was careless.

There were more than twenty people in the lobby, all of them carrying guns. Although they drank a little, they didn't look like weak chickens.

With his skills, he would probably be beaten to pieces after only half of them were killed.

This was still a relatively optimistic situation.

But to his surprise, no one made any move.

Are they waiting for an opportunity?

Just as he was thinking about it, a man who looked like a merchant exchanged a few words with two mercenaries next to him at a round table near the door, stood up from the table, and walked towards the two men.

Zhan Di's nerves were tense, staring at him intently, and his right hand had already touched the table knife on the table.

Not just to be wary of this man.

It was also to be wary of the innkeeper behind the bar.

The movement under the table was obvious, whether it was the sound of opening the safety or pulling the trigger, the middle-aged man with a full beard had already grasped the gun hidden there.

And it was a revolver.

Zhan Di calmly observed the situation in the lobby, and he had already started to think about it.

If the boss pulled out his gun, he would immediately cut the guy's throat with the knife in his hand, then throw Kolwe behind the bar, and use the bar as a cover to fight with the remaining people in the lobby.

This is the border of the Golden Lizard Kingdom. The camels are tied in the backyard of the hotel. It should not be difficult to rob the supplies of other caravans and escape into the desert...

"Don't be nervous... We have no ill intentions."

The merchant who walked towards the two showed a friendly smile and raised his hands to indicate that he had no weapons.

"My name is Adan, from the Bugera Free State... Are you two from the Legion?"

Zhan Di Lao was slightly stunned.

"Yes."

The merchant named Adan continued with interest.

"It's really strange... This is Oasis No. 8, have you fought here?"

Zhan Di exchanged glances with Kolwe on the side.

The latter cleared his throat, stood up from the bar, and took out the aura and style of an officer again, and took over the conversation from Zhan Di Lao.

"We encountered a little accident and got separated from the main force."

Hearing this, everyone in the hall breathed a sigh of relief and stopped looking at this side. However, the clinking of glasses was somewhat tinged with topics related to the war on the front line.

The businessman named Adan nodded suddenly, looking up and down at the man in front of him, as if he was thinking about his identity.

Touching his chin, he said thoughtfully.

"So that's it... In other words, the battle at Oasis No. 9 is not over yet?"

Kerwei's expression was a little embarrassed.

Originally, the Iron Heart planned to return to Oasis No. 9 and join forces with the front-line troops, but no one expected that they would encounter a group of desperate natives who shot down the airship that could not fail.

Without the firepower support and high-altitude reconnaissance of the Iron Heart, the battle situation of the Falcon Kingdom and the Legion in Oasis No. 9 obviously did not meet expectations.

If they had successfully joined forces, I am afraid that Oasis No. 9 would have been taken long ago.

As if he had misunderstood the expression on Kelway's face, Adam smiled and said.

"Don't be nervous, we have no ill intentions. In fact... we just have a batch of supplies to deliver to Oasis No. 9. If you don't mind, we can go together."

A distressed officer.

This identity itself is full of stories.

If this unlucky guy can be sent back to the Legion, the Legion will never be stingy with the reward.

Moreover, this favor is absolutely beneficial to merchants like him who do business with the Legion. Many people in the Bugera Free State have made a fortune by relying on these big noses.

Kelway's eyes lit up, but he soon became alert in his heart, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

"How do I know you won't sell me to the Lion Kingdom."

Although he was drunk.

But his IQ was still online.

Adam made a helpless expression, put his hand into his arms, and took out a list under the vigilant eyes of the two.

"You should recognize this order, right?"

Cole narrowed his eyes and looked at the words written on the order, and surprise suddenly appeared in his eyes.

Zhandi Lao noticed the change in his expression, but he couldn't recognize the words written on the paper without a translation tool, so he could only ask in a low voice.

"What's written on it?"

"Eight thousand rifles, 1.2 million rounds of ammunition... This is a purchase contract, with the seal of the legion and the signature of the logistics chief. I recognize that guy's handwriting."

Kerwei looked at the businessman named Adan, and his eyes were no longer alert, but excited.

"Are you going to Oasis No. 9?"

"Of course, it seems that you are the same," Adan smiled and took the order back into his arms, then stretched out his right hand to Kerwei, "In this case, if you don't mind, we can go together."

Kerwei held his right hand and shook it, his eyes unconsciously drifted to the surroundings, and asked in a low voice.

"Are these people okay?"

Seeing the worry in his eyes, Adan smiled and said.

"What's the problem? Respecting the teachings of the spirit of the sea of ​​sand, according to the ancient covenant, although the kings in the desert have sent a declaration of war to the Falcon Kingdom, only the Lion Kingdom has actually sent troops."

"The Hump Kingdom is at the southernmost end of the desert, too far away, and doesn't want to fight. The royal family of the Golden Lizard has long been not so pious... It seems a bit inappropriate for me to say this here. In short, they prefer those nerds who can bring them strange and weird gadgets to the illusory existence. You know who I'm talking about."

Kerwei frowned.

"College?"

"That's right."

After a pause, Adam said with a smile.

"In short, it's safe here. The locals may not like your nose, but they don't want to cause trouble. Our trade route has been running for some time. The guards of the kingdom know where these arms are sent, but no one will check them carefully. Everyone turns a blind eye."

Hearing this, Kerwei breathed a sigh of relief, with a relieved expression on his face.

"It seems that I have been worrying for nothing... Thank you for your information."

These two days, he did not dare to show his nose even when drinking, but covered it with a scarf.

But he was very uncomfortable!

"You are welcome, you are our important customers," Adan nodded slightly and said in a happy voice, "There are many caravans here that are heading to Oasis No. 9 from the Bugera Free State... General Griffin is very generous, thanks to that lord, we have also made a lot of money."

Looking at Korwe who was talking happily with Adan, Zhandi Lao standing aside was secretly surprised.

Good guy.

Isn't the Bugera Free State a vassal of the Great Rift Valley?

The merchants there are actually doing business with the Legion! ?

What's more outrageous is that the war situation in Luoxia Province is also different from the information disclosed on the official website.

There is no kingdom coalition at all. From beginning to end, it was the Lion Kingdom that supported it alone. The kings declared war on the surface, but they were all appeasing behind the scenes.

The Golden Lizard Kingdom in the far north is even more awesome.

These smart people actually turned a blind eye to the enemy supply lines within their territory and acquiesced to the equipment of the Bugera Free State being sent from the northern part of the Valley Province to the front line of Oasis No. 9.

Do they think they won't be beaten if they have the academy behind them?

This is too cool!

"My Lord... I'm tired and want to go back to my room and lie down for a while." Zhandi Lao whispered, with a tired expression on his face.

He was not tired at all.

The most important thing now is to log off quickly and go back to the official website to share this exciting news with everyone.

After the last update, the official website forum also has a task bar. This kind of heavyweight intelligence is not only rewarded with silver coins, but also huge contribution points!

Hearing the voice of the pangolin, Kelway turned his head.

He didn't care about the previous rudeness of this subordinate to him. He nodded slightly and said in a gentle tone.

"Go... By the way, you don't have to go out to work tomorrow. I can't let my loyal men do such menial work."

The gentle eyes gave Zhandi Lao goose bumps.

Not noticing the strangeness in his men's expressions, and without doubting his loyalty, Kolwe turned back to look at Adam.

"Can you lend me some money? I guarantee with my honor that I will pay you back double when I arrive at the legion's base."

"You are too polite. It's just some personal belongings. This money is for making friends." As he said that, Adam smiled and put a bag of gold coins on the table.

There were 200 dinars in it.

Being able to recognize the signature on the order was worth investing in him.

Grabbing a handful of gold coins from the bag and slapping them on the table, Kolwe looked at the boss behind the bar.

"Is this enough?"

Looking at the gold coins on the table, the boss' eyes were wide open, not caring how annoying the protruding nose was, and he nodded and smiled.

"Enough, enough... For dinars, 10 are enough!"

Before, he was afraid that these people would default on their debts, so he touched the gun under the table.

As for now, there is no need to worry about this problem at all. A bag of gold coins is enough to stay at his place until the end of next month.

Looking at the hotel owner who was carefully counting the money, Kolwe's face no longer showed the drunken decadence, and the glory of the legion seemed to have returned to him.

He raised his chin, looked at the boss with his nose, and said lightly.

"No need to count. Use the remaining money to get another room for my warrior. I want the most spacious one in this store!"

"Also, prepare a bucket of hot water and clean towels, as well as a pound of cooked beef and the best beer to send to his room!"

"Remember, I want the best beer," Korwe pointed his index finger at the table, pointed at the half cup of beer, and squinted at the innkeeper, "If you dare to use this garbage lake like swill to mess with my people, the next time you pass by here, I will bring people to tear down your house!"

"Okay, sir!" The boss, who didn't care about the threat at all, was so happy that he immediately took the gold coins on the table into his arms, went back to the kitchen behind the bar, and asked the servants to get ready.

Korwe turned around and looked at Pangolin again, saying in a gentle voice.

"Thank you for waking me up, reminding me that there are things in this world that are more important than life... Go back and rest, take a hot bath, eat a full meal, and then go to sleep."

"We'll set off early tomorrow morning."

Looked at by that gentle gaze, Zhan Di Lao felt goosebumps all over his body fall to the ground, and his scalp felt numb as if he had touched an electric switch.

Damn it.

You have to lock the door tonight...