Chapter 204
At first, everyone behaved themselves, but before long Exusiai went to the next table to have a drinking contest.
There was a Sarkaz woman with high uric acid who suffered terribly from gout every day, and I was very envious of her:
"I really envy you. You drink and eat heartily every day and nothing happens to you. Do all the calories you consume every day just go to waste because of that halo?"
"Haha, maybe. With this, I can drink beer and eat barbecue every day without gaining weight."
At Shi Lei's table, while eating, Nian suddenly turned to Texas, who was diagonally opposite, and asked:
"Where is your Bronze Sword?"
The latter raised his hand and pointed to Surtr beside him:
"The Bronze Sword you forged for me was damaged during my sparring with her."
Surtr looked somewhat embarrassed upon hearing this:
"I was ignorant before and didn't know my own strength. I'm really sorry for breaking your weapon."
Texas didn't blame her; she smiled and looked at Miss Nian, who had started the conversation.
"When are you free to play another game for me? I can pay you accordingly."
Shi Lei knew her Bronze Sword was damaged, but he had forgotten about it because he was focused on Surtr.
"If you need a weapon, I can forge a sword. Of course, the quality may not be as high as it used to be."
Texas's eyes lit up, and she pressed for an answer:
Is this really true?
"Really? Why would I lie to you?"
"That's good. You can each forge a sword, and keep the other one as a spare."
Mudrock lowered her head, a little unhappy. Until now, only she possessed a weapon crafted by her master. But now, Texas had one too.
But what can you do if you're not happy about it? You can't exactly bring this up in public, can you?
Lisa noticed that Mudrock seemed a little down, so she put a meatball in her bowl:
"Sister Mudrock, this dumpling of mine has magic!"
"Magic?"
"Yes."
Lisa's smile is very healing, she explained:
"Just eat this dumpling and your unhappiness will disappear instantly. Want to give it a try?"
Mudrock never imagined she would be coaxed by a child, and her unpleasant mood vanished instantly.
"Haha, it really does have magic, thank you."
Although it's not yet Chinese New Year, the lively atmosphere at the scene already felt like the festive season. Meat and vegetable dishes were served one after another, and everyone ate until they were sweating profusely, still wanting more.
Shi Lei treated everyone to the meal, but Texas paid for it, so it's unclear whose share it was.
For the next few days, everyone had nothing to do. They spent their days drinking, eating meat, and playing mahjong, indulging in their leisure time without having to work.
The Lunar New Year is the perfect time to gain weight; everyone gains three pounds during the holidays. Forget about work during this period.
FrostNova and Surtr aren't addicted to mahjong, and in their spare time they'd take Lisa shopping. With the two of them protecting him, Shi Lei felt very at ease.
As the New Year approached, Beatrix sent tickets to the New Year's Eve party, just like last year. Knowing there would be a large crowd, she used her connections with the Schwayer Group to get a lot of tickets.
Almost everyone from warehouses one, two, and three participated this time. Croissant and the Emperor joined in, cheering on Miss Flight Attendant.
Xi was very reluctant to stay in such a noisy environment as the New Year's Eve party, so she told Shi Lei that she didn't want to go.
After these few days of contact, he realized that this younger sister had been out of touch with society for a long time. Therefore, he did not force her to go, allowing her to stay at the warehouse to guard the house.
Nian was speechless, feeling that Xi was disappointing for not seizing the opportunity to get closer to Shi Lei.
This year's Lunar New Year's Eve gala was once again broadcast by Lungmen Television, reaching the entire mainland.
Due to the incident last year, security was strengthened this year, and there were no more incidents of fans rushing onto the stage.
The Sarkaz were not familiar with the flight Miss, but after learning that she was Shi Lei's colleague, they all cheered enthusiastically.
After the New Year's Eve party, the Emperor invited everyone to drink at the Sunset Bar, and he would pay for it.
All kinds of expensive white and red wines were served freely, making Miss Nian, who was visiting for the first time, extremely happy!
But she also felt regretful that Xi didn't come, even though it was such a good opportunity to get closer to Shi Lei!
As they drank more, Nian's eyes became blurry. She told Shi Lei that next year, if there was a chance, she would bring her older sister over. In terms of drinking ability, she was countless times better than him.
The Texas ice queen's expression seemed to grow even colder for some reason.
Lisa is a minor and cannot drink alcohol. She doesn't understand rap and just finds the place very noisy.
Shi Lei was very considerate of her feelings and let FrostNova and Surtr take Lisa home to rest early.
The remaining people, fueled by rhythmic music and alcohol, spent a joyful night.
After New Year's Eve comes the Spring Festival of 1096.
There were very few pedestrians on the streets; most of them were in the various scenic areas within Lungmen City.
In Lungmen, the Spring Festival is inextricably linked to Temple Street. During the day, you can enjoy international cuisine, and at night, there are lantern displays and fireworks.
Shi Lei had been there before, but thinking that many people hadn't been there yet, he took everyone there on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
They strolled through Temple Street, solved lantern riddles, watched the lantern festival, and visited Xishan Mountain, exploring the entire Lungmen Scenic Area. They took photos and created countless wonderful memories.
Starting from the second day of the Lunar New Year
Initially, Chen, Lin Yuxia, Beatrix, and others came to his door to give gifts and congratulate him. In return, Shi Lei also bought a lot of gifts.
In just one year, Shi Lei has amassed nearly twenty people around him. Who knows how many more will be around him next spring?
The joyful time flew by, like watching a movie on fast forward. After a month of carefree fun, everyone gradually returned to normal life from the holiday revelry.
There are five days left until the end of February, which means that Shi Lei and his companions are about to embark on an unknown journey.
In contrast to the cheerful atmosphere in Lungmen, the two Infected Squad in Ursus were far from peaceful.
Starting in late November of last year, Talulah publicly stated her desire to join forces with the guerrillas to attack the city.
She brought her many followers to the icy plains, not to enjoy a life of ease. There are many more suffering infected people on this land who need the Rhodes Island to save them and pull them out of this endless quagmire.
But the Patriot disagreed, wanting to hold the Stone Fortress permanently. Neither could convince the other, and the rift between them gradually widened like a frozen river in early spring.
Finally, in mid-February 1096.
Talulah angered the Patriot by providing a large amount of food to infected individuals who were unwilling to join the Rhodes Island, and the two sides argued and parted on bad terms.
The following day, Talulah announced the dissolution of the Union. Ursus then led the Rhodes Island southwards.
268 Medical Operator Zhongli (3K)
Late February, northwestern Ursus.
Talulah led the Infected of the Rhodes Island across the Lake Vega area and headed south together.
The nearest Mobile Cities is called Schuratzburg City, which is about 200 kilometers away.
Talulah and Patriot struggled to reach a consensus on the future direction of the Infected organization. After all, everyone's experiences are different, and it's unrealistic to expect them to share the same ideas.
Broca if things continued to escalate like this, something bad would happen sooner or later. So, before the Rhodes Island left, he gave Talulah and some people in the know the sternest warning.
You can leave the Stone Fortress.
But if anyone dares to leak anything about Lord Zhongli, the guerrillas will hunt them down to the ends of the earth and execute the informant themselves. This is no longer a warning, but a blatant threat.
Whether a secret will be leaked depends on the value that the secret can bring to those who know it.
For Talulah and some Rhodes Island members, even knowing the truth about the death of the Inner Guards was useless. Because they lacked the ability to monetize intelligence.
On the contrary, leaks will be punished.
After the Originium in Patriot's body was cleared, his physical condition improved significantly compared to before.
In this state, Wendigo is incredibly powerful, even Talulah has to be wary of him.
If anyone were to leak information, they would not only face condemnation from Patriot, but could also be drawn into the personal intervention of the masked leader, who would severely punish the informant.
When revealing a secret not only fails to generate value but also risks one's life, those in the know become extremely obedient and keep their mouths shut. This is the real reason why Patriot didn't stop them and were willing to let them go.
After several days of trekking, the Rhodes Island camped in the snow, just 20 kilometers from Schuratzburg City. Once they had rested, they were ready to launch an attack on the city.
Talulah stood at this high vantage point, gazing at the distant, faintly visible mobile City-State.
That place became her next goal.
"Crunch, crunch..."
Hearing the dull thud of boots on the snow, Talulah turned around. Seeing it was Alina, a rare smile appeared on her usually serious face.
"You've arrived."
Alina stepped closer, wanting to make one last attempt before the Rhodes Island launched its final offensive on Schuratzburg City:
"Talulah, I did not side with the guerrillas when you were arguing with the Patriot."
However, I share the same doubts as them: why do you insist on attacking cities?
If you want a base, wouldn't it be better to choose a village with richer surrounding resources?
The cost of attacking Mobile Cities is far greater than the losses from attacking a village. With only a little over 1,000 men, we are not entirely confident of taking Schuratzburg City.
Upon hearing Talulah turned her gaze into the distance:
"If someone else were asking me this, I probably wouldn't answer. But if it's you, I'm willing to share my thoughts on this."
Those infected on this land invariably face discrimination and persecution from all sides. It's as if having Originium-related illness renders life meaningless.
Ordinary people despise those infected, just as they would treat the Sarkaz. This hasn't changed in the last few centuries, and it won't change in the next few centuries.
At this point, Talulah's voice rose. She became increasingly excited as she described her rosy vision:
"My intention in attacking Schuratzburg City is not to seize economic benefits from it, but to build a home that belongs only to us through everyone's efforts."
I want to build a country, a country with only infected people. We come from all corners of the world, regardless of race or skin color. We can stay peacefully in a remote place without fighting other countries. With our hardworking hands, we will create a better tomorrow.
Alina, you don't need to worry about manpower. Besides the Ursus army, Schuratzburg City has tens of thousands of infected people, all potential members of the Rhodes Island. What I need to do now is help...
Those infected have been freed from their Shackles and are truly liberated.
Seeing Talulah's fanatical gaze, Alina knew she could no longer persuade her. She could only stare at that increasingly unfamiliar figure, speechless.
Talulah shared her aspirations for the future with her closest confidante, her heart pounding with excitement. She turned her gaze away from the distance, a slight smile spreading across her face.
"Speaking of which, I have to thank Chen. If it weren't for the man she brought who dealt with the Inner Guards, we wouldn't have had the chance to take action against Schuratzburg City."
Ordinary soldiers are no match for me. If Rhodes Island can gain an early advantage, more and more infected will join us in the city!
Alina's words were like a bucket of cold water being poured on him:
"But I still think the Rhodes Island shouldn't go down such an extreme path."
Is it extreme?
Talulah's question seemed to be directed at both Alina and herself, before she continued:
"Those five Inner Guards were ordered to come and suppress the Rhodes Island should be considered national heroes according to Ursus's perspective."
But as you've seen, they were labeled traitors simply because they disappeared and couldn't respond to the emperor's call. Don't you find that ridiculous?
Alina, this land has suffered too much. It is precisely because we have personally experienced these things that we should see Ursus, this corrupt and dilapidated country, more clearly.
Only we know now that all five members of the Inner Guards have been killed in action. Schuratzburg City has no Inner Guards stationed there, making it impossible to stop the Rhodes Island's advance. As long as I can be the first to enter the city and prevent the gates from closing prematurely, attacking the military camps and various government buildings will not be difficult.
"Talulah, so what if you take over this Mobile Cities? I understand you want to turn this place into a home for the infected, but do you think Ursus will tolerate an infected nation existing within its borders?"
"Alina, I'm a little disappointed in you. Don't bring up such uncooperative remarks again. Ursus is currently fragmented, and the Emperor doesn't have enough military power. If they start a war, then we'll fight back! If we can't win, we'll retreat into the mountains and wait for the right opportunity to retake the Mobile Cities. We can't rely on the world's pity for the Infected; their fate should be in their own hands!"