Chapter 246
But she couldn't act recklessly right now, because doing so would be pointless. Whoever had the protection of the Jade Shield would be invincible.
"Okay, I'll definitely be back next year!"
Lappland seemed a little annoyed, uttered a single sentence, and turned to leave. To get back to Syracuse, she needed to go outside the Mobile Cities, taking a different route than the others.
Now, there are five seats for five people.
Exusiai was the first to sit in the back row, her halo resembling a large light bulb. Seeing Yu's hesitant expression, Mudrock took the initiative to sit in the middle to block the light.
Texas drove away from the boarding area and drove for half an hour back to Taiheng Road in the Upper City.
Shi Lei sat in the passenger seat, rolled down the window, and silently watched the scenery recede. Just as the car was about to turn into the alley, he suddenly spotted Miss Beatrix and quickly told Texas to stop the car.
"Oh, is there something you need from me?"
Beatrix held a paper fan in her hand, gently fanning herself, and then smiled, pursing her lips:
"Of course, I'm here to wait for you. But I'm not here to post a commission today, I'm here to run an errand for Chen. She's busy right now and asked me to come and wait for you, and then contact her when I see you."
Compared to Chen's special investigation team, Beatrix's finance team was indeed much more relaxed.
Shi Lei glanced at the time on his phone; it was 5:35. Considering their past collaborations, he extended an invitation:
"It's almost six o'clock. If Miss Beatrix doesn't mind, why don't you come in for a casual meal?"
"OK."
Beatrix did not refuse and nodded in agreement:
"I've introduced you to several business deals, so it's not too much to ask for a free meal today, right? Hahaha."
Shi Lei knew she was joking and didn't take it to heart. He even waved his right hand and greeted her warmly.
"That's not excessive, please come in."
Upon hearing the sound of a car, the Sarkaz mercenaries poured out of Warehouse One, shouting loudly:
"They're back! The master is back!"
FrostNova and Surtr were inside when they heard the news and came out to check on the situation.
As Exusiai and the others disembarked, Beatrix noticed a new face. This woman with Dragon Horn was stunningly beautiful, with a perfect figure and appearance.
"Brother Shi!"
Shi Lei looked in the direction of the sound and saw Lisa running towards him with her arms outstretched. Her radiant smile was like a ray of sunshine shining into his heart.
"Brother Shi, you're back."
"Um."
Shi Lei picked up Lisa, spun her around twice Pinwheel, then put her down and asked:
Have you been attending classes diligently lately?
"Yes, Lisa works really hard when you're not around, Brother Shi."
Surtr, who had walked closer with FrostNova, saw this heartwarming scene and smiled, adding in support:
"Lisa is now number one in the class."
"Haha, that's amazing. Looks like I'll have to prepare a little gift for you."
Shi Lei gave Texas a look, and the latter immediately understood and opened the trunk of the car.
While buying merchandise for Eve in Trimon, he thought of Lisa was far away in Lungmen. So he bought her a brown teddy bear plush toy from a well-known brand.
"So, do you like this gift?"
Wow, what a huge bear!
This giant plush toy is almost as tall as Lisa. When she picks it up, it can completely cover her face.
"I really like it, thank you, Brother Shi."
Exusiai grinned mischievously, looking like she was about to stir up trouble, and interjected:
"This doll was a gift from Texas, shouldn't you thank her?"
Lisa didn't think too much about it and did as she was told:
"Thank you, Texas sister!"
Texas was left both amused and exasperated by Exusiai's antics.
"Alright, take the doll back to your room. I haven't seen the food on the table yet. How long until dinner? We're having a few more people today, I don't know if there'll be enough food. If there isn't enough, I'll go to the supermarket right now."
While Mudrock was away on business, V and the off-duty Sarkaz chef were responsible for the daily cooking.
"No need, there's enough food. I figured you'd be back in the next day or two, so I prepared the ingredients in advance. Is there anything you particularly want to eat? If not, I'll go buy more."
"I don't need it, what about you?"
Shi Lei looked around and, seeing that no one had any further opinions, invited everyone to sit down.
"Thank you for your hard work tonight."
"It's not hard work, it's what we should do."
The Sarkaz mercenaries returned to the kitchen and busied themselves. Some chopped vegetables, while others prepared the dishes.
Exusiai felt the air was a bit stuffy, so she went back to Warehouse No. 3 and took out two cases of beer.
According to the 24 solar terms, we're almost at the Grain in Ear solar term, truly entering summer. Drinking ice-cold beer in this season is incredibly refreshing.
While waiting, Shi Lei did not introduce Miss Nian, who would soon be staying permanently, to the others. She had stayed here temporarily at the beginning of this year, so everyone was already familiar with her.
Seeing the busy figures inside Warehouse One, Beatrix peeked out slightly and remarked with admiration:
"Wow, there are so many people here."
"We mainly eat at one table, so it seems like there are a lot of people, but there are actually less than twenty people."
When the stir-fried hot dishes were served and everyone called out to start the meal, Shi Lei did not touch his chopsticks.
Only when asked did he say that he wanted to wait for Officer Chen to come.
The Sarkaz mercenaries present had all received care from Chen, so they put down their chopsticks and waited.
This wait lasted for half an hour. It wasn't until the sun set that Chen hurriedly drove to Taiheng Road.
Seeing that everyone's bowls were empty, she immediately realized that everyone was waiting for her, and explained apologetically:
"I'm sorry, I came from Lower City after receiving Swire's call. But there was a bit of traffic, which made me late."
"No, Officer Chen, please have a seat."
Some cold dishes can be reheated in the microwave without affecting the overall taste.
Chen came here mainly to discuss Talulah with Shi Lei. Considering that it wasn't appropriate to discuss business right after the meal, they decided to wait until after the meal.
"Hahaha, the Feathered Beast Soup is here!"
Once the heated food was served, everyone gathered around the large round table, creating a lively scene.
Exusiai hasn't had a party in three months and is practically going stir-crazy. If it weren't for the guests, she'd probably open a bottle of ice-cold beer and spray it at people like champagne.
A few minutes later, Shi Lei picked up a piece of meat and put it into the Mudrock bowl on his left.
Seeing this, everyone cast curious glances, wondering what had happened between the two of them.
Seeing everyone staring at him, Shi Lei was puzzled for a moment before realizing what was happening and belatedly explained:
"This business trip was really tough on Mudrock. I led a team and had a mission. I left many other things to her."
In fact, the combined workload of the entire Special Operations Team did not even equal that of Mudrock alone.
She followed Amiya the entire time, and also had to consider various unfavorable environments and make preparations in advance. Compared to Exusiai's indiscriminate killing, it was much more mentally taxing.
Seeing that everyone was looking at Shi Lei, Texas got up and picked up a piece of crispy pork and put it into Mudrock's bowl.
After all, they felt a little guilty that the bodyguard duties that should have been theirs were all done by Mudrock.
Now, he can both express his gratitude to her and help Shi Lei out of a predicament, which is killing two birds with one stone.
Mudrock only wanted to eat the food her master offered, but she couldn't refuse Texas. Seeing that Exusiai was also going to join in the fun, she quickly declined.
"Stop putting it in your bowl, stop putting it in your bowl. I appreciate your kindness."
As drinks flowed, the atmosphere gradually heated up.
Shi Lei didn't eat much and put down his chopsticks immediately. He waited until Chen finished eating before speaking:
"Officer Chen, we just finished eating. How about we go for a walk together?"
She would never ask for help from others if she could handle it herself. The fact that Beatrix was sent to keep watch tonight means that Chen must have encountered something she couldn't solve.
Shi Lei guessed that it might be related to Talulah.
The Rhodes Island has grown from a loose organization of infected individuals to a Mobile Cities, and its scale is now vastly different after receiving a large influx of new members.
Texas knew that the two of them had gone for a walk to discuss serious matters. The last time Chen had sought help was the last time. If she went to Ursus again this time, she couldn't expect to continue staying in the warehouse to look after things.
"OK."
Chen had been wanting a private chat alone, so she readily agreed. She got up and left the alley with Shi Lei, walking along the bustling city streets.
"Officer Chen, what can I do for you?"
"Shi Lei, I don't know if you've been paying attention to the situation in northwestern Ursus. The Rhodes Island captured a Mobile Cities around late April."
"I know that."
"Yes, good to know. The situation within the Rhodes Island seems stable, but it's easy for them to become a target of criticism. I'd like to ask you to go and take a look. If the situation allows, you can provide some assistance as appropriate, is that alright?"
FrostNova had been kept in Lungmen for over four months, and her hypothermia had almost completely subsided. Shi Lei happened to want to take her back to Patriot, so he nodded in agreement.
"No problem, but we just got back. Let's rest tonight and set off again tomorrow."
311 Potatoes, are Ines's head 3K
It was early summer, but the northwest of Ursus was still swept by a biting, cold wind, much like winter.
As the heavy snow fell, the entire Schuratzburg City seemed to be submerged in snowflakes, covered in a thick layer of white. The snow blanketed the streets, buildings, and roadside trees, exuding a crisp, cool atmosphere.
Talulah stood atop the high city wall, her gaze shifting from the distant mountains and pine forests. She turned to look at the interior of the Mobile Cities that had been breached.
This is a habit Talulah has recently developed: whenever she feels irritable, she comes to the city wall for a while. It seems that seeing the expansive view helps her feel better.
A bad mood can be relieved, but various harsh realities cannot be solved.
Two months ago, the Rhodes Island captured the Schuratzburg City at a great cost. They then spent half a month driving out all the uninfected residents from the city.
The subsequent addition of the 'Patriot' guerrilla forces significantly boosted the Rhodes Island's strength to a new level.
Despite the seemingly favorable situation, only those within the group truly know the realities on their side. A series of problems weighed heavily on Talulah, making it difficult for her to breathe.
She was very distressed during this period. At one point, she wanted to give up because it was too difficult to persevere.
Talulah considered whether to confide in Alina, who had been by her side all along. But Alina was just an ordinary girl from an ordinary village; how could she possibly understand her true feelings?
Patriot Broca was indeed an excellent manager. However, the two men held diametrically opposed views and were irreconcilable.
Even though he publicly declared his joining the Rhodes Island, he didn't make any decisions for himself. He simply stayed in his small territory and stopped expanding outwards.
This looks more like an alliance than a joining.
Sometimes, Talulah wondered if there was something missing between her and the Patriot.
If we had received FrostNova's support back then, things might be very different now.
Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs".
After capturing Schuratzburg City, resource allocation became Talulah's top priority.
Countless non-infected individuals were evicted, freeing up a large number of beautifully decorated and luxurious rooms.
Infected members of the Rhodes Island naturally no longer live in dilapidated rooms in the Slums. Based on their contributions in battle, they divided up most of the houses in the Pantalone areas.
Ironically, those who played a crucial role in the siege often sacrificed their lives. Their deaths, however, benefited other cowardly infected survivors.
After absorbing all the infected people who had been persecuted in the city, the number of Rhodes Island members suddenly increased from several thousand to tens of thousands.
They divided themselves into different factions based on factors such as their previous areas of activity, place of origin, and ethnicity.