Chapter 285

He's a warmonger and has already amassed a large number of his kin to attack Victoria. Under Theresis's leadership, the Sarkaz will only become more miserable.

I hope that you will become the faith of the Sarkaz, uniting our divided community. Protecting our peace-loving people from the ravages of war. This is my current goal.

Before we can achieve our goals, we first need a place to live. I need your help to build the prototype of a town within Ursus. We can handle the construction of houses and facilities ourselves. We will then cultivate the land to achieve food self-sufficiency.

Our organizational philosophy is pacifist; please give me some time to think about the specifics. We will welcome all peace-loving Sarkaz and Infected individuals, and build a beautiful home in the mountains.

Information about the red-haired Sarkaz was revealed by FrostNova during a food delivery. She hadn't seen Surtr fight, but everyone said he was very strong.

Broca tentatively decided on the location of the town in the Ursus Mountains, near the border of Yan.

The climate here is much better than in Schuratzburg City. Many crops can be grown without failing due to the severe cold.

Hearing the captain's words, Hegre clearly disagreed. Although he was infected, he wasn't Sarkaz, but a descendant of the Ancients of the Liberi:

"Lord Zhong, my thoughts are similar to his, but there are some differences. The most urgent task is indeed to find a safe place within Ursus so that everyone can recuperate and strive to achieve self-sufficiency as soon as possible."

You have a kind heart and may save more infected people in the future. As you said, you offered help simply because you wanted to save them, not for any reward.

But while you think this way, most infected people don't. Once we establish homes in the mountains, we can help you provide shelter for more infected people. This way, their safety will be guaranteed by us, and they won't have to come to Lungmen anymore, disrupting your life.

I don't have much knowledge of organizational thought, so I'm unsure which area this falls under. Could you give me a little more time to think it over before giving me a reply?

Shi Lei nodded and smiled through his mask:

"What you said makes more sense; it can indeed help me solve some of the infected's livelihood problems. As for being the King of Sarkaz, I have no interest in it. Don't impose your desire for racial revival on me."

Broca's expression was complicated upon hearing this. The organizational goals he proposed were indeed somewhat demanding:

"I'm sorry, Lord Zhong, I..."

Shi Lei interrupted him forcefully before he could finish speaking:

"Alright, alright, that's enough for today. You all quickly lead your troops to retreat 20 kilometers and set up camp outside the borders of Lungmen. Think about the organization's guiding principles tonight, and I'll come back tomorrow night."

"I will obey Lord Zhong's orders."

Broca and Hegre turned around and signaled to their men to evacuate. Two or three thousand people quickly left the scene amidst the astonished gazes of the refugees.

Meanwhile, in the core area of Lungmen.

Wearing an apron, Wei Yenwu cleaned the house again. He made sure there was no smell of smoke in the living room before smiling and walking behind the sofa to massage his wife, Wenyue's, shoulders, hoping to calm her down.

Suddenly, the landline phone on the desk rang.

Wei Yenwu walked over, glanced at the call, and hung up without answering.

Seeing this, Wenyue looked at him with interest:

Is there anything you need to avoid discussing with me?

"No, no, no, Madam, you've misunderstood. These are all trivial matters, nothing as important as you."

Wei Yenwu had just finished saying his cheesy love words when the landline rang again.

"Ring ring ring".

Seeing her husband standing there staring at her, Wenyue crossed her arms, feeling rather speechless.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Just answer the call."

Wei Yenwu then answered the phone, said "uh-huh" a couple of times, and hung up. He immediately turned on his computer, logged into his email to check his messages, and opened the surveillance video attached to the file.

The video files here are footage taken by drones from different angles. Due to the shooting distance exceeding one kilometer, the image becomes increasingly blurry as the camera zooms in.

Seeing the Patriot and guerrillas turn around and kneel before a mysterious man, Wei Yenwu frowned, lost in thought.

He zoomed in as wide as possible, but the poor image quality limited his ability to make out details. He could only see one person, but couldn't make out any specific features.

Who exactly is this guy who can make the last purebred Wendigo kneel down?

Could it be... Zhongli?

To confirm, Wei Yenwu decided to personally visit the headquarters of Penguin Logistics.

"Madam, I have to go out for a while."

Shi Lei had learned from Chen beforehand that several hundred drones were deployed on the city's outskirts. Staying there would only provide material, so he decided to make a quick getaway.

He led a group of two or three thousand people in the opposite direction from Lungmen. Once the long line of refugees was out of sight, he gave instructions on where to meet the following evening and then departed.

Shi Lei soared into the sky and used the cover of the clouds to return to the rooftop of Penguin Logistics' headquarters building.

Shortly after he entered the office area, he ran into Wei Yenwu coming out of the elevator.

Upon seeing Zhongli, the governor's expression turned grave.

If he's here, then who is that person outside the city?

352 Although I have no intention of competing in 3K

Upon seeing Wei Yenwu's sudden visit, Shi Lei guessed that the man was there about the Patriot. He knew this but didn't say anything, feigning ignorance and asking:

"Your Excellency, what can I do for you?"

Shi Lei had barely landed on the company rooftop, not even had a chance to sit down properly. Wei Yenwu was either there to urge him on the progress or to confirm if he was the masked man. The former seemed more likely.

Shi Lei went to great lengths to conceal his identity. He felt he needed to use multiple aliases in the future to ensure his true identity wouldn't be revealed.

He can now create masks made of many different metals, such as Rock Mask, gold masks, and even Originium masks. He might as well buy a few oversized trench coats to cover his body; that would make him feel much more secure.

Faced with Shi Lei's questioning, Wei Yenwu quickly found a suitable reason to explain:

"Huijie told me that she entrusted you with the matter of that infected unit outside the city. I happened to be passing by today, so I came up to see if you had set off yet."

Shi Lei had anticipated this response, so he reached out and touched his stomach, offering an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, Your Excellency. I just had lunch and need to digest for a while before I leave. If the situation is urgent, I'll leave as soon as I finish reviewing the documents."

Wei Yenwu, observing his expression closely but finding no flaws, followed up on the topic and asked:

"Documents? What documents?"

Shi Lei hadn't prepared any of this. He picked up his locked phone, waved it in the air, and explained:

"Officer Chen reminded me that the infected unit is very powerful. The leader, codenamed Patriot, is the last Pureblood Wendigo on this land. It is said that he used to be able to suppress the Demons in the north, and his strength is extremely formidable. To deal with such a powerful figure, I definitely need to gather information before I set off. Analyze his abilities and formulate countermeasures. Only in this way can I know myself and my enemy, and never be defeated."

What a wonderful saying: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

Wei Yenwu had no doubt about the authenticity of his claim to have devised a countermeasure. When dealing with a living legend like Patriot, no amount of preparation is excessive.

The fact that Zhongli Ken is researching here shows he values this commission and that he's not familiar with Patriot. It's highly likely he's not the man with the golden mask.

Talulah, the leader of the Rhodes Island, is now imprisoned for protection. Anyone who can command the kneeling respect of Patriot must have a terrifying background.

Wei Yenwu temporarily dispelled his suspicions and pressed the elevator button to leave.

"It's never a bad thing to prepare more. Once you're ready, send it out as soon as possible."

He knew the Patriot had already left, but he had previously said he would come to urge them to leave, so he couldn't contradict himself.

Anyway, Zhongli will go to the border checkpoint sooner or later. Once he finds that the target has left, he will naturally complete the mission.

From this statement, Shi Lei deduced that the other party was there to verify his identity, and thus agreed.

"Your Excellency, it won't be long. At most half an hour, I'll finish reviewing these documents and then depart. If you're in a hurry, you can leave now."

"No need, do it at your own pace. I'm leaving now, Mister Zhongli, I'll wait for your good news."

After saying that, Wei Yenwu walked towards the open elevator door.

Texas tilted her head to check, and only after confirming that the elevator was descending did she raise her question to Shi Lei:

"How's your matter going?"

Exusiai and Croissant listened intently, because this was the topic of the entire morning's news reports.

Shi Lei answered truthfully, with no intention of hiding anything:

"I told them to stay away from Lungmen and go back to think things through. If they don't figure things out now, they might encounter some fundamental problems later."

Exusiai n't understand what he was saying, so she went straight to the question she cared about most:

So, did you agree or not?

"I'm still thinking about it."

"What's there to consider? If it works, great; if not, forget it. Isn't that how Mudrock and the others are?"

Texas glanced at her and chimed in:

"That's several thousand people, how can they be the same?"

Exusiai 'd stepped on a landmine, Exusiai playfully stuck out her tongue, trying to get away with it. Seeing that Shi Lei wasn't giving a direct answer, she steered the conversation back on track:

"Are you having any concerns about not being able to make a decision?"

Shi Lei sighed. He never considered the present, but rather things much further ahead.

"These two or three thousand people are homeless and are seen as a threat wherever they go. Regardless of whether I accept the allegiance of the Patriot and the Hegre forces, I will help them build a city to live in later."

The location is estimated to be in the mountains within Ursus, near the border with Yan. This way, I won't be targeted by Yan's army, and I won't need to intervene frequently. Moreover, a city in the mountains is less likely to be affected by natural Catastrophe. Once their agriculture becomes self-sufficient, they can be allowed to graze freely for a long time.

I think the organizational goals Hegre mentioned today are excellent. We can use this city as a fallback route for me or the infected. If there are infected individuals who are difficult to transport to Lungmen in the future, they can be sent there.

But a city that appears out of nowhere is bound to attract attention from all sectors. Sooner or later, I will be implicated and my true identity will be exposed.

Some forces and politicians, unable to defeat me, will resort to legal means to make things difficult. For example, they might put extreme pressure on Wei Yenwu or use other methods to force me to leave Lungmen.

When that time comes, I'll have to say goodbye to my current life and part ways with you all. I don't want to see that kind of ending, so I'm hesitant.

I really like Penguin Logistics and the atmosphere with everyone. If I had the chance, I could work here for decades without any problem. But if I pledge allegiance to the Patriot, this situation would be unavoidable. In short, it's a tough situation..."

The three Messenger at the scene lowered their heads and remained silent, unsure of what to say next. For both emotional and practical reasons, they did not want Shi Lei to leave.

Just Exusiai once said, if you're worried about being spoiled, just don't separate them.

Texas lowered her head, staring at her chest. If Shi Lei were to resign and leave Penguin Logistics someday, she might consider doing so to follow him.

After all, he's a real handful. He can't carry cash when he goes out; he needs someone to manage the finances. Texas doesn't trust outsiders with this, so she prefers to handle it herself.

Exusiai, this cheerful person, seems to never be down. Even when Shi Lei brings up sad topics, she can still laugh and giggle.

"As long as there's plenty of beer and barbecue over there, I'll quit my job and work for you. How about that? Pretty good friend, huh?"

Croissant hearing this, Croissant chuckled and said:

"What? So after all this time, Shi Lei doesn't even matter as much to you as beer and barbecue?"

"Friends are friends, and work is work. Beer, barbecue, and parties are part of life, they're different, okay?"

Just as they were discussing this, the boss's voice suddenly came from behind them:

"What, do you all dislike the company that much? Are you all rushing to quit and run away?"

The Emperor usually walks very quietly, and he is quite short. If he doesn't wear a tall hat when he goes out, you might not even notice him sometimes.

Exusiai immediately backed down, laughing and making excuses:

"Oh, boss, I was just kidding."

The Emperor ignored her and went straight to Shi Lei's workstation, offering heartfelt words of comfort:

"I heard everything you just said in the office. I'm glad to know you're reluctant to leave the company and everyone. After all, you've been together for so long, even pets would have developed some bond by now."

I understand your concerns right now. But Penguin Logistics is your strongest support. If one day in the future you have to leave Lungmen for some reason, I will open a Penguin Logistics branch in your city.

If I can't stand staying in Lungmen either, I'll move the headquarters to the city where you live. Anyway, I'm not a local, so I can move wherever I want. After staying in one place for too long, you always want a change of scenery.

So, you don't need to have any concerns about the company; just go for it if you want to do something.

After hearing the Emperor's generous statement, Shi Lei nodded solemnly. Although they weren't related by blood, they were as close as family. His determination to support them no matter how serious the trouble they caused was truly moving.

"I know what to do, thank you boss."

Exusiai had been laughing and joking, suddenly realized what was happening:

"Wait a minute, boss. You just said you could hear the conversations in the office area from your office? Does that mean you know everything we talked about before?"

The Emperor pushed up his sunglasses with one hand and looked meaningfully at Sarkaz in front of him: