Chapter 298
Are there any mid- to high-ranking officers among these prisoners?
The shadow guard wasn't annoyed by the interruption and quickly changed the subject to one the governor preferred to hear:
"Yes, the highest-ranking officer is White Agag, the commander of the Fourth Army, whose rank is lieutenant."
Penguin Logistics' Messenger Zhongli entered the Lower City shortly after you left, along with other Messenger. Over Ursus soldiers, who had been putting up a fierce resistance, surrendered only after Zhongli arrived.
Wei Yenwu stood on the balcony, gazing down at the city lights of Lungmen at night, and paused for a moment:
"You must protect this commander closely and prevent any accidents from happening to him. With him as leverage, Lungmen can launch a counterattack against Ursus."
"Yes, Your Excellency. I will inform you promptly if there are any updates."
After hanging up the phone, Wei Yenwu remained standing on the balcony without going inside. He stared at the night view for a long time, then suddenly picked up his phone and called the director of the Lungmen TV station.
January 5th, 6:55 pm
After White and the others surrendered, Chen arrived after receiving the news and imprisoned these Ursus soldiers.
Because their numbers were too large, the Lungmen Guard Department's prisons couldn't hold them all. So she arranged for them to be housed in the Wood Harvest Warehouse and assigned a large number of personnel to guard them.
After handing over the duties to Officer Chen, Shi Lei prepared to head home. He hadn't gone far when he was greeted by more than ten Rhodes Island Operator.
"Hello, Doctor Zhongli!"
"Thank you so much for saving me again!"
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei grinned and explained:
"Actually, I didn't do anything in this Ursus Army Group uprising; it was all thanks to everyone."
"Haha, you're too modest!"
He was clearly telling the truth, but no one believed him. Looking at the Operator's outfits, a new topic emerged:
"You guys are here to rescue people in the Lower City, right? Thank you for your hard work. It's almost seven o'clock, would you like to grab a drink sometime? I'll treat you to barbecue."
Scout really wanted to go, but he couldn't make the decision on his own, and said apologetically:
"Excuse me, our team has its own mission. It doesn't feel right to leave the team so suddenly. I'll call Amiya, please wait a moment."
"Um."
Scout ran to the side and made a phone call.
Around him, many members of the Lungmen Guard Department were moving the soldiers' bodies, preparing to pile them up and burn them together.
Compared to entrance number six, entrance number five is the easiest.
Surtr burned the Ursus Army Group to a crisp to prevent them from rotting and spreading the plague.
The call was answered shortly afterward.
At this time, Amiya had already left Lungmen with Kal'tsit and returned to the This Ship.
After learning of the requests from Scout and other Operator, Amiya, as the leader of Rhodes Island, granted them a half-day leave.
Thinking of the camaraderie they shared long ago in the Babel, Scout asked Amiya:
"Could we let the Doctor come to Lungmen for a late-night snack? Doctor Zhongli is here too, so we can ensure his safety."
Amiya was unsure of what to do, so she asked Kal'tsit, the Doctor in charge of the Doctor's treatment, for her opinion.
The latter was furious when he heard that Zhongli was present.
He then declined the suggestion to attend a dinner party and have a late-night snack, citing that "the Doctor needs to rest."
Honestly, it's so easy to get into this mess without even realizing it; it's impossible to prevent.
Scout was very disappointed to learn that the Doctor couldn't come, but still thanked Amiya for granting him the leave.
He hung up the phone and ran to notify the other Operator.
Two weeks ago, Scout participated in the Doctor's rescue operation in Chernobyl, and his team was nearly wiped out.
We might run into Sarkaz's benefactor at tonight's dinner party; we'll have to thank him properly then.
"Amiya approved a half-day leave, which is enough for us to squander. Unfortunately, several medical teams can't go. They've almost run out of medical supplies and need to return to This Ship for replenishment."
"I understand, it's just that I happened to run into you guys. Let's casually invite you to dinner, no need to make it so formal."
Shi Lei didn't ask Chen to come along; the finishing work in the Lower City alone was enough to keep her busy. She might not even have time to drink water before midnight.
Compared to the collision of land Lungmen in the Core City, the riot involving over ten thousand people had a greater impact. This was mainly because the land parcels didn't collide, but the riot still occurred.
These Ursus soldiers not only caused trouble themselves, but they also incited other infected to follow them to their deaths. The guards at the checkpoint entrance don't care who you are. Anyone who dares to force their way through will be killed without exception.
"Let's go, let's call them to come along."
Shi Lei spread his Psychic Power and quickly sensed the locations of the others. He led the group to bring back FrostNova, Surtr, Mudrock, and the others one by one.
As the sun sets, heartbroken people are everywhere.
Apart from the four from Texas, the rest of them took a taxi to Jordan Road in the Upper City. There's a pretty good barbecue restaurant there, which just opened around 6 or 7 pm.
More than twenty people crowded the shop at once.
The boss couldn't stop smiling; the restaurant was packed with customers on the first day, which meant business would be booming tonight.
After Shi Lei sat down, he waved his hand and said:
"Order whatever you want, don't be shy. Boss, give every table a case of chilled beer."
"Okay~"
Since someone was paying the bill, everyone didn't stand on ceremony and ordered whatever they wanted to eat.
Especially the five people from Rhodes Island, they ordered a lot.
The main reason is that the This Ship's mess hall prioritizes health and nutrition, so the dishes are generally light in flavor. They haven't had heavy, oily, and salty food like barbecue in a long time, so they're going to eat their fill today.
Before the barbecue even arrived, someone had already filled their glass with alcohol.
Scout was the first to stand up, holding his glass, and walk up to Surtr, respectfully thanking him:
"Thank you for saving my life that day. I must toast you. I'll drink this, but please feel free to drink as you please."
When he returned to his seat, Ace came over to offer a toast. The person he thanked was Xi, who wasn't very noticeable.
"My dear Miss, thank you so much for your help in Chernobyl. We might have lost even more Operator in the park if it weren't for you."
Xi was a little embarrassed and shy after being praised.
"No, it was nothing at all."
"It may not mean much to you, but it's a life-saving favor to us. Come, let me toast you again."
Seeing that Xi glanced in his direction, seemingly reluctant to drink, Shi Lei stepped in to smooth things over:
"She doesn't like this, so don't offer it."
"That's right, if you want to drink, drink with me, come on!"
The conspicuous Exusiai, holding a glass, proactively sought out the Rhodes Island Operator for a drinking contest.
Many people at the scene knew about her drinking capacity, but they all tacitly refrained from pointing it out, letting her do as she pleased.
The ten Sarkaz mercenaries first toasted Shi Lei, then Ni Mudrock, and finally each other. They were very happy to have been able to help in this riot, proving that their long efforts had not been in vain.
"Sizzle~"
The owner brought the fragrant barbecue to the table, and the skewers of meat emitted an enticing aroma.
Enjoy your meal, the rest is still baking.
When he returned to the barbecue grill, he casually turned on the hanging television set in the corner of the shop.
Shi Lei had no interest in watching TV, but when he looked up, he saw his own photo. He couldn't help but show a strange expression, and continued looking down.
Texas noticed it too, and covered her mouth with one hand, looking like she wanted to laugh but was forcibly holding it back.
The television screen showed a female anchor from Lungmen Television urgently interrupting the broadcast with a news report:
"The riot, which was triggered by more than 10,000 people, has been properly handled. Among them, a kind-hearted citizen, Mister Zhongli, made an outstanding contribution. He persuaded more than 3,000 rioters to surrender on the spot, greatly relieving the pressure on the Lungmen Guard Department's garrison. The Governor held a press conference, saying that it was this Mister Zhongli..."
Now, everyone present noticed it.
Exusiai burst into laughter, making a series of sarcastic remarks about the picture of Zhongli displayed on the TV screen:
"Don't you guys think this promotional photo is a bit blurry? Zhongli, why don't you take a few more when you have some free time, and send some high-definition ones to the TV station next time?"
Upon hearing this, the barbecue owner looked at the television in surprise, then at Shi Lei:
"Hey, so you're the great hero who stopped the riot. My eyelids were twitching all day, what a stroke of luck! It's such an honor for our humble shop to have you here for barbecue. Don't worry, it's on me today."
"No need, just pay the price. You're running a small business, we won't take advantage of you."
"Hey, what are you saying? If you hadn't stopped the riots and allowed a large influx of infected people into the city, my shop would have been smashed, and I would have suffered even greater losses. It's not too much for me to treat you to a barbecue as a way of repaying your kindness, is it?"
Although what he said made sense, Shi Lei could not accept it.
Seeing that the boss insisted on treating him, he didn't argue. He would just pay the rest when he left.
Shi Lei looked away, only to hear a news report on the television that left him somewhat amused and exasperated.
"Our television station has exclusively contacted the Longmen Governor for verification. He fully acknowledges and praises Mister Zhongli's significant contributions to this riot. Furthermore, he requests a banquet for Mr. Zhongli at a high-end hotel in our city tomorrow afternoon at 5 PM. This station..."
"Sure, the governor will treat you to dinner."
Exusiai returned from the Rhodes Island table, her face slightly flushed, and teased:
"Can you take me with you then? I promise I'll only eat and I won't say anything nonsense."
Shi Lei shrugged, feeling utterly helpless.
That old fox Wei Yenwu never told him.
It was obvious they knew that a direct invitation would likely be rejected. So they reported it to the television station, conveying this message to the entire Lungmen. By acting first and then formally extending the invitation, they were less likely to be refused.
Moreover, since Wei Yenwu attributed the credit to him, there was no need to worry about 'Brother Zhongli' holding him accountable afterward.
If Shi Lei either doesn't attend the banquet or exposes the scheme, he might end up giving others something to talk about.
Texas, by observing his facial expressions, deduced that Wei Yenwu had not yet formally extended an invitation:
"If I'm not mistaken, he'll call you soon to discuss the details. Do you want to attend the banquet that's attracting the attention of the entire Lungmen tomorrow night?"
"Why not?"
Shi Lei looked up at the screen on the television:
"The governor has gone to great lengths to set up this meeting, how could I refuse? Since the atmosphere has already reached this point, I'll reluctantly agree to meet him."
366, can you translate this for me in 4K?
After eating a few skewers of barbecue, Shi Lei actually received a call from an unfamiliar number.
Everyone in the shop turned their attention to him, waiting for him to answer the call from the Longmen Governor.
Shi Lei wiped his hands with a tissue and pressed the answer button. But the voice on the other end of the line wasn't Wei Yenwu's:
"Hello, are you Mr. Zhongli Zhong?"
"It's me, and you are..."
"I am the Governor's secretary, and I am very sorry to bother you at this time. The Governor instructed me tonight to invite you to dinner tomorrow. However, I was busy dealing with the riots and forgot. I am truly sorry."
"The Governor just mentioned it, and I realized I hadn't informed you yet. So I called immediately to apologize. I have a younger sister who's still in school and really needs this job. I hope you won't hold it against me. I'll send you the meeting time and place via text message later."
Goodness.
So you're trying to play the victim with me, huh?
To avoid rejection, Wei Yenwu preemptively praised Shi Lei on television, attributing all the credit for the incident to him.
As the Longmen Governor, it would be beneath his dignity to call and apologize at this time. That's why he had his secretary contact him to inform him of the time and place of the meeting.
Shi Lei saw right through their little scheme but didn't bother to expose them. He figured he'd deal with whatever came his way; if the governor invited him, he'd just go.
Of course, maybe I'm overthinking it.
Whether the secretary forgot to notify them or was pushed to the forefront to take the blame, the answer is no longer important. Deliberately making things difficult for an ordinary worker is pointless.