Chapter 366
Red wore a mask the entire time to avoid inhaling the smell of the landfill. He leaned against the RV, clutching a long red knife, seemingly acquiescing to this practice.
Talulah saw that the Crownslayer had stopped moving and shifted her gaze to Nine:
"What do you mean?"
Instead of answering directly, Jiu asked in return:
"Miss Talulah, what do you mean by refusing to come with us from prison?"
Talulah glanced down at the handcuffs, feeling no different from being imprisoned. Her Originium Arts were still restricted, only her movement was more restricted.
She looked up at the bright, clear moon, her thoughts wandering aimlessly. After a moment, she blurted out:
"I have done many wrong things in the past that I need to repent and atone for, so I cannot leave with you."
You probably have no idea how vicious and insane my childhood education was. That madman, the Duke Koschei, tirelessly imparted this knowledge.
In rebellion, I decided to go against him. He wanted me to stay away from commoners so that I could inherit the title later. So I found the Originium and cut my blood vessels, becoming an Infected person who couldn't inherit the title. He wanted me to become an officer in Ursus, so I became the leader of the Infected organization.
I thought I was rebelling. Little did I know it was all part of Koschei's scheme. A conspiracy can only happen because someone wants it to happen. And the Rhodes Island exists because someone wants it to exist.
Now, I've finally woken up. I see through Koschei's manipulative tactics; all he wants to do is slack off and give up.
Upon hearing this answer, the Crownslayer frowned and said:
"Leader, have you become addicted to being in prison? Do you know how much effort we've put into developing and how many detailed plans we've devised to get you out?"
In that instant, Talulah felt that her former subordinate had suddenly become a complete stranger.
"It's not like I begged you to come and save me."
The Crownslayer stared at her strangely, disappointed by the answer, his tone becoming somewhat impatient:
"Nine, why don't we send her back to prison, or release her Lungmen? I can no longer see any leadership qualities or decisiveness in her. This Fangs appearance of hers disgusts me."
After tying her hair up, Jiu came over.
She casually picked up a stack of discarded magazines and threw them into the fire, then sat down on an empty oil drum:
"No, regardless of whether Talulah wants to or not, we must support her, and we can only support her."
"Why?"
The Crownslayer's expression was complex; he found it hard to accept.
"If a leader loses her edge and courage in prison, how can she lead those infected onto a better path in the future?"
The Rhodes Island is currently short of cadres; all the capable ones are here. After a moment's thought, Jiu decided to stop hiding it and explained the real reason to the two:
"Miss Talulah is not an ordinary noblewoman. She has the blood of Dolak in her veins and is a candidate who is qualified to compete for the throne."
The Crownslayer, bewildered, immediately asked:
"The throne? Which country's throne?"
Before Jiu could answer, Red, who had been silent all along, spoke up:
"Currently, the only country with a vacant throne is Victoria. Victoria was once ruled by the Dolak people for a long time. Later, the Aslan Clan, who migrated from other places, fought a fierce war with the Draco in order to integrate into this land."
The two sides fought fiercely, leaving corpses strewn across the battlefield and rivers of blood, before finally signing an agreement to share the throne. Now, any member of the Royal Family of Dolak or Aslan is eligible to compete for the throne of Victoria.
Seeing the Crownslayer's look of sudden realization, Talulah grinned with a contemptuous smile:
"So you rescued me not because you really wanted to save me, but because you coveted the blood in my body."
Nine did not conceal his actions, responding frankly and directly:
"That's right. We need the appeal of the throne candidates to help the Rhodes Island recover and regain its footing as soon as possible. Only with financial resources and fame can we create suitable homes for the infected. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"
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"That's true, but your thinking is a bit too idealistic, just like mine in the past."
Talulah looked at Nine, the flickering firelight illuminating only half of her profile.
"Besides, even if you use my name to gather a large number of people, so what? They just want to support me to become the new king of Victoria, so as to seize more wealth and benefits. Once they can no longer get these things from me, they will not hesitate to betray me. A team assembled in this way is not the future hope of the infected."
"Of course I know that."
Nine is much older than Talulah and is well-versed in the darker aspects of officialdom and the world:
"They are using us, but aren't we using them too? Only by gathering manpower and acquiring sufficient financial resources can we cultivate our own team."
This way, we'll be able to save more of our infected compatriots. If you continue fighting alone as before, the organization's ranks will only dwindle.
Choosing this path was a last resort.
Given the harsh conditions this land faces towards the infected, it's simply too difficult for one person to rally their fellow citizens. Therefore, a compromise had to be made: first, use the identity of the heir to the throne to gather troops. Once more resources are available, further screening and purification can be carried out.
Talulah understood her good intentions, but didn't quite approve of this path:
"When I was in prison, I saw a promotional advertisement for Liyue City. Perhaps that's the best place for the Infected."
Through her intelligence network, Jiu learned that the City Lord of Liyue City was Zhongli's brother. However, she did not lead her troops to surrender because she did not trust these people.
"Leader, I can understand that you have unrealistic expectations of others. But harsh reality will eventually teach you a lesson. No matter how much Zhongli and his brother care about the infected, they are not infected themselves. Do you understand that?"
Since resigning as head of the Lungmen Guard Department, I have been working tirelessly for the future of the Infected. Although my abilities are limited, I have never considered giving up.
However, those infected were extremely wary of me because I wasn't infected. They thought I was putting on a show, or even humiliating them. It wasn't until I became infected that I was accepted by this group.
Zhongli is very strong, I admit that. The Liyue City behind him is also a force to be reckoned with. But if we Infected join them, will we really have a way out?
We, the infected, should create our own cities, instead of constantly living as dependents.
I still remember what one person who was infected once said. He said, "Since I'm not infected, how can I empathize with what those who are infected are going through?"
Perhaps it's just to satisfy personal vanity and a sense of accomplishment. Once this hype dies down, will we still be able to treat those infected with the same seriousness as before?
Therefore, I have always firmly believed that it's better to rely on yourself than on others, and we can't completely trust anyone unless Zhongli is infected.
Talulah remained silent for a long time after hearing this.
She realized that Jiu's words made sense, and she couldn't convince him.
Zhongli is indeed very strong, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can always treat infected people kindly.
Talulah licked her dry lips, shifting her gaze from the increasingly intense firelight to the other person's profile:
"So what's next? Where do we go?"
Nine's gaze was exceptionally firm, as if she always believed that what she had done was not wrong:
"Victoria".
August 3rd.
After more than 20 hours of flight, Shi Lei and his group departed from Sistag and arrived in Lungmen territory.
Having lived for nearly ten thousand years, this was the first time the Emperor had looked down upon this familiar yet unfamiliar land from a height of three or four thousand meters, and he couldn't help but feel a unique sense of unease.
It looked out the window at the landscape below and suddenly asked:
"Shi Lei, are you heading straight back to Lungmen?"
"Ah, yes."
"How about we go check out Liyue City first?"
Seeing that Shi Lei did not respond immediately, Da Di looked away, adjusted his sunglasses, and asked with a smile:
"What, you're not welcome?"
"No, no."
Shi Lei hesitated just now because he was considering whether or not to let his boss know the inside story.
Without prior notice, once the Qianyan Army calls himself the City Lord, the Emperor can guess that he has no brother and that the so-called brothers are all a smokescreen.
However, Shi Lei had known it for several years and was very familiar with the Emperor's personality. A boss who was so protective of his own wouldn't easily reveal the secrets of this place.
Since Liyue City was on the flight path back to Lungmen, Shi Lei changed direction and landed from high altitude.
Upon seeing the city, which was almost perfectly symmetrical, the Emperor nodded repeatedly. He felt a sense of pride, much like an old father visiting his son's new home.
As the black iron house slowly descended, the patrolling sentries immediately notified the generals. They would put aside their duties and rush to the Inner City to greet it.
Shi Lei didn't bring any food or seeds with him when he came to Liyue City. He thought he couldn't come empty-handed, so he crafted many obsidian rings and necklaces.
Anyway, in Sistag, there are rumors that obsidian products have a slight effect in suppressing Originium-related illness.
As for whether it will be effective, Shi Lei is unsure.
But since tourists are allowed to take this stuff, it shouldn't be radioactive. Plus, the obsidian he makes is of very high purity, so it's a top-quality souvenir even if it's just for personal enjoyment.
Seeing the Wendigo, Sarkaz, Kuranta, Feline, and other major races all gathered together, the Emperor couldn't help but smile with satisfaction. It was the first time he had ever witnessed so many races coexisting harmoniously with the Infected.
The city that countless infected people and marginalized forces dreamed of creating was actually built by Shi Lei.
Okay, okay, okay!
"Your place is great in every way, but it feels too quiet and not lively enough. How about Miss Kong and I skip our New Year's Eve party this year and hold a concert here instead? I'll cover all the music equipment."
During the previous bonfire party, they played the Emperor's album on a record player. Now that it's coming over to sing in person, the atmosphere is sure to be explosive.
Shi Lei agreed without much thought:
"Since the boss is in such a good mood, how could I refuse?"
"Haha, then it's decided!"
The supplies in Liyue City could feed and drink several thousand people for over a year. Six Sarkaz chefs, who had returned from their training, prepared a sumptuous lunch for the guests.
During the meal, Patriot reported that the blond Kuranta had left Liyue City.
Shi Lei knew that Maena had gone out to look for someone, so he didn't say much and nodded to indicate that he understood.
After a satisfying meal, the group stayed in Liyue City for a while longer, until sunset before returning to Lungmen.
Shi Lei was the first to land on the rooftop of Penguin Logistics, letting the boss, Miss. Kong, and Croissant down. Only then did he take the rest of the group back to the warehouse on Taiheng Road.
As soon as he landed, he noticed Officer Hoshiguma lingering at the alley entrance, so he went over to strike up a conversation.
She was Chen's capable subordinate, and the things she talked about while waiting for him were mostly related to Officer Chen:
"Officer Hoshiguma, hello there. I've noticed you've been waiting here. Is there something you need?"
Hoshiguma had knocked on the door before and received no response, so she had no idea where they had come from. She then took the initiative to explain her purpose:
"Mister Shi Lei, Talulah has been kidnapped from prison. Our Lungmen Guard Department has been searching all night, but we still can't find any clues about the suspect. Old Chen is currently on a business trip to Dossoles. The Governor is also out and hasn't returned yet; we don't know where he went. I really have no better idea than to come to you for help."
Shi Lei was somewhat surprised to learn that Talulah had been kidnapped. Earlier this year in Kornoberg, he had already eliminated almost all of the officers. The remaining W and Patriot had joined the Qianyan Army.
Besides, who else would go to such lengths to rescue Talulah?
"Oh? When did this happen?"
"The specific time was 11 p. m. the night before last. At that time, there was a major power outage in the prison, which caused all the surveillance cameras and electronic locks to malfunction. Afterwards, the prison staff counted the number of prisoners one by one and found that Talulah was missing."
Upon hearing this, Shi Lei sighed helplessly:
"Officer Hoshiguma, although I really want to help you, Talulah has been out of prison for over 24 hours. If she tries to escape, she can run a long distance."
Only the Entrance/Exit to the Upper City of Lungmen are strictly controlled; the Lower City is like a sieve. Even without going through the border checkpoint, there are many ways to enter and exit.
"Here's what I'll do. You can ask this private investigator for help; maybe they can find some clues. When it comes to finding people, you should find someone more professional. I'm really not that good at it."
After speaking, Shi Lei pulled up Lee's phone number and had Hoshiguma record it. Although he could Psychic Scan, Lao Li had been out of prison for almost two days. Lungmen's population was already large, making it too difficult to locate Talulah.
"Thank you very much, Mister Shi Lei. I'll be going now, so I won't bother you any longer."
"Okay, if you have any news about Talulah, please contact me immediately. If I can catch her, I will send her back to Lungmen Prison."
Hoshiguma bowed politely and turned to leave the scene.
The rest of August will be like Ultraman riding a bicycle – peaceful and uneventful is the best way to live.
After returning from Dossoles, Chen also used a water gun. She personally led the search, but found no clues about Talulah.