Chapter 71

"He's in the car. Is there something you need from him?"

Once the bandit leader confirmed that the man was in the car, he knew that today's deal was completely ruined.

Although they spend most of their time committing crimes in the wasteland, they still regularly go to Lungmen to resupply.

Nowadays, it's not just bars; many gang-related gathering places in the Lower City are talking about Zhongli. With all sorts of embellishments, the rumors are becoming more and more fantastical.

Some say he can conjure Catastrophe Meteorite with his bare hands, while others claim he possesses an incredibly strong shield that makes him impervious to all things. A while ago, a group of fools ventured into the Lower City, only to be nearly Zhongli by Zhongli's three uninterrupted meteor strikes. In short, never mess with him, or your life will be in danger.

"No, it's just that I've long admired Mister Zhongli's name and wanted to pay my respects to him. If you're in a hurry, you can go ahead. Brothers, move the logs!"

Having said that, the leader turned around and ordered the bandits to quickly move the obstacles away so that this menacing figure could leave.

Before long, the road ahead was clear.

The bandit leader smiled obsequiously, bowed, and gestured for them to leave.

"We are very sorry. If we have offended you in any way, we hope Mister Zhongli. Zhongli will forgive us and not hold it against us."

As the saying Exusiai, one shouldn't hit a smiling face, nor should one curse a gift-giver. Seeing the bandits surrender so quickly, Exusiai didn't want to stab them in the back, so she blurted out:

"You think you can just let it go like this after blocking my way today?"

"I understand the rules, I understand."

The bandit leader walked more than ten steps toward the wooden stake, then waved his arms and shouted loudly toward the sand dune:

"Listen up, all of you! Get in the cars! We're here to protect Mister Zhongli's convoy!"

He claimed to be providing protection, but in reality, they didn't need bandits' protection at all. He did this partly to make amends for his past mistakes and partly to give his brothers a warning.

The number of bandits in the wilderness was limited, and they generally knew each other. When they encountered unofficial transport caravans that they couldn't take down, they would invite each other to join forces and launch attacks.

If Zhongli were to wipe out the remaining bandits, their small numbers would be satisfied in the short term. However, in the long run, large caravans wouldn't be able to handle the workload, and small caravans wouldn't have enough to go around. The disadvantages would outweigh the advantages in the long run.

It gradually headed towards its demise.

Seeing the bandits quickly board the trucks and drive forward in One-Line Snake Formation, Exusiai leaned out of a truck window and shouted to the convoy behind them:

"It's alright, they're not robbing us. They're just clearing the way ahead. Let's go."

"..."

Huang frowned, his expression extremely strange.

I've already started my chainsaw, and this is what you're telling me?

If their convoy hadn't been at the back, Huang would have seriously suspected that Penguin Logistics was in cahoots with these bandits. Since no fight broke out, let it go. The raw materials for this batch of inhibitors couldn't be lost; it was better to avoid trouble.

Seeing that the orange pickup truck ahead had already started, she put away her chainsaw and used the Walkie-Talkie to direct the convoy to follow.

Twenty minutes later.

As they approached a pass, a lightning-like chain of energy suddenly appeared in front of the vehicles leading the way, forcing the bandit gang to brake and stop to avoid becoming easy targets.

Then, forty or fifty people surged out from both sides of the hill. The leader, wearing a trench coat and carrying a staff, defiantly shouted at the bandit leader:

"Gray Scorpion, the brothers haven't had meat in ages. You've had quite a haul today, how about sharing half the truck with everyone to treat us to something nice?"

"Mad Thunder, you son of a bitch (Lungmen profanity)! You dare to rob the convoy that Zhongli is escorting? You're asking for trouble! If you don't want to die, get the hell out of the way!"

Mad Thunder Lei looked suspicious, feeling like he'd heard the name somewhere before, so he asked one of the henchmen beside him:

Who is Zhongli?

"You don't even know Zhongli?"

Seeing the stern look from his boss, the henchman swallowed hard and explained stiffly:

"It's Zhongli from Penguin Logistics."

"Penguin Logistics?!"

Mad Thunder often shook his head from side to side when he spoke, and it was unclear what was wrong with him. He picked up his binoculars and indeed spotted an orange pickup truck behind the Gray Scorpion convoy.

The Penguin Logistics logo on the hood of the vehicle is a nightmare that no bandit in this area can forget.

Long before Zhongli appeared in the world, they had robbed Penguin Logistics' goods countless times, but never succeeded.

"Damn it, why didn't you guys warn me?"

"It wasn't you who said it..."

Upon catching a glimpse of his boss's murderous gaze, the henchman immediately shut his lips, wishing he could slap himself.

"Quickly, move the roadblocks away!"

Mad Thunder paced back and forth, seemingly asking himself a question, yet also asking someone else:

"Damn it, if Gray Scorpion mentions my name, won't I be held responsible for this? I keep getting into this mess, what am I going to do?"

Seeing that the henchmen remained silent, he asked sternly:

"I'm asking you a question! Are you mute? What do we do?"

"I dare not say."

Mad Thunder shook his head from side to side, blowing his nose every now and then. "Damn it, just say it, why all the nonsense? If you don't talk, I'll blow you up right now."

The henchman was so aggrieved that he was almost in tears:

"If we can't beat them, then let's join them."

Huang witnessed firsthand how the number of bandits escorting the transport convoy grew from fifty to one hundred, and then gradually to two hundred.

The massive escort convoy was so impressive that bandits and thugs along the way gave way.

What should have been a legitimate caravan transport protection contract has been turned into a 'massive fan meeting'.

The bandit leaders came over and apologized to the man sitting in the passenger seat. As they left, they kept looking back, as if trying to memorize his face.

Huang stared at the orange pickup truck ahead, his feelings a mix of emotions. Just who exactly was this Mister Zhongli?

115 (This last part is a typo and can be omitted.)

Seeing more and more bandit gangs protecting her at the front, Exusiai practically laughing her head off.

"Hahaha, not bad, Zhongli."

She picked up the musket and began to unload it, removing the live ammunition and reloading it with rubber bullets for regular use.

"I didn't expect you to have so many fans in the wasteland. I'll definitely call you when I run these kinds of missions in the future."

Although she didn't have the chance to empty the magazine, she wasn't dissatisfied. After all, live ammunition was much more expensive than rubber bullets, and firing so few of them wasn't very satisfying.

If you really want to shoot something, you can go to the warehouse.

Shi Lei built a shooting range for her, filled with all sorts of stone targets. If one got broken, it could be replaced at no cost, so she didn't have to worry about the money.

"Don't joke with me. I'm not an idol, where would I get fans?"

After learning he was in the pickup truck, the bandits' attitude changed drastically. They bowed and scraped as they approached to apologize, showing none of the demeanor expected of a leader.

But it doesn't matter anymore.

Today's mission is to escort Rhodes Island's transport convoy safely to Lungmen. Ensuring the safety of Miss Huang and the raw materials for the inhibitor is our primary objective.

Let those bandits offer to escort us; it'll save them a lot of trouble. They'll still get paid, and we can make money sitting down—why not?

Croissant, gripping the steering wheel, quipped:

"Exusiai, stop badmouthing Shi Lei. If his fans find out, they'll definitely come after you."

Exusiai's face flushed slightly. She raised her musket and waved it, arguing:

"I wasn't slandering him; I was just joking with him. Besides, I'm not afraid of those bandits."

What followed was some incomprehensible talk about things like salvation, the Apuru sect, and the Laterano faith, which filled the carriage with a cheerful atmosphere.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the convoy could already see the massive outline of the Mobile Cities. In about another kilometer, they would reach the outpost of the Lungmen Immigration Control Center.

The escort team, composed of several hundred bandits, seemed to have coordinated in advance, and simultaneously dispersed to the left and right sides.

Like peeling a banana, Penguin Logistics' orange pickup truck became the lead vehicle.

If we go any further, we'll be in for a bullet from the Lungmen Guard Department. Now that we've sent that monster Zhongli away, we'll have to be careful and tighten our belts for a while.

Seeing the bandits scatter to the left and right, and fearing they would be surrounded, Huang gave instructions over the Walkie-Talkie:

"All squads must remain vigilant at all times. Don't let your guard down just because we're getting close to Lungmen!"

As it turned out, she was overthinking it.

If these bandit gangs hadn't been afraid of being targeted and punished by Zhongli, they would have already made a run for it.

At the beginning of the evacuation, they were able to maintain the formation of the convoy, but it fell apart within seconds. They fled in a panic, as if fleeing a disaster, and never looked back.

Now let's rewind to five minutes ago.

The atmosphere inside the Lungmen Immigration Control Outpost was tense and somber.

On the distant horizon, a large convoy of bandits was seen charging towards them. The new Lungmen Guard Department officer who observed this immediately reported to his superior:

"Stationmaster, something terrible has happened!!!"

Most of the bandits on the wilderness were not a significant force.

Any bandits exceeding a certain size or number will be subject to periodic crackdowns by the Lungmen Guard Department.

Upon learning that a large bandit caravan was suspected of attempting to break through the pass, the outpost captain was somewhat skeptical. Even if those guys had ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare attack Lungmen.

When we got to the station, hey, it really was!

A convoy of several hundred bandits, like a brown arrow, approached from afar. The new police officer, who had never seen anything like it, nervously urged:

Should this situation be reported to headquarters?

The stationmaster squinted, peering through his binoculars as if he'd spotted something, but he wasn't entirely sure:

"No rush, let them drive for a while longer."

The officers behind him were all recent graduates from the police academy who had been transferred here.

Some people have strong mental fortitude, while others are trembling with fear; the quality varies greatly.

There's no way around it; there's always a process involved in going from new to old.

As the bandit caravan drew closer, everyone's hearts were in their throats.

Some officers, fearing for their lives, quietly retreated further inside. The station chief merely sighed inwardly and said nothing more.

Suddenly, the bandit caravan scattered to both sides!

They turned and made a U-turn in the open area, giving way to the orange pickup truck at the back of the convoy. That vibrant color stood out sharply against the dry brown.

Upon seeing this, the stationmaster smiled slightly and raised his hand to suppress the Sarkaz members' muskets.

"Don't shoot, it's Penguin Logistics."

If they were the ones following the bandit caravan, then everything makes sense. If I remember correctly, Mister Zhongli should be inside the caravan.

"Those bandits are protecting Penguin Logistics so much, could they be in cahoots?"

The station chief didn't reprimand the officer who asked the question; maintaining skepticism was a good thing. She shook her head and explained:

"You'll understand after you've been doing this for a while. Those bandits aren't escorting us; they're trying to save their own lives. Alright, lads, put your weapons away."

Because the new officer who notified the station chief shouted loudly along the way, all the officers at the outpost came out. They then put away their weapons and stood on both sides of the road, creating a scene of welcoming them.

Croissant drove Huang's convoy up the slope, only to be stopped by a horizontal bar at the checkpoint.

The station chief, accompanied by numerous police officers, approached the pickup truck and gave Shi Lei a polite smile upon seeing Shi Lei.

"Mister Zhongli, what comes next?"

He turned his head to look back, then quickly looked away:

"That's our target for protection today, a convoy from Rhodes Island carrying medicine."