Li Jin's Unfortunate Memories

Chapter 27: Li Jin's Unpleasant Memories (3.2K)

Li Ye couldn't help but freeze.

"You get a luxury car blueprint just from killing a goblin? What kind of luck is that?"

The Bounty Hunter scratched his head.

"I don't know, I've always been lucky."

Li Ye took the Rolls-Royce blueprint from him and fell into thought.

"Hiss, to be transported to a wasteland apocalypse and be able to drive a Rolls-Royce. My life is finally looking up!"

But upon closer consideration, this luxury car wasn't practical in the wasteland. It was fuel-inefficient and required frequent maintenance.

Adding just 50 units of iron ore could build a Level 1 Off-road Vehicle.

He immediately shook his head.

"No thanks."

Then, he looked at the Goblin Helicopter.

[Item Name: Goblin Combat Helicopter] [Item Level: Level 1] [Effect: Speed +10%] [Crafting Requirements: 150 units Iron Ore (Level 1), 10 units Aerial Vehicle Parts (Level 1)] [Note: The Production Workshop does not have the blueprint for this item, so it cannot be manufactured.]

For a Mobile City, an aerial vehicle was very valuable.

It could not only perform reconnaissance and provide aerial fire support for the Mobile City but also be docked on the city's deck to refuel. The mutual assistance between them would yield great results.

In the end, the Bounty Hunter packed the helicopter along with the blueprint and sold it to Li Ye for 3000 Crystal Coins.

Making 3000 Crystal Coins from one trip was quite profitable. He planned to relax for a while.

In fact, Li Ye could have chosen to rob him.

But with Tomorrow's current size, it wasn't necessary to resort to such actions.

If he were to take action, it would require at least a squadron of helicopters.

"Pleasure doing business with you." He shook hands with the Bounty Hunter and prepared to leave.

The other party hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Wait. Seeing as you're a decent person and didn't try to rob me in the middle of nowhere, I'll give you this blueprint I found in the canyon too!"

"Huh?"

Li Ye turned back in surprise.

He saw the Bounty Hunter pull out another blueprint from his pocket.

[Item Name: Streamlined Wetsuit] [Item Level: Normal] [Effect: None] [Crafting Requirements: 50 units Fabric (Level 1)]

"Oh?" His eyes instantly lit up.

For the Bounty Hunter, this was just a Normal blueprint that wouldn't significantly improve his combat strength, worth maybe a few hundred Crystal Coins at most.

But for a Mobile City, it was a great benefit. It would be useful for future sea expeditions, and sometimes such items were hard to come by.

He thanked the other party and accepted the blueprint.

After returning to the deck, Li Ye took out the two blueprints from his pocket and examined them.

Although the wetsuit blueprint was only Normal grade, it was already a pretty good functional item.

And while the Rolls-Royce blueprint was impractical, it could be stored in the Production Workshop.

In fact, he quite enjoyed the feeling of collecting blueprints, much like how players collect various equipment and item illustrations in online games.

The most crucial part was that you could actually craft the items from the illustrations.

Li Ye made a decision.

If he had some spare money in the future, he would collect more blueprints. Even if they weren't used, just having them lined up in the Production Workshop would be a pleasing sight.

Then, he dejectedly patted his pocket.

After all that spending, his Crystal Coins were running low again.

In the following time, he used the Lifting Platform to move the Goblin Helicopter onto Tomorrow's deck and arranged for Lin Wu to inspect it.

After a thorough check, Lin Wu discovered that only a bolt on the propeller was loose. Tightening it would make it operational.

After some careful examination, the two of them found that the Goblin Helicopter was surprisingly easy to fly.

Its dashboard was far simpler than a human's, allowing for a clear overview. The operating system consisted of just a few controls: a collective lever, a pitch lever, rudder pedals, and a throttle.

Li Ye even found a Goblin Idiot's Guide on the helicopter.

Under his careful operation, the helicopter actually managed to take flight.

However, due to its crude construction, it looked like it might fall apart at any moment while flying.

Li Ye flew the helicopter in low-altitude circles around the area for a few laps before returning to the upper deck.

During this time, he specifically checked the helicopter's armament. It had two machine guns mounted on its wings and a bomb bay containing six bombs.

As a Level 1 vehicle, it was fast, but its construction was very weak, making it easy for bullets to pierce the fuel tank and cause it to catch fire and explode.

Still, for Goblins, this was already considered a fairly decent aerial combat force.

For the next period, Li Ye ordered the Tomorrow to head towards the Rotting Lands to collect resources from a small oil field.

Since the oil field was underground, it was completely invisible from the surface. He could only send Lin Wu with some outdated oil surveying equipment from the warehouse to scout the vicinity.

Once the location was confirmed, a gap opened at the bottom of the Tomorrow, and an old, automated drilling rig extended out, slowly rotating as it penetrated the surface. The hydraulic drill bit roared, tearing through the rock strata until it reached the oil reservoir.

An oil pipeline extended from the drill rig, and began siphoning petroleum. The thick oil was then pumped into the storage tanks within the mobile city.

As the oil field was small in scale, the operation was completed in just half an hour.

Li Ye took stock of their haul from this expedition.

They had obtained a total of 231 units of petroleum.

Petroleum could be processed into fuel in the Production Workshop, and fuel was the best resource for replenishing the mobile city's energy. Not only that, but the off-road vehicles and Goblin helicopters also required fuel.

Considering that the Tomorrow might unlock the plastic production project in the future, and that plastic manufacturing required petroleum, coupled with the fact that the Tomorrow's energy levels were currently within a safe range, Li Ye decided not to process the petroleum for now and instead stored it.

Next, he set course back to Roland Fortress, to begin preparing for the most urgent matter at hand – attacking the Gross Mine.

The Azure and the Conqueror were still undergoing repairs and preparations at the fortress. Li Ye quickly found Li Jin and Lei Jian and informed them of the news.

Upon hearing that another Wild BOSS had appeared, Li Jin and Lei Jian couldn't help but be startled, their eyes instantly becoming fervent.

They had already witnessed the drops from Wild BOSSes before.

"This time, we'll need to cooperate fully, just like before," Li Ye said.

Seeing Li Jin and Lei Jian nod, a hint of relief flashed in his eyes.

It was fortunate that the Azure and the Conqueror were both available, and that they had cooperated once before, allowing for a degree of mutual trust. Otherwise, the Tomorrow alone would not have been enough to take the Gross Mine, let alone obtain that City Advancement Blueprint.

"By the way, where is the Gross Mine? Do either of you have any intelligence on it?" Lei Jian asked.

Li Ye immediately looked at Li Jin.

The intelligence report only mentioned the appearance of a Wild BOSS; it did not specify the location of the Gross Mine.

The location of the Gross Mine, and the monsters guarding it, were only known by the Azure, which had previously suffered a defeat there.

The mention of the Gross Mine brought a look to Li Jin's face as if he had been chased by a pack of vicious dogs.

According to him, the Gross Mine was located about 180 kilometers northwest of Roland Fortress.

It was a mountain range of considerable size, rich in mineral resources.

And the monsters guarding the Gross Mine were Goblins.

"Goblins?" Li Ye exclaimed in surprise.

On the wasteland, Goblins were considered the most common Level 1 monsters.

They were small in stature, with treacherous and cowardly personalities, green skin, and narrow, red eyes.

They were among the weakest monsters, easily killed.

Furthermore, the drops from these Level 1 monsters were very poor, usually yielding only one or two Crystal Coins, or even nothing at all. If lucky, they might drop some Iron Ore and Fabric.

"Could Goblins alone have done that to your Azure?" Lei Jian asked, skeptical.

Li Jin quickly shook his head.

"You have no idea how absurd the Goblins there are," he said. "Let me explain."

When they first discovered the Gross Mine, Li Jin and the crew of the Azure were overjoyed.

After all, the resources produced by a mine were several times greater than those from a quarry.

There was even a chance of discovering a series of Rare Ore Veins, accompanied by more valuable crystals.

Especially after discovering that the monsters guarding the mine were just Goblins, they were ecstatic.

Compared to Snake People or Boar People, these monsters were insignificant.

Considering the complex and unpredictable nature of the wasteland, where unexpected events could occur at any moment, and other mobile cities might discover this mine, the Azure quickly mobilized its combat personnel to attack the Gross Mine, to avoid any prolonged complications.

However, as soon as the battle began, everyone sensed that something was amiss.

The Goblins of the Gross Mine rapidly assembled and deployed artillery and heavy machine guns to counterattack.

They had not only built mine shafts but also numerous trenches, fortresses, and other defensive structures on the mountain.

The Goblins were well-trained and extremely numerous, with countless artillery pieces and heavy machine guns. A dense web of firepower instantly engulfed the Azure.

Rows of helicopters were even dispatched, strafing and bombing the deck of the Azure.

When a helicopter was shot down, the goblins would heroically pilot it to crash into the Azure.

For a time, everyone on the Azure felt as if the entire mine was firing at them.

Their heavy machine guns and cannons inflicted limited damage, as the vast majority of goblins hid in trenches and fortifications, and their heavy machine guns and cannons were often mounted in elevated positions.

To their even greater horror, the goblins had also brought out two Level 1 Artillery pieces.

Li Jin immediately ordered the Azure to retreat quickly.

However, one Level 1 Artillery still managed to hit the Azure, causing the entire Mobile City to tremble instantly.

The Azure barely escaped with its life.

After assessing the losses, the entire Mobile City was severely damaged, with significant casualties. Li Jin himself had been severely wounded and unconscious at the time.

Even now that he had recovered, Li Jin still felt a lingering fear when he recalled the event.

Li Ye and Lei Jian exchanged a look after listening, a grave expression appearing in their eyes.

They hadn't expected the defenses of the Gross Mine to be so outrageous.

"It seems we'll have to make a new plan," Lei Jian sighed.

"So, the Goblin Helicopters came from the Gross Mine," Li Ye said with sudden realization.

He thought for a moment, then spoke.

"The Tomorrow has helicopters. I can send one out to scout the mine and figure out the deployment locations of their fortifications and artillery, as well as their combat strength," he suggested.

Li Jin and Lei Jian were both greatly surprised upon hearing this.

"What? You have helicopters too?"