"Sounds like you've come up with a solution?"
Old Zhou couldn't help brightening when he saw his expression.
Li Ye nodded.
"We can look for allies in the city and work together to fight the Crimson Hound."
"Allies? You mean the Mobile Cities wandering around the city?" Old Zhou suddenly understood.
But he quickly realized something, and a troubled look appeared on his face.
"Let's not even talk about whether we can find a Mobile City overnight. Even if we do, they might not agree. A-Li, would you be able to trust an unfamiliar Mobile City unconditionally?"
Li Ye smiled and shook his head.
"No, Old Zhou, you misunderstood. I wasn't talking about a Mobile City."
"What?"
Under Old Zhou's astonished gaze, Li Ye spoke softly.
"Have you forgotten that our fleet discovered a Survivor Community in the city?"
"That Survivor Community called Firefly has more than three hundred people. They must have quite a few fighters, and they're extremely familiar with the city's terrain."
"If we reach an agreement with them, arm them with Falcon Assault Rifles and Gale Rocket Launchers, and have them use the city buildings to wage guerrilla warfare, we can hunt down the Crimson Hound."
"Don't forget, they're very interested in our Falcon Assault Rifles and Gale Rocket Launchers. That's what we can offer them. Not only that, we can also provide Blue Heart Potato Seeds. A community like this must be in great need of Level 1 Crop Seeds. Oh, right—the Morning Light Wheat in the fields will be mature soon. We can provide Morning Light Wheat Seeds as well."
Old Zhou's eyes gradually lit up as he listened.
"Right. We'll do as you said."
Half an hour later, Li Ye and the others arrived at the location of the Firefly Community in an Off-road Vehicle.
The Firefly Community was located in a residential complex. High walls and watchtowers had been built around it, and inside were cultivated fields. Children were playing in the open areas.
When Scarface Man, the person in charge of the community, learned that a Mobile City lord had arrived, he put down his work and hurried over.
"Boss, they might be here to trade with us." His deputy, an excited young man wearing a headscarf, said, "A Level 1 Assault Rifle, a Level 1 Rocket Launcher, or a Level 1 Off-road Vehicle—getting any one of them would greatly increase our community's strength!"
Soon, both sides met at the entrance to the community.
The lord was a young man of about twenty-five or twenty-six, with a calm expression. The middle-aged man standing behind him on the left seemed to be his deputy, while on the right was a bespectacled young man in a wheelchair.
Behind them were two Companions carrying sacks, as well as the Level 1 Off-road Vehicle.
"You're Li Ye, right? Welcome to our community." Scarface Man led the group into the community. "Our community has a little over three hundred people in total. Although one-third of them are the elderly, weak, sick, disabled, or children, we're doing our best to take care of them."
"There are many monsters in the city, and the central region is even more dangerous." He spoke softly. "All we have are ordinary firearms. We don't even have Heavy Machine Guns or artillery, so searching for supplies outside is extremely difficult. Therefore, after learning that you have Level 1 Firearms and Level 1 Rocket Launchers, and even Level 1 Off-road Vehicles, we beg you—"
Before he could finish, the young lord gently waved his hand.
"Everything you mentioned, I can give you."
The two Companions following him opened the sacks they had brought and took out the items inside.
Scarface Man and his deputy instantly froze when they saw them.
Falcon Assault Rifles, Gale Rocket Launchers, Blue Heart Potato Seeds, Morning Light Wheat Seeds, Instant Noodles—
These Level 1 Items were now laid out before them one by one. Every single one was something they had dreamed of obtaining.
"If these aren't enough, you can have the vehicle outside as well." The lord spoke softly to them.
Scarface Man was the first to recover from his excitement. He raised a hand to signal his deputy to calm down, then looked up at the lord.
"So what do you want us to do?" he asked hesitantly.
Li Ye looked him in the eye and spoke calmly.
"Work with us to fight a Predator City."
Scarface Man froze, while his deputy's eyes widened in shock.
For a moment, a series of images flashed through their minds.
In the City Ruins, they and their Companions fired their guns at that steel-beast-like existence, but their attacks had little effect.
Meanwhile, the enemy's Heavy Machine Guns would tear their bodies apart, and its artillery would blast their hiding places to smithereens. When the nearby shelters had been completely destroyed and they were forced to flee through the streets, the enemy's fleet would come rushing over, slaughtering them with ease like stray dogs being swept away.
The more the deputy thought about it, the more his body trembled.
Scarface Man pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head.
"These things alone aren't enough to make us risk our lives." His voice was low and firm.
"Then what else do you want?" Old Zhou asked.
Lin Wu adjusted his glasses and gave the answer.
"I suspect they want that Mobile City as their new home."
Scarface Man nodded and spat heavily onto the ground.
"That's right!"
With a Mobile City, he could take everyone from the community aboard it and leave these City Ruins behind for good.
They could farm and raise livestock in the Mobile City, becoming self-sufficient.
They could gather resources in the wilderness and build up the Mobile City.
They could feel safer every day when they opened their eyes after waking up.
"I see." Li Ye nodded.
Scarface Man and the others' demand was perfectly reasonable.
Tomorrow wanted to destroy the Crimson Hound in one fell swoop and obtain the resources and Production Workshop projects aboard it.
The Firefly Community wanted to use this opportunity to obtain the Predator City and make it their future home. Without Tomorrow's help, a single community would never be able to take down a Predator City.
It truly proved the saying:
Only when both sides benefited could an alliance last.
After a round of discussion, both sides finally reached an agreement.
After taking down the Crimson Hound, all Level 1 and above Items aboard it, as well as all Level 1 and above projects in the Production Workshop, would belong to Tomorrow.
The Firefly Community would receive the entire Mobile City, and Tomorrow would also have to manufacture Off-road Vehicles, Falcon Assault Rifles, and Gale Rocket Launchers for them.
As for the Iron Ore, coal, and other resources aboard the Crimson Hound, both sides would split them equally.
"Then it's settled."
"Agreed. It's a promise."
Li Ye shook hands with Scarface Man.
"So when do you plan to make your move?" Scarface Man asked.
"Tomorrow," Li Ye replied.
Scarface Man grinned when he heard that.
"Tomorrow? I'd rather do it tonight—no, right now!"
Before you continue