The Poor Then, The Rich

Chapter 19: The Poor Rely on Skill, The Rich Rely on Wealth

Lu Yuanming held his pistol, following behind Peter and Charlie. He wasn't too nervous.

On one hand, he had already used firearms before. He basically wouldn't tremble at the sight of monsters or gunfights anymore.

On the other hand, there was the saying "Skillful and Bold." Now that he knew Colorless Light Particles could heal, and his soul had become very strong, not just in strength and speed, but even his reaction speed had improved synchronously. This gave him a lot more confidence, and naturally, he wouldn't be easily afraid.

What Lu Yuanming didn't know was that he was actually the source of confidence for those around him. Whether it was Charlie, Peter, or Charlie's subordinates, when they learned that Lu Yuanming would be traveling with them, they were all incredibly excited and filled with confidence for this battle.

Perhaps in Lu Yuanming's own eyes, everything he did was completely honest and sincere. This was because he truly didn't know how to manipulate people. But his honesty and sincerity, combined with his miraculous abilities, made those around him see him as divine. Even people with dark hearts like Charlie or Tom couldn't help but be drawn to him, because they instinctively knew they wouldn't encounter betrayal or mistreatment from Lu Yuanming.

This was, in fact, the direction of human hearts.

Lu Yuanming, precisely because he didn't know how to deal with a group of Europeans and Americans, chose the greatest sincerity and honesty, which inadvertently became the direction of human hearts.

At this moment, Lu Yuanming naturally didn't understand all of this deeply. He was just walking in the team, observing his surroundings.

New York City in this afterlife was desolate and broken. Although according to everyone, this was a one-to-one replica of New York City, many shops, stores, supermarkets, and weapon shops had been looted. It was unclear whether the supplies were taken by people who died before, or if these supplies were never there to begin with.

Seeing all this, Lu Yuanming became even more determined in his idea of farming.

"...How much food do you think the potatoes we planted now can yield?" Lu Yuanming suddenly asked.

Everyone stared at him blankly. He continued, "To be honest, I can't distinguish grains. Let alone planting potatoes, I've never even managed to keep a potted plant alive since I was a child. So I really don't know how much food the potatoes we planted now can yield, or how long it can feed how many people."

Charlie and his subordinates naturally didn't understand either. If Lu Yuanming asked them about firearms or the underworld, they would be experts. But when it came to planting crops, they were about the same as Lu Yuanming.

Instead, Peter thought for a long time and said, "The land we planted now can yield about ten thousand kilograms of potatoes. How long that can feed how many people, I don't know."

Lu Yuanming looked at Peter in surprise. This slightly plump man, besides being good at shooting, was also familiar with agricultural crops. It seemed he was truly a hidden talent.

"Let's say ten thousand kilograms. If there isn't enough animal fat or vegetable oil, and no side dishes, assuming an adult consumes one kilogram of potatoes per day, it can feed our organization's people for about one hundred days. But if we want to continue accepting more people into the organization, these ten thousand kilograms of potatoes will be far from enough."

Moreover, besides potatoes, other food crops, especially those rich in oil, also needed to be planted.

The more Lu Yuanming thought, the more he felt that farming was a complex and overwhelming task, and he couldn't figure it out.

"Let's pool our wisdom and efforts," Lu Yuanming murmured. "After we deal with these MXG Gang, we'll hold a meeting when we get back to make plans, preferably long-term ones."

Lu Yuanming knew he had too little experience. He had just entered society when he was knocked into a vegetative state. He wasn't some exceptionally gifted person either, and he certainly couldn't achieve the level of "One Word Can Stabilize a Nation." However, he had self-awareness. For things he couldn't do or couldn't do well, he would let experts handle them. If there were no experts, it would be best to pool wisdom and efforts. Moreover, he had something to learn from.

That was his motherland, Z Country.

Lu Yuanming naturally couldn't think of many deeper things, but based on the superficial process and results, he was very confident that he could learn from the process of his motherland's rise.

Charlie and the others naturally didn't know Lu Yuanming's thoughts. They were cautiously guarding their surroundings, protecting Lu Yuanming who was in the middle of the group. At the same time, they saw Lu Yuanming frowning from time to time, and then relaxing his brows and smiling.

Thus, after about an hour, Charlie suddenly pointed to a large building in the distance and said, "This is where we captured him. They usually have a gang member lead four to five controlled civilians to search for supplies in these buildings or shops. The gang members don't enter the buildings themselves; it's all done by the civilians. If there are monsters inside, only the controlled civilians will die. At that time, we saw this MXG Person standing outside. We stealthily approached him. To prevent him from escaping, causing unnecessary danger and variables, I shot him."

Lu Yuanming nodded, indicating he understood. He immediately followed Charlie's words: "The MXG Gang is missing a gang member, and your gunshot would have made a sound. The weapon you were holding was a pistol, and those MXG people are lifelong gun enthusiasts. They would have definitely recognized it as a pistol, so they must have guessed we were attacking them... Charlie, what do you think they will do? Will they launch a full-scale attack on the bank? Or will they hide and ambush our exploration personnel?"

Charlie chuckled, "Lord, if they were given another two or three days, they might have thought about ambushing the exploration personnel. But I know them too well. Their first reaction to an unexpected death of a member is to retreat to their lair, become suspicious, and wonder if there's an informant among them. Only then will they investigate who attacked them and consider how to retaliate. This is truly the foundation and nature of their criminal organization."

Lu Yuanming pondered, then said after a moment of thought, "In other words, they are all gathered in the warehouse right now, discussing moving their base?"

Charlie nodded, "That's right. But they definitely wouldn't expect us to arrive so quickly. Most importantly, this is the Afterlife. They can't easily relocate like they could in the living world. A spacious base with basic defenses and no monsters is extremely precious."

With that, Lu Yuanming had no further doubts and immediately quickened his pace, jogging towards the warehouse.

As Lu Yuanming started to run, he remained calm and composed. By the time he reached the intersection outside the warehouse, everyone else, except for Lu Yuanming, was on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. This made everyone increasingly feel that Lu Yuanming was extraordinary. Peter, in particular, having seen Lu Yuanming before, knew he didn't have his current height and physical strength, which further convinced Peter that Lu Yuanming was the Messiah, currently in the process of slowly recovering his true form.

The group cautiously explored from the intersection. After walking only a hundred meters inward, shouts immediately erupted from a Guard Post Hall ahead. Charlie, Peter, and Charlie's subordinates immediately raised their weapons and aimed towards the hall. Lu Yuanming immediately shouted, "Don't shoot, it's not the MXG Gang!"

Lu Yuanming's reaction speed now far surpassed that of ordinary people. Just as Charlie and the others saw the source of the sound, he had already clearly identified the person. It was a White Woman, around thirty years old, with a bruised and swollen face, naked and covered in bloodstains, her hands and feet bound. She was currently shouting.

The group indeed did not shoot. They only then clearly saw the person, and expressions of pity appeared on their faces. As they approached, they discovered that the woman's tongue had been cut out, her body was covered in cuts from sharp objects, and her lower body was filthy.

Lu Yuanming felt his temples throb. An intense rage surged within him.

"...How far are we from the warehouse they are in now?" Lu Yuanming asked in a deep voice.

Charlie was familiar with the area. This warehouse district was a place he often came to "stock up" when he was alive. He immediately replied, "Less than two hundred meters. My subordinates and I know it well. Father, I'll lead the way."

"No, I have a better way."

Lu Yuanming shook his head. He looked at the person carrying the FGM-148 anti-tank missile, lifted him up, and then extended his arm straight, letting the person sit on his arm. This scene was quite shocking. Lu Yuanming ignored it and said to the others, "Run on your own. Now, start shooting."

After speaking, Lu Yuanming ran forward at his fastest speed. The others exchanged glances, and one subordinate asked, "Shoot at whom? This woman?"

Charlie's face darkened, and he immediately slapped the subordinate. Then he said, "Shoot into the air, make a lot of noise, quickly, quickly, keep up with Father!!"

The others snapped back to reality, pulled out their weapons, and fired into the air.

Meanwhile, on the other side, a group of MXG Gang members heard the roars from the guard post. Their reaction speed was also extremely fast. They immediately grabbed spears made from rebar from the corner and were about to rush out. A Squinting Man, who had been eating meat heartily, took out a Rifle from behind him and was also about to rush out of the warehouse.

Just then, a series of gunshots rang out. All the gangsters rushing out immediately stopped and hid behind the warehouse's metal plates. As soon as the gunshots stopped, they would rush out and fight desperately.

Then, at that moment, a cylindrical object with Tail Fire pierced through the thin metal plate. All the gangsters instinctively looked over, and their pupils contracted simultaneously...

Rumbling Loud Noise!

By the time Charlie, Peter, and the others caught up to Lu Yuanming, all that remained before them was a flattened Explosion Fire Pile.

The MXG Gang had completely disappeared, physically.