Commander Lawrence, Burning Fortress

Commander Lawrence, Burning Fortress. Whoa...

A flicker of curiosity crossed Yu Yuan's eyes.

Only then did he realize the generator had three adjustable settings: powerful, standard, and leisurely.

He immediately turned the dial.

Click...

He set the generator to powerful mode.

"Holy shit..." Yu Yuan's eyes bulged. Veins stood out on the arm gripping the handle.

He lifted himself off the seat and pedaled standing up.

The resistance felt like cycling up a 35-degree slope. Pedaling while seated was impossible.

But the power output rose sharply too. A full charge would take thirty minutes, half the previous time.

Yu Yuan gave up before a minute had passed.

Without gears, generating power on the highest setting wasn't practical. He would probably use it only in an emergency.

Leisurely mode, on the other hand, took almost no effort, though it doubled the charging time.

Overall, Yu Yuan was quite satisfied with the Pedal Generator.

With the level 1 Generator built, other facilities requiring electricity unlocked in succession.

But he had gathered all the materials for only one upgrade: [Lighting Level 2—Energy-Saving Lamp].

He selected the upgrade. As the Electrical Wire, switch socket, and energy-saving lamp vanished, a green Light Screen spread across the Hideout's ceiling.

Yu Yuan checked his Taotao Cave trades while he pedaled.

All the melee weapons he had listed had been exchanged. Only one pair of Tactics Gloves remained, though there were still two pairs of military Boots.

The sizes were probably the issue. Yu Yuan wasn't worried. Among ten thousand players, someone would need boots in those sizes eventually.

East City District 1, East City Police Station.

"Quick, move the barricades! The enforcement squad is back!" A burly marauder spotted the approaching armored vehicles and ordered his men to clear the way.

Screech...

The dozen or so armored vehicles returning from Waterfront Street stopped outside the station.

Three Enforcers got out first and looked toward the figure standing at the station entrance. Behind them, two men carried a body bag.

"Commander Lawrence!"

Carmen, Gero, and Soda saluted Lawrence as he approached.

Lawrence looked to be in his forties. He was neither tall nor imposing; if anything, he was rather slight.

Yet the moment the three saw him, they tensed. Even their breathing seemed to slow.

Lawrence ignored them and went straight to the body bag.

Zip...

The bag opened. Lawrence looked at the blood-smeared face inside, his eyes chillingly cold, like a bottomless black well.

Then he turned his gaze on the three men. Cold sweat beaded on their foreheads.

Soda's throat tightened. He swallowed, feeling as though a venomous snake had fixed its eyes on him and his blood was about to freeze.

Carmen and Gero scarcely dared to breathe. They stood at attention, staring straight ahead.

At last, Lawrence looked directly at Soda.

"Are you nervous?"

"N-no!" Soda forced a stiff smile.

"Then tell me how Fries died." His voice was cold and slippery, like a snake poised to strike.

Soda bowed his head at once, bending slightly. "Commander Lawrence, b-based on the scene, Fries fell into the sewer during the assault on Marauder Prison. An enemy hiding there then attacked him, severing his right hand, left hand, and ankle. The fatal wound was to his carotid artery..."

He stopped when he saw Commander Lawrence's calm eyes.

"Do you think I can't see that for myself? I asked how Fries died."

"Well..." Soda swallowed. The air itself seemed to congeal around him.

Just as he felt he might suffocate, Lawrence turned to Carmen.

"You tell me!"

Snap!

Carmen stood at attention, chest out and head high. "Commander Lawrence, Enforcer Fries was killed in an ambush by an enemy already hiding in the sewer. We also found the bodies of several enforcement squad members at the scene. We currently suspect the killer was someone Marauder Prison had planted there in advance."

"Why?"

"An examination of Enforcer Fries's wounds suggests the killer used a Kukri Knife, a weapon well suited to chopping. The wounds to his wrists and ankles were made by it. As far as I know, the Kukri Knife is made by Marauder Prison and currently issued only to Raiders. I also suspect Burning Fortress was involved in the attack."

"Burning Fortress? On what grounds?" Lawrence frowned.

"No evidence, sir. But I've heard that Black Lung Victor urgently needs a healthy pair of lungs, while Marauder Prison controls the largest supply of slaves in Green Forest City. We also found many signs of Molotov Cocktail explosions at the scene, and Burning Fortress has access to fuel..."

Carmen did not finish, but everyone present understood what he meant.

Lawrence looked thoughtful. He patted Carmen on the shoulder, then turned away.

"I hear you captured someone from Marauder Prison. Send him to me."

"Yes, sir!"

Only after Commander Lawrence had disappeared from sight did the three men finally let out a long breath.

Soda looked as though he had been dragged from the water. He glared at Carmen, shoved past him, and left.

Gero could only give a helpless smile before leaving as well.

A marauder came over, took out a lighter, and lit the cigarette between Carmen's lips.

"Boss, the prisoner's already been sent to the commander. But the people from Marauder Prison are all lunatics. Can he get them to talk?"

Carmen exhaled and glanced at his subordinate.

"Just do your job. You dare question Commander Lawrence? Tired of living?"

"I wouldn't dare..." The marauder glanced around and lowered his voice. "Boss, was the one who attacked Enforcer Fries really from Marauder Prison? Yesterday at the Water Services Center..."

Carmen silenced him with a glare before he could finish.

"Shut up. Not one word about yesterday. If you want to live, stay out of it. If you want to die, I can arrange that."

"I understand, boss!" the marauder said quickly.

"All right, Old Ghost. Keep an eye on things here. I'm going inside." Carmen handed him the remaining half of his cigarette and headed toward the station.

He was halfway there when a raindrop struck his face. The wind swept across it, leaving a chill.

He looked up.

Patter, patter, patter...

The rain grew steadily heavier, and the wind had picked up. This was going to be quite a downpour.

With the marauders' noisy chatter behind him, Carmen quickened his pace. A faint smile tugged at his lips as he thought:

I never expected that guy to kill Fries. What a pleasant surprise. Maybe I can use him again someday—for someone like that idiot Soda...

But is he really from Marauder Prison? The weapon was a Kukri Knife...