Chapter 39: Firefly Community's Offer

"Sounds like you have a plan?" Old Zhou couldn't help but brighten up at his expression. Li Ye nodded. "We can look for allies in the city and cooperate to fight against the Crimson Hound." "Allies? You mean the Mobile Cities wandering around the city?" Old Zhou suddenly understood. But he quickly realized something, and a trace of difficulty appeared on his face. "Even if we could find a Mobile City overnight, there's no guarantee they'd agree. Ah Li, can you really trust a stranger's Mobile City unconditionally?" Li Ye smiled and shook his head. "No, Old Zhou, you misunderstood. The allies I'm referring to aren't Mobile Cities." "What?" Under Old Zhou's surprised gaze, Li Ye spoke softly. "Did you forget? Our convoy discovered a survivor community in the city." "That survivor community called Firefly has over 300 people. Their combatants surely aren't few, and they're extremely familiar with the terrain of the city." "If we cooperate with them, arm them with Peregrine Falcon Assault Rifles and Gale‐wind Rocket Launchers, and let them use city buildings to wage guerrilla warfare, we can encircle and hunt the Crimson Hound." "Don't forget, they're very interested in our Peregrine Falcon Assault Rifles and Gale‐wind Rocket Launchers—those are the terms we can offer. Not only that, we can also provide Blueheart Potato Seeds. A community like that definitely needs Level 1 crop seeds. Oh, and the Morning Wheat in the fields is about to ripen—we can offer Morning Wheat Seeds as well..." Old Zhou's eyes gradually lit up upon hearing that. "Yes, let’s do it your way." ... 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, where high walls and sentry posts had been constructed. Inside the community were cultivated fields, and children played in the open spaces. Learning that a Mobile City Lord had arrived, the scar-faced man in charge of the community put down his work and quickly came over. "Boss, maybe they're here to trade with us," said his assistant, an excited young man wearing a headscarf. "Level 1 Assault Rifles, Level 1 Rocket Launchers, even a Level 1 Off-road Vehicle... Any one of those would greatly strengthen our community!" Soon, the two sides met at the entrance of the community. The Lord was a calm-looking young man in his mid-twenties. Standing to his left was a middle-aged man who seemed to be his assistant, while to his right was a bespectacled young man in a wheelchair. Behind them stood two companions carrying sacks and a Level 1 Off-road Vehicle. "You're Li Ye, right? Welcome to our community," said the scar-faced man as he welcomed the group inside. "We have around 300 people in our community. Although a third of them are the elderly, sick, or children, we're doing our best to take care of them." "There are many monsters in the city, and the central area is even more dangerous," he said softly. "All we have are regular firearms. We don’t even have heavy machine guns or cannons, and scavenging for supplies is extremely difficult. So when we heard you had Level 1 Firearms, Level 1 Rocket Launchers, and even a Level 1 Off-road Vehicle, we humbly..." Before he could finish, the young Lord gently raised his hand. "I can give you everything you mentioned." The two companions behind him opened the sacks and took out the contents. The scar-faced man and his assistant froze the moment they saw what was inside. Peregrine Falcon Assault Rifles, Gale‐wind Rocket Launchers, Blueheart Potato Seeds, Morning Wheat Seeds, instant noodles... These Level 1 items were now laid out right in front of them—every single one was something they had dreamed of. "If that’s not enough, the vehicle outside is yours too," the Lord said softly to them. The scar-faced man was the first to regain his senses from the frenzy. He motioned for his assistant to calm down and looked up at the Lord. "So, what do you want us to do?" he asked hesitantly. Li Ye looked into his eyes and spoke calmly. "Work with us to fight against a Predatory City." The scar-faced man's expression froze, while his assistant stared with wide eyes in shock. For a moment, a series of images flashed through their minds. In the ruins of the city, they and their companions fired at a steel behemoth-like entity, but their attacks had little effect. Meanwhile, the enemy's heavy machine guns would tear their bodies apart, and the cannons would blow their hiding spots to dust. When the nearby cover was completely destroyed and they were forced to flee in the streets, the enemy convoy would race in, effortlessly slaughtering them like stray dogs. The assistant couldn’t help but tremble as he imagined this. After a long contemplation, the scar-faced man finally shook his head. "These alone aren't enough to make us risk our lives," he said solemnly. "Then what more do you want?" Old Zhou asked. Lin Wu adjusted his glasses and gave an answer. "I guess they want that Mobile City as their new home." The scar-faced man nodded and spat fiercely. "Exactly!" With a Mobile City, he could take the entire community aboard and leave the ruins of this city behind. They could farm and raise livestock within the Mobile City, becoming self-sufficient. They could gather resources in the wild and enhance the Mobile City. They could wake up every day feeling a greater sense of security. "I see," Li Ye nodded. The scar-faced man's request was indeed reasonable. The Tomorrow wanted to eliminate the Crimson Hound in one strike and claim the resources and Production Workshop project onboard. Meanwhile, the Firefly Community wanted to use this opportunity to obtain the Predatory City and make it their new home—something they couldn’t achieve alone without the help of the Tomorrow. It truly fulfilled that saying: Only by achieving mutual benefit could an alliance endure. After a thorough discussion, both parties finally reached an agreement. Once the Crimson Hound was taken down, all Level 1 and above items, as well as all Level 1 and above projects in the Production Workshop, would belong to the Tomorrow. The Firefly Community would receive the entire Mobile City, and the Tomorrow would also need to provide them with processed off-road vehicles, Peregrine Falcon Assault Rifles, and Gale‐wind Rocket Launchers. As for resources such as iron ore and coal on the Crimson Hound, they would be split evenly between the two sides. "Then it’s settled." "Yes, it’s a deal." Li Ye and the scar-faced man shook hands. "So, when do you plan to act?" the scar-faced man asked. "Tomorrow," Li Ye replied. The scar-faced man smiled upon hearing that. "Tomorrow? I can’t wait for tonight—no, I want to act now!"