Chapter 95 This is Inside the Wall!

Lu Luo still took the lead, clearing the way for Gu Fangyi. After more than an hour of travel, the three of them finally made it back to the base of the Wall without issues. There was no queue at this spot. Lu Luo greeted the Wall Guardians above, and they let down three wall-climbing ziplines. The trio’s luggage was substantial, and Lu Luo, with his extremely high attributes, carried the most. Worried about the weight causing the zipline to break, he placed his supplies on one zipline and used another to ascend. However, doing so required an additional fee. That’s how the Alliance operated—always after money. Once they were back on top of the high Wall, the first thing they had to undergo was a virus scan and mutation check, followed by an inspection of the items they brought back. Lu Luo had seen these checks before when they first went beyond the Wall, but now it was his own experience. They didn’t need to draw blood, just a simple hair test, along with disinfection and pupil examination. After the inspection, the supervising physician shouted, "Two Pharmacists, one Physician. Visas not expired, good health. You may pass." After the health check, their items had to be inspected. Upon reaching the inspection station, Lu Luo suddenly spotted the veteran soldier they had seen when they left the Wall. The old soldier nodded at him, but it was clear that he didn’t remember Lu Luo. Although Lu Luo was quite handsome, the soldier greeted so many people every day. How could he be expected to remember every face? Thus, Lu Luo was surprised the soldier remembered him at all. "Medical gathering team, huh? That’s a lot of stuff, quite a fruitful haul!" When the old soldier opened Lu Luo and his companions’ luggage, his expression changed. He looked up at them and suddenly said, "I remember you! The youngster going beyond the Wall for the first time. Heh heh heh, look at this old man’s memory. Yes, very good, truly an impressive haul for a first excursion. A bright future awaits." Lu Luo had lost count of how many people told him he had a promising future. The future be damned; what he wanted was the present. Lu Luo vaguely guessed the meaning behind the old soldier’s words: he suspected there was an issue with them, likely related to them having looted Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ goods. He couldn’t allow such a situation to unfold, so he passed the soldier a pack of cigarettes. Inside the pack, aside from a few cigarettes, there was also a rather large Dark Spirit Stone. The old soldier glanced at the cigarettes, accepted them, and then took out the Dark Spirit Stone, pushing it back to Lu Luo. "This is too valuable. I can’t take this with a clear conscience." "Please, senior, your words serve as a significant warning to us juniors," Lu Luo said. "If it weren’t for your reminder, the three of us would have perished out there long ago. You must accept it. Please, take it." Saying this, Lu Luo added another Dark Spirit Stone of the same size to the cigarette pack and pushed it back. The old soldier slowly nodded and spoke again. "Well, you truly are quite something." This time, the veteran finally accepted the Dark Spirit Stone. The soldier smiled contentedly, and so did Lu Luo. Such was the state of the Wasteland Alliance. "No rules" was the rule outside the Wall. But now, they were inside. The old soldier could, of course, see that this equipment belonged to Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals; the markings on it were quite clear. The amount implied that a Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals team had been wiped out, an event likely to trigger an investigation. Initially, the soldier refusing the items clearly indicated he didn’t want to get involved. If someone investigated, he would just tell the truth. Stirring up less trouble was better than stirring up more; this was the old soldier’s experience. However, Lu Luo offered too much money. He also had a growing grandson at home, so who would turn their back on money? For Lu Luo, whether the old soldier accepted the Dark Spirit Stone or not represented two completely different scenarios. If he didn’t accept the Dark Spirit Stone, it meant he hadn’t left himself open to blackmail. After Lu Luo and the others left, the old soldier could completely sell them out. But the old soldier accepting the Dark Spirit Stone was another matter entirely. It meant he would feign ignorance. This was the tacit understanding of worldly people, something Lu Luo understood as clearly as a mirror. Gu Fangyi, standing to the side, said nothing about their actions; he also understood these unspoken rules. Only Qi Xinzhu was dumbfounded. What did this mean? Wasn’t this blatant bribery and acceptance of a bribe? Was this kind of thing permissible? Wasn’t there anyone to manage these criminals? This was already inside the Wall! Lu Luo looked at Qi Xinzhu, who seemed to want to speak yet hesitated, and said coolly, "What’s the matter? You want to go to the Security Bureau and report me? Then go right now." "I..." If the Sacred Laws had allowed cursing, Qi Xinzhu would have exploded with profanity by now. How could I have thoughts of cursing? Oh Holy Light, please forgive me! After descending from the Wall, Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi once again looked towards the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals building. This time, Qi Xinzhu no longer found it strange. She already knew that Lu Luo and his companions had a deep connection with Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals. However, seeing the profound look in Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi’s eyes, Qi Xinzhu inexplicably began to worry. "Let it go, Lu Luo, this is inside the Wall!" Qi Xinzhu suddenly blurted out, catching both Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi somewhat off guard. Her remark wasn’t very damaging, but it was extremely insulting. I never said I was going to make a move inside the Wall! I’m not an idiot; I wouldn’t act against Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals here. Lu Luo thought. But, has this woman’s thinking changed so quickly? "Let’s head back," Lu Luo said. "Back where?" Qi Xinzhu asked. "First to the Circular to deal with our things." Lu Luo pointed at the large backpacks on their backs. There was simply too much stuff, and it was very conspicuous. It was really inappropriate for them to wander around aimlessly like this. The three of them decided not to take the public rail train this time, but instead hired two cars to return to Circle Studio. As soon as he entered, Lu Luo heard Zhou Kai giving new colleagues a pep talk—oh no, more like making grand promises. In Lu Luo’s previous life, this kind of lecture would have been considered purely toxic motivational fluff. But here, it was genuinely useful spiritual encouragement. This was because the social environment of the Wasteland Alliance was completely different from Lu Luo’s previous life; opportunities here were far more plentiful. "Brothers, in fact, a series of things that are terrifying when you think about them carefully are happening all around you. Your rivals are studying. Your enemies are sharpening their blades. Your best girl friends are dieting. Old Wang next door is working on his core. Aren’t these things terrifying? Our opponents are all working hard, so we must work hard too. If we don’t push ourselves, our rivals will step over our corpses to climb to the top." Brother Kane’s method of making grand promises has evolved again. Having not seen him for ten days, Zhou Kai’s lecturing skills had grown even more profound. These Fourth Ring university students were completely taken in by his spiel. And they seemed to have glimpsed another path beyond the conventional industries of the Wasteland. The lively atmosphere at Circle Studio truly made them feel that they all have a bright future ahead of them. After listening to Zhou Kai’s impassioned speech for a while, Lu Luo and his two companions, standing at the door, were spotted by Xu Minglei, who was just returning from outside. "Boss?" Xu Minglei asked. Zhou Kai turned to look at the door. The moment he saw Lu Luo and Gu Fangyi, a heartfelt smile spread across his face; the masters of the house had returned. "What ’Boss’? Call him Brother Luo." "Brother Luo!" Zhou Kai’s subordinates called out in unison, led by the excellent employee Xu Minglei. The former rich second generation, excellent employee Xu Minglei, had now become the Business Executive of Circle Studio. Men were too scarce in the Wasteland, and women too plentiful; extramarital affairs were as common as everyday meals, cropping up endlessly. Under Zhou Kai’s guidance, Xu Minglei gradually mastered the techniques for uncovering extramarital affairs, becoming increasingly adept at the various details involved in such discoveries. And the first person he caught was his own father. Watching his father’s mistress beg for mercy before him, Xu Minglei felt as if his entire being had been elevated. He felt as though he had grasped the true meaning of life. This was the career he sought, and he became more driven than ever. "Brother Luo, Brother Gu, have some tea," Xu Minglei offered. The hierarchy at Circle Studio was extremely strict. Originally, Lu Luo had not intended it to be this way, but Zhou Kai had strongly insisted on it. His reason was simple: the people of the Fourth Ring had grown accustomed to hierarchy. If their status wasn’t reflected by a hierarchy, they would even lose their sense of direction and their sense of self. This reasoning sounded very strange, but Lu Luo, possessing memories of the Wasteland, couldn’t refute it. This was precisely the tragedy of humans in the Fourth Ring. Qi Xinzhu, beside Lu Luo, glanced at him, thinking that his Circle Studio’s operational model was quite interesting. After a brief exchange of greetings with everyone, Lu Luo headed upstairs. The second floor was the studio’s core area. "You all carry on. I’m going to find Brother Fatty Ding and Brother Qi." They moved their things upstairs. Brother Qi and Fatty Ding were playing a two-person card game. Seeing Lu Luo enter, they immediately stood up. "You’re back? Come, come!" You Xiaoqi exclaimed. "Fatty Ding here is an idiot; he can’t play cards at all. These past few days you were gone, he’s been back to his nonsense of playing four 2s with two jokers." "You Xiaoqi, you’re full of crap!" Ding Peng retorted. "Someone who’s left with a pair of 3s but still plays a single 3, how are you any better than me?" "Alright, alright, no need to compare who’s the bigger idiot," Lu Luo quickly soothed the two, who were about to start arguing. "Are you calling him an idiot?" You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng asked in unison. "Absolutely not, really!" Lu Luo insisted. "Brother Qi, Brother Fatty Ding, we’ve brought back some stuff this time that might not be easy to sell," Lu Luo said. The three of them put down their large backpacks. Ding Peng, however, wasn’t concerned. On their first trip outside the Wall, what could they possibly have that was so hard to sell it warranted them rushing over to discuss it? It was only when he opened the bag in front of Lu Luo that his expression suddenly froze. "What the hell! Weren’t you supposed to be out gathering herbs?" Ding Peng exclaimed. "I was gathering herbs; I just ran into some bad guys along the way," Lu Luo said with an innocent look, but no one was buying it. After glancing at the bag, You Xiaoqi’s expression changed slightly too, but instead of speaking, she turned to look at Qi Xinzhu behind Lu Luo. "Is this woman reliable enough to be around for this?" Lu Luo glanced at Qi Xinzhu and was about to instinctively say that she was one of their own, but after thinking it over, he said, "Qi Xinzhu, go downstairs for a moment." "UGH!" Qi Xinzhu felt very unhappy, especially towards You Xiaoqi. After all, they had shared hardships together for the past ten days. Why had she suddenly become an outsider upon their return? Qi Xinzhu, you must remain calm. These things are not a big deal. After reassuring herself, Qi Xinzhu headed downstairs to the lounge on the first floor. Once Qi Xinzhu had left, You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng began to sort through the equipment Lu Luo and his team had brought back. "Is all this stuff from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals?" You Xiaoqi asked. "Yeah, that’s right," Lu Luo confirmed. "A total of nine rifles, assorted ammunition, six tactical vests, twelve energy grenades, five stun grenades, one trap, and one revolver cannon. This is enough to equip an entire small squad. It’s worth about 100,000, but if we sell it, we’ll likely have to discount it, by about 20 percent, so around 80 percent of its value. Did you wipe out a Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals squad, or did the Exotic Species smash them up and you just picked up the leftovers?" "There were various reasons, I suppose," Lu Luo replied. Hearing Lu Luo say this, You Xiaoqi felt somewhat relieved. She subconsciously assumed Lu Luo’s group had simply picked up the spoils after an Exotic Species attack. If Lu Luo and his two companions already possessed the strength to annihilate an entire Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals squad, her composure would shatter. Human growth can’t be this fast, it’s unscientific! Lu Luo was somewhat surprised to hear that this batch of items alone could fetch 80,000, and this wasn’t even the most valuable part of their haul. He still had Corrosive Items, Dark Spirit Stones, a Third Tier ghost crab eyeball, and fifty-three blood sacs. The value of these items was definitely greater than the military equipment. However, Lu Luo wasn’t planning to let You Xiaoqi and the others sell those items; he intended to deal with them himself. When You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng saw that Lu Luo had brought out several of Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ little red vials in addition to the military supplies, their eyes immediately lit up. "Are you selling these little red vials?" You Xiaoqi asked. "These items are in high demand and hard to come by. If you do sell them, the price should be quite good. Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals prices the Type I little red vials at 5,000, but they could actually sell for around 6,000. The Type II is even more expensive, probably fetching 30,000. Their effects are also extremely potent, sometimes equivalent to saving a life." Regarding the little red vials, Lu Luo simply waved his hand. He had previously swindled the studio out of more than 60,000 because he had no money, resources, or strength. The situation was different now. Although he was still very unscrupulous, he wouldn’t shortchange his own people this time. "There are six Type I vials. We’ll each take one." "One each?" You Xiaoqi calculated. "That’s three for you, plus me and Fatty Ding. What about the last one?" "For Qi Xinzhu," Lu Luo stated. Gu Fangyi had absolutely no objection to giving one to Qi Xinzhu. Never mind their time in the city district; later, in the Shattered Stone Wilderness, Qi Xinzhu had genuinely pulled her weight, constantly protecting him. So, Gu Fangyi agreed that Qi Xinzhu should get one. Seeing Gu Fangyi nod, You Xiaoqi looked towards the remaining Type II. "What about the Type II? Are you selling those?" "Not selling those either. I need them," Lu Luo said. This was the time when Lu Luo exercised his rights as the boss. He was the one who brought back the items, so naturally, he was the one to allocate them. And he wanted these potions not for himself to consume, but for another purpose. Lu Luo always remembered what the Observer had told him: Being a Fusioner himself, he was inherently the strongest Alchemist in the Wasteland. The underlying meaning of this statement was that if certain conditions were met—like having the necessary formulas, main ingredients, and energy—he might possess the ability to directly synthesize items. Although unsure whether this idea was feasible, Lu Luo planned to try it himself. He currently had fifty-three blood sacs and ready-made Type I and Type II potions. Blood sacs were the main ingredient for the little red vials. Therefore, he held expectations for alchemy, a skill that sounded somewhat mystical. You Xiaoqi and Ding Peng were quite satisfied with Lu Luo generously distributing the items to them. After all, Lu Luo and his group had brought these things back, so they naturally had no objections to how he handled the distribution. "Then it’s settled," You Xiaoqi said. "Fatty Ding and I will go handle these items now. You just wait for our good news. Oh, right, Lu Luo, the Boss also reminded us that if you returned, you should go find him. Don’t forget." Lu Luo certainly hadn’t forgotten about finding Ludie. Aside from the matter of the bride, Lu Luo still needed to consult Ludie on how to use Qi He. Ludie was supposed to be a master-level figure in that regard, after all. "Then thanks in advance, Brother Qi, Brother Fatty Ding," Lu Luo said. "We’ve troubled you while we were away." This time, the one who spoke wasn’t You Xiaoqi, but Fatty Ding. "What nonsense are you talking about? You’re the Boss’s direct disciple, and I’m also the Boss’s direct disciple. So, you’re my junior brother. Isn’t it perfectly natural for a senior brother to help his junior brother? Of course, there’s one more thing I need to remind you of." "Go ahead, Brother Fatty Ding," Lu Luo said. "From now on, call me Brother Ding, without the ’Fatty.’" "Alright, Brother Fatty Ding. Take care, Brother Fatty Ding."