Dark Ruins Dawn

Chapter 61 Allies
She stepped into the cabin, her expression returning to its usual coldness. Several crew members were already inside, waiting for orders.

"Team leader, we just received a notification from Lieutenant Harry, requesting all members to assemble outside the city."

"what is the reason?"

"Linhai City just issued a bounty for eradicating the Apocalypse Cult's hideouts. We have taken on three locations, and Captain Harry is going to clean up the largest one."

"But we don't have enough people."

Chu Ningyan frowned: "Never mind, let's go take a look first."

An abandoned factory outside Linhai City, with a somber atmosphere.

Harry sat in the main seat, his face filled with arrogance.

Standing before him were the leaders of more than a dozen scavenger teams, including the one-armed Johnson.

"Everyone, for this mission, I need ten people from each of your teams."

Harry's voice was icy: "Don't worry, there will be a generous reward after it's done."

The people present looked at each other in bewilderment, and no one responded.

They knew perfectly well that they were sending their own people to be cannon fodder again, and the lessons learned from the past were still fresh in their minds.

"Captain Harry, it's not that we're being disrespectful."

An old man with a goatee said with a bitter face, "We really... don't have enough manpower."

"Not enough manpower?"

Harry laughed heartily, "I understand. If the team can't get enough people, then stop scavenging, go back to your hometown and retire peacefully, and let others do the work."

This is a blatant threat: anyone who disobeys will be swallowed up by their competitors.

For a moment, everyone fell silent.

Ultimately, most teams chose to give in.

After the meeting, the one-armed Johnson quietly walked up to Harry, his face full of flattery.

"Captain, I've recently caught a catwoman. She's fresh and very young. I'll present her to you when you return in triumph."

Harry glanced at him, a playful smirk playing on his lips.

"I want to see her the day after tomorrow."

He paused, then added, "Your team has had a tough time too, so you don't need to send anyone this time."

"Thank you, Captain! Thank you, Captain!"

Johnson was in a good mood. He slowly returned to his hideout and saw the old catwoman curled up in a corner, muttering something.

His subordinate came over and said something, and he immediately flew into a rage.

"Still haven't found it? Useless!"

He grabbed the old catwoman by the hair, dragged her to the center, and began punching and kicking her.

After fighting for a while, Johnson frowned:

"What the hell are you reciting!"

He stopped punching, but became even angrier after hearing what she was saying.

"Scratch me, I'll let you scratch me, you filthy thing!"

Another beating ensued.

The henchman next to her took out a stun gun and stabbed the old catwoman with a blue arc of electricity.

"what--!"

The old catwoman was electrocuted and her body convulsed; her shrill screams echoed through the hall.

Tomorrow is the deadline.

Johnson's voice was like a demon's, "If I can't find you, I'll stew you first!"

Amidst the excruciating pain, the old catwoman regained a sliver of clarity; she struggled to lift her head:

"I...I've found a clue. There's a very powerful guy with that catwoman...I'll definitely find her tomorrow."

"very good."

After confirming that she wasn't lying, Johnson revealed a cruel smile: "All of you, be mobilized tomorrow, and make sure nothing goes wrong."

Meanwhile, Zhuang Fan and his companion returned to the base.

Gage came up and handed two brand-new automatic pistols to Zhuang Fan: "Boss, two more have been made."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Zhuang Fan took the gun, examined it, and found that the workmanship was even better than before.

"The underground passage has been dug out."

Gage's voice carried a hint of weariness: "It's an emergency escape route leading to a wilderness outside the city."

Zhuang Fan patted his shoulder: "Go and rest, don't overwork yourself."

But after a busy day, he left the base without resting.

After changing into a black cloak and disguising himself as a "demon general," he headed toward Jetta's secret cave.

The journey is not far, about three kilometers.

Led by the black ratman, Zhuang Fan entered the cave, which was more than twice the size of the one he had visited last time.

Jetta's team has grown to twenty Black Ratmen, including men, women, and children, and they have transformed this place into an underground home.

Some female black ratmen are grinding plant tubers with primitive stone mills to prepare dinner; the males are on the other side, polishing metal sheets with tools.

They retained rodent-like habits, liking to hoard food and various shiny trinkets in corners.

The floor was covered with a salvaged old carpet, and several pots of glowing mushrooms had appeared in the corner. The bed was made of metal plates and pipes, and it looked neat and orderly.

Several baby mice were playing a game similar to hopscotch with pebbles, making "squeak" sounds.

When they saw Zhuang Fan, they quickly hid behind their mother, peeking out their little heads to look around curiously.

"grown ups."

Jetta greeted Zhuang Fan respectfully. "How have things been lately?"

"Reporting to you, sir, everything went smoothly."

Jetta's voice was full of gratitude: "We sold a batch of parts on the black market, and the team is slowly expanding."

"How much did it cost?"

The numbers Jetta quoted made Zhuang Fan frown.

"That's too low, it's practically a fire sale."

"Sir, I'm sorry."

Jetta was also puzzled by its rat-like appearance, and was always the one who got ripped off the most in the underground black market.

"What's the reaction from Tataji's side?"

"The leader was very dissatisfied, but knowing it was at the behest of his superiors, he didn't pursue the matter further."

"Don't get into a conflict with him. You can offer him some benefits at the right time to keep him calm."

Zhuang Fan instructed, "At this stage, focus on development and strengthen the Black Ratmen's power."

"Yes!"

He walked to the warehouse, looked at the equipment inside that had been infected by the decaying mist, and with a wave of his hand, all the decaying mist was slowly drawn away.

This time, however, Zhuang Fan underestimated the quantity of items. After dealing with all the decaying mist, he felt dizzy and almost couldn't stand up.

Jetta didn't notice anything amiss and waited patiently by his side.

"Regarding development funds, this is how it will be arranged going forward."

Zhuang Fan regained his composure and said in a deep voice, "You must do your best to search for valuable items and transport them to this location every three days. The person in charge is called Wuya, who is my human strategist and will also be your strategist in the future."

"From now on, the strategist will handle the supplies and then provide you with development funds. You must obey his orders, understand?"

Jetta instantly understood: "Sir, I understand!"

"Oh, right, that Baron also needs to be shipped over."

"I'll arrange it immediately!"

Two hours later, Hua Xin sounded the alarm in the watchtower.

"Watch out, a small group of black ratmen is approaching!"

"Don't panic, it's a fellow rat."

Zhuang Fan walked to the door and greeted Jetta.

"military"

"Just call me Wuya."

"Good evening, strategist Wuya!"

Subsequently, Jetta personally led the team to carry in the "Baron" mech, which had been disassembled into several parts, one by one.

There were several more truckloads of goods behind them. The black ratman quickly untied them and moved all the items to the underground warehouse.

Gage and Watson had never seen anything like this before, and stood by without daring to utter a sound.

Zhuang Fan introduced everyone: "This is Jetta, he'll be an ally from now on."

"Hello."

"Nice to meet you."

After exchanging pleasantries, Jetta walked out the door and bowed respectfully to Zhuang Fan.

"Strategist, Jetta will take his leave now."

"Thank you for your hard work. I'll come over every three days from now on."

"As ordered."

After exchanging a glance, Jetta gave a knowing, knowing smile and said in a low voice:

"Long live the Demon General!"

"."

In the basement, Gage stood in front of the Baron, observing him for a long time.

"How is it? Is it difficult?" Zhuang Fan walked over.

Gage sighed, "Boss, it can be fixed, but it will take a lot of effort."

"I trust you. Just tell me what parts you need."

"Um"

Gage was completely absorbed in the Baron's mechanical aesthetics.

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night for him.

As a new day dawned, Zhuang Fan and his companion went out to scavenge.

Even after a night's rest, Zhuang Fan was still listless, and even Hua Xin noticed that something was wrong with him.

In the afternoon, the old catwoman reappeared.

"She's here again."

Hua Xin's tone carried a hint of confusion.

At this moment, Zhuang Fan had a splitting headache and his perception of his surroundings was at its lowest.

His voice was irritated: "If she dares to come any closer, I'll shoot. I don't have time to waste with her."

Hua Xin nodded slightly.

As it turned out, the old catwoman really did come step by step.

Zhuang Fan raised the gun and pointed it at her forehead.

(End of this chapter)