Arknights' Lock of Heaven

Toran lowered his head. "I don't know what merit we have to be worthy of your attention."

"I simply think what you're doing is really good."

Xia Yu said calmly, "Unite all those who can be united. Can you tell me about the composition of your team?"

“A team? What team?” Toran smiled bitterly upon hearing this.

"A few infected, a few farmers, a few knights, a few workers, a few bounty hunters, a few village chiefs who can't make a living, and a few exhausted nobles."

"A few college students, a few illiterate people, a few people trying to change Kazimir. A few people who were changed by Kazimir."

"We're just sticking together for warmth..."

"To band together for warmth? What a wonderful idea of ​​banding together for warmth."

Xia Yu laughed loudly, "To be honest, what I value is your idea of ​​sticking together for warmth."

“Mr. Toran, times are progressing rapidly, and everything from the past is no longer suitable for the development of the new era.”

"The time for change has come."

"I hate the aristocracy and despise capitalism!"

"Therefore, I don't want to see one of them being the one to usher in a new era of change."

"I'm tired of the old drama of kings and generals taking turns on stage. It's time for something different."

203 It's still early

"Do you know what you're talking about?"

Upon hearing this, Toran was completely stunned.

Is it appropriate to talk about these things here?

Look around you, it's just a vast, empty wasteland, and you're talking about such lofty things in a place like this...

"And you really think highly of us..."

Toran gave a bitter smile. "We really were just sticking together for warmth."

"Then dare you say you don't have such thoughts in your heart?"

Xia Yu's words struck a chord with the heart.

How could there not be?

Watching their motherland decline and become terminally ill, watching their compatriots suffer from bullying, watching those parasites who leech off them and live high above them...

How could I not have such thoughts?

In the dead of night, who can say they haven't thought about changing the present-day Kazimierz?

but……

How could they possibly accomplish that?

Lacking an industrial base and funding, they were even struggling to feed themselves...

No matter how lofty your ambitions are, you're still struggling to make ends meet.

"So what if I have it, so what if I don't?"

Toran gave a complicated smile.

"But at least we can survive for now."

"But if... if we accept your conditions... ha."

"Who knows what the future holds?"

They may say nice things, but who knows if they're just looking for a thug?

The kind that you throw away after you've used it.

“You may not believe me,” Xia Yu said dismissively, “but do you believe in Margaret, who has always been consistent? Do you believe in the Radiant Knight who was banished from Kazimierz?”

"Shining Knight..."

Upon hearing this, Toran fell silent.

He had heard about what Margaret had done back then.

If it were Margaret from back then, he would naturally believe it.

But now six years have passed.

Who knows what Margaret looks like now?

People are changed by time and experience.

Toran knew this all too well.

After all, the place he used to live in was indeed similar to a den of thieves. Even though he had informants all over the surrounding cities, they were only active in the black market and underground.

But then... I met some people. They changed my mind.

"No need to rush into a decision," Xia Yu waved her hand at his furrowed brows and said with a smile, "This is just an initial intention."

"As for whether or not to cooperate, you can make a decision based on our next contact."

"After all, I know that everyone wants a partner they know well, especially one they can work with on such an important matter."

"Next, we can get to know each other a little better."

"No hurry, no hurry."

"Let me ask you something first," Toran said after a moment of silence, "If we choose to cooperate, will we be able to get inhibitors at the same price as red pine?"

Inhibitors are not the main point, and not all of my subordinates are infected.

But inhibitors can...

“Of course,” Xia Yu said with a smile. “Not only that, if you are willing to cooperate, you can also choose to become Rhodes Island’s distributor in Kazimierz.”

"We will provide you with the medicine at cost price. You know what that means, right?"

Toran certainly knew.

He's not some naive, innocent girl who hasn't experienced anything.

If the inhibitor is truly effective, and the other party is genuinely willing to provide it at a low price, and I could even become the sole distributor of Casimir...

Resources represent the right to speak.

Whatever the resource, whether it's manpower, material resources, or even the most direct force, as long as you have it, it means that a large group of people will gather around you.

Then, the power of discourse will naturally fall into your hands.

Of course, whether or not it can be held is another question.

Inexpensive yet highly effective inhibitors are undoubtedly in high demand.

With this, the infected in Kazimierz will naturally unite around you.

This is already a great force.

It's at least stronger than the loose alliance I'm currently trying to build.

As long as I am not blinded by greed and drive up the price of those medicines to exorbitant levels, they will remain loyal to me.

Inhibitors are their lifeline.

However... this also brings many problems.

The biggest problem is that if they accept this, all their inhibitors will come from Rhodes Island.

If Rhodes Island wanted to control itself, it wouldn't need to do much; it could simply cut off the supply.

Without inhibitors, will infected individuals whose lifelines have been cut off still obey their commands?

It's already a good thing that I didn't tear myself to pieces.

Moreover, he has more than just infected people under his command...

All those abandoned by the city should come together to support each other.

If everything is biased towards those infected, what will others think?

These are all difficult problems.

But at least he doesn't have to worry about these things now.

After all, even if they accept it, it will be a long time from now.

Surely we can't make a decision here and now just by saying a few words?

This is the first time we've all met.

Xia Yu's words are at most an invitation to collaborate; whether or not they will actually work together remains to be seen...

“By the way,” Xia Yu said, as golden ripples appeared behind her.

A large box of inhibitors slowly emerged from it.

"If you're not comfortable with this, you can take these medicines home and try them out."