Feeling that the long winter is coming, the cold wind at night has disappeared, blowing in waves, taking away the remaining temperature during the day.
Because of the terrain, the temperature in the depression is higher than that on the plain, but it is only minus 4 degrees below zero.
Out of the depression, outside.
Without the obstruction of tall trees and terrain, the temperature on the large plain in the territory of the Demon Soul Clan has reached close to minus ten degrees below zero.
Coupled with the heavy humidity late at night.
Standing on the city wall of Liberty City, you can clearly hear the wailing that will be heard in the refugee camp below whenever the wind blows.
It is different from hoping that everyone in the village has been heated.
In Liberty City, because there is no lord to manage the checks and balances, several powerful parties in the city are competing for benefits.
People in the city still live a lively life, have hot meals and hot pots, and occasionally go out to entertainment venues to play.
People outside the city can only live in rag tents that rustle in the wind, huddle tightly in their beds, praying for the winter to end soon.
No one will care about the life and death of these weaklings, and no one will care about these ants who live in the city with dreams of speculation.
Limited by the imprint's absolute sanction authority, people in the city did not even worry that these refugees would "riot."
After all, as long as the escort takes out the "button" that controls life and death and presses it lightly.
These refugees who hold the mark of the holder will immediately lose control of their bodies and become trees to be slaughtered by others.
Of course, allowing these people to live outside the city actually has another meaning.
On the premise that these people cannot be driven away, the people in the city have done their best to "use waste".
Once people from the Light Empire come for a sneak attack, they will become the first wall of Liberty City, delaying enough time for the people in the city to react.
And this is the main reason why they can stay here.
From twelve o'clock to eight o'clock in the morning, the people on the city wall changed two shifts. Seeing that the sun was already high in the sky, the refugee camp below began to shout.
They reluctantly walked downstairs and began to prepare to open the city gate.
However, as soon as the door was opened and the people standing at the front were seen, the arrogant expressions on their faces disappeared as quickly as snow in spring.
Instead, he was full of humility as he would when seeing a superior.
"Master Hal, you are back. I'm so sorry. There were not enough people to open the city gate today, so it was a little slow. I'm so sorry!"
"It's okay, I don't have anything urgent to do, I won't delay if I don't delay!"
Sumo had never seen the short guard who spoke.
However, this does not affect the other party's ability to engrave the image of the dwarf Hal deeply in his mind.
For these guard members, combat effectiveness is not their strong point.
Observing people's words and being able to flatter them is the biggest reason why they can stand out!
"Master Har, who is this?"
"Oh, he is the new apprentice in my exchange. He will do some business with me recently!"
In terms of time, there are still twenty minutes until the refugees enter the city.
But as Su Mo casually chatted a few words, and saw the other party respectfully let the way to the door, Su Mo was not polite and walked inside with Hao Qiang.
Buzz.
Buzz.
The familiar detection stone began to float from the ground, emitting a faint blue light and beginning to check the marks.
On Soma's body, the light only lasted for a moment and then passed.
As for Hao Qiang, although he stayed there for four or five seconds, he finally issued a pass command and a light yellow message without any danger.
"Hey, why did Menshi pop up a prompt for manual verification?"
"Master Hal, this."
The entrance inspection of the gate stone is only the first verification procedure in Liberty City.
Before the identity of the other party is completely determined, there will be a second manual test for auxiliary questioning.
However, due to the fact that Sumo had already explained Hao Qiang's identity in advance.
Seeing a trace of displeasure on Sumo's face, the two guards looked at each other, and finally chose to nod and press their tokens on the door stone.
Water ripples of light flashed through, and Menshi, who had been a little restless before, stopped moving and returned to calm instantly.
"Master Hal, there seems to be some problem with the identity of your follower. If you want to redeem the mercenary, you need to take someone to handle it in person."
"Some words like you"
"Master Hal, you know, I didn't mean it that way, but it won't be easy for brothers to handle it too many times!"
Seemingly mistaking Hao Qiang's identity for another situation, the two guards opened their mouths, slightly embarrassed.
Apart from legal principles, there is nothing more than human feelings and worldly wisdom.
For a race like the Demon Soul Clan with full social attributes, they have not missed a single detail in these small details.
With just a simple thought, they figured out the pros and cons.
In order to avoid offending Somo, in the end, no matter whether the result of the identity check was good or bad, they would not get any benefit at all.
On the contrary, not only can you sell a favor to the new God of Wealth in Liberty City, you may even get some money, which can be said to be a huge profit!
Of course, Sumo standing in front of them was also a "veteran" who had been in the workplace.
Very understanding, Sumo clicked on the mark a few times.
When an application for two thousand contribution points came out, the embarrassment of the two guards instantly turned into a surprise.
"Mr. Hal, please pretend that you haven't seen what happened today. Please hurry up and register this brother's identity."
"If you have similar matters in the future, you can also come to us brothers and make sure it is done before you come in!"
"good!"
"If I trouble you in the future, I won't be polite!"
With a smile on his face, he put his hands behind his back, nodded to the two guards, and disappeared at the city gate with Hao Qiang and Sumo.
However, when they turned their heads, the two guards, who were still ecstatic about getting a huge sum of money, failed to notice the momentary look of shock on Somo's face!
At the same time, they could not see Hao Qiang suppressing it forcibly, but the details still revealed a strange temperament!
Until the vision changes and the darkness in front of me becomes the familiar brightness.
Without saying a word, the two of them speeded up their pace with a tacit understanding, and stopped at the street corner they had agreed upon before.
"It's so risky. It seems that I have to be more careful when choosing my mark in the future."
"The low-level marks are okay, and they can still find ways to fool them in their own minds. If it were a purple high-level mark today, they would definitely record it. Once a strange one appears, there must be something big
question!"
"Fortunately, we didn't break our skin, otherwise it would have been difficult!"
After traveling all night, both of them looked a little tired.
After carefully looking at the city gate to make sure that no one was following him and that there was nothing unusual, Sumo clenched his fist slightly, and then slowly released it.
"Let's go, go back to the exchange first"
"I'll stay dormant for the next few days, don't rush to get the news!"
Follow the familiar road and say hello to either familiar or unfamiliar people along the way.
Everyone basically has good intentions towards this famous, black-and-white, take-no-prisoners chief executive of Xinhuo Exchange.
In addition, the refugees had not entered the city yet, so soon, the voices and shadows of the two people passed through several blocks and arrived on the side road.
After turning the corner and seeing the exchange's sign in sight, Somo slowed down his pace and felt a touch of relaxation on his face.
"That's our exchange!"
Early morning at eight o'clock in the morning.
The door of the Xinhuo Exchange has been opened, and the tree man holding a broom is also diligently cleaning the ground at the entrance of the exchange.
Compared with the surrounding shops, the floor in front of the exchange is obviously dirtier.
But this dirty thing also represents the growing "popularity" of Xinhuo Exchange today!
Seeing Somo's figure from a distance, the tree man was obviously a little surprised, but after reacting, it turned into a surprise.
Following the door, he ran in in all his glory, and within a few seconds, a panicked Turner rushed out!
"Oh, my brother, you are finally back!"
"Didn't you agree that it would only be two days? Now that you are gone, you will be gone for four days!"
"If someone hadn't brought back the news of Alec's death, I would have thought so."
"Wait, who is this?"
Turner, who hadn't seen each other for a few days and had suffered a heavy burden, had obviously grown a lot. At least the moment he saw Hao Qiang, he stopped talking and put on a polite yet awkward smile.
However, Soma's attention was not here at this time.
Through Turner's shield, he could clearly see the mercenaries rushing out of the exchange, almost all with the same look on their faces.
Shocked!
As expected, these free mercenaries were thoroughly infiltrated and became someone else's people inside and out.
"Hey, Turner, this is not the place to talk. Come in."
"This is the shopkeeper I hired back from outside at a high price. From now on, our store's business will depend entirely on his performance!"
As soon as you hear the high price, please come back, shopkeeper, three keywords.
Turner was obviously stunned, but after seeing Somo's eyes and looking at the head sticking out from other shops.
He stopped his doubts very well and took the lead to walk inside.
"Hey, our store has been renovated again? This thing is expensive!"
Different from the poverty before I left, the wooden cabinets in today's pawn shop have been completely replaced with freshly pawned jade.
With the light reflected from the jade, the whole house seems to be a bit more noble and jewel-like.
"After you left, the top ten exchanges sent people over to offer help, and then helped us renovate the entire yard for free."
"Not only these, they have renovated the inside!"
Spreading his hands helplessly, Turner had obviously passed the surprise period for this unexpected surprise.
Following his lead, through the outer hall, the three of them arrived at the center of the courtyard.
In the past, this place was overgrown with weeds, gravel and some garbage were scattered on the ground, and it looked unkempt.
Nowadays, with the renovation, the desolation and dilapidation have disappeared, and instead there is a small exquisite garden located in it.
Going inside, the three main houses have also been completely renovated.
From the walls, to the floor tiles, to the bed, to the cabinets, everything that could be changed has been replaced with undoubtedly high standards!
At first glance, this place is actually a bit more luxurious than the underground shelter.
"Has the house been inspected?"
"Checked, no problem!"
Looking at Somo who was looking in the window, Turner said this while pointing vaguely at the room in the middle.
"Um?"
"Come to my room, a lot of things have happened in the past few days since you left!"
Seeing that Sumo did not avoid Hao Qiang behind him, Turner didn't pay attention, opened the door of the room on the right and walked in.
In the closet inside the house, there is still a charcoal fire that has not been finished, exuding a roaring warmth.
On the table, there are several plates of exquisite pastries, exuding an alluring aroma.
After using the system to verify that there was no problem, Sumo picked up a plate of pastries, jumped on the bed, sat cross-legged and started eating.
"There's no need to avoid suspicion. This is one of our own. If you have anything to say, just say it!"
"good!"
He also sat on the bed, opened the curtains and confirmed that no one was standing at the door, and then started talking.
"Hal, I suspect these mercenaries have betrayed us, theirs"
"There is no doubt that they have indeed been bribed!"
Turner was stunned: "Huh?"
"Do you know how Alec died?"
Turner: "Huh?"
"I killed him!"
He handed the remaining pastry to Hao Qiang who was on the bedside, took the water on the table and took a big sip.
Sumo twisted his slightly stiff neck and told the truth very calmly.
"After I left the city, these mercenaries had already told Alec my news. Then, using this news, Alec chased after me."
"Then I killed him~"
"When I came back just now, their expressions were obviously a little unnatural, you know!"
Contrary to Turner's guess, after seeing the expressions of the mercenaries, Sumo sentenced these people to death in his heart.
In Free City, every mercenary is the private property of the owner.
Even if Sumo has no clear evidence that these people have betrayed him, he can still decide their life or death.
Of course, these mercenaries were already mentally prepared when they decided to betray their masters.
They were betting that Alec could chase him out and kill Hal.
According to common sense, their choice was not wrong. Killing a level 3 auxiliary profession with a level 4 combat profession is indeed the same as killing a chicken.
But unfortunately, luck failed to favor them.
If you bet wrong, you have to pay the price.
"I will recruit some new mercenaries tomorrow. Kill them all!"
"good!"
He is surrounded by the enemy's cronies.
Seeing the undisguised murderous intent in Sumo's eyes, Turner nodded fiercely, obviously also angry.
“Where are the top ten exchanges?”
"They, in recent days, apart from helping us repair the shop, they have done nothing else. And I heard that there seems to be friction between the escort team and the top ten exchanges, and it is quite tense."
"The day before yesterday, the Demon Realm Exchange directly cut the share of weapons and equipment provided to the escort team by 30%. As a result, their shop owner was taken to the high wall that day. Until last night, no one could come back!"
"According to the guards, he was assassinated by people from the Bright Empire!"
After telling a reason that even a fool would not believe, Su Mo could still accept it with a normal heart, but Hao Qiang, who was sitting beside him, couldn't hold back and spat out the cake in his mouth with a pop.
After drinking a few sips of water, he calmed down and said repeatedly:
"Ahem, cough, aren't they breaking the rules of the game by doing this?"
"It's just to reduce the supply by 30% and then silence them. This is outrageous. Who dares to do business with them?"
It is different from the business war in the simulated sandbox.
As soon as he heard that he was just reducing supply, he was killed using this excuse, and Hao Qiang's head suddenly grew bigger.
However, sitting opposite him, Turner just shook his head gently and said with the same confusion:
"It's strange to say. I don't know if they have reached any agreement. Anyway, the Demon Realm restored the supply to normal yesterday."
"Even their shopkeeper changed it to a new one. Speaking of which, this pastry was a gift from the new shopkeeper!"
"By the way, no one from the top ten exchanges came out to resist. Apart from the private rumors that we were having a serious dispute, from the outside, it looks no different from the previous harmony."
After saying this, the two of them skillfully turned their gazes to Somo at the same time, their eyes full of curiosity.
Obviously, the situation in Liberty City has become completely complicated now.
Even with information support, it is difficult for two "newcomers" who have just entered the business world to analyze what happened.
"Wait a minute, you're saying that there's a serious quarrel in private? Who spread it? Where did you hear it?"
Without directly answering the two people's questions, Somo asked a new question from another angle.
Turner, who was sitting on the bedside, was stunned for a moment, and then said honestly: "It was said by the two members of the escort who helped us stand guard to maintain order yesterday."
"They also helped us maintain it yesterday?"
"Yes!"
"Does the exchange help us build the yard first, or does the escort kill the people first?"
"Repair the yard first!"
Slightly confused, Turner scratched the back of his head, wondering what Somo meant by asking these questions.
But Hao Qiang, who was sitting on the other side, reacted immediately, with a sudden realization in his eyes.
"Boss, is this the escort team using the Demon Realm shopkeeper's hand to beat us?"
"In a sense, maybe yes, but I didn't expect that we can actually stand at this balance point now!"
Before leaving, Sumo didn't make his position clear and thought of using the dragging technique to see the situation first.
But no one expected that this delay would actually produce some results.
The top ten exchanges announced that Xinhuo Exchange had joined their camp by repairing their courtyards.
Then, after seeing no response from the escort, they used the Demon Realm Exchange to reduce their arms holdings to put pressure on them.
The escorts were also fierce, killing people on the back foot and demonstrating their sovereignty with force.
By the way, I warned everyone that the rules of the game must be followed.
But we are the ones who make the rules of the game!
In other words, the balance point Soma once wanted to find has now been completely and perfectly achieved.
But unfortunately, this balance point is really a bit of a dilemma.
Now, no matter which side you join, you will completely offend the other side, leaving no room for maneuver!
This chapter has been completed!