The train stopped in the area controlled by the International Equality Alliance, in the city closest to the Kingdom of Sder.
After almost a day of getting along, the eight people traveling together had a relatively in-depth understanding of each other and had a preliminary run-in.
Among them, Oscar from the Propaganda Department spoke best, followed by Connie, who was in charge of security, and then Stuart and Quentin. However, Quentin, who didn't talk much, also talked about himself under the guidance of Verak.
The past has given everyone a more comprehensive understanding of this seemingly cold person.
"Here, let me get my luggage." When getting off the bus, Oscar enthusiastically helped several people with their luggage.
But because this meeting took a long time, everyone had brought big and small bags, and they were too embarrassed to let Oscar take over. In the end, they each took their own exit bags and met with the comrades who were meeting them.
"Hello, Comrade Verak!" Vernon, the head of the Simbaton City sub-station, came with several comrades to receive the group.
"Hello, Station Master Vernon." Verak shook hands with Vernon, and then introduced a few people around him.
"Hello everyone." Vernon invited everyone to get on the bus, "I have arranged accommodation and meals for everyone, come with me."
"Comrades at the Bash sub-station are still waiting, and we are too embarrassed to waste too much time on the road." Verak did not plan to take more rest in Simbaton City, they were not so pretentious, "It's neither too early nor too late at this point.
Yes, we just want to have a meal here, so please arrange a car to take us off."
"That's it... OK, do what you want." Verak's team shouldered a heavy responsibility, and Station Commander Vernon followed their wishes. First, he took the eight people to eat some food, and then just after ten o'clock,
, they arranged vehicles to take them to the Confederation of Richelieu, sandwiched between Bressy and Sder, to hand over to their comrades there.
Exiting Simbaton City means leaving the sphere of influence of the International Equality Alliance and entering a dangerous area where government forces are active.
Therefore, their traveling conditions became much worse. When they left Simbaton City, they had to choose the old method of hiding in the truck to deal with possible patrols.
In this way, the truck bumped all the way around the city under martial law and arrived at a quiet and peaceful town late at night.
The identities of the group of people were too sensitive. No matter how the townspeople would treat them after learning about the situation, they would definitely bring trouble to the town. Therefore, after careful consideration, Verak decided to stay in the carriage overnight and only let the driver go with them.
Contact the townspeople to solve the supply problem.
On the morning of the 27th, the truck continued to move forward and entered the territory of Joseph County in Bressey on the afternoon of the 28th.
The city of Zwold in Jose County is the hometown of Verak. At the same time, the Kingdom of Insdel and the Empire of Castelia previously competed for the Masi region not far away, which resulted in the Bressi government troops being mainly concentrated here.
It can be said that they have now truly entered the territory of the government forces, and the possibility of encountering inspections has become extremely high. If they are not careful, they will be discovered and arrested.
The originally relaxed atmosphere gradually became heavier as the journey became more difficult and the dangers increased dramatically.
"Comrade Verak."
In the dark and swaying carriage, Oscar shouted worriedly.
"What's wrong?" Verak was used to hiding in the cargo compartment of the truck, closing his eyes and reciting Bash silently.
"Should we...should think of countermeasures?"
"What countermeasure?"
"There are government troops everywhere here. What if we are discovered by them? We should think of a solution first. If such an unfortunate thing happens, we can resolve the crisis in time." Oscar added.
The International Equality Alliance had only been a member of the International Equality Alliance for a few months. He had never been on a mission or experienced any danger. As soon as he entered Joseph County, he began to lose his composure.
Before Verak could speak, Stuart snorted and said, "What are you afraid of? Comrade the driver is experienced and Comrade Verak is in charge. We cannot be in danger."
"You can't say that." Verak was not as confident as Stuart. "Comrade Neil is familiar with the terrain. It is safest to let him drive us there, but it does not mean that there is no possibility of danger. As for me, I am just a person.
Ordinary people with flesh and blood will still die if they are shot. If there is really any big trouble, there will be no difference between me and you."
"This...then do we really need to think of a countermeasure?" Oscar asked.
"According to circumstances." Verak replied with four words.
"According to circumstances? This..." Oscar was unsure.
"That's enough." Stuart still looked calm, "Just relax."
Connie also smiled and reassured: "If there is a problem, I will be there, don't be afraid."
"I, I'm not afraid." Oscar didn't want to leave the impression of a coward in front of Connie, so he forced himself to defend himself and never asked about it again.
Quentin didn't know whether he was really sleeping or pretending to sleep. He leaned in the corner with his eyes closed and didn't say a word.
With almost two days left before arriving at the Federation of Richelieu, Verak was not idle on the road and asked Clark to help consolidate his Bash language.
…
On the night of the 30th, the truck arrived near the city of Tswold without any danger. Then it only had to bypass the city of Tswold and drive east for about two hours to get out of danger and join forces with the Richelieu Federation.
Comrades meet at the station.
"Comrade Verak, is this where you used to live?" Oscar squatted at the back of the car and pulled back a corner of the cloth covering the cargo compartment and asked.
On the long and boring road, several people had heard Verak talk about his past events, so they naturally knew the connection between Zwold City and Verak.
Weikenji and August walked over and looked at the brightly lit town on one side.
"Yes." Verak had the idea of getting up and going over to take a look, but he didn't take action. "It's just that I don't live in the city. I have been living in the outer slums."
"You used to work as a photographer here?" Stuart also became interested, moved to the back of the car, and looked towards Tswold City.
"Well, after working for several years, I can be considered a person who lives a pretty good life in the slums. I can afford to live in a single room... even though the single room is a cage of only a few square meters." Verak recalled every detail of the past.
"You haven't been back for a long time, right? Don't you want to see it again?" Stuart asked.
Verak sat in the farthest seat at the back of the car and said calmly: "I wandered here alone when I was very young. Strictly speaking, I am not from Tswold City. Although I have lived here for twenty years...
Do you really want to say that you miss this place? I really don’t think so.”
"You don't have any friends here?"
"My two best friends at that time both went to Lezein with me. Later one died and the other joined us, and it was Nord who got married on the day we set off." Verak said.
"That's it..."
"It's also a coincidence that when I was a child, I didn't know when my birthday was, so I decided that the day I came to Tswold would be my birthday, which is July 1st." Verak said with a smile, "Tomorrow is perfect.
It’s July 1st, exactly twenty years since I came to Tswold City.”
After hearing this, everyone looked at Verak.
Clark said first: "So tomorrow is your birthday?"
"A date set by oneself, so to speak." Verak shrugged.
"It's been twenty years, it doesn't matter, it's your birthday! We celebrate your birthday tomorrow! Have a good celebration!" Oscar regarded the date that Verak randomly set when he was a child as very important.
"By the way, how old will you be after your birthday?" The new comrades I met didn't know Verak's specific age yet.
Verak said: "Twenty-seven years old."
Twenty-seven years old is neither too old nor too young, and it is not as ceremonial as the age of twenty or thirty. It is really an age that is nothing special.
"Okay, we will celebrate your twenty-seventh birthday tomorrow!" Oscar said.
"No, just send me a blessing tomorrow." Verak didn't want to make a big fuss about a birthday, nor did he want to offend everyone's goodwill.
"Blessing? OK!"
"It's not long until tomorrow. It will probably be past twelve o'clock before we meet up with the comrades at the Richey sub-station." Stuart looked at the time on his watch in the moonlight.
"Then let's stick to the time and send blessings as soon as twelve o'clock passes." Connie suggested.
"OK."
"No problem, just do as you say."
"Then I have to think about what to say quickly."
The others echoed.
Verak smiled and shook his head slightly, and said to Clark: "Everyone is really enthusiastic."
"Isn't it all down to your efforts these past few days to help everyone become a unit?" Clark said.
…
Time passes quickly.
The city of Tswold has become a hazy bright spot behind them, and the time has arrived in the early morning of July 1st.
"Comrade Verak, happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday!"
"Happy birthday!"
"Thank you, thank you." Although this birthday was celebrated in a hurry and crudely, Verak was flattered by the blessings from so many people.
"I wish you can learn Bash as soon as possible!" Clark's blessing was very pragmatic.
"I wish you all success and peace in the future, and that you can lead us to successfully liberate Bashi!" Oscar's pattern is huge.
"I wish you can accomplish everything you want to do!"
"I wish you become more and more handsome! Haha!"
"I wish you a long life!"
Finally, Quentin also sent his blessing: "I wish you all the best."
"Thank you all." Verak kept expressing his gratitude to the comrades in the cargo compartment.
"It's time for you to make a wish!" Connie reminded.
"Make a wish? Oh yes." You can make birthday wishes on your birthday, Verak then remembered.
Seeing that Verak was not familiar with these links, Clark explained: "Just close your eyes and make a wish in your heart. Remember not to say it out loud, otherwise it won't work."
"...Okay." Verak closed his eyes and grinned, "Can you only promise one?"
"Haha! For your birthday, you can wish as many as you want!" Oscar said with a smile.
"Okay." Verak's smile faded, and he sat motionless for more than a minute, "Okay, I made a few wishes, and I hope they all come true."
…
July 1st, one o'clock in the morning
The only permanently neutral country, the Confederation of Richey, outside a border town
Charlotte, the stationmaster of the Richey sub-station, together with a group of cadres, finally waited for the arrival of the truck carrying Verak and his party.
The truck stopped, and the comrades at the sub-station held flashlights and stepped forward to lift the cover of the cargo compartment, and helped Verak and others out of the car, whose legs were sore from sitting.
"Comrade Verac!" Charlotte, the dashing sub-station director, strode forward and shook hands with Verac.
"Comrade Charlotte, long time no see!" Verak had already heard that the stationmaster of the Richey branch was an excellent lesbian, and he also specifically asked about this and Sara, who went to the Old South to support him.
Both Yin and Fu were one of the first thirty-eight key members sent out by the Equality Association to establish sub-stations in eleven cities at home and abroad.
"When I left a year ago, I still remember the lesson you gave to our thirty-eight core members very clearly." Charlotte came up and praised.
"Really..." When Sara Yinfu mentioned this matter, Verak was embarrassed once. Now that it was mentioned again, he still couldn't help but not know how to reply. After all, he was still a very selfish person a year ago.
, the so-called lectures also copy the contents of "On Equality" to fool everyone.
"These two are comrades of Bash, this is comrade Clark, and these are comrades Oscar, Quentin, Stuart, and Connie, right?" Charlotte mentioned that she understood the situation and did not need to be introduced by Verak.
He easily recognized all eight of them, "Let me introduce to you the comrades from our branch. This is..."
After a while of greetings, Charlotte led everyone into the town.
This town was secretly controlled by the sub-station. They entered openly and were placed in the town's highest-end hotel to eat together.
"It's so rich." The Richey sub-station prepared a large table full of delicacies for Verak and his party, which made their hungry mouths water.
"We usually keep everything simple, mainly because you have been working hard during this period, so I am going to treat you with such a good meal." Charlotte spoke straightforwardly, fearing that she would be misunderstood that the station was extravagant and wasteful, so she explained to Verak
One pass.
"Thank you, thank you. Sorry to trouble you all." Verak did not refuse the kindness of the sub-station and sat down with the others to enjoy the food.
While eating, Charlotte told Verak, who had been traveling all the way without a stable source of information, about the situation at Zein.
At present, a military conflict of a certain scale has broken out between the International Equality Alliance and the Bressi government forces at the junction of forces. The Bressi government forces have fought very hard, which has caused a sudden increase in pressure on the International Equality Alliance.
Because generally speaking, the Bresci government forces are still in the testing stage, and the International Equality Alliance is also rapidly expanding its troops and training, so it is difficult to say what the future direction of the war will be.
Verak had already predicted this situation, and the International Equality Alliance was bound to have a very difficult time.
After dinner, the others went to rest. Verak and Charlotte talked in detail about coming to Zein and the way to Bash. After the route, they also took a good rest in bed.
July 1, 9 a.m.
Neil drove the truck back the same way, and the Richey sub-station took over the important task, arranging vehicles to transport Verak and others to the Kingdom of Sidel to join the comrades at the Sidel sub-station.