border crossings

After eight consecutive steam cannon shots, the wall's health was reduced to just 732 points. Several cracks, several meters long, appeared on the wall. Finally, after much urging, the Pope stood on the wall.

Ye Miaomiao stopped the team members' bombing operation.

This man was dressed in rich attire, and by the firelight, one could vaguely see that he was extremely obese. Several people surrounded him, seemingly fearing arrows from below the wall.

Apu was dragged to stand beside the Pope, looking at the people below with burning eyes.

"We're here to return the belongings of a hungry resident, Apu. Please ask him and his family to come and pick them up in person."

There was silence on the wall.

"Go on." After a while, before the Pope could speak, Ye Miaomiao said softly.

There were only two loud bangs, and two more shells hit the wall. This time, not only were there cracks, but two huge craters were also smashed out, and the entire wall became pitted from the attack.

There were screams and curses coming from the wall. More and more people looked up at the wall in panic because of the successive loud noises and notifications, and then quickly returned to their huts, praying for a miracle to happen.

Apu listened to the prayers in his ears and looked at the guards who usually acted arrogantly and were already trembling all over. It seemed that his prayers to God were answered. Suddenly, he wanted to laugh.

They are all cowards. In the past, faced with factory pollution, they chose to remain silent for a few benefits. They gave up speaking out for themselves and their ancestors' land. What is the difference between the interests they believed in then and the gods they believe in now?

Apu does not believe in the existence of God, but if God really exists, he would definitely not choose St. Mark.

Suddenly, Apu felt extremely clear-headed and sad.

He wailed, "People of Anagno! There's no God in this world! If there is a God, why is there a doomsday? If there is a God, why are so many people in San Marco starving?"

"We can only rely on ourselves. We work hard and grow crops. Did our ancestors survive by relying on God? In the past, you turned a blind eye when factories took over our land. Now, God has stripped us of our faith and turned us into slaves who only obey orders. Are you also going to pretend you don't see it?"

In an instant, Apu seemed to vent all the grief and anger in his body.

The wailing, like the blood-curdling cries of the thornbirds, echoed endlessly in the silent night sky, drawing everyone's stunned gazes at him.

Apu chuckled twice and said, "I would rather never have been an Anano."

It's said to be laughing, but it's more like crying.

"Apu!" the village chief shouted.

Before Apu could respond or say the second sentence, the Pope glared at him angrily: "Nonsense! Don't try to fool anyone with these words! All the disasters in St. Mark's today are caused by you!"

"I kill you!"

As he spoke, he fiercely pulled out the sword of the guard beside him and was about to stab Apu in the chest before anyone could react.

"Apu!"

Someone exclaimed in surprise.

This young man, who grew up in Anano, was actually quite kind and had helped many people. But because they had led the opposition to the factory owner, the current Pope, few dared to show their kindness to them directly, and they could only secretly lament the family's bad luck.

Now, this foolish young man is going to die like this...

Apu opened his eyes angrily, staring at the Pope with anger in his eyes, even angrier than the Pope himself.

An inexplicable emotion rose in the hearts of many people, and they suddenly felt confused... At this moment, an arrow shot straight towards them. The confused guards even forgot to resist and let it shoot towards the Pope behind them.

The sword stopped an inch in front of Apu, and then fell to the ground with a "clang".

The Pope stared at Apu in a daze, and then a faint flame rose from his heart. The flame was coated with a faint golden hue, like the morning light. A cold wind blew, and it suddenly grew larger, suddenly enveloping the Pope in the fire.

He burned like flammable fuel.

Pitiful screams echoed from the flames, sending chills down everyone's spines. Even the guards trembled and took two steps back, no matter how the Pope called for help. His unpopularity was fully revealed at this moment.

Looking at the source of the arrow in the center of the flame, Ye Miaomiao just put down the bow in his hand: "Luckily, there is a half-hour usage time after the upgrade, just in time for the last minute."

At first glance, the girl's lips curved slightly, a hint of coldness lingering in her eyes. Her usually bright smile and luminous pupils now seemed mysterious in the flickering firelight.

In the blink of an eye, the Pope was dead and Apu was alive.

"Lord Ye!" Apu broke out in a cold sweat, as if he had just passed a life-or-death test. He ignored the soreness in his nose and spoke in a muffled voice: "Why...why did you waste so much ammunition for me..."

He wanted to slap himself for being speechless after he finished speaking. He actually just wanted to ask, why would Ye Miaomiao do this for him when she clearly didn't want to start a fight and hadn't even contacted Margaret...

Ye Miaomiao smiled and said, "Not much waste."

Joseph II was dead, and the war was bound to start sooner or later. She just started it a little earlier and even gained some extra benefits.

The village chief's screams echoed from the wall: "Your Holiness!" He cried out in shock, kneeling before the falling flames, and roared like a bereaved family: "Kill them! Guards, kill them!"

The air was silent for a long time, no one moved or even made a sound.

"The one-minute skill time hasn't passed yet." Ye Miaomiao's voice came from under the wall.

This obvious threat made the village chief stop crowing like a chicken with its throat choked, and then he fluttered like a balloon.

He didn't want to end up like the Pope, so he kneeled down and took two steps back, even further away from the Pope.

Apu sneered and said nothing more.

The guards nearby stared blankly at the scene before them: "So should we... kill them?"

Still killing? Don't you think your death wasn't ugly enough? Didn't you hear that the skill hasn't expired yet? Besides...

A bunch of useless idiots couldn't even protect the Pope, and now not only is the Pope gone, but the Pope's son is also gone. What are they talking about revenge now? What were they doing before?

The village chief is a fence-sitter who changes sides depending on the wind.

Now he saw the situation more clearly and knew himself better. He immediately bent his legs behind the wall, trembling. "Then I'll ask Apu and his family to go down and get the things?"

Apu quickly added: "And my friends and their families."

The group had already packed their belongings, but they were temporarily taken to the temple, which delayed their departure. Upon hearing the news, the family finally let go of their long-suppressed worries. They burst into tears of joy and arrived at the gate of the territory, carrying their belongings and their families.

Village Chief Nono: "Do you need...any other resources?"

He waited for a long time but didn't hear any answer. When he looked up again, he found that after Ye Miaomiao asked Apu to confirm the number of people, the group left San Marco without looking back, and they really didn't take a penny.

The tattered wall only had a little life left, and the faint burnt aroma of the Pope's incense wafted from the wall, as if representing the end of a reign.

After Ye Miaomiao killed the lord, due to the special nature of the "Arrow of Judgment", he did not take over the Pope's attributes, skills or even territory, and this ownerless territory was left behind.

"Then we..." The village chief was about to speak when a villager suddenly stood up.

"Then let's call back Anano."

His words were recognized by everyone.

"At least Apu isn't stupid. We can't ignore what he said this time. God didn't show up to save the Pope, and we can't lie to ourselves anymore. People in Anano should only trust their own hands and feet."

.

At this moment, a group of people were waiting anxiously on the wall of Hungry Hungry's territory.

Among them were relatives of the security guards, residents who had been woken up and were worried about the territory, Xu Lu who had been waiting for A Pu to return, and Zeng Wei who had come with her.

Seeing that the time was getting later, Xu Lu couldn't help but blame herself: "Isn't anything really wrong? It's all my fault. I was too talkative and talked nonsense with Brother Fang Yan."

Zeng Wei comforted her: "No matter what, it is the Lord's choice. You must trust the Lord."

Xu Lu finally calmed down a bit, but her heart was still beating uncontrollably. She absolutely couldn't let anything happen to the territory. She couldn't even imagine what would happen if she was hungry...

Just as I was thinking about it, a few lights appeared on the grassland not far to the north, looking like a group of people. The NPCs not far away didn't signal to attack, which meant they were our own people.

"He's back!" someone exclaimed.

Everyone quickly gathered at the entrance of the territory. As the door creaked open, the tired but excited security team walked in.

Xu Lu saw A Pu in the crowd. He looked even more miserable than when he left, covered in dust and dirt, his clothes even more torn. Moreover, he was supported by the elderly people around him, and compared to the lively elderly people around him, he seemed even weaker than the elderly people themselves.

Xu Lu was startled: "Why are you being supported by an old man?"

"Because my sisters and brothers were busy with the luggage and had no time to help me. I can still walk, but my legs are weak and grandpa is afraid that I will fall..." Apu was grateful for the landlord's concern and was explaining the reason when he saw the landlord ruthlessly looking past him, as if he didn't care about his life or death at all.

"Lord Ye, please be safe."

As he spoke, Zeng Wei, the man beside Xu Lu, also looked at Ye Miaomiao and others who were surrounded by the crowd, and said with concern: "Yeah, you are not seriously injured, right? You should go to the temple to let the priest take a look first."

Apu was completely ignored. He silently picked up his broken little heart that fell on the ground and thought to himself, what could happen to Lord Ye? The one who is in trouble is the Pope who has been burned to charcoal!

He recalled that he was almost pierced through the heart by an arrow just now, and he felt a little scared. Just now, his family and friends had scolded him countless times, and now he didn't dare to say it out loud and continue to be scolded.

They thought they would continue to be ignored, but unexpectedly, after a while, Xu Lu and Zeng Wei took the initiative to take over the heavier luggage in their hands and share the burden.

"Welcome to E E E." Xu Lu smiled and said, "Our rental price is still the same as before. Your room has been reserved."

"You must be scared. I'll take you to put your things away now. Have a good rest tonight. We can talk about anything tomorrow."

Not far away, Ye Miaomiao explained that she was fine and no one in the territory was injured. Everyone had already dispersed with peace of mind.

Apu nodded. He had originally wanted to go out of his way to thank Ye Miaomiao, but he would have to wait until tomorrow.

The three of them followed Xu Lu all the way to the door. In the quiet of the night, nothing was clear. The family felt a little timid when they thought that this would be their permanent residence.

Firstly, they were unfamiliar with the place and were afraid of not being able to find a job or enough food to eat; secondly, they were of a different race and were afraid of being bullied.

Xu Lu may be just a young girl, but since she bravely started renting out apartments, her ability to read people's expressions has improved significantly. She knows that over time, these people will naturally adapt to the life of starvation, but...

Among them were old people and children, all of whom looked frightened and pitiful. Looking at Apu's appearance, it was clear that he must have suffered a lot.

Xu Lu remembered that she and Zhang Tiantian were also raised by her grandparents. If Brother Fang Yan hadn't brought them here to starve, they would probably be as miserable as Apu, or even worse. She couldn't help but feel a little sympathy.

"Little sister, I heard that you like strawberry cake very much." After sending the group to the door, Xu Lu took out the cake she had saved for herself from her backpack and handed it to Apu's little sister.

The little girl looked up in surprise, and shrank her hands back, not daring to take it.

"It's not something expensive. As long as you're willing to work, anyone in Hungry Hungry Territory can live well. I'm only five or six years older than you, and I bought this with my own money. Good luck, little sister. Just return it to me later."

The family was surprised. They thought the girl was just a guide, but she turned out to be the boss. They looked at each other in confusion, and the same doubts as Apu had when he first arrived arose in their hearts.

The next second, with Apu's explanation, everyone understood - it turned out that what Apu said in San Marco was not an exaggeration to amuse his sister, but a conservative description!

Not only did I feel relieved, but the big stone was finally moved.

But they were embarrassed to accept the cake. They were all simple villagers, so they quickly took out the points they had hidden in their pockets and handed them over. After a while, they actually started arguing.

Xu Lu was just a little girl, after all, and couldn't compete with a large group of people, so she had no choice but to accept the points. She awkwardly prepared a few more wooden buckets for them to draw water, and also gave them a few wicker baskets to practice with, and that was it.

The family finally moved into the hungry hungry house.

As the sky grew darker, Ye Miaomiao asked everyone to go to bed quickly, and she slipped into the temple again, took a nice hot spring bath, and washed away all her fatigue.

Later, I lay down in my soft and warm down bed, wondering what SSR's "Party A Contract: Colorful Black" could bring.

However, solving a problem tonight made her full of hope, and she would definitely receive something good tomorrow!

With good wishes in mind, I gradually fell asleep.

At this moment, in the east of the territory, another person stayed awake until dawn, having not slept all night. This person was none other than Queen Margaret, the lord of Margaret's territory.

As she counted the days, the anxiety in her heart became more and more entangled in her heart and could not be dispelled.

Why hasn't that Oriental man found her yet?

Margaret almost couldn't remember what Ye Miaomiao looked like, but she knew very well what that person would bring to her——

Huge resources, advanced technology, and a group of hardworking civilians.

In her previous life, she relied on these skills to firmly maintain her top spot and even nearly completed the game, becoming the first person to successfully escape the apocalypse. But... almost!

Fortunately, God blesses her and she has the opportunity to live her life again. If she can do it again, she will definitely be able to correct her last mistakes and successfully complete the game.

But...the East Asian lord who sent the gift in her memory did not appear at the time she remembered.

Logically, she should have appeared not long ago. The two territories began a joint encirclement and suppression. Today was the day of the fall of San Marco. The entire territory was divided between Hung Hung Hung and Margaret. Margaret, who was gradually declining, had a major boost in health.

To be honest, Margaret almost forgot about such a person. She even said the three words "hungry, hungry, hungry" only when she started to choose the city island and saw the territory ranked first. Then she remembered this territory.

This territory is crucial, yet not crucial, in Margaret's development...

She must have remembered it wrongly. The East Asian man came to her later... Margaret comforted herself in her heart, or perhaps, Margaret didn't need that man's resources at all.

But the panic caused by the uneasiness in her heart almost overwhelmed Margaret.

She lay awake until daybreak, and the princess's pride finally made her make up her mind.

She was Princess Margaret, what could she not solve? She had already lived a second life, and even without that East Asian, she could solve all the problems and help Margaret survive to the end.

Yes, she has to rely on herself!

.

On the 25th day after the disaster, the first snowflake fell from the sky.

The season on the light screen has changed from "Spring" to "Late Spring". Obviously, the next season after spring is not the summer that everyone is looking forward to, but winter.

Those who got up early put on their cotton-padded clothes with heavy hearts, while those with weaker constitutions put on their sweaters obediently. After drinking warm porridge in the cafeteria, their heavy hearts finally relaxed.

Regardless, as long as they worked diligently, the territory would always be prepared. Judging from the fact that each person was provided with two cotton-padded jackets and one sweater, the lord would not treat them unfairly.

The territory soon returned to its former bustle.

There was nothing important to do today, so Ye Miaomiao rarely managed to sleep until 9 or 10 o'clock. She stretched and found that a few snowflakes had fallen on the window, and the cold outside was completely dispelled by the burning charcoal in the fireplace.

The next disaster is coming.

Ye Miaomiao is more aware of this than anyone else.

Ye Miaomiao planned to check the preparation of cold-proof clothing and cold-proof food. Just as she was about to go out, a system notification popped up on Ye Miaomiao's screen -

From "Broken Party A Contract": Congratulations! Your wish has been fulfilled. The "Border Port" has been successfully opened. Territory-wide notification will be issued soon... Notification in progress... Contact completed.

Dear Lord, hello. Are you still worried about not having enough resources in your territory? Or are you worried about having too many resources to store? Please silently chant "Border Port" to open the port panel!

[Border ports are designed to facilitate the exchange of resources between territories. You can purchase a 10-point per-day ticket to enter the border port to purchase resources. You can also rent shops at various price points to sell territory resources.

Please join us as soon as possible! 】

Ye Miaomiao: “!” She is too narrow-minded!

I thought that the wish of "I don't need so many supplies as long as I don't starve" would allow the SSR card to take away her resources, but I didn't expect...

They actually opened a market between territories, allowing them to share what they have. Wouldn't that allow resources to be matched smoothly?

Ye Miaomiao was immediately excited. Since the territory entered the steam age, productivity has increased significantly. Storm Territory and Yunshen Yuanshun Territory together are only two territories. Sooner or later, they will become saturated and no longer purchase items.

Furthermore, Hung Hung Hung still lacks a lot of things. Storm Territory and Yunshen Yuanshun don’t have them, so do all the other territories lack them?

Ye Miaomiao wanted to enter the border port and start shopping immediately, but she took a deep breath and calmed her impulse.

Before buying or selling, you must first make a list of excess items that can be sold and those that need to be purchased urgently.

Ye Miaomiao walked towards the kitchen to eat while turning on the screen and starting to list.

Not far away, a blond young man hesitated, looking at Ye Miaomiao from afar. After a while, he walked forward.

"Lord Ye!" he shouted, almost scaring Ye Miaomiao.

She looked at Apu, who immediately pulled out a large wicker basket from his arms. The basket was crudely woven, but huge. It was filled with a variety of fruits. In one corner were two bottles of fine fruit wine, and in the other was a bouquet of very fresh flowers, not the kind commonly seen in the territory.

Ye Miaomiao looked at him in surprise, shook her head and refused the gift: "You don't have to waste points, I don't need them."

But when Apu insisted, she took a bouquet of flowers from the corner and insisted on not accepting anything else.

Apu withdrew his hand regretfully and looked at the item in his hand with worry: "Lord, this is a thank-you gift from our three families. We will feel uneasy if you don't accept it."

Ye Miaomiao waved the flowers in her hand, which made Apu happy again: "My sister picked these early in the morning. I'm glad you like them."

Speaking of his sister, Ye Miaomiao remembered that she was thinking about cold-weather food just now, so she asked, "Is your sister really a professional baker?"

Apu nodded proudly.

"There is a shortage of cold-resistant food now. If we can buy raw materials at the border port, one NPC is not enough..." Apu did not hear what Ye Miaomiao muttered, but he heard the second half of the sentence clearly.

"I'm going to be recruiting a chef and a baker soon. If your sister is capable, ask her to keep an eye on the task board and sign up."

Apu's eyes lit up, and he felt like pie in the sky. He couldn't believe it: "Really? My sister can go to work!"

Ye Miaomiao smiled and said, "It's not certain. We need to select the best two."

After recruiting Zhang Ya, she realized that many people were eager to become civil servants. Ye Miaomiao was amused and helpless, but she also promised to give everyone a chance.

So, she plans to make a decision on whether to hire him after conducting an assessment.

Of course his sister is the best!

Apu nodded quickly, and was too embarrassed to take the basket back. Without waiting for Ye Miaomiao to react, he stuffed it into her arms and left like a flash, leaving Ye Miaomiao holding the basket, feeling both amused and helpless.

She put the basket back into her backpack and continued to calculate the items she needed to buy and sell.

Thanks to dwarven technology, the territory is rich in iron items, some of which can be sold. Leftover food nearing its expiration date can also be sold at a low price. The territory can also help sell the residents' excess daily necessities for a fee. There are also some specialties like sesame-flavored eggs...

There are so many things to buy, including honey cakes and the most important honey, everything related to cold protection, and other useful things...

Today, Zhang Jia's porridge was very thick. Ye Miaomiao remembered him angrily pointing at the cake shop and questioning why she hired the cake maker...

Ye Miaomiao planned to go to the border port first to see if she could buy cold-proof food. After deciding to hire a chef, she would tell Zhang Jia's family about this.

After drinking the porridge, Ye Miaomiao first rushed to the weaving hut.

The sweaters had already been sold out after working overtime, and the window of the small house was empty. Ye Miaomiao opened the door and saw tiny down feathers scattered everywhere in the house, like snowflakes drifting in the territory. Several finished down jackets were hung on the side.

Seeing Ye Miaomiao come in, several people greeted her warmly and handed her a well-made down jacket.

Ye Miaomiao smiled and asked, "How many have you made so far? We're going to buy down jackets."