Chapter 505 The Imperial Princess and the Rebel Leader 18

"If you have treasure, would you send someone to keep a close watch on it?"

In response to the gunner's question, Cha Jiu asked instead of answering.

"Of course," the gunner answered without hesitation.

"Then these alien insects have the same idea." Cha Jiu picked up an instant explosive bomb from the weapon box next to him and randomly hit a lucky leafcutter ant.

When the leafcutter ant's head was blown up, its first reaction was not to repair the wound, but to concentrate all its hard carapace to protect a certain part of its tail.

Cha Jiu pointed at that spot and said, "This is their vital point. Leafcutter ants are well aware that their bodies have extremely strong regenerative abilities, so when they encounter danger, they will concentrate their hardest shells to protect the most fatal part, because there is no way to regenerate there."

Everyone suddenly realized.

Anna began to look at Chajiu with suspicion again.

She probed: "Even people like us who have been fighting in the rainforest for many years don't know these techniques of killing alien insects. How can you, a servant of a baron, know so much about them?"

Cha Jiu was too lazy to waste any more words to prove himself.

She said impatiently: "These things are not difficult. Anyone with a little observation can find them. You usually don't pay attention to it, who can you blame?"

The players looked embarrassed after being mocked for being stupid and short-sighted.

Yes, they have no brains, so why should others not be allowed to have them?

The leafcutter ant's actions to protect its vital points are so obvious, and it's not just for Cha Jiu to see. If they don't pay attention, who can blame them?

Anna was so choked that she couldn't utter a word.

…

Having collected the spice rhizomes and learned about the fatal weakness of leaf-cutter ants, I should have been very happy.

But because some team members died, the atmosphere in the team became noticeably more depressing.

After dark, Lawrence chose a relatively safe and dry place and had people build a campfire to prepare for the night.

Anna sat by the campfire, hugging her legs and staring blankly.

She stared blankly at the wrapped body of her companion not far away, and remembered the tragic scene of him being bitten in half by leaf-cutter ants before his death, and suddenly burst into tears.

Cha Jiu, who was leaning against a big tree and preparing to close his eyes and take a rest, said: "..."

Damn it.

Just squinting.

Lawrence went to comfort his niece: "What happened?"

Anna wiped her tears and cried, "It's nothing, I just think we are pathetic."

"Our companions paid the price of their lives to pick spices, but in the end they could only get a dozen star coins from the baron, which was not even enough to eat black bread for a week."

"And Princess Silis can enjoy all of this easily just by sitting in the bright and warm palace."

As Anna spoke, there was even some resentment in her eyes.

"This extravagant and licentious princess has no idea that the cart of spices that she can use up in one night is the result of the sacrifices of many fathers, brothers, and friends. How can she accept this with a clear conscience?"

Everyone was silent.

They were all moved by Anna's words. They felt sad about the hopeless future and at the same time, resentment towards the royal family and the princess arose from the bottom of their hearts.

"Why can't the princess just accept it with peace of mind?"

Cha Jiu, who was sitting aside to rest, suddenly spoke.

Anna and the others looked at her in surprise.

Cha Jiu looked indifferent and said matter-of-factly: "If she didn't need spices, the royal family wouldn't spend money to buy them, and you wouldn't even get these dozen star coins. Think about how you lived without spices in the past."

Everyone couldn't help but start to recall.

Before the royal family purchased spices, all their land capable of growing grain had been seized by the barons.

They either starve to death or hunt for insects and eat their flesh. The latter option is not much better than the former, and many people who hunt insects end up dying in the mouths of insects.

On the contrary, the survival rate of those who picked spices for the princess was higher.

Anna was not convinced: "You mean, we should thank this respected princess for buying our lives for a dozen star coins?"

Cha Jiu said calmly: "If you think the reward is too low, then you don't have to accept the mission and don't take the reward. This is fair. No one is forcing you to work hard for a dozen star coins. Everything is your own choice."

If you get paid, you have to do the work.

Instead of eating from the bowl while scolding the cook.

"What's more, the price the princess pays for spices every year is not low. The person who actually deducted your remuneration is Baron Osman, the lord of this planet. It is really strange that you don't blame him, but instead blame Princess Silis who provided you with a way out."

Cha Jiu's tone seemed puzzled, but in fact it was full of sarcasm.

The team members were speechless and didn't know how to refute.

There is no rebuttal.

They had indeed received favors from Princess Silis, there was no doubt about that, and it was only today that they saw it clearly.

Anna has always been prejudiced against the nobles and is unwilling to believe what Cha Jiu said, that Princess Silis pretended to prefer this special spice in order to give them a way out.

She found loopholes in what she thought were the facts and questioned Cha Jiu: "If the princess really wanted to help us, why didn't she choose to buy some spices that were easier to pick so that so many lives wouldn't be sacrificed."

Cha Jiu smiled.

There was no malice in her smile, only full of surprise, as if she had heard a three-year-old child say something childish and ridiculous.

Anna was puzzled and frowned: "What are you laughing at?"

Cha Jiu said bluntly: "Laugh at your stupidity."

Lawrence held down Anna before she lost her temper.

"Okay, Anna, I understand what this little brother means."

He glanced at Cha Jiu, with deep inquiry in his eyes.

"If the things Her Royal Highness wants to buy are easy to obtain, then the Baron will choose to send his own army to collect them, and it will not be our turn to work hard to make money."

"Nowadays, the process of picking spice roots is difficult and dangerous. The baron does not want to waste the army, so he pays us to pick the spices."

So this is also a kind of screening.

Everyone will fight for the benefits that are easy to get, so how can these poor people get them?

But if it requires a huge price, those who are not in a very difficult situation and are unwilling to take risks will naturally be screened out, so that the donation can fall into the hands of those who are really in need.

Lawrence has begun to doubt Cha Jiu's identity.

How could someone who is so deeply involved in this matter be just an ordinary servant?

Cha Jiu was not afraid of his scrutiny.

She lowered her head and stared at Lance, who was still lying on her legs with his eyes closed, and said with a half-smile: "Open your eyes if you wake up, don't pretend to be asleep."

Two seconds later, Lance pretended to have just woken up and slowly opened his eyes.

"Your Highness, are you injured?"

He was pretending to be asleep, but he was also really concerned about Cha Jiu's health.

"Very good, how much have you heard?" Cha Jiu asked.

Lance said honestly: "I woke up when you mocked them for not doing it if they don't want to, and for not taking advantage of the situation and then being nice."