No one on the field spoke; they waited quietly for Jiang Tao to say what he would say next.

Given the current situation, this concerns the future survival of all of them.

The most fundamental truth in this world is simply to stay alive.

Luo Chen was in the same boat at the moment, and he didn't pay any special attention to the mysterious man with the big hood behind him.

[After much beating around the bush, it's finally time to speak.]

These people always make their little schemes seem mysterious.

Jiang Xian'er heard Luo Chen's innermost thoughts clearly.

"Hmph, the fox's tail is finally showing, trying to gather intelligence." Jiang Xian'er's eyes gleamed brightly as she stared intently at Luo Chen from beneath the large hood.

He wished he could go over right now, tie a big iron chain around Luo Chen, and then torture him severely.

"Gentlemen, if we are conscripted, then we will be finished. You will all be nothing more than cannon fodder between the two countries. In the eyes of those big shots, we are nothing but ants. Do you want that?"

With the groundwork laid earlier, Jiang Tao no longer needed to beat around the bush in his subsequent remarks. If he were to speak in a more evasive manner, it would only make him seem more like someone with ulterior motives.

Nobody's a fool. In a world where you have to find a way to survive every day, you can't risk your life.

"Looks like something's up." Old Tie turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Luo Chen.

"..."

Luo Chen really wanted to roll her eyes at him, but she was afraid of hurting his feelings of venting, so she gave him a forced smile.

"No way!"

"No way!"

"No way!"

As Jiang Tao laid the groundwork step by step, the crowd, upon hearing about the situation concerning their future, began to feel indignant.

“These guys in high positions are just thinking about getting us killed every day, but thankfully they haven’t given us anything, they’ve just been enjoying their good fortune.”

"That's true. We're risking our lives, while they're living it up, eating better and having more fun than us. Now they want us to risk our lives, what's the point?"

"Hey, isn't this a great opportunity? If we win a battle on the battlefield, we might even get promoted and make a fortune. Don't you think it's a good idea?" A slightly green-looking young man in the crowd said, looking at the two people talking beside him.

Upon hearing this, a disheveled middle-aged man beside him gave a contemptuous smile, then looked at the young man and said, "Kid, you look like you've just become a mercenary."

The young man nodded sincerely.

The man, with a matter-of-fact expression, continued, "You're still too young. If it were really like those people say, that you'd get promoted and made a fortune, would it even be your turn?"

"How could it not be my turn? Aren't we all risking our lives? Mercenaries risk their lives too, but what can a mercenary achieve in a lifetime?" The young man frowned and retorted without hesitation.

“Going for your life, huh.” The man shook his head as if he had heard a joke. “Your idea is not wrong. I used to be like you, naively thinking that as long as you risked your life, they would give you anything you wanted. But once you were no longer useful, they would kick you aside like a dog.”

A hint of sadness appeared on the man's face as he slowly reached out his left hand and lifted the wide robe he was wearing.

In an instant, the young man's eyes widened, and his gaze shifted downwards.

A severed arm!

"See? Back then, I was just like you, thinking that all I had to do was risk my life. But look what happened." The man was speechless for a moment, slowly pulling his robe back, and continued, "Kid, everyone wants to do well, everyone wants to get ahead, but remember, you're selling human lives, not dog lives."

"Nobody cares about people like us who only have to work hard to earn a living, but you have to care about yourself. You only have one life, wouldn't it be better to choose a better life?"

The young man was speechless, perhaps because the shock he had just experienced was too strong, leaving him in a daze.

Above, Jiang Tao continued, "That's why I want to gather everyone together and form an alliance to fight against them."

"Let's be frank, everyone knows that there's strength in numbers, otherwise mercenary groups wouldn't exist. At a time like this, only by sticking together can we have a chance to resist them."

"Given the current situation, if we continue to act alone, we will only be gradually eliminated. At that point, it will be useless to disobey them. Therefore, an alliance is our only option."

Jiang Tao waved his arms, his tone gradually rising.

The atmosphere gradually heated up, but everyone still maintained their own sense of caution.

Being too trusting in chaotic times is also a mistake.

[Damn it, after all this time, you still haven't gotten to the point. When are you finally going to get to the point?]

[Jiang Tao really knows how to keep you in suspense; after all that fuss, he's just messing around.]

Luo Chen cursed inwardly, feeling quite troubled. He found it really annoying that Jiang Tao, a figure with a visible official career, was talking nonsense and never got to the point.

On one side, Jiang Xian'er, under the large hood, pouted her little mouth, raised her arched eyebrows, and clenched her two little hands into fists.

She heard everything.

This person is so wicked, to think of her father like that.

His own father was genuinely working to find a way out for the townspeople and mercenaries, yet this man complained that his father was long-winded.

She couldn't stand it.

"Just wait, I'm going to catch you, you little traitor, and then I'll teach you a lesson." Jiang Xian'er had already imagined in her mind how to catch Luo Chen and how to punish him.

"Hahaha, now do you still want to talk about my father?" Jiang Xian'er laughed out loud for no reason.

Luo Chen happened to notice it and immediately turned around to glance at it.

This person is really strange; they stared at me for ages.

[Never mind, there are always some strange people. Maybe under that hat is a seventy or eighty-year-old woman with a lewd smile.]

Luo Chen shook his head and continued to plan his future path.

But this almost made Jiang Xian'er so angry that she vomited blood.

Am I an old woman?

Was my smile lewd?

"What kind of ears do you have? You're making me so angry! I'm going to tie you up and whip you severely!"

"You little spy, trying to sneak around here to gather intelligence? I will definitely catch you red-handed, and not only that, I will also find out the mysterious force behind you."

Jiang Xian'er was panting heavily, her eyes filled with rage. If there weren't so many people around, she would have loved to run over and tear Luo Chen to pieces right now.

This really touched a nerve with the girl.

This involves age; it can't be a simple question.

Fortunately, Luo Chen was unaware of all this, otherwise he would have regretted what he had just said.

"I believe you all understand now, so let's get down to business."

"Regarding the selection of the alliance leader."