Chapter 147 Wishful Thinking
Passing through relatively familiar buildings, eyes were everywhere, filled with wonder, scrutiny, and curiosity.
In addition to those who had successfully established their faith before, a lot of new people were added.
I saw some ordinary survivors in tattered clothes but with numb eyes carrying things; I saw several fighters wiping old weapons, both cold weapons and hot weapons, and they glanced at me sharply; I saw hammering sounds coming from the simple workshop; I even saw a few crops that looked a little malnourished in the previously abandoned production field.
Bai Zang is really capable. It is amazing that he can gather a group of doomsday thugs and refugees one by one and reintegrate them under such circumstances.
Finally, I was taken to an office on the fifth floor.
Bai Zang just sat there, his long legs casually draped over the cluttered desk.
"Hey." He said, his voice a little hoarse with carelessness, his eyes lingering on my face for a moment, "It's you."
I didn't comment, but just pulled the chair in front of the desk and sat down.
"What? Were you fired by your 'relevant department'? You want to come to me?" Bai Zang said casually, playing with the lighter in his hand.
This surprised me a little. We had only met three times in total, and during this period I did not reveal any information about the Bureau of Abnormal Investigation. But I was very sure that the "relevant departments" he mentioned were referring to the Bureau.
But I was just a little surprised, and his guess was almost right. I felt like I was fired.
"I have my own way."
I didn't want to argue with him, so I just got straight to the point and stated my needs: "I need a place to stay."
"Just because of the two moves you made just now that scared the hell out of everyone?" Bai Zang raised his eyebrows, his playful smile deepened, but his eyes were as sharp as a knife.
He put down his legs, leaned forward slightly, and said with a slight curl of his lips: "It's very cool, very weird. But..." He paused, and his tone suddenly turned cold, "Not enough."
"I recruited you before because you had evolved and possessed considerable abilities. But now, you've seen that in the apocalypse, everyone has the opportunity to evolve, right?"
He laughed twice, leaned back in his chair and continued, "My Baizang territory doesn't accept trash, let alone... trouble."
Of course I knew what he was worried about. In his opinion, since I was a staff member of the "relevant department", instead of relying on the Investigation Bureau with more advanced equipment and stronger combat capabilities, I came to work for him. My motives were indeed intriguing.
And given Bai Zang's personality, he probably wouldn't be willing to be restrained by another regular organization.
But for me, it doesn't matter. I never expected to shock him by revealing a little bit of my strength from the beginning.
But I cannot reveal that I am the Starry Sky Lord they believe in. Not to mention that they may not believe it at all, even if they do believe it, it is too embarrassing to prove it to myself and I cannot maintain my faith.
However, concealing the fact that I am "Lord of the Starry Sky" does not mean that I cannot reveal relevant information. After personally talking to the so-called "immortal", he will only become more interested in this matter.
After all, receiving God's blessing is quite tempting.
"Since you know I'm from the 'relevant department,' you should understand that I possess more information, such as—the gods."
As expected, upon hearing these two words, Bai Zang's eyes flickered violently. The metal lighter stopped spinning between his fingers. He was rapidly weighing his options.
A teammate who is strong, has official support and has more information about the doomsday and those abnormal situations will undoubtedly be a help in breaking through the sky.
Silence stretched in the room filled with the smell of rust and motor oil.
Finally, he spoke, his voice returning to its previous lazy tone, but with a subtle hint of tentativeness: "Conditions?"
Done.
I clearly stated my bottom line: "Independent right to act. Necessary material support." I emphasized the words "right to act," implying that he should stop asking questions that he shouldn't.
"In return, I will complete the tasks you assign within a reasonable range. I will never stand idly by when the organization is under a major threat. And I will also provide some intelligence from the gods."
After all, I'm not here to be a thug, so I have to show confidence when negotiating.
Bai Zang's fingers began to tap unconsciously on the table again. The sound was particularly clear in the silence. He seemed to be measuring my value, evaluating whether the benefits I could bring were enough to justify the "trouble" he considered.
Finally, he grinned, revealing a meaningful and feral smile.
"Deal," he said.
I felt a little relieved, but my vigilance remained undimmed. His smile held no trust, only calculation.
"But, Miss Ji Ling," he said, his smile becoming a little sly. "I'll determine what constitutes a 'reasonable range.' And..." He trailed off, his gaze shifting to a worn, waterproof-penciled city map hanging on the wall. "...new members joining the team, according to the old rules, must submit a 'letter of allegiance.'"
As expected.
I nodded slightly, motioning for him to continue explaining in detail.
Bai Zang stood up, walked to the map, and pointed his finger precisely at a location - the edge of the old city in the north of Tiannan City, near the abandoned dock area.
"Here, in the old city's underground cold storage. This massive pre-apocalyptic cold chain storage center holds countless tons of 'hard goods'—canned goods, sealed meat, powdered milk. In theory, everything you could want with a long shelf life.
"Wait, the red fog has been here for more than half a year. Are you sure there are still supplies?" I questioned.
He turned around, his eyes filled with a hint of cruel anticipation. "That's not important. I'm after more than just these supplies. If I want to survive long-term, I can't just stay in the corner. I have to walk under the fog. Controlling the dock means more opportunities for outward exploration and expansion."
Since he wasn't after supplies, then there must be something wrong at the dock that he couldn't solve.
As expected, Bai Zang chuckled and stated his core demand:
"A group of aquatic monsters have recently appeared at the docks. They're fast, their claws sharper than icicles, and they can spit out freezing air. They're also incredibly tough. We lost three waves of people, and we couldn't even get through the gate a few times. You," he pointed at me, his smile revealing both temptation and exploitation, "empty it out. You take 20% of the stuff inside, and the rest goes to the gang. You have one week."
So that's how it is. This gathering place of high-level anomalous units, with its unknown level of danger, is a natural meat grinder, a perfect touchstone. It can not only test my true combat capabilities, but also obtain strategic supplies that the gang desperately needs. And...if I die in there, it won't be a big loss for Bai Zang.
The abacus beads almost hit me in the face.
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