Chapter 131, selfish desires
Jason Morgan, with a bump on his forehead, felt extremely unlucky.
He was originally an employee of a small factory in Fuxing City, doing some statistical work. He had no special skills and no power, just doing his own job and receiving the salary he deserved. His life was certainly much better than those hungry refugees in the outer city, but he was definitely not rich. He could barely get a room in the inner city, and with his wife's work, he could barely support his three children.
After the war, his wife, for some reason, believed in something so evil that she thought the new government set up by the new governor was very reliable. Not only did she go to jail herself, she also stayed at home to persuade him for two days.
"We can read and do math, have work experience, and can make it on the road."
“It is said that Ms. Ossena was promoted to such a high position just because she could read!”
"The sooner we get in, the better. If we join them sooner, we may become big figures in the future."
He agreed in a daze, and after preliminary political review and training, he was sent to the Immigration Bureau of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
At that time, he thought that although the conditions were tough and he had to work outside the city, his initial job grade was E9, and the basic job grade quota for him and his wife was enough to support the family. Plus the salary outside the quota, their quality of life would not be reduced at all compared to the past.
In addition, before leaving for this "business trip", their newly promoted director encouraged them by saying that this was a very valuable experience and that if they did a good job, it would all be considered meritorious performance. He would apply for the Renaissance Medal for those who performed the best, and they would be given priority for promotion and advancement when they return.
This promise filled Morgan's heart. Plus, the business trip itself came with extra allowances, all good things. After returning home, he discussed it with his wife, and with her strong support, he signed up that night.
The next day, a working group was formed and a car took them to Major Pobov's army.
When they dealt with the first settlement of about a thousand people, they were a little flustered and encountered some difficulties and setbacks, but they finally got it done. They were even the first group to complete the migration work, and when they reported to the leadership by telegram, they received a commendation from the director.
He was feeling very happy, but he didn't even have the chance to rest as he was sent to the newly recovered Sanchi Town overnight.
Sanchi Town has a population of more than 3,000 people. According to the original leader of the town, the name "Sanchi" comes from the three large pools around the town, where some aquatic products can be fished out. They mainly rely on those aquatic products to make a living. Some of them are eaten by themselves, and some are dried and exported as dried fish and canned food. In addition, the location of their town is not bad, and caravans often pass by. They set up a tavern and provided food, accommodation, leisure and entertainment services for the caravans. The life of the whole town is still passable.
According to this statement, the first direction of the working group is that this town can be preserved. It can be used as a trade transit station, with three lakes with good output, and can also be used as an aquaculture site for food production.
They started to work in this direction.
But after a field investigation, they soon realized something was wrong.
Yes, there are "three pools", but they are really just three "ponds". They can't be called ponds, but at most they are small lakes. There is a certain amount of aquatic production, but it is obviously not well managed and the production is quite limited.
As for the tavern? There is one, but it has about ten rooms in total, and about twenty tables in the lobby on the first floor. It can hardly be considered a trading post.
If this was a small village with only a few hundred people, the three pools and this tavern might be able to allow them to live a decent life.
But three thousand people?
You would have starved to death if you relied on this, right?
The people of Sanchi Town lied.
Morgan didn't understand why they had to lie at first, but on the third night after the army left and only their working group was left, when he went out to urinate, he saw boxes of weapons and equipment being moved out of the warehouse. When the townspeople began to arm themselves, he knew that something was wrong.
This group of people actually pretended to surrender unconditionally and loyally when the army arrived, but started to arm their troops as soon as the army left.
Later, he saw a large number of robbers entering the town, and they got along well with the townspeople.
Combined with the previous investigation that showed a serious mismatch between industry and population size, he finally understood that this was a den of thieves!
Otherwise, how could those three small ponds and a shabby tavern support 3,000 people? They don't rely on them for their livelihood at all.
It’s also a transit station on the trade route… They do make a living from trade along the route, but the way they do it may be a little different from what we thought before.
Running illegal shops, robbing people on the road...it's no problem to say that their livelihoods are related to business travel.
In addition to plundering and extorting other settlements, it also served as a black center that helped the plunderers deal with stolen goods, provided supplies, and served as a foothold to hide bandits...
Then it won't be a big problem to feed 3,000 people.
Jason Morgan was covered in cold sweat and didn't even dare to pee for fear of being discovered. He sneaked back to the house in fear and told his discovery to the other six colleagues.
Everyone was a little panicked.
Even when the war was at its fiercest before Renaissance City, they only heard the sound of gunfire and felt the vibrations from orbital bombardment hitting the wind farm on the outskirts of the city, and trembled in fear at home.
But if we really want to talk about real personal threats, it is not as clear as it is now.
If you stay here any longer, you will surely die.
Whatever the looters were up to, it was clear they weren't going to let them go.
The seven people discussed it and decided to escape quickly before those guys came to cause trouble for them and restrict their actions.
Unfortunately, it's too late.
They are not stealth experts, nor are they even soldiers. They have not received any training in this area. How can they sneak out of a town without being discovered?
In fact, they were caught not long after they ran away.
Morgan was hit on the head with two rifle butts, which made him dizzy. When he regained consciousness, he was tied up in a room with his colleagues.
He is now regretting, very regretful.
I chose to go on a business trip because I was blinded by the promises made by my boss and the extra travel allowance.
I only saw the benefits and forgot how dangerous this wasteland is.
What to do now?
"No choice, just wait to die."
The person who said this is quite optimistic.
A true pessimist would say: "Is there any way to commit suicide quickly and painlessly? The looters in the wasteland really do eat people, and some are even more perverted. In order to ensure the freshness of the meat, they will cut the meat alive and roast it..."
Morgan, who had just recovered from a dizzy state, was so frightened after hearing their conversation that he almost fainted again.
No, a few days ago I was at home enjoying a wonderful life in the future with my wife, and today you tell me that I might be eaten alive?
His mentality is broken.
Morgan didn't want to die, he shook his head and tried to think of a way, but he couldn't think of anything. The seven of them were tied up tightly and thrown on the ground, and it was difficult for them to even twist their bodies like caterpillars, let alone find a way to untie them.
It was useless to untie them, as they were unarmed, but there were two armed robbers guarding the door.
What should I do?
I racked my brains but couldn't come up with a solution.
And then came a more desperate situation.
He heard footsteps outside.
It seemed like a few people walked in from outside and started talking to the guard at the door, and then some argument began.
I couldn't hear clearly through the door and wall, but it seemed like...
"...Orders...Let me do it...Just these few, right?...Shoot them...and bury them outside...Let them go...No..."
Morgan's face turned pale after hearing these words.
Finished!
We are coming to execute them!
As I was thinking this, the door opened.
He looked at the three looters with guns, walking in.
Morgan was terrified.
He felt that everything was over.
At this time, he could only close his eyes, prepare for the arrival of death, and pray that he would die peacefully.
But at this moment, he heard the person who came in speak.
"Chief Terrell's orders require me to kill all of you."
Just as I expected... Morgan thought to himself.
Then, he heard another twist, which gave him hope:
"But I can let you go, but you have to agree to one condition."
Before Morgan could speak, his companion spoke first:
"What conditions?"
The visitor sighed, "Chief Terrell insists on going against Renaissance City. I don't agree. I want to take this opportunity to clean up my act, stop plundering, and live peacefully as a citizen of Renaissance City. What's wrong with that?"
He paused, and then became a little frustrated: "It's just that I can't persuade him. So, I accepted the mission to execute you, but I will let you go. After Terrell is defeated, you must remember my kindness. If I am captured, you must rescue me; if I escape, I hope you can report that I rescued you and fight for a place for us in the new alliance."
Morgan patted his chest and said, "This is what we should do! We will definitely do it!"
Several other people also made various assurances.
The visitor relaxed a lot. He threw out some clothes and said, "Then change your clothes quickly. I can find a route and arrange for my brothers to take you out. I also need to find a few corpses to burn and pretend they are you. Time is very tight."
Morgan and others acted quickly.
While he was changing his clothes quickly, a thought came to his mind:
It turns out that the work we did previously in Sanchi Town to publicize the new alliance policy was really effective.
After changing clothes, Morgan and others were taken out.
Before parting, Morgan hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Why don't you come with us? Otherwise, if your act of letting us go is exposed, it will be very dangerous."
"If we leave together, we can't get away. I have to use my identity to cover you. As for the issue of being exposed... I will be prepared."
"Okay." Since the other party said so, Morgan did not force it, but just asked another question:
"May I have your name?"
"My name is Redi Bol."
…
"Redi Bol...are these seven really the seven people from the New Alliance?"
Facing Chief Terrell's question, no matter how panicked he was inside, Bol at least managed to keep a calm face: "Of course."
Terrell stared at him with his green eye for a while, then turned his gaze to the other people around Bol: "Then tell me, why did your Captain Bol insist on burning the body?"
Paul opened his mouth and wanted to speak, but Terrell raised his hand to stop him.
"Shut your mouth. I'm not asking you. If you say one more word, I'll kill you."
Boll could only keep silent.
However, the brothers around him could not remain calm like him when facing Chief Terrell, who was known for his cruelty and cunning.
Terrell looked at these people who were nervous and at a loss, and smiled grimly:
"Tell me, whoever tells me, I will spare your life."
Finally someone couldn't help it.
A tall and thin guy quickly distanced himself from the other brothers and said, "It was Bol! Bol advised us to do this! He let the man go, saying that we had to leave a way out and not do it to the extreme!"
As soon as these words came out, Boer and his men turned pale. Some of them were trembling and could hardly stand; some of them cursed the traitors; some of them tried to make excuses...
Boll's eyes were fixed on Terrell.
At this moment, life and death all depend on the leader's thoughts.
When the noise died down, Terrell slowly took out his gun and said, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Bol took a deep breath and replied, "I'm doing this for the good of my brothers. If I kill them all, we'll become mortal enemies, and in the future..."
"You are quite good at leaving yourself a way out."
Bol changed his approach and advised earnestly: "Great Chief, I have followed you for ten years. My brothers back then died or disappeared, and there are not many left. We have built such a big foundation, thousands of people follow us for a living, and we have also united many surrounding tribes... We have reached the end."
"What can we do next? We have no way to fight against the previous coalition government, let alone this new coalition government. Didn't you see the army that came to us earlier? They have armored vehicles! They have tanks! They have heavy artillery! Do we really want to fight against such an enemy?"
"We do have more people than them, and we can still be prudent. But even if we win, they will send a second or third army, and we can't afford so many casualties."
"Isn't it good to take this opportunity to join the new alliance? All the brothers have a place to stay, and you can continue to lead us and be recruited into the army by the alliance. Look, that major named Perbov, he looks so majestic riding in an armored car. You may be able to become a general in the future... Isn't that great? I really don't understand why you have to continue to be a gangster and a robber?"
What Boll said was truly heartfelt.
Unfortunately…Terrell was completely unmoved.
He whispered, "Are you done?"
"That's all."
"Since your father saved my life and you have been with me for ten years, I gave you a chance to speak. You know, if you beg for mercy, I will give you a chance to live. Unfortunately, you can say these words."
He pulled the trigger.
The bullet mercilessly pierced through Boll's head.
The captain of the raiders immediately fell to the ground helplessly.
Terrell looked at the other Boll men and waved his hand in disgust: "Kill all these traitors."
There was a burst of gunfire and no one survived.
Then, Trail turned his head and looked at the guy who had previously reported Boll.
The man was so scared that he almost peed his pants: "You...you said you would spare my life."
"Yes." Trail walked up to him and held his head with both hands. "I said that. I will forgive your betrayal, but you killed my good nephew Paul. I never said I would forgive you for this sin."
"you……"
Before the guy could say anything else, he felt a huge force coming.
Terrell broke his neck alive.
After the execution, some looters came up to drag the body away, while others continued to guard. Terrell turned around and looked at the people who had been watching the show behind him, grinning:
"In my life, I hate traitors the most. I'm sorry to have made a fool of myself."
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. The chief is still kind."
"I don't know how old Paul gave birth to such a naive and silly boy."
"We have been rampant in this wilderness for so many years, relying on the guns in our hands and the fact that we are more ruthless than others. You want us to put down our guns and become farmers or workers? I would rather die!"
Among the people behind Terrell were some leaders of his tribe and some leaders of raiders he had invited from other places. At this moment, they all cheered and praised Terrell for his good killing.
At the same time, there were some unspoken words between their tacit understandings.
What Boll said was not entirely unreasonable. Are the days of the looters really that easy?
They burned, killed, and looted, but they had to have something to loot. If they came across a fat sheep, a relatively wealthy merchant, or a survivor camp with a certain amount of savings, they could have a full meal, but these things were not always available, and people would not willingly hand them over. If they used guns and knives to rob, people would die.
Even after they had a strong military force, they did not dare to carry out destructive looting of many camps, and they had to learn sustainable development. They would ask those weak survivor camps to hand over their output. But those camps themselves were barely surviving, so how much could they hand over? In this situation where everyone was having a hard time, the looters could not eat meat and drink wine every day.
Even in Sanchi Town, when times were bad, it was common for people to starve to death. The living would share the food of the dead in an effort to survive the famine.
In this situation, if what those clerks from the New Alliance said was true, and as long as one worked, one could have basic food and clothing guarantees, then what would be wrong with becoming a farmer, a worker, or even a soldier?
This is true for the lower-level looters, but it is different for those present here.
No matter how difficult the normal situation is, can it last for leaders like them?
In any case, they are the rulers. They receive support, they command thousands of raiders, and they live happily as they roam and roar through the wilderness.
After entering the new alliance, those middle and lower class and bottom-level predators can hide their past and live a stable life.
But what about these leaders?
Can you still point fingers at others and act recklessly?
I'm afraid that won't work.
It is almost impossible to expect the leader of a group of raiders to consider the overall situation, think about the overall welfare of all his men, and give up his own privileges.
However, their minds are not completely controlled by selfish desires, and they forget the actual situation.
They knew that, given their current situation, even though they had thousands of guns, it was still unrealistic to confront the troops led by Perbov head-on. They had many people and many guns, but they were seriously lacking in heavy firepower. They only had 20 small mountain cannons and some individual rocket launchers that could threaten those heavy armored vehicles, but the risk was too high. Even if all the soldiers went in, they might not be able to destroy many of them.
An anti-armor combat team, if it encounters an armored vehicle or tank, does have the ability to cause damage, but the conditions are too harsh. It is not ruled out that they can quietly approach within a few dozen meters, and then two or three armor-piercing rockets can hit the side armor. But the greater possibility is that they will be discovered before they can get close, and then the enemy will shoot everyone in the face with a burst of gunfire.
Because of this, they never thought of confronting the New Alliance's army head-on.
Otherwise, when Perbov led his team here, there would be no need for them to pretend to be obedient citizens.
In fact, Sanchi Town was going to be abandoned.
They were not a proper settlement, and Meishe could not say anything about the property. The three broken pools and the broken tavern were gone, so they were gone. If they pulled the people out, where could they not sleep in the wilderness outside?
What's so great about fighting a guerrilla war for a group of bandits who make a living by looting?
There are not many mountains here. There are some small woods but not many. The most important thing is that there are a considerable number of urban ruins with a fairly large battlefield area!
That place is more suitable for guerrilla warfare than any other terrain.
Do business if you have no capital, attack if there is an ambush opportunity, hide in the city if a strong force of your aunt comes. I have no nest, no foundation, will your armored troops drive into the ruins of the city to attack me? In the ruins, are there people in the armored troops who are flexible and fast?
However, before entering the ruins and the woods, they still had to fight an ambush.
After the New Alliance clerks ran away, Terrell realized that Major Perbov's troops would definitely come.
Not only did he not let the team run away quickly, but he decided to ambush them on the road.
————
This chapter is 6k, I will try to write a bigger chapter tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)
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