Peng Yue and Zhong Heng were taken aback by Tang Li’s question.
But then they both shook their heads.
“Captain Tang, resources are scarce right now. All supplies are controlled by the official authorities. There aren’t many scattered resources left, and they are constantly being consumed.”
“These criminal gangs became gangs precisely because they lacked resources and had no qualms about plundering others. Robbery, murder, cannibalism… they’d do anything.”
“The Heavenly King Gang, being a gathering point for various forces, engaged in even more such activities, even establishing a human flesh factory!”
“But how can our team do such things?”
“If we are to occupy strongholds outside the sanctuary, it’s best to operate on a large scale, like the sanctuary itself, to produce food and supplies.”
“Otherwise, all supplies would have to be transported from the sanctuary. Never mind whether the sanctuary is willing to exchange such a large quantity of supplies with us, the fuel consumed on the road would make it a losing proposition,” Peng Yue explained.
Zhong Heng added, “Moreover, our team is already the number one team in the mercenary guild. If we were to operate our own strongholds, it might arouse suspicion from the high-ranking officials of the sanctuary, which would not be good for us either.”
Tang Li nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this.
“I actually think Captain Tang’s proposal is good,” Bai Xunyang said at this moment.
“Actually, F City has a very advantageous geographical location.”
“The reason the Heavenly King Gang members chose to gather in F City after the outbreak, and why their camps developed into gathering points for various forces, is because of its convenient transportation.”
“Vehicles traveling north and south from Jiangcheng to Haicheng must pass through here. It’s also very close to D City to the east, E City to the west, G City to the south, and Jiangcheng to the north.”
“If we can occupy this stronghold, it will be much more convenient for our missions in the future.”
“When on missions, we can bring a batch of supplies and rest here. After the mission, we don’t necessarily have to transport all the captured spoils back to Jiangcheng; we can also store them here conveniently.”
“That way, it might not only save fuel but also free up some space, allowing us to earn more points from the authorities for transporting civilians and criminals.”
“However, what Old Brother Peng said also makes sense. Our team is already conspicuous, and with the R-country people lurking behind us, it’s indeed not good to arouse further suspicion from the authorities.”
Hearing this, Tang Li asked, “What if we don’t occupy it under the team’s name?”
Seeing the three pairs of eyes turn to her, Tang Li explained, “This is what I’m thinking…”
“After several confrontations with the R-country people, we understand that the forces behind them are not simple, and they even possess methods to prolong life and alter memories.”
“We cannot be certain whether some high-ranking officials in the sanctuary, tempted by extended lifespans or threatened by the alteration of their family members’ memories, are cooperating with those R-country people against us and obstructing other internal sanctuary personnel who wish to help us deal with the R-country people.”
“Based on the situation encountered today, the R-country people have many forces in the uncontrolled areas outside the sanctuary that the authorities are unaware of and cannot control. Their main base must also be outside the sanctuary.”
“And our team’s strength is all out in the open; the R-country people can see through our capabilities at a glance. Furthermore, being confined to the sanctuary, we will be suppressed by the authorities under the influence of the R-country people.”
“If some people in the sanctuary’s high command decide to team up with the R-country people against us, we won’t even have the power to fight back!”
“This situation puts us in a very passive position.”
“Especially in the uncontrolled areas outside the sanctuary, where the authorities cannot exert their influence.”
“We cannot allow the R-country people to develop in those areas while we ourselves are restricted within the sanctuary.”
Upon hearing Tang Li’s words, the three also found them very reasonable.
The current situation of the "United Team" seemed bright and dandy, but from a strategic perspective, it was highly disadvantageous to them.
Peng Yue nodded, “Indeed, that is the case.”
“If we only have the visible forces within the sanctuary and no hidden forces outside, we will never be able to compete with the R-country people.”
Zhong Heng was also convinced by Tang Li: “Those uncontrolled areas outside the sanctuary are also our Z-country’s territory. We cannot hand them over to the R-country people; we must fight for them!”
Bai Xunyang asked, “Captain Tang, what do you think we should do now?”
Tang Li said, “It’s very simple. Establish our own strongholds in these uncontrolled areas outside the sanctuary.”
“And we must establish them secretly, not under the name of our team!”