Chapter 931: Chapter 931: Shocking the Four Corners
"Brother, this fish soup is really delicious."
Blackwater Alley.
In the shack near the northern urban area, a skinny young man surrounded a mud-yellow pot, watching his brother ladle a spoonful of milky-white fish soup into a bowl, his mouth watering.
The slightly older man grinned at his younger brother and raised his eyebrows proudly.
"Tastes good, right? I learned it from a mate from Silver Moon Bay."
As for who that mate from Silver Moon Bay learned it from, he didn’t know. He heard it was a way of eating from the River Valley Province.
The man’s name was Saiyi, and his younger brother’s name was Saide. Both were from Snake State, and their home was northwest of Snake State, not far from the Grey Wolf Army’s garrison.
A few months ago, he heard from traveling merchants passing through the village that the Southern Legion was fiercely fighting with Chief Absek in the north. Ammunition at the front line was in short supply, and one could earn big gold coins working for the Weilante people at Evernight Harbor, so he brought his younger brother here to make a living.
Regarding working for the Weilante people, he didn’t feel too guilty; he was just worried his identity as a Poluo would be exposed and he would get beaten.
But upon arrival, he realized that his worries were completely unnecessary. There were quite a few Poluo people unloading shells for the Weilante at Evernight Harbor, and some even did business with them.
The big-nosed guys didn’t care if they were Poluo or aliens from the Great Desert; they equally discriminated against all others besides themselves.
Except for the "Blue Ground Squirrel," which they temporarily couldn’t defeat.
Of course, at this juncture, few people from the Alliance would come.
Handing the bowl to his younger brother, the latter couldn’t wait to take a sip of the milky soup, his entire face showing a blissful expression before he drank it all down in one gulp.
"This taste is incredible!"
Seeing his brother’s exaggerated expression, Saiyi grinned and scolded, "Inexperienced," then took a sip himself, his eyes involuntarily lit up.
As the soup flowed into his stomach, he felt a warm current rise from his lower abdomen up to his spiritual sense, as if his entire body was soaked in a warm and cozy cloud of cotton, an indescribable comfort and pleasure!
"Incredible" was not an exaggeration!
Isn’t living a lifetime just for a taste like this?
He savored it slowly, pondering deeply.
And at this time, not yet satisfied, Saide went to the pot for another bowl, drinking and asking continuously.
"Brother, where did you get this fish? I’ve never seen you get it before."
Saiyi chuckled and said.
"Remember that brother from the Family Meeting across from us? It was him who took us to the shore to find it."
The soup-drinking Saide widened his eyes suddenly.
"Found, found it? Brother, can dead fish be eaten?"
Even though he spoke in fear, his drinking mouth didn’t pause, and in no time, he finished another half bowl of fish soup.
Hearing this inauspicious talk, Saiyi reached out and gave him a pat on the head.
"What nonsense are you talking, dead fish! I found it in good condition! Besides, I wasn’t the only one picking it up, lots of people were there!"
His suddenly hit younger brother wore a grievance on his face, clutching his forehead and retreating to the side of the shack.
"But... how does a good fish end up on the shore for no reason?"
Saiyi rolled his eyes at him.
"Who knows, you get free fish soup, and it still can’t keep your mouth shut. Why do you care so much!"
Besides, Family Meeting people ate it too. Would Family Meeting harm their own family?
They’re all brothers!
The two brothers stopped bickering, as one ladle followed another, finishing the delicacy in the pot, with one drinking nervously and the other contently.
After eating, the two tidied up the dishes, then sat lazily under the shack to rest.
There was fierce fighting all day today; Alliance people had the Army running with their heads covered, retreating into that area of northern cement houses.
Seeing the big-nosed guys suffer losses, the convicts from Carter Nord Jail all ran back home, and the whole port was in chaos.
He didn’t care who won; it was all the same to him. He just wanted to return to work and make money soon.
Thinking about the prosperous life after returning home in glory, Saiyi couldn’t help but smile broadly, as if he really lived in a thousand-square-meter mansion, seeing his beautiful first and second wives.
The villagers looked at him with envy, and the village head praised him for his success, while Zayed’s father kindly held his hand, inviting him to become an official, humbly seeking his advice on the way to wealth.
Saiyi smiled shyly, but finally, he couldn’t hide his skills from those admiring eyes, reaching into his pocket.
The gold coins given by the Weilante seemed enchanted somehow, as he smacked them onto the ground with a clap, a skyscraper capable of hosting thousands rose up.
At that moment, the eyes looking at him were like gazing at a living deity, giving him indescribable joy and satisfaction inside.
Isn’t life about both fame and fortune?
As the saying goes, learn both literature and martial arts to serve the imperial family, being able to provoke such a thirsty-for-talent look from Zayed’s father made it worthwhile for him to walk the earth!
He didn’t care whether his fellow villagers lived well or not, but that "thirsty-for-talent" look indeed pierced his heart.
Feeling exuberant, Saiyi scattered a few more "gold pieces," adding millions of mansions and roads on the ground.
Smiles blossomed on the villagers’ faces, and Zayed’s face also showed a smile; such a harmonious scene was indeed mutually beneficial.
Although the gold was quickly spent, Saiyi wasn’t worried at all, just clasping his hands towards Zayed’s father.
"Sir, no rush. The big-nosed guy’s gold coins come easy, I have the strength to get more for you."
With that, he slapped his knee and stood up, staggering onto the street, seemingly back to that distant Evernight Harbor in the blink of an eye.
He remembered the Weilante people seemed to be in the north, so he walked northwards.
However, at this moment, he didn’t notice that there were quite a few people like him.
Wobbly figures seemed to come out on time, like puppets on strings, moving towards the same direction.
The night had fallen on the street, yet the battle in the settlement hadn’t ended.
The City Defense Army’s commander, Stanford, was still clamoring to have a decisive battle with the Alliance and the company, willing to live and die with the Army.
The Alliance, of course, couldn’t let him go.
The Jungle Corps and the Weilante Expeditionary Army’s 1st Division were attacking the northern urban area’s front, while the company’s 100th Mountain Division cut off the connection between the northern urban area and Blackwater Alley, preventing the Southern Legion survivors from escaping.
The crackling of gunfire was like firecrackers, yet Saiyi, stepping towards the gunfire, seemed unheard.
Until he passed through the war zone, standing in the middle of the street where the company and the Army were fighting, did the people on both sides notice these unexpected guests.
Seeing civilians suddenly appear on the street, Tang Feng behind cover was startled and urgently shouted at the staggering figures.
"Hey! Go back! This is the front line! Are you really not afraid of death?"
However, that person seemed not to hear at all, just stiffly turned his face to the source of the sound and asked.
"Vellante people?"
Tang Feng was taken aback, didn’t understand what he meant, but still shouted with all his might.
"Yes! Vellante people! They’re right across from us, these wolf cubs haven’t given up yet!"
"On the other side..."
A light gradually emerged in his dull eyes.
As if finding a target, Saiyi suddenly quickened his pace, stumbling towards the other side of the street where gunfire was incessant.
As he ran, he shouted in a frantic voice.
"Hey! Do you need people? I have strength, I can help you move ammunition!"
It wasn’t just him; everyone who had wandered from Blackwater Alley to here started running, desperately rushing forward, scared they wouldn’t be in time.
That throng of heads was easily in the thousands, and within a few breaths, the once-desolate street was packed full.
Not only were Tang Feng and the squad dumbfounded, but even the Vellante soldiers behind the opposite cover were stunned.
"Get lost! Damn it! Do these brutes not understand human language?"
The young Vellante man holding the machine gun was sweating profusely on his forehead, his index finger rubbing the trigger, shouting at the massive crowd, trying to scare away those who feared nothing.
Were it just one or two bothersome short-lived fools, he wouldn’t hesitate, but at this moment, faced with thousands, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
However, while he retained some conscience, his commander did not.
The blood-eyed centurion pulled out his gun and pressed it against his forehead, roaring at him.
"Fire!!"
"But—"
"I said fire!!"
No one could guarantee this wasn’t a trick by the Alliance.
What if Alliance people were hidden among them?
He dared not take this risk!
Saying so, the centurion raised his gun and fired a shot into the crowd of zombie-like runners.
A hapless one was shot, silently collapsing to the ground.
"Ahhh!!"
Seeing the battlefield stained red, the Vellante youth behind the machine gun roared, wiping out the cowardice from his chest with his shout, and finally pulled the trigger tightly.
With a burst of "tut-tut-tut" gunfire, the crowd on the street fell as if wheat was being cut, leaving the ground covered with a mixture of blood and flesh.
Both sides turned bloodthirsty.
Tang Feng could no longer care about discipline or not, leading the squad next to him out of cover, rushing towards the opposite position under the protection of a personal drone.
Although the soldiers on this corporate side were equipped with absolute superiority, the Vellante people on the opposite side were not pushovers.
After all, they were a byproduct of the Perfect Life Form Project, their bloodstream coursing with warfare elements certified by Prosperity Epoch Technology.
Thus, the two sides opened fire across the crowd.
Due to concerns for civilian casualties, Tang Feng’s squad was briefly at a disadvantage, with two teammates being dragged away after being shot.
The Vellante side was also not doing well, cursing the enterprises and Alliance for not following military ethics and driving civilians to the front line as cannon fodder.
The battle lasted a full half-hour; barely any living remained on the street, or just some half-dead ones gasping on the ground.
Such as Saiyi.
Lying on the ground, his dream finally shattered, watching the viscous blood around him only made him feel entirely cold.
Where is this place?
He wanted to wail but couldn’t make a sound as if his mouth was stuffed with cotton.
Only then did he realize, his chest had a large hole ripped open, with intestines spilling out.
The artillery roar felt like being across a wall, faintly mixed with the roar of fighter jets, yet he gradually couldn’t hear it anymore.
With his last consciousness, he saw, finally seeming like the corporate side won, those big-nosed ones raised a white flag, dropping their guns.
The broadcast laid on the street seemed to say, the city defense army commander Stanford and his guards were captured by the Alliance’s Jungle Corps.
Evidently, not all Vellante people were willing to die with the Southern Legion.
Teil?
Who is that?
They had always been loyal only to Marshal Julius...
Gradually, Saiyi couldn’t hear anything.
At this time, an armored vehicle drove in from the direction of the port, with two high-ranking officers getting out of the vehicle.
One was a division commander, and the other was a staff officer.
Seeing the Glory Street littered with corpses, the stalwart-looking division commander couldn’t help but show emotion, and the staff officer beside him couldn’t help but say.
"This is too tragic..."
The entire street was dyed red with blood and intestines, he couldn’t even find a place to step his foot.
The division commander, expressionless, walked up to Tang Feng, looking coldly at this disheveled young man and asked.
"What have you done! Weren’t you ordered to hold your position! Who told you to attack!"
"I..."
Facing this blunt questioning, Tang Feng was at a loss, stammering for a long time without a word of explanation.
This whole thing was too strange to retrace step by step.
So much so that he didn’t even know where to start when recounting the events.
A crowd suddenly rushed up, then the Vellante people opened fire, and they could only bite the bullet and advance.
Just when they were about to capture the opposite position, their allies over there had already successfully cut off the opposition’s command post, and the remaining Vellante surrendered themselves.
As for those unfortunate ones who died...
The ones driven by impulse to save people didn’t save a single one.
"...I’m waiting for your report." Casting a glance at the prisoners not far off and the wounded soldiers lying on stretchers, the commander shot him a grim look, dropped this remark, and turned back to the vehicle.
With the sound of the engine revving, the armored vehicle drove away from the street, leaving behind only a few Weilante Expeditionary Army soldiers.
They had rushed over temporarily upon hearing the situation here.
Carrying an LD-47 rifle, Kuran stepped forward, squatted before the piles of corpses, frowned, dipped a finger in some blood, and brought it to his nose to sniff.
A soldier from the enterprise beside him shot him a glance.
"Did you smell anything?"
Kuran stood up and shook his head.
"No."
His nose wasn’t a microscope, if he could smell anything, it’d be strange.
Yet, from this heap of bodies stacked like a small hill, he indeed detected a whiff of conspiracy.
Suddenly, something flashed in his mind.
Could it be...?
Snake oil?!
Seeing this guy act mysteriously for ages only to come up with something so anticlimactic, the enterprise soldier couldn’t help but smirk and look away.
Such a waste of a big nose.
Not far away, two soldiers guarding the prisoners were smoking and chatting idly.
"Damn unlucky, couldn’t even stop them and got our captain reprimanded."
"Why are these people so unafraid of death, why don’t they go carry a gun for that Absek instead?"
"Who knows, want to wake one and ask?"
"Fuck off."
The soldier who was cursing jokingly glanced at the corpses nearby, falling silent once more.
He really couldn’t understand why they did this.
This time, so many have died again.
But it seemed like they died in vain...
...
Norton City.
The majestic castle, the candles placed before the statue of Marshal Julius had already extinguished, leaving only the gold candle holders.
According to Weilante tradition, when the last candle at a funeral goes out, it signifies that the soul of the deceased has moved to another world.
Yet the remorse and pain for the lost don’t simply fade away with their departure.
As, at this moment, Salen sat before the statue of Marshal Julius, his face a picture of calm gloom.
The armor made of gold he wore during the funeral had been changed into regular silk attire, his shoulders no longer sore, muscles no longer tense, yet the weight on his heart bore not any lighter, but rather grew heavier.
Now he was both the emperor and prime minister of the Eastern Empire, holding immense support and supreme power in his hands; one could say he had achieved his desire...
Yet for some reason, within just a day, the joy and excitement in his heart reached a peak and then vanished completely, leaving only blandness and emptiness.
What he wanted had actually been attained long ago, the only difference being the title of Legion Leader exchanged for that of Emperor, no longer overshadowed by a half-dead deity, and beyond that, no other differences.
Correspondingly, the matters he needed to worry about increased by more than just double.
People wouldn’t transfer their loyalty to that great man onto him merely because of Marshal Julius’s passing.
Not even himself.
He could no longer push everything onto loyalty but must now consider how to proceed on his path.
Every step from now was an uncharted path, with no chance for regret.
Only now did he gradually comprehend what exactly the esteemed Marshal Julius had borne for them.
"...I originally thought I’d be happy for a bit longer, but never imagined this joy would last merely a day. I start to have doubts about whether those cheers were real, whether those loyal to me are truly loyal to me."
"Perhaps my advisors were right, the Empire and an Emperor may not be the best choice; choosing yesterday means leaving problems for tomorrow... Am I right, esteemed Marshal Julius."
Burying his face in his hands, he took a deep breath, murmuring to himself like a prayer.
"When we chase ambitions to forge history, unaware we’re already trapped in its turbulent waters, becoming the inevitable before the inevitable... only you could understand my troubles."
It’s a pity, these heartfelt words could only be shared with Marshal Julius.
A long sigh echoed in the hall, like the chime at twilight.
He never really had grand ambitions or ideals, merely wishing to be a monarch who’d preserve the status quo.
And the same was the wish shared among nearly all military aristocrats of the Eastern Legion.
The dignified and solemn statue of Julius gazed with unwavering focus, yet its courage and wisdom would never be shared again, unable to lead its people through the mists of the future.
That was already history.
While Salen drifted into memories, footsteps sounded at the hall’s entrance.
A Ten Thousand Leader stopped before him, offering a respectful salute.
"Your Majesty, Evernight Harbor has fallen."
Sitting before the statue, Salen rose, casting an inquisitive look at the officer.
"When did this happen?"
"Just this noon," the officer replied with a grave expression, "I heard the Alliance landed in the morning, driving 20,000 city defense troops to the northern urban area in just two hours."
Salen nodded, then asked further.
"What about their fleet?"
Grimly, the officer continued.
"According to Alliance newspapers... it seems they were entirely annihilated near Celik Island by the South Sea Union fleet."
Salen had no clue where Celik Island was.
But hearing that the South Sea Union fleet was completely wiped out, he couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.
Seeing His Majesty lost in thought, the officer asked eagerly.
"Are we... just going to watch them lose?"
He is not an advocate for eastward expansion, nor does he agree that direct conflict with the Alliance is a good idea, but after all, Evernight Harbor is territory conquered by the Weilante people.
However, he didn’t know that the initial proposal of the eastward expansionists was not as radical as seizing the Grand Canyon; they merely wanted to expand the Army’s territory a bit further east.
In the end, they formed a force that no one could stop until they themselves were swept away by the tide.
Salen gave him a meaningful look before shifting his gaze away.
"That’s their own fault. You’d better not sympathize with them too much... However, watching them squander their family resources is indeed painful. Perhaps we should do something."
The officer was stunned for a moment.
"You mean..."
Salen spoke slowly.
"I remember at the end of the Jubar Mountains, in the southwestern corner of Luo Xia Province, there’s a port, directly south of the Falcon Kingdom."
The officer nodded, hesitantly said.
"There is indeed a port there... but there are no resources, and the Falcon Kingdom hasn’t developed it much."
It’s purely a place for transshipping supplies.
Later, because they promised the Alliance not to supply military materials to West Sail Port and interfere in the Poluo Province situation, that port was once abandoned.
Lately, due to the West Sail Port incident, it’s needless to say who orchestrated it, that port became even more useless.
Seeing the puzzled expression of his subordinate, Salen smiled faintly and continued speaking in a leisurely tone.
"People are resources, people are wealth... Someone has already demonstrated that to us, haven’t they?"
Whether in Pioneer City or Bister Town, both placed intentionally at their doorstep by the Alliance, isn’t it all about ’corrupting’ them, subtly changing their perception of labor and creativity?
He’s not blind; he has observed all the changes in those two settlements.
All in all, the fall of Evernight Harbor isn’t entirely bad for the nascent Eastern Empire.
Including the 2.7 million square kilometers of colonies controlled by the Southern Legion.
If the Alliance truly liberated those places, the Weilante people living there would need a new place to go.
These immigrants would not only bring their wealth but also their knowledge, technology, methods, and ideas.
The state’s ZB ideology is obviously outdated for the Alliance, but it’s just suitable for the Eastern Empire, where the economy is entirely controlled by estate owners and the military aristocracy.
He is quite interested in the Southern people’s way of managing contract laborers, and it’s an excellent opportunity to learn.
After a pause, Salen added.
"With the fall of the Evernight Harbor logistics hub, the collapse of the Poluo Province war zone is just a matter of time."
"I remember McCullen is at West Sail Port. Have him prepare to bring back our compatriots and their properties when the situation changes."
"From now on, that coastal area west of the Jubar Mountains will be our special zone and our exit to the Eastern World."
"Let’s call it... New West Port."
...
In just one day, news of Evernight Harbor’s fall quickly spread throughout the Wasteland.
The shock was felt not only by the Eastern Empire but also by the Bugra Free State to the north of the Alliance.
Firestone Group Building.
Looking at the report handed over by his subordinate, Sigma, sitting at his desk, wore a gloomy expression like a winter lake.
Initially, he didn’t see the Alliance as a threat, even like the other shareholders, viewing it as a new profit growth point. However, when he realized it, this once-infant had grown into a giant that filled him with fear.
They possessed not only formidable military power but also pervasive ideologies.
As they attempted to erode the Alliance’s fortress with crimes, they too were being corroded by the Alliance’s ideology of equality.
And when the Alliance withstood their corruption and filled the legal loopholes entirely in their contest, leaving no openings for unscrupulous businessmen of the Free State to exploit, forcing them to do honest business, the equality promoted by the Alliance became an unstoppable curse for them.
More and more residents of the Free State realized where the problem truly lay.
The Grand Canyon might occasionally come up with absurd ideas, but it was never directly oppressing them. It was the unrestrained, monopolizing power that was the root of everything!
In contrast, equality was like poison, infiltrating every cell of the Free State. If those cow mothers truly believed the nonsense of the Alliance, that would spell doom for the Free State.
If only back then, instead of cashing in on the collapse of Giant Stone City, they had joined with those old aristocrats to strangle these guys in the cradle...
Especially since he still hadn’t obtained that weapon!
Sigma regretted his greed at the time countless times, but now it seemed too late to ruminate over these things.
Even if his Firestone Group wanted to assist the Southern Legion, they couldn’t change anything with their current strength, not even to influence the politics of Poluo Country...
Just then, a knock sounded at the office door.
Turning off the holographic screen, Sigma slightly swiveled his office chair and said "come in" towards the door.
The door was pushed open from the outside, and in came a man with a nervous look, dressed impeccably in formal attire.
The newcomer was Otto, the mayor of the Free State.
Seeing Sigma behind the desk, he took a deep breath and spoke in a tense tone.
"The Alliance has formally submitted a diplomatic application, strongly demanding we hand over Condra, claiming he’s involved in the nuclear explosion incident in Haiye Province—"
Sigma wasn’t interested in hearing the rest, casually dismissing with an indifferent tone.
"Then just hand him over."
Otto hesitated, saying.
"But... he knows our secrets of cooperation with the Chewing Bone Tribe and the Torch Church, and I’m worried he’ll reveal those as well."
"Are you a pig? How can you ask such a stupid question? Do you think I’ll let him get out alive?" Sigma snapped impatiently.
Hearing this, although Otto twitched at the corners of his lips, he internally breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense expression relaxed somewhat.
Although it was his predecessor’s trouble, ultimately, it was still the shit on their behinds.
"By the way, the Grand Canyon has invited me for a meeting next month... What is your opinion?"
Sigma replied in a flat tone.
"Arrange it yourself, I’ll contact you if there are other requests."
Otto nodded slightly, respectfully almost like a servant.
"Yes."