Netherworld Retrograde

Chapter 94: Chapter 43: Chamber of Commerce

The Scavengers arrived in a modified armored pickup truck.

The entire body was fitted with armor plates of various specifications and colors, riddled with bullet holes.

What used to be a cargo area at the back had been turned into a small carriage, supported by steel rods and tent fabric.

This had a typical Scavenger style.

This was the Scavenger’s vehicle of choice for traversing through the wilderness.

Li Yelai could even smell a faint scent of blood.

But he didn’t care, instead, he shouldered the Black Umbrella and sat in the cargo carriage next to the boss.

Beside him and opposite him were three Scavengers, glaring at him intently.

Seeing Li Yelai carrying the Big Black Umbrella, the brutish man sitting across frowned.

He keenly perceived that it might be a weapon.

But its size seemed too large, and the handle was slender, unlike firearms.

Could it be... hiding a cold weapon? Concealing a knife inside?

This was quite the Scavenger style indeed.

Some Scavengers who couldn’t afford guns could only bolster their courage with knives.

Thus, the brutish man cast a mocking look at Li Yelai and laughed scoffingly, as if concealing a weapon in front of Scavengers was like playing with a broadsword in front of Guan Gong.

Moreover, did he really think he was safe just because he had a weapon?

Even within the gun-free Giant City, they had ways to smuggle guns in.

Thinking this, the brutish man knocked on the armored carriage to signal to start driving.

For the boss beside Li Yelai, the only piece of good news was that the pickup truck wasn’t heading outside the city.

This gave the boss a sigh of relief; if they had been leaving the city, their safety would have been truly jeopardized.

Inside Giant City, Scavengers usually didn’t dare to kill. The Guard Hall kept a close eye on them.

But even so, no one should provoke Scavengers lightly.

Their overall strength was mixed, with quite a few hoodlums, but also no shortage of seasoned thugs—genuine desperados!

Once you angered them, it could be dangerous even without leaving the Giant City.

With this thought, the boss felt a bit scared.

The courage he had mustered earlier was slowly dissipating.

Li Yelai whispered, ”Boss, you didn’t really take anything from them, did you?”

”You’ve known me for so long, don’t you trust me?” the boss retorted irritably.

Li Yelai was momentarily speechless. They had indeed known each other for quite some time—over four years.

He had found this job when he was nineteen. A minimum monthly salary of a thousand Giant City Coins wasn’t too bad in the Old City District.

But the boss was indeed a penny-pincher—always scraping by. Not taking an opportunity did not seem like him at all.

The boss whispered back, ”There was no chance to take anything! I don’t know which group came out with machine guns; I didn’t dare get close at all and just hid from a distance. I could only watch them frantically snatch something, and then after a long while, the Scavenger convoy came over. Naturally, I could only leave.”

”You’d better be telling the truth!” the brutish man sneered with a smile that made his already sinister face look even more terrifying: ”Otherwise, you’re the one who’s going to be unlucky!”

Li Yelai nodded inwardly. If the boss hadn’t taken anything, that was for the best.

If he inadvertently got involved with Taboo Items, that would be terrible.

Thinking this, Li Yelai discreetly pressed on the Communicator hidden under his sleeve.

He didn’t need to speak; the East City Branch on the other side of the Communicator would understand the situation from the conversation and provide support.

If necessary, the Processor could even request support from the City Defense Army or the Iron Guard.

Meanwhile, in the West City Branch of the Processing Department’s team.

Someone frowned: ”The Night General from the East City Branch? How did a Processor from East City get involved with us in West City? Has he crossed the entire Giant City to interfere?”

From this angle, it surely was far-fetched; Giant City had a vast population and covered a huge area.

The Processing Department was thus divided into four branches, each managing different parts of the city.

For example, the East City Branch was responsible for the East Old District, East Ring District, and East New District, with the main city area being managed by the headquarters.

Normally, members of other branches wouldn’t partake in tasks.

The last time the branches cooperated was for the Fantasy Band event.

So when they learned that a Processor from the East District had suddenly got involved, this group of West City Processors was a bit stumped.

Was this some kind of random incursion?

Crossing the Giant City, passing through the headquarters, and ending up in the West District?

”No, this really is an accident. He seems to have been working in some collector’s antique shop and just happened to get caught up in this mess. Now he’s been taken by a group of Scavengers,” a Processor said with an odd expression: ”Is this just bad luck? Or fortune?”

”Never mind whether it’s luck or misfortune. How capable is this ’Night General’? Will he disrupt our plan, or even burden us?” the first Processor to speak asked with a frown: ”According to our research, this company has connections with Wild Spirit Ability Users outside Giant City. If a conflict arises, we might have to support him.”

For the team that had been investigating for a while, Li Yelai’s involvement could potentially disrupt their plan.

”Let me check, Night General... he’s a rookie, from the Wanxiang Path, joined the first team of the East City Branch just two months ago.... During his First Awakening, he killed the wanted criminal Sufferer Skin Stripping. Can’t find anything else on him, our access isn’t high enough, we still need to communicate with the East City Branch for that. For now, we only know he has successfully undergone a Second Awakening,” a Processor replied: ”A Second Awakening within two months, his Talent must be high. Moreover, to have killed a Sufferer in his First Awakening implies he isn’t weak in combat!”