Walking through the cold corridor of the Brotherhood, perceiving the curious or hostile gazes around him, Ling Qi gradually adapted to the white light that was not strong, but seemed to be pervasive. Pen Fun Pavilion wWw. ｂiquge。 ｉｎfo

Thomas Young is a very talkative and enthusiastic person.

Of course, perhaps only Ling Qi, who is a king in an enclosure, is eligible to enjoy the hospitality of the "Bloody Knight".

Michael May, on the other hand, is the kind of guy who doesn't smile on the surface, but is actually cold-hearted.

He didn't even say a word to Ling Qi along the way, and he didn't answer Veronica's nagging more than three times, but even Ling Qi, an outsider, could feel his genuine concern for Veronica.

"Mr. Ling Qi, you probably don't know the hierarchy of our Brotherhood, these things are not clear to outsiders, and there are clear rules in the Brotherhood, which cannot be revealed like non-members of the Brotherhood. ”

"However, in your capacity as Mr. Ling Qi, and... The friendship between you and me, I think there are some things that are not a big deal even if you know them. ”

Thomas suddenly turned around and said mysteriously, Ling Qi was naturally humble, and appropriately showed some curious looks.

Where was he embarrassed to tell this man that Veronica had already "leaked" all this "information" to him. He already knew something about the more secretive things, such as space folding technology.

How much more can a woman stay with another person of the opposite sex she doesn't hate, rules and things like that?

At least those were useless to Veronica.

Of course, these common-sense things are also recorded in House's database. Thomas Young would not be naïve enough to think that the Brotherhood is really as mysterious as the Cannon Clan, he is making a statement!

I'm taking you for my own!

Ling Qi is the kind of shameless person, especially for valuable targets, he has always been attentive. As soon as he saw that Thomas had the meaning of "heart-to-heart", he immediately made a gesture of deferential listening.

After Thomas's eloquent conversation, Ling Qi really had a deeper understanding of the Brotherhood, not just speculation before.

The hierarchy of the fraternity is actually very simple, from the bottom to the top, it is mainly divided into three classes, and according to their functions, it is divided into two parallel parts.

At the lowest level in the association, it is called the beginner, which is basically equivalent to a minor, and is divided into two stages: elementary and advanced. Those who are new to the beginning must receive a unified education, combat, culture, and ideology, and the curriculum is compact and assessed year by year.

The evaluation of the level of the beginner is based on the results regardless of age.

After completing the Advanced Beginner course, you will be able to participate in the Trials mission. Successfully completing the Trials mission will advance to the rank of Apprentice and become a reserve for the Brotherhood's stalwarts.

The apprentice is the second largest class of the brotherhood, the main class, which is divided into clerical and military positions, called clerical and knight respectively.

At this stage, if you want to be promoted, you don't just have to look at your strength and achievements, but also your qualifications.

In terms of clerical service, there are three classes: primary, intermediate, and senior. The knight is a military rank and a clerical one, but the three ranks are novice knight, sergeant knight and captain knight, and they are progressive.

Further on, the first class of the Brotherhood, the management class, was also divided into two parts. But it is no longer a juxtaposition of civil and military, but a difference between internal and external.

Some managers, who are responsible for trivial matters at the grassroots level, are senior, such as senior clerks and chief clerks and chief knights after captains and knights.

They belong to the management class, and in fact have little power, the chief clerk is equivalent to the secretary general, and the chief knight is the commander in the army.

There is only one kind of real high-level executive, and it is called elder.

Every elder is a paladin who has lived long enough!

In other words, if you want to become an Elder, you must first become a Paladin. Otherwise, even if you work in the organization for a lifetime, you will be a chief clerk or a chief knight, and you will not be able to become a master!

Paladins are a special sequence in the Brotherhood of Steel's military ranks, they do not belong to the management class, nor are they ordinary armed forces, in fact they have absolutely independent military autonomy.

In a way, the status of paladins is more honorable than those chief knights and chief clerks!

There is only one criterion for selecting paladins from the knight sequence, and that is talent!

It is not surprising that those who are gifted are promoted directly from novice knights to paladins.

Paladins also have five stages, Beginner, Normal, Advanced, Star, and Chief!

And of these five stages, only the first three orders are distinguished by their strength, and the latter two are selected by the Council of Elders from among the high-level paladins!

The chief paladin is often held by a politically conscious high-ranking paladin, while the star paladin is a special honor that can only be held by a paladin who has made great contributions to the brotherhood!

Therefore, there is actually no difference between high-level paladins and star-rated paladins and chief paladins in terms of combat effectiveness.

The unsmiling Michael May may not be able to knock Thomas down, but he doesn't have his political skills, so he can't be the chief.

Moreover, the distinction of the paladin sequence is only a written provision to make the distinction clear.

In real life, any paladin is stronger and more noble than ordinary knights, but there is no distinction between them.

Even if his talent is limited, a junior paladin will not be promoted to the intermediate level in his life. As long as he was sixty years old, he was the noblest elder, the highest rank of the brotherhood.

In addition to the difference in prestige, in terms of status, what is the difference between the elders promoted by high-level paladins and other elders?

When it comes to major matters that are difficult to decide, all the elders under the First Elder have only one veto.

It's not surprising that this is the case, as paladins are a rarity.

There is not one out of ten knights, and two or three out of a hundred can die.

This probability is terrifyingly low for the Iron Brotherhood, which is closed and conservative and advocates internal union to reproduce.

Often in the land of a poor state, all the paladins in the entire Brotherhood of Steel chapter will not add up to ten. The number of people is small, of course, there is no need to worry about what is high and low.

Veronica, a novice knight, is so favored because she has the potential to become a paladin!

The only reason why she is still a novice knight and has not received the formal education of a paladin is not her lack of potential, but her strange sexuality.

The sparse population and conservative system of intermarriage within the population led to a general opposition to same-sex love in the fraternity. In some Brotherhood chapters, that would even be considered heretical!

This kind of thing, Thomas will definitely not break his mouth and talk about it, it was all told to him by Veronica.

"Ahem~ Mr. Ling Qi, I don't know that you and Nika are..."

After introducing his own situation, this man in his thirties, who was not much older than Ling Qi, suddenly said this.

"Uh~"

Veronica and Ling Qi were stunned at the same time, and Michael May, the cold-faced man, also pricked up his ears.

Because he wasn't sure what the attitude of these people was, Ling Qi thought about it for a while, so he had to reply tentatively:

"Nika is a very nice girl and I like her a lot. Unfortunately, I heard that she already has a lover in the brotherhood, so..."

Talking like this gives the other party an excuse to mediate. If they are extremely opposed to external marriage, then Ling Qi will also have a step to go down, so as not to have a rift before the negotiations have even begun.

Fortunately, things didn't go in a bad direction, and when he heard the first half of his sentence, Thomas smiled and nodded again and again, and when he said the second half of the sentence-

"Hmph! That's all children's nonsense, where does she have any lover!"

Thomas reprimanded, Michael May also frowned, Ling Qi's heart suddenly relieved when he heard it, there was a door in the secret, and he might be able to use Veronica's reason to have an extra hand of chips later.

Veronica was the only one who pouted dissatisfiedly when she heard Thomas's reprimand.

"Hmph! Nana is my wife~ We are all privately decided for life!"

Of course, her muttering voice was only heard by Ling Qi.

The two paladins saw that she was not making as much noise as before, but they looked at each other, and their expressions were a little relieved.

Soon, Ling Qi met the so-called brother elders in a conference room-like place, and at first glance, they were two neatly dressed old men, nothing special.

The two sides exchanged polite expressions, and took their seats at the circular conference table, which was about four or five seats apart, which seemed very spacious.

Ling Qi found that the two paladins did not leave as expected, they only bowed to the elders a little and sat down with everyone.

It seems that the Paladin's position in the Brotherhood is indeed very special, and the two old men who look smiling are also very wary of him.

This made Ling Qi feel funny, he went to the meeting alone, were they still worried that he would be beheaded?

Ling Qi flicked the middle finger of his right hand, and then placed it on the table casually, and began to make a fool of himself with the two old foxes.

According to his knowledge in the world of The Elder Scrolls, of course, this kind of thing should be saved after the banquet, and it is good to talk about things only when you are full of food and drink.

It's also unclear if it's the whole world, or if it's a custom unique to the Brotherhood.

After sitting at the table, these people didn't even mean to pour him a glass of water, and after chatting a few words, they went straight to the point.

"Ahem~ We all know the meaning of Mr. Lynch's coming, don't say any more polite words, I only represent myself and Elder Wufu, and I would like to express my understanding and gratitude to you for your kindness. ”

"It's just that the Iron Brotherhood branch in Nevada isn't a hall of words between me and Elder Wufu, so if Mr. Ling Qi came with kindness and sincerity, we still need to see how big this sincerity is..."

"Ahem~ Of course, no matter what, it is a kind of fate to be able to meet Your Excellency today, and I believe that you and I will become very good friends.

Ling Qi listened to the emaciated, long-faced old man speak in a calm tone, and Michael May, who sat beside them, fiddled with the weapon in his hand.

The old man's hair was half gray and he should have been around 65 years old. His hand bones are thicker, which can be compared to the other old man next to him who has a hair like snow and a turtle's back and crane face, and his strength should be quite inferior.

Ling Qi tapped his middle finger lightly on the tabletop, convinced that he could kill the two in an instant and avoid Michael May's attack, so he said unhurriedly:

"Elder Fox's words are truly comforting to me, and it is an honor to know you. ”

"In addition, as a man who is determined to let the people live a happy life, I have indeed come this time with a request and a great kindness, but I don't know what the sincerity of the elders is—"

Want to peel the skin on Zhou Pao's body? The hair of the iron rooster is not so easy to pluck!

Sincerity? What sincerity? Asking for money, asking for food, asking for women? All of them!

As for other aspects, such as an agreement or something, you might as well sign it and promise it.

Ling Qi himself has never eaten this set, but many people's trust in these things far outweighs their immediate benefits.

Of course, this is also due to the different positions and thinking angles, most of the high-level organizations need their own harmonious and long-term development, all diplomacy is just a means to serve it, and it doesn't matter if there are any gains or losses in front of them!

What about Ling Qi?

Except for being afraid that the other party would ask for money and people, he was not worried that these two old guys would make any excessive demands.

As long as they don't cash in immediately, in order to get help, even if they promise to let the Brotherhood be stationed in New Vegas, what's the matter?

Just as the NRC and the Legion had made such a request to House, and House agreed, the three parties have been on good terms. But when Ling Qi comes to power, any agreement will become bullshit!

By the same token, he couldn't have stayed in this place for the rest of his life. When he leaves, why don't you care if it's a land full of gold or a mess left behind.

Even if it is based on reality, the brotherhood of major generals and widows really dares to divide the troops, and Ling Qi will dare to eat them in one bite!

"This..."

Fawkes probably didn't think that Ling Qi would throw the conversation back, the Brotherhood hadn't been in contact with outside forces for at least decades, and the last negotiation was back to a hundred and eighty years ago, it was still an alliance under the city, how did he know what conditions to put forward!

"Ahem... Let me say a few words. ”

Chief Paladin Thomas suddenly interjected, Ling Qi didn't know if this was Tan Yue or not, but he instinctively felt that this man was a real hero, and those two old guys were only old and strong at best.

The two elders looked at each other for a moment, and approved his request.

Fox frowned, and he had only thought for a long time about how to beat Lynch, or what kind of conspiracy to use against him if he refused to cooperate, and even to make him have no return.

However, Lynch did not have the slightest arrogance and arrogance as a leader of one side, and he was confused.

Shouldn't negotiations be all about words and words?

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Thomas, who had already removed the tortoise iron shell behind him at the door, stood up and propped up the table with both hands, looked at Ling Qi and said with blazing eyes:

"If you and I want to cooperate, first of all, you must officially notify the outside world that New Vegas and the Brotherhood of Steel have officially formed an alliance and will advance and retreat together. ”

Ling Qi frowned slightly when he heard this, but he didn't say anything.

The two elders had already stood up from their respective seats and exclaimed:

"How can this-"

The Brotherhood has never been allied with any power since it was founded two hundred and fifty years ago, three days before nuclear war.

They once single-handedly beat the crying fathers and mothers of the big and small forces around them, and even used large airships to carry a small half of the members to the northern Washington D.C. expedition, which shocked the world at the time.

Even now, when they are surrounded by enemies and embattled, they can do their best to support themselves, at least most of the Brotherhood members think so.

They need friends, some foreign trade, some other cooperation, but they don't need allies with equal status!

Who deserves it?

They always think that they should be in the driver's seat, giving them something appropriate while their friends help them.

Formal alliance and spread the word to the world?

"Hmph! There's nothing wrong with that, the Brotherhood has reached the point where it must be reformed. What we need is not only a friend and an alliance of interests, but also a comrade-in-arms who will never betray lightly, and a strong alliance of life and death!"

The chief paladin spoke in a sonorous voice, and Michael May expressed his support for his friend in silence.

The old man Wufu was full of anger, not only about the alliance, but also about Thomas's tough attitude.

Fawkes grabbed him and shook his head at him meaningfully.

"How is it, Mr. Ling Qi, what do you think of my request..."

Thomas ignored the two elders and asked Ling Qi directly.

"Yes, but you have to do the same thing. In addition, the disputes between the Brotherhood and the NRC and other forces are known all over the world. The Brotherhood is strong and well-armed, and it can handle the siege from all sides on its own—"

Ling Qi said lightly, except for Veronica, the other four people present all showed an extremely honored expression, although these words were basically contrary to the facts.

"However, New Vegas doesn't have the strength to do so, so once I do, if the NRC directly declares war on New Vegas..."

Ling Qi didn't finish his words, but the implication was already obvious.

"Well~"

Thomas stepped out of his seat and paced a few steps in the open space with his hands behind his back.

"I understand your concerns. In this case, I asked Michael May to lead a team of 10 official knights and go back with you, which can be regarded as a little support for New Vegas. In addition, the Brotherhood also has a stock of Power armor that can be used to help you for a fee. Although these power armors are a bit older and are all T-32A types, they are definitely much stronger than the defective products of the NRC. ”

The NRC also has power armor units, but there are not many of them, and due to the lack of core manufacturing technology for power armor, this force is only slightly better than the Rangers, and the maintenance cost is ten times that of the latter, so it is not known to the world.

"Support? paid assistance? hehe..."

Ling Qi swept over a man who was sitting like a mountain with an expressionless face, and then looked at Thomas, who was walking in a hurry, and pondered his thoughts.

He lowered his head and smiled coldly, then disagreed.

It's not like he hasn't heard rumors that the Brotherhood of Steel Paladins can destroy a village alone, and Veronica is a living example of this.

It's just that if the conditions are right, he can't do it?

"Your generosity is astounding, so that there is nothing wrong with the alliance!and, in view of your kindness, I just remembered that there was also a stock of medicines and food in the warehouses in New Vegas, which could be supplied to the Brotherhood at a low price. And there's..."

Once the start is good, the negotiation process is immediately much faster.

This was not a peace negotiation, still less a humiliating signing of a traitorous treaty, but a friendly meeting in which both sides were in need.

Ling Qi needs friends, and the Brotherhood will only crave more than him.

New Vegas, which is about to become the target of public criticism, and the Brotherhood of Steel, which has become a rat on the street, are originally a pair of difficult brothers.

Ten minutes later.

"Hahaha, Mr. Lynch is really fast-talking. I can agree to your request, but, one last thing, when we drive the NRC and Caesar's Legion out of Nevada, the Brotherhood's former stronghold must be returned to us. In addition, the Hoover Dam and the Mojave outpost must also be controlled by our side. Both of these are important points against foreign enemies, and I am sure that Mr. Lynch will understand my painstaking efforts. I am willing to defend the frontier for the glory and wealth of my husband!"

Thomas patted Ling Qi's shoulder enthusiastically, as if it was really intimate.

The corners of Ling Qi's mouth twitched with laughter, this level of greed, fight the world together, and finally give you all the important military lands, then I might as well directly assign New Vegas to you.

Not to mention the importance of the Hoover Dam and the Mojave outpost to Nevada, it's hard to gauge the size of the Brotherhood's stronghold.

In the heyday of the Great Counteroffensive, they almost captured the entire state of Nevada!

"Yes, but I have one more condition!"