The voice was close.

Even if there was loud music around him, Fang Chang could hear that the words were said to himself.

The expression on his face subconsciously became serious, and he quickly turned his head to see the girl who was also sitting next to the bar.

Through the not-so-bright light, what caught my eye was a deviant short green hair.

Even in Boulder, this striking hair color is extremely rare.

She is not tall, her body is thin, and under her fluffy bangs are a pair of eyes of different colors, and her left eye is obviously somewhat distorted, and eighty percent of it is a prosthetic eye or an electronic eye. The delicate bridge of the nose and chin seem to have been knifed, or they are the crystallization of technology.

Fang Chang's gaze shifted downwards to her left shoulder, where large metal parts could be seen, similar to that of Tempest Brother.

However, after all, Tempest's metal arm was the handiwork of the Trailblazer, and it looked obviously much more upscale than the one on her.

The girl didn't care about Fang Chang's "straight hook" eyes, and continued in a casual tone.

"If you're interested in the three people at table 12, I can help you find out about them."

Table 12 was where the group of people who were following Fang Chang were sitting.

"What's your name?"

"Dolly...... Your pronunciation is strange, is it from the provinces? The girl looked at Fang Chang, her eyebrows raised at an angle of interest.

Dolly?

What a strange name.

"Fang Chang," after a pause, Fang Chang continued, "It doesn't matter where I'm from...... What are you going to inquire about your proposal? ”

"I know that dancer, her name is Nicosy, and she's the number one here...... One. Dolly pointed to the dancing girl sitting on the booth and said without hesitation, "You give me a tip, and I can help you ask anything, including her measurements." ”

"That's not necessary."

Fang Chang reached out and groped in his pocket, and after a while, he found the smallest chip and flicked it into her hand with his thumb.

Dolly clapped her hands and caught them, and through the light she could see the numbers on the chips and the same color as her hair, her right eye suddenly floated with a hint of surprise.

“…… The owner is really generous. ”

25 chips.

If you work in a factory, it would take two weeks to earn that number.

Dolly's eyes couldn't help but become charming, and she looked at the handsome guy in front of her with interest.

"What do you want to know?"

"What are the identities of those three people, what did they do today, and ......," Fang Chang's heart moved, "and ask me if they know anything about the fire in the warehouse area last night." ”

A hint of surprise appeared in Dolly's eyes, especially when she heard the last sentence, her eyes became slightly alert.

"You shouldn't ask that, you ask that...... Even a fool can guess who sent you. ”

It was too difficult to go around in circles with the three-legged cat's human language, so Fang Chang simply stopped acting and said with a smile.

"It's okay, I've only spoken to you today alone...... Scared? ”

Fear?

Dolly raised her eyebrows and got up from the round stool in front of the bar.

The thin body writhed, and soon passed through the crowd and came to the side of booth 12.

I saw her elbow propped up on the back of the sofa, leaned close to the dancer's ear and blew, and naturally laughed and played with her old friend, blending into the atmosphere.

Looking at the conversation between her and the dancing girl, the long index finger rubbing the wine glass, my heart was nervous.

It suddenly began to seem like a rash decision to trust a stranger.

What if this guy sells himself?

Or...... Should I pay a deposit upfront?

Just as he was thinking, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned his face sideways to see that the girl named Dolly was already sitting next to him.

"Asked?"

Dolly hooked her fingers and motioned for him to bring her ears closer, and whispered with her thin red lips close to it.

“…… The young man sitting in the middle was named Alec and was the captain of the security guard of the Vega comptoir, and his sister Sophie was Viga's lover and worked as an accountant in the canneries under Vega's name. Today he had good luck and made a small fortune. ”

"What money."

"He didn't say it, but he kept showing off, saying that he could make those high-ranking officials and nobles have a headache for a day without eating just by moving his mouth." Dolly's eyes flickered slightly, "My guess is that his boss gave him a sum of money to incite the workers to surround the town hall...... And he must have deducted a little from that fund. ”

Meaning strike?

But why strike your own work?

Fang Chang was a little curious, he felt that he might have missed some key clues.

However, the mission did not require him to investigate these inconsequential matters as well.

It is enough to establish the identity of those people.

"What about last night's fire?" Fang Chang then asked about what he was most concerned about.

"It's hard to ask about this kind of thing, but he told my friend that he was sorry for not being here to be here last night...... "When she said this, Dolly's expression was a little teasing, but she didn't know what she was teasing.

"Thank you, the information you provided is invaluable." Fang Chang stretched out his index finger and swiped lightly on the VM that peeked out of the cuff to archive the recording.

【Quest (Branch) Completed】

[Rewards: 120 credits, 100 contributions, 500 prestige in the "Rock City" area......]

[Trigger Mission (Sideline): Gather information and write a press release]

【Requirements:......】

Looking at the pop-up window that appeared on the screen, Fang Chang raised his eyebrows with interest.

Writing an article?

He's familiar with this.

"You're welcome, I'm counting on you to take care of my business often, there aren't many customers like you who are generous." The girl curled her lips and continued with a fluttering eyebrow, "No matter what kind of secret it is, if you bring someone to me, I will be able to pry it out of his mouth." ”

Hearing this, Fang Chang smiled and turned off the VM screen.

"Wasteland Online" has been circulating with three major unsolved mysteries.

How deep is Vault 404, how big is Raven, and when is Goko going to open beta?

It's a pity that Ah Guang is not in the game.

Otherwise, he really wants to bring his good brother here for a drink, and by the way, ask for some inside information that ordinary people don't know.

"I'm done with my questions, but I still have some personal questions I want to ask."

"Say it."

Today's performance was successful, and the girl was not in a hurry to find the next target, leaning her chin on the back of her hand, and looking at him with interest.

"Your eyes are special."

Dolly quipped.

"This accosting is inevitably too deliberate...... And, as fake as it sounds. ”

Normal people would not think that her eyes are as good as those of androids.

However, she was clearly mistaken.

The "special" that the man in front of him said literally meant it.

"No, I'm genuinely curious, where did you get your eyes and mechanical arms?" Fang Chang asked with interest.

Putting on an electronic eye and a mechanical arm, it's just cool, okay?

Especially since he used a bow.

He bet that there really was a place where he could do prosthetic modifications, but only he would be interested, and so would the other players.

Looking at Fang Chang, who was full of interest, Dolly was stunned for a moment, and her face gradually became a little unsightly.

"Your order is closed, that's the second problem."

She wanted to use this sentence to dismiss the man in front of her, but what she didn't expect was that a 50 chip fell on the table in a circle.

Dolly's eyes widened, her mouth opened, and she didn't say anything for a long time.

“…… Are you serious? ”

"Looks like I'm giving too much." Fang Chang quipped.

He suddenly realized that this NPC was quite interesting.

"It's late!" Dolly quickly reached out and took the chip into her arms.

Fang Chang looked at her and continued.

"Since you've received the money, aren't you going to reveal some of your secrets to me?"

Dolly was silent for a moment, then suddenly beckoned to the bartender, shook two fingers, and then pointed to the top row of the wine list.

Soon, two blood-red cocktails were placed on the bar.

“…… Two cups of 'Dragon's Blood', slow to use. ”

The pungent smell of alcohol reminded Fang Chang of the suite in the suburbs of Shanghai, the black bar in the back streets and alleys that operated without a license.

The taste of the fake wine is really the same.

The Queen of the Night is one of the best bars on the street, and the standard of living of the people of the wasteland is really worrying.

Or is that what you want?

Fang Chang intends to pay.

However, the girl was already one step ahead of him, and handed the bartender the 50 chip she had given her.

Putting the 40 chips in change into her pocket, Dolly picked up her cup and touched it lightly with the cup in front of the long table, and took a sip of the spicy "dragon's blood" to herself.

"It's not a secret...... You've heard of the Awakening. ”

"Of course."

Fang Chang felt a little strange.

What does a mechanical prosthetic have to do with awakening?

Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Dolly continued.

"A serum produced by the Great Stone Military Industry, the name is the same as this cocktail, it is called 'Dragon's Blood'. As long as you inject it, there is a certain probability that you will be able to awaken......"

"Of course, not everyone is qualified to be injected with dragon blood, after all, that thing is not cheap. Over the years, the Boulder Military Industry, which has assisted the militia in recruiting mercenaries, will conduct a simple physical examination of the conscripts, and one of them is to test the compatibility of the dragon's blood. ”

"If you pass, you will have the opportunity to get a free injection. And once you successfully awaken and just show excellent qualities, you will have the opportunity to become an employee of Jushi Military Industry and live a worry-free life from now on. ”

Fang Chang looked at her in surprise.

"You're awake?"

"No," Dolly put down the wine glass in her hand, and a hint of gloom cast over Dolly's eyes, "Even if you pass the physical examination, it doesn't mean that you will definitely be able to wake up." Dragon's Blood has a 50% success rate and a 40% chance of not responding at all......"

"And the remaining 10% will cause irreversible damage to body tissues...... In the words of those bastards, it's also an awakening, except that like mutations, not all mutations are good. ”

Fang Chang's Adam's apple moved, and he suddenly understood why the girl in front of him was so resistant to this topic.

Obviously, her arm and left eye were taken away by the "dragon's blood......

There are also new alliances that induce awakening, but the success rate of that thing is a mystery, and it must have a certain potential to use it, and this potential is difficult to measure steadily.

That kind of potion is useless to the player, and it should be a tool used to increase the level of NPCs.

Fang Chang's own understanding is that players and NPCs are completely different power systems.

Therefore, the evolutionary route is also completely different.

But......

The serum of the new alliance, although the probability of awakening is not high, but I haven't heard of anyone who has side effects.

Or even two more shots?

"I seem to have asked a topic that upsets you."

"It's okay, I know you're not interested in that dragon's blood, after all, a rich man like you wouldn't need that thing." Dolly smiled self-deprecatingly, and tapped her left arm with her right index finger.

"My left eye and this arm were all installed for me by the Giant Stone Military Engineer. The banks in Boulder generously offered me a loan, for which I had to repay them 50 chips every month until I was 40 years old. And this broken thing is not as easy to use as I imagined, from time to time there will be some failures, and if you don't pay the money on time, it will shut down, sometimes I think about it...... It was time to die. ”

Fang Chang was silent for a moment.

"Sorry for reminding you of something sad."

Although he wanted to sympathize with the girl in front of him, how to say it?

He is disabled and in debt, and he looks like he is still an orphan......

I always feel like there are a lot of elements.

"Don't sympathize with me," the girl pursed the corners of her lips self-deprecatingly, her index finger touching his glass, "if you're really sorry, come have a drink with me." ”

……

Slum.

Lao Bai and the two players followed the woman's footsteps into Blake's house.

The environment inside is not rich, but it is much better than the shacks in the slums.

The shoe cabinet in the hallway was stuffed with empty wine bottles, and a cardboard box was thrown on the floor, revealing recovered bullet casings.

"My name is Mary, what about you?"

"Lao Bai." As he spoke, Lao Bai gave the killing brother of the perception department a look and asked him to go to the second floor to have a look.

The dog went to the utility room next door, and according to someone's confession, he found a locked safe in the moldy ammunition box.

Also according to someone's confession, there is an unspent deposit hidden there.

"Old ...... White? Very rare name. ”

The woman was surprised, but she didn't say much.

She took a candle from the cupboard, lit it in an aluminum tray, and brought it to the low wooden table in the living room, adding some dim light to the dark room.

Unlike inside the giant walls, there is no electricity in the slums, and people who can afford it are lit by candles or kerosene lamps, and most people go to bed as soon as it gets dark.

After all, there are no guards here, and the gangs in the neighborhood just hate people messing around on their doorstep, but that doesn't mean they're bored enough to check the names of every corpse.

This is a truly borderless land, and the people who live here are like weeds, and the spring breeze blows and stubbles.

The few deaths from murder and accidents are nothing compared to the unlucky ones who freeze to death and starve to death or scavenge in the wasteland every year.

Sitting down on the sofa, Mary looked at Lao Bai, who was sitting opposite, as if she was hesitating to speak.

Lao Bai didn't waste time, turned on the translation function of the VM, connected the headset, and then spoke.

"Your friend has taken a request that he shouldn't have taken."

"Is he still alive?"

"I'm still alive, but I'll probably have to spend the rest of my life in prison."

"Prison?"

There was a hint of confusion in the woman's eyes, but she didn't dwell too much on this issue.

It can be seen that she doesn't care so much about Blake's final fate.

The man would occasionally come back with some money, but never lavishly on her.

If this meal ticket is gone, she has to plan for tomorrow as soon as possible.

This situation is not uncommon in the slums, and not everyone can show the courage to look directly at hell, and clinging to the strong is also one of the options.

"Have any questions?"

She crossed her legs on her knees, leaned slightly against the shabby sofa, and looked at Lao Bai sitting opposite.

Lao Bai didn't go around in circles, and put the previous chip worth one hundred next to the candle.

"What did he say to you before he left?"

Mary held out two fingers to grasp the chip, and said lightly on her red lips.

"He said we were going to get rich, and there was a generous patron who gave him a large sum of money just for the advance deposit. He also said that he had deposited the money in the bank, and when the commission was completed, he would take me to live in the giant wall. ”

When she said this, there was no longing in her eyes, after all, her ears were calloused when she heard those words.

That guy couldn't save any money, and he couldn't stand life in the city.

It was the man in front of her who made her see the opportunity to live a good life.

"Did he mention who the client was?" Lao Bai continued to ask.

"A man named Bit, an old acquaintance of his, lives in an apartment on 71st Street in Boulder City, where the rent is not cheap, I heard that he has 2,000 chips a month." When she said this, a hint of envy appeared in Mary's eyes.

"Have you seen that bit?"

"Of course, unlike the rude Blake, he was a polite man, not only with a good manners, but also with clear and clean eyes, and was said to be helping the big men of the city. If only that guy could learn from him, we wouldn't have to live in a stinking gutter. ”

Mary couldn't help but complain, and Lao Bai silently wrote down this clue.

It seems that that Blake is not exactly telling the truth.

He and the man named Bit didn't meet in Pingshui, and they didn't know each other at any Pirate Cove Tavern.

In addition, Lao Bai sent a message to Fang Chang, who was in the city, asking him to go to the apartment on 71st Street to have a look.

However, unexpectedly, this kid didn't reply to his message?

Look at this guy is not offline......

Lao Bai's expression was a little weird.

After waiting for a while, he estimated that Fang Chang should have something wrong, so he sent the message to another teammate who was still online.

This time the message came back quickly.

[Kidney Fighter: Roger!] I'm going to check it out! 】

[Lao Bai: Confirm the target location first, and be careful not to startle the snake. 】

[Kidney Fighter: Understood!] 】

Hopefully he really understood.

Retracting his index finger from the screen, Lao Bai looked at the woman sitting across from the candle.

“…… Do you know what that bit is buying and selling? ”

"He seems to have said......" With her index finger against her chin, Mary pondered for a moment, "is it an ornition?" I remember him saying that the farmers in the South needed heavy machine guns against thick-skinned mutants, and that large-caliber weapons were selling well there. ”

A hint of surprise appeared in Lao Bai's eyes.

Arms traffickers who attacked them?

This is the most unlikely thing.

“…… Could it be the Great Stone Military Industry? ”

The dagger who came down from the second floor happened to hear it.

Looking at the translator on the VM, he exchanged glances with the dog thing that was coming out of the door next to him.

"That's a big deal...... Hey, it doesn't make sense logically," the dog muttered, confused, "I heard that the negotiations between the New Alliance and Boulder City were not a concession on the arms deal?" ”

The killer dagger nodded subtly.

“…… I've heard about it too. ”

New Alliance weapons no longer enter the Boulder market, and Dawning does not ban Boulder weapons.

In exchange, Boulder opened up its markets in other areas and gave each other tariff concessions to Dawning City.

Anyone has reason to be resentful of them, but the arms dealers of Boulder City have no reason to hate them.

He couldn't help but think in his heart, if only Elder Brother Fang was here.

That guy has a lot of crooked intestines, and he must be able to analyze a bunch of crookedness.

“…… Who is that big shot? Boulder Military? Lao Bai didn't interrupt, stared at the woman in front of him and continued to ask.

Mary looked dazed.

"I don't know...... Maybe? ”

Time passed minute by minute, and before I knew it, the candle had burned out.

According to the information listed on the VM, Lao Bai then asked a lot of questions, and the sky outside the window became completely dark.

“…… I have understood the basic situation, thank you for your cooperation. Lao Bai reached out and clicked on the VM, extinguishing the glimmer of the screen.

"Is it over yet?" Mary's expression was slightly lost.

Lao Bai nodded.

"Well, I'll contact you again if there's a need."

Unwilling to give up just like that, she didn't get up to see off the guests, but instead drifted her eyes out the window.

"You see it's already dark outside, and you have to pay twice the entrance tax when you enter the city after seven o'clock...... If you don't like it, you can stay here for the night and go back when it's dawn. ”

The voice seemed to have some kind of suggestion, or invitation.

Lao Bai was slightly stunned.

This game......

Is it really all-age-oriented?

His intuition told him that whether he chose yes or no at this time, it would not affect the plot later in the game.

It's the same as he chose in "The Witcher 3".

But......

Will there be a black screen skip here?

At this time, a knock on the door from outside the house broke the sudden ambiguity in the living room. Ambiguous atmosphere.

“…… Eighty percent is the bastard's drinking buddy again, I'll take a look. ”

Hearing a voice from outside, Mary muttered and got up from the couch.

At this time, she suddenly noticed Lao Bai sitting on the sofa, her expression couldn't help but be a little embarrassed, and she whispered.

“…… Well, can I trouble you not to make a sound? ”

Although Blake probably won't be able to come back, if she can't get out of here right away, she still has to take care of some face.

It also makes it easier for her to find a home.

Lao Bai nodded, showing understanding, and gave the two teammates not far away a look, signaling them to avoid it.

Mary breathed a sigh of relief, twisted her graceful body, and reluctantly walked to the door.

There was a sound of the doorknob turning, and then the door creaked open, quiet in the flickering candlelight.

There was a voice from the door, but it was not very clear.

Lao Bai took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

However, at this moment, there was a "bang" that made him reflexively bounce off the sofa, and at the same time clenched the submachine gun hidden under his clothes.

There was more than one shot.

By the time he reached the door, Mary had fallen in a pool of blood, her body filled with bullet holes, and the hallway was scarlet.

The two men standing in the doorway were stunned, obviously not expecting that there were other people in the room.

The man holding the PU-9 submachine gun immediately aimed the muzzle of the smoking gun at Lao Bai.

However, Lao Bai was obviously one step ahead of him, and the dagger that came out of his hand pierced directly through his head.

The massive kinetic energy brought the muzzle of the gun up, and a sudden shuttle swept up the ceiling.

Lao Bai stepped forward with an arrow, stretched out his hand and pulled the dead man with the dagger on his head into the house with the one who was still alive, and kicked the door shut.

The hallway was pitch black, and the ground was covered in slimy blood.

The man who was grabbed by the neck was completely frightened, and said in a trembling voice.

"Don't, don't kill me...... I, I am also acting on orders, and if I knew that you were still alive, I would not dare to wade into this troubled water.

He apparently mistook Lao Bai for Blake.

Brother Killer and Brother Dog, who heard the gunshots, also rushed out of the room, looking at the two corpses on the ground, their faces full of surprise.

"What's the situation?!"

"Lao Bai, are you okay?"

Why did you suddenly start fighting?

"It's fine."

Lao Bai pressed the man to the ground, and pointed the submachine gun at the back of his head.

"You, you're not Black?" The man's voice trembled and pleaded, his voice incoherent, "Don't...... Don't kill me, please, the door is so dark, I don't see anything. ”

"Who sent you?" Lao Bai said in a deep voice.

The man said with a shudder.

"Our boss...... He said that the awakened who lived on our street had messed things up and offended people who shouldn't be offended, and he asked us both to clean up here......"

It's quiet on the street outside.

The doors and windows of every house were closed, and no one came out to see the excitement.

Lao Bai noticed the tattoo on the neck of the man who was pressed under him.

It looked like a dagger.

He didn't care about any gangs, and he didn't care about the Dagger Gang.

A more savage and cruel marauder than this group of villains, he killed three digits in Xizhou City.

What really surprised him was the domination of the entire city by that huge military-industrial complex......

Whether it's inside the giant wall, or outside the giant wall.

Every part seems to revolve around a core hidden beneath the water's surface.

Those people can decide the life and death of everyone, even a group of people, at will, just like operating chess pieces.

And without any hiding.

Lao Bai suddenly unexpectedly discovered that there may not be order in the real sense here.

Or civilization.

The lights inside the wall were bright, and it was darker than the wasteland beyond the wall......

Seeing that there was no sound behind him, the man seemed to be mistaken, thinking that the person behind him was weighing whether it was worth offending the Dagger Gang for the sake of a woman.

Thinking of this, he cleverly lowered his voice.

“…… Friend, the light here is very bad, I don't see your face, if you let me go, I'll say that the unlucky guy who shot you was stabbed in the head by that woman...... Our boss won't bother about that. ”

“…… But if we both had explained it here, it wouldn't have been left at that. ”

Lao Bai didn't understand the first sentence too much, but he understood the latter sentence.

He laughed.

"Good fellow...... was threatened. ”

Lao Bai stretched out his hand to lift the man, turned his face to himself, and said with a smile.

"Now you can see it clearly."

The man's face was pale, and his eyes were full of horror.

Just when he thought he would be killed, he was thrown to the ground.

"It's time to withdraw."

Lao Bai didn't look at the man again.

He gestured to his teammates next to him and walked out of the bloody room.

At this time, the VM on his arm, the screen flickered slightly.

[Kidney Fighter: I'm at my destination, but the apartment is separated by guards...... There were a lot of people around, and I heard that there was a murder. 】

Not very surprised, Lao Bai typed back a message.

[Eighty percent of the people are already cold, you come back first, and I'll see you in the archive later.] 】

【Kidney Fighter: OK】

Glancing at Fang Chang's icon, he hadn't replied to his message yet, and Lao Bai couldn't help but be a little worried.

Wait a while, go offline, say hello.

……

After Lao Bai and his party left, Blake's home.

The man who found out that he had unexpectedly survived struggled to get up from the ground.

He felt like he was cold except for his pants, which were cold.

"......"

He cursed, vented his fear into a swear word, and limped to the door.

The door opens.

A cool breeze blew on his face.

For a moment, he felt so good alive.

At this moment, a group of people appeared in his sight.

Looking at the person in charge, a trace of surprise appeared in the man's eyes, and a flattering smile immediately appeared on his face, and he greeted him in three and two steps.

“…… Master West, why are you here? ”

The person in front of him is the boss's henchman and the leader of the street.

West glanced at the door behind him, his brow furrowed.

"What's wrong?"

The man immediately explained what had just happened truthfully, and even added fuel and vinegar.

West listened quietly when suddenly he asked.

"Do you remember what that guy looked like?"

"Remember! Of course I remember! ”

The man nodded hurriedly, his eyes flashing with excitement, and he said viciously, "I can recognize that face even if it is burned to ashes, as long as I see him again, I will definitely be able to recognize him!" ”

Wade nodded, glanced at his men standing next to him, and then turned to leave.

The quiet night was shattered by a single gunshot.

Not long after, a fire broke out in Blake's house, engulfing the three bodies.

Meanwhile.

The town hall of the outer city.

The lights are on in the conference room.

Duron looked at his staff with a high spirit, describing the genius plan for a 200 million chip loan.

Deputy Director Jaeger's face was dazed.

He didn't know what the man in front of him was crazy about, and he didn't know what ecstasy soup the gopher had poured into this guy.

But if he had to find fault with this plan, he really couldn't think of it for a while.

After all, nothing like this has ever happened in the past two hundred years.

Malvin, the bank president sitting at the table, frowned and loosened his brow.

He had the same concerns in his heart, but he couldn't ignore the allure of the cake.

Loan of 200 million chips......

It's not risk-free, but it's much safer than lending money to traders and mercenaries.

After a long time, he nodded.

“…… Although there has been no such precedent before. ”

"But it sounds like a good idea."

(End of chapter)