When I first arrived at the gathering place, I hadn't even gotten off the boat.

It's inexplicable, and this is going to be invited to tea?

Looking at the bearded armed man in front of him, Meng Lei suddenly frowned.

First, his identity was suspected, and the ship was checked for no reason.

If you are new to the city and are not familiar with life, you can just endure it.

After all, the other party also explained this, and everything happened for a reason.

But now that the investigation has been completed, without finding any problems, such an unreasonable request has been made.

Such behavior made Meng Lei's patience about to climb to the limit.

Even Chen Yu, who was following the whole process on the side, his face instantly became ugly.

"The ship has been inspected, there are no problems, you have to take people away again, it will be a bit excessive, right?!"

Chen Yu looked at the two armed men coldly.

The rigid momentum and fierce eyes on the body brought the two of them a great sense of oppression.

Under Chen Yu's gaze, the thin man subconsciously took a step back and grabbed his matching gun.

Immediately, he seemed to feel a little embarrassed, so he was a little ashamed.

He glanced at Chen Yu and Meng Lei viciously, and said in a cold tone:

"If you don't want to go with us, you can, this unregistered submarine will be confiscated as smuggled goods, including all the items in the warehouse, you can do it yourself!"

Hearing this, Chen Yu frowned deeply, the expression on his face was not angry and arrogant, and there was a dangerous light in his eyes.

At this time, Huo Ye, who heard the conversation of several people from the earphones, hurriedly ran over and roared:

"This is the ship we found from the outpost in our lives, it is an ownerless thing, why should you confiscate it!"

"Ownerless?!"

The thin man sneered and said, "The D12 outpost was established by the alliance back then, even if it was abandoned and occupied by pirates later, everything in it still belongs to the property of the alliance!"

At all times, the Alliance has absolute ownership, and who told you that it is ownerless?! ”

Hearing this, a sneer suddenly appeared on Meng Lei's face.

It seems that the information that the Winter Fleet received in that mining center was not groundless.

This so-called alien alliance is really not a good bird, it belongs to a rather domineering dictatorship, that is, the name is more official.

"The Almighty Soldier King of the Female President"

At this time, the bearded man who had not spoken, seeing that the situation was a little stiff, came out to play a round and said:

"Everybody calm down, we don't mean anything else.

Although there seems to be no problem on the ship, we still need to do further investigation and confirmation of Captain Meng's identity. ”

Speaking of which.

Seeing that Chen Yu's faces became more and more ugly, the bearded man then smiled again:

"Of course, the registration and passage procedures for this original Typhon also need to be signed by Captain Meng himself.

Therefore, Captain Meng had to go with us. ”

Hearing this, the expressions on the faces of several people finally eased a little.

After being inked by this kind of bad thing for most of the day, Meng Lei was also a little impatient.

He waved his hand and said, "Let's go, lead the way!" ”

As he spoke, he walked towards the airlock on the upper deck.

Chen Yu and the others accompanied them all the way, and originally wanted to go with Meng Lei, if there was really any accident, they could still take care of it.

But before they could get out of the cabin, the bearded security officer stopped the behavior of several people.

"You can just wait here, someone will come and dock with you later, confirm your identity, stay on the boat and don't move around!"

Meng Lei also turned his head and explained to Chen Yu:

"Captain Chen, you don't have to come with me, the fleet will ask you first, and we will communicate later."

"Good!"

Chen Yu nodded, and said again: "Pay attention to safety!" ”

Meng Lei smiled slightly, and didn't respond much.

Then.

The yellow-haired thin man who followed beside him, as if he had heard something extremely ridiculous, sneered:

"Huh, fleet?! No private armed groups are allowed in the Alliance! I advise you to disband it as soon as possible, and ...... before the armed forces take violent action."

Hearing this, everyone, including Meng Lei, was stunned.

But before Meng Lei could say anything, he was pushed out of the pirate ship by the bearded two, and walked along the metal corridor of Dock 59 to the depths of the building complex in the distance.

Looking at the backs of the three of them leaving, Chen Yu's eyes were gloomy.

Even if you don't have strict identity verification, it's barely within the acceptable range.

But the fleet, which everyone has finally assembled, finally has a bit of scale and some cohesion.

But at this time, I was officially told that it was an illegal organization, which was a bit too chilling.

"Captain Chen, what should we do now? This gathering place doesn't seem to be a good place, so I might as well feel comfortable outside! ”

Wang Qi's face was a little melancholy, and the excitement of arriving at the gathering place completely turned into a bubble at this moment.

Chen Yu clutched his pipe and paced near the airlock chamber for a long time.

A moment later.

He suddenly raised his head, looked at Wang Qi and asked:

"How is the integration of the various resources of the fleet?"

Wang Qi sighed and said helplessly: "The mileage points of the combat troops have all been collected, and the decomposition materials of the alien sea monster are still being counted because there are too many of them." ”

Chen Yu nodded lightly, sighed thoughtfully, and continued:

"In this way, the decomposition materials are not in a hurry to collect for the time being.

In addition, according to the prestige value of each combat unit, the mileage will be deducted from part of the fleet reserve in proportion, and the rest will be distributed to everyone.

Since the alliance does not recognize the private forces formed by our Blue Star players.

Next, it is inevitable that everyone will have to develop on their own, and we can't leave no start-up capital for everyone. ”

Hearing this, Wang Qi immediately frowned and asked:

"Captain Chen, do you mean that we are going to disband the fleet?"

Chen Yu shook his head and said in a deep voice:

"No, if we really want to disband, why do we keep the reserves?!

It's just a temporary suspension of collective activities on the surface, let everyone develop independently, and then re-plan the future development route after we fully understand and familiarize ourselves with the pattern of this world! ”

"Okay, I see!"

Wang Qi nodded heavily, did not delay at the moment, turned around and walked towards the fourth-floor area.

……

The other side.

Meng Lei, under the supervision of two armed men, walked all the way through the narrow dock corridor.

Along the way, you will encounter a number of player submarines that have docked and docked with the passage.

It's just that all the players are blocked in the cabin by the armed men patrolling nearby, and they are strictly forbidden to take a step out, as if the whole city is under martial law.

Plus, as you go all the way forward.

Meng Lei also saw some civilian personnel in uniform with large bags on their shoulders and an electronic device similar to a tablet in their hands.

These men walk between the submarines along the passages, questioning and investigating the player.

Some people will be given a blue card after the investigation.

At the same time, it also comes with a thin booklet, and I don't know what it is.

Meng Lei looked at it for a while, and couldn't help but ask curiously:

"What are the blue cards and books? What's the use? ”

The bearded security officer who walked in front said without looking back:

"The card is a Alien citizen ID card that stores your personal information, including the reputation level of each outpost and gathering place, as well as proof of assets.

Except for some cities occupied by rebel groups, or independent colonies.

Normally, as long as you have a citizen ID card, you can travel between alien locations at will. ”

After a pause, the bearded man added another sentence and said:

"Of course, if you have enough marks to travel......"

Hearing this, Meng Lei nodded thoughtfully.

That blue card seems to be an alien ID card in some sense.

However, Meng Lei was a little unclear about what the so-called Mark was, so he continued to ask questions.

"Mark, of course it's money!"

Maybe it's because of the lavish décor on Meng Lei's pirate ship, or maybe it's because of the potential and prestige of the Guiru.

The bearded man seemed to have a little idea of making friends, and explained in detail to Meng Lei:

"Mark, that's what you guys call mileage.

It's just that the concept of mileage points was no longer used by the Alien Alliance many years ago.

When the pioneers first arrived in the alien planet, in order to inspire everyone to work hard to open up, they achieved one milestone after another.

Hence the origin of mileage points as a monetary system.

Later, when the Alien Alliance was formed, many things happened during this period, which led to the collapse of the old monetary system for a time.

That's why the Union promulgated a new monetary system, which is now the mark. ”

After a pause, the bearded man said:

"But the mileage points in your hands now can be exchanged for marks in equal value, and at this point, there is no need to worry at all."

After listening to the bearded man's words, Meng Lei keenly captured some key details.

When the pioneers first arrived in Alien, there was no so-called Alien Alliance, and the alliance was established later.

Reminiscent of the information previously obtained through the shipwreck log of the Ceres.

Meng Lei probably guessed that the change in the monetary system should probably be around 138 years in the alien ephemeris.

Because at that time, the alliance began to become chaotic internally.

The captain of the Ceres also said that the alliance no longer has an absolute voice.

Thinking of this, Meng Lei suddenly asked:

"What year is the ephemeris now?"

The bearded man did not hesitate and blurted out: "March 212 of the Alien Ephemeris." ”

"212 ......"

Meng Lei took a deep breath: "Has it been more than seventy years?" ”

When the Ceres was shipwrecked, it was September 138 in the alien calendar, and now it is March 212, a full seventy-four years have passed!

I really don't know how much has happened in all these years.

But obviously, the two forces of the alien separation organization and the clown organization should still be alive for now.

This can be seen from the encounter with the D12 outpost, as well as the interrogation of the pirate ship when it first docked.

However, speaking of these messy forces.

Meng Lei is even more curious, after so many years, have these colonists on the alien planet regained contact with the home planet?

For this question, the bearded security officer obviously didn't expect that he would actually ask it from the mouth of Meng Lei, a player.

Looking back at Meng Lei in some shock, the bearded man asked:

"You actually know about the loss of contact with the home planet?!"

Meng Lei nodded, there was nothing to hide, and said calmly:

"I was on the road before, and I came across the shipwreck of the Ceres, and I saw something in the shipwreck log."

Hearing this, the bearded man nodded suddenly, and his eyes seemed to be a little reminiscing:

"Ceres, it seems that it was quite famous in the nearby waterway back then, and you can occasionally see this name in magazines published by some historical research stations, but I didn't expect to be bumped into by you......"

"Fluke."

Meng Lei didn't say much, and continued to ask, "What is the situation of the loss of contact with the home planet?" ”

Then.

The three of them walked all the way out of the corridor of the mooring dock and came to the depths of the complex of the gathering place.

To Meng Lei's surprise.

From the outside, this gathering place, which is similar in architectural style to an abandoned outpost, seems to be quite advanced and well-established.

But the maintenance of the internal facilities is not even as good as that of the abandoned outpost.

All the way.

The damp floor was mottled with mold spots everywhere, and a lingering musty smell was in the air.

Outside the high ceilings, bare wires whose insulation has fallen off can be seen everywhere.

From time to time, there will be a little heart-warming spark in the dimness, making a crackling sound.

In particular, on the periphery of one of the buildings that appears to be the cultivation pod.

Through the glass window on the wall, Meng Lei saw that the house was actually crawling with a large number of brightly colored succulents, which had overflowed far from the cultivation pots.

I don't know if it's because the untended growth is out of control, or if the environment in which this plant grows is inherently like this.

In a word.

Everything here smells of decay and decay.

Moreover, after passing through a large number of areas and facilities, Meng Lei did not see too many indigenous people.

The whole gathering place seemed deserted.

Until the three of them passed through the complex cloister passage and came to the central area.

Standing in front of a large, cylindrical facility resembling an elevator shaft, the bearded man pressed the ascending button and spoke:

"The arrival of your players is actually the work of the home planet.

The specific details will be explained to you by the person in charge after you arrive at the Security Office.

The Life Helper's booklet for other players also explains this, including some things to keep in mind when gathering places. ”

As he spoke, a rumbling roar rang out.

The large elevator shaft in front of him trembled slightly, as if something heavy was falling at a rapid speed.

After a few moments, the shaking stopped.

The elevator door on the left side opens, revealing a large rusted elevator hall.

"Let's go, here is the industrial area below, and it's all production plants and warehouses.

The real city of Sil, on top. ”

With that, the bearded man walked directly into the elevator.

Meng Lei knew it in his heart.

As expected, there was indeed another area in the rock formation at the top of this space.

And the huge circular facility in front of me is the one I saw outside before, the supernatural building standing in the deep sea.

Merely.

Staring at the mottled and dilapidated elevator, as if it could fall at any moment.

Meng Lei was a little worried in his heart.

This thing looks clearly in disrepair and has a great safety hazard.

If it had been issued before, Meng Lei would rather be tired and climb the stairs like a dog than sit on this thing.

But after a little hesitation, there was a cold metal hard object behind him on his back.

"Hurry up, rub what!"

The yellow-haired thin man's urging voice came, Meng Lei turned his head and glared at him with an unkind face, and finally walked in.

The massive metal door slowly closed with a hair-curding creak.

The elevator climbed rapidly towards the heights at a very rapid pace.

process.

You can still vaguely hear some clanging metal collision sounds, and I don't know what part has fallen, which is particularly scary.

But the two indigenous security officers seemed to have long been surprised by this situation, and just cursed silently twice.

"Those damn guys in the engineering department know to be lazy all day long, and if they go on like this, something will happen sooner or later!"

"Okay, there were few people in the past, and the people in the engineering department could not manage it.

Anyway, now that these players have arrived, it's just a matter of recruiting more people in the future......"

Meng Lei didn't express any opinions, listening to the words of the two of them, thinking about other things to distract him.

This elevator is a bit frightening.

Fortunately, the elevator rises quickly.

At a height of more than 100 meters, it only took half a minute to reach the top floor.

Then, the elevator doors snapped open.

In front of you is an equally dilapidated airlock chamber.

There are a large number of wetsuit cabinets around the area, which display a piece of tarnished and worn wetsuits, and I don't know if it can effectively decompress the effect.

A gun-wielding security officer, dressed in a faded blast suit and wearing a bulletproof helmet crooked on his head, was bored smoking a cigarette in the airlock room.

It can be seen from the large number of cigarette butts scattered on the ground.

This guy should be standing guard here, and it's not a short time to stand.

The bearded man stepped out of the elevator with a gun on his shoulder, greeted the security officer, and then stepped forward and opened the door to the airlock chamber.

Suddenly, a damp and pungent smell came to my face.

A picture that Meng Lei couldn't predict at all was impressively presented in front of him.

I saw it under the infinite neon flashes.

Outside the door, there was a hazy sky.

It may be an exaggeration to say that it is the sky.

But the huge urban space that is full of luxury and erosion is too vast.

It is under a rock dome tens of meters high.

The colorful neon reflects a layer of surging smoke that fills the high sky.

Like a brilliant cloud floating overhead, those who watch it are dazzled.

Tall metal buildings, stacked on top of each other, sit in the middle of a crowded city, like a steel jungle.

On each metal cliff, there are colorful huge billboards and holographic neon logos competing to bloom.

【Aunt Kinsley's Restaurant】.

The holographic projection shows a terrifying reptile that, dismembered by a sharp knife, transforms into a plate of surreal-scented delicacies.

Below.

The advertising slogan of "Amazing Crawl Package Limited Time Discount" shows people the ultimate sensory temptation.

Two scantily clad delicate women, on the top of a certain building, writhing wildly in a bewitching posture.

An illusory and brilliant advertisement is projected on the building, projecting the eye-catching words "CoCo Bar".

Thereinto.

There is also a logo that Meng Lei is very familiar with, on the top of a high-rise building in the middle and upper floors of the city, a huge pickaxe and hammer are fixed with a holographic projection.

[Crimson Mining Company] is a few big words, making eye-catching propaganda for the company day and night.

Numerous metal covered bridges, interspersed between the various buildings, are arbitrarily woven over the city, interweaving into a spectacular and complex transportation network.

Almost every inch of space in the city has never been wasted, exuding a wild and psychedelic atmosphere.

Unconsciously.

Meng Lei was attracted and subconsciously walked to the door of the airlock room.

Looking up at this fantastic city located 3,000 meters deep in the sea, I couldn't help but breathe faster.

He never expected it.

In the midst of this infinite darkness and dead silence, you can actually see such a prosperous and vibrant underwater city.

Such a scene made him feel absolutely shocked!

It's hard to imagine how those alien pioneers managed to create such a city in such an extreme environment.

"Welcome to Sil City!"

seemed to be satisfied with Meng Lei's reaction at the moment.

The bearded security officer took out a cigarette from his trouser pocket, lit it, and took a puff.

Then towards the dream city shrouded in smoke in the distance, he spit out a big smoke ring.

"How's that, it's shocking, isn't it?"

The bearded man glanced at Meng Lei, and then said:

"In fact, these are just appearances, when you really integrate and become a part of the city, you will really discover what is hidden under this glossy skin."

After a pause, he simply left Meng Lei a moment to digest and adapt.

The bearded man patted him on the shoulder and said:

"Let's go, don't keep the person in charge waiting too long.

What you see now is only the lower business district, the façade of the city of Sill.

The place we are going to is the upper administrative area, and we have to pass through the living quarters and the shaft.

You will be living here for a long time to come, and if you want to see it, you will have the opportunity to learn more about it in the future. ”

Hearing this, Meng Lei took a deep breath.

He nodded silently and did not say anything.

Led by the bearded security officer, the three of them made their way to the depths of this steel jungle.

After going deeper, Meng Lei finally understood a little bit of what the man meant by what he just said.

At first glance, the city does have a glamorous appearance.

However, in the narrow and cramped city streets.

Under the cover of neon and bustle, it is full of filthy garbage and unsightly graffiti.

Messy wires and bare threads are everywhere, clinging to a large amount of shimmering moss, and the smell of decay is permeated.

Alien natives like the walking dead wander aimlessly through the filthy and smelly streets and alleys.

Most people's eyes have lost their luster, and the emptiness reveals numbness and disappointment in the world.

From time to time, you can see drunkards carrying wine bottles, crying, laughing, or cursing in dark corners.

Occasionally, there are people in strange hooded suits, holding glass balls in their hands, wandering down the streets.

Like a wizard, and like a servant, it gives people a very strange feeling.

The strong postmodern post-apocalyptic style is precipitated at the bottom of this gorgeous city, which is incompatible with the brilliant sensory world with a sense of futuristic technology.

Meng Lei walked in this prosperous and dilapidated city, madness intertwined and divided.

Gradually, there was even a surging sense of trance germinating.

I always feel like there's an illusion that it's not real.

Until the three of them reached the deepest edge of the city, the entrance to an airlock chamber embedded in the rock wall.

The illusion finally subsided, and everything seemed to be back to reality.

Even, Meng Lei didn't pay attention to how he came along the way, and his memory was very confusing.

"Up is the living area, and after the living area and then up, it is the administrative area of Xier City."

The bearded security officer made an introduction to Meng Lei as he pressed the elevator button that led to the upper floor.

"Relatively speaking, the borough is the safest place in the entire city, and even if the lower level is completely submerged, the borough officials have enough time to put on their diving suits and board the shuttle boat in the escape pod."

Between words.

After a short distance of a few tens of meters, the three of them came to the living area located on the middle floor.

The space area of this living area is obviously not as vast as that of the commercial area.

Although the area is quite large, the height of the space is very limited, and the highest point is only twenty or thirty meters.

It is supported by some relatively luxurious apartment buildings, which are tightly propped up from top to bottom.

But at least in terms of scale, there should be no problem with the accommodation of 50,000 or 60,000 people in this living area.

And, in the process of moving forward, Meng Lei also discovered.

The living area and the commercial area are not located vertically, and the two are not in the same spatial area.

Such an architectural design is clearly designed with the cave-in in mind.

However, with so many people in such a confined space, how can the problem of oxygen and ventilation be solved?

Meng Lei dared to be very curious.

In this regard, the bearded man also patiently explained.

Next door to the commercial area on the ground floor, there is another huge space, which is the electromechanical area and the oxygen production area.

The entire city's energy supply, as well as oxygen consumption, is provided by this area.

If there is a problem in this area, it will be an unimaginable disaster for the entire city.

Therefore, the security force and engineering maintenance personnel there are the most comprehensive in the city.

Meng Lei nodded thoughtfully.

Despite the explanation, he still couldn't imagine how much equipment would be needed to provide enough energy and oxygen for so many people's lives.

While thinking about the problems that were completely impossible to figure out with his knowledge reserves, the three of them went all the way up.

After taking another elevator to reach the top floor of Ciudad Sil.

A few scattered buildings, as well as a relatively small space, suddenly appeared in front of you.

"There's the market hall where you can pick up and deliver the various bounties issued by the Alliance."

"There's the Sil District Court, which hears and adjudicates all kinds of local cases."

"There's the Ministry of Information......"

……

All the way.

The bearded man constantly introduced Meng Lei to the types and uses of various buildings, and perfectly assumed the role of a free guide.

Meng Lei kept nodding his head and kept this information in his heart.

Finally.

In front of a building with red and blue stripes painted on the façade, the bearded man stopped.

"This is the Security Office of Sil City, let's go, the person in charge has been waiting for a long time."

As he spoke, the bearded man walked straight in.

Meng Lei followed.

In front of a reception room on the second floor, the bearded man stopped, turned to Meng Lei and said:

"The person in charge is inside, so I won't go in,

When you're done with the matter at hand, we can have a drink if we have the chance. ”

After that, before the bearded man turned to leave, he added:

"By the way, my name is Harold, the security officer of the second security team."

Meng Lei stretched out his hand and expressed his kindness to the bearded man for the first time, and said with a smile:

"Meng Lei."

"Okay, there's a chance to see you!"

The two shook hands.

Under the push of the bearded man, the thin man and the two left the place quickly.

Meng Lei took a deep breath, sorted out his thoughts, and then without further delay, turned around and knocked on the door of the reception room.

"Dongdong, Dongdong!"

"Enter!"

A thick middle-aged man's voice sounded.

Meng Lei pushed the door in.

The décor of the house is very simple.

A desk, a sofa, a coffee table, a filing cabinet and a chair.

Inside the desk, a middle-aged man in uniform was sitting at the moment.

He is about the same age as Huo Ye, with a standard oriental face and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose.

Seeing Meng Lei come in, the middle-aged man motioned for Meng Lei to sit down on the chair and said:

"Let me introduce myself, my name is Roger, and I'm the head of the Office of the Security Office in Sil City."

Hearing this, Meng Lei was suddenly stunned.

A famous two-dimensional character couldn't help but come to mind, and he almost blurted out:

What have you buried at the end of the Great Voyage?

The middle-aged man looked at Meng Lei after hearing his name, his expression suddenly changed, and he couldn't help but smile curiously:

"What, you know me?"

Meng Lei immediately came back to his senses, shook his head to hide his embarrassment, and said with a smile:

"No, I just remembered a friend, hello Director Luo."

The middle-aged man glanced at Meng Lei suspiciously, but didn't continue to ask more.

Then he picked up an electronic device next to him, something very similar to the kind of tablet that Meng Lei had seen before, and operated it briefly.

Then, looking up at Meng Lei, he asked:

"What the hell is going on with the unregistered original Typhon-class submarine and the D12 outpost, please explain the situation in detail."

After a pause, the middle-aged man said again:

"Also, what is your identity and the name of your original submarine?"

Although these questions have been asked once, Meng Lei is still patient, looking at the middle-aged man without humility or arrogance, and said in a deep voice:

"My name is Meng Lei, and the initial submarine name: Guixu ......"

After hearing Meng Lei say the word "return to the ruins", it was the turn of the middle-aged man to be stunned this time, and he immediately raised his eyebrows with interest, and said with curiosity on his face:

"Return to the ruins? Take the Guiru that killed the first in the fairway? Are you the captain of the Guixu? ”

"You know me?"

The roles were reversed, and Meng Lei was stunned again.

The two stared at each other in silence for a second, and Roger broke the silence with a smile and said:

"Of course, the information and data of the players in this channel will be recorded at the terminals of our gathering places, including your approximate flight route, as well as reputation and mileage changes, and we can synchronize them in time."

Although through Harold's previous performance, Meng Lei has roughly guessed this.

But when Roger admitted it himself, he was still a little shocked in his heart.

With a deep doubt, Meng Lei asked:

"What's going on here? I mean, including the time travel, it seems that you alien colonists were prepared for our arrival? ”

Roger smiled and nodded.

After learning Meng Lei's identity, his attitude seemed to be a little more enthusiastic than just now.

Get up and open the filing cabinet next to you, and take out a metal box from inside.

Then he came to the coffee table, opened the metal box, pinched something, put it in the cup, brewed it with boiling water, and handed it to Meng Lei.

"Explosive pomegranate flower tea, an alien specialty, try it."

"Thank you!"

Meng Lei got up and took it.

Looking down, there were a few grains in the cup that looked like shriveled pomegranate seeds.

The whole body is an incomparably bright red, constantly churning up and down in boiling water, and shrinking frequently, as if it is about to burst at any time!

Soon, the water in the entire teacup was infected red, which was extremely magical.

Meng Lei took a sip curiously.

Suddenly, there is an extreme sweetness that explodes in the taste buds, leaving a fragrance on the lips and teeth.

At this time, just when Meng Lei was immersed in that wonderful taste enjoyment.

Roger spoke:

"In fact, we alien colonists themselves are unaware of the arrival of you so-called players.

The source of everything has to start with a sudden communication from the home planet fifteen years ago, which has not been contacted for more than 70 years......"