City of Sea, meeting room on the third floor of the Municipal Office Building.

7:40 p.m.

When Roger walked into the hall with a tablet in his hand, the room was almost full.

Sitting in the middle of the seat at the head was a middle-aged man in his forties.

Although this person is not young, he seems to be very well maintained.

He had very white skin, a high nose, deep-set eye sockets, prominent cheekbones, and a well-groomed mustache on his upper lip.

The long, narrow eyebrows have also been carefully groomed and match his slender eyes well.

However, that seemingly gentle gaze always brings people a special meaning full of cunning and viciousness.

It's uncomfortable.

This person is none other than the number one leader of the Union government of the City of Sea, Mayor Patton!

In addition to Patton, all the officials present were the heads of various departments of the West City Alliance.

It can be said that almost all the leaders of the various departments of the alliance in Sil City were present.

It is enough to see the importance of this meeting.

At the moment, it was obvious that Barton was in a very bad mood.

The already unkind eyes faintly exuded a hint of danger, staring intently at the hand-held tablet on the table.

The content played inside is the picture of Meng Lei and several people escaping.

In the quiet conference hall, all kinds of terrible roars, roars of filial piety and shouts of killing echoed, and the scalps of those who listened were numb.

It was as if I had arrived at the scene of the disaster, and I shuddered.

When Roger arrived, he didn't say hello to anyone, and walked straight in the direction of Barton, and then sat down in the second chair in his order.

The spot had been vacant all along, apparently reserved for Roger.

At this point, Barton finally looked up and paused the video.

He looked around and said in a deep voice:

"Everyone is here."

The secretary, who was standing aside to take minutes of the meeting, immediately leaned down and said softly:

"Mayor, it's all here."

Barton nodded, wasting no time, and got straight to the point:

"Guys, you probably already know the details of this incident, and I want to hear what you think about it."

The voice fell, and the conference room was silent.

A moment later, Albert May, the head of foreign affairs of the Sil City Alliance, stood up first and said worriedly:

"According to the inference of Blue Star player Meng Lei,

The mastermind behind this incident clearly points to the alien separation organization.

This is already the second terrorist attack planned and carried out by the alien separation organization movement in just half a month!

Up to now, the storm of public opinion in the Thomr gathering place has not subsided, and at this juncture, the Molten Outpost has another accident.

Now the population is increasingly dissatisfied with the actions of the coalition.

Especially after the Thomr incident, many people in the presidium of the First Sea Alliance have begun to feel that non-violent acts are no longer enough to cause a powerful counterattack!

Therefore, we must suppress it by force, and we must not allow the separatist organization to continue to run rampant! ”

Hearing this, the person in charge of the Finance Department of Sil City frowned slightly and retorted:

"Whether this incident was committed by a separatist organization or not, the truth remains to be determined.

We can't just jump to conclusions based on the words of Bluestar players.

After all, including the last nuclear leak in Thomr, the separatist group has publicly stated that it is not responsible for the incident.

It belongs to the individual acts of the terrorists who were killed in the bombing.

And this Molten Rock Outpost incident is related to the Painted Skin Parasite, which makes it difficult not to be suspicious of the Painted Skin Sect.

So I think we should still be cautious about investigating and collecting evidence.

It is best not to jump to conclusions without conclusive evidence, lest the conflict between the two sides intensify.

It's not good for all of us. ”

Albert smiled coldly:

"The matter is already obvious, Captain Meng Lei said very clearly in the report,

The management of the Molten Rock Outpost had long known the exact time of the outbreak of the painted skin, but they did not flee, apparently still having a backhand.

If it was the Painted Skin Sect, there was no need for them to stay there at all! ”

Speaking of this, Albert glanced at the other party lightly and said mockingly:

"You are so protective of the Separation Organizations, is it possible that you are also one of their members?"

"You fart!"

Mellen, the head of the Ministry of Finance, was suddenly furious, slapped his head, pointed at Albert and scolded:

"Albert, you damn thing, don't spit blood here!

I'm just trying to avoid conflict from the perspective of the alliance.

The political climate of the alliance is so bad that a lot of money is spent every year on the maintenance of the armed fleet.

In the event of a war, the economic ecology of the Union may well collapse completely!

When the time comes, you have a few little feelings with you. Just wait for the northwest wind to drink! ”

The words fell, and without waiting for Albert to refute, Mellen looked at Mayor Patton, who was speechless, and said in a deep voice:

"Mayor Barton, with the influx of Blue Star players, we are in a very difficult financial situation right now, as you know.

In particular, there has been a serious deficit in food, and even imports from other shipping routes at high prices are not enough to make ends meet.

At this time, if we start a war with the separatist group, the result will definitely be unfavorable for us! ”

Barton shook his head and said in a deep voice:

"Mellen, you're out of the way.

The theme of today's meeting is the horror of the Molten Outpost, and nothing else.

I will find a way to solve the financial problem,

Our priority now is how to deal with the Molten Outpost as quickly as possible.

Judging from the degree of spread of infection, if nothing else,

At this point in time, I am afraid that all the residents of the commercial and living areas have been infected and parasitized.

Complete fall is inevitable.

What we need to consider is how to properly resolve this matter. ”

Speaking of this, Barton paused, a subtle cold glint flashed in his eyes, and continued:

"The Breakaway Order, an underground group, has long since turned its back on its purpose.

Originally, they were also trying to advocate for a non-violent way to make the alien change into a more democratic society.

But now, their methods are becoming more and more extreme.

Even Suba, the leader of the Painted Skin Sect, is not necessarily crazier than them!

I believe that blindly guiding public opinion is no longer enough to make our position clear to the public.

Whatever peaceful intentions the Separatist may have had in the past, their current behavior only shows that they are nothing more than a bunch of criminals!

It's time to show the strong side,

Let the people see our determination to maintain peace and protect the rights and interests of the people! ”

The meaning of Barton's words is already obvious,

It's just one word,

Dry!

The matter of the molten outpost cannot be hidden, and there is no need to hide it.

Since the separatist organization dares to plan such a brutal and inhumane terrorist act, it must pay a terrible price for their actions!

"Mayor, what exactly are we going to do?"

Roger, who had not spoken, finally asked out loud when he saw that Barton had made a decision in his heart.

At the same time, this question is also on the minds of others.

All the officials present at the meeting focused their eyes on Patton.

Barton's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said coldly:

"Immediately notify the military stronghold and suppress the neutral colonies controlled by the separation organization in the first half of this channel!

Wipe out all the members of the Breakaway Groups and take back control of these outposts!

In addition, a detailed battle plan report was issued and submitted to the Presidium of the First Sea Area Alliance for review, and the tragedy of the molten stronghold was reported.

Let the Ministry of Foreign Affairs carry out propaganda and reporting, guide public opinion, put pressure on separatist groups, and further undermine their prestige.

This time, definitely leave them with a profound lesson! ”

"Yes!"

The congregation officials stood up and agreed.

Patton raised his hand and pressed down on him, and continued:

"Also, the Molten Outpost's Paint Skin Infection has been confirmed to be caused by a new type of Paint Skin Parasite Eggs.

This new type of eggs is extremely harmful, not only immune to the therapeutic effect of dermatonet, but also the infection rate is unprecedented.

We must find the source of this insect egg as soon as possible and strangle the hidden danger in the cradle.

Otherwise, the crisis of decades ago may flare up again and become the biggest threat to the solidity of the alliance! ”

"Yes!"

The people answered their promise again and received their orders one after another.

At this time, Francesca, the head of the personnel department of the city of Sill, said:

"Through this incident, we can also see that the current alliance has been infiltrated by hostile forces.

We need to do something about screening officials at all levels at all sites.

Otherwise, the coalition's nearly 100-year-old stable regime may encounter an unprecedented crisis! ”

Barton nodded, his gloomy gaze sweeping across the audience,

Finally, it fell on Francesca's body, and said in a deep voice:

"I'll leave this matter to you, don't forget to inform the Presidium of the First Sea Alliance,

The infiltration of hostile forces is not only a shipping route for us, but also a similar phenomenon in other sea areas.

You speak through the Propaganda Department as soon as possible, encouraging all citizens of the Alliance, including Blue Star players, to actively report all suspicious activities to the Alliance, as well as all suspicious persons related to the mutiny.

Anyone who is found to be withholding important information or harboring criminals will be arrested for treason.

If the circumstances are serious, the death penalty can be imposed! ”

Hearing this, everyone present was slightly stunned.

Before this, no one thought that Barton would be so tough and ruthless when dealing with this matter!

"Mayor, wouldn't it be a bit ...... to do this?"

Francesca was halfway through her sentence when she was interrupted by Barton with a sneer.

"Extreme? Hehe......"

Patton's slender eyes flashed with a hint of slight.

"The alliance has been dormant for too long, it has become decaying, and if we don't make changes, I'm afraid it will soon collapse completely!

In addition to terrorist organizations such as the Separatist Organization and the Painted Skin Sect, the Blue Star players, whose total population exceeds that of our Tia people by dozens of times, are also a time bomb!

Although they are ostensibly integrated into the alien society, we are two different civilizations after all.

The hidden danger had already been buried at the moment they crossed.

We must not sit idly by, and we must hold the control of the alien society firmly in our hands.

A solid political structure and popular attitudes will be the key to our control in the future!

Therefore, no matter how extreme the means, we must maintain the cleanliness and unity within the alliance! ”

When they heard this, they stopped talking.

Barton narrowed his eyes, quietly glanced at the audience, and asked:

"Any more questions?"

The congregational officials shook their heads and said there was no problem.

However, Roger, who had never spoken, suddenly stood up and said:

"Mayor, the general direction of the solution to this incident has been decided, but what should be done with the molten outpost now?"

After a pause, Roger added, saying:

"Regardless of the high-level officials at the Molten Rock Outpost, what follow-up plans there are for the outbreak of painting skin in the whole city.

Neither of us can easily let each other escape.

As it stands, they should still be trapped in the administrative area on the second floor of the outpost.

Once they've completed their plan and evacuated from the Molten Outpost, it's going to be hard to catch each other! ”

Roger's fears were not unfounded.

The entire alien ocean is vast, and there are tens of thousands of safe passages that have been opened by humans alone!

And there will be at least five underwater cities in each waterway.

Excluding those special areas that have long been subjugated in the long river of history, there are nearly 300,000 gathering places and outposts currently under the jurisdiction of the Alliance!

Add to that the neutral areas controlled by independent colonies and megacorporations, and the number of underwater cities is too large to count.

If you really want to arrest a specific person in the vast deep sea, it is almost the same as looking for a needle in a haystack.

Hearing this, Barton nodded slightly, groaned slightly, and said:

"Immediately notify the nearest military outpost and order them to send a fleet to blockade the waters around the outpost.

Also, carry out an armed raid on the Lava Outpost and arrest the site's high-ranking officials! ”

Roger shook his head and sighed:

"Mayor, the nearest military stronghold is also two hundred kilometers away from the Molten Outpost.

Even if you sail at full speed, it will take at least five hours to get there.

After such a long time, I'm afraid the other party has already opened up. ”

Hearing this, Barton immediately frowned:

"It takes so long?!"

Roger nodded and said, "This incident is different from the past, the mastermind did not operate remotely, and we have never had a precedent for blitzkrieg.

Five hours still excludes the possibility of accidents on the way, and the whole city rushes to the road.

So this time is already the limit! ”

Barton's eyes flickered, and he seemed to feel a little troubled.

After a moment, as if he suddenly remembered something, he suddenly looked up and asked:

"By the way, where did that Blue Star player named Meng Lei go after escaping from the Molten Rock Outpost? Can you get in touch? ”

At this time, Roger suddenly smiled, and then said affirmatively:

"After leaving the molten outpost, they ran to a nearby area with a signal.

I should still be there, but I contacted them before the meeting began, and I asked them to stay and see. ”

Barton nodded thoughtfully, a smile flashed in his gloomy gaze, and said:

"Since they are still nearby, contact them and ask them to turn around and return to the Lava Outpost, destroy the entrance to the upper zone, delay time, and wait for the arrival of the Alliance fleet!"

Hearing this, Roger showed a thoughtful look, and then said with some hesitation:

"Mayor, the Alliance officials at the Molten Rock Outpost, since they have planned this Painted Skin Crisis, there must be an armed fleet to meet them.

Captain Meng and the others were only piloting a first-generation Typhon boat, with limited firepower and poor maneuverability.

If the two sides face off against each other, I am afraid it will be difficult to get out of the whole body.

I don't think the other party will necessarily agree to this request. ”

Barton smiled slightly, and said disapprehantly:

"Since it is a request, we must show some sincerity, as long as the sincerity is enough, I believe he will not refuse!"

After saying that, Barton raised his eyebrows and remembered another thing.

"I remember that this Blue Star player named Meng Lei made a valuable comment to Sil Weekly a few days ago,

For his reward, it hasn't been implemented yet, has it? ”

At this time, the head of the Propaganda Department stood up and said respectfully:

"Yes, our Propaganda Department is still deliberating, and we have not reached a final conclusion."

Barton smiled and nodded:

"That's right, if he manages to stop the officials of the Molten Outpost from escaping, he'll combine the two rewards and give him a big gift!

I don't believe that in the face of huge benefits, he will not be moved! ”

"Yes!"

After a pause, Barton added:

"Besides, we can't put all our hopes in him,

Immediately post a mission through the bounty system, gather nearby bounty hunters, and rush to the area around the Molten Outpost to blockade the local seas.

In any case, we can't let the people behind this incident escape our capture! ”

"Yes!"

Congregation officials responded with a roar, and the echo resounded throughout the room.

In the end, Barton waved his hand:

"Adjournment!"

…………

Fifty kilometers away from the Molten Outpost.

In the midst of a dark and quiet deep sea.

Schools of small fish emitting a bright blue light are like color-changing fireflies, flying freely in the sky under the infinite black curtain that is as silent as the void.

Sometimes they are lined up, sometimes they are gathered in groups, and the formation is unpredictable.

The little fluorescence illuminated the pitch-black sea of ink around it, reflecting a large amount of white sediment in Zhou Tian, which slowly drifted down with the current and continued to settle.

In the end, like snowflakes in the sky, it landed on the four submarines that traversed the bottom of the sea.

"Captain, Captain! Where are we going next!? Do you want to go back to Sil City, or do you take a different route and move on? ”

"Go ahead, fart! Just a few of us, it's enough to drive a submarine, and if you really want to run into a hammer, a moluoke or something, you will be wiped out on the spot! Go straight back! ”

"Don't make any noise, you guys be quiet, listen to the commander!"

……

In the headphones, there was a constant noise of people chattering.

More than half an hour ago, Meng Lei and his party drove the submarine to this unknown sea.

When Meng Lei connected to the wireless network signal, he told Chen Yu in detail about the molten rock outpost at the first time.

After that, they stay where they are and wait for the results.

At the same time, I took this time to gather everyone to come to the Sea Locust and have a simple dinner.

Meng Lei knew that if something so big happened, the alliance would inevitably react quickly.

And they are the only survivors of this incident so far, and they will inevitably be investigated and questioned by the Alliance.

fo

Sure enough, it didn't take long for him to receive a friend request from Roger.

This point was also expected by Meng Lei.

As the head of the Office of Security, Roger must have been the first to receive the report and then learn the truth.

In any case, the other party will contact him as soon as possible to investigate and collect evidence.

It's just that what Meng Lei didn't expect was.

After asking about the incident, Roger actually asked him not to leave in a hurry.

Claiming that there may be places where he needs help in the future.

Therefore, Meng Lei stopped the fleet and asked everyone to stay in this strange sea area and wait in peace.

In fact, Meng Lei did not intend to accept Roger's request at first.

He now just wants to return to Sil City as soon as possible, take a good rest, and then readjust and plan this harvest according to the development of the fleet.

However, Roger told him that the stakes were high.

If the alliance really asks him for help in the end, it will inevitably show something.

After thinking about it again, Meng Lei finally agreed.

It would be a fool not to earn money.

Since Roger has said everything about this, it proves that the reward given by the alliance is definitely not low!

If you do what you can, it will not lead to yourself in a dangerous situation.

It's certainly good to be able to make an extra sum before you leave.

After this village, there is no such shop.

Who would have thought, this wait, another twenty minutes have passed.

Simon and Huo Ye didn't know why, and they didn't know what Meng Lei's intention was to stop the fleet here, so they were chattering in the communication channel.

However, it was also very fun.

Finally, just when Meng Lei gradually lost some patience, the hand-held tablet suddenly vibrate.

The screen lights up, and Roger sends a text message.

Meng Lei hurriedly clicked open.

"The Alliance Council has decided that you should return to the Lava Outpost immediately, destroy the entrance to the shaft passage, prevent the local officials from escaping, and buy time for the Alliance fleet to arrive.

After the deed is done, there will be a lot of thanks from the alliance! ”

After reading this text message, Meng Lei immediately fell into deep thought.

Literally, this matter is not very difficult, and the risk factor is still within the acceptable range.

After all, they don't need to have a decisive battle with each other.

What can be done with a few railguns can be said to be a gesture.

But Meng Lei is worried about another problem.

Now that such a long time has passed, the armed fleet that came to meet the evacuation of the counterpart, could it be that they have already arrived at the molten outpost?

At this time, they turn around and turn back, is there still time for them?

In addition, if the other party arrives before them, it will not be said whether there will be a chance to do it at that time.

Whether or not you can get out is a big problem.

Presumably, those crazy guys will not easily stay alive.

Other than that, even if they destroy the entrance and block the way out.

But what if the base's energy system is damaged, resulting in a lack of oxygen, and the culprit ends up dying inside?

Isn't it all in vain?

Another point is, how heavy is the so-called thanks?

Is it worth the risk?

Meng Lei tapped his finger to the screen, and was about to question Roger.

At this time, Roger was one step ahead of him and sent another message.

"Friendly reminder: The alliance has not made it clear whether or not they want to stay alive, so as long as you can complete the mission, it doesn't matter if you completely destroy the entire outpost, the promise will still be in effect......"