Translator: 549690339
Lin Zhen quietly sorted out his backpack, then put it on again, sitting there watching the three people.
They finished eating the food ravenously before finally feeling a little better.
The bearded man stretched out his arm: “Damn it, I finally survived! Those damn monkeys, sooner or later I’ll skin them alive and make them suffer, eating their brains with sauce!”
Shi Lei and Ye Tiancheng also looked relieved after their brush with death, thinking that they were doomed, but they survived by meeting Lin Zhen.
The bearded man sighed and turned to Shi Lei, “Captain Shi, who is this young man? Won’t you introduce him to us? Let me get to know my savior.”
Shi Lei seemed to have some respect for the bearded man and hurriedly said, “Brother Xu, this is Lin Zhen, a member of our Demon Hunter Squad. We got separated when we were in the gym… We didn’t expect to meet again here.”
Then he turned to Lin Zhen, “Lin Zhen, this is Brother Xu, his full name is Xu Mao, a seventh-level War General. He’s an old acquaintance of Tiancheng. If it weren’t for Brother Xu, we would have died several times in the city already.”
Xu Mao looked at Lin Zhen, with a flickering gaze: “Lin Zhen, I’ve heard this name, it seems quite famous among the students. I often heard the new students of Changfeng talk about you.”
Lin Zhen smiled, “After all, a student is just a student, and can’t be compared with experienced War Generals like you guys.”
Xu Mao nodded, “As a student, you are quite good, able to survive here on your own. If we were in good condition, we could have dealt with those monkeys just now. But we were too exhausted, so we could only run away. But you were able to hold off those monkeys alone, just for that, your strength is no worse than that of average junior War Generals.”
Lin Zhen could also see that they were all exhausted. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so miserable that they were chased down by a group of monkeys.
“What happened to you guys?” Lin Zhen asked.
Ye Tiancheng was somewhat annoyed, “It’s all because of the giant palm bear in the gym. There were still two armored vehicles left by the previous squad, and they had a lot of spoils of war inside. We originally planned to leave in an armored vehicle, but we were chased by a giant palm bear and its minions for quite a distance. We are lucky to be alive.”
Lin Zhen smiled faintly, these people were really blinded by their greed. The gym had become a forbidden area, with A-level Mutant Beasts unknown to ordinary War Gods. They didn’t stand a chance.
Xu Mao stretched his waist and asked Lin Zhen, “Do you still have food? I’m out of supplies.”
Lin Zhen shook his head, “No more, I plan to leave Yi Lan today, because all my food has been consumed.’
Xu Mao glanced at Lin Zhen’s backpack, “Your backpack is so big, there shouldn’t be just a little bit of food, right? I just saw some vitamin tablets and water left, so you take them out. Once I’m full, I can take you guys out of the county town. Otherwise, with the current concentration of monsters here, you might not make it out.”
Lin Zhen didn’t speak. Although he had shown some strength by killing the monkeys just now, it still wasn’t enough to leave safely.
He also wanted to see the attitude of Shi Lei and Ye Tiancheng, so he remained silent.
Shi Lei and Ye Tiancheng looked at each other. Ye Tiancheng spoke first, “Lin Zhen, if you have any food left, give us some. We have lost all our stuff. How can we leave Yi Lan if we don’t eat enough? I can go without food, just give more to Brother Xu.’
Lin Zhen smiled, “But I really don’t have any food left. The little bit I had was for myself, and you guys already ate your share.”
Xu Mao’s eyes narrowed, “Then what’s in your backpack that’s so bulging?”
“I have no obligation to explain that.” Lin Zhen smiled and leaned back, looking like there was nothing they could do to him.
Seeing Lin Zhen’s attitude, Xu Mao snorted coldly and said to Shi Lei, “Captain Shi, we were supposed to cooperate temporarily, but I, Xu, have always been sincere. However, it seems that your team member is not very cooperative, huh? Do you think you can successfully leave Yi Lan with just the three of you, all of whom are third-level War Generals at most? Do you still want to get the armored vehicles? These things can’t be done without cooperation. I think our cooperation can end now!”
With that said, Xu Mao stood up, ready to leave alone.
Lin Zhen did not move. He had experienced too many things, and at a glance, he could tell that Xu Mao was bluffing. At this moment, probably even if he drove him away, he would not leave.
However, Shi Lei and Ye Tiancheng couldn’t sit still anymore. Shi Lei hurriedly got up to pull Xu Mao: “Brother Xu, calm down. If you leave, the three of us probably won’t be able to leave either. Let me persuade Lin Zhen.”
“What’s there to persuade? You’re the team leader, isn’t it enough to just give orders? I told you, Shi Lei, if you want me to protect you guys and leave, there’s a price. Don’t expect me to work for you for free. There’s no such cheap thing in the world!”
“Alright, alright, just wait a moment.”
Before Shi Lei could come over and persuade, Ye Tiancheng had already started arguing with Lin Zhen.
“Lin Zhen, do you have any sense of collective responsibility? Are you still a member of the Demon Hunter team? At this time, is money more important than life? Hurry up and give Brother Xu something, whether it’s food or valuables. Money can be earned again, but once life is gone, there’s nothing left.”
Shi Lei also came over and advised Lin Zhen to prioritize the big picture.
Lin Zhen hesitated for a moment. With his own strength, he could move freely since Spiritual Mind Masters could fly. Yi Lan, no matter how dangerous, would not bother him as long as there were no mutated birds everywhere.
However, he had no way to guarantee the safe departure of Shi Lei and Ye Tiancheng, at least not with absolute certainty. If Xu Mao truly intended to help, this matter might be settled.
Lin Zhen had considered leaving Shi Lei and Ye Tiancheng behind by himself, but if this were to get out, it would undoubtedly harm his reputation. Martial arts gyms would not allow teammates to be abandoned, which would be disadvantageous in the long run.
As for simply taking care of everything behind the scenes, Lin Zhen thought it hadn’t come to that point yet.
After weighing the pros and cons, Lin Zhen first asked Shi Lei and Ye
Tiancheng, “Do you both agree to let him protect you?”
Shi Lei and Ye Tiancheng nodded. Although Lin Zhen seemed quite strong, no one believed that he could match Xu Mao’s level.
Seeing their attitude, Lin Zhen stood up and said to Xu Mao, “There really isn’t any food left, but if you want money, just name a figure. However, don’t expect to rip us off completely. We’re not easy targets.”
Xu Mao’s eyes darted around before loudly saying, “One billion! I’ll protect you and help you leave Yi Lan County for one billion. Even if there’s danger, I’ll shield you with my life!”
Just now, he had glanced at Lin Zhen’s backpack and saw something sparkling inside. He assumed it was a crystal from a mutated beast, but he couldn’t tell how much was inside.
Lin Zhen’s backpack also contained other things, such as cow gallstones and snake gall, which covered most of the crystals. As a result, Xu Mao only caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg.
Nevertneless, Xu mao asked tor an exorbitant amount. In nis ommon, It was already difficult for Lin Zhen to come up with one billion worth of wealth, let alone more.
Lin Zhen sneered, “You sure know how to ask for a price, but a billion is impossible. And how can I be sure you won’t renege on the deal after I transfer you a billion? I don’t have that much cash. If you agree, I can give you goods worth fifty million to offset the cost. If not, we can part ways here.”
“No, it must be one billion, otherwise, I won’t agree,” Xu Mao insisted firmly.
“Hmph! If I remember correctly, you were the first one to climb up when I dropped the iron chain earlier. It’s hard to believe that someone like you would protect their teammates in a crucial moment. Giving you fifty million is already generous.”
“That’s because you didn’t pay me just now, so I had no obligation to protect you!” Xu Mao continued to argue.
“You also ate my food earlier, and I had no obligation to feed you either, right? Food is precious in the Wilderness Area, and I even saved your life. You’d better settle that bill first!”
Shi Lei and Ye Tiancheng nervously looked at Xu Mao. They felt that Lin Zhen’s tone was too harsh and feared offending Xu Mao and making him leave, putting them all in danger.
Xu Mao glared at Lin Zhen fiercely, looking as if he wanted to eat him alive. Lin Zhen stared back, showing no signs of backing down.
After about a minute of tense atmosphere, Xu Mao suddenly said, “Deal! Give me the goods now!”
Seeing the greed in Xu Mao’s eyes, a faint smile appeared on Lin Zhen’s face..
