War is the most destructive behavior of human beings, and this is evident even before the war begins. In the past, the outer city of Suero was always filled with people jostling for position, and there were rows of vendors and shops. But now, the crowds and vendors on the road have disappeared, leaving only the sandy streets that were hot under the midday sun, and most of the shops were closed. Only a few people walked on the road, whispering to each other to get information.
Xiao Chen and Katarina did not encounter any guards when they entered the outer city. They rode to the northwest corner of the outer city and found a large but old and simple courtyard.
"This is a warehouse of our 'Golden Jasmine' trading company and also a base of the Intelligence Department. Ever since Baron Goya got into trouble, it's mainly people from us and the Bacchus family who live here. My previous activities in the city were all with their help. Now if I want to get in touch with Avali, I have to find their people." Catalina said after getting off the horse.
Xiao Chen got off the horse and looked around the yard. The gate was made of thick wooden boards. Although it looked shabby, it was actually very heavy. The gate was ajar, and a listless old dog was tied to the door. It was hiding in the shadow of the gate and taking a nap on the ground.
"Are the people in the Bucks family reliable?" Xiao Chen asked.
Catalina said, "Don't you know? Baron Carvalho, the head of the Bacchus family, has sent his son Sanguino to settle in Hewan New City. Sanguino bought a house in the community next to your house and works as a coach at the martial arts school. His son and daughter are also studying at the Hewan New City Primary School. How can we say that we are all family members, right?"
"Baron Carvalho has a much better vision than Baron Goya. He made a wise choice." Xiao Chen said.
"Let's go. Let's go find Uncle Ivo. He's an old man in the Bucks family. He knows everyone in the city. There's almost no one he can't get in touch with."
Katrina walked into the crack of the door. The old dog on the ground looked up at her, then looked at Xiao Chen, as if judging the relationship between the two. Katrina touched its head and said, "Brother Xiao is one of us."
So it shook its tail and lay down again.
Xiao Chen followed her into the yard and found a three-story building surrounded by simple board houses where supplies were stored.
"No one?" he asked, but then his eyes fell on the grass on the side, "There is a magic circle here."
"Don't look at the empty yard. If you hadn't followed me in just now, it would have been attacked by the formation." Catalina said. She and Xiao Chen had just walked to the door of the small building when they saw a gray-haired old man walking out.
"Miss Catalina, you are back again. It seems that you have contacted the army. This should be Mr. Xiao Chen, right?" The old man was wearing a neat and clean cotton short robe with some small patterns embroidered on it and a pair of dark trousers. This was the typical clothing of the wealthy local civilians.
"That's right. This is Uncle Ivo." Catalina introduced, "Uncle, Brother Xiao needs someone to sneak into Suero. I thought of Avali's way. Do you have any ideas?"
"Going into the city now? It's very dangerous." Ivo said.
Xiao Chen said: "I have ways to deal with danger, you just need to find a way to send me in."
"Are you the only one?"
"Yes."
Ivo thought for a moment and said, "Generally speaking, merchants from the outer city who want to go in usually bring their families with them. I've never seen a person like you go in alone. Besides, Avali is very familiar with the merchants nearby. If you are a stranger, you will probably be mistaken for a spy right away."
"What should we do? I heard that the inner city has opened a magic circle to detect invisibility and magic fluctuations. It is not realistic to sneak in." Katarina said.
"However, Avali is not the only one who has the ability to lead people in. After all, the actual work is done by his managers and guards. Some of these people always want to make a fortune for themselves. I don't believe they won't make any tricks." Ivo pointed to a room in the building and said, "Wait here for a moment. I'll go out and ask around to see if there is any solution."
Xiao Chen and Catalina waited for about an hour, and Ivo came back in a hurry. He said, "I bribed a guard captain, and he promised me that when the next batch of merchants come into the city, he will let you in with them. But you have to dress yourself up. With your black hair and black eyes, you look like a Chinese."
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Half an hour later, Xiao Chen followed Ivo to the foot of the uphill road in the inner city. Xiao Chen's hair color was very similar to Ivo's, and he looked like his nephew. They walked into a small road and saw a man in armor and a long sword waiting at a corner.
"Old Ivo. Why are you so slow? We're running out of time." The man looked to be in his thirties and seemed very impatient when he spoke.
"Captain Pascoe, what you want is not a small amount. It's not easy for me to collect it in such a short time." Ivo took out a bag and stuffed it into Pascoe's hand. The latter weighed it in his hand and frowned. "I have already mentioned the price. This is not enough. It's not just a matter of bringing one person."
Ivo said, "This is a space bag. Open it and take a look. The bag is given as a gift. It is my sincerity. Please take good care of my nephew. He is the hope of our family."
Pascoe used his fingers to pry open the bag and took a look inside, then nodded with satisfaction. He said to Ivo, "In that case, don't worry. No matter who you want to send in, I will always help you with this matter. Leave it to me from now on. You can go back now."
Pascoe looked at Xiao Chen again and felt that there was nothing wrong with him. Then he waved and said, "Come with me."
Xiao Chen nodded to Ivo, then followed Pascoe through the alley.
As they walked, Pascoe said, "Listen, I don't care who you are, I only have one request, don't cause trouble when I'm here, understand?"
"Understood." Xiao Chen said.
The two of them came to the gate leading to the inner city. There were already dozens of people waiting in line. Xiao Chen could see that these people came from seven or eight different families, and judging from their clothes, they should all have good conditions.
Pascoe walked over and said a few words to a fat businessman in the middle of the line, who nodded repeatedly. Pascoe asked Xiao Chen to stand behind the fat man and said, "Just follow him."