Xiao Chen never stopped talking along the way, as if this communication had opened a floodgate, allowing him to vent many of his daily thoughts and ideas.
Most of the time, Luo Ling just listened to him talk quietly, but her occasional interruptions would often make Xiao Chen choke and speechless.
"If there are results one day, aren't you worried that the dwarf will run away? And that the technology will fall into the hands of other forces?" Luo Ling found that she had unknowingly returned to the entrance of the inn.
"What is there to be afraid of? When it comes to technical exchange, we who have scientific ideas will definitely benefit more. What the dwarves have researched here may never be transplanted into a blacksmith shop in a lifetime. Could it be that our modern large-scale industrial production will ultimately be inferior to those handicraft workshops?" Xiao Chen said with some disdain as he pushed open the door of the inn.
Luo Ling frowned slightly and was about to remind him of something, but at this moment she saw Xiao Chen bump into someone.
"Silla? What happened? Why are you so panicked?" She found out that it was Silla who bumped into Xiao Chen.
"Horse thieves! Horse thieves! My lady, something terrible has happened!" Xi Luo replied in a panic, "It's great that you're back. Master Chen sent me to find you."
"Where did these horse thieves come from?" Xiao Chen asked puzzled.
"Our friend Baron Goya has brought terrible news." Chen Hansheng arrived at the door without knowing when. His face was gloomy as if it was going to rain, but he was much calmer than Xi Luo. "According to the information obtained by the caravans, a large group of horse thieves are gathering, and their target for looting is our home - the school."
Xiao Chen and Luo Ling quickly followed Chen Hansheng back to his room. Before they entered the room, they heard Li Tianrui and others arguing fiercely inside. When Xiao Chen ran to the door, a clay cup flew towards him. Xiao Chen turned his head to avoid it, and the cup shattered into pieces on the wall with a "bang".
Then Li Tianrui was heard yelling from inside: "Smash you to death, you coward! The school is in trouble, so of course we have to go back and help. If you have the guts, say what you said before again!"
"That's what I want to say!" Xiao Chen leaned over and saw that the person who spoke was a fat boy named Xu Huang from the business group. His face was red and he was shaking slightly. He shouted, "Thousands of bandits! Judging from the timing, we will run into them surrounding the school when we return. We only have a few people and a few guns. Aren't we rushing to reincarnate?"
"We are not passively avoiding the war. We are trying to preserve our power. Do you know that a cunning rabbit has three burrows? We have set up a good business in Suero City. If we fail to defend the school, the people who are evacuated will have a place to stay."
"You military guys only know how to fight. From ancient times to the present, defeating the strong with the weak has always required strategy. Avoiding the enemy's sharp edge is also a strategy."
Several people from the business group also chimed in. Li Tianrui was not good at speaking, and he became so angry that he rolled up his sleeves and prepared to beat them up.
"Shut up, everyone!" Chen Hansheng rushed in in time to stop this scene. Old Chen was the leader of the business team and a veteran. Most importantly, he had a loud voice. His roar suppressed the voices of everyone in the room.
But soon, everyone in the room started complaining and complaining to Chen Hansheng. Chen Hansheng was so annoyed that he could only say, "Team Leader Luo and Xiao Xiao from the Foreign Affairs Team are here. When we left, Principal Guo told us that the Foreign Affairs Team should make the decision on major matters. Team Leader Luo, now everyone has two opinions: one is to reply and the other is not to reply. Tell me, what should we do?"
Everyone looked at Luo Ling at this time. In their opinion, Luo Ling was in a difficult situation and might even shirk this responsibility. Unexpectedly, Luo Ling did not refuse after hearing this, and directly expressed her opinion: "Old Chen will take the people in the business group to stay. I will take the rest back to school."
These words were so clear and crisp that some people were happy, some were worried, some were embarrassed, and some were horrified. Chen Hansheng had thought that he would have to discuss and come to a conclusion after a few rounds of back and forth, but he didn't expect Luo Ling to break things up as soon as she spoke. He said hesitantly, "We were planning to act together. Isn't it a bad idea to separate now?"
Li Tianrui also said indignantly: "Team Leader Luo, a woman, went back to save the situation, but these grown men stayed behind. I can't stand it."
"We are not going back alone, but bringing an army with us. Those who stay behind also have their own tasks. According to the original plan, we need to build the trading point here."
"The army?" The crowd was in an uproar.
Luo Ling glanced at Xiao Chen, who nodded slightly. She continued, "Xiao Chen and I met a mercenary leader before. Now that we have sold our goods, we have sufficient funds, so we can use the money for this purpose. Recruit mercenaries and form a team. If we can get back in time, it will greatly strengthen the school's strength. Even if we can't get there before the bandits attack, we can still make a big splash and make them hesitate."
After hearing what Luo Ling said, Chen Hansheng suddenly felt like the clouds had been cleared and the sun had risen. After all, everyone was not familiar with this era, and the people they had been dealing with recently were mainly businessmen, and no one had ever dealt with mercenaries, so no one had thought of this when they were discussing it earlier.
Someone had mentioned asking the city lord and Baron Goya for help before, but Chen Hansheng knew that was impossible. As a feudal lord, the city lord of Suero would only be responsible for his own city, and would not care about the life and death of other people's fiefdoms. As for the baron... The messenger just conveyed a message that Baron Goya's limited military force was used as caravan guards and private bodyguards, and he could only provide them with some information.
Even so, everyone in the school had to appreciate the Baron's kindness. If he hadn't reported the news in time, the people in Suero would probably be the last in the entire school to know about the horse thieves.
Chen Hansheng weighed the options, slapped the table excitedly and said, "This is a good idea. We are a surprise force. We may be able to achieve some results outside the thieves. I wonder how strong these mercenaries are and whether they are reliable?"
"How strong they are depends on how we choose them. Whether they are reliable depends on what conditions we offer." Luo Ling said with a smile.
"Then there's no problem except for one thing." Chen Hansheng said, "You stay, and I'll go back! This is non-negotiable."
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In a somewhat shabby wooden house, there was a faint smell of blood everywhere.
Karanda came in from outside in a military uniform, greeted a few people downstairs briefly, and went straight to the second floor. The smell of blood was stronger here. There was a small bed next to the window, and a man with many bandages on his head and body was lying on the bed. The sun shone through the window and shone on the wounded man. He seemed to be half asleep and half awake, his body twitched from time to time, and he also made a low groan.
"Leo?" Kalanda walked slowly to the bed and called him softly.
"Leo hasn't been awake since he came back the night before yesterday," a man in the shadows answered. "He just kept complaining about being cold and shivering. I could only move him under the window."
"Who did it? A horse thief?"
"Yes, they were going to Montenegro and ran into us."
"Where is the person who did it?"
"Leo chopped off his head, but he fought back before dying and seriously injured Leo."
"Adams, why are you the one taking care of Leo and Catalina?"
"She... she went to raise money. The doctor has no more help for Leo, saying he won't survive more than two days, but asking the priest of the cult to perform a healing spell costs fifty gold coins. All of us put together can only come up with seven gold coins." Adams walked out from the shadows. He was a tall, dark-skinned young man. Although he looked ordinary, the claw-shaped scars on his chin and arms made it clear that he was not an easy character to deal with.
"Raising money? Where did the money come from?" Kalanda frowned and suddenly thought of something, "Is she going to have another bad idea? Where did she go?"
"Boss, we don't know when you'll be back from looking for work. But Leo's condition is getting worse day by day. We can't make money if we don't get any work. Only Catalina can think of another way." Adams replied in a low voice, "Catalina didn't say it clearly, and I don't know where she went, but she asked Gamero to go with her. With him around, Catalina won't suffer any loss."
"This is not a question of who is at a disadvantage. Being a mercenary requires mercenary rules! Everyone knows that Katarina is a member of our Blue Flame Mercenary Group. If the truth comes out, our reputation will be ruined. I don't care what others are like, or what you were like in the past. As long as you become my person, you must follow my rules." Kalanda lowered his voice, but his tone was angry.
She took off a pendant with a yellow gem from her neck, handed it to Adams, and ordered: "Take these to the pawnshop and tell the owner Hernando to pawn them for fifty gold coins. I, Karanda, owe him a favor for this. Go and invite the priest when you get the money."
"Boss, this magic necklace is a family heirloom. Moreover, it saved your life last time."
"It's just for now, I'll redeem it eventually." Kalanda waved his hand, looking nonchalant.
However, Adams looked very embarrassed. He knew that mercenaries always lived from day to day. Money came and went quickly. If he relied on saving money to pay back this huge amount, he really didn't know when he would be able to pay it back. And pawning things has a time limit. After a certain period of time, the pawnshop can sell these collaterals.
Seeing Adams standing there in a daze, Kalanda urged him, "We must save Leo first. Have you forgotten the promise we made to his brother Edo before he died? Do as I say."
Adams looked helplessly at Leo lying on the bed, then at Kalanda's determined eyes, and had to run downstairs holding Kalanda's sword and necklace.
Kalanda gently touched Leo's burning forehead and turned to go downstairs. She glanced at the people in the room with a gloomy face and said loudly: "Listen to me, those who know the news, tell me honestly where Catalina and the others went. I must find her before she gets into trouble."