Chapter 156: Chaotic Situation

Afternoon.

With the manpower the Quicksand Squad currently has, even cleaning up their own block is hard to finish.

Let alone spare more people to deal with a dungeon whose situation is unknown.

If they don't hurry, once the sun sets the pitch-black environment will be extremely lethal for people who aren't professional rescue workers.

Therefore, making use of whoever could be used around them became a necessity.

All Baimu's decision could no doubt be called reckless and overreaching, but it was a case of having no choice.

The people under Master Liu Ge worked efficiently, but in the end there were only about a hundred of them, and even counting those lurking among the peripheral members it was no more than a few hundred — a drop in the bucket.

His own people were busy, worked to the bone, while the captured Hound Squad members just stood by watching — that was a recipe for trouble.

Better to throw their labor into the mix as well.

Regular members wouldn't do, but ordinary civilians surely could, right? This block was their home.

Of course.

There was another reason as well — a rescue operation carried out with everyone united as one might awaken the light in certain people's hearts.

People in other regions could possess a kind nature; All Baimu didn't think the Oulei people living on the same planet were much worse than them, only that the social atmosphere had influenced them.

Through one small act of teamwork after another, helping them out, receiving thanks and gratitude would surely give them a sense of moral fulfillment.

Don't underestimate that sense of moral fulfillment — accumulated over time, it's enough to awaken a bad person's conscience.

Although it certainly couldn't make up for the bad things a bad person had done, it would inflict a certain torment on their soul. Of course, those who walked the dark path with unwavering resolve and wouldn't be shaken weren't among them.

All Baimu himself sometimes got through things by relying on that same sense of fulfillment.

And when the other squad leaders learned of his approach, they raised both hands and both feet in approval, while also telling him the Stone Group next door had sent a distress signal.

Clearly their post-disaster handling wasn't nearly as on point as theirs.

All Baimu, however, was more concerned about something else. "The dungeon? Have you made contact?"

"We've made contact. The communication keeps cutting in and out, but we can confirm Big Brother and the others are safe — just trapped, and can't get out for the time being."

The person brought news that set his mind at ease.

It seemed even the heavens wanted them to sweep away the shadow over Oulei, which was why they hadn't let Master Liu Ge and the others — the backbone of the operation — die young.

After this incident, Master Liu Ge probably wouldn't so recklessly put himself in danger again.

Wouldn't it be better to stay outside like the Quicksand Squad's three top executives, stay at the main camp?

"When will the reinforcements arrive?"

"Very soon. Apparently Boss Cang Zhi Lang reassigned a huge number of peripheral members."

"What about the Jiemate Group? They're sitting still? I saw they were only grazed by it."

Facing All Baimu's question, the man regretfully shook his head. "They said they're temporarily stretched too thin themselves — the quake collapsed their fuel warehouse and there's a serious fire."

"A fire…"

He glanced at the sky over the Jiemate Group's territory — not a lick of firelight, not even a few wisps of black smoke. They couldn't even be bothered to put on a decent show.

He knew in his heart this turncoat probably couldn't be counted on.

It couldn't be deliberate, could it?

Hoping the main combat members of the Quicksand Squad all died in the Luo Qi Group's dungeon?

It wasn't impossible.

After all, once the elites of the three groups — Stone, Crystal, Sand — were worn down too badly, the Jiemate faction would inevitably become the strongest under the Quicksand Squad, and being fresh recruits they'd immediately earn the boss's favor.

Originally their standing might have been a notch below the three top executives like Cang Zhi Lang, but now they could at least sit as equals.

"I hope I'm overthinking it."

All Baimu said that with his mouth, but in his heart he was well aware the odds were very high.

The nature of these yakuza bosses was steeped in every kind of scheming.

——

Near dusk.

The Quicksand Squad's logistical support arrived, including but not limited to material rescue and medical rescue — they even brought in a lot of heavy machinery.

Peripheral members and hired civilians threw themselves into clearing and rescuing in the dungeon at once.

Only a very small number of people were left to support the three blocks.

All Baimu wasn't surprised — he was even pleasantly surprised they could spare them a few people.

Thanks to that.

The block the Sand Group was responsible for was quickly and thoroughly cleaned. The gratitude of the rescued, the bustling scene of everyone united as one, left the participating Hound Squad members and Hound Squad civilians with extremely complicated expressions.

For a moment they couldn't even figure out where exactly they were.

Hadn't they been invaded by the Quicksand Squad?

Why was the Quicksand Squad rescuing people? Why were they rescuing people too? Why did everyone look like one big happy family?

A few did manage to shake off that illusory mirage and tried to run or something, but were blocked by Otsuka, who had been keeping a close eye out, and his people.

Of course, these were just minor incidents.

Then some stayed behind to tally the casualties, some headed to the other two blocks to join the rescue, and the rest continued to be organized to rescue the dungeon.

The Quicksand Squad was working at full steam on their end, and naturally the other factions in Yellow Iron Town weren't completely unaware.

When man-made disaster struck, they wouldn't mind kicking a man while he was down, tearing off a chunk of flesh from the Quicksand Squad. Only the Quicksand Squad's situation was still unclear, and no one could say for certain how things stood in the dungeon.

Therefore.

Most factions were watching and waiting for a good opportunity. A portion decided to egg on some smaller organizations — verbally offering to back them, but in reality wanting to use their strength to test the Quicksand Squad.

These small organizations understood the logic that when it was time to fight, you fought, and immediately threw themselves into the fray to grab what they could. Their words sounded nice too — the Hound Squad's Luo Qi Group owed them this much money, had hurt this many of their people, they were here to demand an explanation.

Demanding an explanation on one hand, and seizing the chance to profit on the other.

Still, they had a bit of small cunning — they knew to pick the soft persimmons to pinch.

At this stage, the street blocks mainly under the Crystal Group's responsibility were the most chaotic. Having failed time and again to seize the high ground and various key installations, they had been successfully dragged into the quagmire of alley fighting by the remaining stragglers of Luo Qi's group.

Such a pack of "trash" naturally became the target of those small organizations.

This also led to All Baimu, who had originally intended to lend a hand to the rescue of the underground city, instead receiving an order to go rescue the neighboring Crystal Group.

"You said Boss Cang Zhi Lang specifically named me to go? Are all the Crystal Group's people dead?"

He looked at the Sand Group cadre before him, his face showing a suspicious expression, never having expected that Cang Zhi Lang would pick him — who had a serious grudge against the Crystal Group — to rescue them.

For real?

Did you take the Crystal Group's dirty money?

That man seemed to read All Baimu's thoughts. His face darkened, and he pulled out a dispatch letter stamped with Cang Zhi Lang's personal seal. "What's that look supposed to mean, you little snot-nosed brat? I've walked more roads than you've eaten flour! The boss is backing you! Get it or not!"

If he hadn't known that All Baimu had once taken down a cadre, and that he was a favorite in the eyes of the boss and the big boss, that man would probably have turned hostile on the spot.

"Backing me?"

All Baimu was baffled.

"Idiot! You go support the Crystal Group, and as the strongest reserve cadre there, can't you seize their temporary command authority? Once you have the temporary command authority, you can then slot your own people in — wouldn't that street block be under your control?"

That man smugly spouted a pile of far-fetched nonsense.

At first hearing it seemed to make sense, but right now where would All Baimu find so many hands to seize control of that street block? Cheng Hong and the others were nearly worn out — where would they still have the strength?

Stuff outer members in there?

But Cang Zhi Lang's order couldn't be disobeyed, so he could only nod. "Sorry, brother, I'll buy you a drink when there's time."

Tomato free reading

"That's more like it. Heard long ago that you, kid, are quite the cook — remember to whip up a few good dishes."

That man beamed with joy, burned the dispatch slip, turned around, and left.

All Baimu thought it over, then had no choice but to go find Otsuka, borrow some people from his colleagues, and pick a few more from the honest and combat-capable Mad Dog squad members.

In the end, he gathered a large number of outer members, forming a wave of "ragtag" troops.

Once everyone who needed to be brought was brought.

He rode his hover-motorcycle, in a grand procession toward the neighboring Crystal Group's street block.

But before he even got close, he saw in the distance a bunch of guys whose bodies glowed in fluorescent colors, riding gaudy neon-lit hover-bikes.

They swept back and forth across the open ground of the street block, every now and then tossing things like Molotov cocktails into some shabby houses.

He heard a loud bang from Peng De.

They immediately let out ugly, screeching howls, each accompanied by different Pokémon, looking extremely asking for a beating.

Not a single member of the Crystal Group was to be seen — god knew where they had retreated to.