Chapter 514

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

West River Water Fortress did not change in the slightest due to the arrival of the "tour group".

Such a long period of self-operation had turned it into a proud new city; the residents exuding pride were mostly from the Martial Arts Hall, typical bottom-of-society types who cared least for the Government.

Life in West River might not be as comfortable as on Earth, but the sense of superiority exceeded it. Chen Yi also paid great attention to cultivating their superiority, causing the first batch of Chinese officials to arrive in West River City to inexplicably feel a cold current.

The small shop owners mostly sized up the "outsiders" with an indifferent look; arrogant soldiers gave no face to the bodyguards beside the big shots; youngsters passing by often carried automatic weapons on their backs, and some even liked to speak with their hands on high-powered pistols.

They hadn't gone far before the professional soldiers guarding the seven important figures were nervous and sweating profusely, terrified a madman would jump out and shoot the boss.

Seeing his people uneasy, Xu Chengchu couldn't help but laugh: "Only 10 hours, don't waste time. Yingwei, you're here for military analysis, forget about us."

Yingwei, from the old Xu Family's guard detail, snapped back with a roguish grin: "I'm just worried about you, sir."

"Since Chen Yi sent bodyguards, let them do their job. You go do yours."

Accompanying Xu Chengchu was the Divine Art Knight Yin Sen Sheng, eyes arrogantly turned to the heavens, too lazy to bother with a bunch of weaklings.

One Divine Art Knight bodyguard per person — only the strongest few Temples possessed such strength.

Although Xu Yingwei didn't trust the stranger Yin Sen Sheng, he indeed had his duty.

So, when brushing past Yin Sen Sheng, Xu Yingwei said quietly: "If some madman opens fire or whatever, remember: first thing, use your body to block Old Xu. Don't fear, don't think, don't ask. Block it, and we'll remember your merit. Be professional, don't think about an escape route, hear me? I know you."

Yin Sen Sheng lazily lowered his head, glancing at him like observing an ant, completely uninterested, his nose held higher than Xu Yingwei's forehead.

"Fine, just do your job, and this grandpa lets you look down on me." Xu Yingwei opened his clothes, sticking out his tongue from the heat, and strode quickly toward the city wall.

Assessing the local security situation was his mission, but 10 hours was truly too little; he could only fight for every second.

On the streets.

The only two old men, Chen Zhongguo and Old Zheng, strolled hand in hand. Two Divine Art Knights followed behind listlessly.

Old Zheng was Chen Zhongguo's old friend and staunchest supporter, and the highest-ranking official in the tour group. His personal visit this time was mainly to express an attitude of importance; he did not do a speck of specific work.

Chen Zhongguo also didn't want to interfere with Chen Yi's authority; the two had a tacit understanding and changed into comfortable silk leisure wear, circling West River Square.

Fact proves, wearing silk in hot regions is the most comfortable thing. The reason the wealthy in the ancient Western Mediterranean and southern China were crazy about silk was not purely because of its high price. Modern Chinese with spare money should also compare a silk shirt versus stark naked in summer. Of course, the latter method makes it easier to get extra perks.

The West Continent's daytime is extremely long; dawn seems even shorter than first night.

The scorching noon heat had just begun when Old Zheng gave up, sweating profusely, panting as he sat by the road: "I can't do it, can't walk anymore."

Chen Zhongguo, still unsatisfied, stopped and pointed ahead with a smile: "There's a West River Teahouse up front, shall we sit and drink tea to quench our thirst?"

"Good." Old Zheng stood up with effort, chuckling: "You rascal, your body's actually gotten better. What divine pill did you eat?"

Chen Zhongguo laughed heartily, reaching out to support Old Zheng.

"Don't need your help, I'm 10 years younger than you." Old Zheng childishly brushed away Chen Zhongguo's hand, tottering as he moved: "Two years ago, if you had your current body, who would dare have designs on you?"

"Not late now either." Chen Zhongguo smiled and winked.

"Now is even better!" Old Zheng's leg trembled; before he could even feel envy, he hurriedly sat back down.

It took over ten minutes for the two to get seated on the second floor of West River Teahouse. They ordered local Big Leaf Kuding Tea, Earth-produced peanuts, and Green Red Berries picked from elsewhere; the flavor of travel instantly emerged.

"You two old masters just came from Earth? What scholarship do you do?" The teahouse had a traditional Tea Doctor, attitude amiable, who proactively kept them company in chat.

"How do you know we do scholarship?" Chen Zhongguo loved people saying he had scholarship most. If not for the wars and various movements, he might really have gone into scholarship. His hope for Chen Yi was also scholarship...

The Tea Doctor read their expressions, clasped his hands, and smiled: "Our West River City doesn't have many elderly. Just the Mining Research Institute and the Field Hospital have a few. Let me guess, are you consultants for the new factory?"

The Mining Research Institute's full name is the Bacteria Metallurgy and Mineral Research Institute, but the word "bacteria" is too sensitive; Professor Li Tianzhu worried it would be blocked by the Heavens, so externally they use the mining name — minerals sounds like low-profit coolie labor, while mining sounds much more promising...

"What factory is the new factory?" Old Zheng spoke slowly, even the simplest words requiring three turns of thought.

The Tea Doctor patiently waited for him to finish, then replied: "The newly built Canned Food Factory. You didn't know? Specializes in providing luncheon meat and vegetables for the Temple War troops. Heard it sells at steak prices."

"Temple War?" Chen Zhongguo and Old Zheng exchanged a glance.

The word "war" was truly sensitive.

The Tea Doctor, having finally caught such fresh "newcomers", immediately popularized knowledge: "You don't know the Temple War? It's two local religious states launching it, dragging a bunch of allied nations into battle, a bit like a world war. Don't worry, cold weapon era wars are very slow; a war over a thousand kilometers away won't kill its way to West River City. Besides, West Defense Second has passed."

"Cell Second?"

"Second West River Defense Battle, abbreviated West Defense Second. You don't know?"

"Don't know." The two old men shook their heads in unison.

"This is a required course." Young men talking about war naturally get hot-blooded; the Tea Doctor was no exception, couldn't help beating a rhythm, mixing in a bit of storyteller's tone, half-singing: "Speaking of when West River Water Fortress was just established, danger was on all flanks. You see the Ma La nobles acting obedient now? That's not inborn obedience. Back then, the Ma La Grand Knight led tens of thousands of regular troops, hundreds of thousands of attendant troops to invade; Combat Knights alone numbered over a thousand. At that time, how many Martial Arts Hall students were there? Not a single one above Body Technique Level 8. The tree sentries and fortifications on both sides of the whole West River Highway were all lost; even the West River City perimeter was compressed, compressed, and compressed again... Whether garrisoning the city walls or fortifications, the main weapons were only two types: Browning heavy machine guns and 25mm rapid-fire cannons. Encounter a strong Combat Knight, and one Exploding Javelin technique is fatal... So, West River City's status today was truly killed out of blood!"

Chen Zhongguo was someone who lived through the war years; his feelings toward "war" were especially deep. The oppression of the battlefield, the danger, the pain — he understood clearer than anyone.

Listening to the young man's words, the war background of those years naturally emerged in his mind.

No war is ever easy.

War romanticism is the patent of muddle-headed, drug-taking poets; soldiers are forever on the front line bearing the consequences.

A single bullet, a single shell, one misstep — all could lose a precious life.

On the battlefield, a high-status general is never safer than a passenger on a civil airliner. Zuo Quan died on the battlefield because his dense guard company Mauser pistols exposed the target. Famous General Abegui Xiu was blown up by a mortar shell. The British even had Admiral Nelson shot dead by a rifle bullet in a naval battle...

Thinking of Chen Yi on a lonely continent, independently waging war with irregular forces... calculating the time, it was precisely the Chen Family's most critical moment. Even the tough Chen Zhongguo was left speechless.

"Since there's a Second West River Defense Battle, there must be a First, right?" Old Zheng deliberately interrupted Chen Zhongguo's reverie.

"Rather be a dog of West Defense First — that refers to the First West River Defense Battle." The Tea Doctor recited a line, then said: "I came to West River after the Ring City Highway Battle. The students who participated in West Defense First had at least trained one term in the Outer Hall; now they're all big shots."

He set down the large teapot, rubbing his hands: "West Defense First was dangerous but small in scale. Speaking of deaths, no battle lacks them. I heard when West River Water Fortress was just established, a whole regiment of Temple Heavy Infantry launched a surprise attack; fortunately the. 50 heavy machine guns in the fortifications, otherwise the corpses piled on the riverbank would have been the Martial Arts Hall students."

"Aren't you afraid of death?" Old Zheng suddenly asked.

"People living in Jiangbei fear poverty, not death." The Tea Doctor revealed his unrepentant true nature.

The two old men had long passed the age of "having nothing to lose", especially Chen Zhongguo — the hairs on his back all stood on end.

"Let's go." Chen Zhongguo didn't want to hear any more.

"Safe travels." Tea Doctor seemed a bit baffled, and wrapped up their peanuts for them, smiling: "Things from Earth shouldn't go to waste. If you're running errands, shall I get you a taxi?"

"West River City has taxis?"

"Call and they come, but they don't cruise the streets. The place is small." Tea Doctor said as he started making a call on his mobile phone.

The locality had no landline communication yet, but wireless base stations had been built first.

The yellow taxi was familiar yet strange, just like this brand-new West River City, inspiring genuine fear.

The driver drove the vehicle silently, moving slowly.

The meter jumped by double digits per hundred meters. For a long time, fuel prices were dozens of times those on Earth. If CNPC had a representative come to the West Continent, they would surely regard this place as their homeland.

"Master, what are they lining up for?" The sadness came quickly and went quickly; what Chen Zhongguo did most in his life was regulate his mood.

Old Zheng also put on his reading glasses and read with difficulty: "Xi Jiang Household Registration Office?"

The driver glanced at the car mirror and nodded: "A newly opened institution. They say more and more Earthlings are coming later, so household registration control is needed, equivalent to West River City's household registration."

Household registration! An absolutely exclusive document.

For the gentlemen currently examining things, this was certainly not good news.

Old Zheng had not yet digested the information about the war, and now he heard this news again; his old face wrinkled like a sunflower as he bitterly smiled: "It's really not easy for your family's man to serve as an official."

... (Unfinished. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian. com) to cast recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)