Chapter 154. Friends Forever

"... Forget it, just treat it as a candy."

The gunfire from not far away has gradually subsided, and Lucius, who was overlooking the battlefield through a small drone, threw the peeled off Radiant Ning into his mouth.

Even though there is no need to do so with his physique, he still feels uneasy if he doesn't eat one.

Because the players performed so well, until the end Lucius didn't find a chance to enter the arena.

But that's a good thing.

Lucius is very pleased with the growth of the young players.

There is still a big difference in the gameplay of heterogeneous combat and team battles.

Once this battle is over, even the players who entered the Alpha0.6 version can take off the hat of recruits, and many old players have been promoted to veterans who have experienced three battles.

And they can all "Survive".

I believe that with this experience, they will be braver next time.

In addition, one thing to say is that the combat effectiveness of the legion is still very strong.

Anti-tank rockets whizzed about the position, there were grenades that fired fragmentation mines, and there was a machine gun behind the fortifications.

Thanks to Mr. Garbage who took the lead in attacking, otherwise he might have killed ten or twenty more people.

After the machine guns ceased fire, the fighting was basically over.

The players quickly tore a hole in the east side of the Legion's second line of defense, helping the allies' power armor break through the Legion's line of defense.

The only fly in the ointment is that Mr. Garbage himself did not survive, and was blasted into the sky by a cluster grenade in the trench.

The steam boiler also exploded, and the boiling water sprayed into the sky, and a snow fog dispersed into fireworks.

The scene was spectacular.

Lucius, the OB outside the battlefield, was stunned, so he quickly recorded it for him.

This is in the promotional PV, so it's not too much to give a one-second shot, right?

Whether he is strong or not is another matter, handsome is the end!

...

The fighting on the front line has come to an end.

Beside the burning trenches.

A player stepped forward, trying to pick up the iron-pipe rifle on the ground.

At this time, the clone who was lying on his back suddenly opened his eyes, struggled to get up from the ground, held the player's thigh with his hands and opened his mouth to bite, so scared that the player quickly kicked him away.

"Damn! Are you a dog? Put your hands up! I'm going to shoot again——"

Boom!

A gunshot sounded from the side, and the clone whose half face was scorched was shot in the head.

The player looked dazed, and a soldier wearing an exoskeleton passed by him and patted him on the shoulder.

"They are all poor people. It would be better to give them a good time."

The player stared blankly at the back of the person walking away, completely unable to understand what the person was saying, then glanced at the corpse on the ground, and cursed in his heart.

F*ck! 5 silver coins became 5 copper coins! What a big loss!

The work of cleaning the battlefield went smoothly.

These clone infantry had no intention of surviving at all. Some of them were knocked out, and when they opened their eyes, they rushed up screaming and were shot to death.

At first the players intended to stay alive. After all, the living captives are more valuable, and the slaughter of those who give up their weapons is somewhat uncomfortable. It is possible, but it is not necessary.

However, the players later discovered that these people were not normal people at all.

I don't know if it's because the AI ​​hasn't finished it or the setting is just like this. Anyway, these clones are like nibblers with guns, so the players don't hold back anymore. In case you are surprised when searching.

As for the tens and centurions of the legion wearing navy blue coats, although many of them showed the momentum of desperate resistance, when they realized that the general situation was over, they finally threw away their weapons and raised their hands and surrendered.

Compared with the stubborn resistance of the lower-level officers on the front line before surrendering, the commander-in-chief Vanus surrendered even more simply.

This guy didn't run away at all, he sat quietly in the temporary command post, poured himself half a glass of cloudy wine, and waited for the Blazer's power armor to search over.

Where can we go in this snowy weather?

Without supplies and guards following him, it was impossible for him to travel hundreds of kilometers to return to the headquarters of the expeditionary force.

Not to mention that the drone is flying above the head, without the protection of the insulation material, even the things coming out of the mouth and nose can be seen clearly, let alone such a big person.

As long as he went out of the door of the temporary command post, his whole body was lit like a lamp.

Instead of being chased by the pursuers and pressing their heads in the snowdrifts, it is better to wait here and surrender with dignity.

As high-ranking officers with complete military education, their value is much higher than that of ordinary clone troopers and those small slave owners who lead clone troopers to fight. The Legion allows them to surrender to the enemy after their battle losses exceed 90%.

Although he will be demoted to one level later, as long as he survives, he still has a chance.

People in the enterprise rarely slaughtered prisoners of war, and Oliver did not do anything to him. He was just handcuffed and taken back with the surrendered ten captains.

The personnel of the logistics department built a temporary prison for them with foam materials in an open snowy field. There were even plastic plumbing pipes installed in the prison, which were connected to a small boiler for burning wood.

Unable to stand the cold, they can go outside to collect firewood for burning.

But on the contrary, after locking them in, the people of the company will take away their coats, leaving only a single shirt and trousers.

It was snowing heavily outside, and it was possible to freeze your hands, let alone run away.

Without a cold-proof jacket, I am afraid that they will not be able to walk 1 kilometer, and will freeze to death in the snow.

Compared with those captives, Lucius was more interested in the equipment they left behind.

These clone light infantry are poorly equipped, with few assault rifles, most of which are semi-automatic or even bolt-action.

But what is commendable is that they have achieved the unification of weapon style and bullet type.

Unlike Lucius's players, some are holding 9mm, some are holding 7mm, and some are holding 5mm runner small water pipes.

It seems that this group of predators who call themselves Legion has good logistics capabilities, and there should be industrial support in the rear, but it is difficult to judge the specific level.

In addition to conventional weapons, players also found ten 12mm caliber machine guns, and nearly 100 anti-tank rocket launchers that have not yet been used and look like "Iron Fist".

This kind of anti-tank rocket is very light, with a total weight of less than 5 kilograms. Nearly 200 grams of propellant is stuffed into the slender iron tube, which is disposable and disposable.

The front-end warhead is a cylindrical magazine with a diameter of 155mm and a pointed conical hood is added to reduce wind resistance. Nearly 1 kg of TNT and RDX can make it penetrate a 200mm homogeneous steel plate...if it hits directly if.

Whether it is anti-infantry or anti-light armor, this thing can be said to be cheap and easy to use, at least it is much better than the black powder bomb of the mutants.

The only fly in the ointment is that the launch speed of this thing is very slow, the range is only a pitiful 50m, and the aim is very poor. There is no sight, so you can only use the outline of the bullet to aim by feeling.

But even with so many shortcomings, Lucius is very happy. A bazooka that is more reliable than a goblin rocket is not too much to sell for 50 silver coins in a weapon store, right?

If you encounter something like a split claw crab, you will definitely have a chance to use it!

In addition to the rocket launcher, there is also a grenade launcher, but to be honest, this thing is a bit broken. It is just a grenade launcher, and its power can only be said to be average. On the contrary, the remaining pieces of mine are all good things, and Lucius plans to hand them over to Boss Sumeria for disposal.

Logically speaking, some of these trophies also belonged to the Pioneer.

However, these old-fashioned equipment, the enterprise employees on the Pioneer did not take a fancy to them at all, and they could only be recycled as scrap iron, and they had to work hard to pick them up, so they generously left all the things to Lucius and the others.

Apart from the weapons, what surprised Lucius the most were the five light trucks.

The engines used in these trucks are all equipped with firewood carburettors, which can be started by inserting a piece of wood into the feed port. They are simply tailor-made for the wasteland environment.

In addition, the tires on these five light trucks are all designed to be very large for rough terrain. Although it is rare to drive into the city with even the largest tires, it is still possible to run in the wilderness.

At least on the way from the outpost to the operation camp, players no longer have to run on two legs.

Cleaning up the battlefield will take some time.

Lucius found a few players who could drive, and after familiarizing himself with the operation of the truck, he drove the light truck to an open space with less vegetation, waiting for the players to collect the trophies and the bodies of his teammates.

Thanks to his foresight, he asked the players to bring woven bags, otherwise these little players would have to run more than a dozen times to load the loot they picked up into the car.

Seeing the players carrying the loot onto the truck, Lucius suddenly felt rich. But he knew in his heart that it would be somewhat inappropriate to laugh out loud at this time.

Even for the sake of the pension, he has to look a little more serious. At least be deadpan.

Just at this time, Oliver, who was wearing power armor, walked towards him.

His body was covered with mud and blood, and he looked quite embarrassed, but he was not injured.

After opening the mask, Oliver looked at Lucius and said in a sincere tone.

"Brothers, thank you. If you hadn't come to support me, this battle might not have ended so smoothly."

"We are allies, and we should take care of each other. Besides, they killed our people. We must personally avenge this hatred."

After a pause, Lucius looked at him and continued.

"How about your casualties?"

Speaking of casualties, Oliver said in a low voice with a heavy expression.

"Three died, four were seriously injured..."

The total number of crew members on the Pioneer is no more than a hundred, and three deaths are already a serious attrition.

The last time there were such serious casualties was when I first came out of the cloud and fought against the mutant tribe.

No one expected that the leader of the group of mutants was actually a super mutant, and they used two tactical nuclear bombs to clear it up.

Taking a deep breath of the cold air, Oliver stared at Lucius and asked.

"What about you?"

"Death is 117, serious injuries have not yet been counted."

Hearing this number, Oliver's heart felt a pause. The joy of victory that could have been comforting was blown away by this heavy number.

He didn't know how many people were in shelter 404, but he estimated that it should not exceed a thousand.

Such a heavy attrition is almost a devastating blow to some small and medium-sized survivor strongholds.

Oliver couldn't imagine what kind of pressure the man in front of him was under at this moment, and how he would face the families of the dead residents in the future.

Behind this number, it means 117 families...

"We will do our best to treat the wounded...the dead, I'm sorry."

Lucius didn't speak. To be honest, he couldn't bear to fool this guy.

If an NPC dies, he will probably feel distressed for a while, but for the player... wait three days and he will live.

The players themselves didn't feel much. When they searched for loot, they were so excited that they almost sang. However, this guy in front of him obviously took it seriously.

"Before they came here, they had already made preparations. Before leaving, I asked them to bring guns and woven bags. If they couldn't hold the enemy's corpse, they would pretend to be themselves."

After a pause, Lucius continued.

"So don't feel sorry for us, people are mortal. Before coming here, they have already prepared."

The original intention of Lucius to say this was to comfort this righteous partner.

However, what Lucius didn't expect was that after he finished speaking, the big brother's expression became more serious, even a little sad.

Taking a deep breath, Oliver calmed down, looked at Lucius and said.

"I want to ask your opinion on something."

Lucius looked at him and asked.

"Whats the matter?"

Oliver said seriously.

"I plan to submit an application to the Silver Wing Group's board of directors to grant you the title of 'Enterprise Permanent Partner'... This is not just my idea, but also the common idea of ​​all the members of our Pioneer."

Lucius froze for a moment, then hesitated a little.

"What does this corporate permanent partner mean?"

Oliver explained.

"It's a proof and an acknowledgment...Of course, you need to ask for your opinion."

Opinion? Of course Lucius had no objection.

Although separated by thousands of kilometers, who would think that they have too many friends?

Without hesitation, Lucius readily accepted Captain Oliver's proposal.

"I have no problem, from the moment you help us solve the mutant tribe, you are already our partners."

Hearing these words, Oliver finally stretched a sincere smile on his face.

"Glad you think so."

"However, this title should not only be a partner in a symbolic sense, but also have some substantive effects...Let's talk while walking."

...

5 trucks are moving slowly on the wilderness.

An off-road vehicle with snow shovels attached and machine guns welded leads the way, escorting their allies back to the outpost with their loot.

Although the crew of the Pioneer hated going to the field, when Howard walked up to them and asked them "Is there anyone willing to escort our hero home", almost all of them stood up voluntarily and volunteered to say willing to take part in the action.

In this battle, these shelter residents used their bravery to win the respect of all the crew members of the Pioneer.

They may be poor and backward, but they are by no means weak.

It is a group of warriors who can use the weapons in their hands to defend their dignity! Such a person is worthy of respect no matter where he is.

Without going back to the outpost immediately, Lucius followed Oliver to the operation camp, where he met Howard who had been waiting for a long time.

The two have always communicated through holographic images, and seeing each other face to face again after many days, Lucius unexpectedly felt a little cordial for a while.

Of course, what surprised Lucius even more was his 180-degree change in attitude.

When I came here before, this guy didn't come down to say hello to me, but just told his subordinates to entertain him.

But now, the section chief actually took the initiative to greet him and held his hand.

"I am sorry for my previous distrust and prejudice. You are a group of true fighters. Your bravery is impressive. Thank you for everything you have done for us. If it were not for you, the outcome of this war may be uncertain."

Because the battle situation was seen on the drone, Howard had a completely different evaluation of the battle situation at that time. In his opinion, if the legion encircled its own armored unit, it would probably be Oliver and his small team members who would be divided and encircled.

In addition to the power armor can kill a bloody road, it is difficult to say how much the light infantry who only have the protection of the exoskeleton can survive.

This battle also made him make up his mind that he must more than double the reserve of shells and design a lightweight fixed wing with a larger ammunition load.

If you continue westward, you will encounter the Legion again sooner or later.

After shaking his hand and letting go, Lucius nodded and said.

"I will pass on your praise to my residents. In addition, I still have some specific information about the title of permanent partner of the enterprise."

Knowing that Lucius would ask this question, Howard nodded and made a gesture of please.

"I'm planning to discuss this matter with you, let's go into the room and talk!"

...

Inside the barracks.

According to Howard's narration, Lucius has a general understanding of the title of "Enterprise Permanent Partner".

The so-called "Permanent corporate partners" are equivalent to an enhanced version of the "Trade white list".

As we all know, although the company is located in the remote province of the clouds, the territory of trade is far from a small place like the province of the clouds. Even the west coast of the Central Continent can see people doing business under their banner.

If there is a dispute, it is impossible for the company to fly thousands of kilometers to take revenge.

Therefore, in order to prevent problems before they happen, the people of the company launched a "Trade white list" system.

Do business with survivors on the white list. If they are plundered by local survivors, the insurance company will pay for the loss of the caravan after sending salesmen to understand the situation. For the cases outside the white list, no compensation will be paid.

Therefore, the vast majority of caravans from enterprises, especially those with really good things, will be more inclined to do business with the regular survivor strongholds on the "White list". There are only a few small caravans who will take the risk to do business with those three no survivor strongholds just to gamble, such as Boulder City, which is on the trade white list.

For decades, the caravans of enterprises have been doing business in Boulder City, and their legitimate rights and interests have been protected, so they can buy those high-tech products.

And like Beit Street and Brown Farm, only slave traders in Red River Town and third- and fourth-tier caravans in Boulder City will talk to them. Caravans from enterprises will never consider trading with them, nor will they stop at their stronghold.

After all, if something goes wrong, the insurance they bought will not pay for it!

To enter the white list, employees above level A need to apply to the corporate headquarters and use their own credit scores as a guarantee.

In addition, it is also necessary to submit an investigation report of more than 30 pages and stay in the local area for at least 60 days to ensure the accuracy of the investigation.

The company has employees who specialize in this bowl of rice, and their income is usually not low, because if they successfully develop a market for the company, in the next ten years, the company will give them commissions based on the transaction volume, and award outstanding contributors. Rewards for employees, and even make it into management.

At the same time, the guaranteed settlements of survivors will be recognized by enterprises as civilized people, and more caravans will incorporate them into trade routes.

Many caravans, even if they do not belong to the enterprise, will refer to this list to a certain extent to judge whether the transaction party is trustworthy.

After all, no one wants to get into a predator's cage, or test the other's moral bottom line with the goods in their pockets.

It is also easier to do business with low-risk survivor strongholds and find banks to borrow money.

As for the title of "Enterprise Permanent Strategic Partner", its significance is extraordinary. Both its influence and the difficulty of obtaining it are far beyond the "Trade white list" guaranteed by A-level employees.

First of all, the individual who applies must be at least a senior executive of the branch company, or a shareholder, or even the chairman of the branch company himself.

Secondly, this branch company cannot be a small company that has no sense of existence in the "Enterprise", at least it must have at least one seat on the headquarters board of directors!

If the trade whitelist is only to guarantee the credit and safety of the transaction parties, then the title of "Enterprise Permanent Strategic Partner" is more like a strong recommendation——

[ This is a high-quality customer we met outside, we will introduce them to you. They have come to our aid in times of need, they are completely trustworthy, and you can stay on their land with confidence that they will provide you with food and shelter. ]

[ At the same time, the caravan under the enterprise is prohibited from taking hostile actions against it, and the armed employment company is prohibited from listing it as an action target. F, E technology authorization and related trading products are lifted. ]

Boulder City and the company have been doing business for decades, which is a white list. Other then Boulder City there is no other survivor stronghold in Spring City received the title of "Enterprise Permanent Partner".

It's really hard to get after all.

In principle, the Pioneer, as a "Scientific expedition", has no right to grant the title of a survivor stronghold far away from the province between the clouds.

But the lineup of this "Scientific expedition team" is too luxurious.

Even the drivers of the water trucks are all C-level employees of the company, and there are many B-level and A-level employees on duty in the office. Howard, who is the section chief, and Oliver, the captain of the Marine Corps, are even senior members of the Silver Wing Group. .

Generally, those caravans that go to other provinces to do business, even if they are the leaders, are only at the B-level. If they can get to the A-level, few are willing to leave the ideal city and go out to the wild.

With the influence of the crew of the Pioneer, they are indeed qualified to submit this application, but they still need some processing in the procedure.

Lucius was very interested in the last item Howard said.

"What exactly does E and F technology include? Is there power armor?"

Originally, Lucius didn't expect much, but Howard actually nodded his head.

"Of course there is...but I don't recommend it. The power armor of E-type technology uses chemical battery power, which is actually an enhanced version of an exoskeleton. Few caravans will carry such heavy things. Most survivors Strongholds are also more inclined to buy power sources and process them by themselves."

After a pause, Howard continued.

"I really want to help you get this title. The company sends thousands of caravans through the River Valley Province every year, and one of the two corridors leading to the west is in the plains in the northern suburbs of Spring City. This will help you a lot."

"However, there is a big problem now. Your strength still needs to be improved. I will have someone repair that machine tool for you later, but even so... I am afraid it will be difficult for you to come up with things that other caravans are interested in. Even if you become permanent partners of the enterprise, I cannot guarantee that you will be more attractive than the survivor strongholds on the 'Trade white list'."

To put it bluntly, the machine tool is more like a "Staff". Its power does not depend on itself, but also depends on the "Material" and the "Person" who cast the spell.

But after listening to Howard's words, Lucius didn't take this question to heart, but became more interested.

"It's okay, they can invest and set up a factory here! Those E and F products can be produced here, and then sold to other places in Spring City."

"We have a wealth of raw materials here, and there are pieces of garbage that have not been recycled, waiting for people to deal with them. We also have high-quality labor, and we can even provide logistics security for their transactions within the province... This is definitely better than when they send products from It's so much easier to ship from the East Coast!"

After Howard listened to Lucius's words, he was obviously taken aback.

Ah... That's okay too?