Chapter 387: Money-Making Plan
"Alright, I admit you've convinced me. This is truly beautiful."
Compared to beautiful flowers, Maggie preferred this scent of blood and explosions.
Some of the young people around were so scared they collapsed to the ground, while others wept with joy for surviving. Only three young men gathered around Lin Ye.
Only these three immediately realized that this matter was not over yet. If they didn't handle it quickly, they would still end up as corpses in the wilderness.
"What do we do next?"
A tall, dark-skinned young man asked.
He was the one with the best physique among all the young men.
"Don't rush. My name is Lin Ye. What are your names?"
Lin Ye didn't hide his identity. Sincerity was the first step in communication. His physical condition was currently average;
he needed these young men to help him through his weak period. Moreover, the 'Money is Everything' Mining Area Task wasn't something one person could complete alone. He needed some relatively reliable manpower.
All four of them gave their names. The black youth was named Black Dog. The other two were a skinny white man called Little Ke and a white woman with a gentle expression named Wendy. After the introductions, Lin Ye clapped his hands hard to attract the attention of the others.
"If you don't want to repeat what just happened, get up quickly. We still have things to deal with next."
These young people gathered around Lin Ye. They weren't fools. Reminded by Lin Ye, they also realized the situation wasn't optimistic.
"If the company finds out this is related to us, we're dead. You might think this has nothing to do with you, but the company won't see it that way. They won't care who did it. They'll just choose to kill us all. What happened before proves that.
So, we need to deal with the scene and then leave here as soon as possible.
This is important, but also not that important.
Before that, I have some things to say to you."
Lin Ye's speech wasn't fast, and his voice wasn't impassioned, but every word was clear.
"Do we have to say it here? Can we leave first?"
An impatient young man shouted loudly.
"Yes, it must be here. Right here, in this place where you were supposed to die. I'm afraid once you return to your garbage heaps, you'll forget the feeling now. That's what you're best at.
If you don't want to repeat today's experience, remember this feeling now. Never forget it."
Lin Ye stared at that young man. His calm gaze made the young man shut his mouth tightly.
"You are the bottom of Free City. In the eyes of those people, you are disposable garbage. Do you know why they wanted to kill you? Because it was troublesome. They just couldn't be bothered to take you back. That's what the captain said to me personally. That's the weight of your lives.
This isn't your fault. But are you willing to stay like this forever?
Willing to remain the bottom of Free City, dying meaninglessly and without reason in some nameless corner in the end?
Do you want to change this situation?"
Lin Ye wasn't planning to help these young people. He was planning to give them a chance to change. This was a cooperative relationship, not charity. They begged passersby for handouts on the roadside every day. Lin Ye wouldn't be that person.
"...I do!"
"I just don't want to die..."
"I don't want to die in the woods!"
"I do!"
The voices were small at first, but soon, led by Black Dog, these young people let out a unified shout.
"Good. Now, tell me everything you know about Free City. I'll formulate the next action plan based on this information. Starting with you."
Lin Ye pointed at the young man standing on the far right.
"Yes! I've been to the Garbage Dump in Free City. There's a path there leading outside the city. No guards there, and few people pass by!"
The young man said excitedly.
Next, the young people spoke one by one. Lin Ye quickly gained a basic understanding of Free City.
Free City was a trade city built near the Bottomless Pit. The city was highly developed. It was said that with enough Free Coins, you could buy anything inside.
This was, of course, an exaggeration, but it also reflected the value of Free Coins.
The Bottomless Pit was exactly like its name—a pit whose bottom had never been explored to this day. The Bottomless Pit contained abundant material and biological resources. Every day, large numbers of adventurers entered the Bottomless Pit to obtain wealth from within.
Those monsters in the rainforest had escaped from the Bottomless Pit.
Occasionally, the Bottomless Pit would spew out Pit Products to the outside world. Areas that came into contact with these Pit Products were called Contaminated Zones. Whenever a Contaminated Zone was born, Free City would send armed personnel to recover the Pit Products.
The silver Metal Sphere was the Pit Product to be recovered this time.
The internal situation of Free City was very complex. Organizations, individuals, companies, merchant guilds, adventurers... a large number of chaotic forces intertwined, truly a place where dragons and tigers hid.
Not to mention garbage pickers like Lin Ye, even high-level spiritual energy users didn't dare act recklessly in Free City. If they dared run amok, they might provoke some monster hiding in a corner and end up having their ashes scattered.
"This makes it simple. We just need to erase traces related to us. No one will think we dealt with these people, and no one will care about our lives or deaths. They'll only think this matter is more complicated. I'll handle the rest."
After listening to the information provided by the young people, Lin Ye entered the explosion center to retrieve the Metal Sphere, and incidentally handled the surrounding traces, making it look like the area had been attacked by other forces. As for the enemy's traces, of course, they were erased by the enemy.
As an Old Hunter, Lin Ye was very good at handling such traces.
After Lin Ye finished dealing with the explosion center, the young people also finished handling the traces they left. Their work wasn't perfect, so Lin Ye helped them touch it up.
"Good. Now we can leave. But there's still one problem. Are there people in the city who know you were brought here to scout? If so, these people must be dealt with. Think carefully. I want this list."
Lin Ye didn't want to confront that company for now. He needed some development time.
"Are we going to eliminate them?"
Black Dog moved close to Lin Ye and asked with a grim face.
"No. I want to bring them in. This is also your first task in making a change: developing superiors."
Lin Ye had already thought through the entire money-making plan;
only some details needed adjustment.
With that young man leading the way, Lin Ye and the others smoothly passed through the Garbage Dump and returned to the Slums of Free City. While passing through the Garbage Dump, Lin Ye found many usable materials in some unprocessed garbage piles. These materials happened to serve as the starting point for the money-making plan.