Embers Ad Infinitum

"Is Dukas here? That can help improve relations." Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao, who was getting into the car again, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Everything is easier to handle when you have acquaintances.

Although Ducasse, a muscular man, doesn't seem to be easy to talk to and not very humane, he does have business knowledge on his side.

If the situation is not suitable and it is not convenient to use "reasoning clown", then provoke Ducasse and try another arm wrestling game.

Thinking of this, Jiang Baimian did not find a chance to turn the vehicle around, and continued to follow the car in front, slowly moving towards the checkpoint.

Seeing that the armored vehicle blocking the road was close at hand, and the soldiers responsible for inspection gathered around, Jiang Baimian winked at Shang Jianyao.

Shang Jianyao immediately pressed down the car window, stuck his head out, and waved to Ducas, who was supervising the checkpoint, with a smile on his face.

He was now wearing a black wig and no other disguise, so he was not afraid that Ducas would not recognize him.

Ducas saw the familiar figure waving vigorously, his eyelids twitched slightly, and he subconsciously turned his head to the side, trying to pretend not to notice.

How could Shang Jianyao get what he wanted? While waving his hands, he shouted:

"Dukas!

"Dukas!"

Do we know each other well? The blood vessels in Ducasse's forehead moved, and his body became a little stiff.

He hesitated whether to respond or to pretend not to hear.

On the other side, the soldiers who were trying to check the two vehicles of the "Old Adjustment Team" heard the other party calling out their commander's name, and they didn't know whether to advance or retreat.

When the scene became weird, Shang Jianyao pushed open the car door very energetically and walked straight towards Ducasse.

The soldiers turned their bodies sideways and turned their eyes to the commander, waiting for his orders.

Ducas opened his mouth, but in the end he said nothing, but his expression was not so good-looking.

Shang Jianyao easily walked through the soldiers, crossed the checkpoint, and came to the armored command vehicle where Ducasse was sitting.

"Long time no see." He completely ignored Ducasse's expression and greeted with a bright smile.

Ducas took a breath and slowly exhaled:

"It didn't take long."

The interaction between the two of them made Jiang Baimian want to laugh from a distance.

People who are introverted, silent, and cold-hearted are really in trouble when they meet Shang Jianyao.

If he was strong, it would be fine if he could beat Shang Jian Yao. The most fearful thing is that the two sides are on the same level, or weaker than Shang Jian Yao.

"Who are you looking for?" Shang Jianyao asked the question familiarly.

Ducas glanced at him and returned to his original coldness:

"you do not need to know."

Shang Jianyao raised his hand and touched his chin, imitating Jiang Baimian's tone:

"I have made inquiries just now. The person I am looking for is the accomplice of the murderer of the previous arena assassination, and the person who caused the bombing of the citizens' rally."

Ducasse was noncommittal.

Shang Jianyao continued:

"I heard that the murderer of the Arena Assassination was a believer of the Twisted Shadow, and his followers are widely distributed in the army."

Dukas' eyelids suddenly raised and he saw a slight smile on Shang Jianyao's face.

"There are also followers of the 'Twisted Shadow' in the army of 'Prime City', right? There are quite a few of them? The assassination in the arena has deepened the suspicion of some people in the Senate towards certain factions in the military. You must prove your innocence." ?" Shang Jianyao asked two questions with a smile.

Ducas did not answer, but asked:

"Are you leaving the city?"

Shang Jianyao showed an exaggerated "I understand" expression and laughed:

“We accepted the mission to catch white wolves in the mountains on the north coast.

"You should know very well that when entering the wasteland, you must find some protection for yourself. We have acquired some heavy weapons, which is not convenient for inspection."

He spoke clearly and acted as if we were all good friends.

Jia Di, who was not far away, was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect his brother to have such a wide circle of friends.

Dukas glanced sideways at Shang Jianyao:

"You actually revealed the problem to yourself, aren't you afraid that I will detain you directly?"

"At this distance..." Shang Jianyao deliberately focused his gaze on the blank area between the two parties.

The two were less than one meter apart.

"What do you want to say?" Ducasse has always been soft-spoken.

Shang Jianyao smiled:

"I mean, from this distance, if I shout loudly, many people around me can hear it."

"What are you shouting for? Help?" Ducas sneered.

Shang Jianyao chuckled:

"Shouting 'Dukas lost an arm wrestling match to a woman'."

"..." Ducas was speechless for a moment.

Shang Jianyao further "threats":

"I still have a loudspeaker and a small speaker. Do you want this to spread throughout the First City?"

Ducas breathed out heavily:

"Are you not an adult yet?

"Will I let you go because of this threat?"

"Then we can have another arm wrestling match. If you lose, you have to let us out of the city." Shang Jianyao didn't answer Ducasse's question at all. His mind jumped and he put forward a new suggestion.

Ducas thought about it for a moment, and his face suddenly turned livid.

He found that he had no chance of winning now!

When he thought of that terrifying strange power, he felt that it was not something humans could achieve.

"You can also choose to compete with me." Shang Jianyao stimulated the other party in a teasing tone.

Ducas was silent for a few seconds and said to himself:

“For a team like yours, it’s better to leave the city now than to stay in the city.

"However, you still have to check it. I'll come here in person. Don't worry, I won't open your suitcases. I'll just check to see if there are any fugitives."

Bang bang bang, Shang Jianyao applauded in congratulations.

This made Ducas regret instantly and didn't want to admit what he had just said.

Shang Jianyao immediately changed the topic:

"Is the guy you're looking for brown hair, green eyes, always wearing a scarf covering his mouth?"

Ducas nodded and did not deny it.

It's no secret that after the citizens' rally bombing, the sheriffs were looking for this guy everywhere.

"Maybe the scarf is just a deliberate feature." Shang Jianyao raised his hand again and touched his chin, "Even if there are obvious marks around the mouth, there are other ways to cover it up."

Ducas did not respond, but showed a thoughtful expression.

Shang Jianyao smiled again:

"last question.

"What exactly do those guys want to do and what do they want to achieve?"

Ducas was silent for a while and said:

"The man who was caught was a retired officer from the Eastern Legion. He wanted to assassinate all members of the conservative army and promote a new round of expansion."

The commander of the Eastern Legion is none other than the leader of the reform faction, the new senator, General Gaius.

"That's it..." Shang Jianyao always kept his promise and didn't ask again after he said he wouldn't ask.

He returned to the car with Ducasse, opening the doors and trunk with him and checking every hiding place.

——Awakened people can shield their own consciousness so that their peers cannot sense it unless the two parties are in contact.

When confirming whether there was anything wrong with the box containing the military exoskeleton device, Ducasse followed his promise and did not open the lid. He just pulled out a thin saber, inserted it into the gaps in the crate, and stabbed the inside a few times. , stirred for a while.

Seeing that there was no touch of the human body and no blood flowing out, Ducas put away his saber and said to the soldiers:

"These two cars are fine."

The soldiers immediately opened the checkpoint and allowed the five-man "old tune team" to drive out of the bridge.

During this process, Shang Jianyao pressed down the car window and turned around to wave to Ducasse to express his gratitude.

Ducasse felt no relief at all.

This guy's behavior made everyone around him think he was covering up for personal gain!

With a livid face, he turned around and walked back to the armored command vehicle.

On the original jeep of the "old tune team", Jiang Baimian chuckled and said:

"Dukas didn't get angry on the spot and beat you up, which shows that his ability to control his temper is pretty good."

Jiang Baimian was actually prepared just now for Dukas to suddenly turn his back and have to force his way through the level.

"I thought we had established a friendship." Shang Jianyao looked "surprised".

Jiang Baimian did not continue the topic and said with a thoughtful expression:

"The assassin in the arena actually once served in the Eastern Legion. The waters in the 'Primary City' are getting muddier.

"Haha, it may be a frame-up, or it may be that the 'Twisted Shadow' sect is colluding in private and trying to go alone. Anyway, I don't believe that Gaius, who finally caught the conservatives, will let people do similar things at this time.

"Well, also, the assassin's accomplice was the perpetrator of the bombing of the citizens' rally, and that rally was called by Gaius..."

"Maybe Gaius' brain is not normal." Shang Jianyao gave an explanation.

While the two were talking, Long Yuehong, Bai Chen, and Gnawa in the car behind all remained quiet.

For Long Yuehong, when you get along with real companions, you don't need to deliberately find topics. You have to chat for a few words to avoid the atmosphere being awkward. You can enjoy the peace and quiet without worrying about anything.

He subconsciously looked out the window and glanced northeast.

There are ruins of Wasteland 13 there.

After multiple monitoring sessions in Gnawa and measurements from different locations, the "old tune team" finally determined that the "Road and Electrical Maintenance" radio station was indeed located in that ruins, and its location had not changed.

This made Long Yuehong feel more like a ghost story.

Fortunately, we are going to the mountains this time... Long Yuehong did not dare to say this emotion out loud, lest the good things would not work and the bad things would work.

PS: I recommend a book, "The Magician's Handbook". Introduction: In 1668, my city was rated as the area with the best security in the country.

I have made an indelible contribution to this.

Because I was caught.