The super large gathering place, which supposedly housed about 30000 humans, was also within 1000 kilometers of the basin area.
Su Mo wanted to deny the veracity of the news immediately when he heard it.
After all, based on their analysis of all the factions on the map of the New World, back when they were selecting their territory location, most of the human colonies were concentrated on the lower left coast of the New World, along with many of the ordinary foreign races clans.
Very few people would dare venture into the center of the New World, let alone near the basin area in the upper right corner!
If they did, it meant that they would possibly be stuck in the difficult situation of being attacked from both sides when conflict broke out.
Without adequate strength, there would be hungry wolves in the rear and fierce tigers in the front. One would become prey no matter which way they turned.
At the same time, without access to the ocean, they would not be able to fish and would not have enough food to feed their population until the next crop harvest period, unlike the basin area.
Only a small group of people who thought highly of their own strength and possessed enough basic resources would dare venture deep into the tiger’s den among the inland foreign races and try to seek profits and develop rapidly.
These people would definitely not expand the size of their group to exceed 30000 individuals, which would no doubt reduce their mobility, effectiveness and ability to respond quickly to situations.
“Within a 1000-kilometer radius…”
“The distance that we crossed directly from the coastline was between 1,600 kilometers to 1,800 kilometers, within this range…”
After recalling the details recorded on the map and sifting out some useless information, a vague map of the topography and the powers that occupied them appeared in Su Mo’s mind.
There were four powerful neighbors near the basin area, and several smaller tribes that had spread out near the Ents, plus there was also a large gathering of colorful medium-sized foreign races further away…
Other than that, there were also many places that were temporarily without occupants.
Su Mo began to carefully analyze the details based on the size of the 30000 population, along with the approximate situation of the surrounding topography.
A moment later, the two individuals once again returned along the passageway. Su Mo looked up thoughtfully and asked, “Hao Qiang, did that person mention… the direction of the large gathering place of these people?”
“The direction?” Hao Qiang was stunned. He spoke somewhat uncertainly after a moment of contemplation, “I was afraid of exposing my identity, so I didn’t communicate much with him, but he seemed to have mentioned the direction in passing. I believe that it was roughly in the… southeast?”
“Hmm…”
A single guess might be a coincidence, and two might be a conspiracy.
However, when three, four, or even more guesses were put together, the cost of falsifying the information would be undoubtedly greater than the fact itself!
By drawing a circle with a radius of 1000 kilometers, with the basin area as the center…
North, West, East; there were endless great plains in these three directions, and these were the most suitable areas to develop a large force.
A little to the southeast, within that thousand-kilometer radius, was unlike the terrain near the basin area, which was basically a wilderness.
From the markings on the map, the southeast was practically covered by a stretch of rolling mountains that was perhaps as long as 400 to 500 kilometers.
In any normal individual’s reasoning, these mountains would be barren and desolate, essentially cut off from any communication with the outside world. It truly would not be a good place to develop.
However, if one were to see it from another perspective, they could become “a hidden tribe”. Forget 30000 people, even having 300000 people would also not be a problem!
“Let’s go, take me there. What the man said might be true!”
“But the odds of us being discovered…”
“No, we won’t be discovered. Hao Qiang, you still haven’t changed your mindset completely. Think carefully, what exactly is your identity now?”
Understanding one’s own identity was one of the most important parts of being a spy.
This was also the first lesson that Su Deben had taught Hao Qiang.
“What is your identity now?”
“Now. I am…”
Looking at his silvery-white lower body, and then at the blue mark on his arm that shone faintly, Hao Qiang was suddenly stunned. His gaze then quickly flashed with enlightenment.
From a spy’s perspective, one would naturally be afraid of their identity being exposed after seeing their own people held captive in an enemy camp. Due to that, their mindset would naturally revert to its original state, creating cracks in their portrayal of their new identity.
However, thinking of it carefully, and considering the unique characteristics of the demon race, there was indeed the possibility that someone had painted a target on this large gathering place of 30000 people.
“Well, there is no need for guesses considering that person’s current behavior of telling everyone about the news when seeing them.”
“I guarantee that many people would have already caught wind of the news the moment he appeared in this place. Even the information about the real location of the gathering place would have landed in the hands of more than one person by now.”
“However, the fact that no one has redeemed him up till now and allowed him to work under them here proves that the value of the information is completely different from what he’s actually saying.”
“Hao Qiang, don’t treat those demon race members as bungling toddlers when they are doing business. When it comes to profits and making deals, we aren’t their match!”
Su Mo might have sounded like he was speaking to himself, but it was a form of on-site teaching for Hao Qiang.
By the time he had the exchange, Su Mo’s interest in this large gathering place of humans had been completely aroused.
Indeed, the region spanned hundreds, or even thousands of kilometers.
To those from the demon race, it was not a matter of how much benefit or profit they could reap, but rather that an investment in investigating this information, even during the early stages, already required an unimaginable sum.
Those who could afford the money, even including those inside the city, were only the top ten exchanges, the city guard, and several eccentric individuals who had a certain level of power and influence.
For the top ten exchanges, the benefits that could be reaped from 30000 ordinary people might not even be as profitable as crushing one of the fellow peers, so there was no need for them to take this risk.
As for the city guard, they already had their hands full given the complex situation in the city and the conflict with the Light Empire outside the city, to the point where they had no intention to account for the whereabouts of these humans.
As for the remaining eccentric individuals, they would not invest money in such an enterprise.
Compared to the others, their money had been earned with blood, sweat and tears and, on a typical day, they would much rather find ways to reduce their expenditure as opposed to gambling their hard-earned money into such risky business.
All in all, this super large gathering place of humans had become something that everyone wanted, but also something that no one was willing to pay for…
It was the white elephant in the room!
“Well, Lord Harl, this is…”
“Oh, he’s my shop’s new shopkeeper. I just heard him mention that someone in your foreign race’s exchange mentioned that they had information about a large gathering ofhumans. I’m super keen to hear more about it!”
After exiting the earlier exchange and walking all the way back to the entrance of the exchange Hao Qiang had mentioned, a servant greeted them proficiently.
Hearing Su Mo’s words, the servant did not reveal an expression of surprise. Instead, they smiled with some pity and offered a somewhat strangely apologetic smile.
“Oh, Lord Harl, I’m really sorry. This man has been on sale here for five or six days. The price isn’t that high and many people have come over to take a look, but no one has bought him.”
“When your shopkeeper first arrived, he probably knew that his mind was not quite sound. Most people just want to take a good look at the spectacle.”
“But unfortunately, Lord Shi Ren, the external steward of Freedom City, came by here just now. He didn’t want anyone else and just picked this person. It’s just…”
Touching his head, the servant spoke while quietly gesturing to the shopkeeper behind him.
In Freedom City, those who did business outside the city would be a level higher than those in the inner city since they faced greater levels of competition from their peers.
Similarly, those who ran legitimate businesses in the city would be a level higher than those who only sold mercenaries in the city.
Putting two and two together, although they were both businessmen, the status of a shopkeeper of the Fire Exchange was still much higher than that of a shopkeeper of an ordinary mercenary exchange.
Considering this, news that two “nobles” from the inner city simultaneously having their eye on, and fighting over this mercenary, would definitely cause an uproar.
Immediately, the shopkeeper of the exchange walked forward while wiping away the sweat on his forehead.
Like the servant, the shopkeeper simply offered the 10% discount of the day without saying anything. He could be considered as having acted rather sincerely from the beginning.
“Well, that’s a pity, but I was just interested. Since steward Shi Ren has taken a liking to him, then it’s all right!”
He smiled awkwardly. While Su Mo’s face revealed a trace of dissatisfaction, he could only force a smile onto his face.
The next moment, Su Mo walked into the exchange and took a stroll around the place with Hao Qiang again. After that, Su Mo walked out of the exchange with a “gloomy” expression.
Although Su Mo did not say anything during his entire performance, those who saw him would realize that he was filled with pent-up anger.
This was perfectly aligned with Harl’s hot temper and his personality of liking to fight others out of dissatisfaction when faced with a problem.
However, after walking to an area behind the street corner, where only a few people lingered, and entering the so-called “high-end” exchange, Su Mo’s expression instantly returned to normal.
“Leader, that person has actually been redeemed. Could it be that…”
“Don’t worry, I’ve met Shi Ren before. He isn’t actually interested in this person. It’s more likely that…”
Speaking halfway, Su Mo’s steps suddenly halted and he looked at a cage with a wooden sign.
Unlike the ordinary mercenaries he had seen in other exchanges, although the prices at this high-end exchange had more than doubled, the quality of the mercenaries had also increased by several grades.
First, in terms of living conditions, the display areas here were not three-square-meter cubicles, in which most creatures would find difficulty even turning around in.
Every mercenary on display here was assigned a small space that was about eight to ten square meters in size, which also included complete living facilities.
Apart from the fence that was used to separate them from each other by the door, as well as the iron chains that bound each mercenary’s hands and feet, their time living here left them in a much better mental state.
Within the first few exchanges, most of them had offered mercenaries providing manual labor. Occasionally, they would encounter an intelligent mercenary that would command a much higher price.
Now, for the first time since arriving here, Su Mo finally discovered the so-called “all-rounder”.
“He used to be a Level 4 template user, but since his template was forcibly removed, and all the resources given to his brother, he lost all his strength and has been reduced to becoming an ordinary mercenary.”
“He is good at individual combat, spying, running basic business operations, and can perform basic housekeeping services.”
“The master he covets is one with momentum, one who is not content with their current life, and one who promises him freedom after five years of employment.”
“His price is… 4000 contribution points!”
As Su Mo read out the information on the wooden board word by word, the thin man confined on the stool inside raised his head, and a slither of complication flashed across his eyes.
He was different from the mercenaries in other places, who would kneel to the ground the moment they saw the strong and yearned for someone like that to whisk them away. They did not even bother to lift their heads when they saw the weak approach.
The man’s attitude was really proper. He was clearly aware of his identity as a prisoner.
Although his gaze was filled with resistance, he showed himself as much as possible when faced with Su Mo’s gaze.
“Can I ask you a question?”
During the selection process between potential buyers and mercenaries, a short dialogue could be conducted to determine the match and suitability between both sides.
However, there were also some people who did not like each other. They would choose to shut up and pretend that they were mute so as not to be picked up by that particular buyer.
Faced with Su Mo’s question, the man was stunned for a moment before nodding slightly.
“What’s the one thing you wish to do most?”
“What do I wish to do the most?”
It seemed like he had not expected Su Mo to ask such a question to kick off the conversation between them. The rehearsed script the man had prepared beforehand had turned useless.
However, after a moment of acknowledgment, he answered decisively, “Of course, what I wish to do the most can be summed up by the saying ‘an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth’. I want everyone to know that I will take back everything I lost with my own two hands!”
“Very good, I’ve chosen you. Prepare yourself, I’m going to bring you over to seal the deal later!”
Wow!
Almost as soon as the man spoke, Su Mo immediately replied as he pressed the selection button on the fence.
As the button chimed, it was as if a stone had been dropped into the center of a calm lake. Inevitable waves of commotion washed over the other cells that had been silent thus far.
At the same time, some bold individuals began sticking their heads out, curiously assessing just what kind of person had decided to purchase their “colleague”.
“You…so you’re buying me?”
“What? Don’t tell me I still need to pass some test of yours before I can?”
After the button chimed, the servant in charge of the transaction acted quickly and, in less than half a minute, the servant’s figure appeared at the end of the cell.
Seeing the smile that was stretched across the servant’s face widely, the man instinctually also became clear about Su Mo’s status; that he was no ordinary individual despite his lowly template.
“No, no. I was saying that, if you intend to buy me, you had best consider the others as well!”
“They’re very strong, even stronger than what is recorded on the wooden board!”
Instantly, the man had quickly changed his mindset and had started thinking about his master.
At this, Su Mo turned around curiously and began to walk toward the location the man was pointing at.
After some time, up to 34000 contribution points were transferred from Turner’s account. As the pleasant notification rang out, the transaction for the mercenaries could finally be considered to have been completed.
“Lord Harl, do you think we ought to handle the formalities on your behalf, or are you able to handle them yourself?
“I’ve already made the necessary arrangements for them. If you would like to take them away now, we can run through the formalities immediately!”
30000 contribution points was not considered much in Freedom City.
However, considering that Su Mo was not like the others, who treated this exercise like they would trading on the stock market, buying mercenaries today, and then selling them back tomorrow, this 30000 points truly represented a profit.
In the face of such a huge sum of money, and considering several factors, even if there were the shadows of the city guards behind Harl’s exchange, in terms of attitude, he had displayed adequate humility.
“Let’s settle it all together. It just so happens that I have to settle something for him as well!”
He pointed at Hao Qiang, who was beside him. After confirming the rest of the procedures, the group began making their way toward the interior section of the street.
After going through the crowded streets, they arrived at an area where only large transactions could be dealt with and began processing the paperwork quickly.
From the authority transfer for all the mercenaries to the fine for Hao Qiang’s identity modification, the entire process was successfully dealt with after paying only 1000 contribution points, which could be considered to be extremely convenient.
Simultaneously, half an hour later, the paperwork was completed.
A group of seven mercenaries, who had just been bought and their paperwork quickly sorted through, were rushed to the office.
From left to right, there were five men and two women in total. They only received low-grade marks from the exchange.
Seeing their new boss, everyone looked uneasy, but their faces also carried a hint of surprise.
It was obvious that they had been informed of the identity of their owner on the way here.
“Harl, will these people be alright? Why do I feel that they aren’t as…strong as those traitors?!”
Turner, who had just paid a huge sum of money, looked distressed as he whispered into Su Mo’s ear.
One had to know that the price of the 17 mercenaries he had bought previously had only been 2000 contribution points!
Now, not only had the number of people been more than halved, the cost of purchasing them was also more than ten times higher.
It was entirely different from the scene he had imagined. The seven did not look like they possessed any special characteristics. They looked just like those commodities that could be bought for a hundred or so points from an ordinary exchange.
“Don’t worry, regardless of whether they are mediocre or geniuses, we will know once we use them. However, in terms of loyalty, at the very least we don’t have to worry about other people immediately knowing about what we ate for the day!”
After going through the registration process and formally sealing the deal for the seven of them, as well as Hao Qiang, Su Mo wore a smile on his face.
In terms of ability, these mercenaries might only be regarded as being of an average level and not outstanding.
However, when it came to loyalty, Su Mo believed that as long as they underwent a degree of reasonable training, these people would become sharp blades in his hand!
When the time came, it would not matter whether it was the demon race or Freedom City, the sharp blades of animosity would penetrate them through and through, leaving only ruin and debris!
