Chapter 160: Wasteland Rendezvous

Lu Xin walked out of Happy Town carrying the silver suitcase in one hand and his bag slung over his shoulder.

Sitting down on a hillside he pulled a box of cigars from his bag. These were a gift from Master Snake back in Blackwater Town. He stuck one in his mouth and fumbled with his lighter trying to light the tip for a long time. Taking a hard drag he finally got the cigar lit.

“Cough cough…”

Lu Xin coughed a few times tasting something musty.

Still he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. He decided he’d just get used to the musty flavor.

Maybe this was the taste rich people liked?

…

…

After smoking for a bit he finally picked up the signal flare and fired it straight into the air.

Then he waited for Gecko to pick him up puffing on his cigar.

Looking up he saw the moon in the eastern sky looking like it had just risen.

He glanced at the electronic watch on his wrist and noticed the numbers were scrambled. Some were ‘8’s some were ‘A’s making it impossible to tell the time. This made Lu Xin pause and think. It looked like night had just fallen.

But it was already dark when he first entered Happy Town.

After fighting for so long inside and walking such a long way out why did it still look like night had just fallen?

He frowned slightly then let it go.

Lu Xin figured that with his Qinggang City high school education he definitely couldn’t figure this problem out.

So he stopped thinking about it.

Anyway it must all be related to that mysterious Queen.

Thinking of the Queen Lu Xin couldn’t help but click his tongue. After learning the truth about Happy Town he simply couldn’t imagine how immense her psychic power must be to cover a fifty-kilometer radius and constantly exert influence.

What terrifying ability could turn a small town into a hive?

Lu Xin shook his head slightly.

The residents of Happy Town might not be considered ‘people’ in the normal sense anymore.

The thought that so many people had long been subjected to pollution made him feel uneasy.

But he couldn’t help them.

Because he knew very well he couldn’t afford to provoke that Queen…

After all even Mom had to wave goodbye politely when they left together…

He actually had some questions he wanted to ask Mom but she wasn’t here now.

Not only was she not here even Sister wasn’t by his side.

When leaving the small town Mom said Father was sulking alone at home and she was worried so she took Sister back to keep him company first.

Lu Xin didn’t object because he could see there was more to it. Father who had been forced to return was in a very bad mood. It seemed there was some disagreement within the family. Mom and Sister probably needed to go back and discuss things with Father.

…

…

“It’d be nice to have someone to talk to…”

Lu Xin gazed at the empty desolate wasteland. After a long while he slowly blew out a puff of smoke.

“Vroom…”

Suddenly bright headlights swept across the distance followed by the roar of an engine pushed to its absolute limit.

Under the moonlight a steel beast sped towards him on the distant abandoned road its engine roaring.

Lu Xin’s mood instantly brightened.

“Screech!”

The steel beast executed a beautiful drift right in front of Lu Xin coming to a sharp halt the vehicle rocking slightly.

Several fresh bullet holes were visible on its massive body.

Gecko’s head popped out of the driver’s side window looking around furtively.

Lu Xin didn’t know why he was being so cautious and watched him with a strange look.

Gecko pulled down his sunglasses stared seriously at Lu Xin for a moment and suddenly asked “Age name sexual orientation?”

Lu Xin gave him a helpless look and said “Stop messing around!”

Gecko let out a sigh of relief pushed open the car door and muttered “Can’t be too careful you know. Anyway…”

His eyes scanned Lu Xin up and down as he lowered his voice “Taken care of?”

Lu Xin nodded patting the silver suitcase beside him lightly. “Those two Ability Users have been dealt with. The stuff they stole from Qinggang is right here. Also… the exploration of Happy Town can be considered complete…”

“This…”

Hearing Lu Xin’s casual description Gecko’s mouth formed an ‘O’.

After a moment he asked “Is it… the kind of ‘taken care of’ I’m thinking of?”

Lu Xin nodded. “Yeah.”

Gecko’s face instantly contorted showing too many emotions at once resulting in a somewhat chaotic expression.

After a moment he suddenly jumped out of the car jogged over to Lu Xin in a running posture snapped to attention and reported loudly “Reporting to Captain! Vice-captain Gecko reporting. Upon receiving your signal flare I proceeded to intercept. Discovered four mercenaries who attacked Qinggang City attempting to flee. Immediately pursued killing three and capturing one alive…”

“…He’s tied up in the trunk!”

…

“Huh?”

Lu Xin was a bit taken aback by Gecko’s earnestness. After a while he slowly said “Well… okay then…”

Gecko immediately stepped aside. “Please get in the car.”

Lu Xin slowly stood up murmuring “You really don’t need to be so formal…”

“No this isn’t formality…”

Gecko explained seriously “This is just my respect for the Captain… You’ve worked hard.”

As Lu Xin walked towards the car he subconsciously replied “It wasn’t hard.”

“No you definitely worked hard…”

Gecko insisted holding his ground and even ran over to open the passenger door for Lu Xin.

Sitting in the car Lu Xin glanced back and saw a man in mismatched mercenary fatigues tied up securely thrown onto the back seat. He wore an ability user inhibitor on his face and seemed dazed and groggy.

Gecko chuckled explaining “To avoid trouble I let him sleep for a bit. Right…”

He suddenly remembered something and asked seriously “Should I throw him in the trunk to make room for Uncle Auntie and Sister?”

Lu Xin was surprised by Gecko’s thoroughness. After a moment he shook his head “No need.”

Only after confirming again did Gecko start the car relieved.

As the large steel beast began driving away from Happy Town both Lu Xin and Gecko let out a slight sigh of relief. As if by unspoken agreement neither mentioned Lu Xin’s mission inside Happy Town for the time being. It wasn’t until the car was steadily driving on the main road that Lu Xin remembered something “What about their loot?”

“Don’t worry!”

Gecko drove while saying smugly “Four submachine guns handguns bullets and a few little apples.”

“Little apples?”

Lu Xin looked at Gecko confused.

“Yeah…”

Gecko fumbled around his feet picked up a round thing with a pull ring and tossed it in his hand. “This thing.”

Lu Xin instantly felt his scalp tingle. “Put that back quickly.”

“Seriously Captain? You a guy who can contain thousands of magnitude points of mental pollution without leaking are worried about this?”

Gecko grumbled tossing the grenade into the bag at his feet where several others lay.

This action made Lu Xin’s hair stand on end again.

It seemed the matter was truly resolved. Lu Xin slowly relaxed leaning back against the seat.

Looks like his Vice-captain was quite reliable handling those mercenaries and seizing a decent amount of loot. Better than him.

After the battle ended he knew Qin Ran must have left plenty of supplies maybe even a truck somewhere in the town. But Mom was anxious to leave and he…

He really didn’t have the guts to ask the Queen for those things back without his family.

What a pity…

Lost in thought Lu Xin suddenly remembered something and looked seriously at Gecko. “The vehicles?”

Gecko was stunned. “What?”

“The motorcycles…”

Lu Xin said seriously “Weren’t they riding four motorcycles when they fled?”

“Those…”

Gecko stammered for a moment before saying “Left… left them there…”

Lu Xin’s brow furrowed. “Four of them…”

“I know…”

Gecko looked back at Lu Xin also bewildered. “Captain… no Lu Bro do you think we could possibly bring them back?”

Lu Xin considered the size of the car they were in the roof and the trunk space then fell silent.

He didn’t want to make things difficult for Gecko so he hesitated “Maybe call the Support Team?”

Gecko was completely baffled. “Lu Bro we’re in the Wasteland. Where would a Support Team come from in the Wasteland?”

Lu Xin remembered what Mom had told him when she took Sister back home and nodded. “There is one.”

At his insistence Gecko skeptically stopped the car set up the signal receiver and dialed the satellite phone.

His voice sounded a bit nervous “Yes the Mr. Lone Soldier is out of the town…”

“He’s fine completely normal arms and legs are intact…”

“Mental state is normal I’ve already performed the assessment…”

“Yes he cleaned up the Knight Orders’ Ability Users and retrieved the stolen items…”

“I’m calling now to request the Support Team to enter the area…”

…

“Don’t ask me how he solved it and don’t ask me why I’m asking the Support Team to enter…”

“He’s the Captain I’m the Vice-captain.”

“A qualified Vice-captain doesn’t question the Captain’s orders!”

“Okay okay I’ll wait…”

…

He numbly hung up the phone and looked at Lu Xin bewildered. “They agreed…”

“But I still don’t know where this Support Team is coming from?”

…

Lu Xin didn’t answer him just gazed thoughtfully into the surrounding pitch-black wasteland.

After a while deep in the wasteland a row of blindingly bright lights switched on followed by the deafening roar of engines. One after another fully armed off-road vehicles packed with elite soldiers appeared in their view.

Then the sound of rotor blades filled the air as two helicopters appeared overhead their searchlights crisscrossing the wasteland.

Gecko was completely stunned the satellite phone slipping from his hand and falling to the ground.

“Swish” “Swish” “Swish”

Three Special Task Force members dressed in full black tactical gear with specialized glass helmets jogged towards them.

Stopping three meters away they saluted and announced loudly “Qinggang City Defense Department Special Task Forces Two Four and Seven reporting.”

“We have received instructions from the highest command of the City Defense Department authorizing all rescue and elimination missions.”

“Awaiting orders!”

…

Staring at these three clearly high-ranking Special Task Force captains Gecko was speechless turning awkwardly to Lu Xin.

Lu Xin was actually stunned too.

These people didn’t exactly look like a Support Team…

Although their appearance definitely inspired more confidence than a support team would…

…

Composing himself he slowly began “There… that direction…”

As he pointed all three Special Task Force captains immediately looked over warily.

One of them even swallowed nervously his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Further away numerous soldiers holding guns immediately turned their muzzles aiming in that direction with a clatter.

Then Lu Xin finally said “There are four motorcycles over there please find them…”

“And… help us transport them back…”