"Then why didn't they send more people?" Ren Xiaosu asked, "Aren't they just sending us to our deaths? They could've just sent an army to exterminate the bandits! "
"Do you know why that place has become a no-man's land?" Yang Xiaojin said, "Because it's a transportation hub in the Northwest. There are four forks in the road, three of which lead to the Soong Clan, the Yang Clan, and Stronghold 178 respectively. Whoever sends troops into that area will arouse the suspicions of the other two clans. Back then, the three clans often had conflicts over this matter, so none of them wanted anyone else to control that route."
"So that's why it gradually became a gathering place for the bandits when no one moved?" Ren Xiaosu asked, "It's no wonder the three clans have to work together to exterminate the bandits. Even Xu Xianchu made a trip to the Yang Clan."
"Yes, there's even a large-scale bandit organization that has settled down there and abducted the women of the refugees to live there." Yang Xiaojin said, "If we want to mobilize the army, we'll have to work together to exterminate the bandits. No one can act alone. This time, everyone has the intention to kill the bandits, so they have to be exterminated. "
"Then why don't we all send our troops together?" Ren Xiaosu said in a speechless manner, "What's the point of sending us there?"
"The valley's terrain is complicated and strange, so it's extremely convenient for the bandits to hide there." Yang Xiaojin said, "Someone has to figure out the situation of the bandits in the entire valley first. We need to know where they are and see if there's a chance to wipe them all out in one fell swoop before we make any further plans."
Ren Xiaosu understood that they were just going there to scout the way, so there was no need for them to fight and kill. The original plan had nothing to do with him and Yang Xiaojin. The main task was to deal with the 30 nanosoldiers and the Soong Clan's soldiers.
If the army directly pressed into the valley, many of the bandits might hide or escape. Moreover, it would be easy for the three parties to get into conflict.
"If you want to get rid of them, it should be mainly to get rid of Zong Cheng, right?" Ren Xiaosu probed.
"Yes." Yang Xiaojin nodded. "Because the Soong Clan is more familiar with the valley area, the Soong Clan suggested that they lead the way this time. However, they were the ones who raised the bandits, and many of the bandits have a lot of connections with them. If they lead the way, we'll only be able to see what they want us to see."
In any case, he had to avoid the Soong Clan and not let the Soong Clan lead him by the nose.
Ren Xiaosu didn't have any objections. Speaking of which, Yang Xiaojin was a skilled and daring person. No ordinary person would dare to barge into a bandit's lair like this. Ren Xiaosu asked curiously, "Aren't you worried that something might happen?"
"Don't we still have you?" Yang Xiaojin glanced at him. Then she suddenly stepped on the accelerator at an intersection.
When they exited the stronghold, Yang Xiaojin deliberately drove at the back of the convoy. At this moment, the convoy in front of her had already turned into another fork in the road. So when Yang Xiaojin suddenly changed lanes and headed west, the vehicles in front of her could not react in time!
By the time they realized Yang Xiaojin's off-road vehicle had changed lanes, it was already too late for them to turn around. They could only stop their vehicles and watch as Ren Xiaosu and Yang Xiaojin drove all the way Northwest. They could only watch helplessly as the off-road vehicle kicked up a huge cloud of dust on the road.
The wilderness in the south was still lush green. Only two strongholds separated them, but the land under the sky had suddenly transitioned from green to a khaki color. Desolate mounds were everywhere as far as the eye could see.
Heading north from here, it would be very difficult to see forests again. The only vegetation that could be seen were low shrubs.
Before The Cataclysm, there was already severe soil erosion in this area, and the desertification had become an irresistible trend. A lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources had to be expended in order to stop it.
But when The Cataclysm arrived, the entire land became completely desolate.
Zong Cheng stood outside the vehicle and watched the off-road vehicle drive off with a calm expression.
One of the nanosoldiers on the ground asked, "Platoon Commander, what should we do?"
The platoon commander thought for a moment and said, "We'll continue with the mission as planned."
They had originally planned to go deep into the Northern Valley, but the addition of Yang Xiaojin and the others was not part of the plan. So even if Yang Xiaojin were to leave now, they would not panic or get lost.
Zong Cheng looked at the nanosoldiers with a smile and said, "They might have a more important mission, but it doesn't matter. I hope we can have a good time working together from now on."
…
According to the established plan, Yang Xiaojin and Ren Xiaosu were supposed to follow the group to the east, where the front lines of Mt. Shangying, Mt. Lianta, and Mt. Dingyuan were all the way to the heart of the valley.
But after Yang Xiaojin changed her route this time, she would pass through Mt. Daban, Mt. Tangwang, and Mt. Guan before finally meeting up with the group. This was something she had planned beforehand. She wanted to see for herself what the banditry threat in the valley was like.
After driving for a short while, the two of them abandoned the vehicle and walked on foot. Although it was slower this way, no one would immediately recognize them as members of the consortium.
Yang Xiaojin had even specially prepared slightly tattered clothes to make them look like refugees who had just escaped from the Yang Clan's factory.
Yang Xiaojin said, "Actually, there are still many small human settlements in the valley. They're all refugees who couldn't stand the exploitation of the consortium and escaped here. They're barely making a living by farming near a water source."
"Then aren't they afraid of the bandits?" Ren Xiaosu asked.
"The bandits deliberately left a lot of refugees in the valley." Yang Xiaojin said, "They won't touch the refugees. I don't know who gave them this idea, but every time the consortiums try to encircle them, they'll hide their weapons and hide in the refugee settlements, pretending that they're also refugees living there."
Ren Xiaosu was surprised. "What's the point of that?"
"To the consortiums, people are also a resource." Yang Xiaojin said, "When the Yang Clan first started suppressing the bandits, whenever they saw a refugee settlement, they would escort them back to town and let them continue working in the factories to create more value. After that, the bandits who disguised themselves as refugees would lead some of the refugees back to the valley after a year or so. "
"It's not easy being a bandit either," Ren Xiaosu said with a sigh.
"I suspect there's someone behind them who's advising them," Yang Xiaojin said.
"It could also be their own intelligence," Ren Xiaosu said as he stood on a mound.
"I'm not saying that the bandits don't have intelligence, but that there must be an organization behind them that's supporting them." Yang Xiaojin said, "Years ago, the ruins of the The Cataclysm civilization had already been dug clean, so there wasn't much left. The peddlers were also so scared that they didn't dare to come here, so how did they survive all these years? We also discovered that these bandits often have brand-new guns and even brand-new motorcycles. Some of these organizations are also very well-informed, so I don't believe they don't have any consortiums backing them. "
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