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墨書 Inktalez
Free lunches do exist, but Lin Yi had never encountered one. After Aoling Er revealed the situation, he realized that the biggest obstacle to their escape might not be the endless Zombie hordes outside, but rather some individuals within Rome who would not allow them to leave easily.
Lin Yi believed that if he really wanted to leave, he could find a way, but doing so might lead to many unpleasant encounters in the future.
"Boss, what should we do now?" Jerry glanced at Lin Yi. Although the current situation was a standoff between the Zombie Army and Rome, the Zombie Army held a significant numerical advantage. Every minute they stayed here increased their threat level.
"Find their leader. If we can pay a certain price to leave, then we will. If not, you can take action!" Lin Yi whispered. He was not a savior; he was here to rescue his team members. As for Rome, he had not yet reached that level of greatness.
The vehicle soon arrived at the Defense Center, where tall stone pillars loomed and crowds flowed continuously, everyone busy with their tasks. Lin Yi felt a bit dizzy; being somewhat lazy by nature, seeing others bustling about made him feel overwhelmed.
"This place is temporarily under the full responsibility of Archbishop Augusto, but I think he might be busy again!" Aoling Er said as she watched the throngs of people. Lin Yi hadn't had the chance to tell her how they had arrived in Rome.
"Augustus? Archbishop?" The image of the old man he had only met once appeared in Lin Yi's mind; he seemed friendly and should be easy to talk to.
"Yes, the Archbishop volunteered to stay behind while many from the government are fighting on the front lines. It's only natural for someone as esteemed as the Archbishop in Rome to handle these matters," Aoling Er explained. The three girls were not very talkative; Lulu had just arrived and generally did not initiate conversations.
Lin Yi pursed his lips and decided it was best to find Archbishop Augusto first; they couldn't afford to delay.
"Where should we look?" Ouyang Shasha asked as she noticed Lin Yi seemed ready to leave, guessing he was heading to find Augustus.
"Right! He should be over at the square overseeing operations at the armory," Lin Yi said, slapping his forehead and glancing apologetically at everyone.
Upon hearing this, Aoling Er and the others were filled with questions, so Lin Yi briefly explained. Afterward, they drove to the square just in time to see them moving the last batch of crates.
When Augustus saw Lin Yi, he greeted him warmly but paused after glancing at Aoling Er. "So you came looking for Officer Ao? Who am I that you would go through such trouble to rescue me?"
"Archbishop, so you know me!" Aoling Er smiled shyly. An Archbishop like Augustus was usually seen as lofty in people's eyes, yet he seemed very approachable now.
"You are our hero; how could anyone not recognize a hero?" Augustus chuckled, speaking as if they were having an ordinary conversation.
"Cough, cough!" Lin Yi cleared his throat, planning to steer their conversation. "I didn't realize you were the Archbishop; I apologize for that."
"These are all trivial matters; I'm just fulfilling my personal duties," Augustus waved his hand dismissively, appearing nonchalant.
"Well, Archbishop, what I wanted to ask is whether we could participate in the 'Life-and-Death Line Plan' to leave here?" Lin Yi quickly changed the subject.
"No!" Augustus replied easily, but his tone left no room for dissent.
"Why not?" Lin Yi and the others asked in unison.
"Anyone capable of fighting must stay here. This was the first rule established when the Defense Center was formed!" Augustus said lightly, but Lin Yi and his companions felt as if a thunderbolt had struck them.
"But we're not from here!" Lin Yi hurriedly protested.
"You are here now!" Augustus maintained his relaxed demeanor, as if it were a simple matter.
Lin Yi felt quite displeased; he felt like he had fallen into a pit while others told him it was where he belonged. There was no time to waste; someone like Augustus would never change his mind once he made a decision.
Jerry happened to be standing next to Lin Yi, not far from Augustus. Lin Yi coughed again, seizing the opportunity to signal Jerry.
A few seconds later, Lin Yi thought things were settling down, only to find Augustus still wearing an indifferent expression. Turning to look at Jerry beside him, he saw Jerry's eyes wide with fear, beads of sweat streaming down his forehead and dripping onto his clothes. Jerry trembled all over, even his lips quivering.
Seeing Jerry's face turn pale in an instant made Lin Yi realize something was wrong. However, there seemed to be no way to resolve it at that moment. Suddenly, an idea struck him; he unleashed his Psychic Power, enveloping Jerry's head completely and isolating him from the outside world.
In the next moment, Augustus stumbled slightly and nearly lost his balance. Jerry fared even worse, collapsing entirely. If it weren't for Pachy and Witerson II acting quickly, Jerry would have slumped right onto the ground.
Augustus quickly regained his footing and looked at Lin Yi with some surprise. "I didn't expect Mr. Lin to be such a young hero; your team is quite talented!"
Lin Yi dared not offend Augustus completely and could only force a smile. "Bishop, I had no choice. I just didn't expect you to be an Ability user as well—and such a powerful one at that!"
“Ability user?” Augustus seemed somewhat surprised by Lin Yi's address. “I am not an Ability user; this kind of mental technique can be developed with some time and practice, but most people are unwilling to do so. I think the real Ability user is your companion here; ordinary people are no match for him.”
“This ability can be practiced?” Lin Yi was now quite enthusiastic about various Abilities. He needed greater power to protect those he wanted to safeguard.
“It’s a painful method, and it’s not something I can teach you.” Augustus's gaze dimmed slightly, as if recalling some painful memories.
“So what about our way out…”
“Not now. You just tried to control me to achieve your goals, and I am very disappointed in you.” Augustus interrupted Lin Yi directly.
“But we have no obligation to stay here!” Lin Yi was somewhat irritated, nearly resorting to force.
Augustus glanced around at the busy staff and lowered his voice. “The resistance is causing everyone’s confidence to wane. Many may have decided to leave. If you really leave with the old and sick, I fear others will have objections. At that point, the morale may collapse, and this Rome might not hold up!”
Augustus sighed. As a man in his seventies, he had been holding on, but would everyone be willing to sacrifice for this city?
“A city is built by people; without people, what is the meaning of a city?” Ouyang Shasha said softly after listening to Augustus.
“Spirit and faith—young people like you don’t understand!” Augustus turned away, unwilling to continue discussing such matters.
“Let us leave; we can offer a reward!” Lin Yi raised his voice several decibels. Negotiation was a tedious task, but it was unavoidable.
“You cannot afford this reward!” Augustus did not turn around but paused in his steps.
“One million Contribution Points! ” Lin Yi gritted his teeth and offered nearly all his Contribution Points!
“You’re offering money to someone dying of thirst in the desert; no matter how much it is, it’s meaningless!”
“Then what do you need us to do? We’ll do whatever we can!” Lin Yi looked at his companions. If they continued to stalemate, there could be even greater changes.
“Haha! If you stay and help me, once the crisis in Rome is resolved, I can pay you one hundred million Contribution Points! ” Augustus turned back to glance at Lin Yi, finally showing some emotional fluctuation.
One hundred million Contribution Points—what a concept! It meant that the entire Blood Envoy Mercenary Corps could become wealthy, living comfortably for the rest of their lives without having to work.
Lin Yi glanced around at his teammates; their eyes were filled with confusion, and they seemed somewhat tempted. After all, wherever they went, they would have to face Zombies. If they could eliminate Zombies in one place, there was nothing wrong with that!
“No way!” Ying Sa suddenly shouted after a long silence, drawing the attention of the others and causing them to lower their heads in consciousness.
Lin Yi looked at Ying Sa and felt a surge of gratitude towards her. He didn’t even know why he instinctively agreed with her, but he was used to listening to others' opinions. However, it seemed that the others didn’t have much objection to staying here.
“Why not?” Augustus pondered as he looked at Ying Sa, trying to persuade them.
At that moment, Jerry, whose expression had returned to calmness, unsteadily walked over to Lin Yi and whispered, “We must leave! This Old Guy is trying to lure everyone into staying. I can sense the mental waves in his words.”
Lin Yi’s heart raced; he never expected that he had already been plotted against. Thinking about his teammates’ reactions, he realized that they were all strong-willed individuals—how could they easily agree with Augustus?
“Because we don’t want to become cannon fodder!” Ying Sa declared loudly, feeling that this seemingly amiable old man was very hypocritical!
Augustus suddenly smiled strangely and said, “You young people are quite impressive; it’s rare for anyone to react so quickly under my mental influence. However, if I didn’t want you to leave, I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to!”
“There’s nothing that can’t be negotiated; it just depends on whether the price is right. Bishop, your conditions still stand!” Pachy, who had been silent until now, squinted his eyes and spoke slowly.
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