Chapter 45: Ha, What’s The Use of Numbers?
“Give me a reason.”
“I feel like I can be of some help. Consider it a way to make up for my previous actions…”
The armored man spoke in a deep voice. He couldn’t exactly say that he was hungry and wanted some meat; that would be embarrassing. Of course, what he said wasn’t entirely untrue—he had been working hard to help and thought he deserved some special treatment.
【You judge that his words are mostly true, but he is hiding some inner thoughts.】
【However, these thoughts are irrelevant.】
“What’s your name?” Colin asked, touching his chin. “And tell me what you plan to do. Let me see if you can actually be of help.”
“Li Hang. If I’m not mistaken, you have the ability to see through the fog. Otherwise, you wouldn’t send them out and wouldn’t have intercepted us so accurately…” Li Hang whispered his thoughts.
Eventually, Colin nodded and allowed him to join the second team, giving them permission to listen to Li Hang’s suggestions.
“I’ll be waiting here for you. I hope you bring back a satisfactory result.”
Soon, the group of over a hundred people marched in the direction Colin indicated. If all went well, they would encounter the survivors coming for his ore within five minutes.Watching them leave, Colin quickly packed up the table and other items, preparing to follow them secretly.
“Aren’t you supposed to train them to handle problems independently?” Sanna asked, surprised. This kind of trial was something even the church used; she thought Colin wouldn’t participate at all.
As he packed, Colin replied nonchalantly, “I’m joking. I would be heartbroken if even one of my soldiers got hurt, let alone killed. I want them to gain experience, not to die…”
…
In the fog, four lanterns moved, shadows flickering within their light.
“Brother Huang, do you have the map? Oops, I mean, Brother Huang, are you sure about this? We’ve encountered quite a few mutants along the way; they seem strong…”
One of the lantern bearers spoke, his clothes stained with blood from previous encounters.
Huang Weiyang, deep in thought as he walked, replied, “They’re just ordinary mutants. Put in some effort, and you can kill them with a few chops. At most, you’ll get a bit injured. So, he shouldn’t be that strong. There aren’t many Colins in this world. If my guess is correct, he’s just gotten his hands on some black powder, and there should be only four or five of them at most. The fact that the first explosion was so loud means it used a lot of material, likely from a large ore deposit. He’s being wasteful because he has plenty.
Unfortunately, he doesn’t know how to hide or think. Many people on the channel plan to come here. There were some small explosions just now, indicating they’ve already started fighting. It’s been less than fifteen minutes, so they should still be engaged. We’re arriving at the right time!”
“Brother Huang makes sense,” another survivor agreed with his reasoning. A saltpeter mine that big should be shared!
Following a trail of footprints, they soon saw a bright light ahead. The four were startled and huddled together.
Seventeen people… Those people didn’t seem to be hiding. But why were their lights so bright?
Huang Weiyang and his companions exchanged glances but didn’t make a move. They were 19 people strong, facing 17. The odds were even or in their favor; retreating was out of the question.
Just as he was about to speak, one of the survivors approached. As the lights merged, they were once again surprised by how bright the other group’s light was.
“Are you here for the saltpeter mine?” Number Two asked, showing no fear of these lords. Having dealt with nine of them recently, they no longer felt intimidated by anyone but Colin.
Too arrogant… Huang Weiyang glanced at the servant next to Li Hang, annoyed by the bright light. He was ready to fight if necessary.
“Since you didn’t answer, I’ll take it as a yes. Hand over your scroll, crafting table, and lanterns, and come with me. Otherwise, if we start fighting, it wouldn’t be good if we accidentally kill you noble lords.” Number Two looked at them disdainfully. “Our Lord said everything should be done peacefully.”
So arrogant!
“Is this your idea of peace?” Huang Weiyang frowned, dissatisfied with Li Hang. Did they think having a few more servants made them invincible? Even if they had two, three, or ten times as many people, he wouldn’t be afraid. After all, he was the neighborhood’s sanda champion!
What’s it got to do with me? They’re not my subordinates… Li Hang thought, feeling the discontented gaze.
Then he said, “Why are you looking at me? I advise you to do as told, or you’ll regret it.”
At that moment, he glanced around, suddenly smiling: “I’m waiting to be surrounded. What are you waiting for?”
Li Hang recalled Colin’s words when he bombed them before, unable to resist quoting him.
“Hmph,” Huang Weiyang sneered. “So what if you have more people? I’ll show you that numbers aren’t everything!”
He was confident in his abilities. But just as he finished speaking, a lantern suddenly lit up nearby.
Sixteen people…
Huang Weiyang frowned. So what?
But the next moment, another lantern appeared…
And then another…
32, 48, 64, 80…
A total of nine super-bright lanterns lit up around them!
No way out!
Huang Weiyang stood paralyzed, his hand shaking on his axe.
A total of 145 people, each holding an axe, stared at him.
He didn’t dare move or breathe heavily, fearing they’d attack if he made the wrong move.
“Are you sure you want to resist?” Number Two glared at him.
“Just joking, just joking. I’m all for peace. I don’t like fighting…” Huang Weiyang said hastily. “But you mentioned your lord…”
He glanced at Li Hang, puzzled. Wasn’t their lord right here? But he couldn’t say that—it would be a death sentence. They’d be slaughtered.
“Why are you looking at him? He’s not our lord!” Number Two scolded.
Li Hang shrugged, “Don’t look at me. If I were you, I’d cooperate. We nine were overturned by our boss. Do you think you four can do better? Ridiculous…”
Many knew, but overlooked, that lantern lights could be hidden. The trick was simple: have subordinates encircle them. It didn’t affect the mist’s effect but was a blind spot.
Colin gave Li Hang a chance because he noticed Li Hang’s keen observation skills, something Colin himself hadn’t realized. After all, the main enemies of survivors were mutants, not other survivors.
Li Hang used this, along with Colin’s “full map” explosion point, to let the nine teams encircle and cut off their retreat.
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