Chapter 574.2: Exposed?!

The most common were the New Alliance’s retired gear. Machine guns were mostly Maxim I, rifles mainly LD-47s and Hornet assault rifles. Their exoskeletons were largely KV series with a few modified Miner suits. Supporting weapons included some 20mm quad anti-aircraft guns.

Beyond that, he saw a number of RPGs and recoilless rifles, carried by elite soldiers or mounted on fixed tripods behind sandbag walls.

The place was practically a reinforced version of an African plantation. Apart from slaves, there were only private soldiers conscripted from among them. It was completely different from Hope Town, where most residents were free.

From the perspective of equipment, the settlement wasn’t much to speak of. The only notable thing was that it really did have quite a lot of soldiers.

A settlement of 50,000 people actually maintained three regiments of 1,000 men each!

According to that NPC named Wu Wenzhou, the farm owner Zhao Tiangan had long planned to make something big of himself, conquering all the farms around Brocade Lake Municipality. For that reason, he had never been stingy with military spending.

Besides the small arms visible all around, it was said they had purchased strange and rare weapons from farther away.

But Ample Time still wasn’t concerned.

What a joke.

The people with him had fought their way through the Great Desert, would they be afraid of this bunch of rookies with mismatched second-hand weapons?

At that moment, Wu Wenzhou, having finished the cargo handover, walked over and lowered his voice while speaking to the members of the Burning Corps. "I told the officers guarding here that you’re members of the Flame Mercenary Corps, famous around West Continent Municipality... They’ve never been that far, don’t even know where West Continent Municipality is, but that doesn’t stop them wanting to curry favor with you."

Ample Time raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"They want to invite you to dinner. I reckon they want to win you over, and sound you out a little... The location is the Xinglong Restaurant inside the farm."

Night Ten said in surprise, "This place has a restaurant?"

If he remembered right, wasn’t Pinecone Ranch supposed to be closed off from outsiders?

Since most of the survivors here were slaves, never mind wages, the place probably didn’t even have its own currency.

Running a restaurant there seemed absurd.

Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Wu Wenzhou coughed lightly and explained, "Of course it does. Pinecone Ranch may not be open to outsiders, but the officers and administrators are paid salaries, usually in Dinars. With their Dinars, they need more than food, they need entertainment too. They can’t always go to the neighboring town to spend it. And from time to time, they need to host important guests... In short, the restaurant’s environment is decent, and the chefs there are the same batch as those working in Master Zhao’s manor."

Not caring about such details, Ample Time asked directly, "How far is it from the farm owner’s manor?"

Wu Wenzhou thought for a moment. "Just one street away... about 600 or 700 meters."

"600 meters, huh..." Ample Time rubbed his chin, then nodded. "That’s fine."

From what he had learned earlier from Kong Lingkai, he knew farm owners there were suspicious and deathly afraid. No doubt the master would assign their lodgings on the edge of the wall, maybe even outside, and have them closely watched.

That would likely be their only chance to get close to the manor in the settlement’s core.

After all, officially they were just mercenaries hired for a job. No one could guarantee they weren’t taking other contracts.

From the looks of the soldiers around them, it was obvious the farm owner didn’t entirely trust the subordinate who had been handling trade abroad for years.

The banquet itself probably carried a testing purpose. They might even try to buy them off during it.

Seeing Ample Time’s flickering gaze, Wu Wenzhou whispered nervously, "What are you planning to do?"

Along their way, he had been probing them, trying to get them to reveal something. But they had said nothing.

In his own mind, he half-expected them to use that flame-spewing aircraft and storm in to snatch their target.

But seeing the quad-mounted anti-aircraft guns on the walls, he figured flying in wouldn’t be so easy.

Looking at Wu Wenzhou’s cautious expression, Ample Time only gave a faint smile. "That’s not something I can explain with a few words."

That smile was unreadable.

Wu Wenzhou’s heart filled with unease. "My family..."

"Don’t worry. Just keep them home. Leave the rest to us." Ample Time patted his shoulder and shot him a reassuring look.

But to Wu Wenzhou, that cheerful smile didn’t inspire confidence at all. His heart thudded nervously.

It was far too late to step off their pirate ship now. He could only follow through to the end.

Seeing a nearby officer still watching them, Wu Wenzhou swallowed hard, nodded, and said, "Alright."

He turned back and relayed the mercenaries’ agreement to attend the banquet. The officer smiled brightly and went off to report to his superiors.

Watching him leave, Ample Time pressed a finger to his earpiece. "The chance has come... Old White, you’ll be in charge of support."

After some static, Old White’s voice came through the channel. "No problem! We’re already ready!"

...

No weapons were allowed into Pinecone Ranch.

Apart from Falling Feather and the Little Feathers who stayed behind at the gate, the Burning Corps players had to leave their gear at the settlement entrance.

"We’ll leave the equipment in your care."

Taking the rifle from Ample Time’s hands, Falling Feather hesitated. "You’re going in like this, will it be okay?"

"It’ll be fine," Ample Time said with a smile. "Whatever we need, Old White will deliver it to us."

Falling Feather nodded, saying solemnly, "Take it easy... Don’t ruin my quest."

"Relax. That’s impossible!" Ample Time laughed heartily, waved, and followed the man leading them to the banquet.

The Xinglong Restaurant sat at the very heart of Pinecone Ranch.

That was likely the cleanest and most prosperous street in the settlement.

Most of the businesses here belonged to the farm owner himself, shops, restaurants, and some places whose function wasn’t obvious from the outside.

But every storefront was lavishly built and tastefully decorated.

Walking there felt completely different from outside. It didn’t look like a ranch at all, more like the commercial street of an ordinary settlement.

And yet strangely, the shops were all deserted, without a single customer, more like ornamental displays along the roadside.

Their escort was the captain of the north gate guards, a chatty middle-aged man named Liu Lei.

With his lead, the 10 Burning Corps players passed layer after layer of defenses with ease, arriving at the street closest to the settlement’s center.

Along the way, the NPC never stopped talking, introducing them to Pinecone Ranch’s staple industry, Na Fruit.

It was as if they weren’t mercenaries, but businessmen on an inspection tour.

Ample Time feigned interest, occasionally chiming in, though inwardly he was unimpressed.

He knew perfectly well what the farm owner was scheming.

He wanted to use the supposedly powerful New Alliance mercenary group to get his specialty product sold into the New Alliance.

But the fool could never have imagined just who it was he was pitching his master’s business plan to.

When they finally arrived, a high-ranking officer in formal attire was already waiting.

When he saw them, his eyes lit up. He beamed, stretched out his right hand, and strode forward. "Welcome, friends from afar! I am Commander Luo Feihui. The lord insisted I convey his gratitude. Thank you for bringing this precious shipment of arms from the north!"

Unexpectedly, they were dining with a commander of the Pinecone Ranch’s army. Ample Time put on a flattered expression, shook his hand, and smiled. "You’re too kind. We’re just mercenaries hired to do a job."

Commander Luo Feihui smiled. "You don’t look like mercenaries."

Ample Time smiled steadily. "Why do you say that?"

Luo Feihui withdrew his hand, smiling as he continued, "I’ve dealt with many mercenaries. Most are coarse and ill-mannered, hardly disciplined. But you’re different. You’re polite, refined, and your hands show no calluses. Forgive my bluntness, but you hardly look like a weather-beaten wastelander. You look more like..." He deliberately paused half a beat. "More like residents of a shelter."

The moment he said it, every player present, except Ample Time standing directly before him, felt their brows twitching, a look of surprise flashing in their eyes.

Good grief.

Had they just been exposed?!