Flowers Blooming in the Wasteland

Fu Yunlan was stunned for a while before asking: "...What's going on, who did it?"

"We don't know." Li Jiesi's daughter, Hummingbird Town's garrison captain Li Kailin said, "In the past few days we have taken in some refugees who escaped from Merced, and the guards at the city gate have been checking in according to the prescribed procedures. The people from the city and the things they brought in did not find any suspicious people or explosives mixed in."

"You mean to say that there is no responsibility for the defense team?" Fu Yunlan's voice contained anger.

Stared at by his bloodshot eyes, Li Kailin stood up uncomfortably: "No, I just want to say that there must be some loopholes in our defense that we don't know about. I don't think the person who blew up the building came from Come in through the city gate."

Li Jiesi sighed and said: "Kailin has always done a good job of security and defense. This is also admitted by your father. Now is not the time to blame anyone. Let's think about what to do next." .”

Li Kailin really couldn't be responsible for this incident. If the mercenary group didn't find out that a bomb was planted under their noses, what could the garrison team responsible for the town's patrol and security do?

Fu Yunlan, who had just escaped from the mutants, knew very well that even if a person has done the best within his ability, sometimes bad luck cannot be avoided.Just like when he met a mutant, sacrificed all his teammates, and almost died himself, the tragedy happened as it happened, and it would not change anything if he had to find someone to take responsibility for it.

Fu Yunlan sat on the steps with her legs propped up, looking silent and tired. Li Jiesi and Li Kailin looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment, after a while, Li Jiesi called him: "Lan... "

Fu Yunlan stood up: "...I'll go and see the scene."

---

The once tallest and most magnificent building in Hummingbird Town is now only a pile of ruins. Many surrounding buildings have also been affected.

A few disgraced workers were still rummaging for things that could be recycled and reused. When they saw Fu Yunlan approaching, they all dropped their work and surrounded them. You told him what happened that day. explosion.

Fu Yunlan squatted down and pulled the scorched earth on the ground, twisted it with her fingers, then turned her head and asked Li Kailin who followed: "Did you find your father's body?"

Li Kailin said: "We only found some broken wreckage, and most of the wreckage has been completely unclear who belonged to it."

Fu Yunlan put the pinch of scorched earth under her nose and smelled it: "It's high explosives. From the perspective of the damage range, at least more than 70 kilograms of explosives are needed to cause such an effect. How can so many explosives be silent?" Entering the building of the mercenary regiment?...Could it be a traitor?"

"It's possible." Li Kailin said, "But we can't even count the exact number of people who died in the explosion. We only know that more than 50 people, including the head of the regiment, disappeared after the explosion. Maybe the mole was hidden among these missing people." .”

Fu Yunlan frowned and thought about it. He couldn't figure out who would be the traitor and why he would do this. Is there anyone who would give benefits that would allow a certain mercenary or staff to take huge risks to destroy the traitor who has been waiting for him? Their nice mercenary group?

"Even if we know who the traitor is, so what?" Li Jiesi knew what he was thinking, and reminded him, "Before thinking about avenging the dead, maybe we should first think about what will happen to the people who are still alive. It’s imperative to get on with your life.”

At this time, many people had surrounded Fu Yunlan. Since he returned to Hummingbird Town, some people gathered around him one after another. As the news spread, more and more townspeople spontaneously gathered around him. Abandoning what was at hand and coming together, they were all concerned about the same question - what would the future of the town be, and what would they do in the future?

"Lan..." Li Jiesi looked at him, hoping that he could stand up and say something encouraging, but Fu Yunlan just pushed away the crowd surrounding him.

"...Leave me alone." He said so and walked away alone.

---

Two hours later, Li Jiesi found Fu Yunlan on the roof of the hydropower station.

He held a small half bottle of water, drank it without a sip, and silently looked at the equally silent reservoir below.

Li Jiesi took out a cigarette and handed it to Fu Yunlan, Fu Yunlan shook his head and refused, Li Jiesi lit it himself.

He sighed and exhaled a puff of smoke: "I know you are in a bad mood now. Everyone is very shocked when something like this happens, but we have to plan for the future. I am the mayor, and you are the leftover from the mercenary group." The person with the highest position among the people below, everyone is counting on us. And you also know very well what will happen to our Hummingbird Town if there is no mercenary group."

Fu Yunlan is naturally clear.

In the post-war wasteland, there has not been any unified regime so far, so each survivor's settlement can be regarded as an independent small kingdom, in the hands of those who are capable of defending the territory.Some of these forces cooperate with each other, and some conquer each other. Both Hummingbird Town and Merced Republic belong to such survivor forces.

The leaders of other survivor forces, no matter how many people and territories they have, all call themselves "President", "King", "Chief", "Emperor" and so on. In contrast, Fu Yuanshan is abnormal Low-key, he calls himself the "Hurricane Mercenary Corps", which is not too big, but surpasses many so-called "kingdoms" in terms of size, and like a real mercenary group, he takes people's money, Do things for others.

His approach is undoubtedly wise. Many forces of their size are surrounded by enemies and have no chance to develop and grow. However, Hummingbird Town skillfully walks among many nearby forces that are stronger than them. Who gave the money? As long as they help someone, when other forces fight and consume each other, the mercenary group grows up little by little in the cracks.

A mercenary team of dozens of people may not be considered anything before the war, but in the wasteland after the war, it is definitely a force that cannot be ignored.

However, no matter how it is declared to the outside world, there is actually no essential difference between Hummingbird Town and other survivor forces. This is a miniature version of a small kingdom, and the mercenaries are the kingdom's army. Li Kailin's garrison is equivalent to the police. Shan is undoubtedly the king of Hummingbird Town, and Li Jiesi, the "mayor", is just the Minister of Internal Affairs who helps him manage some chores and takes the blame.

"Yuan Shan and I were both Chinese-Americans who came to the United States with our parents. We have known each other since we were young, and we have been friends for decades. It is because he trusted me that he let me be the mayor of this town to help him with trivial matters." Li Jess seems to have aged more than ten years in a few days, every wrinkle is written with sorrow and vicissitudes, "Actually, how many catties and taels I have, I know it best, without his support, I have nothing at all. can not do this."

He took another drag on his cigarette and sighed: "You know, in this day and age, what people really need is a strong and iron-blooded leader like Yuan Shan, not someone who has no ability and courage like me." People. Now Yuanshan is gone, and the strength of the mercenary group has almost been wiped out. No one knows what will happen to us in the future. Not to mention that nearby forces may take the opportunity to annex us, even Hummingbird Town will still Whether it can stop the bandits from looting is a problem. In the past two days, not only many refugees from Merced have left, but even many people who have lived in the town for a long time have found excuses to go out. I never came back again. If this continues, I am afraid that it is only a matter of time before Hummingbird Town is completely deserted, and where should we go?"

Fu Yunlan was still silently looking at the wide water surface of the reservoir, but Li Jies knew that he had already listened.

The residents of the small town have no sense of security here, and it is inevitable to choose to join other stronger survivor forces.Maybe some of them have their own jobs and residences in Hummingbird Town, and they can at least maintain a life of food and clothing. When they go to other places, they can only hang out at the bottom of society, living hungry and full, but there is no mercenary group The town of Hummingbird is equivalent to being exposed to this dangerous wasteland without defense. Which is more important, work or life, the answer is obvious.

After being silent for a long time, Fu Yunlan finally asked, "How many members of the mercenary group are still alive?"

"There are more than a dozen people. The Black Tower and Cowboy's team happened to be performing a mission outside and escaped the disaster. Some people were having fun in the bar and Black Bottle Alley." Li Jiesi said, "Also Fortunately, you, the cowboy, the black tower, and the mole, the most experienced veterans, are still there. With you as the foundation, we can recruit some new recruits. When necessary, Kailin and her defense team will also You can use it as you like. No matter what, we have to put up the signboard first, and we must regain the confidence of the townspeople that the mercenary group is still there, and we still have the ability to continue to protect Hummingbird Town."

"You're so sure, can I take this responsibility?" Fu Yunlan said solemnly.

"You were originally trained by Yuan Shan as the heir, and you are also the best candidate to become the mercenary captain." Li Jiesi said, "You also know that the cowboy doesn't care about anything except his own gun, and the black tower joined too much. It’s late, no one is popular, the mole and the bomber are not convinced by each other, it’s not bad if they don’t fight, and there are no suitable candidates among the other surviving mercenaries. We didn’t think you could come back alive before, but you Now that you’re back, this position must belong to you.”

"...I see." Fu Yunlan rubbed the space between her brows wearily, "Where are they?"

"I'll find someone to notify them to come back." Li Jiesi didn't say it clearly, and Fu Yunlan could guess that they thought that the mercenary group was finished anyway, so they went to find another way to make a living.

"And Celeste." In the end, Li Jies finally remembered the boy, "His father is gone, how do you plan to accommodate him?"

"I'll find a way." Fu Yunlan rubbed the center of her brows again with a headache, and sighed.