Chapter 31 What's Going On?

"What's going on?" The data terminal stopped torturing its eyes and inquired through mental connection.

"The beacon is blocked," Hao Ren said with a very serious expression. "The drone swarm didn't receive any navigation signals."

"No navigation signals? Is it receiving signals but without navigation information, or not even establishing communication at all?"

Hao Ren immediately asked the drone swarm, and the reply was that the swarm had received some intermittent information from the beacon a few minutes ago, but these messages did not contain data that could be used for navigation. And a few minutes ago, even these intermittent signal transmissions were completely interrupted.

He frowned slightly. "Our beacon transmitter has shut down. I can still contact it from here. It's on standby on the highest building in Black Street, but the system shows a channel failure between the beacon and outer space. Communication between the drone swarm and the beacon only lasted four and a half minutes, and hardly any valuable information was transmitted."

The data terminal thought for a moment and shouted, "Help this unit up!"

Hao Ren carried "her" to the communication device so that the latter could see the display parameters. After studying for a while, the data terminal said dejectedly, "This unit just remembered that this unit's slots are all gone now. It seems there's no way to connect with this thing, is there…"

Hao Ren burst out, "Can you be a little more reliable, you jerk!"

"Anyway, it seems impossible to navigate using the beacon," the data terminal ignored Hao Ren's anger. "This still doesn't determine the location of the 'Zhuom' planet. What are you planning to do next?"

"Launch probes," Hao Ren replied without hesitation. "If 'Zhuom' is shrouded in a layer of distorted space, then this range should be limited. We'll launch probes into space from here and see how far they can fly. If probes don't work either, then next time we come in, we'll bring the Jù Guī Yán Tái Hào (Giant Tortoise Rock Terrace) and I'll fly the ship out."

The two immediately began to study the next problem of launching probes. Because they didn't want to attract unnecessary attention, they decided to wait until evening to take the opportunity to leave the mercenary group's residence and go to the suburbs to release the probes. However, just as they finished discussing, a burst of noise suddenly came from outside the barracks.

Hao Ren opened the alloy blinds on the side of the small room, and through the window, he saw many mercenaries running around on the open space of the legion, and an armored vehicle covered in bullet marks was driving in from the direction of the camp gate. After the armored vehicle stopped, the first to jump out was a familiar person: an unusually tall, muscular giant like a bodybuilder, who was none other than the mercenary Karl, whom he had met on the first day.

"Looks like there's going to be some action?" Hao Ren said in a low voice. "Nolan seems to have come out too."

"This unit can't see! You should play your necrophiliac role well, and you should carry this unit around to watch the excitement at this time!"

"You wait inside," Hao Ren said casually to the data terminal. "I'll go out and see what's going on."

After he finished speaking, he ran out, and the voice of the data terminal echoed in his mind: "You should share this unit's vision! Are you letting this unit watch the ceiling here? Hey hey, don't go! What about the professional spirit of necrophilia?!"

After Hao Ren ran outside, he saw Ulanov standing in front. He stepped forward and patted the other person's shoulder: "What's going on?"

"Karl is back from Zero City, maybe he brought a big business," Ulanov said without turning his head. "He's our contact with Zero City."

Hao Ren looked at the burly mercenary Karl in front of him, thinking that such a silent and stalwart man was actually the Gray Fox's diplomat—Nolan's standards for selecting talent were based on metaphysics, right?

At this time, the surrounding mercenaries gave way one after another, and Nolan came out from behind the crowd. Hao Ren noticed that her walking pace was still slightly uncoordinated, but it had basically returned to normal, while not long ago, she had suffered a fracture—one had to marvel at the incredible nano-medical technology of this world.

"Boss, the White River Merchant Guild has a business deal," Karl said to Nolan, bowing his head. "They hope we can escort a few people."

"Escort?" Nolan raised an eyebrow. "That old geezer called you over just for this? Have all the guards under him died?"

"What does the Bai He (White River) Merchant Guild do?" Hao Ren muttered to Ulanov next to him in a low voice. "A base for lesbians?"

Ulanov: "Huh?"

A mercenary heard Hao Ren's question and introduced from the side: "The White River Merchant Guild is one of the bosses of Zero City. They control a quarter of the Zero City's garrison troops. Logically speaking, they don't need to ask a mercenary group for help with military operations in the Zero City and Black Street area."

Faced with Nolan's inquiry, Karl quickly replied: "The scope of this activity is not in Zero City and the surrounding area of Black Street. The garrison troops cannot be dispatched."

Nolan immediately became alert: "Where do they want us to send people?"

"…The Northern Ring Tower Ruins."

The surrounding mercenaries immediately stirred up after hearing this place name, but Nolan waved her hand without hesitation: "This deal is off."

Almost at the same time as Nolan's voice fell, another rough and deep voice came from the crowd: "I want to go!"

Hao Ren looked at his side in surprise: It was Ulanov who had just spoken.

"You're sure you want to go to the Northern Ring Tower?" Nolan looked at Ulanov, her indifferent gray eyes without any emotional fluctuations. "That place is a no-go zone."

"But you came out of there alive, and more than once," Ulanov stared at Nolan through his mask without backing down. "The 'Gray Fox' knows the safe routes, doesn't she? Otherwise, the White River Merchant Guild wouldn't have come to you for this business."

"You also know this is business," Nolan raised her arms and folded them across her chest. "As a businessman, I can't do a losing business. I've been to that hellhole three times, and each time it was a big loss. The worst time, only three people came back alive. So this business, I won't take it."

At this time, Karl suddenly said something next to him: "The White River Merchant Guild is offering a very high price this time."

Nolan's eyebrows twitched, and Karl leaned down and whispered some details in her ear. Taking advantage of this time, Hao Ren quickly grabbed Ulanov: "What is that Northern Ring Tower... uh, why do you have to go there?"

Hao Ren almost asked "What is the Northern Ring Tower," but remembering the reactions of the mercenaries, he realized that this should be a famous place, and asking rashly would seem too ignorant, so he temporarily changed his question.

Ulanov was silent for a moment before opening his mouth: "...It's none of your business, I just want to take a look."

He and Hao Ren were far from being very familiar, so he was unwilling to elaborate on many things.

Hao Ren regretfully said "oh," but he heard the voice of the data terminal suddenly coming from his mind: "The Northern Ring Tower? Do you want this unit to help you check the information?"

"You?" Hao Ren was stunned for a moment. "What can you do in your current state? Can't you move anything except your eyeballs?"

"This unit just stood up successfully! Although only one leg works..."

Hao Ren suddenly coughed violently, and this sudden movement caused the surrounding mercenaries to look sideways frequently. He quickly waved his hand to express his apology, then lowered his head to hide the surprised look on his face: "You stood up? You mastered the ability to move in this short time?"

"This unit is naturally gifted, can't I?" the data terminal's voice was triumphant. "With just a mere shell, this unit forcibly compiled a dozen hard drives using simulation language. Now I can move... By the way, do you want this unit to help you find information? This unit is almost crawling to the laptop."

Hao Ren only gave the terminal three words: "Find it quickly."

At this time, Karl had finished whispering with Nolan. The latter frowned and pondered, and after a long time, she looked around at the surrounding mercenaries: "Okay, I won't force you to participate in this mission, but as long as the participants come back alive, they can get an ecological residence in Zero City."

This was the "high price" offered by the White River Merchant Guild.

Hao Ren didn't know the specific value of an ecological residence in this world, but looking at the reactions of the people around him, he realized that this was probably an amazing fortune.

The data terminal also quickly transmitted the information it found: "Found it—the Northern Ring Tower, is the control center when the nanite swarm went out of control sixty-five years ago. That place has been preserved until now, and three 'Overlord' computers are still buried under them!"

(Seeking monthly tickets~! ~!)