Soon, everyone rode an oversized elevator down into the Shelter.
Normally, members of Public Security would be there to greet them. The Mercenary Guild would also send people to tally their haul.
But now, all those people could do was stand aside. At the very front was a group of burly, broad-shouldered men. They wore matching Combat Suits and carried an air of grim lethality.
Through Lin Xinghaiâs Perception, he could tell that any single one of these men was at least as strong as Roger. The leader, in particular, had a presence that seemed to faintly overshadow even Fang Tianheâs.
After sweeping his gaze over them, Lin Xinghai came to a conclusion.
âThese are soldiers.â
âHere in the Shelter, only the military could muster a squad like this.â
Their captain was sizing them up as well. His gaze eventually landed on Fang Tianhe, and he held out a document.
Fang Tianhe took the document. After confirming the manâs identity, he led him and his soldiers onto one of the Armored Vehicles.
All the Energy Crystal Stones had already been moved into the Armored Vehicles. Conducting the transaction inside would keep it discreet.
Soon, Roger and the soldiers emerged, with smiles on everyoneâs faces.
After the soldiers left, Xu Haishui was the first to rush over. "Captain, how did the deal go? Did they try to haggle?"
Energy Crystal Stones were precious, but an oversupply of anything would drive the price down.
"They didnât. In fact, they bought them from us at a premium," Fang Tianhe said, his smile growing even wider.
Hearing this, everyoneâs face lit up with joy.
"How much of a premium?" Xu Haishui immediately pressed.
"They gave us an extra 50,000 Points, for a total of 280,000. Itâs already been deposited," Fang Tianhe said, not keeping them in suspense any longer.
Xu Haishuiâs jaw dropped. The others looked just as astonished. Even the perpetually cold Shen Han showed a flicker of surprise.
50,000 Points was no small sum.
"After we completed the transaction, a high-ranking officer sent me a message telling us to be careful for a while. These 50,000 Points are probably meant as compensation," Fang Tianhe explained.
The regular Mercenaries might have been confused by this warning, but people like Roger were already mentally prepared for it.
However, compared to everyone else, Lin Xinghai was more focused on the message itself.
âThe fact that they sent such a warning clearly proves that the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps has truly gotten on the radar of the higher-ups. Weâve even earned a measure of their goodwill.â
âTsk! The Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corpsâ prospects are even better than I imagined!â Lin Xinghai couldnât help but marvel inwardly.
After the soldiers departed, it was time for the people from Public Security and the Mercenary Guild to step forward and tally the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corpsâ haul.
In addition, some Shelter residents who had been strolling through the Mercenary Plaza began to gather around out of curiosity.
In reality, a Mercenary Corpsâ return and the public tallying of its spoils in the Mercenary Plaza was also a show of strength.
Far from being kept secret, the information from the tally was broadcast directly on the Mercenary Plazaâs large screen for all to see.
This was done to show the Shelterâs residents how lucrative the mercenary profession could be, thereby encouraging more people to join the industry.
It also served as a silent motivator for the Mercenary Corps, as returning with too small a haul would be rather embarrassing.
The first items to be tallied were the Elemental Crystals. 435 of them was no small number.
When this information appeared on the Mercenary Plazaâs large screen, a buzz of discussion immediately went through the crowd of onlookers.
"Thatâs so many Elemental Crystals! A lot of Second Level Mercenary Corps donât even get that many from a single expedition!"
"Definitely not. Didnât another Second Level Mercenary Corps just get back? Their Elemental Crystal haul was less than 200."
"Are you all just focused on the quantity? Did none of you notice that out of those 400-plus Elemental Crystals, over 100 of them are Intermediate Elemental Crystals?"
"That... The amount of Points they can exchange for must be over eight thousand!"
"You clearly donât know what youâre talking about. Eight thousand? Please, thatâll definitely break ten thousand."
The crowd of onlookers chattered among themselves.
But it wasnât over. When the screen updated to show that their haul also included a Mutated Zombie, the buzz of discussion instantly turned into an uproar.
An uproar like this would only attract more spectators.
Roger watched the scene unfold, a smile spreading across his face. âThis is what it means to get both fame and fortune!â
Of course, Mutated Zombies werenât so easy to kill.
Take the Armored Corpse, for example. If Fang Tianheâs Superpower hadnât happened to be a perfect counter to it, forget two Mechasâeven with three, they might not have been able to take it down. They could have even suffered casualties.
Other Mutated Zombies also had their own special abilities. As a result, usually only one or two Mercenary Corps would be fortunate enough to kill a Mutated Zombie in any given week.
This time, the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps had really made a name for itself.
"A lot of the equipment in the Spacecraft Research Institute was still in good condition. Itâs a shame we ran into that Blood Demon. If weâd brought back some gadgets to sell here in the plaza, our reputation would probably keep growing for a while," Xu Haishui couldnât help but remark.
For a Mercenary Corps, a reputation was something that could be both dispensable and critically important, depending on the situation.
For example, now that the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps was about to expand and needed to recruit new blood, a higher reputation meant a greater chance of attracting talented individuals.
Just as everyone was dreaming about the Mercenary Corpsâ bright future...
...no one noticed a thug in the crowd push his way forward, shoot a glance at Lin Xinghai, and then hurriedly depart.
If Lin Xinghai had happened to glance in that direction, he would have recognized Wang Damao, the one who had come to his dorm yesterday to collect protection money.
A little over ten minutes later, a panting Wang Damao ran back to a hidden corner near Lin Xinghaiâs dormitory.
"Boss, the Heaven-Sundering Mercenary Corps is back," Wang Damao reported.
"And that Lin Xinghai! Is he dead or not?" Huai Feifu demanded.
"No." Wang Damao shook his head.
Hearing this, a look of disappointment crossed Huai Feifuâs face. "Heâs that weak and he still didnât die? The bastardâs got some damn good luck."
"Boss, with you on the case, no matter how lucky he is, today will be the day he dies," Wang Damao immediately flattered.
A smile touched Huai Feifuâs lips; he clearly enjoyed the flattery. "But we canât be careless. We still need to make the proper preparations."
As he spoke, he opened his wrist-comp, typed out a message, and sent it.
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For the sake of this author, Crystal, who is writing these Chapters while sick, please give me your recommendation votes, my dear readers!