Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland.

Chapter 600: Mine of Sorrow (Combined Chapter)

When the Tech Hunters are on a mission, the leader has absolute authority - but this is premised on the fact that all members have reached a consensus before they set out.

After all, no one wants your teammates to suddenly reveal their suppressed resentment when they are on the edge of danger. Even if they are just passively slacking off, it may cause irreparable losses to the entire team.

However, not every task is so perfect that everyone can agree with it.

Therefore, in the long-term practice, technology hunters have developed a customary system - instead of forcing a consensus, it is better to screen before the action begins.

Even if you were a small team, as long as the differences are too big to be bridged, all members will vote and everyone must express their opinions. If the voting results cannot convince the other side, then the technology hunters holding the minority opinion will completely withdraw from the action.

It is rumored that this system is implemented even in the Inner Circle, and it is even very likely that it was promoted by the first batch of Watchers holding silver cards - the difference is that outsiders have no way of knowing their specific voting tendencies, and can only understand the final meeting results.

Even if the inner circle members have disagreements, they will not show them, and when they issue orders, they will still issue them in the name of the whole group. Sometimes this makes it difficult to understand the attitude of each watcher, but it also reduces the possibility of external forces defeating each one and interfering with the decision-making of the inner circle.

"Things haven't come to this point yet..." As the team leader, Romi still wanted to persuade.

Once the process of withdrawal of aliens is activated, it means that the differences within this team have become so great that they cannot be reconciled.

In his opinion, there was obviously room for negotiation...

"Okay." Unexpectedly, it was Liu Si who spoke.

He went on to say, "But Deng Li, I have to remind you - we are still in the process of carrying out the Sorrow Mine mission, and your proposal does not conform to standard procedures."

"However, considering whether to act as the sponsor of Lubeiyou and endorse the credit of the headquarters in Shandi... this is indeed a task we took on halfway, and the brothers are qualified to express their opinions... If there is something that cannot be done, no one will force it."

In just a few words, Liu Si made everything flawless, from public to private. On the one hand, he was trying to win over his teammates and show his humanity, but on the other hand, he might have intended to warn them.

Deng Li's smile froze for a moment, and his expression changed several times: "...Okay."

For him.

Being able to start this program was already a success, and the fact that Liu Si agreed so readily was actually a little beyond his expectations.

The other tech hunters looked at each other, but in the end no objection was raised.

Romi saw this scene and understood it clearly: it seems that the concerns about this matter were not just Deng Li's instigation or one-sided opinion, but had long been buried in the hearts of some of his companions.

Before, in front of Lu Beiyou, they didn’t have low emotional intelligence enough to show it directly.

Liu Si complied with the other party's proposal, and he might also have wanted to speak frankly and resolve the differences.

"Okay," he presided, "let's get started."

At this point, Romi still had some hope in his heart: in fact, even if the degree was opened, if the opponents were a minority, they would most likely not withdraw in the end, but choose to obey the group.

After all, those who are truly stubborn and insist on their own opinions are a minority no matter which side they are on. Although most people may have inclinations, once the general trend is formed, they will still go with the flow...

However, as the voting proceeded.

His face became increasingly ugly.

"Cathode: One person."

"Cathode: Two people."

"Cathode: Three people."

……

"Anode: One person."

They used the positive and negative poles of a micro-battery power source as a symbol, with the anode that sticks to the order being the one who maintains it, and the cathode where electrons flow out being the one who is free.

Supporters and opponents respectively.

Because this involves personal choice and ultimate stay or departure, there is no need for anonymity in the technology hunter program. Romi has seen more and more opponents choosing the cathode.

It was far beyond his expectations.

'Why……'

finally.

"There are 7 cathodes and 5 anodes..." Liu Si said, "With me and Romi, there are 7 anodes."

7 to 7, half and half.

wrong……

Romi and Deng Li were both stunned. There were 15 people in total, including the technology hunters and two team leaders, so it should be possible to determine the winner.

Who hasn't made a choice yet?

Everyone's eyes quickly converged on the figure in the corner behind them who was drawing with a notebook - Chad.

The tech hunter has been like this since leaving the tower and didn't even participate in the discussion just now.

But he couldn't be deaf after all. He knew exactly what happened in the room and there was no need to elaborate.

At this moment, seeing everyone's attention focused on him, Chad paused, snapped his notes shut, stood up and walked over.

"Chad——" Romi was delighted.

Deng Li raised his eyebrows.

This technology hunter had just consulted Lu Beiyou on the issue of ancient Chinese translation at the meeting, which made him more proactive than anyone else.

His choice...

"Cathode." Chad popped out a discarded button battery and dropped it on the table. Then he went upstairs to his room without looking back, leaving behind a figure in a coat.

The button battery rotates with a squeak.

But before it was settled, Chad's last words had already given the answer -

Cathode, opponent.

Opposition to support, 8:7.

……

……

"What the hell is going on with those guys in Dunley!" Romi threw his hat on the table and complained to Liu Si, "And that Chad, after all, the Nameless One helped him, right? Why is he standing with them?"

After the results of the meeting came out, the atmosphere in this team of technology hunters became a little awkward. Except for Deng Li and a few others who had a faint smile on their faces, the rest of the people no longer stayed together and went back to their rooms.

After a disagreement, keeping a little distance is actually a good way to mend the relationship.

Liu Si dragged his chin: "...Didn't you notice the origins of those who chose the cathode?"

"Origin?" Romi was stunned. "Aren't they all Tech Hunters..."

But he soon realized.

The other party was talking about their ancestral hometown before they joined the Tech Hunters.

The southern branch of the Tech Hunters is the Lagoon, with the Lagoon Town as its center. It has attracted many local residents and outsiders to join the organization. For example, Romi and Liu Si, they are fellow villagers who grew up in the No. 3 drilling well in the Lagoon.

"...Mine Town." He murmured.

All the tech hunters who voted against the Alien Program, including Chad, were members from the Mine Town.

Sad mining town.

A former mining capital.

The city of sadness today.

Even though the town of Ai Mining has been declining, and the Empire's rule has become almost non-existent, and has even been abandoned... but in the final analysis, tracing back to the source, they are still people of the United Cities.

"The mission of this operation is to promote the transfer and acquisition of Ai Mine Town to the Tech Hunters... Because it involves their own interests, the boss not only sent our own people, but also joined many hunters from Ai Mine Town." Liu Si maintained his posture and looked out the window, tapping his fingers occasionally, "This way, when we negotiate at the headquarters, the opinions of the Ai Mine Town people can be expressed."

"You knew that, too."

"But I didn't expect the Mine Hunters to object to the headquarters being set up in Shandi?" Romi said puzzledly after reacting. "This doesn't conflict with our mission... and what does this have to do with them?"

Could it be that the Red King and the United Cities are at odds, and as a former part of the city-state, they are quite resistant to something that benefits the "enemy" -

"Unlike our Lowland Lake, which fell into decline naturally, Aikuan Town was destroyed by the bloody rebellion... or more accurately, by the bloody 'suppression of the rebellion.'" Liu Si said, "The rebels broke through the sky and attacked the palace, but the nobles' coalition army that followed slaughtered the entire city."

Every street, every house, every hiding place...

As for sending the bloody remnants into slavery, that was done to the remaining survivors after the massacre.

"For those who can continue to survive in the Mine Town, they know better than anyone else how powerful the empire is."

This does not change even with the addition of Tech Hunters.

Today, Ai Mine Town lacks management. It is exposed in the wasteland of bones, with strange beasts rampant and bandits running rampant, and the interior is becoming increasingly chaotic... It can be said that with every day that passes, this once prosperous city-state is experiencing a human tragedy.

Those who were able to escape and run to the depression lagoon to become technology hunters were considered the best among them - even if they themselves stayed in the Sorrow Mine, they would be powerless to change the situation there.

This in turn leads to more capable people leaving.

This is a downward trend.

Death spiral.

"Now, the only hope we can have is that the Tech Hunters can take over Sorrow Mine Town and turn it into a second base similar to the Lagoon and maintain order. This will give those who remain inside a glimmer of hope... maybe their family and friends are among them." Liu Si pursed his lips and pointed to Romi's other rooms. "However, Sorrow Mine Town is too large after all. Its overlord is even qualified to be elected emperor... After it is abandoned, even with the financial and human resources of the Lagoon, it is impossible to fully support it. We still need the support of the headquarters."

This is the purpose of their trip.

Even though Liu Si didn't explain, Romi already understood: At this juncture, if the Red King's request caused a rift with the United Cities and delayed the transfer plan...

The people in the mournful mining town.

There will never be a day when you can succeed.

This is absolutely unacceptable to the technology hunters who come from the Sorrowful Mine Town.

"Even if, as we have seen with our own eyes, Shandi has all the conditions to open a relay station, it is still unknown whether the headquarters will approve the project if they consider the value of the Sorrowful Mine Town and its relationship with the United Cities." Liu Si guessed, "And the results of our vote today will also become an important reference for the headquarters to consider people's support."

"Then why did you agree so readily in front of Lu Beiyou before?" Romi was stunned.

We brothers want to be sponsors.

It was you who said the success rate was very high!
"If I remember correctly, you were the first one to agree." Liu Si rolled his eyes at him, "Although I didn't object."

In terms of probability.

For him, as long as he could get more than half, the success rate would be very high.

It's worth a gamble.

Even the level of agreeing to execute the alien just now was the same... Liu Si also secretly hoped that Chad, who had actively contacted Lu Beiyou, would stand on their side, but he did not expect that this man who always did not follow the ordinary path still chose his own origin like everyone else.

There is nothing we can do about this.

"We say we are neutral, but our organization is ultimately made up of people," the bespectacled tech hunter sighed. "We come from all corners of the world... so we are inevitably restricted by the local forces."

Unless it is cultivated by the Black Scratch Headquarters, or a town like Depression Lagoon that is completely occupied by Tech Hunters.

Otherwise it would be impossible to completely leave everything behind.

Be a "pure" hunter.

It is also because of this that many technology hunters joined the organization but eventually withdrew.

"...Then do the seven of us still want to be the sponsors?" Romi asked, "I think this thing is going to fail."

To their surprise, in the dissenter procedure, the supporters became the minority, and according to convention, they should withdraw on their own.

Of course, if they still want to persist, that is their own business, which is equivalent to forming a new team.

But this is in the eyes of headquarters.

It must be a huge minus point.

If things end up going badly, they may even be held accountable in serious cases... The risks of sponsorship begin to gradually emerge.

"Of course." Liu Si's voice was low, and he no longer had the confidence he had before. He just said affirmatively: "When I agreed to this, I had already considered the current risks."

This time it was Romi's turn to roll his eyes at him.

He finally understood his companion - although he seemed to be meticulous, he was actually a gambler at heart, otherwise he would not have engaged in close combat at the risk of his life.

Liu Si continued to think, "We must keep this secret from Lu Beiyou and the Red King. We cannot let them know that the Tech Hunters are planning to take over the Sorrowful Mine Town from the United City. After all, the funding from the headquarters is not endless. The priority of the Sorrowful Mine Town is higher than the relay station. Once the Sorrowful Mine Town project is launched, the progress of setting up the station in the Flash Land will definitely slow down."

At the same time, he also had some vague guesses.

From observing the hidden eagerness in the arrogance of those nobles, it seemed that transferring Ai Mine Town was also a very beneficial thing for them.

Think about it too.

After all, the resale price alone is no less than building a relay station... The other party's mood is probably the same as the Red King's expectation of setting up a station in Flash.

on this matter.

They are contenders once again.

If Lu Beiyou knew about this, he would probably do what the Mine Hunter did and obstruct their original mission... Fortunately, everyone knew what was important and didn't reveal a single thing.

Liu Si pressed his forehead.

I feel a worse headache.

Deep down, compared to dealing with the arrogant United Cities nobles, he undoubtedly had a better impression of the white-haired young man who was close to the tech hunters and had great attainments in academics and ancient languages.

However, the game at this level is not subject to personal will.

He can only try his best to be loyal to others.

(End of this chapter)