Nobody told me this wasn't a game.

coming?

Blood Rose was Zuo Chang's "Chief of Security Bureau" back then, and everyone called her "Chief Rose".

The girl in front of him was probably afraid of scaring Captain Li, since Blood Rose was no ordinary person, so she referred to him as "Chief" in a roundabout way.

Zuo Chang hurriedly said, "That's me! The chief said I would meet a spellcaster in Phoenix Cry City? Is that you?"

"Yes, yes, I received a telegram. She asked me to look after you."

She extended her palm in a friendly gesture.

"Mr. Zuo Chang, you can call me Lychee. I am a scholar, currently traveling in 96511, hoping to find proof that General Tianwang is still alive, Miss Lychee!"

Lychee had blue nail polish on all four of her fingernails, except for her middle finger, which was completely clean and spotless. She didn't know why.

Zuo Chang held her soft, boneless hand and said, "My name is Zuo Chang, nice to meet you."

Captain Li stood to the side, watching silently.

He spoke up, saying, "Mr. Zuo, this might sound a bit sudden... but we're about to face a battle that could be very dangerous."

"???"

What, what happened?

Why fight for no reason?

Zuo Chang was puzzled. He looked at the quiet night and the calm camp, and asked, "A battle?"

Captain Li nodded solemnly: "Yes. A battle. A group of thieves are using my shield escort as a pretext to secretly transport three 'valuable items' hidden in the cargo. If nothing unexpected happens, we're about to be in trouble."

Zuo Chang remained calm and asked, "Is it Tie Dan?"

"!"

"!"

Both Lizhi and Captain Li were taken aback, not understanding how Zuo Chang had guessed it!

Lychee didn't hide her surprise and asked, "How did you know? Are you an accomplice?! No, that can't be... You were introduced by the chief, so you should be very reliable."

Zuo Chang shook his head: "My background is of course innocent, you don't need to doubt that. The reason I can guess is simply because the security at the city gate is too tight, and there is a mine with a capacity of tens of billions of tons next to Fengming City, it is hard not to suspect whether Tie Dan has been lost."

what……

Lizhi and Captain Li exchanged a glance, both agreeing that it made a lot of sense.

Zuo Chang countered, "How did you know?"

Lychee quickly replied, "I saw them secretly putting the iron gallstones in."

"……what?"

"I saw it."

Lychee repeated herself.

She pointed to one of the wagons and continued, "I was sitting in the carriage when I saw someone carrying a box crawl under that wagon. When he came out again, the box was suddenly gone."

Captain Li then said, "Miss Lychee told me, and I was worried that someone might be smuggling contraband, which could damage the reputation of the Giant Shield Escort, so I went to check. And then—"

He took out an iron box covered with runes.

The box was opened, revealing three round, silver-gray stones inside.

Under the glow of the campfire, the round stones emitted a warm luster.

This wasn't reflected firelight, but rather shimmering silver light.

These three round stones radiate a precious light!

It's exactly the same as the character art in the game, it's really bold!

But what kind of situation is this?

The most ingenious way to solve a crime is not through meticulous and flawless reasoning, but by directly witnessing the crime scene, right?

Captain Li hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Mr. Zuo, you seem to know about Iron Gallbladder? Is this thing... really Iron Gallbladder? It looks very precious, but I can't be sure of its origin. If it really is the legendary Iron Gallbladder, one piece would be worth several million!"

Zuo Chang remained calm: "This is Iron Gallbladder. It is shaped like a chicken egg, silver-gray in color, and has an extremely smooth surface. Even under the most advanced microscopic magic, you cannot see the slightest bump or unevenness. Iron Gallbladder is the essence of iron, a top-tier magical material. Adding one when forging a weapon can increase its sharpness by a whole level! A few million for one is actually because we're in a hurry to sell it; we're selling it cheaply."

Millions, or should we sell it cheaply?

This time...

This is really going to be a big hit!

Captain Li stood silently, his face devout.

A moment later, he picked up an iron bladder and handed it to Lychee;

He then picked up another iron gall and handed it to Zuo Chang.

He tucked the last ironclad token into the pocket close to his chest: "Mr. Zuo, Ms. Lizhi, I've worked for Giant Shield Escort for ten years, diligently and conscientiously. Since becoming the escort captain, I've worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, walking on thin ice... But even so, not counting commission, my monthly salary is only seventy or eighty thousand..."

Zuo Chang looked up at him, holding the iron gall in his hand: "What you mean... is?"

Captain Li looked up at the sky, his face filled with grief: "I thought that with my professional ethics, I could resist any temptation. Even if millions of dollars were piled up in front of me, I would not betray my principles and commit the shameful act of abandoning the mission! But just now... my bottom line was so easily breached."

"..."

"..."

Zuo Chang looked at Captain Li with the same gaze one would use to look at trash.

Lychee's eyes were hidden under her hood, so her expression could not be seen. Presumably, her appearance at this moment was the same as Zuo Chang's.

Captain Li's dead fish eyes are gone; his eyes are now bright and piercing, like a husky's.

With a serious expression, he continued, "Wealth has always been a powerful motivator. In the end, I'm just a pathetic creature manipulated by desire. Mr. Zuo, Miss Lizhi, let's leave now! Anywhere is fine. This damn escort team is a mess—too much work, too little pay, too risky. I'm constantly running around in the wilderness! I've wanted to quit for a long time!"

Chapter 9 I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush.

Today is the first time Zuo Chang has met Captain Li.

But his thoughts...

Honestly, it's not that hard to understand.

If it weren't for the pressure of making a living, who would want to go to work?

This iron gall was like a gift from heaven. He suddenly had a treasure worth millions in his hands. Considering all the annoying and troublesome things he did at work, it was only natural for him to quit.

Captain Li is quite righteous.

Three iron gallstones, one for each person, everyone who sees them gets one, that's quite bold.

but……

Zuo Chang said, "Captain Li, don't worry."

Captain Li said anxiously, "I'm so worried! Seriously, you two, let's go! If we run away with the Iron Gallbladder, who will know? Can those robbers report us to the authorities?"

Zuo Chang laughed and said, "Of course the robbers won't report to the authorities; they'll take matters into their own hands."

Captain Li was taken aback and fell silent.

The huge sum of money in front of him made him lose his composure.

Iron gallstones are extremely valuable, and those who covet such a rare item are unlikely to be small organizations.

They went through all that trouble to come up with nothing. How could they not investigate?

Zuo Chang and the other two have left now, which is tantamount to admitting their guilt without being asked.

In that case, the consequences could be disastrous, and the person would live in constant fear for the rest of their life.

Lychee toyed with the iron gall in her hand and said fiercely, "Miss Lychee thinks it's too risky to leave now. Why don't we kill all the invading enemies and cut off the iron gall's trail so that they have nowhere to investigate?"

Is it possible?

The other party set this trap because they came prepared and are not afraid to confront you head-on.

Moreover.

She, a spellcaster at the third realm, might not be afraid, and Captain Li, an adventurer at the third realm, might not be afraid either, but Zuo Chang, a novice at this realm, is very afraid.

Zuo Chang pressed his palms together and said, "I'll give you two options. First, we can pretend we know nothing and put the iron gall back; we'll most likely be fine."

"No way!"

Captain Li flatly refused!

His expression was resolute as he said, "How can we give up something we've already got? Miss Lychee, don't you agree?"

Lychee held the iron gall in her palm: "Hmm... Miss Lychee wants this iron gall."

Ok.

Zuo Chang didn't really want to give up Iron Gallbladder either; it was a really good thing.

Just like Captain Li said.

How can you just spit out what you've eaten?

and……

Zuo Chang robbed caravans multiple times in the game.

The profits from robbery are extremely considerable, and robbery activities can be said to be a part of the entire game, so Zuo Chang has a wealth of experience in it.

He said, “Captain Li, their target is Ironblood, and their plan is meticulous. They know how to use the reputation of the Giant Shield Escort to their advantage. Although there were some flaws in the actual execution by their men, the overall plan was still sound—they are very professional.”

Captain Li had no idea what Zuo Chang wanted to say.

He listened in silence.

Zuo Chang continued, "The actions of professional bandit groups are actually easier to predict. To rob a caravan, the first step is to cripple its mobility."

Action capability?

Horses?

Captain Li and Lizhi both turned their heads and looked in one direction.

The Giant Shield escort team deployed a total of nine vehicles, seven of which were trucks loaded with raw silk, which was quite valuable.