From Gotham to Night City, my infamy is known to all.

"Change... does it mean vitality? Recently, the lives of the homeless have indeed become much better."

Sitting in the back, Panan also pressed his face against the window and looked out. He saw something very rare on the faces of the homeless people—hope for a better life.

Leo glanced at the back seat in the rearview mirror and caught a glimpse of Panan's striking silhouette. He paused for a moment before replying:

"That's right, it's vitality. I still remember the scene not long ago. At that time, the eastern suburbs were like that garbage mountain in the south, full of oppression and decadence. Everyone living here was a marginalized person, and they did their best just to survive every day."

But now, we've only done a few small things, and we've revitalized this place. This visible change is what I find interesting.

Hearing his words, Panan turned around and looked at him deeply, murmuring:

"It's not just, nor is it insignificant. What you've done here has already spread like the wind through the mountains and wilderness, carried by the songs of the wanderers, and reached the ears of the entire community. These days, many wanderer families, both acquaintances and strangers, have contacted us, wanting to ask if there are any job opportunities available here."

Leo laughed: "Yes, let them all come. I plan to restart the Pacific Island investment project, with an initial investment of 100 billion euros to make it a livable place. There are plenty of job opportunities and positions, and it would be even better if someone had a skill."

Panan fell silent, and after a while said softly, "You're like a living saint, but what for?"

“Why? Good question…” Leo pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized, “I just… don’t like living in a cesspool. Besides, I prefer seeing people laugh to crying. If they can also cheer for me with laughter and offer their loyalty, that would be even better!”

"It sounds like you want to be the Emperor? Well, I have heard that all the men over there want to be the Emperor!"

Jack's voice boomed from the speaker, full of energy.

"To be honest, Mano, once you take over Taiping Continent, there will definitely be a lot of guys who like to stir up trouble and give you a new nickname. I reckon they might call you the King of Taiping Continent!"

"Ha~ I'd rather not have it. Taipingzhou is such a tiny place, and half of it has been taken by Dog Town. What kind of king is that? If Taipingzhou can be made a king, then Night City has five larger regions, which can at least make ten kings."

"Let's wait. Maybe I'll be qualified to be called a king when I conquer Night City… no, Night City is still too small; at most, I'll be the Lord of the Night."

"Haha! Then I'll help you spread the word later, let everyone know your title as the Lord of the Night. That way, when you go to a bar, everyone will raise their glasses to you and shout, 'Long live the Lord of the Night!'"

Jack turned up his voice and yelled, truly deserving of the title of "legendary" when it came to livening up the atmosphere.

Amidst the bustling atmosphere, the town of Shijishan came into view at the edge of the horizon.

At first glance, Leo felt as if Stone Ridge Mountain had expanded several times over.

Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn't an illusion—Stone Ridge Mountain had indeed expanded, with densely packed tents and makeshift houses erected around the town's perimeter. Judging from the everyday items scattered around, it was clear that people lived there.

Panan explained, “Those are temporary shelters for homeless people. When they heard the news that Stone Ridge Mountain was going to be rebuilt, many homeless people came from the wilderness outside Night City to find work here.”

Leo nodded, referring to it as the "homeless clustering effect," which was exactly what he hoped to see.

"Actually, they can stay in the town first, there are so many empty houses."

"You should ask Saul about this; he's been worrying about it a lot these past few days."

"Oh?"

Soon after, Thor cleared up Leo's doubts.

"Here's the thing, boss. Although Stone Ridge Mountain has been abandoned for many years, some long-time residents are still alive, and it's located in Night City. I heard it's going to be redeveloped, and many people are coming to claim their houses with still-valid property ownership certificates. I don't know what to do; I can only wait for you to come back and handle it..."

After saying that, Thor scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

Leo encountered a problem as soon as he returned to Stoneridge Mountain, leaving him speechless: "Hmm... Night City used to use the old American system, right? What percentage of property tax do private real estate owners have to pay every year?"

Thor blinked blankly.

Leo realized he had asked the wrong person, so he turned to Chunbai and received an affirmative answer.

Night City stipulates that privately owned properties must pay an annual property tax to the city government, typically 1.5% of the property's assessed value.

"At 1.5% annually, they've accumulated a huge debt over the years. Here's the deal: either they pay the 20 years' worth of property taxes back to us, or they receive compensation and resell the properties here to us—their choice is theirs. In short, we absolutely cannot let them take advantage of us for nothing!"

Stone Ridge Mountain is Leo's outpost and training ground for new recruits, and he doesn't want too many "residents" of unknown origin mixed in here, so he can monitor them every day.

With Leo's words, Thor felt reassured and could confidently make arrangements.

Later, Leo met with several warrant officers one by one to give them a heads-up.

These individuals reacted much like Mann and the others, initially surprised, then delighted, and finally deeply impressed by Leo's extravagant gesture.

Leo casually instructed them: "First, arrange the lunch banquet. Before the banquet, I will give a mobilization speech. Remember to broadcast it to all the bases simultaneously."

The warrant officers received their orders and withdrew, not daring to even raise their heads.

After they left, Leo returned to normal:

"After the mobilization meeting, our plan to attack Taipingzhou will be completely out of the question. But it's alright. The Wings of Freedom are no match for the Voodoo Gang, and with Kangtao and the Internet Monitors providing support, the two sides are not evenly matched, whether openly or covertly. If they know what's good for them and leave Taipingzhou overnight, I might spare their lives. After all, I'm kind-hearted."

V walked over and nudged him: "The Voodoo Gang is nothing, what's scary is the big companies doing dirty tricks behind the scenes."

"I'm not afraid at all. Do you think my Infinity Gauntlet is fake?!"

Leo raised his left hand and scratched V's chin with his sparkly glove, then got punched by her.

Hmph, it doesn't hurt at all!

Chapter 387 A Great Speech!

After three days of separation, treat each other with admiration.

This saying can be used not only to describe people, but also to describe a rapidly developing town.

Leo remembered that his last visit to Stone Ridge Mountain was five days ago. In just a few days, this suburban town, which had just shaken off its reputation as a ghost town, had undergone new changes.

Thanks to the efficiency of the company's construction workers and the remarkable adaptability of the homeless, several main roads in the town center are already showing signs of becoming commercial streets, with all kinds of shops selling weapons and equipment, clothing and general merchandise, accommodation and car repair.

The emerging commercial activity attracted more speculators, and incidentally drew in many passersby.

Leo and his friends strolled along the bustling streets, and they even had the illusion of visiting a small town in the American West.

The bustling, vibrant atmosphere and obvious changes gave him a great sense of accomplishment, like playing a simulation game.

Of course, he didn't forget his main task—preparing his speech.

As the sun rises to its zenith and the temperature in the desert soars, the festive atmosphere, even more intense than the sunlight, reaches a new peak.

The enticing aroma of meat and the fresh fruits and vegetables successfully awakened the memories of the homeless.

It's L!

The true leader of the Wings of Liberty has returned, and only he is so rich and generous as to treat the wanderers to such a sumptuous feast!

A propaganda team led by several wanderer leaders traveled around the town, inviting members of the Wings of Freedom, as well as company employees and passersby who happened to be in the town, to a midday banquet.

Before long, the outdoor sports field that served as the banquet venue was packed with people, comparable to those popular tourist attractions during holidays.

Suddenly, the melodious and deep sound of bells resounded throughout the venue, silencing the clamor of the crowd.

People craned their necks to look around and saw drones carrying loudspeakers roaming about.

"Distinguished guests, please keep quiet. Now, please welcome Mr. L from Night City, the person in charge of the Stone Ridge Mountain reconstruction project and the sponsor of this banquet, to speak!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted as the soldiers of the Wings of Freedom paid tribute to their commander!

The guests, each with their own thoughts, joined in the applause.

Apart from a few genuine passersby, everyone in the eastern suburbs who makes a living knows that L is the mastermind behind Wings of Freedom!

Amidst the attention of the crowd, Leo calmly ascended the several-meter-high stage, smiling and waving to the audience.

This time, he didn't wear his signature silver mask, openly displaying his appearance and the magnificent Infinity Gauntlet on his left hand.

Six dazzling gems shimmered in the sunlight, captivating all who beheld them.

Leo's gaze swept across the entire audience, and he found that there were at least 1,400 to 1,500 people in the audience this time, which was seven times the number of people in his last speech!

The momentum is good; hopefully, it can exceed 10,000 next time.

He raised his left hand high, using the magnificent yet powerful Infinity Gauntlet to suppress the sounds in the arena.

In an instant, all was silent within a kilometer radius of him.

This is not an adjective, but rather the use of the power of the Mother Box to block all sound sources, leaving only one sound here, the sound of the ruler!

A small commotion arose in the crowd, and some people were horrified to find that no matter how much they shouted, stomped their feet, or clapped, they could not hear anything, as if they had gone deaf.

Fortunately, the panic was quickly contained before it could spread, because they heard the sound again, as if it were right next to their ears—

"Fellow warriors of the Wings of Liberty, and guests, welcome to my banquet. I know you are all very hungry, so I will keep it short and ask you to give me a few minutes."

Leo's voice wasn't loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly, carrying a kind of...reassuring and convincing magic that successfully calmed the commotion.

"First of all, the first thing is that today is April 1st. I know that when you hear this date, the first thing that comes to mind is April Fool's Day. But I have to say that today is not only a happy holiday, but also the first day of the month, payday!"

Everyone who joined Wings of Freedom signed an employment contract, which only specified salary and benefits but forgot to mention the pay date. Now, let me clarify: you will receive your salary for the previous month on the first day of each month.

"Yay—!"

"Long live Boss L!"

The sudden shout startled everyone, and they realized they could speak again. But given the strange situation they had just witnessed, no one dared to cause any more trouble.

On the contrary, the soldiers of the Wings of Liberty shouted loudly, venting their joy.

Leo gave them a dozen seconds and said again, "All personnel who participated in the Eastern Suburbs Battle will be promoted one level from their original level. Those who have made significant contributions will be promoted one or two levels further, depending on the circumstances. Their basic monthly salary will be calculated according to the standards after the promotion."

"Long live long live!"

The saying "The wealth of the neighboring IX Phosphorus Saki is truly moving" is indeed true.

Upon hearing that they could earn more money, the first batch of "veterans" were overjoyed and involuntarily puffed out their chests.

The new recruits also looked on with envy.

Leo used Deep Blue's emotional control abilities to carefully perceive the soldiers' true thoughts and found that these wandering soldiers were indeed good. Although some of them were still jealous, it was not strong enough to turn into "hatred".

It is truly remarkable that they could maintain such a high moral standard during their arduous life as homeless people.

To cheer up the new recruits, he announced the true purpose of his speech:

"Those new recruits who didn't get promoted shouldn't be discouraged. As long as you train hard, you'll automatically be promoted after three months. If that's still too slow... then I happen to have a new opportunity for you, starting tomorrow, in Taiping Island!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhenhong, keeping pace with his rhythm, distributed the "Pacification Continent Strategy" to all members of the Wings of Freedom.

After seeing the clear mission objectives, many people, including Reimu, showed hesitation and fear.

Occupy Taiping Island...!?

They weren't afraid of the Voodoo Gang, but Taipingzhou was the urban area of ​​Night City, and the NCPD, the Terrorist Mobile Unit, and the armies of various corporations were not something they could handle.

Before any questions arose, Leo first reiterated the Voodoo Cult's crimes against humanity, then revealed his prepared trump card:

"Kantau Corporation and Internet Surveillance have pledged their assistance. This operation will not be interfered with by other major forces; we can focus solely on dealing with the Voodoo Gang and its accomplices. Once successful, Wings of Freedom will replace the Voodoo Gang and take over Pacific Island!"

It sounds really good, and many young people who grew up in families of homeless people and have never had any experience living in a big city are tempted.

They had secretly been to Night City and knew what kind of life the gangs there led—it was much more comfortable than wandering the Badlands!

However, the elders in the family were not so optimistic. They dared not make a fuss, so they sent their concerns to the junior leaders, who then communicated with Leader L.

Soon, Leo received a text message from Thor and the others.

After carefully understanding the concerns of the homeless, he nodded silently—as expected, everything was under control!

"Ladies and gentlemen!" He raised his left hand, muting the room again to suppress the noise. "I know many of you have reservations about modern city life and are unwilling to deal with local authorities and large corporations. But I want to ask you, why have you become homeless? Is it for freedom?"

Many of the older people stared blankly, recalling the reasons that led them to embark on their journey of wandering.

Leo clenched his left fist, leaving only his index and middle fingers raised high, pointing towards the sky like a sharp sword:

"No! I can give you the answer!"

“That’s right, I’m not a homeless person, but I know that homelessness is a consequence of losing your jobs and homes, and going bankrupt under the brutal suppression of the government and large corporations, which is why you become homeless!”

"You were forced to embark on a journey of migration, cramming your entire family and all your possessions into a car, in search of work, stability, and a better future. Not for the freedom to be homeless, to lack food and clothing, to be destitute!"

As he spoke seriously and sharply, more and more homeless people showed recognition and fervor in their eyes.

That's right!

Freedom is precious, but the kind of freedom that comes from going hungry and earning a meager wage through hard labor is not something romantic.

This is just a prolonged existence!

"Now--"

Leo surveyed the entire arena, his gaze sharp and his presence radiating brilliance.

"The opportunity has arrived! After occupying Taipingzhou and eliminating the Voodoo Gang, I have decided to allocate 100 billion in start-up funds to rebuild Taipingzhou and launch a major infrastructure project!"

All members of the Wings of Freedom, as long as they work diligently, can obtain Night City citizenship within a year at the latest. After three years of service or reaching the rank of sergeant, they are guaranteed housing, and their spouses and children enjoy priority in employment and education!

Of course, those who really dislike city life can choose to stay in Stoneridge Mountain. I have no intention of abandoning this place; on the contrary, I will rebuild more towns like this, extending along I-80 and connecting to all parts of the United States. Those who choose to stay in the towns will enjoy the same benefits. Where you prefer to live is up to you!

A solid pancake fell from the sky, startling everyone.