Chapter 23 The Mastermind <TOC> Chapter 25 Solo Negotiation
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Translator: SumTLMan
For safety reasons, Zhou Yi left only Red Falcon to continuously monitor the Mushroom Forest, while taking the others back to the company’s base.
Iron Horse was significantly damaged. Logically, it should return to Recursion City for repairs and inspections, but it chose to stay.
“I was hired to cultivate the farmland here. So far, the damage to my body is mainly the loudspeaker, energy auxiliary parts, the top and certain side protective layers, and the fireproof layers… However, as long as it’s in a normal environment, it doesn’t affect farming.”
It continued: “With Copper Bull here, the two of us brothers working together are enough to handle most situations. If we go to inspect and repair now, just scheduling, observing, fixing, and rehabilitation training would take at least a month… A round trip would take at least a month and a half, which would severely impact the construction schedule.”
“The fields cannot be delayed; missing that golden window would waste several months.”
“As long as you can lure that guy away, we can resume work.”
Zhou Yi advised it, reminding that sharpening the axe does not delay cutting wood. This place is remote and desolate, with no repair workers capable of emergency fixes.
If minor issues escalate into major problems, it would be troublesome.
Iron Horse explained: “Actually, my brother and I haven’t received any jobs for some time.”
“Because agricultural costs are laid out here, many cities have chosen cheaper labor for farming, tightening investment ratios, leading to the entire industry becoming increasingly sluggish. Only those large plain cities maintaining extensive farms have demand. On larger scales, my brother and I lack sufficient competitiveness; our efficiency and strength are no match for large-scale agricultural machinery.”
“To tell you the truth, brother, if we go back for repairs now, the work injury insurance I previously purchased would become invalid, and we would need to repurchase it. Because of previous injuries, the next premium would be more expensive, at least by 10%.”
“Insurance in Recursion City isn’t cheap. My brother and I also need to save money to update old farming tools, configure the previously broken signal components, and replace them with newer electronic and mechanical parts. We are both old models, with inherently heavy and complex structures. To solve the high wear and failure rates, we have to switch to more stable, less component-heavy large-scale pure electronic and mechanical assemblies…”
“In short, there are many areas where money is needed. Since nothing has gone wrong yet, we need to save.”
Thus, Zhou Yi stopped advising.
Now, he devoted all his energy to the Highrise Giant.
Luring it away was a plan recognized by all parties.
Generally speaking, this was also the most reliable and effective method to deal with Dead Sea Abominations.
Iron Horse even provided a detailed tutorial: “Copper Bull said that during its previous service, it also encountered a Dead Sea Abomination.”
“Their solution at the time was to use Light Seeds. After activating the Light Seeds, the Abominations would be drawn closer to absorb the Light Seeds. They used Light Seeds to gradually lead the Abominations to some remote areas, or into places like the Dead Sea here.”
“No matter how much the mushrooms inside block, they cannot counter the Abominations’ strong instinct to obtain Light Seeds. As long as the Abominations are hungry, they will be driven by instinct.”
“Entering the Dead Sea is most effective. The Abominations will fall into a sleep and stillness in the dead light. Unless the Dead Sea recedes for various reasons, they will remain motionless, only resuming movement to search for energy food when needed.”
“However, this would be extremely costly. Copper Bull and its team initially used 1,027 Light Seeds to lure the Abomination 10 kilometers away. Based on distance, to lure this guy into the Dead Sea to the east, even in a straight line, it would require at least 3,000 Light Seeds.”
Zhou Yi fell into contemplation.
The quantity of Light Seeds, with effort, could be achieved.
It’s just that time was too tight.
Fishing recklessly and hunting Light Absorber species to gather this amount would take ten days to half a month.
Before that, the Giant controlled by Black Hand Mushrooms would be an unpredictable bomb.
“Actually, there’s an even simpler method.”
Iron Horse saw his silence and offered a new suggestion: “Move. Leave here and restart near a city. Even if this guy appears, the city can figure something out, and the cost would be covered by the city. By this calculation, it’s the most cost-effective option, brother, let’s move.”
After experiencing a united battle against a common enemy, this agricultural machine’s attitude noticeably improved, feeling a bit like one of their own.
Zhou Yi still didn’t speak.
This path was completely out of consideration.
The Wasteland Development Company had to be established in a place far from the city, close to the Dead Sea. The adjacent seabed held numerous cultural relics, which Zhou Yi had selected after special inspection.
Although the architectural life forms were called Dead Sea Abominations, they were still living entities with instinctual desires and certain behavioral patterns. The key problem was the inability to communicate.
Zhou Yi said: “Since those Black Hand Mushrooms can enter the giant’s body, why can’t we?”
Iron Horse was stunned: “Brother, you want to rush in? Abominations are unpredictable. If it suddenly went crazy and digested you, there would be nothing left. Don’t be impulsive, calm down…”
“I want to try.”
Zhou Yi looked towards the side at Night Claw: “How much do you know about Black Hand Mushrooms?”
“The Claw Boar tribe has interacted with them,” Night Claw sneezed sideways: “Master, the Mushroom Forest is the territory of the Black Hand Mushrooms. Although they rarely come outside, do not underestimate them.”
“These guys can change their forms, sometimes turning into a small Giant Mushroom, sometimes disguising themselves as humans, even as us Claw Boars. They never act alone; they always act together, internally very united.”
“The Mushroom Forest is continuously expanding; in fact, they are constantly planting Giant Mushrooms. These guys are very clever. Basically, they and us coexist peacefully without interfering with each other.”
Zhou Yi asked: “How are their combat abilities?”
“If it’s one-on-one, Black Hand Mushrooms are far from being a match for Claw Boars.”
Night Claw whispered: “But those guys are very adept at utilizing the terrain. They plant Exploding Mushrooms, dig pits, create spear traps, and even use human weapons. In the Mushroom Forest, they are difficult to deal with. Now that they have drilled into the giant’s body, they have definitely arranged defenses there to prevent others from mixing in.”
He also believed that entering the giant’s body was very dangerous.
Zhou Yi pondered for a moment: “Since Black Hand Mushrooms are a collective society with a considerable number, how do they maintain order internally?”
“They have a leader; all Black Hand Mushrooms listen to it.”
Night Claw explained: “But no one has ever seen the Mushroom King. He is extremely cautious and never shows himself.”
Zhou Yi’s eyes lit up.
As long as they could capture this leader, they would have leverage to negotiate with the Black Hand Mushrooms.
“Red Falcon, find that Mushroom King for me.”
“Yes.”
The drone activated Bird’s-Eye View and, after a long time, locked onto the target.
Zhou Yi looked at the screen on the remote controller, a questioning look on his face.
Is this the boss of the Black Hand Mushrooms?
Red Falcon was very confident: “I have read a large number of signals emitted by the Black Hand Mushrooms and confirmed that this is their absolute leader, the highest ruler of the Mushroom Forest.”
On the screen appeared a silhouette of a person standing by the window.
He had his hands behind his back, wearing a tattered coat, a bright red scarf tied around his neck, swaying in the wind.
The only problem was.
This Mushroom King was completely just an unremarkable skeleton foot soldier.
He was pacing back and forth inside, seemingly worried, as if he was dealing with some troubling matter.
A red scarf skeleton person?
A non-mushroom race ruling the Mushroom Forest?
Zhou Yi frowned, realizing that this matter was not simple.