Monster Dismantling Company

Chapter 54 Consultant Li Lin

Lin Zhiqing, who came with them, was also busy. Because she was a complete novice who knew nothing, Luo Yinchang arranged for her to stay in the original train conductor's rest room.

Firstly, it was to keep her from wandering off. This place was very dangerous, and everyone else would be busy with their own things and might not be able to take care of him.

Secondly, it's impossible for anyone on this committee to stay put and give orders. Luo Yinchang himself will be leading a team to explore the surrounding area soon. Therefore, a liaison officer who can remain seated is needed, and that person is Lin Zhiqing; she is the one who should stay put the most.

It took 40 minutes to complete the construction, and then everyone yelled and got to work—bandaging wounds, packing luggage, taking inventory of resources, and trying to repair the vehicle's life support systems.

"Wow, that's fast... The army is really efficient." Sitting in the lounge, Lin Zhiqing was checking everyone's names. It was not far from the car door, and things were constantly being moved in and out—some consumables were piled up outside for inventory, and then those that were finished were brought back.

"So why are you sitting here too?" she asked, looking at Li Lin.

Li Lin didn't go out either; he sat in the lounge as well. The lounge was large enough for both of them to sit in.

"Our Chairman said that I am also an ordinary citizen. So unless there is anything else, please try to stay in this lounge properly between the washbasin and the hot water area and do not move."

"The fact that he still has the mind to use memes means he's in a good mood... Speaking of which, isn't this an old meme from ages ago? Like, something from before the war?"

Li Lin shook his head: "People just need to be pushed a little. He was all alone just now, and he looked quite flustered. Now that there are more people around and everyone is moving around, he seems much more relaxed."

"Ah... I don't know whether to say I'm lucky or unlucky."

Falling to this point was clearly bad luck. But in this unfortunate situation, the soldiers of the defense force stepped forward and began to organize a self-rescue operation in an orderly manner, which was a stroke of good fortune amidst misfortune.

If they ultimately cannot be saved, then at least it can be considered that they all tried their best.

After sitting for only a short while, Luo Yinchang pushed open the door and walked in, sitting down next to Li Lin and slamming his hat on the table: "We're doomed! My worst fears have been confirmed! We're inside a monster's belly!"

"Huh???" Lin Zhiqing was so shocked she dropped her pen. "How did you find out?"

"I felt something was wrong as soon as I stepped outside. At first I thought it was moss, but when I touched it carefully, the moss on the ground seemed to be... some kind of villous protrusions of mucous membrane tissue, which is obviously the interior of a biological structure."

This is the same situation that Li Lin saw at the time. This also shows that the current matter has indeed entered Li Lin's "professional scope".

"Li Lin, is this really true? Wait, you don't seem that surprised."

"Huh? Should I act surprised now? I thought you all noticed—a huge black hole suddenly appeared in the middle of the Yangtze River. That must be a monster, and a very powerful one at that. You all guessed it, right? Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked me to be your advisor."

"I just haven't given up hope yet... Li Lin, won't this reduce our chances of survival?"

"Yes," Li Lin nodded. "But there's a saying: 'Divination is used to resolve doubts; if there are no doubts, why divine?' King Wu consulted the oracle before his conquest of King Zhou, and the result was still bad. Just as he was hesitating, Jiang Ziya kicked the tortoise shell away—since the decision has already been made, why bother with the odds of divination? We've also decided to save ourselves, so we can't just stop trying to save ourselves because the chances of survival are lower, can we? Therefore, I didn't say anything unnecessary."

"That's true...that's true..." He looked at Li Lin, "You look young, but you're quite right. No wonder you're working at such a young age—how old are you?"

"8 years old."

"Tch, we still have to keep our age a secret... So, what should we do?"

"What do you think we should do?" Li Lin asked him in return.

Luo Yinchang glanced outside and whispered, "I think everyone should be informed. We need to let everyone know our current situation. This way, we won't cause chaos when faced with unexpected circumstances."

"Okay." Li Lin nodded. "Then let's do it your way—do you need any help?"

"I need you, as a professional, to help me announce this. Because a professional's words carry more weight. By the way, you can also tell everyone about the things to pay attention to in this situation."

"Easy." Li Lin nodded. "You're actually quite capable, unlike what you say about only being able to manage your own plane. Maybe you can get promoted to rank officer because of this incident when we go out this time."

Within the defense force, there are significant differences between officers at each level. Even colonels, including majors, possess independent command authority. They are either assigned by the coalition government to manage a separate military facility, or, like the colonel Li Lin has frequently dealt with recently, are responsible for coordinating with local cities and overseeing the defense of their respective areas.

If one reaches the rank of general, one will serve in an important agency within Shenhe Plain, or be dispatched to places like Xin'an Prefecture where military operations are frequent to command large-scale troops.

Promotion from captain to field officer is therefore difficult—but if things go well here, it will be an excellent resume for Luo Yinchang. Moreover, as a pilot, he generally wouldn't have much experience in command.

"If such a thing happens, then I'll consider myself lucky... But before that, we still need to figure out a way to get out." He stood up. "The broadcasting station is almost fixed. I'll bring the microphone in in a bit, so you can prepare your lines."

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly turned back:

"Oh, right, there's something I forgot to give you. It's useless for me to keep it; I'd better give it to a professional."

After saying that, he took a dagger out of his pocket and placed it in front of Li Lin.

Inside the unadorned equipment was a plain black dagger. It was almost identical to the dagger the colonel had used to cut himself.

"This is?"

"This is a ceramic steel dagger issued to senior officers by the coalition government. I found it in our commander's bag—that old man said officers and soldiers should be treated equally, and that he should sit in the hard seats with us, but as soon as he got on the train, he ran to the dining car to drink, without even taking his bag. I guess he was too embarrassed to ask for it back afterwards. You should keep it; you'll find it more useful here."

The terracotta dagger is an expensive, high-value weapon. It is tough and sharp, and it will not rust or dull. It is especially effective against monsters. With a long handle attached to the back, it is a terracotta spear that Fireraven Company only has one of. Master Wang often uses it to fight monsters and has even used it to skin Taba.

This dagger was indeed very useful. At the time, the colonel, who had already become scaled, used such a dagger to clean his wounds—in fact, this kind of dagger was indeed very effective against monsters. Because its forging process utilized the evil energy on the monster, using it to cut the monster was like fighting poison with poison.

Li Lin accepted the dagger: "Oh, by the way—if it's okay, could I have some potato chips too? The bagged kind, please."