Wasteland Hideout: Upgrading from the Sewers

Chapter 205: Carmen’s Report, Supply Exchange, Voice Recorder

Black Shield Police Department, Carmen drove that heavy pathbreaker vehicle back.

Many thugs saw this behemoth.

"My god! Isn't that the Burning Fortress's heavy pathbreaker vehicle? How the hell did Carmen get that back?"

A thug was picking his nose with his pinky finger and was completely dumbstruck by the sight.

*Slap*...

Someone behind him directly gave him a slap.

"Looking to die! It's Commander Carmen now, that bastard Jiaxus's first week of mourning isn't even over yet, have you forgotten?!"

Hearing the hushed warning from the person behind him, the thug fell silent, not daring to make a sound.

Meanwhile, on the upper floors of the Black Shield Police Department building, Hogg and Lao Ke watched the behemoth below, a flicker of an unreadable expression passing through their eyes.

"Chief, we were just discussing who robbed the Burning Fortress's supply transport convoy, which included this heavy pathbreaker vehicle, and now Carmen has driven it right back for us...."Lao Ke said in a low, thoughtful voice.

Hogg took a deep drag from the cigar in his hand, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Youth brings boldness. See, isn't this excellent?"

"What about the message from the Cold Crow missionary yesterday, how do we reply?" Lao Ke looked at Hogg.

"Reply? Why should we reply? Hmph, they want to stir up trouble, thinking it's still the old days when the Teacher was alive! Why should we get involved?"

"So we hold our position? But wouldn't that..."

"Don't worry. As long as I'm alive, the Black Shield Police Department will remain *my* Black Shield Police Department...."

As Hogg spoke, a flash of crimson and bloodlust flickered in his eyes.

Behind him, Lao Ke, sensing the sharp, brutal aura emanating from Hogg, lowered his head and said no more, though a glint of contemplation showed in his eyes as he glanced at Hogg's shadow.

"Reporting!" Carmen's voice came from outside the door.

The two turned to look. Hogg's expression shifted to a smile.

"Carmen, excellent! Come in, tell us what's going on with all this?"

Carmen saluted the two men with meticulous precision.

"Chief, last night, I heard about the Burning Fortress supply transport convoy from the newly recruited scavengers. They also had a message for us, saying they wanted to exchange these supplies for some survival goods from us. Uncertain of the truth, I went to check out the situation this morning...."

Hogg exhaled a plume of smoke, his gaze fixed intently on Carmen.

"Oh? And why would they pass a message to *us*?"

"Chief, because we are the only ones who would dare to take these supplies, and the only ones willing to take them!"

"Hahaha! Good."

"So, what's the deal now?"

"I went to look. There are a total of three trucks of supplies, plus several Burning Fortress pickup combat vehicles. They want to exchange all that for two truckloads of survival goods. I negotiated it down to one truckload, and they agreed. However, they demanded we add the urban planning blueprints we have for Green Forest City—subway, tunnel, bridge, civil defense engineering schematics, all of them!"

Hogg's hand movements froze.

Lao Ke also looked at Carmen.

"What do they want those for? Did you agree?"

"I did not agree. I only said I needed to come back and seek the Chief's opinion. They were surprisingly straightforward and let me drive the heavy pathbreaker vehicle back."

Carmen reported with a serious expression.

"As for their reason for demanding these, they did not answer."

Lao Ke looked at Hogg.

"Chief, they're just scavengers. At worst, we could just seize their supplies. No need to trade our goods!"

Hogg raised a hand to cut him off.

Then he said slowly, "We'll trade. This transaction must be completed, and other factions must know it was us who traded for the Burning Fortress supply convoy using our own goods.

We have plenty of supplies. As long as they dare to keep robbing the Burning Fortress, I'm willing to keep trading.

Three truckloads of supplies plus several vehicles isn't a bad deal. As for the blueprints... at most, give them the western district. Don't even think about the other districts, especially the eastern city."

"Lao Ke, take Carmen to the archives room later to get the blueprints. For the supplies, Carmen, go find Ika..."

"Is the trade time set?"

"Tomorrow morning!" Carmen said.

"Good, go prepare!" Lao Ke stood up and walked out.

Hogg watched the two leave, his gaze returning to the behemoth downstairs.

"Carmen... interesting! What a pity though...."

Carmen followed Lao Ke to the archives room.

As Lao Ke opened the door, revealing the densely packed files and documents inside, Carmen was slightly taken aback.

Lao Ke pulled out a cigarette. Carmen immediately took out his lighter and offered it.

After lighting the cigarette, Lao Ke pocketed both the lighter and the cigarette pack. He pointed inside and said, "Alright, find it yourself! I'll be in the room opposite. Let me take a look before you leave. Don't close the door."

"Yes, sir!"

As Lao Ke sat on the sofa in the opposite room, watching the archives room situation across the hallway.

Carmen turned and looked at the room full of files. He also noticed two surveillance cameras above the archives room, trained on him.

But beneath his slightly lowered head, the corners of Carmen's eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.

Half an hour later, Carmen left the archives room with a set of documents.

Lao Ke stubbed out his cigarette butt, stood up, and took the documents, flipping through them.

Indeed, they were only the blueprints for part of the western district. He gave a slight nod.

"Why did it take so long?"

"Too many documents, hard to find!"

"Fine. Hurry up and go to Commander Ika to exchange the supplies! You did well this time!"

"Received intel that it seems another Thug Prison sentry point has appeared in District 9. Go check it out when you're done."

Carmen saluted Commander Lao Ke and headed for the logistics department.

Hogg had clearly already notified Commander Ika, who cooperated fully. Carmen also called in several thugs to help, and the supplies were quickly prepared.

They could proceed with the trade tomorrow.

After sealing the supply truck, Carmen led his team, preparing to head to District 9.

In the pickup truck, Er Xiao was driving. Confirming they had left the police station, he handed a voice recorder to Carmen.

"Boss, today's recording!"

"Not discovered?"

"Don't worry, no one noticed just now."

"Good!"

Carmen put on headphones and pressed the play button on the voice recorder.

It started with Er Xiao and Alena's conversation, followed by a long stretch of silence and static, interspersed with a woman's soft hums.

Carmen wasn't in a hurry, slowly fast-forwarding.

Soon, with the sound of a door opening, Commander Ika's voice came through.

"Alena, Carmen will be coming with people to collect one truckload of supplies later. Go supervise!"

"One truckload of supplies?" Alena exclaimed in surprise.

"Commander, what's Carmen's deal? What's he trying to do? I didn't believe it when Er Xiao came and told me earlier!"

"Cut the chatter. It's the Chief's order. Just do as you're told. Give him whatever he asks for. But I'm warning you! Don't get too close to that Er Xiao. Don't end up dead one day without knowing why."

"Ah! Commander, there's nothing between me and Er Xiao. And what did you mean by that last sentence?"

"Hmph, forget it. Better you understand the stakes. Right now, Carmen is the target, the bait, that the Chief has put out there! Don't be fooled by his current glory. He doesn't realize the Thug Prison has had their eyes on him for a while. Last time, he was lucky; that idiot Jiaxus took the bullet for him......"

"So that's how it is. Then I should take advantage now to swindle more supplies out of that dumb kid!"

"Heh, careful he doesn't eat you up and spit you out clean..."

Not long after that, the recording captured Carmen arriving to exchange the supplies.

Carmen pulled off the headphones, looking at the road ahead of the vehicle. He tapped his fingers against the voice recorder, his gaze deep and contemplative.

"Heh~~~"

"Er Xiao, later, take a few reliable people with you and go to that geothermal plant in the western suburbs....."