RNP Page 109
Page 109
"What?"
Leo immediately asked, and although he had not yet received a reply, he had a vague idea of the answer in his mind.
He said...they were going to greet an important person.
Leo immediately stood up from his seat. Without hesitation, he strode out of the office with the servo skull in his hand.
"Guss, notify the chapter members to assemble immediately and take their positions in the plaza."
"What's the reason?"
“Reason.” Leo walked out of the office, put on his helmet, and uttered a coded message in a low voice.
"The Azure Wolf Returns."
-------
At this very moment, on Badab's orbit.
Lynch wore a huge robe that matched his size, disguising himself as a genetic slave follower, and followed behind Verona.
Verona felt an unusual tension, even though Lynch had repeatedly assured him that he had used psionic energy to visually modify his body, and that even if an Astartes were standing in front of him, unless they were a think tank, they would have no chance of noticing.
That's what they say...
Verona gave a wry smile and said that what he said was true, but the problem was that in the end, Lynch would still have to return to the Star Claws chapter.
When they find out that the other party has been used as a genetic slave for them... even if it's in disguise, those Star Claw warriors might do something to them or their families.
Lin Qi sensed the tension in the mortal beside him, which made him sigh helplessly. He then raised his hand and patted the other's shoulder.
"Don't be nervous."
He said.
"Don't worry, with me here, how could anything happen to you? After all, you're the one who brought me back. Don't worry, I'll have Star Claw take good care of you and your family's business."
Verona looked at Lynch and finally nodded reluctantly.
The group began walking from the port toward the space elevator that led directly to the surface. Along the way, Lynch saw many people, including mortal auxiliary troops, a few Astartes, and mostly slave laborers in charge of the port.
However, unlike before Lin Qi left, at that time, the emotions he could see on the faces of those slave laborers were basically numb.
But now, these people have regained some vitality on their faces, and their work posture is no longer like that of mere parts or tools, but truly like that of a living, breathing person.
“The angels of the Star Claw manage Badab very well,” Verona said immediately. “In every aspect, and they also pay great attention to the lives of mortals. Because of this, the Salamander Angels joined the Alliance about half a year ago, which caused quite a stir at the time.”
Salamander.
Lin Qi suddenly realized, and even more curiosity began to build up in his heart.
He already knew that the Star Claws were now led by Leo, but in any case, Leo didn't seem like the type to expand the original contract into an alliance.
This kind of thing seems more like something Huron would do...
Huron possessed Leo's body?!
No, that's not right. Huron should have been reduced to ashes, his soul gone. I confirmed that with Horus myself.
Lin Qi frowned, and finally sighed helplessly.
The ambitious part.
He figured that once he met Leo, any problem could be solved.
But for now... let's take a good look around Badab first, and see for ourselves what those Horus brats have done to this place in the last two years.
Chapter 136 The Moment Before Return
Riding the space elevator, Lynch followed Verona down to the top of the Nest City located on the surface.
As the most prosperous area in the entire hive, the top hive has no towering buildings except for the space elevator that leads straight to the sky.
Between the vast mansions are roads with green belts. Well-equipped, friendly-looking guards stand guard and patrol the sidewalks, while luxurious vehicles frequently pass by. When they stop, elegantly dressed nobles step out.
Lin Qi glanced at it a few times and then stopped looking. No matter how you look at the view from the top of the nest, it will always be the same. What he wanted to see was the nest below, a more real one.
Thinking of this, a glint flashed in Lin Qi's eyes. He slipped a note into Verona's coat pocket, then strode away from the group and began to act independently.
He arrived at the elevator inside the city and entered with a group of noble servants. These mortals, who usually relied on their masters' power to bully others, frowned. For some reason, the elevator felt unusually crowded today.
Psionic energy concealed Lin Qi's whereabouts; to the naked eye, he was a creature completely absent from sight at this moment.
The elevator began its rapid descent, the immense acceleration neutralized by advanced technology, preventing the occupants from being reduced to a bloody pulp during the fall. Half a Terran hour quickly passed, and the elevator doors opened. The suffocating noble servants inside hurried out. They found their waiting vehicles, got in, and set off to complete the tasks assigned to them by their masters.
Lin Qi stepped out of the elevator and looked around at his surroundings.
This is the Upper Nest of the Hive City, where the factory managers, minor nobles, and middle-class people such as doctors and lower priests live.
This place is naturally incomparable to the environment of the top nest. Although it also has clean streets, tidy houses, and PDFs that maintain order, it is far inferior to the top nest in terms of these configuration attributes and values.
However, it's always better than going down to the nest.
Lynch removed his helmet and took a deep breath. Fresh air entered his lungs through his nostrils. He smelled the slightly sweltering air of Badab for the first time in a long time, and for a moment, he even felt a sense of satisfaction.
This place belongs to us.
He thought so.
Lynch began to stroll leisurely through the streets of Upper Nest. Thanks to his psionic powers, his unusual physique went unnoticed. Time passed slowly, and soon, the stars set, and the glow of the setting sun began to completely envelop the world.
The setting sun was like blood, and Lin Qi stopped in his tracks. In most of the capital city areas, a curfew is generally in effect to prevent malicious individuals from challenging order under the cover of night.
However, there are always exceptions. Although most places are subject to curfews, there are a few places, whether in the upper or lower nests of the city or even the unsupervised lower nests, that provide a relatively safe place for people in the dead of night.
That's a tavern.
Lynch activated his psionic energy once again. This time, he did not completely conceal his appearance, but instead disguised himself.
To outsiders, a slender man wearing a black overcoat, about 1.9 meters tall, with long black hair, appeared at the entrance of the tavern. He then pushed open the door and stepped steadily into its bustling interior.
The pub was noisy, with music from an old-fashioned record player mingling with the sounds of customers talking and drinking. A voluptuous waitress skillfully grabbed a large bunch of beer from the bar and, with light steps, distributed them to each customer who needed one.
Lynch looked around and quickly spotted a large table and a large chair. Without much hesitation, he sat down, his psionic energy stabilizing his seat so it wouldn't collapse under undue weight.
Even so, Lin Qi still felt somewhat uncomfortable. After all, his body was too large, and even though the chair he was sitting on was clearly designed for large people, it was still only for a large physique among mortals.
However, there are bars in the lower nests that will make suitable seats for Oglin. After all, those big, simple-minded guys generally have a drinking capacity that matches their size. As long as you can persuade them properly, you can squeeze a lot of money out of them.
But on the upper nest...?
It's hard to imagine something like Oglin appearing anywhere else in Upper Nest, except in the PDF military camp.
Finally, Lynch managed to get used to his seat—he snapped off the armrests on both sides of the chair so quickly that no one noticed.
The waiter approached him, his chest swaying, inadvertently revealing a glimpse of his fair skin.
Lin Qi didn't even glance at it; he calmly took the form handed to him and began to examine it carefully.
"Give me a cup of amasec, the best I can get, and the cup, give me the biggest one you have here."
The waiter's face lit up with a smile—the best Amase, that's quite expensive.
The waiter turned away, leaving behind only his back. Lin Qi clasped his hands together and calmly observed the expressions and identities of the various people in the tavern.
The old men in the corner of the tavern, though unremarkable in appearance, showed from the thick calluses on their hands and their always straight backs that they had received long-term military training and were probably retired soldiers.
The person surrounded by the most people in the middle of the tavern appeared to be a minor nobleman. His skin was delicate and smooth, and his clothes were made of fine material with many luxurious patterns sewn on them.
And then there's...
At this moment, Lin Qi noticed a timid middle-aged man surrounded by several burly men in another corner of the tavern.
Astartes' superhuman senses allowed Lynch to easily hear what was happening there, and he immediately understood that the middle-aged man was probably the person he was looking for in the tavern.
"Rhine, you should have paid back the money you owe us by now."
"...Hal, this is a tavern, belonging to the Amar family."
"I know, aren't we drinking together right now? We're friends, what's wrong with chatting when we're drunk?"
"Then I'll be frank, I don't have any money right now."
"No money? Ha! Aren't you the factory manager? You can easily make a lot of money by manipulating the accounts. And you're telling me you have no money?"
Do you want to die?
The middle-aged man's voice became indignant at this moment, and could even be described as a growl.
"Don't you know how strict the management of the accounts is now? A year ago, the angels of Star Claw personally established the rules, and now the factory's accounts are airtight. How many of my former colleagues were caught stealing money from the accounts because they took a chance, and were eventually hanged in front of everyone?!"
"Hehe... If you don't want to pay back the money today, then you can pay for our drinks."
"Phew...that's not bad. Give me a month's paycheck..."
"Miss, please give each of us a bottle of the best Amasec."
"you!"
"What? You think you can get away with this without spending a little money? Don't tell me you can't even afford this little bit of alcohol."
The middle-aged man was speechless. Just as his face turned red and he was thinking about how to satisfy the people in front of him and let him go, the waiter's voice rang out, making him freeze on the spot.
"No need, gentlemen." The waiter, with a bright smile, brought everyone a glass of the finest amasaec. "That gentleman booked all the amasaec for today and said he wanted everyone here to have a drink with him."
The middle-aged man immediately turned his head and saw a tall man. The man's face was expressionless, but he still raised his glass and nodded slightly to her.
The men surrounding the middle-aged man's expressions changed. One of them, who had a short temper, immediately stood up, wanting to teach the guy who had ruined their plans a lesson. But before he could move, he was stopped by his leader.
"Don't be impulsive."
The leader said this, taking a deep breath.
He watched Lin Qi drinking, and for some reason, his intuition, honed through years of crises, was frantically reminding him that something was wrong.
No, something's not wrong.
The leader realized what was happening, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
That person is acting strangely.
"Let's go, that's enough for today."
"Brother, we......"
Snapped!