Chapter 292: Chapter 199: Letting Go
Paige Summers thought Leo Joyce’s move was a masterstroke, killing several birds with one stone.
First, it created more opportunities for May Joyce to get closer to Claire Chapman.
Second, while the squad he was lending had potential, they were still somewhat raw. Loaning them to Claire Chapman was a way to use Bloodfall’s operations to sharpen this blade for him.
And third, even if May Joyce and Claire Chapman didn’t end up together, the move still strengthened the relationship between Southreach and Bloodfall.
As things stood, even if Bloodfall managed to establish a base, it would only be a small one. From his position as the City Lord of Southreach, Leo Joyce didn’t need to worry about Bloodfall becoming a threat. On the contrary, if he could bring them under his banner, it would only serve to expand Southreach’s power.
To the outside world, it made Leo Joyce, the City Lord, appear incredibly magnanimous.
See? Not only does he not suppress capable people who want to build their own bases, he actually helps them!
Paige Summers suspected that if others followed suit and tried to establish bases outside the city, Leo Joyce would offer the same deal, provided he deemed them worthy of his support.
This City Lord of Southreach was truly a formidable man!
Claire Chapman was a very intelligent man; anything Paige Summers could figure out, he almost certainly could too.
But Leo Joyce’s proposition had no real downside for Bloodfall.
Why go to the trouble of finding their own people when they could borrow someone else’s strength?
Even if they did, the Superpower Users they recruited might not be any stronger than Leo Joyce’s men.
The sooner they captured The Foundry, the sooner they could establish their own territory.
Of course, he understood the most critical point perfectly.
If Leo Joyce was scheming to turn him into a puppet or treat Bloodfall like his personal grunts, it would be impossible—unless he was prepared to use force.
And on that front, Claire Chapman believed that with some careful planning, he could nip any such attempt in the bud!
He and Paige Summers exchanged their thoughts on the matter, each gaining new insights from the other.
Paige Summers stopped dwelling on the condition Claire Chapman had accepted. He and May Joyce were only supposed to "spend time together," which didn’t necessarily mean they would end up as a couple. Besides, even if they did get married, as long as Claire Chapman was okay with it, she had no right to interfere as a friend.
It was better to focus on the here and now.
With Leo Joyce making a show of goodwill, he was unlikely to make any other moves for the time being. They just needed to stick to the plan.
The top priority: capture The Foundry!
The departure was set for two days later. In the meantime, the Superpower Users who had previously returned to Southreach with them began to seek them out. After a selection process, Claire Chapman kept twenty of them.
To Paige Summers’s surprise, Mason Hayes and the other five from his group showed up too, and they brought their own people with them—sixty-eight in total.
Their entire demeanor had changed this time. If before they seemed on the verge of being tamed, now the desire for battle was burning in their eyes once more!
Paige Summers smiled.
’I guess I underestimated Marcus Monroe’s people after all,’ she thought.
’Since he was the one who chose them, they couldn’t possibly be timid, cowardly, or easily tamed.’
’They were just temporarily mesmerized by a peaceful life, but they would eventually realize it was all just an illusion.’
’When the world at large is still fraught with danger, where can you possibly find a true paradise?’
Behind her, Lennie quietly sighed in relief. ’So my extra trip to find them wasn’t in vain after all.’ This time, he had meticulously explained the situations in Central City and Norgate, offered his analysis, and told them just how powerful their leader was! ’If they were still planning to mope after all that, I would have lost all respect for them!’
Thank goodness!
They came!
Within two days, the team’s total numbers had surpassed Claire Chapman and Paige Summers’s estimate of two hundred. It was a development they were, of course, more than happy to see.
The night before their departure, everyone attended a pre-mission briefing.
The overall operational plan, squad divisions, task assignments, and all other related matters were settled and confirmed during the meeting.
The next morning, the entire contingent departed punctually at 6:30 AM.
With a force of over two hundred people and a convoy of twenty vehicles, it was a considerable procession. Even the largest Hunting Parties in Southreach were only about this size, so their departure drew many onlookers.
"Which Hunting Party is that leaving the city? They look tough!"
"That one... Oh, right, look! A few of those vehicles belong to The Power Corps. It must be a mission assigned by the City Lord!"
"Yep. They’re definitely heading out to find supplies again!"
"Huh? But didn’t they just bring a batch back? Have you heard? The munitions factory is short-staffed. Hurry up and have your little brother go try out, maybe he’ll get in!"
"Really? I’ll send him over right now!"
"..."
Paige Summers had sharp ears; she could hear the chatter clearly.
She rested her chin on her hand and gazed out the window.
Judging by the residents’ clothing and general disposition, life in Southreach wasn’t that great.
It was understandable.
After all, Central City was built on the site of the former Astorian Capital, so its reserves were naturally more plentiful. Superpower Users from various bases had also flocked there, providing a constant influx of fresh manpower, which in turn expanded the reach of their supply runs. A day or a month might not reveal much, but over the course of years, the difference became increasingly stark.
’The current peace within Southreach is probably thanks to Leo Joyce’s various stabilizing policies,’ she mused. ’But if the research in Central City continues to stall, then it won’t just be Southreach. All the smaller bases will find it impossible to maintain this peace...’
Paige Summers pressed her lips together and turned her head away from the window.
The convoy soon left the city, heading in the direction of The Foundry.
Two days later, they arrived at Stoneridge Base, planning to rest for the night before setting off again.
But just as Paige Summers finished settling in Ben and Sweetie and was about to return to her own room next door, a voice stopped her. "Are you all going to The Foundry again?"
She turned to see Zephyr Mercer standing at the end of the hallway.
The lighting was dim, casting his face in shadow and making his expression unreadable.
Paige Summers gave a slight nod. "Yes."
He paused for a moment before speaking again. "Boss Rhodes and I would like to go with you. He says you can’t advance in Cultivation just by shutting yourself away. You need to get experience out in the world, and killing Zombies is a good opportunity for that."
’The two of them would definitely be a big help.’
Paige Summers only had to think for a moment before agreeing.
"What about Sean Raines? Didn’t he go to find Rhonda Rhodes, saying he wanted to ask her some things? Is he not coming with you?"
Zephyr Mercer took a few steps closer and handed her a letter. "He left. He asked me to give this to you so you wouldn’t think Boss Rhodes did something to him."
Paige Summers took the letter but didn’t open it right away.
’She wasn’t worried in the slightest.’
’Sean Raines was far too crafty for that. He only got captured before because he was caught completely by surprise. Since he went willingly this time, he must have been confident he could handle it. Even if Rhonda Rhodes wanted to kill him, she’d have to get him to stand still and let her.’
After a moment’s hesitation, she looked up at him. "Since you’ve decided to come with us, does this mean you’re ready to let go of the past?"
Zephyr Mercer was silent for a long, long time—so long that Paige Summers thought he wasn’t going to answer. Then, in a soft, almost dazed voice, he said, "Yeah..."
