The return trip with the trade caravan was peaceful.
The route between Underwoods Camp and Cliffside Camp clearly saw frequent traffic; the dirt and grass had long been trampled into a solid, packed trail.
"This transport mission didn't seem all that important after all."
Before returning to camp, Li Ban emphasized to everyone that they were forbidden from speaking to anyone about what had happened at Red Fruit Camp today until the camp leader explicitly permitted it.
Everyone voiced their agreement.
Li Ban nodded. If any of them lacked the discretion to keep their mouths shut and blabbed to outsiders, Cliffside Camp's people would deal with them.
Upon entering the camp gates, the trade officer went to handle the handover. Li Ban only needed to report to Captain Lu Shi.
'Was this purely a test for me?'
An escort mission like this could have easily been handled by Xie Xiaowu and her team alone.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
Li Ban rapped on Lu Shi's door.
"Come in!"
A short, stern voice rang out from inside.
Li Ban stepped into Lu Shi's room—or rather, his office.
"Captain, the trade concluded smoothly. Trade Officer Lu Dong is handling the storage of the purchased goods. However, there was an unexpected incident today."
Lu Shi set down his pen and gestured for Li Ban to take a seat. "Sit down and tell me."
Li Ban sat across from him and recounted the events at Red Fruit Camp, concluding with, "Lu Dong will probably report this to the camp leader as well."
He hadn't originally intended to give such a detailed report. However, to ensure Cliffside Camp's leadership wouldn't forget about him when deciding who to send for the joint operation with Red Fruit Camp, he shared a bit more.
Lu Shi remained completely composed after hearing the report.
He stood, picking up his notebook and fountain pen, and gestured to Li Ban. "We need to discuss this with the camp leader. Come with me."
Li Ban followed Lu Shi toward the camp leader's office.
The camp leader lived alone down a specific corridor. Just past his quarters lay that secret passage rigged with special security measures.
Li Ban openly swept his gaze over the secret passage. When Lu Shi glanced his way, he asked naturally, "What's over there?"
"That's—" Lu Shi, usually crisp and decisive in his speech, stumbled for a moment before quickly continuing. "That is the cultivation room. Most of the black wheat you eat comes from there. Well, a portion is also bought from outside camps."
"No wonder—" Li Ban didn't press the issue. The two continued down the corridor toward the camp leader's office.
It was actually quite funny. Li Ban had been in Cliffside Camp for over half a month, and it had been ten days since he joined the Guard Team as an acting deputy captain, yet this would be his first time meeting the camp leader.
Usually, he only handled simple handovers with Lu Shi.
Upon arriving, they found a guard stationed outside the door.
Lu Shi immediately issued an order. "Go fetch Lu Dong. Tell him to meet us in the camp leader's office for a meeting."
The guard hurriedly ran to the first floor to get him.
The two didn't enter the office right away. They waited until Lu Dong arrived at a light jog before knocking and going in.
The door was opened by a beautiful woman wearing the kind of professional skirt suit common among modern secretaries. She looked entirely out of place in the Recycling Station's environment.
And it wasn't just the secretary who looked out of place.
The entire office gave off the distinct feeling of having stepped into another era.
Lu Shi's office was connected to his bedroom, forming a simple suite, but the camp leader's quarters were clearly far more extravagant.
The room here was perfectly square, completely lacking the smooth, rounded edges typical of cave dwellings. The walls were plastered with a milky white powder of unknown material. It wasn't particularly smooth, but it softened the light in the room.
And that light came from a massive chandelier overhead.
Here, the illumination didn't rely on the usual dim Luminescent Moss, but rather on proper Illumination Stones.
The stones were set inside the ornate crystal fixture, their emitted light made even more dazzling as it refracted through the crystal.
Solid wood flooring stretched across the center of the room, and a massive alloy desk held a desk lamp styled like something out of a Western royal court.
It went without saying that the lamp held no electricity or tungsten filaments; it was undoubtedly powered by a huge Illumination Stone.
Camp Leader Gu Sa sat behind the long alloy desk.
He was much younger than Li Ban had imagined—likely in his early twenties. He had a pale complexion and a rather unathletic build. At the very least, he hadn't opted for the heavily muscled physique favored by most of the fighters here.
Of course, it was entirely possible he had maintained the appearance of a twenty-something for decades.
He wore a gentle smile. "Lu Shi, Li Ban, Lu Dong. It seems something major happened at the trade today. Have a seat, everyone."
As the highest-ranking of the three, Lu Shi took the initiative once they were seated, briefly summarizing the news he had just heard from Li Ban.
"In short, Red Fruit Camp has their eyes on the monster nest on our side—specifically, the highly dangerous corrosive fluid inside it. I believe Red Fruit Camp might be facing some internal issues."
Li Ban glanced sideways at Lu Shi upon hearing his theory.
'Is that really what he thinks?'
They discussed Red Fruit Camp's motives and analyzed the feasibility of launching an extermination campaign against the monster nest.
Li Ban only offered a word or two when occasionally asked; for the most part, he just sat there and listened quietly.
Meanwhile, Lu Dong, who had stayed at the trade meeting from start to finish, spoke up far more frequently than Li Ban did.
Lu Dong's face was flushed; it seemed that speaking in front of the camp leader was a rare opportunity for him.
"This truly is a deal that's hard to refuse."
The camp leader leaned back against the pelt of some unknown animal, intertwining his fingers as he gazed at a painting hanging on the opposite wall.
"Red fruit can help us save comrades who have gone astray, and Red Fruit Camp rarely sells it to outsiders. This is a remarkably rare opportunity."
"They refuse to sell it to outsiders just to maintain its exorbitant price," Lu Shi said, his face expressionless.
Gu Sa naturally knew this as well, though he didn't express any dissatisfaction about it.
"Red Fruit Camp seems to have changed leaders twice in recent years, but without exception, they've all chosen to keep a tight leash on red fruit sales. I suspect it's because they have an abundance of monsters over there, and their environment isn't suited for cultivating black wheat."
As the camp's administrator, he naturally viewed issues from an administrative perspective.
Individual members would always fixate on why their own specific interests weren't being met.
Administrators, however, cared more about whether the collective's interests were healthy and growing.
Unless, of course, he was preparing to abandon that collective at any moment.
Lu Shi nodded, dropping his complaints. "Even if it's just for red fruit, we have to join this deal. If we don't, the other two camps will reap the benefits, and that could upset the balance of power between our three camps."
On a matter this important, Lu Dong had no right to speak.
Li Ban, merely an acting deputy captain, lowered his gaze and quietly waited for their conclusion.
The benefit of centralized power was that many things didn't require tedious debate and approval processes. Once the camp leader and the Guard Team captain reached a consensus, Gu Sa nodded and finalized the decision.
"Then it's decided. Next is the roster for the operation."
Lu Shi nodded. "Red Fruit Camp only sent three people. They want us to serve as cannon fodder."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "However, the spoils and profits will be distributed based on how much each camp contributes. We can't exactly send dead weight over there."
Li Ban remained silent, his arms crossed over his chest.
But he believed that since the camp's two leaders hadn't shied away from discussing this in front of him, it was highly likely he would be joining the operation.
Sure enough, after the two briefly debated the candidates for the mission, Gu Sa turned to Li Ban.
"Li Ban, Lu Shi has mentioned your capabilities to me. I'd like you to participate in this operation as well. You will assist Lu Shi as the deputy commander for this battle."
'Deputy commander? Seriously?'
'If I'm stuck commanding others, how will I have any time to pull off my own schemes on the side?'
"I'm not familiar with the rest of the camp. I'm afraid I wouldn't be suited for a command role."
Lu Shi didn't quite agree with the idea either. "I've spoken with Li Ban. He's much better suited for assault work, like spearheading a strike team. He's only run three or four missions with his current squad, and Zhu Yao is the only one he's worked with for any significant length of time."
Gu Sa smiled. "Then what if we put you and Zhu Yao in a two-person squad?"
Li Ban lowered his eyes. "I've scoped out that monster nest once before. The danger level is far from low."
A second refusal.
Gu Sa and Lu Shi exchanged a look. Catching Gu Sa's gaze, Lu Shi suddenly spoke up. "Li Ban is indeed only an acting captain. Furthermore... he may be leaving the camp in the near future."
"Is that so?" Gu Sa acted as though he were just hearing this for the first time.
Lu Shi shot Gu Sa another quiet glance, but this time, he said nothing.
"Still, we are currently quite short on strong fighters like you. Since this is all about making deals, I wonder, Li Ban... would you be interested in a deal with us?"
He had thought they would hesitate for at least a little while.
Yet their swift reaction made it seem as though they had already factored this in.
Li Ban put on a hesitant expression. After a moment, he asked, "What kind of deal?"
"Li Ban, acting as a fifth party, you will accept a commission from Cliffside Camp."
Li Ban didn't agree right away. He pondered for a moment, seemingly weighing all the possibilities. "No. That corrosive fluid is too dangerous, and I still have other places I need to be. I don't want to get involved in anything with such high risks. If you disagree, I can leave the camp right now."
"There's no need for that, none at all," Gu Sa said, waving his hand with a smile. "Cliffside Camp isn't nearly that petty."
He looked toward Lu Shi. "Lu Shi, you've assaulted the monster nest before. In a joint operation, what kind of role do you think would best suit Li Ban?"
Lu Shi barely had to think. "High-altitude interception," he blurted out.
Luring the enemies and providing backup on the ground required seamless teamwork, but holding the high ground demanded immense individual strength.
"High-altitude? You want me to deal with the spitters up top?"
"Not clear them all out, of course. I've heard those things are densely packed up there. You could take one or two people with you, and the other camps will definitely send their own people to handle the airspace." Gu Sa turned to Lu Shi, as if seeking his professional opinion. "Besides, we probably won't need to wipe out every single spitter, right?"
Lu Shi nodded cooperatively. "As long as you intercept them and prevent them from raining down large amounts of those black sticky webs to hinder the assault on the nest below, that will be enough."
"If that's the case, the risk is acceptable." Li Ban crossed his arms. "And what's the payout for this risk?"
"At least one red fruit. If Red Fruit Camp pays us enough of them, we can give you a ten percent cut."
But Li Ban shook his head. "I don't need that much red fruit."
Gu Sa smiled. "Then what are your terms?"
"I want to take a tour and see how the camp cultivates its black wheat. That shouldn't be highly classified, should it?"