Chapter 150: The Suddenly Joining Convoy

The eastern part of the continent.

After many consecutive days of rain and snow, the weather finally cleared up today. The long-absent sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the earth and melting the thick snow across the wilderness.

A mutated giant black eagle, with a wingspan of three zhang, soared freely and unhindered across the sky.

With sharp eyes, powerful wings, razor-sharp talons, and a proud, solitary figure, it crossed mountain ranges and swept over vast plains. At times it looked down upon the earth, and at others it beat its wings into the highest heavens, flying ten thousand miles in a single breath.

The scenery on the ground was laid out in full view beneath its eyes.

At this moment, a massive, bizarre shadow was cast into the eagle's pupils.

The next second, the eagle's pupils seemed to blur for a fraction of a second, before returning to clarity just as quickly.

It let out a long, clear, and piercing screech. After circling in the air for several turns, it flew off toward the even more distant horizon.

Looking down from the sky, below lay a city—a city built entirely of steel.

Like a pitch-black steel behemoth, it crouched flat upon the wilderness.

As one drew closer, the roaring sound of machinery could be heard echoing from within the steel beast from time to time.

Countless gigantic chimneys were billowing white smoke.

Unlike the concentric circle structure of the Energy City's inner and outer districts, the shape of this metropolis was a regular quadrilateral.

A hundred-meter-tall steel perimeter wall tightly enveloped the capital city, making it an absolute fortress as solid as a monolith.

This was the City of Steel, renowned for its advanced industry and technology, nestled in the eastern part of the continent.

Scattered sporadically around the capital were small towns, which were usually built in dependency upon large factories.

Vehicles shuttled back and forth between them from time to time, resembling industrious ants transporting food back to their nests.

If the landmark architecture of the Energy City was that towering collection spire, then the landmark architecture of the City of Steel was the massive disc spanning across the entire city above.

The designer seemed to be interpreting the ancient concept of a round heaven and a square earth.

The enormous metal disc was supported by eight thick pillars, inside of which ran elevators connecting the disc to the ground.

At this moment, a massive fleet of transport vehicles was parked quietly beside one of the elevators.

They were waiting to descend via the elevator once their inspections were completed.

The leader of this convoy was a middle-aged man named Chen Pingkui.

His father had also run a transport convoy, starting out as a mere driver in his youth.

Later, as the family fortune gradually grew more substantial, his father established his own small convoy and slowly expanded it to what it was today.

Now that the old man was getting on in years, he had handed the convoy over to his son, who had grown up alongside him on the transport routes.

"Boss... Boss Chen, I have an urgent matter to report to you! You... you'd better come over here right away!"

Hearing the anxious shout of his crew member from behind, Chen Pingkui reluctantly stopped the task of inspecting the vehicles, turned around, and walked over while muttering curses.

In his left eye socket was a mechanical eye that emitted a faint blue glow. His entire left eye socket was of mechanical construction, with these metal parts extending all the way back to the root of his left ear.

In the City of Steel, replacing parts of one's body with prosthetic limbs was extremely common.

Some people installed them out of necessity due to physical disabilities.

Others underwent the replacements purely to enhance their own capabilities.

This was also one of the unique cultural traits of the City of Steel.

"What is it? What's going on? We're about to set off, what are you making such a fuss and shouting for? It's almost our convoy's turn for inspection, and you're calling me over!"

While scolding his crew member, Chen Pingkui used his mechanical eye to focus on the person standing behind the crew member.

The focusing lens within the mechanical eye socket rotated, emitting faint clicking sounds as it transmitted the captured image of the person to his brain.

Chen Pingkui knew very well that he did not recognize this person; the man did not belong to the inner circle of the transport convoy operators.

The other man wore an expensive suit, leather shoes polished to a mirror shine, and a black bow tie at the collar of his crisp white shirt.

This was hardly the attire for a trip out into the wilderness; he looked far more like he was heading to a banquet.

For a person like this to suddenly come looking for him, the only plausible explanation was that a wealthy benefactor had a temporary commission.

"Boss Chen... he... this person, he..."

His young crew member seemed too excited to speak clearly.

Chen Pingkui delivered a backhanded swat to the lad's head. "Go stand aside! You can't even get your words out straight! Don't make a fool of yourself here!"

Immediately afterward, he plastered on an enthusiastic smile and asked the stranger:

"Mister, our convoy is about to set off. I wonder what business you have with us?"

The man replied in a formulaic tone:

"I have three vehicles that need to be integrated into your convoy. Here is the payment; I'll pay you half the fee upfront!"

With that, he shoved a stored-value card marked with a monetary amount directly into Chen Pingkui's hand, leaving no room for refusal.

Chen Pingkui took it and looked. His oil-stained hand trembled, and he nearly dropped it. A wave of shock washed over him:

*Good lord, this amount is way too high! It's enough to cover the cost of two full round trips for me, and the guy only has three vehicles!*

No wonder his young crew member had been so nervous his tongue was tied!

However, whenever something abnormal happened, there had to be a demon behind it. As an old hand in this business, how could he accept such a job so easily?

Yet he did not immediately push the stored-value card back. Instead, he asked cautiously:

"You didn't even ask where our destination is, yet you're ready to merge your vehicles into the convoy?"

The man said calmly:

"I know that this trip of yours is headed to the Energy City! Our destinations coincide."

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Pingkui instantly became vigilant.

Just as he was about to demand how the other party knew this information so clearly, he saw the man leisurely pull an official document stamped with the seal of the Upper District Land Transport Bureau from inside his jacket.

Unfolding it, the man handed it over to Chen Pingkui as well, speaking with a tone that carried a hint of command:

"Never mind how we found out. This is the clearance pass. My three vehicles are exempt from inspection. By extension, your convoy is also considered inspected and may depart immediately. During the journey, just don't come over to disturb us. We will handle all our own food and provisions along the way!"

Chen Pingkui scrutinized the document repeatedly, and based on his years of experience, he determined it was not a forgery.

Now, joy bloomed in his heart. He had heard others talk about such fortuitous windfalls before.

Usually, it happened when bigwigs in the Upper District had cargo they needed to dispatch urgently and, lacking the time to arrange a dedicated convoy, chose to piggyback on one like his.

Yet for all these years, he had never managed to encounter such luck.

Well, today his luck had finally turned, and it was Lao Chen's turn.

His previous expression of vigilance vanished in an instant, replaced by a heap of smiles as he nodded and bowed obsequiously:

"Understood, Boss! We will definitely follow your instructions! Don't worry, with me, Chen Pingkui, leading the convoy, I guarantee we'll get you safely to your destination. You must know—"

The man impatiently interrupted Chen Pingkui's insincere flattery, turned around, walked back into his own convoy, and took the front passenger seat of the lead vehicle.

Chen Pingkui waved his arm excitedly and turned back to roar at his crew members:

"Lads, get in your vehicles! Line up for the elevator in an order, we're setting off!"

The crew members exchanged bewildered glances. Weren't they supposed to have finished the security check first?!