58: Chapter 58 Information Cannot Be Given Away for Free

The Human Alliance was a massive organization with deep foundations; they didn't care about scrap bits of intelligence.

But for these small and medium-sized convoys, every clue they painstakingly uncovered and every minor discovery they made were core secrets bought with their lives!

These secrets could be traded for supplies, opportunities, or a way to survive. Why on earth would they give them away for free?

Not stealing intel or plotting against one another was already considered the height of civility; expecting them to share selflessly was simply impossible!

Captain Ma Shangwu looked at the crowd as they all feigned ignorance. A hint of helplessness flashed in his eyes; he had long expected this outcome.

Having been stationed in Shancheng for many days, he knew the nature of these small convoys all too well—selfish, cautious, and only minding their own business. They would never act out of pure altruism.

He didn't force the issue, turning instead to the silent and indifferent Captain Liu Ruyan, asking in a low voice.

“Captain Liu, your Dawn Convoy just entered from outside Shancheng.”

“I wonder what the situation is like outside the city now? Have there been any unusual movements?”

Captain Liu Ruyan gave the Human Alliance due respect and didn't hold back, replying calmly and truthfully.

“We weren't far from Shancheng to begin with. Hearing that one of the top ten strange objects had appeared here, we made a special trip to try our luck.”

“As it turns out, we didn't find any luck. Instead, we're trapped in a desperate situation and have invited nothing but trouble.”

“As for the situation outside Shancheng, there are no unusual movements.”

“A massive number of anomalies have been drawn entirely into the city.”

“The density of anomalies outside has dropped significantly, making it relatively safe and stable. There's nothing else out of the ordinary.”

Having shared the intel about the outside, Captain Liu Ruyan took the opportunity to voice the greatest doubt in everyone's heart—a mystery everyone wanted to solve.

“Captain Ma, there is one thing I wish to ask about.”

“Back then, the Mechanical City came here in force, yet they suffered a sudden setback while trying to cross the Yun River and were forced to reroute to the West Bank.”

“I wonder, what terrifying existence is hidden beneath the Yun River?”

As soon as these words were spoken, every captain present looked up instantly, their gazes locking onto Ma Shangwu with urgency and curiosity.

The Yun River was the confluence of two rivers that ran through the core of Shancheng; it was the greatest forbidden zone in the entire region.

Even a top-tier floating city like the Mechanical City had been forced to retreat in defeat.

This was enough to prove that the thing at the bottom of the river was terrifying beyond imagination.

Everyone wanted to know if the source behind the sealing of Shancheng, the suppression of the myriad anomalies, and the repulsion of the Mechanical City all came from beneath the Yun River!

Facing their burning gazes, Ma Shangwu shook his head helplessly and spoke plainly.

“Regarding this matter, it's not just you who are curious. We in the Human Alliance are equally baffled.”

“When the Mechanical City met its downfall at the Yun River, they imposed a total information blackout.”

“They were extremely secretive about it, not revealing a single word to the outside world.”

“Our side has made multiple inquiries and secret investigations, yet we've still come up empty-handed.”

“Currently, among all the powers in Shancheng, only the Mechanical City knows the secrets of the Yun River. No one else knows a thing.”

With the truth remaining elusive, everyone looked disappointed. Their doubts hadn't been cleared; if anything, they became even more wary.

If even a top-tier power couldn't uncover the secret, one could only imagine how terrifying it was.

Seeing that no one had any more questions and no one was willing to share intel, Ma Shangwu simply raised his hand to adjourn the meeting.

“Since that's the case, today's discussion ends here. Everyone return to your camps to rest and prepare to explore the main city at any time. Take care of yourselves and good luck.”

The crowd stood up and left one after another, their minds heavy with thought. Some were anxious and panicked, while others were secretly calculating their treasure-hunting plans.

Captain Liu Ruyan turned to return to the Dawn Convoy's base. She hadn't gone far when several figures quickly followed behind her.

They were the captains of several sizable convoys from the East Bank. They jogged to catch up, their attitudes polite and respectful, their faces filled with flattering smiles.

The shocking sight of the Dawn Convoy entering while levitating earlier was deeply etched into everyone's hearts.

This was something everyone dreamed of!

Among them, the captain of the Campus Convoy spoke first, his tone full of sincerity:

“Captain Liu, please wait! We have something we'd like to discuss with you!”

“We witnessed your vehicles levitating throughout their journey just now, unaffected by the terrain. We are truly envious!”

“We wanted to ask if the secret to this levitation can be traded?”

“Price is not an issue! We definitely won't let your convoy lose out. As long as we can trade for the flight technology, any supplies can be negotiated!”

The others chimed in as well, their eyes burning with eagerness.

They had been craving it like crazy!

The current urban area of Shancheng was filled with abandoned vehicles, broken walls, construction debris, and collapsed skyscrapers. The ground road conditions were an absolute mess.

Ordinary ground vehicles could hardly move. Venturing even slightly into the city would result in being blocked by obstacles.

To push forward with exploration, they had to brute-force through obstacles, which was extremely taxing, slow, and likely to alert hidden anomalies.

But levitating vehicles had none of these concerns!

Ignoring terrain and obstacles, being highly mobile and able to advance or retreat at will—in terms of exploration, escape, and relocation, they completely outclassed ground vehicles!

In this perilous Shancheng death zone, having levitation capability was equivalent to having an extra life!

The group originally thought this technology could be obtained for a batch of grain or basic supplies at most.

They were already prepared to pay a heavy price.

Captain Liu Ruyan maintained her indifferent and cold demeanor. It wasn't that she was intentionally putting on airs.

It was the subtle influence of the Demon User Sequence that made her aura distant and humorless.

She spoke calmly, directly setting a hard line for the trade without leaving any room for negotiation.

“If you want the Levitation Technology, you can have it.”

“There is only one rule for the trade: strange objects, or materials exclusive to strange objects. Ordinary supplies and grain will not be accepted.”

As soon as these words came out, the captains who had followed her froze in place.

The eagerness on their faces vanished instantly, replaced by frowns as they fell into a silent struggle.

strange objects! strange object materials!

These weren't common supplies found everywhere!

Among the dozen or so convoys on the East Bank, those who held strange objects or strange object materials...

Were few and far between. These were the ultimate life-saving trump cards of each convoy, precious to the extreme.

Was it worth it to trade a hidden treasure for a set of vehicle Levitation Technology?

Everyone began to frantically weigh the pros and cons in their minds.

On one side were extremely rare strange object materials that could save their lives and turn the tide;

On the other was a unique levitation trump card that could ignore terrain.

Everyone lost their confidence. No longer as urgent as before, they all showed expressions of hesitation.

Seeing this, Captain Liu Ruyan added a flat remark, completely shutting down any wishful thinking they might have had.

“You don't need to feel the price is high.”

“The core material that allows the vehicles to levitate is itself a rare strange object material, a stroke of luck our convoy bought with our lives.”

“Ordinary supplies simply don't match its value. If you want to trade, follow the rules.”

“You can go back and discuss it slowly. Once you've made up your minds, you can come find me at the Dawn Convoy anytime.”

Having said her piece, Captain Liu Ruyan spoke no more and turned to walk straight back to her camp.

She left the group of captains staring at each other in the same spot, each torn and hesitant.

Returning to the Dawn camp, Captain Liu Ruyan immediately found Zhou Che and reported every bit of information from the meeting word for word.

From the desperate rule that Shancheng was now completely sealed—allowing entry but no exit.

To the opportunity presented by the suppressed anomalies in the main city being open for free exploration.

And finally, the matter of the various convoys seeking to purchase the Levitation Technology—she informed him of everything.