15: Chapter 15 Bounty Crowdfunding

Inside the quiet, abandoned service area.

Lu Yuan sat in the cockpit, watching the screen filled with desperate, tear-stained cries for help.

His fingers tapped lightly on the joystick as he fell into a brief silence.

He didn't consider himself a merciful saint.

But he was definitely not the kind of cold-blooded, heartless villain who would stand by and watch others die.

Moreover, just a short while ago, the players in District C-72 had genuinely gifted him a massive amount of supplies.

Taking their gifts meant he was indebted to them.

If it was within his capabilities, he was more than willing to lend a hand.

However, Lu Yuan was by no means a reckless brute who would charge in without thinking.

In this apocalypse where life was as thin as paper, risking his own life to save others would be far too costly.

He had to first figure out the enemy's strength.

Lu Yuan opened the input box for the regional channel and slowly typed a line of text.

"What is the enemy's firepower like? What kind of vehicle configuration do they have?"

As soon as this line of golden text, the only one in the entire region, scrolled past.

The District C-72 chat channel, which had been shrouded in a cloud of despair, instantly erupted into an unprecedented frenzy!

"Big shot! The big shot has appeared!"

"Wuwuwu! The big shot hasn't abandoned us! We're saved!"

"Red Wolf has asked a question! Brothers at the bridgehead, answer quickly!"

Soon.

A player hiding behind an abandoned car at the bridgehead risked his life to poke his head out and take a photo of the scene.

He sent it directly to the public channel.

Lu Yuan opened the photo and zoomed in to examine it carefully.

The image was a bit blurry, but the grim situation at the bridgehead was still visible.

Over a dozen off-road vehicles welded with spikes were blocking the intersection in a chaotic mess.

In the very center was a heavy truck with thick, solid steel plates welded to its front, resembling a wall of steel.

On the roof and behind the cover, several shirtless Red-named thugs were firing wildly with fully automatic assault rifles.

There was even a heavy machine gun still emitting wisps of smoke.

After looking at the photo, Lu Yuan raised an eyebrow.

He typed two words on the keyboard and sent them.

"Just this?"

These two light words carried an undisguised sense of contempt.

Seeing the big shot's domineering reaction, the players in the channel were so excited they became incoherent and rushed to provide more information.

"Yes, big shot! It's these animals!"

"Wuwuwu, don't look at them only having assault rifles now; they originally only had makeshift firearms!"

"They relied on killing and looting to force an upgrade to Gatling guns and assault rifles!"

"These people are cold-blooded killers, their firepower is getting stronger and stronger, and we really can't hold on anymore!"

Watching these additional details on the screen, Lu Yuan slowly put away the smile on his lips.

His brow furrowed slightly.

If it were just an ordinary highway robbery, he might have weighed the pros and cons.

But these people were Red-named players who were constantly growing stronger like a snowball, relying on the system rules of cross-district killing.

The more they killed, the richer they became; the more they fought, the fiercer they grew.

With such a bottomless, rapidly expanding raider organization entrenched on the only path forward.

Even if they didn't meet today, they would definitely become his greatest threat in the future.

Now, he had to go.

He had to completely crush this hidden danger in the cradle!

Lu Yuan's eyes turned cold, and he directly stated his price in the public channel.

"I'll take this job."

"The payment: one weapon modification blueprint, or two tank upgrade blueprints."

This price was quite well-calculated.

If forced upon a single player, it would absolutely be an exorbitant appearance fee that would bankrupt them.

But for District C-72, with its 850,000 survivors, this was practically a fair price!

The barrage in the channel exploded instantly.

"Quick! Who has the blueprints! This is life-saving money!"

"Let's all crowdfund it together! We must not let the big shot make a wasted trip!"

"I have one! I just opened a blind box and got a basic weapon modification blueprint!"

A player named "Iron Pot Stewed Goose" jumped out excitedly.

Subsequently, countless players without blueprints also responded one after another.

"Brother, give the blueprint to the big shot, and I'll give you a rusted iron block to compensate!"

"I'll contribute a small piece of bread!"

"I'll contribute half a bottle of water!"

Faced with a life-or-death moment, the players of District C-72 were unprecedentedly united.

A massive amount of basic supplies poured frantically toward the player who produced the blueprint, acting as the entire district's crowdfunding for this exorbitant fee.

In just a few minutes, the backpack of Iron Pot Stewed Goose was filled with supplies sent by players from all over the district; he not only fully recovered the value of the blueprint but even made a small profit.

His hands were trembling with excitement, and he immediately tagged Lu Yuan in the public channel.

"Big shot Red Wolf! I have the blueprint ready!"

"As long as you help us get rid of the animals blocking the road and clear a path for survival, I will trade it to you immediately!"

They didn't trade immediately, but chose to pay after the event.

Because they were also afraid.

In this apocalypse with no moral constraints, if the big shot took this invaluable blueprint and just ran off, they would truly be doomed.

Lu Yuan naturally saw through this little scheme clearly.

But he wasn't angry.

Even brothers must settle accounts clearly; this kind of "payment upon delivery" transaction method actually suited his tastes better.

After all, he wasn't the type of person who liked to engage in moral kidnapping.

If you don't hand over the blueprint afterward, then I, Lu Yuan, wouldn't mind being the big bad demon blocking the road for once!

"No problem."

Lu Yuan typed his reply decisively.

"Find a safe place to hide and don't get hit by stray bullets."

"I'll be there in about an hour."

Message sent.

Lu Yuan closed the chat screen directly.

He pulled the joystick, and the heavy tracks ground against the ruins with a harsh, screeching sound.

The massive Red Wolf Tank completed a magnificent U-turn on the spot, pointing its heavy crimson armor directly at the Cross-River Bridge two thousand kilometers away.

"An hour?"

Lu Yuan looked at the attributes of the v-100 turbine aggregation engine on the panel, a wild smile curling the corners of his lips.

He turned the main gun barrel 180 degrees, aiming it toward the rear of the vehicle.

"System, Explosive Flame Shockwave Cannon, rapid energy charging!"

"Throttle, weld it to the floor!"

Rumble—

The Tyrant engine let out a terrifying roar that shattered eardrums.

Accompanied by the roaring dark red fireball exploding at the rear, the sixty-five-ton steel behemoth instantly transformed into a missile flying just above the ground.

It sped wildly toward the bridge four hundred kilometers away!