153: Chapter 154 Spirit, We Cannot Lose

Thirty to forty thousand Mercenaries, eighty-two squads, were active on a large scale within a radius of several dozen li around Flower City every day.

This kind of movement could not be hidden simply by "not revealing one's name."

Just because no one asked today does not mean no one will come to investigate tomorrow.

Just because we brushed past each other today does not mean they won't block our path tomorrow.

Who are the Mercenaries of Flower City?

Where do they come from?

Which city is behind them?

Once these questions are asked, one must either lie or confess.

It is impossible to keep lying forever.

Confessing—

Lei Lie stared at the fourteen red dots on the map, silent for a long time.

He rolled up the map, extinguished the lamp, and walked outside.

He was going to find the City Lord.

The night wind was cold.

Lei Lie walked along the road leading to the City Lord's Mansion, his steps slower than yesterday.

Yesterday was about urgency; he hadn't known how to broach the subject, yet he had been anxious to go.

Today was not about urgency, but heaviness.

His mind was filled with those fourteen red dots, turning them over and over, yet he could not think of a clean, decisive solution.

Hide? It cannot be hidden.

Dodge? He cannot afford to dodge.

Reveal their identity openly? That would be equivalent to telling all the surrounding cities that Flower City has thirty to forty thousand Professionals active outside the city.

Once this information spreads—

He dared not think about it.

It wasn't exactly that he didn't dare; it was that after thinking about it, he felt he could not make this decision.

Therefore, he still had to find the City Lord.

He sighed and continued walking with his head lowered.

"Yo!"

A voice suddenly popped out from the side of the road, giving him a start.

Lei Lie stopped abruptly, his hand instinctively pressing onto the hilt of his sword, and he turned his head to look—

Minister Wang Fugui was half-leaning against the trunk of a psychic small jianmu by the roadside, holding a cup of tea in his hand, looking at him with a smile.

"Going to trouble the City Lord again?"

Lei Lie's brows furrowed.

"How did you know?"

"Hey!" Minister Wang Fugui gestured with his teacup toward the direction of the City Lord's Mansion.

"You passed right in front of me yesterday; I greeted you, and you didn't even react.

You're walking this same road again today, with that same look of despair—if I couldn't guess that, I might as well quit being the Minister of the Trade Department."

"...Did I yesterday?"

"Whether you did or not isn't important." Minister Wang Fugui took a sip of tea.

"What's important is—don't go."

Lei Lie's brows furrowed even tighter.

"What do you mean?"

"I said don't go and trouble the City Lord; it's a trivial matter."

Lei Lie stared at him for two breaths, then let out a cold snort.

"You, someone in charge of trade, know what I'm thinking?"

Minister Wang Fugui was amused by his tone, brought the teacup to his lips, and chuckled.

"Isn't it just that our Hua City Mercenaries ran into the regular army of another city? I've heard about it.

It was only a matter of time."

Lei Lie's expression changed.

He hadn't expected this matter to spread so quickly.

"How did you—"

"Thirty to forty thousand people left the city, and when they came back, they sat on the road and started bragging; half of Flower City knows about it." Minister Wang Fugui waved his hand.

"What is there to hide about this?"

Lei Lie said with a dark face: "This is a military matter; it is not something you should be asking about."

"Oh?" Minister Wang Fugui raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "What if I told you this matter has something to do with my Trade Department?"

"Nonsense."

Minister Wang Fugui was not annoyed; instead, he leaned back against the tree trunk again, shifting into a more comfortable position.

"After today, the Granary is bursting at the seams.

You know that, right?"

Lei Lie certainly knew.

The Demonic Beast Materials alone were piled up over half the plaza.

"Do you think I, as the Minister of the Trade Department, need to solve this problem?"

"What does this have to do with what we were talking about before?"

Minister Wang Fugui smiled, but this time there was something else in the smile—not mockery, but a kind of self-assured certainty.

"That's why I say you don't understand the way of trade." He shook his teacup.

"I can't be bothered to explain the specifics to you; you wouldn't listen anyway.

I'll just give you one piece of advice—"

He looked at Lei Lie and stopped smiling.

"When the Hua City Mercenaries go out in the future, have them carry the flag of Flower City on their backs."

Lei Lie was stunned for a moment.

Then his expression darkened.

"That is absolute nonsense." His voice lowered.

"Doing that will only invite trouble."

"Trouble?" Minister Wang Fugui tilted his head.

"Do you know what carrying the flag implies? It means everyone will know that Flower City has thirty to forty thousand Professionals active outside.

How will the surrounding cities view it? A tall tree catches the wind..."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Minister Wang Fugui made a clicking sound three times, interrupting him.

Lei Lie's words were stuck in his throat.

Minister Wang Fugui put down his teacup and straightened up from the tree trunk.

His smile was completely gone, and his eyes were serious as he looked at Lei Lie.

"I didn't expect this, I really didn't.

In all of Flower City, the one who trusts the strength of Flower City the least is actually you, the Minister of the Military Department."

Lei Lie's breathing paused.

Minister Wang Fugui did not give him a chance to refute.

"Never mind.

I've finished what I had to say.

How you decide is your business."

He bent down to pick up his teacup and brushed the non-existent dust off his clothes.

"I will only remind you of one thing—as the Minister of the Military Department, you must shoulder the responsibility."

He turned around, walked two steps, then turned back to add, "As for spirit, you cannot lose, either."

Having said that, he left.

His footsteps gradually faded into the night, and he didn't even look back.

Lei Lie stood where he was.

Minister Wang Fugui's words rolled over and over in his mind.

"The one who trusts the strength of Flower City the least is actually you, the Minister of the Military Department."

He opened his mouth to refute, but could not find the words.

It was not that he did not trust the strength of Flower City.

He knew better than anyone how strong Flower City was—one hundred and forty thousand Professionals, thirty to forty thousand Mercenaries, all equipped with black iron gear, and their formation and coordination capabilities far exceeded any surrounding city.

He was the one who trained the troops, and these soldiers were trained by him; how could he not believe in them?

But he was still worried.

What was he worried about?

The unknown?

He could not say.

If, because of one flag, the gazes of everyone around were drawn over—then what?

He looked down at the road beneath his feet.

The moonlight stretched his shadow very long.

He stood for a long time.

Then he raised his head and glanced at the direction of the City Lord's Mansion.

He also glanced at the direction in which Minister Wang Fugui had left.

Finally, he turned around and walked toward his own residence.