Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

After assigning the players their tasks, Bai E made his way straight to Black Street.

Since the captain had ventured into Black Street, it was only proper to drop by and give him special attention.

Watching the man leave, Dai Lian simply pinched his chin and muttered to himself, "Why do I feel like the boss has changed a bit..."

"Right?...I think so too." Kuang Xin nodded earnestly.

"The look in his eyes." Xu Ruoguang, who had been silent up until now, pointed out the key issue from behind, "The boss's gaze is more murderous than last time we met."

"Murderous... what are you reading so many novels for?" Gu Lan tapped Xu Ruoguang's head with his finger.

But Xu Ruoguang stubbornly pushed back, "That's exactly it."

"It's the look in his eyes." Dai Lian also agreed.

With this reminder from Xu Ruoguang, he too realized where the unsettling feeling came from—it was indeed the look in the eyes.

When confronted with the man's gaze, Dai Lian felt an unprecedented pressure.

The boss today seemed unusually calm, like the deep sea brewing a colossal wave, or a volcano poised to erupt.

Was the boss angry?

Why?

"But he's cooler now~" Kuang Xin's eyes sparkled, admiring how their boss was becoming increasingly stylish.

So lovable~

...

Gilder was dealing with a significant amount of data.

He needed to tally the daily consumption of everyone in Black Street and the volume of work completed each day; he didn't trust anyone else with this job.

Mainly because there weren't any trustworthy individuals yet. The management of Black Street had just started, and it would take some time to assess the local people before choosing those who were capable and wouldn't harbor ulterior motives.

Until then, it was only him who could complete the boss's tasks.

Fortunately, he had the help of the Mouse People. Despite not having systematic training or the corresponding experiences, these creatures were intelligent by nature, learning casually from following along, and they could handle simple data summarization and processing without any issues.

This kind of work consumed a large part of his day.

When Bai E arrived, Gilder was still buried in his work at the desk.

"Bo... Boss?" When Gilder lifted his head from the desk, his mind was still sluggish from the data, and his eyes took a moment to focus.

"You've worked hard."

"Not at all!" Gilder promptly responded, "The greatest fortune of my life is your willingness to trust me."

Being able to dedicate oneself to an area of expertise and toil happily was undeniably a source of happiness.

The words the boss spoke might be incomprehensible to the average person, but Gilder took them to heart.

Perhaps, only after coming here, did his aging life truly start to take shape.

["Lucky Strike" charge +3.]

"..." Bai E pursed his lips, not expecting that a high "loyalty level" could increase his charge from just a casual remark.
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"I've come to ask you something." Bai E didn't waste time with pleasantries. Business didn't require it.

"Speak."

"Is there a group in Black Street made up of veterans who've retired from the military? All of them with disabilities?"

Gilder, who by now had completely grasped the structure of Black Street, confirmed without hesitation, "There is! Are you looking for them, Boss?"

"Not necessarily," Bai E lightly shook his head, "I'm just inquiring about their condition. A comrade from my military days just retired from the barracks today and will likely join the old soldiers, so I wanted to understand their situation."

"They..." Gilder frowned, seemingly unsure how to explain before he finally asked, "You should know about the secret deals between the military and Black Street, right?"

"I do."

Gilder nodded, "The main people handling those were that group of veterans."

Handling such business meant that those people were no longer as "pure" as when they were in the military.

Soldiers born as Artificial Humanity start with a blank slate, but stepping into a dog-eat-dog place like Black Street, if they don't learn some cunning, they would be the first to die.

So even though these are old soldiers who left the battlefield due to injuries, their current situations are actually pretty complicated.

"Dealing with them is also tricky. For now, we only let them manually craft firearms and bullets, refine gunpowder, while those with prosthetic limbs can also take on hunting and the like. You have said that no organization of more than three people is allowed in Black Street, but personally, I think these veterans still keep in touch privately."

After all, they are merely managers installed by the Arbitration Place due to pressure, and many of the original residents have their own life paths and won't completely obey instructions from such appointed managers.

Yes, managing, not ruling,

The control Gilder, including the guard comprising players, had over the place was far from being absolute.

"However, those veterans are clear-headed; they abide by our decrees and even help us maintain order voluntarily. I do plan to select some of them to form a guard unit for Black Street."

The affairs of Black Street should be managed by its people.

Relying solely on the boss's subordinates, who are somewhat odd and naive youngsters, was never a long-term solution.

After all, the management of Black Street is just beginning.

Bai E nodded.

A group with strong cohesion that outwardly follows commands but privately sticks together for warmth?

That's pretty normal.

This management will likely require more attention, but for individuals who can join, it might still be a good thing.

Tiger shouldn't suffer any hardships...

Gilder observed cautiously, "You have a good relationship with your comrade?"

"Yes, quite good."

"For him, that veterans' community should be a good place; they really take care of their own. And when they make some money, they often help others get fitted with prosthetics. Although the quality of those prosthetics isn't great, at least they're usable."

That's good.

Bai E nodded.

Everyone has their own life path. If the tiger could have his own life outside of the barracks, that would be a decent outcome.

...

"Dong dong dong~"

The tiger, following the address, found the legendary "Veterans' Nest".

He had only heard of it, and this was his first visit.

In truth, the words he had said were meant for You to hear. As for the arrangement of his own life... he had never considered ending his life in this way.

He was a warrior, meant to die on the battlefield.

Having cheated death, he found himself plunged into confusion.

Perhaps... those experienced veterans could help him find a new meaning in life.

With a sense of trepidation, the tiger knocked at the gate.

"Squeak~"

The gate opened, revealing a tall man with visible metal prosthetics gazing coldly outside.

Upon seeing the newcomer, with one hand, one leg, leaning on a crutch... and especially the black iron tag on his chest inscribed with characters, his face instantly lit up with a comforting, amiable smile.

"You've come..."

Even without having met before, the bond between veterans dispensed with any sense of strangeness.

The tiger also saw the iron tag on the other man's chest and the smile on his face, which instantly soothed his slightly anxious heart.

"Yes... I've come."

"Come on in!" The man stepped aside, making room without any attempt to offer support.

They all came from that same tough stage of life; veterans had their own resilience and needed no pity for their perceived weaknesses.

"Alright."

The tiger stepped over the threshold with difficulty, taking in the arrangement inside.

The so-called Veterans' Nest was a small courtyard with individual houses for everyone.

"Come, let me take you to meet everyone." The host led the way with warmth.

As they walked, the tiger heard mechanical operations and grinding noises, looking curiously in that direction, only to have his view blocked by walls.

"We're making guns and ammunition," the leading veteran explained considerately, detailing everything about the place, "It's not safe out there. Everyone needs a means to protect themselves."

"Oh~" The tiger nodded.

"The brothers you're about to meet aren't all of us; some have formed a hunting team and gone out to hunt wildlife for the whole of Black Street."

The tiger was taken aback, "The whole Black Street?"

"Yes..." the veteran laughed heartily, "Due to some unexpected events, we now have a unified leader here. Everyone living here needs to work daily, serving all people."

Although that day Wallis didn't dare to provoke these veterans out of the barracks, they were witnesses to the demonic incident.

Living here, none could escape it.

"Oh~" The tiger, not a man of many words, simply nodded again to show he understood.

He had been to Black Street a few times before but had never heard of any unified leader.

But someone who could bring the entire Black Street together must be an extraordinary figure.

"Pat pat pat~" The leading veteran arrived in the open space in the center of the courtyard and clapped his hands, his voice resonant.

"Brothers, a new brother has joined us."

The courtyard consisted of many houses, none of them large, and even though everyone had their own space, the habits developed in the barracks were never forgotten.

At the leading veteran's call, the mechanical noises abruptly fell silent.

Figures emerged from all directions.

"A new brother?"

"Hahaha, another brother has come?"

Standing in place, the tiger slowly turned in a circle, his eyes meeting the sincere, welcoming gazes of the other veterans, and his eyes inadvertently began to fill with tears.

In the midst of a bustling welcome, the leading veteran patted the tiger's shoulder, "Brother, it's rare that you've managed to snatch your life back from the battlefield. From now on, this is your home."

"Home..."

The tiger's mind felt a bit foggy.

He had no clue how he might start his new life, and his brothers' enthusiasm overwhelmed his thoughts for a moment.

Before he realized it, he had been led into an empty room.

"Sit."

The room had only a simple bed and two chairs. The leading veteran pulled out a chair for the tiger and sat down first, patting the adjacent chair, saying,

"Hmm."

"Where did you get injured?" The other's eyes were fixed on the tiger, full of seriousness.

The warm welcome was one thing, but now that they were going to be brothers, it was time to get to know each other.

"Catching bugs."

"Hunting for the Scientific Research Institute?" A cold light flickered in the leading veteran's eyes.