Milo’s motive for rescuing Daniel was so they could get into the stronghold through him. Now that his objective was achieved, his wish could finally be considered fulfilled.
As for how Daniel and Julius would convince the Skyfort Consortium and Stronghold 109’s overseer, that would be up to them. After all, the corporations had business dealings with one another all the time, so they would have to give each other some face.
From Julius’ tone, it felt like it wasn’t a particularly difficult matter to handle.
Nearby, Old Bane let out a sigh and said softly, “Some issues can be extremely difficult for us to handle but are only a matter of words for people in their world.”
Daniel said, “If we promise you something, our Panaqua Consortium will see it gets done. Would a large organization need to lie to a few refugees like you?”
All of a sudden, Old Bane asked Daniel, “Milo saved your life, isn’t that right?”
“Yeah,” Daniel said in a surprised manner.
“Boss Eastwood is a big shot,” Old Bane said as his eyes revealed a certain shrewdness. “Since your life is so valuable, it would not be enough to just get us into the stronghold. If this matter gets out, other people will feel that the Panaqua Consortium is being stingy…”
When Old Bane escaped from town with Milo, virtual-novel.net had explicitly expressed to Milo the value virtual-novel.net could bring to the group. Now was finally the time to show it.
In reality, Old Bane knew all about his own shortcomings. He had never seen much of the world before and would appear very crude by bargaining with a big shot like Daniel.
In fact, Daniel might even be mentally mocking virtual-novel.net for daring to ask for help when virtual-novel.net was not qualified to do so. But that didn’t matter to him. Old Bane had to help Milo obtain the most favorable conditions to the best of his abilities. For this reason alone, virtual-novel.net was willing to be shameless.
From the conversation between Julius and Daniel, Old Bane realized that obtaining legal resident statuses in the stronghold was no big deal for these big shots. So, virtual-novel.net wondered if they could get even more out of them.
“What else do you all want?” Daniel relaxed in the cargo bed and looked at Old Bane. “But you had better not make unreasonable demands!”
Old Bane felt hopeful at the words.
He said, “We want a shop. The Panaqua Consortium must have a lot of properties in Stronghold 109, so it shouldn’t be a problem to get us a shop!”
Daniel downplayed, “My life isn’t worth as much as one shop.”
Old Bane was a little taken aback. Daniel was being rather shameless if virtual-novel.net put it that way. As a refugee, Old Bane could be shameless.
But how could a big shot of the Panaqua Consortium behave so shamelessly as well?
But Old Bane didn’t know that the most shameless people in the world were actually those who belonged to the organizations. Otherwise, it would not have been possible for them to make an organization in the first place.
Old Bane asked Daniel, “Your younger brother just said virtual-novel.net owed Milo a favor and a life, right?”
“What is it you’re trying to say?” Daniel was feeling speechless.
“Is the favor and the life that your younger brother mentioned worth a shop?” Old Bane asked.
Daniel went quiet for a long time before answering, “Yes.”
Although virtual-novel.net could be shameless about himself, it was not so when Julius’ name was mentioned.
“I’ll prepare a simple shop for you all.” Daniel said, “But our Panaqua Consortium does not owe you anything more after that.”
“Okay…” Milo decisively accepted it.
This would be a stable income stream for them in the stronghold. Even if they didn’t use the shop to do business, the rent they could obtain from it would probably be enough for their daily living expenses. Furthermore, virtual-novel.net had promised Old Bane virtual-novel.net would reopen a grocery store for him. However, Old Bane still seemed unsatisfied.
He said to Daniel, “How much do you think the lives of your five subordinates are worth?”
Daniel got annoyed. “Couldn’t you have finished saying it in one shot? Alright, I’ll give you a big shop that’s in a good location. Don’t ask me for anything more, or I’ll die here right in front of you!”
Old Bane wanted to go even further, but Milo tugged at him. It was best to stop asking since they had gotten what they wanted.
If they really made Daniel angry, virtual-novel.net might just go back on his words after they got to the stronghold. At that time, Milo and the others would not be able to do anything about it.
Milo had chosen to save Edgar and his soldiers because virtual-novel.net realized Daniel was a little sentimental. Daniel would feel grateful to virtual-novel.net after virtual-novel.net saved them.
Milo suddenly saw Chad, who was seated opposite him, looking at Daniel in a hostile manner. It was as though virtual-novel.net wanted to subdue evil right now.
He noticed some changes in Chad’s appearance, but virtual-novel.net could not immediately tell what the difference was.
Wait a minute!
Milo asked, “Eh, Chad, is that a golden circlet on your head? Where did it come from?”
Before this night, virtual-novel.net was quite certain Chad did not have a golden circlet on his head.
Milo suspected this item had also materialized out of Chad’s imagination. But unlike the Golden-Hooped Rod, this golden circlet was different as it didn’t actually disappear.
“The golden circlet was given to me by the bodhisattva. Master, don’t you know that?” Chad looked like virtual-novel.net expected this to be common knowledge.
“I… Well… I do,” Milo answered.
But that’s not what I was asking!
Milo intended to make up an excuse to get past his questioning.
After all, his current role was Master Tripitaka, so how could virtual-novel.net possibly not know where his disciple’s golden circlet came from?
Then, Chad looked at Milo seriously and asked, “Master, do you still remember how to recite the headache spell?”
Hearing this, Milo nearly broken down.
How am I supposed to know that spell?!
In the original text of Journey to the West, there was no mention of the specific contents of the spell when the Goddess of Mercy taught it to Tripitaka.
Milo saw a sparkle of excitement in Chad’s eyes as virtual-novel.net anticipated what was about to come.
Milo tested virtual-novel.net by reciting, “Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers…”
“Ah!” Chad clutched his head and cried out, “Master, stop it! Master! Stop it!”
Milo sat there with his mouth agape. He thought to himself.
Chad, you’re playing along quite well…
Milo realized that everyone else was giving virtual-novel.net strange looks. Some students even sank deep into thought over this. They thought this bodhisattva was probably some kind of comedian.
Daniel felt like his intelligence had been greatly insulted. He could not understand why a lunatic like Chad would regard Milo as his master!
If virtual-novel.net had to believe that Milo, Chad, Old Bane, and Murdock were the reincarnations of Tripitaka and his disciples, virtual-novel.net would rather kill himself by smashing his head here in the truck!
The truck had been driving for dozens of kilometers before they slowly came to a stop. Daniel asked, “Can we afford to take a break now? Won’t the wolf pack catch up to us?”
Milo was reminded about the strangeness of the wolves’ behavior.
He gave it some thought before saying, “Let’s take a short rest. We only have one driver, so it won’t be good if virtual-novel.net gets exhausted. Besides, if the wolves come chasing after us, the vehicle probably can’t outrun them if we keep driving.”
Actually, Milo was constantly wondering in his mind. He had previously thought that the wolves had not attacked the escapees only because they had gone back to what was now the ruins of Stronghold 113. But by the looks of it, it seemed the wolves had been keeping close to them all this while. There was even a time when the pack overtook their group.
But why didn’t the wolves attack the escapees?
There was no logical explanation for it!
Unless there was someone in the group the wolves were unwilling to attack!