Chapter 732 Gray River

Three armored vehicles were driving in a row in the desolate wilderness, the distinctive emblem of the gray fox shining brightly on the side armor of each vehicle. The dry plain wind stirred up sand and dust and slapped the car's outer shell, while the last silhouette of the city became farther and farther behind the convoy, and finally disappeared.

There are no traces of human habitation around this lonely convoy. All that can be seen is the jagged and grotesque wasteland landscape. The sky, dyed gray-yellow by sand and dust, hangs low in all directions, and the same gray earth Together, it almost gives people the illusion that the entire world has turned into a ball of yellow sand. The convoy is now driving on an avenue that is theoretically an interstate highway, but only a little bit of cement residue on the roadside can still be discerned: the force of nature has easily erased the traces of civilization that once existed here. , the solid cement road has become the same as the surrounding gravel wilderness after more than sixty years of weathering.

This is the mercenary unit that is about to go to the Northland ruins. It is led by Nolan himself. After starting from the Black Street, it goes straight west to the Gray River. Hao Ren is also with them. The team set out yesterday afternoon and has been marching for nearly twenty hours without stopping. The ruins of the city that just disappeared on the horizon are the last urban area of ​​Rift Valley City - it is said that they can't go any further until they reach the Gray River. If we see any urban remains, this desolate wilderness will be the only sight on the road for the next two or three days.

Hao Ren, Nolan and others rode in the second armored vehicle together. These vehicles have spacious interiors and seem to have been specially modified for transporting people, and the car in the middle is the most closely guarded one: the Gray Fox's customer is here.

Two expressionless men were sitting at the back of the carriage, wearing different uniforms from the mercenaries. It was said that they were researchers from the Baihe Chamber of Commerce. Two other senior bodyguards from the Baihe Chamber of Commerce were sitting on both sides. They were responsible for To protect researchers and monitor the work of Gray Fox mercenaries. Nolan's mission is to safely escort these four people to the Northland Ring Tower - and then let at least one of the researchers come back alive.

The above is the original text of the commission sent by the Baihe Chamber of Commerce.

These four "clients" hardly talked to the mercenaries. They only occasionally discussed things in low voices and tried to avoid being heard by others. It was obviously not interesting to pay attention to these people, so Hao Ren turned to look at the display screen embedded in the carriage. The situation outside the armored vehicle could be seen on the screen, but the scenery outside was only the unchanged wasteland. Ulanov muttered in a low voice: "Not even the Rangers can survive in this hellish place."

"Relax, we are in the safest area in the world now," Nolan sat across from the carriage, with his hands behind his head, his eyes slightly narrowed, and his feet unsightly on the steel armrests in front of him. , "There are no humans here. The only danger is the poison in the soil and water."

Carl huddled in a corner of the carriage holding his large rifle. He sniffed after hearing Nolan's words: "Hey, that's really safe."

Hao Ren looked at the four members of the Baihe Chamber of Commerce sitting at the end of the carriage, and sat down next to Nolan: "Do you know what they are going to do?"

"I don't know," Nolan said with a lack of interest. "I don't inquire about my customers' affairs when doing business. This is the secret to my survival today. Don't know what you shouldn't know."

She paused and noticed that the curious look on Hao Ren's face had not faded. Then she shrugged and lowered her voice: "It's probably for the master computer. The nanomachine group control program before the war, and the control program that was not available in time back then." The blueprints of the next-generation nanomachine swarm transferred from the center... It is said that they are all hidden deep in the Northland ring tower. As long as any force can get a little bit of information from them, it will be prosperous. Basically, the guys who have gone to the Northland in recent years are Go for those things.”

"Pre-war technology..." Hao Ren muttered in a low voice, "Can it really still be useful..."

"Why did you go to that place?" Nolan raised an eyelid, "I heard that you buried your wife in the wilderness outside the Black Street this morning. It seems that you did not go to the Northland to die. "

Hao Ren curled his lips helplessly: "My mental state has always been normal, right? I just went to the Northland Ring Tower to confirm some things... Anyway, I have no conflict of interest with you, I'm just giving you a ride."

Nolan suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Hao Ren seriously: "To be honest, I have always felt that there is something wrong with you. I have felt this way since the first time we met."

Hao Ren smiled: "What's wrong with me?"

"Too optimistic, too calm, too indifferent," Nolan turned his head. "I thought it was because of your mental disorder at first, but now it seems that's not the case. You remind me of someone who was born and raised in a peaceful era. But it’s impossible for that kind of person to maintain this mentality for as long as you in this scorched land.”

Hearing Nolan's words, Hao Ren also said casually: "You look young, but you are quite good at judging people."

"You're not that old..." Nolan repeated softly while looking up at the monitor in the car. Then she turned on the on-board conversation device next to her and called the soldier in the cab in front, "Jin, we're crossing Is the old Route 17 gone?”

The soldier in the cab reported: "Just a few minutes ago."

"Well, you can rest and let the vehicle switch to autonomous driving. There will be no need for a driver in the next two days."

"Roger that, boss."

Although Black Street and Zero City are the closest human settlements to the Northland ruins, it is still quite a long way from there to the Northland Ring Tower. This restricted area of ​​life is an absolutely insurmountable forbidden area for ordinary people. Even professional mercenaries need the support of modern equipment and the best physical and mental condition to cope. Over the next two days and one night, the convoy continued to approach the ruins of the Northland under the guidance of the autonomous driving system. As the destination gradually approached, everyone became nervous. The things Nolan brought out were originally gray foxes. They were the bravest and most loyal people in the army, but when they arrived here, they still began to feel uneasy.

"Being killed by a swarm of nanomachines is a terrifying thing," Ulanov told Hao Ren on the fourth day of the journey. "The death process feels very long, and it usually starts from the internal organs. The body is dissolved It will be accompanied by extreme burning illusions and tearing sensations - the greater pressure comes from psychological. You will clearly feel that you are turning into some kind of heterogeneous material block... and this feeling will Repeatedly for several minutes.”

Hao Ren was looking at the scene outside the car, and Ulanov's words made him feel strange: "You are shaking the morale of the army by saying this here..."

Ulanov laughed hoarsely, with a hint of mischief in his laughter: "I just want to remind some people not to be interested in those nanomachines that seem to be sleeping. They may suddenly come alive." come over."

Two researchers from the Baihe Chamber of Commerce raised their heads and glanced here, with dissatisfaction in their eyes.

At this time, the driver of the lead car suddenly called from the loudspeaker of the carriage: "Huihe! Ahead is Huihe! Boss, we have arrived at Huihe!"

The word "Grey River" woke up the dull mercenaries like a shot in the arm. Everyone raised their heads and clenched the weapons at hand. An emotion mixed with uneasiness and excitement spread out from them. Nolan immediately picked up his equipment bag and stood up: "Everyone, bring the electromagnetic sleep device and follow me!"

The armored vehicle stopped in a wilderness, and the mercenaries jumped from the vehicle to the ground. Before getting up, Ulanov thrust a palm-sized device that looked like an old-fashioned radio into Hao Ren's arms: "Take this, your electromagnetic sleep device."

Hao Ren took the strange device without knowing why, and then he was urged by the people behind him to jump out of the car.

An endless stretch of desolate land spread out in front of him, and a hundred meters away, he saw the leading armored vehicle parked next to a "big river" as wide as the ocean, and a piece of land could be seen on the bank of the river. Continuous and neat metallic luster.

Hao Ren ran over with the mercenaries. He looked at the scene in front of him in surprise: "Is this... Gray River?"

All he saw was an endless gray-white, viscous and weird liquid surging in front of his eyes. The texture was like asphalt and the color was like bones. The surging speed of these liquids was extremely slow, almost like a slowed-down movie film. The slowly undulating, sticky gray-white "river surface" only brings an endless sense of weirdness to people. And at the edge of the gray river, which looks like a black-and-white movie, you can see a layer of something like plated armor covering the rocks on the shore - just like a naturally growing river bank, bringing people great joy. The "river" of danger is blocked in the river bed.

This is the Gray River.

(I have something to go out today, so I will update in advance = . = It’s still a busy day.)