Chapter 538: Taking a Risk, Strike Gold Overnight!
In the case where the owners.h.i.+p right did not belong to him when he was facing these imported products that were easily sold for tens of thousands of points, Su Mo could not use the system to identify their attributes for the time being.
However, this did not affect the value displayed behind them.
The thought of these technological items possibly being like the ones brought out from Liangfang Town, which possessed special abilities that were unexplainable with modern science…
Su Mo could not stop being tempted even with the high risks.
“Turner, let the mercenaries move the valuable materials to the bas.e.m.e.nt, and the rest, including our courtyard, set them on fire!”
“What?”
After emerging victorious against the enemies, Turner poked his head out of the back door and observed the chaotic situation outside.
The next second, after hearing the meaning conveyed by Su Mo’s words, he was shocked and quickly retracted his head.
“I want to go out and see what’s going on in the inner city. There can’t be any risks here at home while I’m gone.
“In this kind of chaos, we must hide our true combat power in order to have the same effect as what happened earlier.
“Once the other party or potential enemy knows our true strength, it’ll be really troublesome!”
After giving a seemingly very reasonable reason and seeing Turner nod thoughtfully, Su Mo turned around and smashed the skulls of the four captives without a single word.
In troubled times, the benefits of hiding power were evident.
Of course, there was more that Su Mo did not share.
Burning down the courtyard and choosing to hide their strength would pave the way for the future development of the Fire Exchange and cover up their following actions.
If, after tonight, the Demon clan were to be severely destroyed, their vitality grievously damaged, and they could not compete with the Light Empire, they would be safe.
However, the Demon clan was fighting on their home ground. If they had ways to turn things around, then when everything was over and there was no damage to the Fire Exchange, they would be under suspicion!
It would be fine if no one saw Su Mo stealing goods when the time came. However, if someone were to catch him in action, it would be impossible to explain his way out of it.
“Okay, I’ll take them to move the materials!”
After thinking about the pros and cons, Turner did not hesitate and immediately took the mercenaries to the storage room to gather their valuable materials.
About ten minutes later…
A large fire rose from the front door of the Fire Exchange, then spread to the courtyard in just a minute or two, and explosions were happening everywhere.
The thick smoke emitted from the countless burning materials also shot straight into the sky without any cover, wreaking havoc on the already choking air.
Accompanied by the crackling explosion of a few items and the screams that could be heard dozens of minutes ago, the struggling neighbors on the street went silent instantly.
On typical days, everyone was envious of the trading volume at the Fire Exchange and could not wait to overtake them. A small group of people was even eager for Harl and Turner to die.
But at this moment, they had a sense of sadness out of sympathy because of the same situation they were all in currently!
Of course, if they were to deliberately stand at the door to observe or carefully think about its cause, they would find that the fire that started in the Fire Exchange was very strange.
The people from the Light Empire had come to take their riches. There was no way they would burn down the exchange that they had worked so hard to conquer.
Even if they chose to burn it down, they would never ignite everything simultaneously and cause such a raging fire.
However, in this chaotic situation, no one was focused nor had the time to think about the fire.
This fire would eventually become a mystery, covering up everything that happened inside.
“I’ll be leaving now. No one should be coming under these circ.u.mstances. However, we can’t rule out that someone might want to take advantage of the fire and try to take whatever is valuable here.
“Prioritize safety no matter what!”
Su Mo stood in front of the iron door that led to the bas.e.m.e.nt and quickly made arrangements and precautions for the rest of the night. He pressed the door and pulled the cabinet over to cover it.
Whoos.h.!.+
A torch fell, and the dry wood ignited, setting the room with the bas.e.m.e.nt entrance ablaze in just a few minutes.
They had high-quality insulated doors and ventilation ducts hidden under the streets.
Even if an enemy were to raid them now, they would never imagine that nine people and many precious materials were hidden under this raging fire.
After carefully observing the surroundings and confirming that no one was peeping or watching, Su Mo’s body trembled slightly. The template of the dwarf Harl was swapped out, revealing a demiG.o.d body with gnarled muscles and a strong visual impact.
In this form, once he exerted his real combat power, it would definitely be a top-level combat power belonging to a Level 5 and could ignore any existence below Level 6.
Coupled with his extensive training day and night, he had already perfected his marksmans.h.i.+p. Su Mo was confident he could stand his ground in close combat with a real Level 6 match-up.
This was the reason Su Mo had the confidence to take advantage of the situation!
Su Mo felt relieved after picking up a scarf to cover his face and then looked in the mirror to see his current appearance.
He was dressed in black and covered his face with a scarf. He held a big gun that was taken from the cyborg man, and he did not look like a member of the Demon clan in any way.
Anyone who saw him would think he was an attacking enemy and a.s.sociate him with the Light Empire.
‘Hehe! I haven’t met anyone from the Light Empire yet, and I didn’t plan for them to take the blame for me at our first encounter!’
Su Mo took out a map and identified the direction. Then, he rooted his feet into the ground, pressed one hand on the wall, and dashed out like a big bird heading straight into the horizon.
Unlike the noisy fighting on the main street, many shops had been invaded on the remote side road of the back door.
However, seeing Su Mo, who was moving very fast, and the token of command that s.h.i.+ned slightly on his waist, none of the intruders dared to approach and question him. Instead, they rubbed their heads with admiration and envy as they watched Su Mo pa.s.s them.
Demon clan’s ability was not complicated, but as an enemy, they had two difficult things to deal with if they invaded.
One was the Demon clan’s ability to camouflage themselves!
In Freedom City, many demon souls possessed cyborg templates.
Moreover, after the invasion of the Light Empire, many people would change their templates into cyborgs to save their lives.
The situation on the battlefield was hectic and often they would not inquire as carefully as usual. Therefore, it was possible for enemies to be let go easily.
The second was the Demon clan’s mimicry ability.
In the past, after the two territories had a battle, the Demon clan would often scan and mimic information on the spot to turn it into templates to mix into their side.
When they were mixed into their side, the minor damage caused would be that they only gathered the information or returned without much information. In contrast, significant damage would be caused if they were calculated and attacked from within, causing their base’s destruction.
The Light Empire had not been able to come up with a good way to deal with these problematic abilities and could only use a stupid method that was considered to be somewhat effective!
In the event they could not effectively identify the enemy, they came up with a way to identify their own side.
Each captain could implant a chip somewhere in their body, and it relied on a sensor, which was a token as a terminal to receive signals.
The captain could choose the designated location of the token by their own preferences.
The team captain that had invaded the Fire Exchange happened to put the chip inside the cyborg’s big gun.
Su Mo, who was charging ahead, had no idea that these invaders of the Light Empire had regarded him as their own.
On the way to the first import exchange, Su Mo did not choose the nearest road but instead went through remote streets.
As he predicted, he did not encounter an enemy that was ignorant enough to try and stop him until he was within a kilometer of his destination.
‘D*mn it! These people sure are fast enough. I didn’t expect anyone else to target this place!’
On the map, the first import exchange that Su Mo had picked was not the closest, but it was the smallest in the outer city.
Su Mo had originally expected that the people of the Light Empire would focus on the big Level 6 exchanges first and then the small ones.
However, these intruders seemed to have some insider information and went for the easier targets.
The first one to be targeted was the smallest among the four exchanges.
Su Mo approached closer and with the light from the fire and the moonlight, he saw a glimpse of the exchange that was heavily guarded during the day but had become a celebration for the cyborg invaders inside.
It was different from the imported products placed at the counter with price tags of tens of thousands of points and looked like high-end goods.
There were a large number of technological items and some peculiar-shaped goods were placed on the ground in a haphazard manner. They were being picked out and put into different bags by the invaders.
As a large-scale exchange with a deep heritage, the four corners had already been occupied with four bags, but there were still a large number of items that were being quickly packed.
It was clear to see how enormous the gains were from conquering such an exchange.
‘What a pity. If the battle wasn’t completely over, I could’ve stepped in and tried to disrupt the situation to take advantage of it.
‘Now that the battle is over, I might be surrounded by the cyborgs if I charged in without knowing their strength.
‘The risk would be too great. I should change my target!’
After taking a few more glances at the exchange, Su Mo quickly strategized his next direction and set his target on the second-largest exchange.
The place was located in a prosperous area near the city gate on the left.
Judging from the current fire and the direction of the shouting, there was the least sound there, and it was very likely that the import exchange had yet to be invaded.
Su Mo ran as fast as he could and panted just as he pa.s.sed through the city.
The destination finally appeared in his line of sight.
As expected, the streets here were a bit complicated due to the unevenness of the roads, and the people of the Light Empire had not invaded them yet.
A few teams were attacking a few storefronts in the corners.
However, located in the center of the street, the import exchange was like a giant beast. It was impossible to figure out what kind of terrifying defense was waiting behind for the invaders.
Su Mo was immediately overjoyed after seeing such a scene. He found a tree with a crooked trunk and jumped on it to hide.
Freedom City was neither big nor small.
From the west end to the east end, the distance between both sides was at least five kilometers away.
As for whether the people of the Light Empire were going to attack this import exchange, Su Mo might have had doubts if he had yet to see the tragic situation of the smallest exchange.
However, after seeing the happy appearance of the invaders collecting the spoils, Su Mo was relieved.
Obviously, the people of the Light Empire were also knowledgeable.
These imported products with unknown properties but extremely exquisite craftsmans.h.i.+p would deplete after each use and were “irreproducible” items.
Compared to other ordinary materials, these things brought back to their territory would be worth a sky-high price!
Su Mo pondered this, and after he made sure no fighting would happen here for a while, he quickly leaned against the tree trunk and squinted his eyes to recover his strength.
It was close to midnight.
The black cloud that had been brewing for a long time also reached its limit, and with the thick smoke rising from the ground, it seemed a little deeper.
The temperature in the air also began to plummet during this period.
Fortunately, there was a fire all over half the city. To those fighting inside, it was not too cold and acceptable.
After waiting for about half an hour, and the screams in the distance got closer, Su Mo opened his eyes again.
‘Hey, it really snowed!’
After midnight, snowflakes the size of a baby’s fist floated in the sky like the last time.
Compared with last time, the snowfall this time was fiercer, and it looked radiant.
Some of the fires that burned to their limits were put out like this, making a sizzling sound, and extinguished.
However, some of the flames that still had momentum were stimulated by the water vapor and did not go out. Instead, they became a bit more ferocious and made a crackling sound.
Jumping off the tree, standing on the already slightly silvery ground, Su Mo patted the snow off his body and began to move quickly to warm up.
According to the current offensive, a large number of Light Empire troops would advance to the area within half an hour.
As the toughest building on the street, the attacks against this import exchange would also be fully launched.
After five minutes of activity, to ensure that the muscles and bones in his whole body had been completely stretched, Su Mo turned around and jumped into a random courtyard that had already been breached.
Unfortunately, the cyborgs who were collecting the spoils had not left.
With his eyes narrowed, Su Mo wanted to approach and get rid of this cyborg team that was about Level 2 or 3 in strength.
However, before he could make a move, he saw that the steel-headed cyborg man at the head of the group directly and respectfully greeted him.
“Sir, our team has already taken over the mission here. Please do look elsewhere!
“If you want, we can pay 40% of the materials to hire you as our support personnel, and you will get to share the spoils of our next target free of charge!”
“Hmm?”
Seeing that the cyborg was neither humble nor hostile, Su Mo immediately had a few guesses in his mind.
“That won’t be necessary. I’m waiting for my team that hasn’t arrived yet. You guys do what you need to. Don’t worry about me!”
“Okay!”
The cyborg nodded and retreated respectfully after feeling the dangerous aura emitted from Su Mo.
After a while, despite not joining the invasion, the team quietly left a small pile of their loot as a token of grat.i.tude for Su Mo.
‘Interesting. Could it be that they really see me as one of their own?’
Hearing the screams getting closer and closer, and looking at the pile of basic materials on the ground, Su Mo put it aside in disbelief and continued to wait patiently.
When the snow almost completely covered the ground, Su Mo had completely regained his energy.
He supported himself with a hand on the wall, and with a few jumps, Su Mo flew up to the top of the wall skillfully and then climbed to the roof of the second floor.
With the help of his bird’s-eye view, Su Mo immediately saw the lively scene in front of the import exchange.
Like before, it was not a high-level individual of the Light Empire who came to attack the place but instead a group of high-level squads.
However, this time there were about 40 to 50 people who had gathered in front of the exchange, which looked really mighty.
Faced with the motionless exchange, these people did not launch an attack immediately but continued to wait patiently outside.
After waiting until the number of people gathered was around 80 people, the leader motioned with one hand, and the attack finally began!
In the first round, the cyborgs adopted the conventional torch-throwing method and wanted to force out the demons inside by starting a fire.
Unfortunately, an invisible barrier blocked the torches from reaching the exchange, and they failed to produce any damage.
The cyborgs did not panic and instead immediately launched their second round of attacks.
The 80 people were evenly divided into four large teams of about 20 each, and they began to advance from the front, rear left, and right of the exchange, approaching like a bulldozer.
Seeing that their courtyard had been torn down and the enemies were on all sides of the exchange, the people hiding inside finally could not hold back.
Accompanied by a Level 6 demon soul that emitted flames from his body, dozens of people rushed out, and war broke out right on the street!
‘This is my chance!’
The people of the Light Empire who attacked had no intention of destroying the items in the exchange, nor did the owner of a high-level template from the Demon clan that guarded the store want to damage the items.
The two forces wanted to decide the winner of this battle on the streets and the store was completely emptied of its guards.
They were definitely confident that no one would be able to steal their goods under their noses, even with hundreds of people surrounding them.
Bang!
Whoos.h.!.+
The strength of a Level 6 demon soul should not be underestimated. Every attack from him consisted of great power, and the ground began to tremble slightly.
Su Mo, who had been waiting patiently on the sidelines, seized the chance when the two sides were making loud noises and everyone was distracted.
He quickly launched himself with both feet and effortlessly slammed into a closed window.
Bang!
The sound of the breaking planks was not quiet, but fortunately, the sound of the explosions happening outside was enough to cover it and did not attract the attention of anyone watching outside.
Inside the exchange, around ten people nervously patrolled with steel knives.
They were taken aback when Su Mo broke in and launched to attack and kill him.
However, before they could make a move, as Su Mo stepped forward, the peak of his Level 5 strength was fully exerted.
With just a few swings and attacks, the group of demons with weak templates were sent to heaven instantly.
‘Hmm? These people are really confident to leave their things piled in the hall like this.’
The two forces battling outside were evenly matched, powerful, and in an extremely fair duel.
However, the inside of the exchange was empty, and Su Mo could take his time to select some goods.
Su Mo looked at the imported goods piled up in the hall into a small mountain, and he could not control the excitement in his heart.
He immediately took two steps forward and switched his template to open the storage s.p.a.ce.
‘A laptop with a price tag of 68,888 points? I’m taking it for free!
‘Fully automatic was.h.i.+ng machine priced at 39,999 points?I’m taking it for free!
‘A PS5 with a price tag of 18,888 points? What the h.e.l.l? How do they even have this? I’m taking it!
‘Good gracious! They even have the mobile phone that was sold for 48,888 points during the day? And they have three more? I’m taking everything for free!’
Crazy selling prices corresponded to the crazy value of the items!
After only ten seconds of storing items, Su Mo’s storage s.p.a.ce was half occupied. According to the contribution points, the value of these items was more than two million!
However, after forty seconds, the storage alert notified that the storage s.p.a.ce was almost filled and there was only about half a cube left.
Su Mo was left with no choice. He approached the window and saw that the situation outside was still in full swing and quickly started to get rid of his belongings.
‘Boxers that I’ve worn four times? It’s a pity, but I’ll have to throw them away!
‘”The Beginner to Expert Guide on Java”? What the f*ck? This stupid book takes up so much s.p.a.ce. I’ll just throw it away!”
‘Two mahjong sets? Man, what a pity. I originally planned to go back to play mahjong during the winter, but now it seems that I can only reluctantly give up my love!
‘D*mn, these pots and pans really take up s.p.a.ce. I’ve got to throw them all away!’
…
After a series of selections, and discarding some daily necessities and waste that were occupying s.p.a.ce, the freed s.p.a.ce was finally able to fit in some imported products that were scattered on the ground.
Su Mo quickly transformed after the strong suction of the storage s.p.a.ce and the last item was sucked up from the ground.
He felt his strength and power returning and quickly went to the window where he had entered. He waited for a chance when no one paid attention, then gently jumped and returned to the crowd.
Everything went very smoothly and as planned.
Apart from the big hole in the broken window, which was proof of Su Mo’s entry and exit, everyone else present was unaware that the place they were fighting for had already become an “empty city!”