"Bro Panda, bad luck, it's a Pioneer."
The motorcyclist who came over with a helmet to ask questions pulled a sharp turn and returned to the punk-style heavy motorcycle, his words also laden with some gloom and complaint.
The heavy motorcycle had rather wide and thick tires, which meant it didn't need a stand or foot support even when stopped.
By now, a hulking man over two meters tall had casually stopped his motorbike to the side and was leaning on it while smoking a cigarette, disinterestedly.
He didn't need his underling to reply because he had already heard Tao Yu's somewhat dopey voice and then chuckled.
"Are you dumb? How many of us Pioneers have come in total? Could we possibly form such a large group?"
This made the helmet-wearing underling pause, and then he looked back at the cargo trucks and motorcycle brigade that began to slow down.
He saw that many of the motorcyclists' hands were wrapped in blood-soaked bandages; lots of them were riding one-handed, with others seated behind their comrades.
This, captured natives?
Still, being able to capture more than a dozen adult males, the overall strength of the Pioneers wasn't weak, though it was unclear exactly how it was distributed.
It was only then that Panda, the man from the Inner City with a height of two meters and thirty, flicked away his cigarette butt and got off his bike, taking the initiative to walk towards Tao Yu.
After seeing a fuel tanker at the back, he raised his eyebrows and said to Tao Yu, who was leaning out of the driver's cabin,
"Is that in the back carrying oil?"
"Yeah, I've got also got more than twenty off-road motorcycles in this haul, along with plenty of daily supplies, and about twenty guns, plus the motorcycles they were sitting on."
Tao Yu, while talking to the outside group of the Motorbike Gang, rubbed his mouth without much concealment.
The base was in dire need of development now; it's entirely possible that those two from the Floating City were looking for an opportunity to make an example of someone. Tao Yu didn't think anyone would be foolish enough to rob them at the gate of the base.
After all, he had registered with the Suns siblings; even if they wouldn't show favoritism, he still had a place to speak.
If his judgment were wrong and he did encounter a robbery...
Tao Yu's gaze began to assess the equipment on this burly man; it wasn't the kind of mechanical modification that would explode, and it was uncertain which pieces were Yuan Force equipment.
Causing a bloody mess at the gate of the base wouldn't be too pleasant, right...
"Well now, you got lucky; I don't recognize your face, bro. From the outer city?"
Panda didn't mind that Tao Yu hadn't come down, using one hand to prop himself against the side of the truck while his gaze lingered on the injured Motorbike Gang members, as though he was evaluating something.
"From the outer city, Grade A 'Dynamic Vision.' I'm the one who found this place and reported it to Miss Sun."
As Tao Yu spoke, he also rested his hand on the window, revealing the mission watch on his wrist.
You can't hesitate when it's time to show your strength; it's best to nip some thoughts in the bud and that can save a lot of trouble.
Once the other party entertains the idea, and even acts upon it, the effect of pulling out these cards later would be much less, after they've invested and committed to their course.
Even if the other party decides to back off, a feud would have been established, and it wouldn't be worth it.
As a former corporate drone in his past life, Tao Yu was very clear about these things.
Now that Tao Yu had grown a bit taller, he still appeared 'petite' in front of Panda's towering stature of two meters and thirty centimeters.
Upon hearing Tao Yu's words, Panda glanced at the two indigenous women, who in his view were only moderately attractive, and couldn't help but feel amused.
Those bumpkins from the outer city had no experience, but if they were lascivious, future deals could cater to their tastes.
"Alright."
As he spoke, Panda took out a magnetic card and began to imbue it with Yuan Force with his eyes closed.
He clearly didn't have the wealth of the Suns' siblings to carry pre-loaded magnetic cards, and twenty thousand Yuan Force was still a significant amount to him!
It was only because his talent was decent, and his family saw the potential for development here, that they provided additional sponsorship.
However, he knew that this investment and transaction would not result in a loss.
Leaving other considerations aside, the group of able-bodied men, with some training, could start to create value.
Regarding the goods, sorting out the useless for credits and distributing the useful ones, plus selling some easy-to-sell items separately, would certainly yield more.
In a new gathering place where everything was yet to be built, for him, the importance of materials far outweighed Yuan Force!
With these materials, it would be convenient to set up his own crew.
A win-win situation!
"Thanks, Brother Panda. Where should I unload the merchandise?"
Tao Yu took the magnetic card and absorbed all the Yuan Force, then handed the empty card back to Panda.
He had a magnetic card with a maximum limit of a hundred thousand, so there was no need to keep taking so much.
"Let's go into the base first. I'll get some oil drums, and you can just put the goods on the ground for now, as the warehouse has been requisitioned by the two big shots," Panda said while motioning his underlings to make way and then turned back to Tao Yu,
"What do you think, little brother? Interested in joining my team? You can drive, and we could work together transporting goods to grow stronger."
"I'm used to being wild on my own, I'll try my luck solo first, and I'll come find you if things don't pan out."
Tao Yu listened to Panda's untechnical pie-in-the-sky talk with no intention of engaging further.
If he needed to transport goods, he could do it himself; why involve someone else without a tangible benefit?
Perhaps ordinary Pioneers from the outer city would get excited about connecting with the Inner City, but having already encountered the Suns' siblings, Tao Yu was indifferent to it.
If he truly needed to seek a 'patron,' it had better be a worthy one...
Strapping on the seat belt in the truck's cab again, Tao Yu watched Panda leading the way on his motorbike, a wave of emotion stirred within him.
The first time he encountered Joseph and Wino from the Inner City, he was practically grovelling. Even his assassination of Joseph was a matter of opportune timing.
Now, even openly, he could deal with people from the Inner City in broad daylight.
In secret, he had already taken out several of them.
The Abyss was indeed a miraculous place...