Hunter of Mysterious Creature

Chapter 897 - 120: Head Hunter_2

He was already quite satisfied.

The crowd pushed Cheng Ming forward, with people around him excitedly discussing Dragon City and the hunting action—this bus from Chang’an to Dragon City was just like the carriage on G1944, filled with Hunters and mercenaries coming to participate in this hunting action, most of whom were visiting Dragon City for the first time.

This was also Cheng Ming’s first time in this northwestern border town of the Xiazhou Federation.

Although technically the northwestern border of the Xiazhou Federation extends several hundred kilometers further, for the vast majority of people, the city beneath Cheng Ming’s feet was the true northwestern border of human civilization.

It was only a matter of time before the outside wasteland turned into a Surrendered Area.

Or rather, they were no different from Surrendered Areas, but due to certain considerations, the Federation Government had not removed these lands from the territory of the Xiazhou Federation.

Cheng Ming took a breath, feeling the dry air unique to the Hexi Corridor. Besides the smell of sweat from those around him, there was a faint scent of engine oil from military equipment... Dragon City was more of a military fortress than a city. Barricades manned by the City Defense Army were everywhere on the streets, along with turrets built between residential houses and shops. Behind the huge M sign of the Golden Arches Restaurant, two anti-aircraft machine guns with barrels thicker than Cheng Ming’s forearm pointed skyward, gleaming under the sun. Two soldiers, cigarettes in their mouths, leaned against the M sign, looking down at the street crowd below.

This city was born for war, not only with sturdy external defenses but also internally prepared for guerrilla warfare against invading mysterious creatures.

"Whew..."

Cheng Ming exhaled deeply and checked his phone.

He had booked a cheap motel, and according to the navigation app, he needed to cross four blocks, then enter Dragon City’s underground district via a vertical passage, and walk about three kilometers to reach it.

Cheng Ming searched for bus routes, but the navigation app simply returned: "No results."

"Maybe... I should find a shared bike?" Having lived frugally for a long time, Cheng Ming skipped the idea of taking a cab, but soon found that shared bikes were not only rare in Dragon City but also in high demand.

After checking three empty shared bike rental points, Cheng Ming gave up on the idea.

"If I just walk, I should be halfway there by now." Cheng Ming bought a bottle of the cheapest drinking water from a vending machine on the street, and before he could open it, a voice behind him asked: "Hey buddy, are you a Hunter from out of town?"

Startled, Cheng Ming turned around cautiously to see a young man dressed very "trendy" standing a few steps away. The loose bomber jacket was adorned with badges of rock stars, ripped jeans hung with seven or eight golden chains, and the "hook" sneakers on his feet, if not counterfeit, must be worth at least a four-digit number... After scanning the man’s outfit, Cheng Ming focused on his face.

The man wore a cream-colored baseball cap, with oversized sunglasses obscuring almost half of his face, and behind the sunglasses, his eyes were also examining Cheng Ming.

"How did you figure that out?" Cheng Ming asked.

"There are so many Hunters in Dragon City; randomly picking someone on the street gives you a one in three chance of finding a Mysterious Creature Hunter." The young man replied with a grin, "Of course, I didn’t just randomly pick you... I’m good at spotting people. I can tell you’re not just a Hunter, but one who just arrived at Dragon City, coming to join that hunting action with the sky-high bounty."

Cheng Ming’s expression shifted slightly, and the young man clapped his hands in delight, "See, I knew I wasn’t wrong!"

"Are you a broker or an informant?" Cheng Ming asked, knowing that people who approached Mysterious Creature Hunters were usually one of those two types.

"I used to be, but now I work for a big company." The young man proudly thumbed his chest, "The Bai Group, have you heard of it?"

Cheng Ming shook his head.

This left the young man dumbfounded: "Don’t you know the Bai Family? One of the three major families in Dragon City? You must know Bai’s Military Industry? Over half of the weapons used by the Dragon City Defense Army are made by them!"

"You already know I’m from out of town, why would you assume I know this stuff?" Cheng Ming countered.

The young man was dumbstruck for two seconds, finally chuckling awkwardly, "Right, right, it’s normal for you not to know. But you can ask someone, the Bai Family is indeed one of the three major families in Dragon City, I wouldn’t lie about something like this!"

"Why would I ask? What does whether the Bai Family is one of the three major families in Dragon City have to do with me?" Cheng Ming wondered.

"Not buddy... Okay, okay, maybe I wasn’t clear enough... Listen, buddy, want to get rich? I’ve got a lead..."

"No thanks." Cheng Ming decisively refused, "Your pitch sounds a lot like an outdated scam."

"I told you I’m an employee of the Bai Group, would I trick you?" Seeing that Cheng Ming seemed unwilling to continue the conversation, the young man grew a bit anxious, "You say you don’t want to get rich, but that can’t be true. Why else would you come to Dragon City if not to get a slice of that huge reward?"

"What does that have to do with you?" Cheng Ming increasingly felt like this guy was a scammer.

"You’re going to join the hunting action, right? You need to go deep into the wasteland, right? You’ll need an experienced guide and supplies to deal with all kinds of situations in the wasteland, right?"

"And yet you say you’re not a broker?"

"I used to be a broker! Used to be!" The young man was getting a bit frantic, "I’m trying to tell you that there’s an opportunity now, where you can not only get free equipment, supplies, and guiding services, but also a 10% bonus on the reward amount, all you need to do is join the Bai Group’s hunting party and participate in the hunting action with many other Hunters! Got it now?"

"I still think it sounds like a scam." Cheng Ming shook his head, "You don’t just get free handouts."

"Buddy, are you playing dumb with me?" The young man stared wide-eyed, "With the Bai Group’s backing, how could it be a scam? Here, let me explain to you, the Bai Group—that is, the Bai Family—as one of the three major families in Dragon City, cares more about prestige and connections. They set up this hunting party to exchange money for those things. And all you have to do is participate in the action as a ’temporary employee of the Bai Group’; you’ll not only receive the full amount of the reward, but they will also give you a 10% bonus, as well as free equipment, supplies, transport, guides, etc.... Worst case scenario, as an out-of-town Hunter unfamiliar with the place, it’s definitely safer to join a large party than to act alone, right? Not to mention, the deadly sandstorms in the wasteland are no joke! Every year, there are hundreds of newcomers who go missing in the wasteland!"

"I have a question." Cheng Ming said.

"Shoot!"

"Since there are so many Hunters in Dragon City, why pick me and not someone else?"

This question instantly stumped the young man, who mumbled for a while before incoherently saying, "The last group of hunting parties already took a lot of people... The Bai Group set quotas for us headhunters, we each have to recruit at least ten Hunters... Besides, whether or not you get chosen is another matter. If you don’t trust me, why not come to the recruiting site to see for yourself? It doesn’t cost anything to look, and I can’t trick you, can I?"