NOVEL NEXT Chapter 368: An Unexpected Person
Upon hearing Lin Li's instruction.
Zhang Guanghua quickly took out a tablet and a Bluetooth keyboard, tapping away rapidly.
Soon, the screen displayed the search result:
"Report, within 300 kilometers south of Chixian City, over forty ruins of cities were discovered.
However, among them, most are small cities, with only four being relatively large.
After filtering according to the merchant team's origin... there is only one city that fits the criteria."
"Which city?"
"Donglin City."
"Donglin City?"
Lin Li blinked, suddenly recalled something:
"Is it the city Captain Yan jokingly called 'Even if the beast tide doesn't wipe it out, it will surely be destroyed by missiles'?"
Zhang Guanghua nodded and said:
"Yes, that's the city."
Donglin City is a medium-sized city located approximately eighty kilometers from Chixian City.
According to the information held by the rabbits.
The population of Donglin City is roughly thirty to forty thousand, with several Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators stationed there.
Its overall strength is weaker than Sheepback City but far stronger than the former Chixian City.
Unlike the benevolent reputation of Chixian City, the Zhu Family of Donglin City is notorious for grave sins.
They bully men and women, are reckless and brutal, treating human life as worthless, unknowingly causing countless deaths annually.
The Zhu Family even employed a bandit specifically to target passing merchants.
So Yan Shaohua's words weren't just idle chatter.
The distance between Chixian City and Donglin City is not far, closer than the 300 kilometers to Sheepback City.
If Donglin City still existed, the rabbits would surely have confronted them.
Unfortunately...
This city recently fell prey to the beasts.
The beast tide that attacked Chixian City was part of another wave, which, after arriving through the Demon Realm's portal, split further, with one group heading towards Donglin City.
I wonder if anyone recalls.
That year's beast tide was very different from previous ones.
Aside from the obvious leaders, several Tier Two demon beasts were hidden within the beast group—the arrangement later credited to the Tier Four demon beast behind Hua Xiaomo.
Fortunately, Chixian City had assistance from the rabbits and managed to be preserved.
However, Donglin City did not have such a transcendent ancestor, and Central City was the primary target of the beast tide, hence the fall of the entire city was not entirely unexpected.
Still, Donglin City was a city of tens of thousands of people; even if the gates were breached, some refugees could manage to escape.
After all, people aren't like AI in computers, foolishly waiting for someone to come and kill them without reacting.
Seeing a bad situation and running immediately is what most people would do.
Perhaps many would be caught and killed by the beasts later, but some lucky ones would succeed in escaping.
As expected.
Among the refugees that Chixian City gathered earlier, there surely were people from Donglin City.
The question was whether they knew about or had interacted with the Barbarian Merchant Team.
Subsequently, Lin Li looked at Zhang Guanghua and said:
"Xiaozhang, I remember we completed the population census quite some time ago?
Check the database now, and see how many refugees are from Donglin City."
"Understood."
Zhang Guanghua quickly opened the database, and from the model, he extracted the 'birthplace' sample.
In no time.
A new list appeared.
Zhang Guanghua glanced over it and simultaneously said:
"Captain Lin, the results are out.
There are a hundred and fifty-seven people from Donglin City in Chixian City, and they have been settled in the West City District.
Aside from an 80-something-year-old elder who died last month due to systemic failure, the remaining one hundred and fifty-six are alive.
According to the table records.
Thirty-three had been involved in major trade, and there were some engaged in the fabric industry... Huh?"
Seeing Zhang Guanghua's surprised reaction, Lin Li couldn't help but ask:
"Xiaozhang, what is it?"
"Nothing major, just a bit of a surprise....."
Zhang Guanghua quickly regained composure and pointed at the screen:
"That Zhao Qianju is from Donglin City, and he used to be a prominent tailor under the Zhu Family." (Note: See Chapter Forty-eight)
Lin Li was taken aback upon hearing this:
"Zhao Qianju?
The one who, along with Wang Tiejimu, was recommended as an activist by Political Commissar Huang, and whose wife runs a restaurant across the factory?"
Zhang Guanghua nodded:
"That's right, him."
Those familiar with human databases should know.
Database sorting typically has two methods: alphabetical or by weight ranking.
The form Zhang Guanghua had was categorized mainly by weight sorting.
Considering the large number of refugees in Chixian City, the first to notice must be important figures among them; otherwise, the retrieval becomes overwhelming.
Just like playing Yin Yang Master, SSR cards are certainly at the top of the card library rankings.
What?
You're asking which SSR?
Of course, it's the Small Deer Man; is there another SSR besides it?
At this moment, Zhao Qianju was right in Chixian City, thus soon brought to the meeting room.
"Brother Qianju, hello."
Once Zhao Qianju entered the room, Lin Li stood up and greeted him.
Currently, although Zhao Qianju was recommended as an activist, his experiences were yet to be enhanced, not forcibly elevated to an undeserved status for mere appearances.
Therefore, Lin Li still chose the common term for addressing the masses.
Facing the leaders present, Zhao Qianju inevitably felt a bit nervous:
"Mr. Lin... Hello, leaders."
Lin Li smiled, patted his shoulder, indicating he should relax.
Then he guided him to a seat and asked:
"Brother Qianju, we've asked you here mainly to inquire about some things.
If I remember correctly....
You're from Donglin City, right?
And worked as a tailor for the Zhu Family?"
Zhao Qianju swiftly nodded:
"That's right, I'm a native of Donglin City, been a tailor since my father's time, the Zhu Family would always come to me for work."
Lin Li nodded lightly:
"I see...
Do you remember if the Zhu Family ever traded with the barbarians?"
"Huh? Barbarians?"
Hearing this, Zhao Qianju was momentarily taken aback, Lin Li's question was unexpected—he initially thought Lin Li summoned him to gather facts about the work site.
But soon, he regained composure, and began searching through his memories.
After a while.
He suddenly thought of something, his eyes brightened, and he said hesitantly:
"Mr. Lin, since you asked, I do recall certain matters...
In my memory, a Barbarian Merchant Team did come to Donglin City at intervals.
Sometimes they would come every one or two years, other times after ten or more Damo Days, but they would certainly come periodically.
I don't know the specifics of the trade goods, but there were definitely a lot of demon beast furs, especially the fur of the Purple-Furred Fox."
.....
Note:
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