Steel steam and flame

"Isn't it against the rules to tell me this?" Cassia asked, "Uncle, you don't have to worry about what will happen to my mission. Please consider your own situation more at this time."

"No, no, I understand those truths in my heart. What each of them talks about, I know much better than you. Thank you for your kindness. What I said can definitely be said, and I will not cross that line. Don't worry about me." The uncle driver laughed. The depression during the journey seemed to have completely disappeared at this moment. "Speaking of Blinuo, we must first mention the Three Primary Colors Group and Imperial Mineral Source Company, because Blinuo used to be called ' Brino Mining Town' is a small town formed by a group of mining employees living in the mountains. It is jointly managed by people from Imperial Mining Company and Three Primary Color Group. Later, due to the development of the mines there, several railway lines have been laid. and highways. With the development of transportation, more and more people are going there. It is a mining area, and smuggling and selling some minerals at low prices has become inevitable due to the development of transportation. There are cancers in every force. Whether to stay or not depends on the cleanup efforts of each force. As you can guess later, Blinuo Town has developed rapidly in a short period of time. While it continues to expand, it is famous for smuggling and selling minerals at low prices. A large number of other types of smugglers gathered there."

"Even if the empire doesn't take care of it, the Three Primary Color Group and the Imperial Mining Company will never ignore it, right? What's being smuggled and sold at low prices is for their own benefit." Cassia was confused.

"Of course, what you said is very good, it is a good idea." The uncle agreed, "But the proposal of the idea and the intensity of its implementation are two different things. When they discovered and wanted to rectify the town of Blino, Brino had turned from a town into a city at that time. And it was filled with smugglers and arms dealers, or some well-known figures in the dark world. And there was another most fatal reason. This is the main reason why Blinuo can survive and develop to this day under the power of the Three Primary Colors Group and the Imperial Mineral Source Company, as well as the power of the empire."

Seeing Cassia's confused expression, the uncle's face softened, and he paused with his open mouth, as if he was thinking about how to explain to Cassia.

"This involves one of the largest illegal gray areas on the Hou Xiang Continent. If Brino is a small gray area that exists in the empire and is not completely restricted by law and corresponding national power. Then Hou Xiang The huge gray area on the Xiang Continent is completely unmanageable by anyone. Its area includes the Empire, the Flame Alliance and the Far Sea Commonwealth, but because of its special golden triangle area, it exists between the three countries. Only in the bordering areas can it not be managed and restricted by any country. And on the Later Phase Continent, the Empire, the Flame Alliance, and the Far Sea Common State are either separated by an endless red desert or an insurmountable group of people. Mountains. Among these geographies, there is only that gray area that is not affected by the red desert and the continuous mountains, and connects the three countries with a vast plain. Therefore, the trade there is very developed. Because of this, the rate of decline there It was also so fast that even after the existence of the three countries discovered this problem, they did not have time to use their own power to jointly prevent the deterioration of the situation. So there became a dark world for all the three countries. It’s a paradise for the people inside. And Brino City is close to that triangular area.”

"It may be the result of the influence of the triangle area." Cassia nodded and expressed his guess.

"Yes, that's it. But it was not like this a few years ago. People here were not bold enough to attack the vehicles of the Three Primary Color Group. But the mistake is that some people can't help but be tempted by the benefits. Illegal areas Anything can be traded, and as long as you want to get something, the people there can get it for you. So the Imperial Mining Company may not be satisfied with the interest network in the empire, they also want to enter through that huge gray area The markets of other countries. Although the two are at opposing levels, in peacetime, there is no shortage of business and trade among the three superpowers. Originally, there was a mountain range between Brino and the Gray Zone. It was a natural barrier, and you had to take an airship to get over. But someone dug through this mountain range and even laid a railway. So things became what they are now."

"In the end, I hurt myself."

"That's it. The reason why this section of road is so dilapidated is also intentional. The purpose is to prevent Brinoli's cars from entering the empire in large numbers, so it is made so that only giant trucks can pass easily. It looks like. Not far from here, there are several checkpoints to prevent the same thing." He went on to say that the black shadow of the mountains in front suddenly rose a little higher. Cassia looked at the map and found that they had reached this section. At the edge of the road.

"So the current town of Brino is no longer the town of Brino before. The Three Primary Colors Group and the Imperial Mining Company can be said to be the largest forces in Brino, but there are still people who dare to take advantage of them here. I think The current environment in Brino will not be very good, and something may be stirring secretly."

"This is the general environment of the empire. I will be careful when going on missions." Cassia said sincerely.

"It's not enough to just be careful, you have to be careful." The uncle's face showed worry, "The senior and I sent a carload of people over to perform the mission, which was the same as yours and was about smuggling items. But in the end, none of those students came back alive, and they all died in Blinuo Town. I was deeply impressed by that mission, so I wanted to tell you more about these things, hoping that you can be mentally prepared."

"Thank you very much. I know, I will keep it in my heart." Cassia looked at her uncle's face and nodded.

The time estimate was accurate. When the time on the mechanical watch reached early morning, Cassia and the others, who were driving an off-road vehicle, finally saw a row of neatly arranged lights spreading across the dark mountains, like a curved snake. Like this, his head was hidden in the endless darkness.

They are street lamps carrying loneliness and responsibility, silently contributing their own dim light in this desolate mountain range.