I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Chapter 358 Light of Hope

"Master Alpha, have they left?" Just as Chris and his group turned to leave, Dios hurried to Alpha's side like a gust of wind. She held a thick stack of handwritten notes in her hand, which were slightly curled up due to repeated reading. The notes were densely recorded with detailed and specific plans for this cooperation. Every line of words was filled with her countless efforts and expectations.

Alpha looked solemn, looking in the direction where Chris and others left, and slowly said: "Their internal conflicts have already emerged. Chris himself does have the intention to cooperate, but some of his subordinates are strongly opposed and do not want to promote this cooperation." Judging from Alpha's experience, the other camp must go through a fierce discussion and bargaining before it is possible to make a final decision.

Dios frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "Well, let them decide for themselves. But there is no doubt that cooperation is the best solution for both sides. Judging from the capabilities they have shown so far, if they continue to act on their own, the situation will only get more out of control. Their previous style of doing things has been to destroy things wantonly, but have achieved almost nothing in terms of construction."

At this moment, Dios had already seen through Alpha's worries. After all, this was a huge project that carried the great vision of benefiting future generations. Any obstacle could cause the project to be delayed or even face bankruptcy. At this moment, Dios had a different expectation in her heart, thinking that if the other party refused to cooperate, it might be a relief.

"Chris is worth talking about. However, I am really worried about his subordinates. I am afraid they will not give up easily." Alpha narrowed his eyes slightly, revealing a sharp light. "Dios, go prepare some notes for me. I plan to launch a public opinion offensive."

Through the tense negotiation just now, Alpha keenly realized that there were many people in the Birmingham Army who were eager for win-win cooperation, especially those at the bottom of the society. Not only did they not gain any benefit from the war, but they had to bear the most dangerous combat pressure all the time, and their lives were miserable.

Dios looked puzzled and asked, "Lord Alpha, what do you want me to write on the note?"

Alpha said in a deep voice: "Focus on writing about the practical benefits that cooperation can bring. Tell them that once they choose to cooperate, they will have a formal position, stable jobs and generous remuneration. More importantly, they can ensure that their families can live a stable, prosperous and happy life. The language must be concise and easy to understand, so that even people with limited literacy can understand it at a glance."

After saying that, Alpha turned around and instructed Graya: "Immediately arrange for people to start making catapults. Once the notes are ready, use long-range projection technology to project them to the enemy camp."

……

As soon as he entered the camp, Kalia couldn't wait to express his strong opposition to Chris, his tone full of anxiety and uneasiness: "Master Chris, we must not trust their promises! We have no idea where they came from. In my opinion, their proposal of cooperation is just to delay time and secretly accumulate strength in an attempt to annex us in one fell swoop!"

Having been immersed in the vortex of power for a long time, Kalia has already tasted the sweetness brought by dictatorship. Naturally, he is unwilling to give up the vested interests in his hands easily. Any factors that may threaten his position are regarded as a scourge by him.

At this time, Chris's deputy Lim stood up with a sincere look and a firm attitude: "Master Chris, I think cooperation is the wisest thing to do at this moment. Our current material reserves are extremely scarce, especially food. The ones we looted can only last for a month at most. If we don't seek a new way out, the food crisis will soon push us into a desperate situation."

Lim has always known that everything they do is just to survive in this cruel world, and cooperation may be their only hope to get out of trouble.

Kalia's face grew gloomier when he heard this. He raised his voice and retorted, "What if they gather enough strength and suddenly attack us? Are we just going to sit there and wait for death? In my opinion, we must defeat them now while they are still underdeveloped!"

Behind Kalia is a group of senior warriors who are equally radical. There is greed and ambition in their eyes and they are full of doubts about the enemy's promises.

Lim was not intimidated by Kalia's momentum. After thinking for a moment, he calmly proposed a solution: "We can make an agreement with them that according to the current number of people on both sides, they are not allowed to increase the number of troops without permission. At the same time, we can arrange special personnel to supervise and ensure that both sides can abide by the agreement."

Lim's proposal not only represents his personal desire for cooperation, but also reflects the voice of the lower-level soldiers. They are tired of endless wars and long for a stable life. However, in this conference room full of disputes, his voice seems a little weak.

Just as everyone was arguing, a communications officer rushed in and reported breathlessly: "Master Chris, Anthony and his team sent a message saying that they are carrying out large-scale urban construction planning, and sincerely welcome us to send people to visit and learn more at any time."

Upon hearing this news, Lim's eyes lit up, and he immediately seized the opportunity to propose: "Master Chris, I think we can send someone over to take a look at their construction situation and find out their strengths and weaknesses. This will not only allow us to better understand their intentions, but also provide a basis for our subsequent decision-making."

Kalia had other plans. He sneered and said, "We can place some of our trusted aides in there, and when the time is right, we can capture their fortress from the inside. In this way, all the benefits will belong to us, and we don't need to share them with anyone. By then, even when facing the authorities, we will have enough strength to compete with them!" In Kalia's eyes, war and conspiracy are the best ways to gain power and wealth.

Chris listened to everyone's speeches quietly, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. After a long while, he finally spoke: "Everyone, stop arguing. I think we should arrange for someone to go over and visit first. As for the follow-up actions, we will make a decision after receiving the report from the inspectors." Chris' words temporarily calmed the heated debate, and their fate would be pushed into an unknown direction with this decision.

After the two sides reached a preliminary agreement, the Birmingham Army began to send hundreds of people into the outer city of Lista in batches. At this time, the outer city of Lista has been successfully connected to the main road of Philok, closely interweaving into a vibrant area. It is surrounded by a circle of solid walls, which are cleverly piled up with stones and ice. Although it is only more than ten feet high, it is like an insurmountable natural moat for the Birmingham Army, which lacks siege equipment, and majestically defends the tranquility of the city.

When the Birmingham army entered the outer city of Lista, they saw neatly planned and orderly streets and houses. Due to the shortage of materials and time constraints, these houses are currently single-story structures, but they are sufficient for living, and there is space for adding floors upwards, demonstrating the potential for the city's future prosperity.

"At present, there are relatively few civilians here, and most of the dormitories here are prepared for workers and soldiers. But don't worry, we will expand the scale of construction on a large scale in the future. According to the current planning blueprint, the outer city of Lista will be able to accommodate as many as 100,000 people in the future, and it already has the capacity to accommodate 20,000 people at this stage." It was not Alpha himself who led the Birmingham Army on the tour this time, but in order to fully demonstrate his importance to this visit, Alpha specially arranged for professionals from the Rock Lee Construction Department and the Dios Business Department to accompany the explanation, striving to provide visitors with a comprehensive and detailed introduction.

As one of the first important members to visit Lista, Lim was keenly aware of the guard situation in the city. He couldn't help but feel suspicious and asked directly: "Are you relying on only so few soldiers to guard the city now?" In his eyes, the outer city guards he saw were no more than a thousand people. If Lista's defense was so weak, the significance of cooperation seemed to be greatly reduced, and he would re-examine his position of supporting cooperation.

Upon hearing this, the official in charge of the explanation had an expression of confidence and excitement on his face, and hurriedly explained: "Of course there is more than that. Our Lord Andrew has cleverly divided all the soldiers into four groups, two groups during the day and two groups at night. One group performs garrison tasks, and the other group is engaged in intensive training, and this cycle repeats and takes turns to defend Lista. Moreover, this is only the force responsible for the defense of the outer city. Half of our soldiers are still stationed in the inner camp, and at the same time, a large number of soldiers are constantly patrolling in the outer areas. To be honest, we currently have a full 10,000 soldiers and have built an indestructible defense system." In fact, the so-called 10,000 troops are the number Alpha has publicized, and only 4,000 soldiers are actually being recruited.

"Impossible! There is no room here for a force of 10,000. In my opinion, there are only a thousand at most." Those members of the Birmingham Army, who had originally opposed cooperation, sneered at the words of the commentator and were unwilling to believe that Lista possessed such a strong military force.

The commentator was not moved at all, and looked into the distance with a firm gaze, as if there was a really shocking scene there: "That's because you haven't seen the military camp behind us. The military camp stretches for several kilometers, and you can't see the end at all. If it weren't for Lord Apollo's extremely strict requirements for joining the army, with our attraction, we would have at least 20,000 soldiers to defend our homeland now."

"You actually still restrict the recruitment?" This news surprised Lim greatly. In the Birmingham Army, there was almost no threshold for military recruitment, and anyone who was alive could join. In his opinion, recruiting soldiers should be open to everyone, and the more the better.

"Of course. Lord Andrew has extremely strict screening criteria for recruits, and not everyone can join easily. You know, the subsidies and salaries we give to soldiers here are the highest in the entire region. It's a pity that I'm old and don't meet the requirements, otherwise I would have joined the army without hesitation." The commentator said, with deep regret in his eyes, as if he had missed the most precious opportunity in his life.

At this time, a group of heroic female soldiers patrolled in an orderly manner. Seeing this scene, the visitors from the Birmingham Army instantly showed excitement and greed on their faces. In the world they originally lived in, women were like scarce goods. Once they met, they would definitely be robbed crazily. If they were in their territory, these female soldiers would probably have already become the objects of covetousness.

"They are soldiers in charge of patrols. Their main responsibility is to supervise the city order. Whenever they encounter any illegal or criminal behavior, they have the right to stop it on the spot and report it to their superiors in a timely manner." The commentator's eyes revealed a hint of fear when he introduced it. After all, these female soldiers have the power to report directly to the top leaders, and even ordinary officials dare not easily provoke them.

"Women should just go home and warm the bed and give birth to children. What's the point of showing up in public?" In the minds of the Birmingham army, the value of women is limited to giving birth and serving men. This deep-rooted prejudice is difficult to shake in their hearts.

The tour guide ignored these harsh remarks and continued to guide people diligently: "The old street is in front of us. It has now resumed normal business and can meet everyone's daily needs. You may as well go for a visit and experience it." After that, he led everyone in the direction of the old street, trying to let them further appreciate the unique charm and vitality of the outer city of Lista, and also hoping to change some of their outdated and narrow-minded concepts.

"There are casinos, taverns and brothels here?" Lim and his men looked at the old street that was still open for business, their faces full of surprise. They had previously occupied the camps on the Philok Pass, but every occupied area had suffered serious damage, with almost no facilities still in use, and even a large amount of food and supplies were wasted. The scene before them was really beyond their expectations.

"Lord Apollo said that our mission is to build, not to destroy. Therefore, we will do our best to preserve all the facilities here, and at the same time, protect the safety and basic living conditions of the people." The commentator patiently introduced the brochure carefully prepared by Alpha. At this moment, they are racing against time to print this batch of brochures, just to let everyone know their philosophy.

"You said that your philosophy is construction rather than destruction, but if we don't plunder, how will so many of us survive?" Lim's heart began to waver. After all, for him, what he has always pursued is just to survive in this chaotic world.

"Relying on commercial trade. We want to build this place into a complete commercial channel. To this end, we will reduce taxes, improve the safety factor in the area, and crack down on all criminal activities..." The commentator explained in detail one by one. These novel ideas stunned the Birmingham army. They couldn't help but compare themselves secretly, and suddenly felt that they were like a group of outright robbers and bandits, and compared with the survival army in front of them, there was a world of difference.

"Look, that's Lord Andrew leading the soldiers back to the city." At this moment, a large number of soldiers were seen running back in an orderly manner outside the city. This scene surprised Lim greatly. In their Birmingham Army, the soldiers basically slept when they had no missions to reduce physical consumption. At this moment, from the eyes of these survival soldiers, Lim saw the vigorous vitality and energy that their Birmingham Army had never had before.

"You are simply wasting food and draining everyone's energy." As expected, some people objected to this training method. After all, they were used to the lazy and free life of bandits. If they were to join the survival army and receive such high-intensity training, they thought they would not be able to stick with it.

"Lord Apollo said that an army must have spirit, energy and vitality. When it comes to the choice between quantity and quality, Lord Apollo would rather choose an army of superior quality. What's more, our survival army has both quantitative advantages and excellent quality." The commentator looked at the returning soldiers with pride in his eyes.