Half a year later.
An Alliance Cheetah landed quietly at the space port of Free City.
This wasn't Su Mi's first visit to Free City. During this half - year, she had been to every planet in the Alliance. Free City was different from any other city, having been deeply imprinted with the style of the mercenaries.
Today, Su Mi brought her small team to Free Planet to perform official duties.
The group changed into civilian clothes and walked along the street. Mercenaries in twos and threes could be seen everywhere. Some wore the black military uniforms of the mercenary troops, while others were in civilian clothes, yet they were easily recognizable. They all exuded an air of unique nonchalance and indifference - just like their commander, Meng Xi - cong.
The streets here were dirty and chaotic. Peddlers of all sizes could set up stalls randomly on the street, and it was bustling wherever you went. Those mercenaries were obviously generous spenders, and every peddler had a smile on his face. Su Mi had never seen civilians on other planets with such complacent smiles.
Prostitutes were everywhere. Some had fixed storefronts, while others stood directly on the street, flirting with the tall mercenaries. They never seemed to care about the glances of passers - by, and others simply ignored them.
The large restaurants for the wealthy had all been deserted since the nobles and the rich had fled from Free City. They had been simply renovated into small taverns one after another. In these rather odd - looking roadside taverns, they also witnessed a surprising scene -
Groups of men with swarthy skin, wearing blue work clothes, were sitting with the black - clad mercenaries in twos and threes, drinking and playing finger - guessing games, with bursts of raucous laughter.
They were clearly the miners of Free Planet. As one of the planets with the richest mineral deposits in the Alliance, it had always been a labor - intensive industrial base with the largest number of laborers. There were at least 50,000 miners, if not 80,000. Apparently, the miners, who also came from poor backgrounds, got along well with the mercenaries.
In some taverns, miners and mercenaries were also having a brawl, hitting each other until they were black and blue. However, the on - looking crowd around them seemed to take it for granted, and some even cheered openly.
"They seem to live... freely." Liu Qi, the deputy, watched a group of people finish fighting and then laugh heartily, put their arms around each other's shoulders and go to drink again. There was a tinge of envy in his voice.
Yes, free. That was exactly the feeling. Uninhibited and free.
This was also the feeling that Meng Xi - cong gave people. Only he was much more arrogant than ordinary mercenaries.
Although the group was in civilian clothes, they had a restrained and serious temperament. Some of the young people were a bit nervous, attracting many ambiguous glances along the way. Finally, they took the light rail and arrived at the mercenary military headquarters.
Su Mi brought her deputy Liu Qi to meet a mercenary officer. He was a middle - aged man with a sharp - nosed, monkey - like face and shifty - looking bright eyes. At the sight of the expensive gifts, he immediately beamed with joy, and the official business was carried out smoothly.
The group walked out of the mercenary military headquarters. Before Su Mi could say anything, the several young people beside her were jostling each other. Liu Qi's face flushed: "Lieutenant, we want to go to a bar and sit for a while."
Su Mi looked at their bright and expectant eyes, thought for a moment, and nodded: "Okay. But be absolutely low - key and don't cause any trouble."
This was the best bar in Free City.
The night was clear, but the magnificent neon lights of the bar were different from the gaudy ones in other places. There was only a clear and light - blue luster, like moonlight in the night, elegant and refined.
Stepping into the bar, Su Mi was immediately shocked. The several young people accompanying her, on the other hand, all showed excited expressions.
The lights were dazzling and chaotic, and the music was deafening. The sofa booths, small square tables, and the bar counter seemed to stretch as far as the eye could see. There were blue - clad miners gathered around a table playing cards, and there were also black - clad mercenaries, each with a woman on his lap. They drank with one hand and, with the other hand, explored the collar and skirt of the woman without restraint. The women nestled in their arms, with bright smiles. Some of them even looked very pure and shy, apparently civilian girls.
Since it was still early, there were less than 70 percent of the guests. They found a relatively less - crowded corner and sat down.
Su Mi was quietly drinking a beverage, while the other four big boys were looking around restlessly, eager to make a move.
"If you want to find a woman, go quickly." Su Mi pulled her hat brim down low. "We're going back early tomorrow morning."
There were quite a few single girls drinking at the bar, waiting to make new friends. The four men at Su Mi's table were all tall and well - proportioned. Some were handsome, and some were good - looking. Compared with the swarthy miners and the rough mercenaries, they naturally attracted the attention of many girls.
But before they could summon up the courage to go out and flirt, someone already took a dislike to them.
"Four men and one woman?" Someone walked over and put one hand on Liu Qi's shoulder. "Brothers, although there are 100,000 of our brothers in Free City, do you have to be so thrifty? Or do you like to share? Then can I join in?"
"Hahaha!" The men around burst out laughing. Some of the women were shy, while others were laughing uncontrollably.
The man was tall and burly, with a heroic appearance, but reeked of alcohol, with drunken and blurred eyes. Liu Qi pushed the man away and suddenly stood up.
As he moved, the other several young people, who had just had a few drinks and were full of youthful vigor, also couldn't sit still and all stood up with gloomy faces.
"Don't talk nonsense." Liu Qi shouted. "She's our superior!"
"Sit down." Su Mi hissed softly. "Don't cause trouble."
The man who had provoked them laughed even more merrily.
"Superior?" He lifted a wine bottle, swayed around to Su Mi, "So you're an Alliance officer. I think you're spies! Seize them!"
The mercenaries behind him were just about to step forward when Su Mi's men also got angry and all stood up. In an instant, the two groups simultaneously drew their guns and confronted each other, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
"Er Qiu, you good - for - nothing." A soft and low sigh suddenly cut through the tense atmosphere.
Hearing this voice, the man who had provoked them - Er Qiu froze. Su Mi followed the sound and saw that it was a woman sitting at a card table. When Su Mi first entered, she had also noticed her, but hadn't expected her to speak suddenly. The woman wore the black military uniform of the mercenaries, with short hair, a round face, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and thin lips. She wasn't beautiful, but she was very spirited.
As soon as she spoke, everyone around quieted down, which showed that she had a very high status among these mercenaries.
Even the man who had provoked them - Er Qiu had to reply: "Li Zai, this has nothing to do with you, right?"
"If you bully a woman, it has something to do with me." The woman called "Li Zai" lit a cigar, put her slender arm on the back of the chair, looking lazy and indifferent. "Try to touch her."
Everyone around burst out laughing. Er Qiu said angrily, "Then what do you suggest?"
Hearing this, Li Zai's eyes lit up, and a rather sweet smile appeared on her face. She pointed her long finger at Su Mi and Er Qiu: "You, you, play a round of cards with me. If the woman wins, Er Qiu gives her all his money and lets them go. If Er Qiu wins, the woman gives him all her money and leaves your Cheetah behind, and then you can leave."
"Fine." Er Qiu gritted his teeth. Although getting revenge was important, a Cheetah was much more valuable than a woman. And if he won, he could regain a lot of face.
"What if you lose?" Su Mi suddenly asked Li Zai.
Li Zai chuckled, took out a stack of Alliance currency from her waist, pressed it on the table, and smiled: "Plus myself."
The mercenaries and miners around were completely excited.
The news of the three - person card game instantly spread throughout most of the bar. Even the DJ on the central stage announced the bet enthusiastically. Hundreds of people on the first floor all excitedly rushed towards their direction, squeezing the corner of the bar until it was packed.
The second floor was relatively quiet. In those expensive boxes, many people, hearing the DJ's introduction, came out and peeked down from the corridor on the second floor.
At first, seeing Xiao Li's excited and eager look, Su Mi thought she was an expert. She concentrated fully on counting and remembering the cards, not daring to make the slightest mistake. Unexpectedly, the first game ended in five minutes. Su Mi won hands down, Er Qiu was a little behind, and Xiao Li... lost miserably.
She pushed a stack of money in front of Su Mi dejectedly, and also took off her military uniform jacket, revealing her shapely upper body in only a shirt: "Again!" Su Mi realized that this person was just addicted to cards despite being bad at it.
The people around cheered excitedly. Su Mi's men had always known that she was good at cards. Seeing this situation, they became happy and joined the cheering crowd.