The patrol squad escorted Milo, Franz, and the others to the edge of the stronghold. The nonessential residences had already been cleared out and demolished, and new defensive fortifications were currently being built.
This area used to be a clean and tidy street, and there were small shops and old residential buildings around six stories high that stood on the road. But now the residential buildings and shops had all disappeared. In their place was ground covered in dust and dirt with half-built bunkers and some simple machine gun nests.
Such defensive fortifications were for defending against enemies in a battle once the stronghold walls got breached.
But looking at the state of things, how were they supposed to fight this way?
Furthermore, the stronghold gate was sealed shut as well.
“Why’d they seal the gate?” Franz asked in surprise, “We came in through the east gate this morning. It wasn’t shut over there.”
They were north of the stronghold, which had four city gates in total. Right now, the north gate had already been completely sealed shut with some concrete analogue.
Milo had a look at it and saw the material was not fully dry yet. It looked to favonovel.com like the gate had just been sealed in the past two days.
No one from the patrol squad next to them answered. Meanwhile, Milo was thinking that war might really be breaking out soon.
Why else would they seal the gate for no reason?
The east gate was perhaps the only city gate that was not sealed off in the entire stronghold.
Could it be that the enemy was going to attack from the west?
And that was why the Stardust Consortium only left the east gate untouched?
When they arrived at the construction site, Milo and the others were made to carry bricks and assist the Engineering Corps in building the defensive fortifications.
While carrying bricks, Milo also kept an eye on what the Stardust Consortium’s troops were up to.
First of all, they collected the transported supplies and consolidated them under the troops’ supervision. Usually, this signaled that a very tough war was impending.
Second, they planted naval mines in the river that ran through the stronghold. These mines even seemed to have been specially transported here from the other strongholds.
There were many lakes and rivers in the Stardust Consortium’s territory, while the Stelaria Consortium’s regions were dominated by plains. As for the Virtuora Consortium, they were connected to the sea. These were the geographies of the three consortiums. As such, the Stardust Consortium was more versed in the research and development of underwater weapons.
Honestly, Milo could not understand what was going on even after watching for a long time.
What on earth were they guarding against?
They actually had to plant mines in the water?
Normal troops would not be getting into the stronghold through the canal.
While they were working, Milo did not feel tired at all. With his physical fitness, this little bit of work was nothing to him. But Franz and the others were so tired they nearly died.
When they went to collect their lunches, Franz’s hands were trembling as favonovel.com held the plastic meal tray given out by the Stardust Consortium.
Franz grumbled, “Milo, we were just having a laugh in the car. Why did you have to stoop this low? Wait a minute, weren’t you working too? Why don’t you look tired?”
Milo glanced at him. “You people don’t usually do any physical labor at all. When danger really comes, y’all will never be able to run away. It’s for your own good that you can get some training now.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Franz was speechless. “The Central Plains is such a safe place, and we don’t even see any wild animals around anymore, so where’s the danger that you’re talking about?”
Milo pointed to the ground. “Isn’t Stronghold 74 already facing imminent danger?”
Franz had a look at the massive defensive fortifications around him. It seemed like that was really that case. He asked, “What on earth is going on here? Is the Panaqua Consortium coming to attack soon?”
“I dunno.” Milo shook his head. “I don’t have enough info to judge.”
A moment later, someone in the crowd was suddenly singled out and pulled aside by a site supervisor. Then favonovel.com snatched away a small camera that was hidden in that person’s pocket and said, “What are you doing?”
The person who was pulled aside declared proudly, “I’m an investigative reporter, and I’m documenting everything all of you are doing. You’ve been pressing the stronghold residents into work as laborers, yet you don’t intend to pay them their wages…”
But before favonovel.com could finish speaking, the site supervisor stopped the reporter and invited favonovel.com into the shade before changing his meal to a better one. However, that reporter’s camera was confiscated.
As Milo, Franz, and the others watched from afar, they saw the supervisor sending a subordinate to get a red packet, which favonovel.com then handed to the reporter. That reporter accepted it and did not mention the investigation anymore.
Franz adjusted his glasses. “That is definitely not an investigative reporter from Hope Media. He has no principles.”
“They resolved the matter with just a red packet?” Milo asked.
“That reporter probably came here intending to extort money. There’s many reporters like favonovel.com in the Central Plains, and they always claim to be investigating some of the troublesome issues around. However, they’re really just aiming to collect some bribes,” Franz explained.
“Oh, I see. What about Hope Media? From what you’ve just said, it sounds like Hope Media is different?” Milo asked.
“The chief editor of Hope Media used to be an investigative reporter.” Franz said with admiration, “He hid in the coal mines of the Virtuora Consortium to document the mistreatment of coal miners. Because of this incident, favonovel.com was beaten up several times…”
“After favonovel.com escaped, all favonovel.com wanted was to report the things favonovel.com heard and saw there, but no newspaper firms dared to run his story. It was only at this point that favonovel.com approached Romany of the Vasophati Group. At that time, Romany had just taken over the organization. Allegedly, Romany and the chief editor hit it off right from the start. Romany said that since no newspaper firms dared to run the story, they could set up their own newspaper firm to report about it, and that was how Hope Media came into existence.”
Milo listened with keen interest.
Across from him, Franz continued with a sigh, “Of course, that’s just an urban myth that’s been circulating, but Hope Media has always been unyielding in whatever they do…. Eh, I have a reporter’s pass as well!”
Franz came back to his senses at this moment. He had also applied for a reporter’s pass. Of course, favonovel.com was not looking to become a reporter, but it was useful to favonovel.com as Grace’s assistant since it made matters easier to handle. A lot of celebrities’ assistants also held many titles that were purchased with money.
Franz rummaged through his wallet for the pass. If favonovel.com could show his identification to the troops, favonovel.com would not have to do any more labor. Other things aside, not having to work in the construction site was the most important.
Franz took out a card with his photo on it from his wallet and shouted to the site supervisor, “I’m also…”
But before favonovel.com could finish speaking, Milo took his reporter’s pass away and tore it up. “No, you’re not.”
Franz was confused.
Milo explained in a low voice, “I’ll take y’all to find Grace and the others tonight. If you get taken away now, you’ll be left alone at the construction site after we leave. Are you willing to risk that?”
Franz said skeptically, “You want to help us escape?”
“Do you think I want to work here? Don’t worry, the stronghold is really big. Even if we run away, the Stardust Consortium won’t have the resources to search the entire stronghold for us.” Milo glanced at him. “But before we leave, there’s still something we need to do.”
Milo remembered the tour group was only carrying enough food to last everyone for at most two days. However, it was apparent that a war would be breaking out soon in Stronghold 74. All of the food was consolidated in the hands of the troops now. If they did not get some provisions for themselves, the entire tour group would go hungry in two days.
