RPAGF Chapter 83 Missing?
Chapter 83 Missing?
Chapter 83 Missing?
"Buzzing—"
'
The aircraft's engines emitted a deep hum as it rose vertically from the sand, kicking up clouds of dust.
Congrett seemed to be riding in an aircraft for the first time. He kept his head down and didn't say a word since boarding, but his curious eyes kept wandering around the various machines inside the aircraft.
"According to the Interstellar Convention, other civilizations and interstellar corporations are only permitted to sell the most basic self-defense weapons to the two major tribes."
Behind Congrett, Fields whispered a science lesson to Cheng Xu.
So-called self-defense weapons are those that provide survival security for indigenous tribes. The original intention of this regulation was to enable the two major tribes to have the ability to defend themselves in harsh environments.
These types of weapons often have limited lethality and are mostly outdated products discarded by interstellar weapons manufacturers, but they are enough to enable the two major tribes to fight against the high-threat native creatures on the planet, such as the Crystal Crocodile tribe in the desert.
Even slightly more advanced items like heat flow blades, individual combat suits, and concussion bombs are not included in its scope, let alone aircraft.
With the crystal it had shoveled from the amethyst scorpion in its mouth, the lynx scurried into the shadows of a corner.
The tongue with fine bristles licked back and forth on the crystal, occasionally biting off a small crumb, chewing it up and swallowing it, just like eating a snack.
"Brother Cheng, your cat—"
Fields' gaze darted back and forth between the lynx and Cheng Xu.
He had seen big cats that ate meat, fish, and cat food, but this was the first time he had ever seen a cat chewing on crystals.
"It's okay, don't worry about it, it won't upset your stomach."
The nonchalant tone turned Fields' doubts into relief.
It seems that the big cat that Brother Cheng is raising is the kind that can eat rocks. The universe is indeed full of wonders, and I was just ignorant.
Fields easily convinced himself and turned to the cockpit to adjust the parameters and heading.
"Then, as we agreed, we'll take you to the eastern edge of the Flowing Sound Sand Sea, right?"
Cheng Xu looked at Congrett beside him.
"Yes, thank you, sir, thank you—" Congrit bowed, flattered.
In the Sandblood tribe, he had seen those "big shots" who came to the settlement from afar. Even the chieftain of the Sandblood tribe had to bow and scrape and smile politely when he saw them.
But the two "tourists" he met today gave Congrett a completely different sense of friendliness.
"I've already told you not to call me 'sir,' it's a bit feudal."
Congrit nodded, seemingly understanding. He didn't understand what feudalism meant, but he could sense the person in front of him's resistance to the term.
"Brother Cheng, it's all set. We should be there in about twenty minutes."
Fields climbed out of the driver's seat and looked at Congrett curiously: "I've been wanting to ask you this all along, why are you taking such a big risk operating on the edge of the scenic area, even venturing into the restricted zone? Is there some kind of treasure in this area?"
Fields, as expected of the son of the president of the Explorers' Guild, immediately started talking about treasure hunting and adventure.
However, according to the Explorers Guild's data, there shouldn't be any high-value targets in the scenic area.
"Yes, there are tourists' abandoned items. Also, fluorescent oil, but very little."
Congrett's interstellar standard was a bit awkward, but Cheng Xu and Fields still understood what he meant.
He risked his life to sneak into the restricted area, his main target being items abandoned by tourists in the scenic area.
While these abandoned items may not mean much to interstellar tourists, they could be treasures to the Sandblood tribe, which is already resource-poor and technologically backward.
Congrett gave another example. It was a rescue operation that left a deep impression on him.
On that occasion, an alien tourist encountered danger in the scenic area, and the location was quite a distance away from each station.
After the tourists sent out a distress signal, the Interstellar Court's office on Sandstar, after careful consideration, contacted the nearest Sandblood tribe and obtained permission to expedite the process and send personnel to provide assistance.
It was during that operation that a small team from the Sandblood tribe stumbled upon a small fluorescent oil well on the edge of the scenic area.
After reporting to the tribe, which then contacted organizations such as the Star Ring Group and the Interstellar Court, the Sandblood tribe received a generous reward.
That team quickly became the hottest rising stars in the tribe, and was rewarded with a huge amount of money that ordinary tribesmen could hardly imagine.
"I understand, you want to try your luck—"
Cheng Xuxin was filled with emotion.
The fact that Congritte was willing to risk execution just to scavenge for scraps and try his luck shows the extent to which debt had driven him to desperation.
As Cheng Xufields and Congrett were talking, the aircraft flew over the golden sand sea and quickly arrived at the preset location, which was the edge of the Flowing Sound Sand Sea.
The edge of the desert is a vast wasteland, which is rather unremarkable compared to the magnificent desert scenery of Liuyin Desert.
Rose-colored sand grains are mixed with gray-black rock fragments, and acid-eroded hills creep across the ground, with the weathered rock surfaces covered with honeycomb-like holes.
The barren soil reflected the rusty red sky. A few withered vines could be vaguely seen sticking out of the cracks in the rocks, a scene of utter desolation and ruin.
At the edge of the scenic area, miniature intelligent unmanned monitoring stations can be seen at intervals. When the aircraft approaches the boundary line, a mechanical warning sound immediately comes from the cockpit.
"According to the interstellar convention, please do not cross the boundary line. Crossing the boundary may have unpredictable consequences for the planet's native inhabitants —"
According to Congrett, most of these monitoring stations are equipped with sniper rifles, primarily to prevent Indigenous people from crossing the border.
The boy's original plan was simply to wander and search around the border, until he discovered a station that was in a state of destruction, which gave him the idea to cross the border.
Guided by Congrett, Cheng Xu and Fields spotted the damaged site from the air.
"It looks like it was done by a Sandfin Stalker."
Cheng Xu recalled the information he had seen earlier. This creature lurked in the desert and frequently launched group attacks on human settlements, making it a major headache for both tribes.
"Oh, and here, take this."
Cheng Xu handed Congret a tiny device, no bigger than a fingertip.
"This is—" Congrett held it up with both hands and carefully took it.
"This is a mini communication device. If you need help in an emergency, just use this to call me. Just press here."
It would be a lie to say that Cheng Xu wasn't worried about this boy, which is why he handed him the emergency communication device.
The aircraft landed slowly beside the damaged site. Congrett stepped off the plane, bowed deeply to Cheng Xu and Fields, and ran into the wilderness, waving goodbye to the two as he ran.
Eager to return home, Congrit went back to the tribal settlement. To the astonishment of the other tribesmen, he went to his dilapidated wooden hut, only to find Uncle Kur pacing anxiously in front of his door.
The boy stepped forward, only to hear a shocking piece of news from the uncle.
"What?! Emily's gone missing?!"