Chapter 120: The Possibility of Cooperation x and x

"You mean cooperation?"

In the encampment at the ferry, having just settled in, Red Lightning received a visitor.

"Precisely, cooperation." Galiwell stood before him, rubbing his hands together with a greedy smile on his face. "When we attack the Yellow Turban army, your people can sweep in from the rear and harvest the kills. A fifty-fifty split on the earnings. What do you think?"

"It's not out of the question..." Red Lightning thought for a moment and agreed. "Though the battlefield will be chaotic. Coordinating properly might not be so easy."

Besides, the Revolutionary Army was required to act under Wang Luo's orders during battle. Even if they held command authority, they couldn't act independently.

Furthermore, giving them half was far too much. To simply command without taking any risks and still get half...

Wait.

Red Lightning recalled Wang Luo's previous methods. Except for the final decisive battle, where the Han army was heavily defended, the other instances all involved fire.

And the Yellow Turban forces were notoriously disorderly and loose. Historically, the Han army had wiped out the Yellow Turbans using fire attacks.

What if Wang Luo planned to use fire again this time... Soldiers who died in a massive fire wouldn't drop universal points or equipment.

In that case, it wouldn't matter much for people like them who intended to join the new team. But the captain and the others...

Should he go and warn her?

No, that wouldn't be appropriate.

Under the current circumstances, it was best not to have contact with her. If the opportunity arose, he could mention it to Blooming.

Right, he should go ask Wang Luo first. After all, he was still a newcomer; perhaps he didn't realize that scoring points was possible here.

---

When Red Lightning arrived at the entrance of Wang Luo's tent, he found it packed with military officers of various ranks.

"In short, courtesy first, force later," Wang Luo's voice came through. "Send a messenger to them. Tell them that gods may exist in this world, but they neither protect mortals nor participate in ordinary people's affairs. Make them realize the dangers of a cult, repent in time, and join the people's revolution, and they shall live; otherwise, they will all die."

"They certainly won't surrender," Zhang Yuan stood up and said. He was a former Han army soldier who had surrendered; because of his valor in combat, he now served as a captain in the Revolutionary Army. "General, why not strike before the Yellow Turbans expect it? We can surely rout them."

"The Yellow Turban commanders—killing them is no great pity. What's a pity are the common folk they have coerced," Wang Luo replied. "There are tens of thousands of commoners with the Yellow Turbans. If we accept their surrender, train them strictly, and supplement our ranks with them, we will have the manpower to destroy the Han court. If we slaughter them now, though it saves effort for the moment, it will cause trouble later."

"If that is the case," stood up the former Han army Deputy General Song—now Revolutionary Army Captain Song—who had helped the Revolutionary Army persuade the remaining garrison at the ferry to surrender. "We might as well send some men to infiltrate the Yellow Turban camp and persuade everyone to surrender. The Yellow Turbans are not like the Han army; their guards are lax, and entering and leaving their camp is quite easy."

"Very well," Wang Luo nodded. "Go and arrange the personnel. If you can secure surrenders, it will be recorded as your merit."

"Then do we advance?" Zhang Stone suddenly asked.

Many officers looked toward him. This commander, who had repeatedly earned merits within the Revolutionary Army, possessed the prestige to quiet the other junior officers.

"Of course," Wang Luo replied with a grave expression. "Persuasion is one thing. It is best if they surrender; if they refuse, we will simply have to defeat them."

Zhang Stone nodded and said nothing more. Wang Luo then cleared his throat. "Alright, the military affairs are settled. Among you, who can recite all of those articles under 'Questions and Answers'?"

No one made a sound.

"Afterwards, I hope you will read more books whenever you have time," Wang Luo did not press them. "Once the forces expand, we will need you to command more soldiers and fight in other places. What will you do if you cannot understand military orders when that time comes? That is all, you may return for now. We cross the river tomorrow at dawn."

The officers walked out of the tent one after another. After they all left, Red Lightning walked in. "Captain."

Although the new team had not yet been established, but... building a closer relationship early on was the better approach.

Wang Luo smiled at the title. "Sit down. Suyan, pour tea."

Zhou Suyan carried a cup of tea, placed it before Red Lightning, and smiled at him.

Red Lightning returned the smile. Remembering the events of the military parade day, he hesitated and remained silent for a long moment.

"Is there something the matter?" Wang Luo asked, seeing that he remained quiet.

"Oh... I heard earlier that you intend to have the officers learn to read. We can help. But three thousand characters..."

"Understood, they don't need to reach the full three thousand, however many they can manage will do. Recognizing characters will contribute to your standing." Wang Luo paused again. "Though it only applies to those who intend to join our team."

Considered a perk, Red Lightning added mentally. "I wonder how you plan to defeat the Yellow Turbans? No, I don't mean to pry into your operational plan. I just wanted a general idea so we can coordinate on the battlefield."

"There is no plan at present," Wang Luo paused and replied. "No, there is nothing I need to keep secret from you. It's just that the terrain is unclear and the enemy situation is unknown; truly, there is nothing I can tell you."

"Then..." Red Lightning finally asked the question that weighed most heavily on him. "Will you use fire attacks?"

"If necessary," Wang Luo answered. "I am not too concerned with how we defeat the enemy, as long as we win."

That meant: If you can farm points, go ahead and farm; if you can't, so be it. If we win, I won't interfere, but if your performance is poor, don't blame me.

Considering how well they had been treated, he should provide the corresponding return... So Red Lightning glanced at Zhou Suyan. "Captain, could we speak alone?"

"I remember that earlier here at the ferry, Deputy Captain Gelu defended the place with all his might," Zhou Suyan did not leave, instead looking straight at Red Lightning. "When he first joined the team, everyone thought... Who would have expected him to perform so well."

What she spoke of was trivial, but the determination revealed in those eyes made Red Lightning feel a trace of dread for a moment.

Dread of *her*!? A surge of anger immediately rose within him, and he glared back. Zhou Suyan's lips quivered, and then she revealed a pleading expression.

He looked toward Wang Luo and found that the other man neither showed displeasure at Zhou Suyan's actions nor gave any reply to his request for a private meeting.

This person... Perhaps he already knew everything and simply didn't care. If that were the case, there was no need to take the risk of offending Zhou Suyan by speaking out. Had her status risen? Being able to accompany him to the military parade, coming to award honors to those officers...

Never mind. What kind of woman he liked was Wang Luo's own business. It was inappropriate for outsiders to say too much.

"Captain Getini of the Moon Shadow team wishes to surrender to us," Red Lightning finally stated another matter. "He seemed to have used skills to disguise himself earlier and did not actually change factions. While staying in our camp, he passed a great deal of information to the Han army side. Now, he wishes to surrender..."

"Then increase the sum," Wang Luo said, head lowered as he wrote something. "Hand over sixty thousand universal points, and he will be permitted to surrender—immediately, no delays allowed. If he wants to join us, he must also pay ten thousand, and one-fifth of his earnings from the first three scenarios will be deducted."