Los Angeles defector

Mule

In the early spring mountain ravine, there was no sign of vitality to be seen. Everywhere was gray rocks, yellow sand, interspersed with large patches of withered grass swaying in the wind. Under the not-so-warm sunlight, it was glaring and desolate.

Four individuals stood here in a standoff, spaced more than ten meters apart, forming four points. If the four points beneath their feet were connected by lines, it would form a perfect square.

Robert Wealthy held the machine g*n, glancing left and pointing right, staring intently at the two adults and one child in front of him. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he anxiously warned them, "I'm warning you, don't move anymore. If you move again, I'll really shoot! Don't think I'm afraid just because you're standing apart. This is a machine g*n, understand? It can mow down a whole bunch in one sweep, got it?"

Martin stood on the left side, holding up a Broomhandle with his arm raised, pointing the muzzle at Robert Wealthy. He said, "You fool, pay attention. This here is a 'Mauser Military Pistol.' With a twitch of my finger, I can turn you into a sieve."

Emily stood on the right side, swinging a grenade in her hand. She said, "You big fool, don't scare people. You think having a machine g*n is impressive? I have a grenade here. If you dare to shoot, I dare to pull the pin. Do you believe me?"

Robert Wealthy glanced at Emily and said, "Bah! You little girl, not even tall as a chair, making a fuss for nothing. Go away!"

Upon hearing this, Emily, her face turning red with anger, shook her braid and said, "You big fool, dare you look down on me! I'll pull the pin of this grenade right now, believe it or not?" She raised the grenade, pretending to pull the pin.

With a quick glance, Robert Wealthy realized this troublemaker was playing with fire. He said in a goofy tone, "You silly girl, are you out of your mind? If you pull that grenade, we'll all go down together. How about that!" This left Emily speechless with frustration.

Jason stood in the middle with nothing in his hands, his arms crossed, squinting his eyes as he carefully observed the ridges on both sides. The barren landscape offered no hiding places, which eased his mind. The tall figure across from him seemed to be alone, with worn-out shoes and torn pants, covered in dust. Considering that vampires had been around recently, Jason figured this person was either a bandit or a rogue hiding from the vampires. Watching him clumsily handle the g*n, gesturing wildly and shouting aimlessly, it was clear he was putting on a show to mask his lack of confidence. Judging by his demeanor, Jason suspected that even if he was a criminal and physically imposing, he lacked the courage to kill. In simple terms, he seemed harmless.

While Jason felt reassured, the problem lay in the improper handling and erratic movements of the g*n by the man. It was a risky situation; if the g*n went off accidentally, it would be disastrous. So, Jason cleared his throat, gestured to the young girl to put down the grenade, putting an end to her argument with Robert Wealthy. He then turned to Robert Wealthy and said, "Brother, can we have a civil conversation? Could you please put down the g*n first? Your machine g*n must be heavy. Aren't you tired?"

Robert Wealthy had been holding the g*n for a while now, his arm starting to ache, longing for a break. However, Martin's Broomhandle pistol remained pointed at him, making him reluctant to relax. "If he doesn't put his down, I won't put mine down either," he thought to himself.

"Martin, put the g*n down."

"Brother!"

"It's okay, put it down."

Watching Jason's calm demeanor, Martin's hand holding the g*n slowly lowered, but he kept it in a ready-to-fire position.

Seeing the crisis defused, Robert Wealthy breathed a sigh of relief, propping the machine g*n on the ground. He felt tired, hungry, and thirsty, struggling to hold onto the heavy metal lump any longer.

Jason took a few steps forward until he stood not far from Robert Wealthy. "Brother, judging by your posture, have you been hunted down by vampires?"

Robert Wealthy looked Jason up and down, thinking to himself that this sharp-eyed guy was quite good at guessing. "Can you figure this out too?" he thought. But he replied, "Judging by your attire, you seem like resistance fighters. Vampires are after you guys, I guess you're on the run as well."

Jason didn't beat around the bush and nodded, "That's right. Vampires raided our hideout, and now we're not sure where to go. Since we've crossed paths with you, could you please point us in the right direction? Would that be possible?"

The Independent Battalion has only recently arrived here. Apart from placing some informants in certain villages, they haven't carried out any other operations yet, especially in the area between the east and Shadowvale County, where the situation is more complicated. Jason is unfamiliar with this place, and although Martin is a communications officer, he has barely left the unnamed village since arriving with the Independent Battalion. Emily, being a child, is not much help either. They hurriedly left without bringing any food. While they know that the main force of the Independent Battalion is to the north, they have no idea where exactly, how far it is, whether they have relocated at present, or if vampires are blocking their way. Therefore, the top priority at the moment is to secure some food, fill their stomachs, and then make plans.

The big fool in front of him must be familiar with the mountains nearby. Jason, approaching the situation from a practical standpoint, is not ashamed to ask for help.

Robert Wealthy listened to Jason's straightforward words and noticed that there was no hint of disdain in his expression or tone regarding his own identity. His mood improved considerably. "So, where do you want to go?"

"Where is the nearest village from here, and how far is it?"

Upon hearing Jason's question, Robert Wealthy couldn't help but start calculating in his mind. They wanted to go to the nearest village, which aligned with his own thoughts. Going alone really lacked confidence. He wasn't very familiar with the resistance army's situation. It was said that since they arrived in the mountains, apart from fighting vampires, they hadn't done anything out of line. If he could accompany them, at least he would have some support to rely on.

Having made up his mind, Robert Wealthy spoke up, "How about this, let's team up. I'll lead the way and take you there, what do you think?"

Emily was the first to disagree, "Dream on, you big fool. You don't seem trustworthy at all. I bet you're a highway robber trying to lead us into a trap, right? I'm not falling for your tricks!"

Looking at Robert Wealthy's demeanor, Martin on the side could also tell that he was a bandit. He couldn't help but look at Jason with suspicion in his heart.

Bandit? Jason had been a bandit since he was a child. He didn't see much difference between bandits and others. Good and bad people weren't determined by their identities or appearances. This big guy had shown fear, panic, anxiety, and even relief from start to finish, but nothing more. Jason could conclude that this young man in front of him wouldn't be a qualified mountain bandit because he wasn't tough enough, he lacked courage!

Jason stared into Robert Wealthy's eyes for a long time without saying a word. The deep gaze made Robert Wealthy feel uneasy, as if Jason had stripped away all his clothes, leaving him feeling exposed and uncomfortable.

Fortunately, Jason's silence didn't last too long. He finally spoke, "My name is Jason, what about you?"

"Robert Wealthy, my name is Robert," Robert Wealthy replied, still a bit dazed and speaking somewhat unclearly.

"Alright, I'll let you off this time. It's getting late, we need to hurry up and leave," Jason said.

The sun began to turn a dim yellow, gradually approaching the distant haze, casting a lingering glow that bathed the desolate mountains in a golden, poignant beauty. In the darkening valley, four small figures were walking.

Echoing between the cliffs were faint voices: "Robert Wealthy! Bah! You're just a mule!" "You damn brat, if you dare call me a mule again, I'll beat you!" "Mule, you dare touch me and see what happens!"...