155: 155.
Grand Welcome 155: 155.
Grand Welcome Guadalajara, being Moxico’s second-largest city, is of utmost importance in the election.
But this place still lies within the influence of the Benjamin drug cartel.
Even closer to its bastion—Sinora State!
That makes it even more dangerous!
Just look at this row of bodies on the overpass, and you will know this trip is bound to be anything but peaceful.
Everyone is aware of this.
From the driver’s seat came the sound of guns being checked, and Teresa’s expression also turned grave as she gripped her hands till her knuckles turned white.
“Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”
While checking her phone, Lu Li offered some words of comfort.
Her demeanor was casual, appearing to be wholly unconcerned with danger.
However, Teresa knew she had the qualifications to be so confident, and this was also the reason they dared to campaign—the guarantee of protection by force.
At that moment, the motorcade arrived at the hotel.
Teresa’s expression relaxed as she asked in a low voice, “Lu Li…
you’ll protect me, won’t you?”
The Fran’s Descendant’s eyes were deep and clear, akin to a tranquil lake.
“Yes, just don’t stray too far from me,” Lu Li answered offhandedly.
“Not too far away…”
Teresa pondered over those words, feeling a shift inside her.
At that moment, the vehicles came to a halt at the hotel where they were to stay.
Stepping out of the car, Lu Li took in the sights of the city with a rich history of 500 years.
The colonial architecture was well-preserved, with countless heritage sites shimmering in the lingering glow of the setting sun.
Everyone settled down in the hotel, and Lu Li’s room was right next to Lady Maria’s for convenient protection.
In his room, he inspected seven Alloy Swords.
After a full day’s refinement with Wish Power, these silver-gray swords exuded a nimble aura, their metallic luster flickering.
Lu Li ran his hands over each, very pleased; at this rate, they might indeed become Flying Swords.
The success was due to the video’s huge popularity!
Checking his phone, just on Douyin there were 2 million views and 200,000 likes.
But it was mostly popular domestically.
Foreigners didn’t seem too fascinated by the Flying Swords; the videos posted on international platforms received a lukewarm response.
Up to now, they had only gathered 500,000 views and 20,000 likes, and most of it was thanks to Jessica’s good looks.
Lu Li, engrossed with his smartphone, was pondering ways to engage international friends more actively when he suddenly discovered—
The video he shot casually with “Ah Da” had unexpectedly garnered over 40,000 likes on TikTok!
It was shot haphazardly, but it turned out that foreigners really liked the “Terminator.”
Below the comments was a whirlwind of Terminator-related discussions:
“Gen 2 is definitely the best looking,”
“The part where he reloads on the motorcycle is so cool,”
…
During this downtime, the likes were soon going to break 50,000.
Lu Li’s mind raced—could the Puppet, with such an accumulation of Wish Power, become a “sacrificial tool”?
He quickly went to the room across the corridor where Jessica was staying, with two Puppets always there to protect her.
Upon entering, he saw Teresa and Aurora were also present.
Close acquaintances were all on the same floor, and right then, Jessica was aiming an M24 out of the window.
Aurora was instructing, “Don’t take your eyes off the target, breathe lightly…”
It was clearly a sniper training class.
As Lu Li stepped in, the three women all looked over.
“Carry on, don’t mind me.”
Lu Li greeted them and gestured with his finger, calling Ah Da over.
Touching it, Lu Li’s brow furrowed slightly.
There seemed to be a subtle change in the Puppet’s metallic body, but it was too slight to be certain.
“Is it because it’s too big?”
Lu Li judged that it must be because the Terminator was too big, so this small amount of Wish Power Sacrificial Refinement didn’t show much effect.
“Let’s wait a few more days and see…”
He was about to turn around and leave, but just at that moment, Jessica suddenly exclaimed, “There are lots of armed personnel!!!”
The girl was in the middle of a sniping lesson and just happened to see through the 8x scope—
Far away, more than a dozen pickup trucks screeched to a halt, and numerous Big Men with long and short firearms jumped out!
Aurora rushed over for a look and her complexion drastically changed, she then shouted into her earphone:
“Enemy attack!
Enemy attack!
A large group of enemies spotted at the front entrance!”
Quickly, through the earphone, the response from Joey, the mercenary leader, came through:
“There are large groups of enemies on all four sides!
We’re surrounded!
We’re surrounded!”
At this moment, the whole hotel descended into chaos.
And to make things worse, the light bulbs flickered and then all went out—the electricity had been cut off!
Everyone rushed outside just in time to see Lady Maria coming out of her room, accompanied by campaign advisors and other civilian staff.
The campaign advisor, a middle-aged man in a suit, said anxiously:
“Damn it!
This has to be Benjamin’s people!
We need to contact the police station right away…”
He hadn’t finished speaking when he realized the police chief was hanging from the overpass.
Meanwhile, Joey and First Lieutenant Reyes also came over with grave expressions.
Joey looked at Lady Maria and said solemnly, “There are at least 400 of them; we need to break out immediately!”
Reyes opposed, “The enemy is prepared; going out there is suicide.
We should defend using the hotel’s terrain and wait for reinforcements!”
“Ridiculous!
How could so few of us possibly hold them off!”
…
Both sides were adamant in their opinions, while Lady Maria was looking for Lu Li’s figure… and saw him carrying a silver weapon case out of his room.
Facing the eyes of all, Lu Li calmly said,
“Lady, there’s no need for you to go anywhere.
Just wait safely in your room.”
As soon as he said this, Joey immediately retorted with a dark face:
“Kid, I don’t care how many people you’ve got hidden, but outside there’s the drug lord’s regular army; you’re going to get us killed!”
Lu Li couldn’t be bothered with the man and carried the case away.
Ah Da followed behind him, while “Number 0” stood still next to Jessica.
Lady Maria, watching Lu Li’s back, said:
“We’ll just stay here, and not go anywhere.
Call the Governor and have him send reinforcements!”
At least there was a beacon of hope, and everyone, with fear and trepidation, went about their tasks.
Joey’s face was black with gloom.
He’d been a mercenary for years and had been to many chaotic countries, but he’d never seen anything like this.
The government was clearly intact, not collapsed, yet it allowed the drug lord to move troops around in the city!
An army of hundreds!
It was absurd to the extreme and the risk likewise, as far as he was concerned, this deal was not worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
At this time, Lu Li, carrying the Sword Box, stepped briskly outside the hotel.
When it came to armed conflict, the public had matured responses, and the streets had long been deserted.
Lu Li first destroyed any potential surveillance with a glance, then opened the case.
Seven Alloy Swords flew out eagerly.
At this moment, they were merely “sacrificial tools,” something any temple or museum would have.
Aside from being a receptacle for Life Energy, they were nothing special.
But that could change after a bout of slaughter.
A sword, after all, is an instrument of killing.
Slaughter and blood greatly facilitate their power.
This is what “Blood Sacrifice” refers to in the “Feijian Refining Notes.”
Lu Li infused the swords with Spirit and his precious inner breath, then with a flick of his hand, the seven Alloy Swords flew out at a speed of 300 meters per second, whistling toward their target.
Flying out with them was another peculiar item…
a smartphone with the camera function on.