Ground Stars / 地上星 · Ch.102 第102章 另壹个棚区的威胁消息
第102章 另壹个棚区的威胁消息
Chapter 102: Threatening News from the Other Peng Zone
午饭后，无忧棚主亲自陪著杨子藏在交易区逛著，这是个隔出来的大广场，也是他发家的地方。
After lunch, Wuyou Penglord personally accompanied Yang Zicang as they strolled through the trading area, a vast, partitioned square that had been the place where his fortune first began.
瞧见无忧棚主竟然亲自陪甲子间出游，而自己几人只是跟在后面，千辛万苦来这里来拍卖引擎的几名制作者心中有点不爽。
Seeing that Wuyou Penglord was personally touring with the Seventh-Rank Inheritor while they themselves merely trailed behind, several artisans, who had traveled far to auction their engines, felt a flicker of discontent.
「区区壹个水井而已，哪怕出来的水再好，不也是能喝就行吗。」
“Just an ordinary well—no matter how fine the water it produces, isn’t it still just drinkable?”
壹人故意往后吊了几步，跟陪在身旁的人低声碎语。
One of them deliberately dropped a few steps back, muttering under his breath to the man beside him.
「妳误会了，张兄弟。」
“You’ve misunderstood, Brother Zhang.”
前面有人听到了他的话，后退了两步道：「无忧棚主看中的是他别的能力。」
The man ahead overheard him and took a step back, saying, “Wuyou Penglord values his other abilities.”
「啥能力啊，还能上天不成？」
“Other abilities? What’s he gonna do—fly up to the sky?”
「呵，就说妳们只晓得转材料摊，昨天外面发生了那么大的事妳们不晓得，那些鳄鱼真跟鱼似的往外面蹦，吓死人了。」
“Heh, you all only focus on peddling materials. You probably didn’t know what huge commotion happened outside yesterday. Those crocodiles were leaping out of the water like fish—it was terrifying to see.”
「妳说那件事啊，不是护卫队清理完了吗。」
“That incident? Didn’t the guards clean it all up?”
另壹人补充道：「最开始好像还有个谁帮忙来著，据说是个四边形高手。壹人就镇压了百十只能遁地的鳄鱼怪物。」
Another spoke up, adding: “Rumor has it that someone else helped at the start, a Quad expert too. Single-handedly suppressed over a hundred crocodile monsters that could burrow through the ground.”
这退后两步的人轻笑道：「他还真没说错，的确很多怪物被那人给收拾了，那人不是别人，就是棚主身旁那位。」
The man who had stepped back chuckled: “He’s not wrong. It really was that guy who dealt with those monsters. And that someone was none other than the one by Penguin Emperor’s side.”
「什么！」
“What?!”
身旁几人差点惊呼出来。
The group of people nearby nearly exclaimed in surprise.
这人推了推眼镜：「这下知道，为什么那么多棚主跟他套近乎了吧，妳以为那些中型棚区的棚主们赶著下订单是为了好用矿泉水洗澡？」
This person adjusted his glasses: “Now you know why so many Penglords try to schmooze up to him, huh? Think those medium-sized Peng Zone lords are rushing out orders just because they need the mineral water for a bath?”
「我就说嘛，他奶奶的。」
“I knew it, goddamn it.”
「但绝对有人是为了洗澡，这壹点妳不得不承认。」
“But I bet someone really is using it to bathe—you gotta admit that much.”
「去妳丫的。」
“Fuck off.”
感受著身后的目光，杨子藏如芒在背。
Feeling the gazes behind him, Yang Zicang felt like needles were pricking his back all over.
无忧棚主道：「杨兄妳看，这就是我们的特产之壹，肥皂。这东西，妳说普通不普通，但镇里人还真没它不行，而且在失频之地销量更大。」
Wuyou Penglord said: “Brother Yang, look. This is one of our local specialties—soap. Ordinary as it seems, the folks in the town just can’t do without it. And let me tell you, sales in the Shibin Wastes are even bigger.”
看著那壹枚枚包装普通肥皂，若要换到，每壹枚要半天时序。
Staring at the soap bars with their plain wrappers, procuring each one would cost a good half a day’s worth of Chronos.
这都是无忧货贸区从枢纽镇进来的货物。
These were all goods imported from Hubville into the беспроблемный торговый district Wuyou.
「兄弟，我们这里的地下的怪物已经出现了快壹年了，但要全部搞定它们还真是难以办到，这次要不是妳出手，我都感觉有点后怕。」
“Brother, the monsters down in our digs here have been causing trouble for nearly a year now, but getting rid of every single one? Tough gig. If you hadn’t stepped in this time, I might be sleeping with one eye open.”
他手上拿起袋白色草纸包装的薯片，将它拆开后递给杨子藏嗅了嗅。
He picked up a bag of chips with plain white paper packaging, tore it open, and handed it to Yang Zicang to smell.
「香吧。还有这些包装水，它们存在库房里，要是被那些怪物壹搞，我们损失不知道有多大。所以，我想聘请妳帮我清理地下那些怪物。」
“Aromatic, aren’t they? And all those bottled waters stored in the warehouse—if those monsters get a hold of them, we’d face no telling how great a loss. So, I want to hire you to help me clear out those monsters underground.”
杨子藏感受到棚主眼中的真诚。
Yang Zicang felt the sincerity in Penglord’s eyes.
念力型，四边形，随便哪个拎出来都是这个世界顶尖的存在，何况是这两个凑到了壹起。
Yin Power-type, Quad—each of them stands at the pinnacle of this world when taken alone, let alone having these two converge together.
杨子藏著才恍然发觉，自己真的不知不觉间已经成为个高手了。
It was only then that Yang Zicang suddenly realized he had unwittingly grown into a formidable force.
虽然像是才刚刚过去几天，但真实的经历却已经有了数千年。
Though it felt as if only a few days had passed, the true experiences spanned thousands of years.
他想到，这个世界到底是怎么了。
He thought, what has this world come to?
忽然他感觉脑袋壹片混吨的想到，自己本是介凡夫俗子，为何能出现在这里，这壹切都好像是梦壹样。
Suddenly, his mind felt shrouded in a haze as he pondered: I was once a mere mortal, how did I end up here? Everything seems like a dream.
见到无忧还盯著自己，而自己却忽然走神，杨子藏转身面向他道：「刚攻击我的是谁。」
Noticing Wu You still staring at him while he himself had drifted off, Yang Zicang turned around and said, “Who attacked me just now?”
「什么？」
“What?”
「无忧棚主，刚刚有人影响了我的情绪，他是谁妳清楚吗。」
“Wu You Penglord, someone just manipulated my emotions. Do you know who they are?”
无忧眼中闪过丝异芒，他擡起手对著身边人道：「我们回去。」
A strange glint flashed through Wu You’s eyes as he raised his hand to his companion and said, “Let’s go back.”
「谢谢妳能告诉我。」
“Thank you for telling me that.”
无忧面色严肃的道谢后领著几人快速转身离去。
With a stern expression of gratitude, Wu You gathered a few men and quickly turned to leave.
杨子藏疑惑的看了他背影壹眼，跟在队伍中的女士上前，抱歉的道：「甲子先生，不好意思，我为妳的遭遇道歉。」
Yang Zicang gave a puzzled glance at his retreating figure, and the woman in the group stepped forward, apologizing, “Master Jiazi, sorry, I apologize for your experience.”
看来这关系到无忧棚主的秘密，杨子藏没有追问，刚刚的提问也只是壹种冲动罢了。
It seemed to involve Wuyou’s secret as a Penglord, so Yang Zicang didn’t press further; his earlier question had been nothing more than a rash impulse.
后面的几位终于找著机会围了过来，不停介绍著自己。
The others finally seized the chance to surround him, introducing themselves in rapid succession.
能壹人干掉那么多鳄鱼怪物，他们只当杨子藏是运气不好，流落自此的高级团队的武力人才。
Seeing he had single-handedly taken down so many crocodile monsters, they merely assumed Yang Zicang was an unlucky combat talent from an upper-tier team stranded here.
「谢谢大家。」杨子藏有点哭笑不得。
“Thank you all.” Yang Zicang felt both amused and exasperated.
自己明明化名就是为了避免麻烦，没想到现在反而更出名了。
He had chosen an alias precisely to avoid trouble, yet now he was even more famous as a result.
又收了三十多枚失念Moexl之后，回去的路上撞见了神色紧张的徐秀川。
After collecting over thirty Shīniàn Moxels, he bumped into an agitated Shiu Siuchuan on the way back.
「夹子哥，呸，甲子哥，不好了。」
“Jiazi bro—I mean, Chief Jiazi—we’re in trouble!”
「怎么了。」
“What’s wrong?”
杨子藏壹愣神，这家伙拎著大包小包的食物，壹副神不守舍的神态。
Yang Zicang froze for a moment; the guy was lugging around large and small bags of food, looking completely distracted.
他左右看了眼，瞧见周围还跟著群人后，胸前浮现出Moexl圆环，壹道折线射来。
Glancing around and noticing the crowd following them, a Moxel ring shimmered on the man’s chest, and a sharp beam shot toward him.
｛宁洋棚主遇到危险了。｝
{Ning Yang Penglord has run into danger.}
[什么危险？]
[What kind of danger?]
｛前两天来我们那个棚区的货队妳还记得吗，还给了咱们试用装的那个赵启，他们是荒车大货队的人。｝
{Remember the Cargo Crew from the Peng Zone who came a couple days ago? That Zhao Qi—the one who gave us samples. They’re part of the Waste Rovers Grand Cargo Crew.}
左非闲也从远方迈著灵动的步伐跑了过来。
Zuo Feixian came bounding over from a distance with her signature light-footed grace.
「老兄，宁洋出事了知道了不。」
“Hey, man. You heard what happened to Ning Yang, right?”
杨子藏点点头，他转身对著身后那群在路边摊位上挑选东西的制作者们道：「各位，我先回去了，有空咱们再续。」
Yang Zicang nodded. Turning to the creators still browsing the roadside stalls, he said, “Folks, I’ll be heading back now. Let’s catch up again when we have the chance.”
「好勒好勒，甲子间兄弟，有空来我们友远聚集地作客，我下午就要走了，嘿嘿。」
“Sure thing, sure thing—Brother Jiazi, feel free to swing by our Youyuan Base anytime. I’m heading out this afternoon, hehe.”
在如此的招呼声中，杨子藏三人回到了房间，路上徐秀川已经跟自己大致介绍了荒车大货队的情况。
Amid such farewells, the three of them returned to their room. Along the way, Shiu Siuchuan had already given him a comprehensive rundown on the Waste Rovers Grand Cargo Crew.
他们是个松散的组织，最初成立于壹些游走在失频之地的货队间，后来发展为壹个互助形的组织。
They were a loose-knit organization, originally formed among crews wandering the Shibin Wastes, later evolving into a mutual-aid faction.
到此为止都还算正常，但有人的地方就有私欲，有阴谋，有勾心斗角。
So far, nothing unusual—but where there are people, there are selfish desires, plots, and political scheming.
某些嗅到这种组织好处的人，开始以Moexl赋予的能力夺取权力，收取保护费，并拉帮结派，最后演变成了失频之地上的壹个灰色组织。现在的他们，偷窃打劫，拐卖，甚至是对于某些棚区进行灭绝性屠杀，以掠夺资源。
Some who smelled the advantages of such an organization began to seize power with the abilities granted by Moxel, collecting protection fees and forming factions. This eventually evolved into a grey organization in the Shibin Wastes. Now, they engage in theft and robbery, human trafficking, and even commit genocidal massacres against certain Peng Zones to plunder resources.
宁洋这次，就遇上了他们。
This time, Ning Yang ran into them.
「这对小型聚集地来说，无异于绵羊们被狼群给盯上。」
“For such small settlements, it’s no different from sheep catching the eye of a wolf pack.”
左非闲边关上房门边说道。
Zuo Feixian said as he closed the door.
「啥羊群狼群的？」
“Sheep and wolf packs? What’s that about?”
屋子里躺床上，翘著二郎腿看小说的洛宾直起身。
Robin Lo, who was lying in bed reading a novel with his legs crossed and his feet up, sat up straight.
「我之前住了几天的那个棚区的棚主，给人骗出去后被打劫了。」
“That Penglord from the Peng Zone I stayed in a few days ago got lured out and then robbed.”
「哟，没撕票吧。」
“Oh, so they didn’t kill him?”
徐秀川摇摇头：「但估计快了，壹般壹支队伍不暴露也就罢了。这次荒车大货队们聚集在壹起，肯定是要对附近的某个聚集地下手，这些蝗虫们，是嗅到什么好东西的味道了。」
Shiu Siuchuan shook his head: “But it’s probably only a matter of time. An operation like theirs usually goes unnoticed unless it’s exposed. All those Wasteland Freight Cargo Crew gangs gathering together like this? They plan to raid some nearby settlement. These locusts can smell anything good.”
洛宾咬开个坚果壳，嗦出里面的果肉在嘴中砸吧著开口道：
Robin Lo cracked open a nut, sucked out the kernel inside, and chewed it as he spoke:
「这什么大货队似乎恶名很盛啊，就没有人出面收拾他们吗。」
“This so-called ‘Cargo Crew’ seems to have quite a nasty reputation. Doesn’t anyone step up to deal with them?”
两人的头摇得跟拨浪鼓似的。
The two of them shook their heads vigorously, like flicking baby rattles in a side-to-side motion.
左非闲道：「这些人平时吧，妳也看不出来他们是不是荒车大货队的人，大多数时候他们都是老实做生意的。」
Zuo Feixian said, “Usually, you can’t tell if these people are part of the Wasteland Wagon Cargo Crew; most of the time, they’re just doing business honestly.”
「而且去围剿他们，吃力不讨好啊，谁知道他们在哪儿。但组织围剿的人则有自己的棚区吧，剿没剿干净，反倒惹身骚，到时候来个回马枪棚区就完了。」
“And trying to surround and wipe them out is a thankless task—who knows where they’re hiding? But those who organize the crackdown have their own Peng Zones to worry about. Even if they wipe them out—or not—they just end up covered in trouble, waiting for a backlash that could destroy their Peng Zone.”
「荒车大货队的目标壹般是中小型聚集地，中级的都少。大棚区们的精力基本都在那些恶名更胜的组织身上，对它们也就睁只眼闭只眼，井水不犯河水。」
“The Wasteland Wagon Cargo Crew generally targets small to mid-sized settlements, rarely going after mid-level ones. The major Peng Zones focus their energy on more notorious organizations, turning a blind eye to these small fries in a live-and-let-live arrangement.”
「明白了。」
“I understand.”
杨子藏听懂了，反正荒车大货队欺负的对象就是宁洋这种中小型棚主，这些棚区们没有剿灭它们的实力，而大棚区们有能收拾他们，但没有必要，反而因此会有源源不断的小棚区之人想要加入自己寻求保护。
Yang Zicang got it—the Wasteland Wagon Cargo Crew preyed on smaller Penglords like Ning Yang. These Peng Zones lacked the strength to crush them, while the bigger Peng Zones had the power to handle them but saw no need to bother. Instead, such threats only drove a steady stream of underdogs to seek protection by joining the big leagues.
左非闲和徐秀川都眼神闪动的瞄了杨子藏壹眼，又撇过头去，假装做这动作。
Zuo Feixian and Shiu Siuchuan’s eyes glimmered as they darted a glance at Yang Zicang, then deliberately looked away with feigned nonchalance.
杨子藏笑笑：「怎么，有想法？」
Yang Zicang grinned, “What, got an idea?”
徐秀川不好意思说，左非闲立即就咧起个大口：「嘿嘿，甲老大，要昨天之前，我肯定不会诞生这想法，但是吧，现在我可是有信心得很，甲老大如果出手，就是这些畜生们的末日。」
Shiu Siuchuan was too embarrassed to say it, but Zuo Feixian immediately grinned wide: “Hehe, Boss Jia, if it were before yesterday, I definitely wouldn’t have had this idea. But now, I’m full of confidence—if Boss Jia makes a move, it’ll be the end of these beasts.”
洛宾将屁股挪到床沿，故作吃惊的道：「哟，妳们就这么相信这位？」
Robin Lo shifted his butt to the edge of the bed, pretending to be shocked: “Yo, you guys trust him that much?”
「当然。」
“Of course.”
徐秀川挺起胸膛，自从见到杨子藏将那些鳄鱼怪物们砍瓜切菜似的壹通收拾后，他就已经惊为天人。
Shiu Siuchuan puffed out his chest. Ever since he saw Yang Zicang mow down those crocodile monsters like slicing vegetables, he’d been utterly awestruck.
目前杨子藏表现出来的实力，他印象中没有第二个人能够媲美，除了之前那个怪物。
As far as his memory served, no one else could rival Yang Zicang’s demonstrated strength, except for that one monster before.
那天过后，他已经跟好些狐朋狗友用Moexl联络过，大致问到了关于月影级怪物的信息，才晓得那意味著什么。
After that day, he’d contacted several of his scumbag friends via Moxel, asking roughly about the information regarding Moon-Shadow rank monsters, and that’s when he realized what it really meant.
左非闲看著杨子藏，语气轻松，但却杀意凌然的劝道：
Zuo Feixian looked at Yang Zicang, his tone relaxed but dripping with deadly intent as he advised:
「甲哥，虽然我知道妳们在宁洋那混球那里受了冤枉，但他就是个有眼不识金镶玉的蠢货，咱们现在缺的正是大量Moexl，这些荒车队的人聚集，正是给了咱们个好机会。」
“Brother Jia, I know you guys were wronged by that bastard Ning Yang. But he’s just a fool who can’t recognize true talent. What we lack now is a massive amount of Moxel, and these wasteland convoy folks are gathered here—this is a golden opportunity for us.”
杨子藏的眼帘半垂内心思索著可行性。
Yang Zicang’s eyelids drooped halfway as he pondered the feasibility in his mind.
「他们聚集的地方，旁边就有个去年才诞生的小聚集地。杨哥，要么今晚，最迟明天，那个聚集地可能就会灰飞烟灭了。」
“There’s a small settlement that sprang up just last year, right next to where they’re gathering. Brother Yang, either tonight or at the latest tomorrow, that settlement will likely be wiped off the face of the earth.”
「我干他大爷的，这些屠夫。」洛宾狠狠拍了下自己的大腿。
“Son of a bitch, those butchers.” Robin Lo slammed his thigh hard.