148: Chapter 148 The Great Philanthropist Wei He

"Commander, according to your orders, the apocalypse tanks, American Soldiers, and other high-level units have basically all arrived at Ande Valley. Additionally, the Kirov Airships are still on their way; they fly far too slowly!" Ravich had arrived at Ande Valley early and was now reporting to Wei He.

"Mm, good, very good. Let the troops rest and reorganize in the valley first while awaiting my orders!" Wei He nodded with satisfaction and then spoke to Ravich.

"As you command, Commander!" Ravich replied to Wei He with great respect.

"Let's go, Miss Tang. We'll head to Laiseluo City to take a look, and grab something to eat while we're at it to replenish our strength!" Looking at Tang Xiaowei's youthful and energetic figure, Wei He felt a sudden stir in his heart. He turned his face away and spoke slowly.

"Sure, but where is your carriage? Or are we going to continue flying there on a Puppet Beast?" Tang Xiaowei asked Wei He curiously.

Just as Tang Xiaowei finished speaking, an anti-air tracked vehicle arrived before her. Wei He stepped forward to open the door for her, smiling as he invited her inside.

The anti-air tracked vehicle sped through Ande Valley and quickly reached Fite City. Wei He took Tang Xiaowei to find a restaurant in Fite City. While they were eating, Tang Xiaowei noticed many refugees on the street passing by them in a great hurry.

"Sigh, what's happening to the Magic Empire? Could it be they already know the news of the Magic Legion's defeat and have started fleeing?" Tang Xiaowei's voice was full of doubt as she looked at Wei He.

"It's also possible that something happened in Laiseluo City! Alright, say no more; we still have to get on the road after we finish eating!" Wei He, of course, knew exactly what had happened in Laiseluo City because he was the mastermind behind it.

"You don't know yet? Lately, fires have been breaking out all over Laiseluo City for no apparent reason. Most importantly, several large grain silos were burned down. These people are all refugees fleeing the city because there's nothing to eat; staying in the city would just mean waiting for death!" The Waiter, having overheard their conversation, couldn't help but interject.

"Ah, how could this happen? That's terrible! These people are so pitiful!" Hearing the Waiter's words, Tang Xiaowei couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache and sympathy.

"Fortunately, I've heard from these passing refugees that in the Southern Province, there is a lord named Wei He. He's opened his granaries to distribute food and provide relief to the victims, and he doesn't charge a cent. As long as you go there, there's food to eat. He's truly a great man!" The Waiter continued in response to Tang Xiaowei.

"Oh, so that's how it is! Then this Wei He isn't so bad after all, huh!" Tang Xiaowei's eyes were fixed intently on Wei He as she spoke in a sarcastic tone.

"Uh, hehehe, hurry up and eat. The food will get cold if you don't! Hehehe!" Wei He laughed awkwardly and then buried his head in his meal. Only Wei He knew how those refugees were created. Furthermore, the matter of the Southern Province opening its granaries was something Wei He had ordered the Spies to spread throughout Laiseluo City. The Spies' disguise abilities were truly heaven-defying; tasks like transmitting information or spreading rumors were child's play for them.

"Isn't that the truth? In times of disaster, when have those big lords ever cared about the common folk? Tsk tsk, a great lord and philanthropist like Wei He, willing to generously open his granaries—this is the first time I've ever heard of such a thing!" The Waiter had no idea the person in front of him was the very Wei He he was talking about, and he continued to sing Wei He's praises incessantly.

"Oh, alright. Waiter, we're finished!" After Tang Xiaowei spoke, she tossed some money onto the table and walked out with Wei He.

In the woods outside Laiseluo City, Wei He and Tang Xiaowei stood looking toward the city. Tang Xiaowei was shocked by the scene before her. The once tall and solid city walls had vanished. Only the city gates and the gate towers above them remained; the walls in other sections had long since disappeared into thin air.

"Wow, what happened? I came to Laiseluo City when I was little. Back then, the walls were tall and grand, and you could only enter or exit through the gates. How did it become like this?" Tang Xiaowei watched as people continuously snuck out through the gaps where the walls had vanished. These must be the refugees from Laiseluo City; so this was how they were escaping, she thought.

"Well, it's war; it's inevitable that the common people will be affected. So, the walls disappearing might not necessarily be a bad thing! Don't you agree?" As soon as Wei He said this, it aroused Tang Xiaowei's suspicion.

"The walls disappearing... you didn't do that, did you? You're about to attack Laiseluo City, so you destroyed the walls, right?" Tang Xiaowei's eyes stared fixedly at Wei He as she questioned him very seriously.

"Yes, I did it. What of it? Do you still think you can kill me? Hmm?" Wei He said with a smug look on his face as he looked at Tang Xiaowei.

"You really did it. How did you manage that? With such massive walls destroyed, did they not have even a bit of alertness? It seems the Magic Empire's management is indeed loose enough that it's time for it to fall! Humph!" Tang Xiaowei snorted coldly, sounding inexplicably angry.

"Haha, why are you getting angry? I'll explain this later. The help I need from you is to trap all the soldiers and officers still in the city in an Illusion so they don't interfere with our work!" Wei He had originally planned a direct assault, so he had sent Chrono Legionnaires to the perimeter of Laiseluo City ahead of time to use their Eraser Guns to erase all the walls, making it easier for the Red Alert Troops to enter.

When the walls vanished on the spot, the soldiers stationed in the gate towers were still dozing off. It wasn't until they woke up the next day that they realized the walls were gone; their first reaction was that they hadn't woken up yet.

Now, with Tang Xiaowei's help, the Red Alert Troops were like tigers with wings. Once all the civilians had left the city, it would be time for the Red Alert Troops' general offensive. At that time, they would be able to occupy the entire Laiseluo City without losing a single soldier.

"Oh, just such a small matter? No problem, you can leave it to me with confidence. When do we start?" Tang Xiaowei patted her full chest and looked at Wei He confidently.

"Once all the civilians have escaped the city, we can make our move!" Wei He replied while watching the refugees fleeing outward.

"Oh, okay!" Tang Xiaowei nodded. For some reason, hearing Wei He's words caused ripples in her heart. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she just pursed her lips and smiled gently.

Over the next few days, Wei He sent in many more Spies to perform ideological infiltration. Meanwhile, food in Laiseluo City grew scarcer and scarcer, and more and more people began to go hungry. After listening to the Spies, they also fled the city one after another, heading toward the Southern Province. Regardless of whether the rumors were true or false, staying in Laiseluo City meant starving to death; it was better to flee and try their luck, as they might actually survive.

Among these people, there were actually many soldiers and officers who had changed into civilian clothes and blended into the crowd to flee Laiseluo City together. After all, people weren't stupid. Even the commoners could see that Laiseluo City had no hope, so how could they not know? An imperial court that couldn't even feed its people, while the so-called upper class still spent every day singing, dancing, and living in a drunken stupor—such a court was simply not worth their loyalty.