December 20, 1986.
Illumi's flight arrived in the southeastern coastal city of the Republic of Adia, and after a layover, he boarded an airship bound for the Republic of Padokea.
"The annual Christmas is approaching, and as this festive season draws near, according to a joint statement issued by the Mitene Union and the V5 organization..."
"The NGL Autonomous Region will be established in the westernmost part of the Mitene Union."
"As an autonomous nation completely integrated into primitive nature, Neo Green Life."
"The NGL Autonomous Region is a country solely for those who love primitive nature. No tools from the civilized world can be brought into it, otherwise they will be punished by local law."
On the wall-mounted television in the airship corridor, an international news report was playing, concerning the imminent establishment of the NGL Autonomous Region.
"NGL?"
Illumi, who happened to be passing by, stopped and looked up at the television. The anchor was currently introducing the original intention behind the Mitene Union's establishment of the NGL Autonomous Region.
"V5 actually agreed to the establishment of such a strange country?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Completely abandoning the tools of the modern civilized world, is that still a life humans can live?"
"No electricity, no internet, how are they supposed to live?"
"Not allowing modern civilized tools means that if you get lost and die in there, no one will even know?"
"Not even adventurers would go to such a place."
During the broadcast of the news, more and more people gathered around Illumi, watching the green area demarcated by the Mitene Union on the television, holding an impromptu Tucao Conference.
January 15, 1986, Aztek Republic, Domingo District.
At 9:45 PM local time, four black multi-purpose SUVs, under the cover of night, drove along a desolate path and arrived at the Domingo military district.
Shhh...
The SUVs stopped in front of a barbed wire fence. In front of the convoy stood an iron gate.
"Back up, back up, clear the way..."
The squad leader responsible for guarding the military district's main gate, after taking a phone call, ordered his men to open the protective gate and let them in.
Buzz...
The iron gate opened, and the four black multi-purpose SUVs started up again, driving through the Domingo military district without any soldiers attempting to stop them.
After ten minutes, the convoy arrived and stopped in unison within a large military camp filled with camouflage tents. Numerous armed soldiers surrounded the four SUVs.
Click.
The car doors opened. First to emerge was a group of burly men, three meters tall. They carried advanced standard-issue rifles, wore composite bulletproof vests, and had Ranger neuro-mechanical helmets on their heads, exuding an astonishing aura.
After all the Avenger soldiers from the other three SUVs had disembarked, the door of the leading SUV opened, and the first to come out was a burly, fat man wearing cool sunglasses.
This person was the notorious drug lord of the Aztek Republic, the boss of the largest drug trafficking cartel in the Domingo District, Luis Correa.
"Only you? Where's the person you mentioned on the phone?"
As soon as Luis Correa got out of the car, two burly men in military uniforms immediately walked over and questioned him.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Luis seemed to remember something and quickly ran to the back door, respectfully pulling open the car door himself, causing the two burly men to lightly furrow their brows.
For Luis, a drug lord, to be so respectful, the person in the car must have an extraordinary identity.
Thump!
A leg clad in black suit trousers stepped out from the car, firmly landing on the gravel-strewn ground. Under everyone's gaze, King Bradley emerged from the car.
Immediately, a short man stepped out from the other side. The first thing he did after getting out of the car was tug at his suit collar, arrogantly scanning the military camp.
King Bradley's peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Luis. He raised his foot and slowly walked, step by step, to stand in front of the two burly soldiers. His exposed single eye emitted a strong sense of pressure.
"Take me to General Illya."
King Bradley was only 1.85m tall, while the two soldiers were over 1.9m tall, yet they were still intimidated by his powerful aura.
"Alright, but your bodyguards must wait outside."
The two burly soldiers glanced at the terrifying three-meter-tall soldiers and demanded.
"All of you, wait outside."
The two burly soldiers saw King Bradley give orders to the Avengers, nodded at him, and turned to lead King Bradley, Envy, and Luis towards the largest tent in the back.
Whoosh...
The two burly soldiers lifted the tent flap, leading King Bradley and the other two inside. A bald man in military uniform sat on the only sofa in the tent, holding a glass of strong liquor.
This bald man was the commander of the Domingo military district, the notorious warlord, General Illya.
At this time, General Illya was over fifty years old. Aside from his thick eyebrows, his sideburns had already turned completely white.
"General, the people have been brought. He is from the force behind Luis."
The two burly soldiers stood one on each side behind General Illya, one of them leaning in to report.
"Hahahaha..."
"Welcome, my dearest long-term partner."
General Illya stood up with his glass, laughing heartily with feigned magnanimity, welcoming King Bradley and the other two.
Immediately, he took out a clean glass from under a round wooden table beside him, picked up the wine bottle from the table, and poured the remaining strong liquor into it.
General Illya, holding the glass, came before King Bradley and handed him the freshly poured glass of liquor, looking amicable.
"I've always been very curious about the force behind Luis and the person behind him."
"What kind of person possesses such immense courage and so much money to continuously purchase countless firearms and ammunition, and even armed helicopters and other weapons and equipment from me, a warlord of a nation?"
King Bradley accepted the strong liquor from General Illya with an expressionless face. General Illya continued to circle King Bradley, Envy, and Luis, smiling sinisterly.
"But the moment I saw you, I understood."
"The famous founder of Umbrella Biohazard Corporation, a two-star Ruins Hunter of the Hunter Association, King Bradley."
"You already possess such immense wealth and reputation, yet you are still not satisfied."
"In three years, you have purchased countless weapons and ammunition from me, enough to organize a small army."
"Although this has also made me incredibly rich, I am very curious, what exactly do you want?"
"Especially this time, you, who have never shown your face or revealed any information, suddenly visited in person."
"What is your purpose? What exactly do you want?"
General Illya stood back in front of King Bradley, raising his glass with a half-smile, toasting King Bradley, and drinking it all in one gulp.
Luis stood behind King Bradley to his left, fine beads of sweat constantly breaking out on his forehead. The shirt inside his suit was already soaked through with sweat.
The atmosphere was extremely bad, but Luis dared not move in the slightest. His instincts were frantically warning him that an extremely serious event was about to occur.
"What I want?"
King Bradley remained unmoved in the face of General Illya's relentless pressure and aura.
As King Bradley spoke, he slowly tilted the glass General Illya had given him. The strong liquor in the glass, accompanying his movement, gradually flowed onto the ground.
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