Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 689 - 643: Dedicated Performance

The gunshots rang out, and Perfikot's first reaction was that yet another unexpected event had incited chaos.

The guards around her immediately assumed a defensive stance, but Perfikot quickly noticed that while the gunfire caused some panic, it was mostly among some train passengers on the platform.

The vendors pushing carts selling various goods immediately pulled out long and short guns, ready to fight, and another group of train passengers clearly showed signs of excitement.

The train crew on the platform and the station staff did not seem nervous; although they appeared terrified, it was a performance that could easily be discerned.

Moreover, the most crucial aspect was that the staff, who should have evacuated passengers or taken countermeasures immediately, merely kept them confined to the platform without organizing them to move to a safe place.

This strange behavior instantly piqued Perfikot's interest. She signaled to her companions not to worry, then looked toward the town from where the gunshots had come.

She saw a dozen or so people dressed in traditional indigenous attire, wielding various sticks and axes, riding into town from outside, while a group dressed as immigrants set up barricades and shelters on the road, and began firing at the indigenous people.

The two sides seemed to be having a lively battle, especially after the vendors on the platform joined in, and the gunfire in the town soon became a continuous roar.

The pervasive smoke quickly enveloped the entire town, making it look like two armies were fiercely engaging.

However, the expression on Perfikot's face was very peculiar, with a strange feeling of wanting to laugh but being unable to.

Because she had already noticed that, although the two sides were fighting intensely and it seemed like people occasionally fell, in reality, the arrows used by the indigenous people were deliberately shot away from the bodies. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

And the immigrants' guns were loud, but they largely contained only gunpowder without any lead bullets flying out.

After all, the people were using old-style flintlock guns or muskets, not advanced military breech-loading rifles, and only loading gunpowder made them functional, just not lethal.

Considering the various behaviors and responses of the people on the platform, Perfikot roughly understood what was happening.

Clearly, this should be some kind of meticulously staged performance.

Thinking of this, Perfikot didn't mind it. She simply walked to a person dressed as a policeman, who was still continuously firing at the indigenous people, and halted his action of pouring more gunpowder into the barrel, asking him, "Are you a policeman of this town? Where is your mayor?"

"Miss, it's dangerous here, step back, go to a safe place!" The person dressed as a policeman did not answer Perfikot's question but continued acting earnestly, showing dedication.

Perfikot couldn't help but be amused by him and pointed at the short-barreled handgun in his hand, saying, "Without lead bullets, you can't kill anyone. You can only enjoy the sound. You all performed well, the realism was indeed impressive, but now I need to see your mayor, I represent the Lord's manor."

Upon hearing the term "Lord's manor," the person dressed as a policeman immediately showed a terrified expression but soon enough pointed toward the group of indigenous people brandishing various weapons, saying, "The mayor is over there; he is playing the role of the indigenous leader today…"

This answer made Perfikot raise her eyebrows, and she couldn't help but look at those 'indigenous people.'

The leading chieftain looked quite ferocious, covered in bloodstains, wielding a spear that appeared savage, with two 'heads' hanging from it, still dripping with fresh blood, embodying people's imaginations of the word 'ferocious.'

"What are those heads made of? They look so fresh!" Of course, Perfikot didn't think they were real human heads; she was merely curious about their substitutes.

"They're fresh deer heads caught today, skinned and cosmetically altered, just like that. Anyway, from the platform, you generally can't see clearly, and during the fight, no one would scrutinize if those are human heads or not." The policeman seemed to think Perfikot had seen through their performance, so he stopped acting and instead answered her questions without reservation while keeping his hands busy.

"Actually, you could hire an Alchemist to alter the shape of the skulls, so they look more lifelike. You might even display them on the platform as special goods, claiming them to be indigenous trophies. Surely, someone will be willing to spend money." Perfikot roughly guessed their game and casually gave them an idea.

"We originally planned to do so, but my alchemy level isn't sufficient; the heads I made didn't look much like human heads, so we had to abandon that idea." The policeman's reply revealed a hint of helplessness.

Then, he seemed to find it inconvenient to answer Perfikot's questions while shooting, so he mimed being shot, fell to the ground playing dead, and signaled for Perfikot and her people to squat down.

Perfikot didn't mind, squatting down beside him before continuing, "Are you actually an Alchemist?"

"Yes, I'm the maintenance staff of the compressed biscuit production machine in town, also responsible for some other tasks requiring alchemy." The policeman answered Perfikot's questions, showing a helpless expression: "It's just that my alchemy level is quite mediocre, and since the town's conflict requires more professional performances, I was sent to the platform to play the role of a policeman."

"That's quite a... creative approach." Perfikot nodded, not saying much about it.

She just curiously asked, "So how did you come up with this idea? Or why do you perform such conflicts in town? Does it attract traffic?"

"Initially, it was an accident, a minor conflict between the indigenous people and immigrants in town. Both groups got drunk and caused a commotion, but that day a train happened to pass by, and the passengers on the train leaned out to watch the fun. The alcohol and food on the platform sold well, and the mayor suddenly had this idea." The Alchemist dressed as a policeman seemed chatty when discussing the town's development, narrating the evolution to Perfikot: "Initially, we just attempted having the indigenous people attack roadside inns and shops or had two groups brawling on the streets to draw the attention of passing train passengers.

Over time, the effect improved, and the mayor somehow acquired a batch of old guns and gunpowder, elevating our performing projects.

Moreover, the train crew members were also coordinated by the mayor, intentionally halting longer in the town. They receive a share of the benefits."