Theon’s face was currently badly beaten up, with bandages all around it, and he looked like he had gone through a botched surgery. His subordinates who followed behind him did not look any better.
Theon coughed with a horrified look on his face. “Could you please stop your subordinates from bullying us…”
“What are you talking about? We’re colleagues, man. To improve the capability of the Dragon Guards, I have tasked my group members with carefully organizing combat practices with you guys. How could you call us bullies?” Han Xiao said with a meaningful tone.
“I did wrong. I really did wrong. I will apologize however you want!” Theon sobbed in the open, and it was unthinkable how this was the same person who had been acting so high and mighty just several days ago.
Theon’s pride came from the sole fact that he was part of the guards, and he had thought that he could look down on all the foreign visitors of the island. However, Han Xiao had suddenly become his ‘colleague’. He did not even know that misfortune could arrive so fast without notice.
A few days ago, Han Xiao had been too lazy to teach this guy a lesson himself, so he had just thrown a few missions for the players. They were part of the guards anyway, and they were just about getting a kick out of beating him up. Even after Theon went to find the guard captain to complain about this matter, Wilsander simply turned a blind eye to it and could not be bothered to step in.
Theon could not stand being beaten up all the time like this anymore. However, he was not brave enough to just quit his job either. He was like an ant on a flaming-hot pan and had been waiting for technician Han every day over the past few days.
“Haha, why’re you apologizing?” Han Xiao said cheerfully. “You were only following orders and didn’t do anything wrong.”
“How can I get you to forgive me?” said Theon with tears and snot all over his face. If he had known that this would happen, he never would have acted so unreserved like he did before.
“There’s a saying that one’s well-being is invaluable. How much do you think your wellbeing is worth?” Han Xiao’s smile turned to a wicked one all a sudden.
Theon felt his body shudder at that sight, and he said through gritted teeth, “One thousand….”
The Great Mechanic Han was shocked and let out a gasp. “You price yourself that low?”
“Then it’s 1,500…”
Han Xiao shook his head and clicked his tongue. “Looks like my friends need to help you establish a sense of self-worth.”
“2,000! That’s all I have in my account. It’s my savings over all the years. I’m begging you, please! I only have this much…”
“Sigh. Let’s just consider it as me giving you a discount. Too bad I’m just this kindhearted, right?” Han Xiao then took out his communicator and pulled up the transaction menu before swiping his eyes over Theon’s underlings and chuckled. “How about you guys?”
His smile was basically that of the devil’s to the group of people. They were all horrified and made the transfers without a second word. After hearing the sound of the successful transaction, Theon felt his soul leave his body. Not only did he lose the portion of the money that Horlaide had secretly paid him earlier to get him to act, he had also lost most of his life savings.
Han Xiao was all smiles and sunshine once more when his purse was filled up with the 34,000 Enas from the guards. He swung his arms around as he turned and entered the slave market.
Theon’s team receiving the money in secret was one of the main reasons that the mercenaries’ rescue operation had failed right at the end. It was not Han Xiao’s style to just get a little revenge when he could. He would take back what he had lost because of Theon with full interest.
After he entered the slave market, he was led to Horlaide’s office by the workers.
Horlaide’s face scrunched up into a smile as he welcomed Han Xiao passionately. “Take a seat. Would you like anything to drink?”
“Don’t bother. I will be going straight to the point here. I’m taking the Silvers away. Name your price.” Han Xiao went into topic without any delay. Horlaide knew that he was the mercenary from earlier, and he also knew that he had now become a colleague, hence the passionate tone.
But Horlaide was considered someone who worked under the Head Butler. Since violence would obviously not be a wise choice, he came this time to negotiate.
Horlaide put on a fake smile and said, “What happened earlier was a misunderstanding. I’m sorry for any inconvenience that it may have caused you. However, what’s done is done. The Silvers are now on the market. Things are also not easy for me. I hope that you can understand.”
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow, as he smelled the smell of someone in the same line of business as himself. “Don’t bullsh*t, you already have a plan.”
Horlaide chuckled. “I’ve heard that your client cares a lot about their own. I believe that they will be very generous with opening up their purse. How about this? You help me convince them about the deal, and I will give you ten percent of the transaction fee.”
“How much are you planning to ask for?” asked Han Xiao.
“200,000… per person!” Horlaide raised up a single finger while smiling creepily. This price was, without a doubt, ridiculous. It was several times more than the market price. It was obvious then that the Silver client was the prey that Horlaide had laid his eyes on.
Chapter 375 - Customers First
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Han Xiao squinted and stared at Horlaide without saying anything. After a while, Han Xiao shook his head and said, “I won’t help you to persuade them. Keep the money.”
Horlaide was surprised. “Why?”
“Everything has rules.” Although the reason Han Xiao became a mercenary was to earn cash, since he had already started this job, he would follow the rules in the industry. He had strong morals as betraying the employer was the worst crime that one could commit. Thus, he declined Horlaide’s offer to trick his employer.
“Don’t you want to earn money? That’s the reason you choose to be a mercenary, right? Fifteen people could sell three million Enas. Let’s say if you only get ten percent, that’s still a lot of money that you can’t earn while serving others. Because I’m your colleague, that’s why I decided to share some of the benefit to compensate the reward you lost after your mercenary group failed the mission. Do you really want to let go of this opportunity?” Horlaide asked as he shrugged.
“Sorry, my creed is honorable. I don’t do shady business.” Han Xiao was not lured by the amount of cash. He did not want to follow Horlaide’s intent. He wanted to have an image of being trustworthy. Moreover, he had accepted the mission from the Silver; however, it was not for money but to earn knowledge.
On top of that, the mission still had to depend on whether or not the Silver would reach an agreement on the negotiation. If they did, then what was the need for mercenaries? Han Xiao would not get any reward.
Horlaide made a duck face. “All up to you. I will talk with your boss myself.”
Han Xiao took out the communicator and called the employer. The face of the Silver showed up on the screen. The Silver was surprised when they saw Han Xiao. After thinking for a while, they finally remembered that Han Xiao was one of their mercenaries. They asked in confusion, “Why did you call us? Where are the guys from Sky Ring? Oh right, where you are now? When are you coming back?”
Han Xiao shook his head. “There have been some accidents. We got attacked, and the hostages were sent to the slave market. The people from Sky Ring, Blades, and Purple Gold have all been captured, so I am in charge of the mission now. I found the manager of this slave market, and he wants to negotiate with you.
“Hehe, your comrades are in my hands…” Horlaide straightened his clothes, and he started to list his demands.
The Silver raged. “That’s too expensive! We can’t accept that price!”
“Sorry, you are in no position to talk back
,” Horlaide said back in a deep and firm voice. The hostages were in his hands, and he was confident that the Silver wouldn’t abandon their people. Three million Enas was a lot, but the Silver’s pockets was deep enough, so they could still squeeze enough money.
“We’ll need time to discuss.” The Silver ground his teeth, but he could not reject the offer.
“Call me after you reach a conclusion, but there is a time limit. A lot of our dear customers really want to buy your friends, so you are not the only buyer,” Horlaide threatened.
Han Xiao turned off his communicator and left without any expression. Horlaide wanted to wave, but he did not move an inch, sitting on his chair.
As Han Xiao stepped outside of the door, a man wearing a mask was trying to get into the room. They brushed past each other’s shoulders, and time froze at that moment. Han Xiao’s hair all stood up, and he felt something sharp pointing on his forehead.
Both of them looked at each other as if they exchanged punches. The scene froze in place, the environment all lost its color, and only their eyes were visible.
The next second, color and sound broke the ice. They acted like nothing happened and kept on walking.
After several steps, Han Xiao looked back at the man. With greater power, he also had a better sense on the outside world. He felt endangered after getting close to a powerful being, and that was the feeling that the man in the mask gave Han Xiao. It was not only strength, but the aura of the man hinted the smell of blood of the dead. Only people with strong senses could notice this detail.
Han Xiao’s instinct told him that the masked man was also here for the Silver.
I wonder where he is from…
Han Xiao shook his hand and contacted the employer.
The Silver was upset. “Why are the ones rescuing captured? Now what? Do we have to pay the money?”
“Don’t rush to a decision,” Han Xiao replied. “It seems that the hostages are still save. I will think of another way.”
“… Okay. Remember, you must prioritize their safety.”
After the call ended, Han Xiao grabbed his hair and felt a headache coming on.
“What should I do? The hostages are all with Horlaide. Right now, I am a member of Floating Dragon Island, so I can’t draw attention. Um… There’s only one way to force Horlaide to give up the hostage. I need to persuade Jenny and Ames…” He suddenly had an idea and hurried to formulate this plan.
At the same time, Ember, the masked man, also went to try and buy the Silver.
“How much are you offering?” Horlaide asked.
“Fifty thousand per person.”
Horlaide shook his head and seemed disinterested.
Ember frowned. “This price is already fifty percent more than the original price. Why are you still refusing?”
“There’s someone who’s paying more,” Horlaide replied.
“Seventy thousand,” Ember added.
Horlaide still shook his head.
“A hundred thousand. That’s my final offer.”
“Not enough.”
“Then how much do you want?” Ember was patient.
Horlaide laughed. “The generous buyer is offering 210,000 per person. Of course, the deal is not yet settled. But… if you are able to pay more than 200,000, then that fact might change…”
“Okay. I will think about it.”
Ember nodded and left the slave market.
“Leader, how’s the negotiation?” his team member asked.
Ember took off his mask and calmly said, “Change of plans. We will take the hostages by force.”
DarkStar had the money to pay, but it was not worth it. Even if they settled on the price, there was a chance that the manager would increase the price again.
What kind organization was the DarkStar? They were the bad guys! If they obeyed such orders, what would happen to their dignity as villains?
…
On the planet of the Fawn Galaxy, there was conflict among the Silvers.
“They have already named a price. What are we waiting for? Let’s get the money!”
“Wait a second. This whole thing looks sketchy. Did the mercenaries work together with the slave market managers to scam us? Everyone in Shattered Star Ring is a greedy goblin. We need to prepare for this possibility,” someone in the group said.
“In the end, safety comes first. Sky Ring, Blades, and Purple Gold have all fallen, so how can we trust this Black Star Group? If they push over their limit and try to be heroes, they might bring more danger to the hostages. Let’s just give the money.”
“What if they don’t release the hostages after we meet their demands,” one man said in worry.
After some chaotic discussion, in the end, the captain stayed calm and made the decision. “The reason they failed last time was because they were outnumbered. I am going to trust them one last time. We will have the Black Star Mercenary Group try one more time, and if they can’t do it, I believe they will give us an accurate reply. Giving the money is our last option.”
…
A team of players rode an aircraft and scouted around an area.
Li Ge was on the aircraft. He dodged out of everyone’s sight and took out the Secret Message Bead.
“What is this thing?” Li Ge mumbled to himself. “The instructions say that there will be a bonus reward if I give this to a specific person, but there is no hint on who the person may be. I do have to activate it myself…”
Li Ge had a lot of experience in gaming. With items that did not have clear instructions, the player would have to take the initiative and show this item to different NPCs. If an NPC reacted differently compared to the rest, that should be the ‘specific character’.
“Let’s do this.” Li Ge made up his mind.
Chapter 376 - Steel Body!
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Goa, Cerleni, and Porter’s teams were all locked inside the Floating Dragon prison. They contacted their respective leaders and paid the bail. They could not leave before the higher officers went to pick them up and apologize.
During the time of imprisonment, everyone was disconnected from the outside world. They were bored to death. The only topic that they could talk about was Han Xiao.
“I wonder if Black Star saved the Silvers,” Porter muttered.
“Even though Black Star is working for Ames, what can he do? There’s no way he’ll be able to save them.” Cerleni was pessimistic about the situation. He shook his hand. “Well, I can’t blame him. If I was in his situation, I wouldn’t be able to do anything either. On top of that, he is with Floating Dragon. We can’t be sure whether he will still be a mercenary or not.”
“We have already asked him for this favor. Let’s just trust him.” Goa frowned.
Cerleni was frustrated. “I want to believe that he can do it since he is our last hope, but is there anything that he can do?”
“… I don’t know.” Goa sighed.
The mercenaries’ morale was low. They tried to trust Han Xiao, but their brains told them that this mission had already failed.
…
“Are you looking for Ames? She’s not here, left a few days ago.” Jenny read the documents without looking up.
“Where is she heading?” Han Xiao was surprised. Ames always stayed on Floating Dragon Island.
“She said she was in a bad mood, so she wanted to fight someone,” Jenny replied with a cold voice like a businessman. She adjusted the Data Storage Glasses and said, “She was unpleased with the message that you brought back.”
Han Xiao’s eyes flicked. The only people that could match Ames were the three Supers of the same grade in the Shattered Star Ring… He hoped that there would not be any crazy news a few days later.
He planned to fudge Ames to release the Silvers, so he had to wait for her return. Han Xiao did not want to revolt when Ames was not home since there was too much risk. There was also no need to do that as the Floating Dragon Faction
gave him quiet some benefits. Head Butler Jenny was tough unlike Ames, and Han Xiao barely even considered persuading her.
Since Ames is not present, according to the management rules, I am temporarily the highest officer,” Jenny said. “We strengthened the defense of Wilsander, and Haier is protecting the Gravitational Core. Everything is in order, so don’t you dare make other plans, or else you will regret it.”
Han Xiao understood the hidden message of Jenny. He had only joined the faction for a few days, and although the other members did not reject him, Jenny still kept on eye on people from the Black Star Mercenary Group. It was her responsibility as the Head Butler to clean up Ames’ mess. Jenny wanted to warn Han Xiao to not do something stupid.
Han Xiao smiled and ignored Jenny’s warning. He left the office, went back to the Logistics Office, and got his next job. Haier took half of the workers to camp around the Energy Core of the floating island. The rest of the workers were on standby in the headquarters while dealing with the daily maintenance tasks. Han Xiao was assigned to remain in the headquarters.
After losing half of the workforce, the workload suddenly increased. Everyone was extremely busy, and the Great Mechanic Han had to spend his time fixing aircrafts and equipment without doing anything else.
…
A few days later, in the Slave Market, Horlaide made a call to Han Xiao and asked, “Has your employer decided to pay the price?”
“Not yet,” Han Xiao answered while fixing a burrow collector.
“Hey, don’t waste my time. Tell them that I will only wait three more days, or else I will sell to other buyers.”
Horlaide was pissed and hung up the call right after he finished his sentence. He took a sip from a hallucination drink and got high.
“If the Silver is not playing, then the man in the mask is the next highest bid buyer…”
In his eyes, Ember was his plan B. No matter what happened, he would certainly end up with tons of cash. Thinking about the huge sum of money, Horlaide smiled even wider, thrilled. He chugged the drink and hummed a delightful tune.
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