040. Blending and Bargaining
The young man stopped in his tracks and calmly said:
"A primitive planet with a desert surface. It was struck by a meteor decades ago, causing a crack in the crust, which led to excessive radiation levels. If managed well, it could sustain a Radnuot farm for at least two thousand years."
"Send me the coordinates."
"I don't have an interstellar communicator."
Orlaville tossed him a wristband, and the young man skillfully put it on and sent him a message.
"—Take a seat."
After receiving the information, Orlaville's expression didn't change, but his tone became noticeably more courteous:
"What's your name?"
"Leoz."
Li Aozi pulled down his hood, revealing his flawless, handsome face.
[[Charisma] check passed—Critical Success!]
[Orlaville's favorability toward you has increased.]
He sat back down at the bar with a grin:
"The first time we meet, we're strangers, but next time, you won't be able to forget me."
"Are you sure... this information is accurate?" Orlaville eyed Li Aozi suspiciously.
"Whether it's true or not, you can check for yourself. I'm not asking for any money. No one else knows about this, either." Li Aozi spread his hands. "If it doesn't work out, you can drag me to Red King's shrine and have his priests make a contract."
"Enough. I believe this intel is legitimate. Let's not mention Red King anymore—after all, he's the only true god in the Abyss right now."
Orlaville shook his head.
The silicon-based lifeforms had long been in contact with deities and were highly superstitious, cautious about invoking divine matters.
However, Orlaville raised a point:
"This is valuable information. You're just a magic apprentice who hasn't even graduated from college—how did you come by such detailed intel?"
Orlaville opened a private channel and spoke seriously:
"If you sold this info to a larger silicon-based civilization, they could offer you a 'Destruction'-class transformable ship, a Zeta-level AI, and a friendship medal."
Li Aozi shook his head:
"I'm seeking political asylum; a ship is useless to me. Instead, I need your help with two things."
"Don't push your luck, magic boy," Orlaville remained serious. "I can tell you're from the Tanas Human Tribe, and you probably want asylum in a narrative-level civilization—just to be clear, migration is extremely difficult. I can't arrange that."
"It doesn't have to be that complicated. Hear me out first, then decide if you want to help. If not, we can discuss other options."
Without revealing any emotion, Li Aozi discreetly pulled something from his sleeve and casually placed a row of items on the table.
Orlaville glanced down: Li Aozi had laid out a few common potions. While not rare, they were more enticing to a brewer like Orlaville than chemical reagents.
Though not luxurious, Orlaville accepted them.
With Li Aozi's smooth negotiation, Orlaville found it easy to accommodate. He nodded, showing some appreciation in his gaze.
'This kid knows how to handle things. He's definitely been mentored by a veteran.'
After pocketing the potion vials, Orlaville generously said:
"Alright. Name your terms. As long as they're reasonable, I can meet them."
Seeing his strategy work, Li Aozi was not surprised.
Orlaville was a familiar face to players, the top information broker in Valkyrie Fortress. The tasks players took from him daily outnumbered what they could get by pestering other NPCs for an entire year.
What's more, while Orlaville appeared to be a bar owner, as a silicon-being, he had lived for two thousand years and had vast influence. He'd traveled through three narrative-level civilizations, with connections across the Abyss, including friends, classmates, and business partners.
Even late in Li Aozi's previous life, no one knew the full extent of Orlaville's terrifying network.
"First, I want to know where Mr. Alde Midkash Liuer is after the dissolution of the 'Life Commune.'"
Li Aozi asked.
"Oh?"
Orlaville raised an eyebrow:
"Why would you want to know about that? It's not something a little Beta-tier guy should concern himself with—you'd need to be Zeta-tier, or at least Delta. But if you're interested, it's practically a death wish."
"I have important personal reasons, and some academic questions only Mr. Liuer can answer."
Li Aozi replied:
"The Life Commune once researched the connection between Omega Energy, genes, and souls, attempting to crack the limits of life entropy. They made some progress but abruptly disbanded. Since then, no one in Abyss has come close to their understanding of life entropy—only Mr. Liuer can resolve my questions."
"I can arrange a meeting for you. You can leave tomorrow."
Orlaville nodded. As a jack-of-all-trades, he had considerable sway:
"What's the second thing?"
"Second," Li Aozi continued, "I want you to introduce me to an Annihilation Priest. You arrange it, and once it's done, I'll give you 2.3% of the profits."
"So, it's smuggling." Orlaville didn't mind.
Valkyrie Fortress was full of all sorts—if you paid taxes, even public duels wouldn't be an issue.
"However, a word of caution."
Out of good feelings for Li Aozi, Orlaville advised:
"First, Lur's personality is... difficult, to put it mildly. Her lab often sees visitors 'mysteriously disappear' after making rude comments. If you're not Delta-tier, I'd recommend hiring a bodyguard at least."
"Second, I'm familiar with the Annihilation Priests and can introduce you now. But they're incredibly arrogant. You'll need to offer something substantial—not something like Radnuot, which a few billion Alm Gold can measure. The temple isn't short on money."
He studied Li Aozi's sharp features:
"The moral and educational standards of narrative-level civilizations are high, but they don't apply to rogue regimes like your [Crystal Tower]—also, you haven't even graduated from college, and you're still a mere mortal. They'll certainly look down on you."
"Understood."
Li Aozi nodded:
"Introduce me now, and take me to the Void Exchanger. I'm ready to deliver the goods."
Orlaville couldn't help but say, "Didn't you hear me, kid? To them, you're just a pretty-faced monkey with a wild streak. Without a narrative or galactic-level civilization backing you, they won't respect you."
"Maybe, but this time, they'll need me."
Li Aozi calmly said:
"Soon enough, they'll be the ones coming to me."