Chapter 1107: Take a Look Behind You
Chapter 1107: Take a Look Behind You
Lin Sanjiu had no idea how to deal with that snow-white star. She already had little understanding of corresponding conditions, and her adversary was far more experienced. However, that didn't mean she was entirely helpless in her current situation.
It could be said that she had no way, but she did have a way. However, the available way couldn't be considered a reliable solution.
If someone were to list the reasons why Puppeteer loathed Lin Sanjiu, the list would likely be as long as a train. Among the top three reasons, one would undoubtedly be: 'Stubborn as an adhesive bandage that can't be shaken off.'
After catching up with the star at rocket-like speed for the first time, Lin Sanjiu thought it through and realized she had no other methods. So, she used her tried-and-true technique, creating a cage with her Higher Consciousness to trap Pig Eyes inside. Pig Eyes was startled at first and, upon seeing the snow-white star nearby, urgently called out, "Hurry, save me!"
The snow-white star happily flew up and shouted, "Thank you for your patronage!" before once again disintegrating Lin Sanjiu's Higher Consciousness into tiny fragments. Pig Eyes couldn't afford to waste a moment and disappeared in the blink of an eye, fearing that he was only caught due to his late start. This time, he vanished almost instantly.
Watching Pig Eyes and the snow-white star go far away again, Bohemia finally panted her way to catch up. Lin Sanjiu checked to ensure that Bohemia wouldn't get lost, then once again swooped down from the dark night sky. Just like last time, she didn't exert much effort and soon saw Pig Eyes back beneath her feet.
She first captured Pig Eyes who then got released by the snow-white star, and Pig Eyes scrambled away. After that, she collected her Higher Consciousness and continued chasing Pig Eyes. This cycle repeated four times in total, and when she captured Pig Eyes for the fifth time, the snow-white star finally stopped in place.
"Big sis, you really have perseverance," he said with a hint of admiration, coming to a halt and watching Pig Eyes struggle within the Higher Consciousness cage. "How many times is this now? You've won, and I give up."
"You give up?" Pig Eyes immediately screamed, "On what grounds do you give up? You have business coming to you, and you give up? She can only do this a few times. Can she keep repeating it forever?"
The snow-white star didn't respond to him but turned to look at Lin Sanjiu. "Big sis, how many times is it now?"
Lin Sanjiu understood his meaning and thought for a moment before answering, "The seventh time."
"So many times?" The snow-white star was surprised, and a smile played on his voice. "I thought it was only five times."
He seemed to know that he was right, but he had no intention of correcting Lin Sanjiu. The snow-white star floated forward a couple of steps and turned to look at Pig Eyes, who was trapped within the Higher Consciousness. "Mr. Mo, seven times."
"Huh?" Pig Eyes seemed a little slow to catch on.
"Seven times," the snow-white star emphasized, "for small businesses, no credit is given."
Pig Eyes stared for several seconds. These quiet seconds were unimaginably long, and even Bohemia managed to catch up and witness the scene.
"You—" When Pig Eyes spoke again, his voice was so high-pitched that he could have been a singer, "You charge me by the—by the number of times? We've known each other for so long, and you—you charge me by the number of times?"
"In business, dear brother, we must settle accounts clearly. In the past, helping you escape once was enough, so you misunderstood," the snow-white star replied, maintaining a friendly tone. Clearly, he was a businessman who oozed friendliness. "However, because you're a long-standing customer, I'll give you a discount and consider it payment for six escapes."
"After receiving payment," he continued, his voice soft and smiling, "if this young lady doesn't mind, I'll continue helping you escape. By the way, big sis, may I ask your name? I plan to list you as a VIP guest." His latter sentence was naturally directed at Lin Sanjiu.
"Lin Sanjiu." She had no intention of hiding her name—in fact, the more widely known it was, the better.
The snow-white star's radiance suddenly brightened, and when he spoke, his voice was filled with genuine joy. "Nice to meet you! I love making new friends."
He seemed like he was born to make a living off others. As long as he was willing, it seemed like even statues would fall for him. Even a blind person could see that Pig Eyes would probably be down in the dumps after today, and it appeared that the snow-white star had no intention of keeping this client.
Pig Eyes clenched his teeth and cursed, "You backstabbing dog!"
"Fair pricing, no deception," the snow-white star replied.
Bohemia suddenly became curious and asked, "What fees are you talking about, and how much are they?"
"I don't charge for Higher Consciousness. I usually charge for Potential Growth Value," he said with a good attitude toward potential clients. "Depending on the situation, I may also charge for information or other valuable items. For escapes like the one just now, I charge ten points of Potential Growth Value. Every client knows the prices, and I have a good reputation."
Six times would be sixty points, plus the fifty percent surcharge, making it a total of ninety points. With the current state of Pig Eyes, it was hard to say whether he would even remain a posthuman after paying the bill.
"She took all my Potential Growth Value!" Pig's Eyes shouted angrily. "You should demand it from her!"
"But she didn't request my service."
"What if they can't provide it?" Lin Sanjiu asked.
"Then we'll have to use force, and I'll take as much as I can get," the snow-white star sighed. He didn't go into detail, but it seemed like he had prepared for this situation in advance.
It appeared that Pig Eyes was regretting not answering Lin Sanjiu's questions honestly. In this unexpected turn of events, Lin Sanjiu thought for a moment and said, "I might also want to help your business."
"Oh?" The snow-white star perked up. "You don't need to escape?"
"You just mentioned that you also accept information as payment. What I want to know is information," she gestured toward Pig Eyes, "He just told me some information, but I don't trust his words, and he doesn't know much. So, if you can provide me with the information I'm interested in, I'll give you this entire person," she said, referring to Pig Eyes.
A whole person referred, of course, to Pig Eyes. Lin Sanjiu added, "Anyway, I have no use for him, and I don't understand that whole process of disassembling the consciousness for utilization."
Bohemia had told her during their conversation that despite the beautiful appearance of the Astral Plane, it was incredibly dangerous and sinister. Having one's Potential Growth Value or Higher Consciousness stolen was not even the worst of it. Some consciousness ended up in a helpless situation and were ruthlessly disassembled into various materials for different purposes. In such cases, the consciousness had no chance of recovery. Without consciousness, a person's body would remain dormant in the post-apocalyptic world until it naturally died, essentially turning into a vegetative state.
Of course, Bohemia didn't forget to boast, "I don't think this way of death is good; it's bad karma. So I never do that. When I want to kill, I do it cleanly!"
It seemed that the snow-white star didn't have these concerns.
After contemplating for a moment, he mumbled, "It seems there is indeed a customer who needs this." Then he asked, "What information do you want to know?"
The mouse-gray star lit up with excitement, and even its originally dim glow suddenly became brighter and flickered unpredictably. However, the snow-white star just waved a hand, and within a sparkling mist of soft light, Lin Sanjiu and the two of them could no longer hear the voice of Pig Eyes.
To be honest, considering what Pig Eyes had planned to do to her, she thought this outcome, though cruel and ironic, was actually quite fair for him.
"I want to ask about the specifics of the Concrete World Branch," Lin Sanjiu listed the information Pig Eyes had provided and inquired, "Did he lie?"
"No," the snow-white star replied. "This part of the information is known to many people, and lies are easily exposed. What else do you want to know?"
"Who the person occupying the Concrete World Branch is, where the Concrete World Branch is currently located, the status of the people inside the Concrete World Branch, and how I can find them. By the way, since you're taking Potential Growth Value, you surely know how to transfer Potential Growth Value, right? You can tell me that too."
The method for transferring Potential Growth Value was not a problem, and the snow-white star quickly taught her how to do it. Then he said, slowly, "The person occupying the Concrete World Branch seemed to have been pursuing someone before moving the Branch away. I think what you want to know isn't about the Branch but about this person, right? Oh, but this is the client's private matter. You don't have to tell me since it has nothing to do with me. All your questions are quite challenging to answer, and I have very little information to provide."
If he didn't know, then...
Lin Sanjiu was suddenly consumed by deep exhaustion and disappointment. Was she destined to be separated from Magus? The question was, could Magus handle this situation?
"But don't be too disappointed," the snow-white star seemed sensitive to her emotions beneath the silence. "Although I can't provide information to answer your questions directly, I can offer another important piece of information. I know someone who can help you."
"Who?" Lin Sanjiu immediately perked up.
"They're already here," the snow-white star's tone was very innocent and gentle, "right behind you."
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