Star Gate

If Silver Moon ever rebelled, Li Hao would work for Silver Moon instead. It was so comfortable working for the authorities. Even if he skipped every day of work, he knew that he would still get paid.

“So the little brother is here for pleasure?” The fatty didn’t mind being turned down. “Don’t run around then. It’s fine enough inside the city, but things are a mess outside. Supernaturals have suddenly risen and are causing a ton of trouble. They’re killing people everywhere! Since you’ve come from the north, you’ve probably encountered your fair share of trouble during your travels. You’re lucky to still be alive! I hear that there’s a massive battle going on in the North Sea. City annihilation missiles were fired a few days ago and everything was turned upside down! Ai, it’s always the ordinary people that suffer.”

Li Hao nodded. The central region was something else alright. Even residents of a small city knew of the happenings in the North Sea. To be honest, he hadn’t known anything about the world when he was in Silver City. He had no idea what was happening in the central region.

“I’m familiar with fun and pleasure. Where are you going, little brother? I can give you a ride.” He pointed at a car not too far away. “That’s my car and I like anyone from the north. My wife is also from the north! Let’s continue our chitchat in the car, little brother. I’ll take you wherever you’re going!”

“That’s really alright!” Li Hao smiled. It was his first time meeting someone so friendly.

“Don’t be so polite, you’re on my way and I have nothing else to do. I’m here to recruit more people for the factory anyway. I don’t think I’ll be finding anyone at this part of the day, so I should be getting back. Where are you going, little brother?”

“It’s really alright…” Li Hao declined again.

“Aren’t you being too standoffish?” The fatty pretended to be unhappy. “We rely on our friends when we’re out and about. I’m trying to be friends with you, or do you think too little of your big brother?”

Li Hao was speechless. I really don’t know you that well! But seeing at how friendly the other was…

“I’m headed south to the Four Peaks. I want to see the central belt…”

“To the south?” The fatty was surprised. “That’s so far away… Are you a supernatural, little brother?”

“No.” Li Hao smiled. “Just a backpacker. My teacher says that I should walk ten thousand kilometers as opposed to reading ten thousand books…”

“A student?” The fatty was even more surprised. “You’re a student? In college?”

“You could say that.” Li Hao nodded after some thought. “I’m a student of a small academy.”

The Veteris Institute of Silver City. If he hadn’t withdrawn, he would be just about ready to graduate.

“My apologies for the disrespect!” the fatty laughed. “So you’re a scholar. Your big brother isn’t very cultured. I know of the north, but… to put it bluntly… It is a cold and poor area. It’s difficult to study to your level! Reaching that level in our region is rare enough already.

“Then you must be careful! I’ve heard of people speak of scholars traveling the world. The world is not safe these days. How about this, I’ll take you to the south of the city. If you wish to leave, you can just walk out of the southern gates. If you don’t want to go just yet, you can enjoy your time in the southern quadrant…”

“My thanks, then!” Li Hao laughed. The fatty really was very friendly. He followed the fatty to the car and saw another person sitting in the backseat when the door was opened. The fatty introduced the other man in his thirties.

“This is the factory’s accountant and has come out to recruit people with me. What a pity that you want to leave, little brother. If you stayed… and being a college student… You can be our treasurer and earn eight thousand a month! It’s hard to recruit scholars these days.”

The man in the car inclined his head at Li Hao and shifted half a butt over. Li Hao didn’t mind the situation at first, but frowned slightly moments later. His expression promptly smoothed out and he climbed into the car without saying anything. Panther was close on his heels.

The accountant frowned to see the dog, prompting an explanation from a smiling Li Hao.

“This is a stray dog that I picked up from the street. It’s too lonely traveling alone, so I kept the dog with me. Please don’t mind it. I can get off if it’s inconvenient…”

“It’s alright!” chuckled the fatty up front. “It’s wonderful that the little brother is kindhearted. The little dog is rather cute. Accountant Zhang, shift over to make some space…”

The man in the backseat didn’t say anything, just moved a bit more to the side. The little car wasn’t big to begin with and there was less space in the backseat; Panther took up further room. Li Hao didn’t count as tall in the north, but he was very tall here, so the entire backseat was rather crowded.

The merry fatty started the engine. He was a chatty sort, whereas Accountant Zhang didn’t say much.

“Where in the north are you from, little brother?”

“Silver Moon.”

“Ah, Silver Moon. That’s so far away. I know that there were martial masters there back in the day and hear that it’s a pretty savage place. Of course, it’s all wild rumor. Are you familiar with martial masters, little brother?”

“Not really,” Li Hao laughed. “We scholars don’t have much to do with those kinds of people. We just spend our time with our books, wait to graduate, and find a post with the government. Those things are too far away for us.”

“That’s true.” The fatty nodded and continued with an unending spiel of chatter. “These days, those who can afford to study at school come from good families. Judging from the little brother’s condition, you should be a rich scion in Silver Moon?”

“That’s not really the case… My grades are fine enough, so the government gave me a scholarship. My family has some savings, so we manage to make do,” Li Hao answered offhandedly as the smile on his face began to grow odd. He seemed to be grasping something—martial masters, supernaturals, family background, friends, the same hometown…

The fatty could chat about everything under the sun. Anyone else he chatted with would reveal everything about themselves and be impressed by the fatty’s conversation skills. He could talk about anything as he knew a little of everything.

But… why was the car driving further and further away? Li Hao watched the splendid sights fade out the window and the raucous dim gradually quiet. The prosperous central region was really quite something! The fatty was also a nice person and quite friendly. Li Hao had formed a good first impression of the central region, but it was slowly being tinged with some regret.

“How come we aren’t taking the city roads, big brother?”

“They’re too congested and will take us an hour to get to the southern city. We’ll take the outer roads. They may be further away, but they’re also faster…”

Eventually, there was even a lack of buildings on the sides of the road. They were in the suburbs, weren’t they?

Li Hao breathed out softly and looked at the quiet accountant. “Big brother Zhang.” He smiled at the man. “You’re the accountant. If you have eighty-one workers and pay them thirty-two hundred coins a month, what’s your total payroll expense every month?”

“Eh?” The accountant blinked and took a moment to gather his thoughts. He paused in a daze before replying, “Does your family own a factory?”

“No, but my friend’s family does. He always complains about high payroll expenses, so I’m curious how much other factories have to pay each month.”

Accountant Zhang’s eyes darted around as he mumbled inaudibly, “Well, this, ah… It’s not much money. It’s just eighty-some people and a small factory. The bunch of us…”

The car trembled as the fatty stomped on the breaks with a cough. “Accountant Zhang, I have a bottle of water in the trunk, can you get it for me…”

“Oh, okay!” The accountant turned around and started rifling through the back, as if looking for water. Li Hao sighed and didn’t move.

A pair of hands appeared around his neck the next second and tightened with all of the accountant’s strength. He forced out through grit teeth, “Fatty, do we kill him or bring him back? And why did we make our move halfway there?”

“Idiot, his questions were a sign that he suspected you,” the fatty snapped back without looking back. “And you stammered for an actual response! Choke him unconscious and take him back! The mines need people! Damn it, educated people are absolutely nothing good and you’re an idiot to not even manage this…”

“Can you?” Accountant Zhang asked as he squeezed with incredible strength. It looked like their victim knew a thing or two, he might’ve practiced some martial arts, but not made it to Slayer of Tens. He cursed as he choked Li Hao, “So you want me to calculate numbers? You little fucking brat! You’ve got a lot of ideas in that head of yours, huh!”

He began to gradually feel that something was amiss. Why wasn’t the kid fighting back? They were old hands at this operation and even killed people part way sometimes, but their victims usually struggled. Why wasn’t this one moving?

He bent over to look down at Li Hao and was nearly scared out of his wits! The coolly composed young man stared right back at him and smiled to see the man bend over.

“This is so annoying!” he sighed.

The fatty’s expression shifted drastically and he brought the car to a screeching halt! Li Hao grabbed the bent over head and leaned forward, grabbing the fatty who was ready to run. He kicked the front seat to smithereens.

“Forgive us, noble sir! We’re just trying to get by the days…” the fatty begged for mercy.

“Here I was thinking that the central region is quite nice and very prosperous!” Li Hao sighed. “Even its people are so friendly. So this is the true business you’re in, huh!”

“We were wrong, noble sir! This is our first time doing so…” claimed the fatty.

“Don’t even go there, you guys have a lot of experience!” Li Hao laughed. He squeezed when the fatty wanted to protest further and shattered one of the fatty’s arms. Li Hao laughed heartily when the fatty screamed with anguish. “I’ll pop your head next if you keep screaming!”

The agonized screams immediately cut off. Although drenched in sweat and baring his teeth with pain, the fatty didn’t dare scream anymore. They were in trouble! He knew that they’d run into a tough target.

Is he a supernatural?? No. Is he a martial master?? No… The kid lied to us! Superhumans don’t have this much time on their hands! He’d been careful enough already!

Accountant Zhang’s head was almost popping. Li Hao casually flung the man by his feet and piled the two together. They were drenched with sweat from pain.

“Out with it. Do you take people and kill them at the mines?” Li Hao raised an eyebrow.

etvolare’s Thoughts

Okay, I’m a little perturbed that it actually took Li Hao a while to figure out what was going on... The heist was so obvious.