Southern Rare Earth Group's Olive Branch
At 2:30 a. m., the night was still deep in the wilderness.
On the minimap, a group of people slowly entered the Archi Basin.
"Ding Han, look over there, there's someone there!"
In the Team Channel, "Worldly Uncontested" sent a reminder.
Sure enough, on the edge of the Archi Basin, there were more than a dozen armored vehicles, as well as a group of heavily armed men scattered in the woodland.
They are a mercenary group in the wilderness.
"Alert!"
I immediately retrieved the motorcycle, grabbed the Explosive Gun, and led the group to quickly approach.
"Don't shoot, they're on our side!"
Just then, someone shouted from afar, and two mercenaries carrying Submachine Gun came running up. One of them, panting heavily, said, "Excuse me, which one of you is Ding Han? Our commander requests an audience with you."
Above their heads floated the words "Laguar Mercenary Group," but the group was a mixed bag, including Caucasians, Asians, and others whose skin color was indistinguishable and whose race was unknown.
"The Laguar Mercenary Group? Never heard of it," said Cai Cai.
"Snort!"
With Worldly Uncontested light snort, Yu Shiwu said with a smile, "There are countless mercenary groups scattered along the border of the Crimson Dragon Country. It's not surprising that there are at least eight hundred or a thousand such groups."
"Let's go take a look," I said.
"Okay, let's go!"
The group didn't refuse to negotiate with the mercenary group; after all, they were players and had nothing to fear.
If things really come to a head, it's the mercenaries who should be afraid.
Following the landslide down the basin, we soon came to the front of a three-meter-tall infantry armored vehicle, where we saw a man wearing near- Third-Generation Power Armor walking towards us.
His Power Armor was severely worn and appeared to be pieced together; the powered legs and Power Arm were even of Generation 2 Armor specifications, but the chest armor and nuclear-powered backpack were of Generation 3 Armor standards. A Heavy Explosive Gun was suspended at his waist, but he was not equipped with Power Weapon.
"I am Commander Ragal."
The hood lifted, revealing the face of a scarred outlaw with a cigar dangling from his lips. "You're Ding Han?"
"Um."
I nodded and asked, "Who are you?"
"Our Laguar Mercenary Group has an employer-employee relationship with the Southern Rare Earth Industrial Group. We accept their missions, and they pay us. It's that simple."
Ragal raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "However, these insects in the Archi Basin are not easy to deal with. Among them is even a Star Nest Queen, with a powerful energy level. The mercenary group they hired before suffered a crushing defeat here, almost being wiped out. Ding Han, are you sure your mere twenty people can handle it?"
"I'm not sure, but we can try."
"OK!"
Ragal smiled and said, "Go ahead and do it. Leave the security on the perimeter to us."
"Then I'll leave it to you, Commander."
"Polite!"
So, I glanced at Cai Cai, Ruolin, Worldly Uncontested, and the others, and said, "Let's go, let's get to work."
"Get to work!"
The group raised their eyebrows and smiled, then followed me towards the insect hive.
The mercenaries of the Laguar Mercenary Group were mostly thugs, and many of them gave them provocative smiles. Some even whistled and shouted, "Hey, those girls, it's a waste to rush off to feed the bugs. Why don't you play with us a bit before you go to your deaths?"
"These scumbags!"
In the squad, Zhixiao gritted her teeth in anger, her large eyes glaring at the mercenary.
"Clang~~~"
Ruolin didn't speak, but instead drew the Wind Chaser. Instantly, the Power Sword was enveloped in a deadly glow amidst a buzzing sound.
She pointed the tip of her sword lightly at the foul-mouthed mercenary, then shook her head with a smile.
"Shut the fuck up!"
Ragal hurriedly turned around and yelled at the group of mercenaries, "You bunch of bastards who were born of mothers but have no manners! They are friends of our Laguar Mercenary Group, so show them some respect! Are you looking for death?!"
Immediately, the group of mercenaries fell silent, no longer daring to utter a word.
Even if they weren't afraid of Ragal, they still held absolute awe for the Power Sword.
In the world of Star Abyss, those who possess Power Sword are the elite, and you can't afford to offend them.
Moreover, the strength of the Laguar Mercenary Group is only so-so, with a total of about 300 people, equipped with a dozen or so infantry armored vehicles, and only a handful of heavy weapons.
The most powerful individual combat weapon was the regimental commander's near- Generation 3 Armor, and it wasn't equipped with Power Weapon.
A mercenary group with that kind of strength would be a piece of cake for us to wipe them out.
To put it bluntly, they are a group of desperate outlaws who live on the edge, and an extremely poor group of desperate outlaws at that. The reason why Ragal is not equipped with Power Sword is simply because he is too poor to afford one.
The insect nest was damp and smelled strongly of fish.
The light was too dim, with only the faint glow emanating from the crystal vein.
So, I turned on the auxiliary light for the Explosive Gun.
Following suit, everyone ventured deeper into the insect nest. Before long, the insect's aura grew stronger, and a large number of first-tier insects appeared ahead, swarming towards them in dense numbers.
"Get to work!"
At a command, more than a dozen players began firing in unison, creating a spectacular scene. Gun muzzles spat fire, and the swarm of insects fell in droves. With the addition of Molotov Cocktail and grenades, the insect hive suddenly became lively.
Among the crowd, Fey Courtier and Kou Mei did not use firearms; their eyes shone with psychic energy as they unleashed the Star Speaker's AOE skill, Starfall Arrow Rain. Dense, deep blue psychic arrows rained down, creating large numbers of damage numbers in the swarm of insects, resulting in considerable damage.
"Holy crap..."
One of the Old Day Royal Court's Firepower Specialist was momentarily stunned, shocked by the output of the two Star Speaker.
Now in version 3.0, Psionic System are officially rising in popularity. The damage output of Fey Courtier and Kou Mei is even slightly higher than that of the two Firepower Specialist, Cai Cai Girl and Fat Girl!
After clearing out a group of low-level insects, a swarm of Blade Bug appeared ahead!
The attack of the Blade Bug was high, so no one dared to be careless.
"Hold them off!"
I immediately drew my Power Sword and Power Shield, and charged into the swarm of insects, continuously using shield bash and sword slash. Meanwhile, Zhang Ruolin, Worldly Uncontested, and other Super Weapon Master also charged forward, acting as the team's tanks and providing good output space for the backline players.
"Squeak squeak~~~"
The piercing cries of the Blade Bug rose and Crippling Blow, but even though it was Orange BOSS, it was no match for them. Especially in front of the two Power Swords, they were easily beheaded or severely injured, making it almost like giving away experience points.
As the team's commander, both Worldly Uncontested and I have a "steady" command style. So the team proceeded step by step, gradually encroaching on the swarm's territory. Although the conquest was a bit slow, it was quite safe.
Four hours passed in the blink of an eye; it should be daylight outside by now.
At this moment, the group finally arrived at the end of the insect hive, which was a circular cave. The cave walls and crystals were covered with Lord Bug embryos, and at the end lay a bloated behemoth - the Star Nest Queen.
The Star Nest Queen's buttocks were constantly spasming and contracting as she was giving birth. Supporting her during this labor were three Caliban, Cyan BOSS known for their high attack and agility.
"Call..."
I took a deep breath. No wonder the Laguar Mercenary Group didn't dare attack the insect hive. Putting aside the Star Nest Queen's Mental Power attack, just three Caliban would have been enough to give them a hard time!
"How so?" asked the Worldly Uncontested.
"Simple."
I smiled calmly, "Under the Mental Power damage from the Star Nest Queen, let's take down Caliban first! Ruolin and I will each take down one Caliban, and the rest of you will follow Yu Shi Worldly Uncontested to fight the third Caliban. Be careful, everyone. Caliban's attack is extremely high, and its aggro is unstable. Infinite aggro is the norm, so be careful not to get one-shotted."
"Learn!"
The group nodded in unison.
The next moment, I switched to my Explosive Gun and fired a burst at the little head of one of the Caliban in the middle!
"Hiss~~~"
With a low hiss, the three Caliban charged forward together.
Ruolin and Worldly Uncontested are both experienced combat players. When Caliban charged halfway, they used their Explosive Charge to intercept him and then used a set of skills to lock him down.
I, shield in hand, walked toward my own Caliban. It opened its mouth full of sharp teeth, its scythes flashing wildly, and leaped into the air with a God Descended!
"Clang~~~"
The sharp scythes struck the Glory Barrier with all their might, instantly causing the disintegration force field to hum and continuously reduce the scythes to nothingness.
As Caliban cried out in pain, I suddenly delivered a shield bash, followed by a Rising Dragon Slash that sent him flying. I leaped into the air, my sword flashing, and in the blink of an eye, I severed all of Caliban's claws, turning him into a gourd.
The Cold Star Piercing Bone!
With a single, freezing strike, and amplified by the overwhelming power of the Overpowering Momentum, more than ten consecutive strikes landed on the thick keratin layer of Caliban's neck. With a "crack," an ugly insect head flew off, spraying green fluid everywhere!
A solo kill! This Cyan Treasure Chest is incredibly valuable!
Turning to look at Ruolin, she was in a more stable situation. Caliban had already lost 36% of his health, while Ruolin still had 85% health, making her quite safe. There was no need to worry about her, and even less need to steal her Experience Points.
On Worldly Uncontested other side, with the support of Cai Cai, Fatty, Kou Mei, and others, their attack speed wasn't too slow.
In the front row, the Worldly Uncontested and two other Super Weapon Master continuously controlled the BOSS, providing space for everyone to deal damage. They could also take turns after taking damage, making their strategy quite scientific and reasonable.
However, the Star Nest Queen's rear end was contracting faster and faster, and it was releasing a Mental Power field. The closer you were to her, the more damage you would suffer per second. The players were about 50 yards away from her. Although the mental impact damage was not very high, they still had to use First Aid Kit constantly to keep their health up.
Three minutes later, all three Caliban were dealt with.
"Go! Take down the Star Nest Queen!"
There are no tricks to fighting the Star Nest Queen, since she won't move during combat. Any maneuvering at this time would be pointless, so just go for it!
This time, only Ruolin and I withstood the Star Nest Queen's attack; everyone else used ranged attacks.
Even those who are Worldly Uncontested shoot from a distance rather than draw their swords and engage in close combat.
Unfortunately, he didn't have Power Sword, and the Star Nest Queen's armor was extremely high. If he couldn't deal damage, he wouldn't get a high amount of lifesteal, making it difficult to withstand the Star Nest Queen's mental damage at close range.
Approximately four minutes.
The Star Nest Queen's rear end was almost chopped to pieces. With a scream that sounded exactly like a woman's, the Star Nest Queen's health bar disappeared, and she died after spurting out some green liquid.
A pink treasure chest has been obtained.
No question, let's open the treasure chest first!
[Congratulations! You have successfully opened your [BOSS Ability Crystal] and obtained the item: [Star Nest Queen Chain] (Quality: Cyan)!]
I actually got a cyan necklace?!
So, the Star Nest Queen Set isn't all pink. Or perhaps, in the Star Abyss setting, equipment with the same name can have different qualities.
So, would pairing a cyan necklace with a pink helmet create a matching set effect?
Putting aside my research, I looked at the necklace's attributes, which were surprisingly good.
[Chain of the Star Nest Queen] (Quality: Cyan)
Rank: Fifth Tier
Strength: +50
Agility: +48
Spirit: +46
Blessing: Critical Hit Chance +8%
Blessing: Lifesteal +5%
Specialty: Attack damage +11%
Blessing: Rock-II, increases defense by 600 points.
Biography: The Chain of the Star Nest Queen, originating from alien technology, is extremely sturdy.
Strength required: 700
Required Agility: 300
The attributes are average, nothing special.
If we're talking about the highlights, it's that the 8% critical hit chance is the maximum, plus the 600 armor from the Rock of Steel, and the 11% damage increase—these three attributes are very strong.
I immediately posted the necklace illustration in Ding Han Squad's chat channel and asked, "Does anyone need it?"
In the nine-person team, there aren't many people with full cyan equipment yet, so everyone should still have a need for cyan necklaces.
"Holy crap..."
Cai Cai said, "The requirements for this cyan necklace are so low! Only 700 points of strength! I want it, boss!"
"OK!"
I nodded. "Since Cai Cai spoke first, then we'll give the Cai Cai to Cai Cai, okay?"
Fatty, Bingzi, Gushi, and the others nodded in agreement.
The necklace's attributes are indeed suitable for Firepower Specialist, as the increased damage and critical hit rate boost enhance firepower, while the armor provided by the rock also improves survivability.
Unlike some necklaces that add attack attributes like "Great Strength".
For Firepower Specialist, offensive power is too weak, unless they need to pull out a knife for a fight after being engaged in close combat...
But if the Firepower Specialist are already at close range and haven't managed to kill their opponent, it's practically a loss.
"Smash all these Lord Bug; make sure they're completely wiped out."
I smiled slightly, "Since we've taken this job, we should do it well!"
The group from the Old Day Royal Court nodded in agreement. For them, this S-class Main Quest was far too easy to complete. The 1 Charm Point, the extra reward, and the large amount of Experience Points were all incredibly appealing!
Just as the Lord Bug were cleared out, a bell rang in my ears, signaling that the task of Clear Bug Nest was complete!
[Congratulations! You have completed the Main Quest "Archi Basin Bug Nest" (S-rank)! Rewards: 18 million character experience, 1 Charm Value, and an additional reward: "Phase Teleportation Core" (S-rank Special Item)!]
Not bad, 1 Charm Point plus a Phase Teleportation Core, not a bad deal!
Most importantly, this task is a prerequisite for the SS-class Main Quest "Crystal Refinery". Completing this task will naturally lead to the completion of the other task.
So for other players, the reward for this task might only be slightly generous, but for me, the later rewards are the real big prize!
A few minutes later, a group of people emerged from the insect hive.
Ahead, mercenaries escorted Ragal as he approached.
"Nailed it?"
Ragal glanced at his watch, seemingly unsure if we had taken down a Zerg hive so quickly.
"Done."
I pointed with my thumb to the insect nest behind me and said, "We can send someone in to inspect it now."
"Good!"
Ragal looked behind him. "Control the drone and fly it around."
"Yes, Commander!"
A blond-haired teenager piloted a drone into flight, quickly clearing the insect hive. Countless insect corpses were clearly visible in the retrieval footage, leaving Ragal dumbfounded.
"Commander, the cleanup is indeed complete."
The blond-haired man exclaimed in shock, "Those two piles of mangled corpses... are they the legendary Caliban?"
I think so.
Ragal said, "The Star Nest Queen has also been dealt with..."
As he spoke, he turned and looked at me intently, then gave me a thumbs-up and said, "I'll call President Fan right now."
The next moment, Ragal dialed Fan Changgui's number and said, "Mr. Fan, we have just confirmed that the insect hive has been completely destroyed. We are about to take over the crystal mine and set up defenses."
Fan Changgui on the phone must have been very happy, praising Ragal effusively.
"Oh, we're just acting as assistants for these big players, Mr. Fan, you're too kind. As for adding money... hey, Mr. Fan, how much are you planning to add?"
A short while later, Ragal finished his conversation and handed the phone over. "Ding Han, President Fan wants to say a few words to you."
I took the phone, and Fan Changgui's voice came from the other end.
"Today I truly understand what it means to be a formidable young talent, Ding Han. I admit I underestimated you a bit before. Good lad, you wiped out a Medium Bug Nest so easily. Impressive. Our cooperation is officially finalized. Are you free today? Tonight at the Tianyu Hotel, I'm bringing two vice presidents from Southern Rare Earth Group to treat you and Manager Lin to dinner. We'll discuss the details of our cooperation."
"Alright, Mr. Fan, see you tonight!"
OK, see you tonight!
After staying up all night, everyone took out their motorcycles and sped back to Huaining City after three hours.
After having a pot of Tibetan mutton with Fatty in the neighborhood, I went upstairs, sent Lin Qingying a message saying "See you tonight," and then went straight to sleep to catch up on my sleep!
I woke up around 4 a. m., and the alarm hadn't gone off yet.
But there were a few messages on my phone.
The first message came from Lu Xiaobei. She posted a selfie of herself in a scenic area similar to Jiuzhaigou. She looked beautiful and youthful, but I didn't reply. So she sent a question mark emoji, "Where did you go?"
The second one came from Zhao Yihang: "Brother, why didn't you come to work today?"
The third message was a harassing message from 10086 (China Mobile's customer service number).
She sat up and replied to Lu Xiaobei, "I went out on a mission last night and am catching up on sleep today. The scenery is beautiful, and the people are nice too. Enjoy it."
Then he sent Zhao Yihang a perfectly polite message: "None of your business. I'm the general manager, I can do whatever I want, it's none of your concern."
As a result, both Lu Xiaobei and Zhao Yihang replied instantly.
Lu Xiaobei: "I'm not talking to you anymore. I'm going to take a stroll around the ancient town first."
Zhao Yihang: "Bro, you're really angry today! (Sweating emoji)"
I got up, washed up, and then headed to Yuening.
After Lin Qingying, we drove to Tianyu Hotel.
"President Fan messaged me early this morning about the dinner party tonight."
She smiled slightly, "So you've reached an agreement?"
"Yes, it's basically settled."
I took a deep breath. "The reason I went out late last night was actually to work for Boss Fan. There's no other way; if you want something from someone else, you have to give something in return."
"Isn't that how business is? There are gains and losses, that's normal."
She smiled and said, "But it's a good thing that we were able to reach an agreement!"
"Right!"
I nodded and smiled, "With my Pink Equipment and SSS-rank Skill book, victory is in sight!"
Lin Qingying smiled beautifully, sharing my happiness.
Shortly after, at the Tianyu Hotel.
When Lin Qingying and I arrived at the private room, Fan Changgui and two middle-aged senior executives were already there. These two were vice presidents of Southern Rare Earth Group, and in Lin Qingying's words, they were high-ranking and powerful.
After introductions and pleasantries, Fan Changgui waved his hand, signaling the head waiter to serve the dishes.
I didn't let Lin Qingying drink; she shouldn't have been the one to shield me from drinking. Instead, I used the excuse of not being able to hold my liquor and had a little Heineken with the three bosses.
After several rounds of drinks...
Fan Changgui squinted and smiled, "Manager Lin, your boyfriend is quite something... Young people are truly formidable. I wonder where you are now, Ding Han?"
"I serve as the general manager of Feiyang Chain Internet Cafe in this city."
"Oh, I've heard of it..."
Fan Changgui laughed and said, "However, with your abilities, it's really a waste of your talent to work in a small internet cafe. Didn't Manager Lin arrange for you to join Yue Ning Group?"
He doesn't want to.
Lin Qingying laughed and said, "President Fan, you don't know how stubborn Ding Han is. I invited him almost three times, but he still refused to come to Yuening. He only wants to start his own business, saying that it will be more free that way."
"Haha, that's right! The more capable a young person is, the stronger their personality will inevitably be!"
Fan Changgui face flushed, said, "Manager Lin, then I'll take the liberty of saying a few words while I'm still a bit tipsy. Please don't be angry, haha. What I'm about to say is all drunken ramblings, cough cough..."
"Mr. Fan, what do you want?"
That's right.
Fan Changgui looked at me and said, "Ding Han, to be honest, I really admire your talent. I wonder if you would be interested in bringing your friends to work at our Southern Rare Earth Group? Our group will definitely give your team an important position. Of course, if you are not interested, we can also establish another kind of cooperative relationship."
He added, "Don't worry, you can name your own salary and benefits, and our group will do its best to meet your needs!"
The old fox's tail could no longer be hidden.
Clearly, after tasting success, Fan Changgui has decided to shift the group's development focus to the resources of the wilderness. The Laguar Mercenary Group is no longer enough to satisfy his appetite. He plans to establish a player team as his military support, so that the Southern Rare Earth Group can more easily plunder the resources of the wilderness.
The wilderness is now a no-man's-land, with neither the Crimson Dragon Country nor the Star Maple Federation able to touch it. As a newly emerging force, players are able to roam the wilderness freely, naturally attracting the attention of these business tycoons.
After all, in their eyes, players are also human beings with desires. As long as they are given enough money, status, and women/men, hiring players to work for them is not a problem at all.
Unfortunately, they chose the wrong people; I happen to despise this kind of money-driven employment relationship.
As soon as Fan Changgui finished speaking, Lin Qingying looked at me nervously.
She was afraid I wouldn't be able to handle the situation.
"Thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Fan."
I immediately declined, saying, "As Xiaoying just mentioned, I don't have any grand ambitions, and I'm naturally lazy. I've always pursued a life of absolute freedom, so I might not be able to join Southern Rare Earth Group. It would be a waste of President Fan's good intentions. However, if President Fan needs me in the future, it's not impossible for us to continue our cooperation."
By shattering one of his hopes and then giving him another, Fan Changgui's psychological letdown wouldn't be too intense.
"Haha, sure, sure!"
Fan Changgui and the two vice presidents smiled slightly, "Of course, no problem, that's for the best, that's for the best!"
The dinner party is over.
Downstairs, Lin Qingying helped me, who was swaying slightly.
"Ding Han, let's add each other on WeChat so we can keep in touch," Fan Changgui suddenly said.
"Okay, that's what I think too."
I took out my phone and added them on WeChat.
Hahaha~~~
Fan Changgui couldn't help but laugh and said, "Manager Lin, what's wrong with your boyfriend's drinking capacity? Or is it that Manager Lin haven't taken him out enough times? Young man, you need to practice more. How can he handle this much alcohol?"
Lin Qingying smiled helplessly, "His alcohol tolerance has always been like this, and he drinks when he wants to and doesn't drink when he doesn't want to. I won't force him."
Fan Changgui gave a thumbs up. "Ding Han, you're so lucky to have a girlfriend like Manager Lin! Your life is truly worthwhile!"
Then, Fan Changgui continued, "By the way, Ding Han, I'll use WeChat to recommend our technical director, Xie Baoguo. Manager Xie Baoguo, to you. You can directly handle the matter of that medium-sized Crystal Refinery with him. I've already spoken to him and given him maximum authority."
"Okay!"
I nodded, and then got into the car with Lin Qingying's help.
The vehicle slowly drove onto the road, heading home.
"Are you alright? Would you like some water?" Lin Qingying asked.
"I'm doing great now!"
I sat up straight and said, "I don't care about two bottles of Heineken. I was just pretending earlier because I didn't want to play games with Fan Changgui and the others. I'm so tired of that kind of small talk."
Lin Qingying couldn't help but smile.
But I'm telling the truth, I didn't care about two bottles of Heineken, but three bottles...
"Drop!"
On WeChat, Xie Baoguo, the technical director, sent a message: "President Ding, this is Xie Baoguo from Southern Rare Earth Industry. Mr. Fan has already arranged for me to liaise with you. When would you be available so we can meet and discuss the details?"
"Okay, Manager Xie, please wait a moment. I'll coordinate with my supervisor, and then we'll discuss a time together."
"Okay, I'll wait for your reply!"
So I sent a message to the Guide: "Brother Huan, I've got the deal sorted out. Southern Rare Earth Group will build a medium-sized Crystal Refinery for us. Their technical director, Manager Xie. Xie Baoguo, wants to meet with us. Could you arrange it so we can schedule a time to meet with him?"
"Damn, you managed to break into Southern Rare Earth Group?!"
The Guide sent a super excited emoji. "Okay, how about tomorrow at noon? I'll book a table at the Tianyu Hotel, let's meet up there, hahaha, great!"
"Ahem, how's it going with Alliance Leader Long?"
As an extremely kind person, I don't want others to do a lot of useless work because of my own success.
As a result, the Guide sent a voice message, in Gun Like a Dragon said, "Don't worry, you're the only one who succeeded. I haven't made a single peep on my end, hahaha~~~"
I also sent a string of "hahahahaha" and said, "Then there's nothing more to say, let's have lunch together tomorrow."
Then, a message was sent to Xie Baoguo to confirm the location and time of the meal, and the three parties quickly reached an agreement.
The next morning.
After breakfast, Lin Qingying took me to the internet cafe before going to work.
"Manager Lin driving you to work again?"
Zhao Yihang craned his neck and said, "That's great..."
"You fucking..."
I couldn't help but yell, "Zhao Yihang, you have a girlfriend now, why are you still thinking about my girlfriend all the time? Are you out of your mind?"
"Cough cough..."
Zhao Yihang said, "It's different. Manager Lin my ideal type, but unfortunately, ideals are often far from reality. Besides, this is pure infatuation. If even that's not allowed, bro, how can you be so domineering?"
"I've noticed you're becoming more and more of a green tea bitch."
I couldn't be bothered with him, so I went upstairs to write some code.
Around noon, I went downstairs, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for the Tianyu Hotel.
Upon arriving at the private room, the Guide and the Gun Like a Dragon were already there.
A few minutes later, a balding man in a suit walked in. He looked to be around 40 years old; it was Xie Baoguo.
After exchanging pleasantries, we sat down to chat.
Manager Xie was extremely respectful to us, and his attitude was very humble. He didn't seem like a senior executive of a large corporation at all.
It was most likely at Fan Changgui's behest. After all, Fan Changgui knew who these people he was dealing with were: a group of players plus a GM. Their power was too great for Fan Changgui to afford to offend.
Moreover, Fan Changgui is a cunning old fox. He never intended to provoke us; on the contrary, he wanted to use the players' power.
The reason for such politeness is to facilitate future cooperation.
After all, this is the current version where the Insectoid Uprising, and the Zerg swarms are quite active and rampant underground. Although we have taken over that large crystal mine, it is hard to guarantee that the Zerg will not come back. Therefore, Fan Changgui's alliance with player factions is actually for his own long-term considerations.
The banquet began shortly afterward.
Gun Like a Dragon brought a case of Moutai, and the three of them drank quite a bit, while I accompanied them with tea instead of alcohol.
In the blink of an eye, the group was completely drunk.
Xie Baoguo and the Guide had their arms around each other's shoulders and were already calling each other brothers.
"Brother Zhou, leave this to me. It's just a medium-sized refinery, nothing to worry about. Just wait and see. I'll make the arrangements when I get back today, and we'll start airlifting equipment and technicians over first thing tomorrow morning. At most, our refinery will be operational in a week. Do you think that's a good timeframe?"
"Great, that's fantastic! Thanks a lot, brother!"
"We're brothers, isn't it enough to say thank you?"
"Yes, yes, yes, let me toast you again, brother!"
Suddenly everyone else seemed to have become seasoned professionals, while I just stood there frantically eating, unable to even complain.
After finishing my meal, I went downstairs.
Several employees from the legal department of Southern Rare Earth Group arrived, bringing with them the contract signed by both parties.
Although the industries in King of Glory City had neither property certificates nor licenses, making them completely unregulated, Southern Rare Earth Group still followed the rules and signed a contract that was largely for reassurance.
Then came other tedious tasks, all of which required the cooperation of the Guide and the Gun Like a Dragon.
As for me, I went back to the internet cafe and continued writing code.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon.
Once everything was settled with the Guide, a bell rang, and the mission was finally complete.
[Congratulations! You have completed the Main Quest "Crystal Refinery" (SS-rank)! Rewards: Character Experience +45 million, Charm Value +2, and additional rewards: "Utopia Ring" (Quality: Pink) and "Seventy-Two Extreme Slashes" (SS-rank Skill Tome)!]
It's here!
He hurriedly opened his storage space and saw a sparkling pink ring lying in a corner. He took it out, wiped it, and its attributes floated out.
[Utopia Ring] (Quality: Pink)
Rank: Fifth Tier
Strength: +60
Agility: +58
Spirit: +55
Blessing: Critical Hit Chance +10%
Blessing: Lifesteal +10%
Specialty: Attack damage +17%
Blessing: Divine Power-III, increases attack power by 900 points.
Burst Skill: [Fantasy Shield], summons Fantasy Shield to grant the user invincibility for 8 seconds, consumes 50 Essence Points, and has a 2-hour cooldown.
Biography: The Utopia Ring, a relic of an ancient sage, contains extremely powerful Mental Power.
It's truly an exceptional ring!
With critical hit, life steal, and damage increase attributes fully maxed out, plus a Divine Power-III for 900 attack power, this ring's attack stats are already maxed out, leaving no room for further improvement.
In addition, there is an 8-second invincibility effect, which is also quite formidable.
There are so many things you can do in 8 seconds.
For some Boiling Thing substances, those 8 seconds are enough for even certain things...
A player only needs to equip one item with an Invincible Burst Skill. According to the settings of <Star Abyss>, the cooldown of the Invincible Burst Skill is bound to the character, so even if you change the ring, the previous invincibility cooldown will continue.
Therefore, my current blue Ring of the Go-Getter is now obsolete.
But Absolute Space is a group Invincible Burst Skill, a super rare item, and I'm really a little reluctant to give it up.
There's no other way then. I can only give the Ring of the Go-Getter to my teammate so that I can get 7 seconds of invincibility for free. Adding that to my own, I'll have a total of 15 seconds of invincibility!
Without a doubt, Ruolin is the first choice.
After using invincibility, she can withstand the attack for a long time thanks to the tankiness of her shield-type super weapon.
At this moment, I turned my attention to the first SSS-rank Skill book.
[Seventy-Two Extreme Slashes] (S -SS-rank Skill Tome): Master the pinnacle of swordsmanship, instantly lock onto the target and unleash a barrage of attacks at extreme speed, inflicting 12-72 immobilization and fatal slashes within 3 seconds. When combined with the prerequisite skill "Extreme Speed Domain," it can significantly increase damage output. Consumes 15 Essence Points, has a 2-hour cooldown, requires level 60, and must be Super Weapon Master.
It's actually a Tier 6 skill!
As for the specific effects, it's impossible to determine because the level is currently too low to learn them. However, based on the description, it's roughly equivalent to freezing the target for 3 seconds, during which time you can break through the "attack speed limit" and deal an extremely high number of slashes to the target.
As for the specifics, we'll have to learn them to find out.
But at least it shows that this is a skill with 3 seconds of hard crowd control and extremely high output; basically, whoever is affected by it will die.
I glanced at the level.
Level 59, 90% Experience Points.
It's a bit frustrating; there's still a long way to go to reach level 60. The higher the level, the harder it is to level up. That 10% Experience Points is a huge amount, at least around 20 million experience points.
"Drop!"
In the team, "Telling a Story" sent a message: "Want to have dinner together tonight? My treat?"
"What good story is there?"
Cai Cai laughed and said, "Didn't we just have KFC together at the Insect Nest this morning? Why are you having it again?"
"Cough cough..."
Telling a Story: "I just finished an S-rank daily quest and got a five-star Instance Crystal. I was planning to give it to my boss. I noticed he's been stuck at level 59 for several days now, and he should be just a little short of level 60, right? This Instance Crystal will come in handy."
I was almost moved to tears. "Don't say anything more, dinner tonight is on me!"