276 Junkyard

Li Aoz led Caramel Snail on a hike through the forest. They walked through muddy areas, but their boots didn't get dirty from the pine needles and fallen leaves.

Li Aoz picked some berries and ate them as he walked, looking like he was on a picnic. Since arriving on this planet, he had become taciturn and rarely talked with the Caramel Snail all night anymore.

Once the topic comes up, Li Aoz will repeatedly say, "Trust me," "Only I won't betray you," and "Don't think about anything."

At first, Caramel Snail thought that Li Aoz might have some unspeakable reason, after all, judging from his familiarity with Violet Star, it was definitely not his first time here.

"Li Aoz, Li Ren?"

"The Caramel Snail asked."

Without turning his head, Li Aoz was walking ahead, bit into a wild fruit that looked like a tomato and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking this question?"

"Back on Azure Planet, you told us you came from the ' Heroes Empire ' and were a special investigator codenamed 'Echo.'"

Caramel Snail pulled out the old chat history and read it aloud. Then she looked up at Li Aoz's back and said, "Although you said long ago that you were originally an alien, after returning to the universe, you did not immediately go back to your 'home'. Instead, you stayed on White Candle Star to help us build a base and even rose to become president."

"So what?"

Li Aoz casually uttered an "Oh."

"It's nothing, I'm just curious, Li Aoz, what's your background, who are you..." Caramel Snail scratched his chin. "You always seem too perfect, but also too lonely."

"I am most likely not a person."

Li Aoz wiped his hands with a handkerchief and casually said, "As for where I was born, I don't have a fixed nationality or home. As long as I achieve my goal, I don't care about any restrictions."

"I can be anyone, or I can just be a passing wanderer."

"Alliance, ethnicity, faith, nation—these things are to me what clothes are to you, something you can take and change at will."

"You need to have a place to belong, right..."

"If I had to say..."

After thinking about it seriously, Li Aoz said earnestly, "I have a feeling that I can only show my own style in this universe. Once I leave here, I am nothing."

"If we look at it from this perspective, then my home is this Star Abyss."

It's that kind of conversation again, where they say a lot but reveal nothing, not even a drop of water.

The Caramel Snail was speechless.

Whether it was because the game's AI was too good or because his cajoling was too obvious, Li Aoz just wouldn't listen to him. Occasionally, he would give him small gifts, but Li Aoz wouldn't say anything useful.

This, in turn, made the Caramel Snail even more curious about the mission.

'Maybe this is an exclusive mission only I can enjoy... Will the rewards be generous? Looks like I should record a video to document my gaming journey; maybe I can even make some money that way.'

He was a carefree and optimistic person by nature, and thinking about it this way, Caramel Snail felt much better. Going on missions with Li Aoz wasn't unpleasant, so he simply started to enjoy the process of the game.

"Speaking of which, where are we going?"

"The Caramel Snail asked."

"Go straight from here, along the river, and you'll soon come across a bridge. Go through it and you'll see the highway. Then we'll go into the city to find someone."

Li Aoz said.

"Didn't you say you were looking for money? I thought you were looking for treasure or something."

"Strictly speaking, it is indeed a treasure trove."

Li Aoz raised his hand and looked towards the distance of the river:

"I want to find someone who plays rock music."

Cha-cha-cha—

Xia Beiluo sat on the bank, diligently washing her clothes and shoes. Her fingers were swollen and white from being soaked in water. She hadn't eaten anything since last night, and now, smelling the fishy smell of snails and small white fish rising from the river, she was somewhat lost in thought.

After washing and wringing the clothes, Xia Beiluo felt a little dizzy.

The rental house was flooded, the property management company absconded, and the landlord demanded compensation for the cost of the broken furniture and even the secondhand bicycle.

Now that her savings are all gone, where can she find a job? She's not good-looking, almost a boy's face, so even if she went to sell herself, she wouldn't make much money. Besides, in the Black Serpent Gang's territory, you have to pay for everything. It's because they're close to the church and have helped them deal with so many filthy and heinous acts.

She remained silent for a long while, lying on the grass in a daze, pondering her plans.

I can only keep trying my luck at the scrap yard.

She walked until the sun dried her clothes, then put on a thin shirt and trousers again, draped her wet coat over her shoulders, and continued walking, letting the sun dry her hair naturally, leaving it messy like a clump of straw.

Complaining won't change anything; it will only make you feel worse—this is a truth that Xia Beiluo understood long ago.

As she approached the scrap yard, she saw several men blocking the entrance from afar, so she immediately stopped and moved aside.

"You really haven't seen it before?" the leader asked skeptically.

They wore black hoods and had black snake tattoos on their bodies.

Black Serpent Gang's thugs...

Xia Beiluo quietly moved closer. At just over 1.6 meters tall, she was small enough that no one would notice her if she hid behind the trash can.

Several thugs, carrying phosphorescent lamps and curved swords at their waists, practically wore their connections to the Church of the Lord of the Undead on their faces.

They appeared to be arguing with the owner of the scrap yard and were having a heated discussion.

"Of course not. I've never heard of or seen any of these. The church forbids the collection of such things. I've lived for over fifty years. Do you think I wouldn't know?"

Pierre, the owner of the junkyard, said impatiently, "You bunch of muscle-bound idiots, even if you can't use your brains, at least trust your own eyes, right? You came here and turned everything upside down because of a disagreement, saying you were looking for some kind of casino? Have you ever seen a casino located in a junkyard?"

The Black Serpent Gang members looked a little embarrassed, clearly Pierre had guessed right, and muttered:

"Uh—how would I know? It's just that the higher-ups heard the news and were ordered to come and inspect."

"The people above? You mean Priest Auster of this parish?" Pierre asked in surprise.

"It's good that you know. Priest Auster has already advanced to the Gamma-rank. He only needs the blessing of the Lord of the Undead to become the High Priest. At that time, even the mayor will have to listen to him."

The leader of the Black Serpent Gang warned, "Don't lie. The Lord of the Undead has ordered a ban on gambling; casinos are strictly prohibited! If you get caught, don't blame me for not warning you. The Church's methods are far more ruthless than ours..."

"Alright, alright, let's get out of here. You've made a complete mess of my territory!"

Pierre waved his hand, and with a few shoves, drove the Black Serpent Gang out of the junkyard. The leader, seemingly afraid Pierre wouldn't remember, turned back and shouted, "Remember! Absolutely no Rock and Roll! The church doesn't like that rebellious stuff."