The Branders' Curse (Five Thousand Words)

"..."

In an instant, countless words rushed through Xiao Xiao's mind, but after searching and picking through them for a long time, the one he most wanted to say was this:

"Fellow travelers, let's keep our public and private matters separate..."

"..."

Although I didn't actually get 300,000 points from Night's End City, even if I had, those points are still mine!

The Noah's Ark Project was left to all of us in Black Gate City by the Old Chairman. How can you expect me to pay this amount of points directly?

Can I enhance myself without spending money? Can I buy special items to improve myself without spending money?

Upgrading those three dogs doesn't cost money?

Upgrading the Butcher doesn't cost money?

Upgrading the Record Player Miss for free?

Of course, although countless thoughts exploded in his mind, Xiao Xiao ultimately chose not to say them. After all, he was now the president of the Xiao Association, and it wouldn't sound good to talk about points right away. Besides, these things didn't need his explanation. As people, his companions should understand these principles, right? If they really didn't understand, he would think of another way.

In short...

Xiao Xiao looked at everyone present and said in a deep voice, "Creating Noah is not a matter for one person alone!"

Of course, the points aren't awarded to just one person!

"President Xiao is absolutely right."

At this moment, Mister Ye's voice rang out softly. "The Noah Project left behind by the Old Chairman is extremely important, concerning the fate of all of us. Naturally, it cannot be accomplished by any one person alone. To truly advance this plan, we need the Black Gate City, and even the strangers from other cities, to work together. As for now, all we need to do is let everyone know how difficult this matter is..."

"I hope everyone has already reached an agreement, an agreement to move this plan forward."

"..."

The surroundings were quiet, and no one spoke.

Ruan Ruan pouted and said, "Of course, it's everyone's business, so naturally everyone should do it."

"Xiao-gege is our president, so it's only right that he takes on the main responsibility, but we can't rely on him entirely."

"After all, it's over a million points. No matter how many points he earns, it won't be enough. If he earns a few million more points in one go, then we can confidently let him pay for the whole thing, right?... Now, we need to think of a way!"

"..."

Xiao Xiao's expression was slightly conflicted, unsure whether Ruan Ruan was friend or foe.

But after hearing her last words, he nodded slightly, his face showing a frank expression.

That's right, if I had several million points, I would have paid out this million or so!

I don't have any right now!

"So this meeting was actually to let everyone know what was going on?"

The others could only nod silently, each with their own thoughts.

At first glance, the Old Chairman's plan seemed unrealistic, but it was something everyone was looking forward to. In Black Gate City, or even the entire world of strangers, no one would refuse such a plan. However, as soon as they heard about the large number of points required for the plan, they suddenly started to have doubts. It was a million points, which was far beyond everyone's imagination.

With just a few Aberrant Creature in Black Gate City, how long will it take to accumulate even a few cents?

That's why I suddenly understood what Mister Ye meant by giving me a heads-up first.

This is a huge undertaking. People from other places have always lived in small groups, sticking together for warmth. Perhaps everyone has the idea of escaping this nightmare, but the thought of having to undertake such a massive plan still puts immense pressure on them.

Neither Mister Ye nor Xiao Xiao intended to force anyone to express their opinion on the spot, which is good.

Otherwise, even if everyone agrees now under the tyranny of that Chairman Xiao, trouble will likely arise later.

However, looking at the expressions of everyone present, Xiao Xiao sighed softly to himself.

In fact, my will was not firm when faced with this plan.

The Old Chairman seemed to be a very serious person. All the strangers had thought about going back and getting rid of all this, but only this Old Chairman seemed to have been preparing for this in a down-to-earth manner. Now it seems that he has indeed left behind a very ambitious and lofty idea. Mister Ye and Yang Jia both have great faith in him. But can such a plan really work?

Xiao Xiao was unsure.

Noah's escape plan is based on the falsehood of this world.

But after learning about some of the current events, Xiao Xiao is no longer sure if this world is truly a lie.

Does that so-called hometown really exist?

Or perhaps, for me, this is my true home?

In addition, when I was promoting my Lord Pact, I saw the Old Chairman. I still remember the Old Chairman's painful and desperate expression. Why did he leave only five of the Ten Edicts of the Outsider? Does he still believe in the plan he left behind?

There were too many questions, but Xiao Xiao didn't know who to discuss them with.

Neither Yang Jia nor Mister Ye are suitable candidates for me to discuss these issues with.

But on the surface, he couldn't find any other reason to continue to postpone the Noah Project.

That's all we can do.

Anyway, a million points is a terrifying number, maybe they'll back down as soon as they hear that?

If you really want to do this, you should first put out a few million points.

Not far from Xiao Xiao, Yang Jia was also quietly watching Xiao Xiao. On the other end of the phone, Mister Ye's voice did not ring. The neon lights outside the window were flashing with unusual brilliance, as if countless eyes were looking over. The core of all the problems was the Noah Project, and it seemed that everyone's focus was on Xiao Xiao, who was to inherit the Noah Project.

The two who knew Xiao Xiao's secret seemed to have some uncertainty about it as well.

However, judging from his appearance, he didn't seem to be particularly opposed to the plan.

They unanimously put the topic aside and generally discussed the current state of Black Gate City's operations and the aftermath of the attack by the Hell Organization. In fact, for any city, Black Gate City's current state is already surprisingly good, but perhaps because the discussion on the first step of the Noah Project began today, everyone in Black Gate City seemed somewhat depressed.

Old Zhou Under the Bridge took his leave first, and the Serpent Sisters also left. Of course, they both said on the surface that they would go back and think about how to earn more points. Then, Ruan Ruan seemed to have a lot of questions to ask Xiao Xiao, but under Yang Jia's gaze, she dejectedly went downstairs to go to the Red Eyes Club with Ling Ping. She used to love Iceberg Bar the most, and she still does now.

She felt that the atmosphere of this bar was different from others, and it suited her very well.

She just always felt that every waitress at the Iceberg Bar had incredibly long legs, especially the girls, who always seemed to be intentionally or unintentionally showing off their long legs in front of her. Their conversations always revolved around how long someone's legs were...

Since then, fewer and fewer people have come over.

In her heart, she was thinking that she would have to complain to Xiao Xiao when she had the chance, and change the way people chatted in the bar.

"I never imagined you were already a fourth-stage enhanced user..."

After everyone left, Yang Jia walked to the wine cabinet, poured himself a glass of wine, sat down, and seemed somewhat sentimental.

Seeing that she had chosen the wine and added ice, Xiao Xiao took it from her, looking somewhat curious.

"In the world of outsiders, what level of enhancement is considered fourth stage?"

"..."

Yang Jia looked at her empty hands, a slight look of surprise on her face, before helplessly continuing to pour herself more wine, saying:

"Lord-level!"

"..."

Xiao Xiao was extremely surprised upon hearing this. "You've already strengthened the Fourth Element, and you're still only considered a lord-level being?"

It seems that anyone with more than 10,000 points is considered a lord-level being, and now I have just strengthened an Unquenched Heart worth 30,000 points in one go. In addition, according to Lin Bo and others, the Unquenched Heart has a different effect on an observer like myself than on others. In other words, although it is indeed worth 30,000 points, the effect of this Unquenched Heart on me is far greater than that.

"The strength of outsiders is determined by their points."

Yang Jia said, "One to one hundred is a novice, one hundred to one thousand is an expert, one thousand to ten thousand is an elite. So, according to custom, the division of the lord level is one thousand to one hundred thousand. You can say that your growth speed is extraordinary, but I have to remind you that there are actually quite a few people in the outsider circle who have reached the lord level."

"The average level of the leaders of the Strangers Guild in each city is this level. Most of the captains in Dante Organization are also at this level. Even Lin Bo... don't let his appearance fool you, he is a lord, and he has been at that level for many years."

"Of course, because his performance within Dante Organization is mediocre and he doesn't receive bonuses, there's little hope for promotion."

"..."

"If the Dante Organization is like this, then the Hell Organization is pretty much the same?"

Xiao Xiao pondered for a moment the strength of the three captains he had met before: White Devil, Black Enchantress, and Scarred Ghost. He remained silent. If we don't count the special items, those three were indeed terrifyingly strong. In that case, theoretically speaking, he was far from being a big shot in the outsider circle. But why did he feel like he was encountering all sorts of problems?

"Is there anything else?"

He was thinking for a moment, then suddenly turned to Yang Jia and asked, "What about those that exceed the 100,000 range?"

"Taboo".

Yang Jia answered directly, "Those who exceed the 100,000 mark are usually considered taboo. Just like a stranger who has enhanced the Fourth Element, they will begin to receive attention and dissatisfaction from the city. The same applies to those who exceed 100,000 points. At that point, they will no longer be able to live peacefully in the city like other strangers and will only be able to gather in certain places."

"Of course, strangers with taboo titles are already very mysterious, but you also need to be careful of another group of people."

"..."

Xiao Xiao was slightly taken aback. "What?"

"The Branders".

Yang Jia slowly sipped his wine and said, "All those Branders are dangerous."

"Um?"

Xiao Xiao was somewhat surprised upon hearing this. "Aren't you one?"

"Yes."

Yang Jia nodded and said, "I am Branders, as was the captain of the Hell Organization codenamed Scarred Ghost. Although he didn't show anything special that time, you need to remember to deal with Branders as little as possible in the future."

"Anyone who didn't know better would think you were planning to distance yourself from me..."

Xiao Xiao looked at Yang Jia with a complicated expression and said, "Would you like to talk to me a little more?"

"There's nothing to say..."

Yang Jia glanced at Xiao Xiao on the sofa. Although the man still looked a bit travel-worn, he still looked quite handsome under the soft office lighting. She nodded slightly and said, "Or rather, it's too complicated to explain in a single sentence. You can think of it as: the fourth-stage enhancers and the forbidden ones are both in trouble because of the vigilance of the Mysterious Source."

"And those Branders are because... they are too close to the Mysterious Source."

"..."

Xiao Xiao repeated Yang Jia's words, trying to understand. "Too close..."

"Yes."

Yang Jia spoke softly, looking out the window, and said, "Perhaps it's some kind of spiritual connection, or perhaps they were chosen from the very beginning and thus branded. This means that sometimes, those Branders don't have to follow the ironclad rules of gradual strengthening like other outsiders, but it also means that at certain times, they will be subject to mysterious influences far exceeding those of others, and will be unable to control their own lives."

Xiao Xiao suddenly realized something and hurriedly asked, "Then were you also affected by this?"

Actually, before he came back this time, he had planned to have a talk with Yang Jia.

During his previous conversation with Lin Bo, he realized that many people in Dante Organization seemed to have long been dissatisfied with Yang Jia. This was understandable, as Yang Jia, although awakened in Black Gate City, was not a member of Black Gate City and had gone to Dante Organization a long time ago.

But after the incident at Black Gate City, she resolutely abandoned everything in Dante Organization and returned to Black Gate City.

Ironically, despite doing many things, she did not work for the benefit of Dante Organization.

It's no wonder the people above are dissatisfied.

"I haven't been affected by anything for a long time."

Yang Jia listened to Xiao Xiao's words and sighed softly, saying, "But what I can tell you now is that I am probably the person who most wants to leave this world. So I am not very satisfied with some of the Dante Organization's practices. What I agree with more is the Old Chairman. Only he has always been thinking about how to get everyone out of suffering. So I am willing to stay in Black Gate City and do my part."

For some reason, Xiao Xiao suddenly thought of someone through her tone.

The man who had once been favored by death and desperately wanted to die made him slightly nervous.

Yang Jia, however, looked into his eyes and suddenly smiled, "You don't need to worry about me. I just know what I want."

Xiao Xiao watched her lean against the desk, holding a wine glass in her hand, and a slight thought stirred in his heart.

Yang Jia is a very beautiful woman, quite different from my impression of her in high school. She is a real, living person, but her aloofness and her seeming out of place in this world create a unique charm. Although she is a bit reckless and her looks are slightly less than mine, the reliable and trustworthy feeling she always gives off is so rare.

This attitude caused a slight change in Xiao Xiao's mood.

"Perhaps it's because I've only been in this world for a short time and know very little, so my thoughts are often confused..."

He slowly looked at Yang Jia: "But now I'm ready to figure it out. I've obtained the Unquenched Heart, and theoretically, I can start trying to glimpse the core of this city. So, once I understand all of this, then..."

He pondered slowly, as if some words were just right to be uttered at this moment.

But just then, the pager in the room suddenly went off.

Xiao Xiao frowned, looked at the pager, and saw the store manager's round face appear on it.

Dissatisfied, he asked, "What is it?"

Although I like to sit in the office when I have nothing to do, it doesn't mean I want to run this bar. I'm just here to check on my business. If there are problems in the store, the manager will handle them. If someone causes trouble, the security guards will take care of it. If there are financial problems, I'll ask the accountant or the Pink Maiden Gang. Why does the pager have to call me when I'm busy and bother me?

"Mr. Xiao, a strange person has come looking for you..."

The store manager was completely unaware that Mr. Xiao was angry, and leaned into the pager to speak.

Looking for me?

Xiao Xiao frowned. Was he drunk again and mistook someone for a male escort?

"Yes, just say you're looking for me."

The store manager said, "He wouldn't say who he was when asked, only that he was from the Black Goat Club..."

"... Sounds like someone in the same industry!"

"..."

"Black Goat Club?"

Xiao Xiao was taken aback when he heard the name.

I came back this time to investigate the Black Goat Club, but they actually came to me on their own initiative?

Before he could ask anything, the pager was pointed at another man. The man was in his thirties, wearing a wrinkled suit and with an unshaven beard. His features were decent, but his face looked unlucky. He was resigned to his fate and greeted Xiao Xiao through the pager, "President Xiao, I'm here to deliver an invitation!"

"An invitation? Is it for a new store opening? Just give it to me directly, our CEO Xiao doesn't get involved in these things..."

Before the store manager could even finish his questioning, Xiao Xiao had already whispered his reply, "Let him come up!"

"All right!"

The store manager had no choice but to turn off the call button and point out the direction of the elevator to the Suit Man.

The Suit Man took a deep breath and glanced back at the bar. Perhaps it was because he had been working too hard and hadn't been to such a place for a long time, but his years of investigative experience and the instincts he had developed from working on the front lines of high-risk situations made him realize that none of the customers in this bar were simple; "a chaotic mess" was an understatement.

"How dare they call me a weirdo?"

He muttered to himself as he entered the elevator, watching the red numbers change little by little.

Every little change means that you are one step closer to the most terrifying guy in Black Gate City.

The Suit Man felt a tightness in his throat and his hands trembled uncontrollably.

The elevator was going up, but he clearly felt as if he were slowly descending into hell...

... Perhaps it's not like that, it's like entering hell.