The Old Li Who Knows Everything

Feng Xue sprinted across rooftops, carrying the young girl while absorbing Knowledge. Thanks to the dim night of the Landfill Area, they went undiscovered.

He used to despise the darkness when collecting bodies, but now, he was incredibly grateful for the false sky above.

Guided by his Work Card, Feng Xue quickly reached a ruin in the southeast of the Landfill Area. It lacked functional facilities, so few residents lived there.

After a few leaps, Feng Xue found a room with a large hole in its roof. Judging by the interior, it seemed no one had lived there for a long time.

"I'll stay here for now," Feng Xue exhaled slightly, twisting his body and slipping through the hole. The girl on his shoulder scraped against the edge, letting out a muffled grunt that she forcefully suppressed.

"Um, what exactly is going on?" Although she had asked many times on the way, Feng Xue had never answered. Seeing that he seemed to have relaxed, the girl asked again.

"I'll explain later, I need to make a call first."

"A call..." Hearing Feng Xue's words, Chen Xiyao felt a sense of detachment. But then, she saw him pull out an incredibly thin object from his pocket that looked no different from a piece of iron.

Yet, judging by how quickly he dialed, this thing was clearly far more advanced than any smartphone she had ever seen.

Considering basic phone etiquette, the girl fell silent and waited patiently. After two dial tones from Feng Xue's Work Card, an impatient voice suddenly rang out:

"Who is this?"

"Looks like you're still alive?" Feng Xue said casually. The person on the other end paused slightly, then asked, "Xiao Feng? I was wondering why I had an unknown number in my contacts. What happened? Did that Iron Dog Gang trouble you?"

"What the hell is the Iron Dog Gang..." Feng Xue inwardly grumbled about the name, unsure if it was a real name or a nickname. He then got straight to the point:

"No, I've switched Landfill Areas. There's something I wanted to ask you about."

"Oh, oh?!" Old Li let out a strange sound, then thoughtfully said, "What is it? Tell me."

"A Gate opened in my home."

"A Gate? What Gate... Holy shit? Holy shit! HOLY SHIT!!!!!"

Old Li's tone suddenly became bizarre. After three consecutive exclamations, the phone line fell silent for a moment. A moment later, he spoke again:

"Where are you now?"

"Do you think I'd tell you?" Feng Xue asked, his tone slightly displeased as he listened to the deliberately lowered voice on the other end.

Hearing this, Old Li realized he had asked the wrong question and quickly explained, "That's not what I meant. You know, we're not in the same area. Even if I knew, it would be too late, right? What I mean is, are you still at home? How far are you from the Gate? And is the person who came out of the Gate with you?"

"I ran as soon as I got the Tag. I found an empty house by the city wall. I've canceled my old dorm name and changed my Account. I haven't been found yet," Feng Xue briefly explained his current situation, not hiding much.

As Old Li said, he and Feng Xue were in completely different Landfill Areas. Even if he wanted to sell Feng Xue out, he had no means to do so. It was precisely because there were no conflicts of interest that Feng Xue dared to ask such a crucial question.

"Hmm, you've been cautious. You haven't been in that Landfill Area for long, so not many people should know you. You shouldn't be found in such a short time..." Old Li mumbled softly for a moment, then said with great seriousness, "You know, I'm a businessman..."

"I can sign a contract with you remotely and then transfer the money to you." Feng Xue directly used a skill he had just learned. However, Old Li unexpectedly replied with a negative:

"I don't want money."

Old Li paused for two seconds, then, as if making a decision, said, "I want you to promise me that when you have a room in the Tower of Babylon in the future, you'll allow me to stay for a while. Don't worry, it won't cause you any harm. We can even include a clause in the contract about mutual non-aggression."

"A room in the Tower of Babylon? You mean the central Tower on the continent? What's special about the rooms there?" Feng Xue recalled the high Tower at the center of the Map, feeling a strange tremor in his heart. Old Li didn't explain further, only saying enigmatically, "It's not that I won't tell you, but if you knew, the Gatekeeper Tag would evolve. You wouldn't be able to hide then. However, I can tell you that only true Supernatural Tales are qualified to have rooms in the Tower of Babylon."

"Oh, it seems you have a lot of confidence in me?" Feng Xue's lips curved slightly. Old Li shrugged indifferently, "It's just diversifying investments. After all, you becoming a Gatekeeper means you're more likely than others to take that step. All I have to give is some Knowledge that costs almost nothing. This is quite a profitable deal."

"So?" Feng Xue remained noncommittal about Old Li's words. Old Li didn't waste any more time and continued the previous topic:

"In short, agree to my terms, and I'll tell you all about the predicament you're currently facing, the problems you need to prepare for in advance, and how to avoid them. Of course, it's okay if you don't agree. I can still tell you some basic information, for a fee of fifty thousand Tower."

"Send me a sample contract first." Feng Xue didn't immediately agree. He walked to the door and cautiously observed the situation outside. Old Li, on the other hand, seemed to be accustomed to making such investments, and soon sent over a contract.

The content was similar to what he had said: providing Feng Xue with the information a Gatekeeper needed, in exchange for Old Li being allowed to stay for at least one year (distributable) after Feng Xue acquired a room in the Tower of Babylon. In return, Old Li could not act with hostility towards Feng Xue during his stay, nor could he harm Feng Xue's interests without permission (which required a detailed explanation of the situation).

After reading it twice, Feng Xue vaguely grasped some key points. However, considering that further contemplation might cause the Gatekeeper Tag to evolve, he temporarily stopped thinking and tapped "Agree" on the contract.

As the mental connection was established, Old Li received the feedback and immediately said, "Since you've changed your name in time, you don't have to worry about being discovered in the short term. After all, before dying, there's no discernible difference between outsiders and Nothingness. Rather than how to send him back, the problem you should be thinking about now is how to feed him..."

"Huh?"