Ark Simulator, Don't I Have No Physical Form?

"Hmm~" Maria shook her head.

"Middlemen generally refer to intermediaries between mercenaries and clients. In general, they are responsible for collecting commissions and assigning suitable tasks to mercenaries. The most important things for doing this are the ability to gather intelligence and credibility."

"But I don't have anything. Does Su Rui want me to be a middleman? Or does she want me to find a middleman to take on the mission?"

Maria shrank back involuntarily; either way, she felt somewhat at a loss.

"Don't worry, gathering intelligence is very easy for me. You've already seen that, haven't you?"

Maria nodded. "Hmm, Su Rui's Scanning Vision is amazing, so, what do you want me to do?"

"Relying solely on hiring mercenaries is too boring, and the money doesn't come quickly. However, we can act as intermediaries for businesses."

A smug smile crept onto Su Rui's lips, "Let me explain slowly, and then you'll understand."

In reality, Maria didn't need to know that much; she just needed to do as Su Rui said. However, to make her more cooperative, Su Rui still provided some explanation.

Danone's initial goal was for Maria to occasionally earn a little money by recommending jobs to mercenaries, but most of the time, she would still rely on buying intelligence from companies in exchange for money.

After explaining, Su Rui asked, "So, what's wrong? After all, it's not just your target who's short of money right now, but your family too. The Nearl family is in a pretty bad situation, isn't they?"

Maria bit her lip. After going through a period of inner turmoil, the girl was learning about these things for the first time and felt a sense of fear towards the unknown world.

At this moment, Su Rui was like a seductive demon, constantly urging Maria in her ear. "Say yes, say yes, agree to my conditions, sell your soul~"

After much deliberation, Maria finally nodded, a resolute glint in her blue eyes.

"Okay, I agree!"

"Very good. Now I'll set up an account for you and a legitimate identity. You can then act according to the identity I give you."

Su Rui appeared as a progress bar in Maria's eyes, and began teaching Maria some things she needed to know:

"I've already identified a target. They call themselves intermediaries for businesses, but in reality, we just provide one company with information about projects that another company needs."

Maria's task was simple: to sell information to companies that would definitely need the contract, and to appear calm and enigmatic.

Volume 5, Chapter 246 Miss Coriander

"Are you ready?" Su Rui asked.

Maria nodded, took a deep breath, her chest heaving as she tried to suppress her nervousness. "Yes, I'm ready."

"Remember, from now on, you are Miss Coriander, a composed woman. Act mysterious and a little arrogant, and then speak according to the lines I gave you. Got it?"

"I see."

"Okay, then I'll make the call."

As Su Rui finished speaking, a communication interface appeared in Maria's field of vision. The other party's name was now displayed in Maria's view: Delmer Colt, a businessman who ran his own company.

The remaining documents were blacked out by Su Rui, and marked with the words, "These documents are not important. Just speak according to my lines. These things will distract you... By the way, you can see them after we finish talking if you want."

No need, Maria shook her head gently. She wasn't interested in other people's privacy; as long as she could make money, that was all that mattered.

The call connected quickly, and an impatient male voice came from the other end. "What's going on? Didn't I press the hang-up button?"

Maria was a little flustered. She cleared her throat and glanced at the subtitles that Su Rui had displayed in her field of vision:

"Hello, Mr. Delmer Colt, you can call me Miss Coriander."

"I don't care about cilantro or cabbage, I'm not in the mood right now, don't bother me!"

The person on the other end made sounds like they were repeatedly pressing the hang-up button, but the call didn't end. Instead, Mr. Delmer slammed his fist on the table in annoyance. "What did you do? Why can't I hang up!"

Maria didn't answer, but looked at the lines Su Rui had given her and said softly, "Don't worry... what if I have information that can save your company?"

"... What did you say?" Delmer on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, but having almost reached the end of his rope, he had to reach out and grab even the most unreliable straw.

Seeing that the conversation seemed to be getting down to business, Maria gradually relaxed, her tone becoming more natural, playing the role of an enigmatic, mature woman:

"Your company is a biochemical, environmental, and materials company, right? But because you can't find suitable business, you're almost at the point of bankruptcy."

"Yes, so what's your plan? Tell me quickly!"

Seeing that Maria's words matched up, Delmer on the other end of the phone could no longer contain his anxiety and began to press for answers.

"Don't be nervous, Mr. Delmer. I have a business opportunity here that's perfect for your company. It only costs 150,000, and I can deliver it to you. I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Maria's voice trembled slightly when she saw the number 150,000. Fortunately, at that moment, Delmer was too anxious to notice such things. Moreover, Maria's voice happened to have a magnetic quality, making her sound less nervous.

But Delmer still objected. "150,000? I can't even come up with 10,000 right now!"

"No, you still have 50,000 on hand, right?" Maria glanced at the lines and hints Su Rui had given her:

(Crossing your legs and leaning back on the sofa will affect your mindset and make you appear more natural.)

Maria nodded, leaned back on the sofa, crossed her legs, and spoke in a more natural tone, like a mysterious and elusive older sister:

"Consider this 50,000 as our deposit. Once you get the project, I'll come back to you for the remaining 100,000. How about that?"

"... I need to take a look at your so-called information before making a decision."

"Of course, Mr. Delmer, but you should know that in my line of work, the most important thing is reputation. If you go back on your word, I have my own methods."

After Maria finished speaking, Su Rui used subtitles in her field of vision to tell her: (The data has been sent, and he is already reviewing it.)

Maria nodded. "So, Mr. Delmer, this company is perfect for your situation, and it's almost certain to succeed."

But all that came through the phone was Mr. Delmer's cold laugh, "I'm not satisfied with this plan. It's utterly useless. I won't pay. Goodbye."

As she spoke, Maria heard the sound of a phone being thrown to the ground.

She was a little flustered, but Su Rui had anticipated this: (Don't worry, I was prepared.)

Maria nodded, Su Rui turned up the volume on Delmer's phone. "Want to see the plan back out later? Mr. Delmer, I'll accept the 50,000 deposit now. Since you're unwilling to cooperate properly, I'll just have to keep it for myself."

As she spoke, a transfer screen appeared in Maria's field of vision, showing 50,000 yuan being transferred from Delmer's account to Maria's account.

Su Rui whispered in Maria's ear, "Don't worry, everything is in order. Even if he reports those staff members, they won't find anything wrong with him. He'll just be seen as a fraudster trying to go back on his word."

Maria nodded somewhat uneasily, her heart pounding in her chest. It was her first time doing something like this, and although she appeared calm, she was incredibly nervous inside, her adrenaline surging as if she had just run over ten kilometers.

Sure enough, as Maria uttered the words that Su Rui had arranged, the sound of someone picking up the phone was heard. After examining it again, the other person said angrily:

"You robber! I'm going to report you! I'll have you arrested, and you'll pay the price!"

Maria was also furious. The other party had clearly gotten the item and wanted to go back on their word, all while making such a high-sounding statement.

Maria's suddenly cold tone was exactly what Su Rui had expected:

"Is that so? It seems you're not going to keep your word, Mr. Delmer. I'll show you what I'm capable of. Just watch, your application won't succeed, because someone from another company will get the contract before you."

After saying that, Maria saw Su Rui hang up the phone. The girl couldn't help but take a deep breath, indignantly saying, "That's just too much! How could he do that?"

"After all, these kinds of transactions are really not guaranteed. If you don't have enough reputation, it's hard to deter some fools. Fortunately, I can transfer money directly from his account."

Su Rui said this to comfort Maria:

"Don't worry, we'll make the next call. I know how to handle him."

Maria nodded, glancing at the 50,000 that had already been deposited into her account. Her heart skipped a beat; it was 50,000! And it was a one-time payment. More than her uncle's monthly, no, three-month salary.

Volume 5, Chapter 247: This is what I deserve.

However, Maria was still a little hesitant. "Although we should get the 50,000, wouldn't this be considered forced buying and selling? Wouldn't this be a bit unfair?"

Upon hearing Maria's question, Su Rui's tone couldn't help but sound somewhat comical, "Ah, a simple and kind girl, isn't she? You said before that he was even worse, didn't you?"

"But..."

"Alright, don't worry, that guy will call back soon."

After all, Su Rui had actually investigated people's personalities and knew what different people would do. That guy would get a cold shoulder, find out that Maria was right, and then come back with a shameless smile and tears streaming down his face.

"Okay, don't rush, let's make the next call first, okay?" Su Rui reassured her, "This time it will go smoothly, I promise."

Maria nodded, and then Su Rui dialed another number. Maria glanced at the information on the other end; in short, it was also a down-on-his-luck company owner.

The call connected quickly, and a frustrated voice came through. "Hello? What's up?"

"Mr. Moromon, your company is in trouble, isn't it? I have a deal here that can revive your company."

"What kind of business?" Moromon on the other end of the phone immediately became excited, his voice sounding as if he had stood up from the sofa.

"I think the business of biochemical materials and environmental engineering overlaps perfectly with your company's business, doesn't it?"

"Yes, you said." Moromon's voice on the other end of the phone immediately became respectful and more serious, which made Maria, who had just been annoyed by Delmer, feel a little better.

"Hmm, I've already... sent you the information. Please do it as soon as possible, since others are also trying to follow up on this project. Of course, I think your company is a better fit for this project."

Maria hesitated, wondering to herself, "Should I send the information directly?"

"Hmm, this makes us seem confident and capable. And we really do have the means. I know which mercenaries are in the city; if they dare to mess with us, we'll kill them."

As Su Rui said this, Maria nodded in agreement. "The value of this intelligence is 150,000. Considering you only have 30,000 in your account, I'll only take 20,000 as a deposit. The remaining 130,000 can be paid after you receive the project funding, how about that?"

"Okay, no problem. I hope we can cooperate more often. How can I transfer the money to you?"

Moromon, who was busy making phone calls, was eager to agree, while Maria glanced at the account where the money had already been deposited and smiled, saying:

"Don't worry, just go ahead. I received the money the moment you nodded. Rest assured, I'm a trustworthy businesswoman; I won't take more or less... By the way, my name is Miss Coriander."

"Okay, thank you, Miss Coriander. I'll go take care of my business now. I look forward to keeping in touch!"

On the other end of the phone, Moromon said goodbye excitedly, and Su Rui hung up as well, showing Maria the 70,000 in her account:

"Okay, you can't do too much at once. You need to learn to balance work and rest. Also, doing too much at once will attract attention."

"Hmm, I didn't expect to earn so much in one go."

Maria looked at the 70,000 in her account and felt a sense of unreality. "It's like a dream."

"If you don't believe me, you can log into your account on your phone and check. The 70,000 has already been deposited into your account. Don't be afraid. 70,000 is just a drop in the ocean for a city. Nobody will take it seriously."

Maria nodded. "So what do we do next?"

"See if there's anything you want to buy that's left. You're planning to wear your sister's armor, right? Actually, I have a plan to help you modify the armor and make it even more powerful. After all, equipment is also part of strength."

"Yes!" Maria nodded. She had a lot of new and interesting tools she wanted to buy, but she hadn't been able to afford them in installments before because she was short of money.

Maria was also very interested in the modification plan that Su Rui mentioned, but she had a different idea:

"Since it can be modified, could we build a powerful suit of armor from scratch? I don't really want to modify my sister's armor; I want to keep it as a souvenir."

"Of course, no problem. But in that case, you'll need a workshop and lots of suitable tools, which aren't cheap. You'll also need more business."

"I can borrow Uncle Kowal's workshop materials, but I'll have to Su Rui for your help. I don't know where to get them."

"Of course, leave it to me. Since you're borrowing Kowal's Workshop, I won't consider it."

Su Rui certainly knew Kowal, the hairy, atavistic Ursus man, who was Maria's elder.

"Yes!" Maria nodded emphatically, then noticed that Su Rui had been silent for a long time, and tilted her head in confusion:

"Su Rui?"

"Huh? What? I'm listening."

"Aren't we going to start?" Maria wondered why Su Rui had fallen silent.

"... Don't you need to rest? I've done so much, I'm a little tired, let's take a break."

But we only made two phone calls, Maria thought to herself. However, considering that Su Rui might have gathered so much intelligence to make those two calls so easily, she nodded with a touch of pity.

"Okay, Su Rui, you should rest well. What snacks do you want? I'll get them for you. Oh, and I can cook too, I can make you something delicious."

"I'm not some kid who can be bought off with snacks," Su Rui said, her tone slightly displeased.

"But your tone sounds just like it," Maria wanted to say, but to avoid upsetting Su Rui, Maria swallowed her words and said nothing, only a smile involuntarily creeping onto her lips.

"What would you like to eat, Su Rui? I'll make it for you."

"Look what's here! I want something salty, preferably with meat, and it has to be delicious."

So this is just a child, Maria thought, suppressing her laughter. She pursed her lips to stop herself from laughing and got up to go to the kitchen.

Su Rui also presented another document:

"I've already ordered the new tools you liked, and they'll be delivered soon. However, the materials for making the armor are a bit tricky; we need the best. You'll have to make a call."

"Okay, I understand. But how about we wait until the delicious food is ready first?"

Maria smiled at Su Rui, indicating that there was no rush and that feeding the child was the most important thing first.