9:00 a.m.
Bai Heng parked outside an upscale commercial club complex on Glamour Star.
As a commercially renowned planet throughout the universe, its service industry was unquestionably first-rate.
The Erudition Society's Armed Archaeology faction had booked the entire venue.
The gathering was being held outdoors, and guests were free to use all the surrounding entertainment facilities, including the gym, swimming pool, golf course, restaurants, bars, sauna rooms, and massage parlors.
The gathering was set to begin in the afternoon, and at the moment, only security personnel and venue staff were present.
After finding a parking spot, Bai Heng did not enter the venue right away. Instead, he bought several cartons of cigarettes at a nearby shopping center.
Before entering, he handed a carton to each security guard at the entrance.
Xiao Si did not really understand Bai Heng's actions. Seeing that the cigarettes he bought were all among the most expensive local brands, he felt a little pained.
After all, those dozens of cartons cost nearly a month's salary for him.
Seeing his confused expression, Bai Heng patted him on the shoulder and said,
"When you enter a temple, you pay respects to the Buddha. The security here are all from the Erudition Society. Handing them a carton and saying hello is no trouble at all. On someone else's turf, it's always good to become a familiar face—it makes things easier. Even if we end up clashing with someone from the Erudition Society, these people won't be inclined to take sides."
Bai Heng was accustomed to preparing for trouble before it came. He often mingled with grassroots employees from various departments of the Interastral Peace Corporation, so he had acquaintances in practically every division.
He valued these grassroots connections greatly, because sometimes the benefits they brought him far exceeded the