The Goddora Guard finally arrived, hovering next to the Short Horn Star, and sent a communication request. By this time, the jamming had disappeared, and the signal could be received.
The mission is complete. A new notification appears: proceed to the captain to claim your reward.
Han Xiao arrived at the control room, followed by all the players. The captain was communicating with the security team, explaining the situation. Upon learning that all the scavengers had been dealt with, the security captain inquired about the specific details.
The scavenger attack was just a minor security issue. Since the tour group was unharmed, it was sufficient to simply record the incident according to procedure and enter it into the duty log.
Although he encountered a fellow countryman, Kerlodd remained well-behaved, standing beside Han Xiao and playing with his little braid.
After the call ended and the guard team left, the captain turned on the intercom to announce to the entire ship, "The crisis has been averted. I apologize for the commotion. The Short Horn Star will proceed directly to Juberly Hub for repairs."
Throughout the spaceship, the surviving passengers cheered, embraced each other, and were deeply moved.
After turning off the broadcast, the captain finally had time to thank Han Xiao and the others. His face full of gratitude, he asked, "Thank you all so much for your help. I still don't know your names."
Han Xiao.
The captain repeated it several times, confirming that he had never heard of the name before and that it wasn't a well-known mercenary or warrior.
"I will keep my promise; you will all receive a reward."
Reldon coughed.
The captain hesitated for a moment, then said, "Green Knight, your reward won't be less." Although Reldon ran away halfway through, he had still fought.
Reldon then nodded.
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. The title "Green Knight" stirred up some memories in him, like a fleeting flash of lightning. He frowned and thought for a while, then pieced together some information.
Generally speaking, the details he remembers are mostly valuable.
"Green Knight... Sunil Race?" Han Xiao muttered softly.
This ethnic group... seems to have a backstory.
The captain paid the reward via bank transfer. All players who accepted the mission received a share, and each player registered their own account. Then, the captain transferred the money all at once—1500 Enas to each person, equivalent to almost half a year's salary for Kerlodd, which was very generous. Hao Tian and the others, however, were extremely envious because they were offline at the beginning and hadn't accepted the mission. Their resentment was practically solidifying into a cloud.
Although the Short Horn Star Travel Group was relatively low-level, it was still part of a conglomerate and managed to save the valuable travel ship, the Short Horn Star, with the cost borne by the conglomerate.
The extra 8,000 Enas given by the captain were a personal commission, exclusively for Han Xiao.
Han Xiao's bank account balance skyrocketed to over 10,000, more than ten times its original value. He was overjoyed; this was his first pot of gold earned in interstellar travel, a considerable sum that provided him with ample starting capital. The players all received their money, which pleased Han Xiao as well. The fact that these players had acquired universal currency meant they had purchasing power; he could find opportunities to sell them items and pay with Enas, thus earning another profit.
If only one person takes on a task, they can only receive a fixed amount of money. Player participation is equivalent to indirectly increasing profits by dozens of times, and the money in the players' pockets is equivalent to Han Xiao's secret stash of money.
[[Defend the Short Horn Star] Completed]
[The Captain's Commission] Completed
[Regional Reputation Unlocked!]
[Location: Colton Star Cluster - Garton Star System]
[Fame: 2]
[Level: Obscure]
The regional reputation system is a new feature that appears after players enter interstellar space. The universe is vast, and players can accumulate regional reputation by participating in different regions, completing tasks, and accomplishing deeds. Regional reputation is linked to the initial relationship with the power in that region. If the reputation reaches a certain level, players will gain Legend Points, which is a designated way to obtain Legend Points.
The larger the region, the harder it is to build brand recognition. By protecting the Short Horn Star, Han Xiao left a good impression on the conglomerate behind him, a small achievement that can be added to his resume.
Regional reputation is a good thing. Dealing with factions and accepting missions all require a certain level of reputation. The higher the reputation, the higher the level of contact you can make, and the more generous the rewards will be.
The reputation system is a key feature, and in the previous game, many players were willing to grind endlessly to increase their reputation.
Han Xiao's previous business also included quickly boosting reputation. As the saying goes, destruction is easier than construction, good deeds don't travel far, but bad reputations spread like wildfire. After he boosted the reputation, the client's account would usually be wanted by most of the forces in the area... What, a refund? That's out of the question.
After settling the payment, Reldon turned to leave, Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he stepped forward to block Reldon's path.
"What is it?" Reldon stopped. He had a deep impression of Han Xiao and was somewhat surprised that he had stopped him.
Han Xiao's eyes darted around, he coughed, and said, "I captured the leader of the Boneless Bird, named Snake Braid. I was planning to use him to exchange for the bounty, but I just checked and it requires a handover in a rather distant river system. I don't want to travel that far. How about I sell this hostage to you?"
Reldon paused for a moment, thought for a second, and said, "Okay, no problem."
"The bounty for Snake Braid is 3500 Enas. Transfer the money to me."
Reldon frowned. "You don't mean to pay in full, do you? That's impossible. I have to go to a very far place to collect the bounty, which incurs costs. I'm not making any profit, so why would I trade?"
So how much are you willing to offer?
1500.
"Why don't you just rob someone?!" Han Xiao immediately sensed a competitor's presence, his eyes instantly turning serious as he slowly said, "3000."
1800.
"At least 2900."
"2000!"
The two haggled and argued for a long time. Reldon was very persistent when it came to money, not letting go of even the smallest amount of profit. He was usually a cold person, but now he was arguing with his face red over a double-digit Enas.
After much arguing, a price was finally agreed upon. Reldon paid 2501 Enas for the Snake Braid. Let's consider this extra point a victory for Master Han...
Having concluded a business deal, Han Xiao felt he had become acquainted with Reldon. His eyes flashed, and he asked, "Do you know the reason for this attack?"
Reldon shook his head and countered, "Judging from your expression, you seem to know the inside story."
Han Xiao smiled slightly, staring intently at Reldon's expression, and said slowly, "These scavengers are hired by DarkStar. They're here to capture that Goddora guy over there. How unlucky, don't you think?"
Upon hearing the words "DarkStar," Reldon's pupils contracted, and his eyes subconsciously changed, flashing with a deep hatred and anger, as if he had remembered something bad.
"Oh, I see." Finally, Reldon took a breath, regained his composure, and said goodbye expressionlessly.
Han Xiao smiled, pointed to Reldon's body, and said, "I'm a mechanic. If you don't mind, I can do some simple repairs for you."
Reldon paused, "Free?"
"Hehe, our relationship hasn't reached that level yet. I just need a service fee. I think 5 points for Enas would be good."
"Never mind then... It was nice meeting you, goodbye."
Reldon turned and walked away.
Han Xiao sighed helplessly, "Tsk tsk, not even five yuan for me, so stingy."
Kerlodd came over, shook his head and sighed, his words carrying a hidden meaning, "Ah, the Sunil Race, their 'greed' is understandable."
"I know." Han Xiao nodded, secretly making plans in his mind.
He deliberately struck up a conversation with Reldon, partly to resell the wanted criminal, and partly to get to know Reldon. Ever since he remembered the other man's identity, Han Xiao had a new idea.
The Sunil Race exists in the Garton Star System and has a very good solo storyline. Originally, it would only be accessible in a later version, but through his probing of Reldon just now, he can confirm that this storyline exists at this point in time.
He clearly remembered that the Sunil Race's storyline offered the opportunity to obtain a very rare secondary profession, and he was currently stuck on the job change requirements, needing a secondary profession, which was a crucial step.
Moreover, this storyline features a protagonist-type character, and Han Xiao pays close attention to this character because it relates to another blueprint he is about to implement.
One of the goals of entering interstellar space is to seek growth. With these two reasons, plus today's chance encounter, Han Xiao suddenly had the idea of participating in the Sunil Race's storyline, which would be very beneficial to him, and it also had some connection with the main storyline.
The Sunil Race was a small civilization in the Garton Star System. They were originally wealthy and were allies of the Goddora Civilization. However, one day, the DarkStar launched a massive invasion and destroyed the Sunil Race's homeland. The surviving Sunil people migrated and were protected by Goddora. They were given a piece of land on a certain planet and barely survived. Their civilization was on the verge of collapse. That's why Reldon couldn't help but feel angry when the DarkStar was mentioned.
It was almost a blood feud that wiped out their entire clan.