On the Planet Illinois, in a secret location, a group of powerful Thousand-Eyed Race gathered together. The room was very warm, due to the Thousand-Eyed Race's preference for heat and aversion to cold, a trait quite similar to that of the Dragon-Hunting Spider Clan.
Beneath the mechanical cloak, to conceal their identities, the heads of the Thousand-Eyed Race, transformed into a humanoid form, are spindle-shaped, covered with translucent carapaces. Most of their faces are occupied by enormous, dark red pupils, within which are distributed hundreds of compound eyes. Each of these eyes can move and think independently, and when linked together, they form a distributed thought network, greatly enhancing computational capabilities. The structure of their pupils is indispensable to the Thousand-Eyed Civilization's current scale of development.
As an energy-based race, the Thousand-Eyed Race has a rather unique physical structure. They possess numerous mutated glands within their bodies, capable of converting bioelectricity into energy rays of different frequencies, which are then emitted through their unique pupil structure.
Their innate physical structure has given rise to unique cultural characteristics of the Thousand-Eyed Race. They are extremely talented in mathematics and have developed a unique theoretical system that can express abstract concepts using spectral sequences. The traditional architecture of the Thousand-Eyed Race is also predominantly rhomboid. Although they are a race of evil alignment, most Thousand-Eyed Race abhor dark environments.
How is the positioning device responding?
Octavian, the leader of the Thousand-Eyed Race's True God, nicknamed "The World-Scorcher," asked the question.
One of the Thousand-Eyed Race True God, who was being stared at, quickly took out a device resembling a nautical compass, pointed to the slowly rotating pointer and complex measuring dial, and replied, "This time it's definitely right, Eliduo is definitely hiding somewhere on Planet Illinois. I just don't know if those annoying guys from the Water Mirror Civilization have followed us."
"That goes without saying. Those bastards have been following us around like mad, and we can't shake them off. They're also very interested in Eliduo, as if they know the secret she holds," said another Thousand-Eyed Race True God.
Inside the room, the other members of the Thousand-Eyed Race exchanged glances upon hearing this, before finally turning their gazes to Octavian the World-Burning One.
As the only Middle God on this journey and the leader of the group, Octavian has the final say on everything.
After looking around, Octavian the World-Burning said, "Planet Illinois has never been very welcoming to the True God of the Astral Realm, which is why we came here in a low-key manner. Under these circumstances, if we want to find Eliduo as soon as possible, we must rely on the local intelligence organization."
Alright, let's split up. You three True God, each lead a team to the three most famous intelligence organizations underground on Planet Illinois, and pay them to help find Eliduo. As for me, I'll lead the rest of my people and wait outside the transfer hall, partly to intercept the Water Mirror Civilization, and partly to prevent Eliduo from escaping. That's the mission. Anyone have any objections?"
As soon as he finished speaking, none of the Thousand-Eyed Race members present questioned him, so Octavian the World-Scorcher waved his hand, and they all went about their business.
Strange Light Bearer Theseus, one of the three Lower God sent by the Thousand-Eyed Civilization to capture Eliduo, possessed the life level of Tier Two True God. Beneath his cloak, his body resembled a constantly transforming ball of colorful light, his pupils dazzlingly bright, with many geometric patterns composed of solidified light floating within them.
Led by Strange Light Bearer Theseus, this group of Thousand-Eyed Race, supported by the civilization's intelligence system, easily located an intelligence organization situated in an inconspicuous high-rise building.
They took the elevator straight to the 52nd floor. After getting off, Theseus, the Strange Light Bearer, instinctively stopped. Behind him, the other Thousand-Eyed Race also frowned secretly, thinking, "What a terrible environment."
After making a comment, Theseus the Strange Light Bearer reluctantly stepped into the dimly lit, narrow corridor with black walls on both sides, filled with a mysterious atmosphere.
The receptionist who led Theseus and his companions, seemingly noticing their discomfort, explained with a smile, "This is the only way to ensure client privacy. Please forgive us. I assure you, the intelligence services we provide are absolutely worth the price."
"I hope so!" Theseus said in a deep voice.
The receptionist then stopped talking and just kept walking. But after only a few steps, without anyone noticing, his eyes underwent a dramatic change in an instant. However, it was only for a moment. His pupils contracted and expanded, and he quickly returned to normal, without any change in his aura.
"There are steps ahead, everyone be careful." It was the same voice, the same tone. Theseus and the others didn't pay any attention. After Gustavo finished speaking, he continued to lead them forward in the corridor. After turning into a side passage, they finally arrived at the highest-level cubicle.
"I hope you get the information you're looking for." After bowing slightly, Gustavo, who had replaced the receptionist, withdrew and turned to leave. In a realm invisible even to normal gods, a hand shrouded in a hazy Mist withdrew the threads of cause and effect. The receptionist's eyes quickly returned to normal; he remembered everything that had happened before and found it strange.
Meanwhile, inside the private room, the elderly dwarf sitting at the long table awaiting guests, his eyes, like the previous receptionist's, suddenly changed. But the moment Strange Light Bearer Theseus entered, he returned to normal, beaming, and said, "Welcome! Our organization possesses the most powerful intelligence network. Whether it's current affairs and politics, unknown secrets, hidden family matters, or gossip, we have it all. We can absolutely provide the most comprehensive intelligence service on Planet Illinois..."
"The most comprehensive intelligence service?" Theseus smiled, shook his head, and did not refute. He then handed over some key information about Eliduo to Gustavo, including Eliduo's appearance.
As Gustavo examined the documents in his hand, what came into view was a human-looking woman with diamond-shaped scales inlaid on her forehead. According to Logo and Lancelot's aesthetic standards, her appearance should be considered extremely beautiful, but to Gustavo, they were all the same.
"The Orange Man was indeed a disguise..." Gustavo muttered to himself, nodding. "I understand the situation. The organization will immediately launch an investigation. Once the target is found, you will be notified immediately. The final price will be determined based on the amount of resources invested in the search operation."
"Well, I have no objection to that, but I have another question. Before us, were there any similar individuals or groups who approached you with the same goal of finding this person?"
"Well..." Gustavo feigned hesitation, stammering, "You know, in our line of work, we absolutely cannot disclose client information; that's a bottom line..."
As soon as he finished speaking, a stack of Star Wheel with an astonishing face value was thrown onto the table. Theseus tilted his head slightly, looking at him as if to say, "What did you just say?"
Gustavo had no shame. He smoothly put away the Star Wheel, then changed the subject, saying, "However, customer information is a very broad concept. As far as I know, you should be the first major customer to come here recently to inquire about similar information."
"Is that so? I understand." Theseus's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he thought to himself, "It seems we're in the lead this time, and the Water Mirror Race is lagging behind. We must strike while the iron is hot and hurry up to find Eliduo!"
Just as he was about to get up and leave, Theseus's eyes lit up, and he added, "If anyone comes asking for similar information, could you... not tell them?"
"Your Excellency, according to the regulations, this is not permitted," Gustavo said, raising an eyebrow and rubbing his fingers together slightly, his meaning crystal clear.
Looking at the short, stout old man in front of him, Theseus's lips twitched slightly, but he still took out two stacks of Star Wheel and threw them on the table. "I'm not forcing you to refuse business, as long as you can notify me in time, you can manage that, right?"
After a brief encounter, Theseus realized that talking about principles with an underground intelligence organization was like casting pearls before swine, so he proactively lowered his demands to avoid getting angry later.
"Look at what you're saying, this small request is certainly within my reach." Gustavo grabbed the Star Wheel on the table, his eyes gleaming with greed, revealing the true face of a cunning merchant.
"Help me get this done, and you'll be rewarded tenfold with Star Wheel. If you mess it up, hmph!"
"Understood, understood, don't worry, our reputation is our top priority, we would never joke about our own name," Gustavo said hurriedly.
I hope so.
After speaking, Theseus the Strange Light Bearer led his men out of the cubicle.
Gustavo chuckled, detached the causal thread from the old dwarf, and his consciousness silently departed.
Above the neon dome, inside an ordinary aircraft, Gustavo slowly opened his eyes, a sly smile appearing on his face.
With a thought, golden light shone from between his brows, Scale of Exchange appeared, landing in Gustavo's hands.
Gently stroking the Miracle Demigod Artifact, Gustavo sighed with emotion, "I underestimated the complementary relationship between the Scale of Exchange and the True God of Fate. No wonder the Goddess of Misfortune was able to beat the Goddess of Fortune so badly. As long as there's enough Fortune and even a slight causal connection, one can exchange identities with her—it's simply heaven-defying. Combined with the Divine Law I've mastered, it's even more terrifying. Even True God can't detect anything amiss. And this is only Demigod; if it were to reach the level of a divine artifact..."
The thrill of manipulating the Thousand-Eyed Race and the Orange People from behind the scenes made Gustavo yearn for the power of the Scale of Exchange after it was upgraded to an artifact level, especially when it reached the same quality as the current Steel Feather Cloak. Perhaps even Upper God would fall victim to it.
Over the next few days, Gustavo continued to operate behind the scenes, gradually increasing his influence on Orange Person Eliduo by slowly consuming her Fortune, thereby disrupting her thinking and keeping her stuck on Planet Illinois.
On the other side, Gustavo was also secretly hindering the Thousand-Eyed Race's actions. He did not provoke the Middle God Octavian, but instead used the other three Lower God as entry points, especially the Strange Light Bearer Theseus. Just like with Eliduo, he first established causal connections, then slowly devoured Fortune, exerted influence, and disrupted her thinking. When the time was right, he used the "Controller" in conjunction with the "Divine Law of the Soul" to turn her into his loyal follower.
After waiting for several days, the people of the Water Mirror Civilization finally arrived on the Planet Illinois. Following the same approach as the Thousand-Eyed Race, the Water Mirror Race also contacted various underground intelligence organizations.
Inside the same compartment, the old dwarf controlled by Gustavo met the group of Water Mirror Race. Their leader was also Lower God, who thought he was well hidden. Little did he know that, under the Eye of Omniscience, their tracks had been discovered the moment they stepped onto the Planet Illinois.
About half an hour later, the Water Mirror Race who had been ripped off walked out of the cubicle.
Gustavo quickly picked up his communicator and contacted Theseus the Strange Light Bearer, informing him of the arrival of the Water Mirror Race.
"What? Are you sure?" Theseus, who had been searching for Eliduo for days without success, shouted from the other end of the communicator, sounding quite distraught.
Gustavo, controlling the old dwarf, nodded. "That's definitely right. Their description is pretty much the same as yours. However, compared to you, these guys are incredibly stingy."
"Stingy? Ha, that's more like it. These hotheads are always so stingy." Hearing Gustavo's words, Theseus finally realized that the Water Mirror Race had indeed arrived.
A sense of urgency welled up within him, and his tone turned cold. "It's been days, and you still haven't sent any news. And this is what you call the best intelligence organization on Planet Illinois?"
Gustavo remained unfazed. "Heh heh, sir, please calm down. We didn't have any intelligence before, but as luck would have it, right after those guests left, we received good news that we've located the person you're looking for."
"Oh? Really?!" Theseus's anger, which had just surged, subsided considerably in an instant. But he quickly realized something was wrong, his expression changed, and he shouted sharply, "What a coincidence! Are you doing this on purpose? Trying to raise the price?"
"No, absolutely not. I swear on the life of the organization's leader, this is impossible. If I were to conceal this, the leader would be killed by his enemies the moment he stepped outside, and the organization would fall apart..."
Gustavo rattled off a string of oaths without blinking, speaking at breakneck speed and with dramatic intonation, leaving Theseus stunned and almost believing he had truly wronged the old dwarf.
"Alright, Theseus, in the end, it's your own loose tongue that revealed the existence of our enemy. What are they waiting for if they don't take the opportunity to raise their price? Do you really think Planet Illinois is paradise?" A deep, reprimanding voice rang out, and Gustavo's eyes narrowed as he realized the speaker's identity: the Middle God of the Thousand-Eyed Race.
After Octavian the Scorching One stepped forward, he immediately took over the conversation. He said, "Your organization has good methods, but these are minor matters. Since you came to us first, it proves that your organization has made a choice, doesn't it?"
"What are you saying, sir? In business, who doesn't like dealing with people who spend lavishly?" Gustavo smiled slyly and then rattled off a string of numbers.
Theseus, upon hearing this, instinctively wanted to curse, but was interrupted by the cold look of his superior Octavian, who didn't even haggle and decisively agreed, saying, "I'll transfer the money to you now, half first. Tell me the person's location, and we'll pay the other half after we find her!"
"Can."
Gustavo nodded, and soon after, his intelligence organization received a large remittance.
Without hesitation, Gustavo informed the Thousand-Eyed Race and the Water Mirror Race of the location of the Orange Person, Eliduo.
That's right, Gustavo made money twice over.
That wasn't the end of it. After receiving the remittances from the two great civilizations, he immediately hacked into the account of his intelligence organization, diverted the funds, laundered them, and transferred them into his own account.
As for the channels for laundering funds, don't forget that the Pureblood Human Race are major shareholders of "Star Sea Bank," so laundering this amount of money is nothing to them.
Having done all this, Gustavo's consciousness returned to his body. At this moment, he was at the top of a tall tower, his gaze lowered, looking down at the orange-man, Eliduo, walking on the street.
On both sides of the street, the Thousand-Eyed Race and the Water Mirror Race were rapidly approaching, both locking onto their targets with unparalleled precision and discovering each other's presence.
"The show's about to begin..."