sjar Chapter 321 [Empire] Calculation
Chapter 321 [Empire] Calculation
I haven't wanted to see Wen Ya lately. He's so dazzling, it makes me feel inferior. And I don't want to go back to that villa either. That man's mind is terribly confused when he's drunk, and I don't want to be entangled with him. When I was homeless, I thought of my dorm at school. I decided to go there to catch up on some sleep and then go "try my luck" that night.
The school dormitory was small and empty, exuding a stale smell. The walls were yellowed, and the corners were faintly mottled with traces of time. The simple bed was a little hard, but for my tired self, it was enough.
I didn't turn on the light, but simply slid onto the bed and casually placed my coat next to my pillow. As I closed my eyes, I felt a long-lost sense of relief.
"Wen Ya's halo is too dazzling, and the atmosphere in that villa is too stuffy." I thought so in my mind, turned over, and buried my face in the cold pillow.
The dormitory didn't have the rich aroma of coffee like Wenya's room, nor did it have the faint smell of alcohol like the villa. There was only a faint smell of grass - probably coming from the undernourished green plants downstairs.
Despite the faint sounds of students outside and the footsteps of the dormitory manager, I quickly fell into a light sleep. It was as if I had pressed the pause button, and all my distracting thoughts and emotions were temporarily shelved in some unknown corner.
This is a good place, at least for now.
Recently, I've added a new "portable artifact" to my luggage—a young green seedling. From liquid soil in a pot to the earth of a strange planet, and now needing nothing at all, it's becoming more and more like a wandering, "happy-go-lucky" plant. For ease of portability, I simply stuff it directly into my backpack.
The backpack was light and looked like any other, but walking down the street with it made me feel like I was secretly transporting something dangerous.
"Who in the world is more outrageous than me? Traveling around the country with a plant that can find food on its own." I complained in my heart, but I was used to it.
The zipper of my backpack wasn't zipped all the way up, and a few leaves of the seedlings were exposed. They swayed gently with my steps, making them look like some kind of harmless ornamental plant.
It was quiet. Without the liquid soil, it seemed to have much less to do. Even I couldn't figure out if it had evolved or simply didn't need the so-called soil anymore. The only thing I knew for sure was that this seedling relied on me simply to make it easier to find its next "meal."
Walking among the crowd, no one would notice I had this "freak" plant hidden in my backpack. This secrecy gave me a sense of security, but also a sense of inexplicable absurdity.
I came to the barter market next to Mercenary Street. This time I also "confiscated" a lot of combat plant tissues. I was wondering if this stuff could be exchanged for a meal.
The barter market, as usual, was filled with a diverse crowd and a cacophony of activity. The air was thick with the scents of burning metal, the fresh aroma of plants, and the mingled odor of sweat and tobacco from the crowds. I, carrying my backpack of seedlings and some of my "trophies," decided to try my luck.
I chose a conspicuous stall and placed the combat plant tissue in my hand in front of the stall owner.
"What is this? The main tissue of a combat plant?" The stall owner was a middle-aged man with an unshaven beard, who looked at it suspiciously.
I nodded and said as casually as possible, "I brought it back from hunting. I'm hungry and want to exchange it for something to eat."
The stall owner narrowed his eyes, picked up a small piece of tissue with tweezers, and examined it carefully. "Tsk, this thing is not common. You really are a lucky kid."
He took out a scanner and scanned the tissue a few times. The data on the screen made him stunned. Then he raised his eyebrows and looked me up and down.
"Do you know the market price of these things?"
I smiled and said, "The market price is your business. I just want to exchange it for a meal."
The stall owner seemed satisfied with my answer and went straight to the back storage cabinet to get a box of vacuum-packed food - a piece of tender barbecued meat and a small bag of seasoning, which looked like a simple dipping sauce for barbecue. He handed the food to me and gestured for me to put down the combat plant tissue.
"Deal, but kid, take a word of advice. Next time, don't throw this kind of thing at the street market to exchange for food. Some people are willing to pay a high price for it, while others will just snatch it away with a knife."
I took the food and smiled, "Thanks for the reminder. But I'm more afraid of someone taking my food away with a knife."
The stall owner laughed and waved his hand: "Funny boy, bring more good stuff next time."
As I left the stall, I felt the seedling in my backpack sway slightly, as if it was unhappy that the combat plant tissue had been replaced. I lowered my head, patted my backpack, and whispered, "Don't worry, we can get a better one sooner or later."
When I noticed that gaze, as dark as a searchlight, Nightingale's voice came from behind me, with that nonchalant tone: "Why don't you give me the plant tissue you exchanged with that stall owner? You know, I can even stuff you with food."
I stopped, looked back at him, and didn't say anything for a long time.
"Nightingale, do you have a special liking for plants?" I asked casually, but my hands unconsciously protected the shoulder straps of my backpack.
He didn't answer my question, but instead inched closer, his gaze making me uneasy. His smile was playful, yet it held a wary aggression. "Ayaji, do you know how rare that tissue is? You replaced it so easily, and what did you get in return? A piece of flesh?"
I shrugged and said perfunctorily, "Who told me to look down on those organizations at the time? And don't you know that it's my freedom to exchange, right?"
His expression didn't relax at all; instead, he stared at me intently, as if pondering the meaning behind my every word. He sighed softly, his tone complicated, "I told you I'd give you whatever you wanted, but you chose to make a deal with someone else. Lingzhi, do you not trust me, or do you have other plans?"
"Neither." I interrupted him, my voice quiet but with a hint of coldness, "It's just that I think you're... too dangerous."
He was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, echoing through the streets and alleys, making my ears numb. He laughed so hard that his eyes reddened, as if he had heard some ridiculous joke. "Dangerous? You're such a picky talker, Lingzhi. But you don't think that thing you're carrying is safe, do you?"
I didn't respond, just stared at him coldly. His gaze grew darker, as if he was trying to see through me. I knew he wasn't really interested in me; what he cared about was my "things."
"Nightingale, I advise you to stop staring at me." I lowered my voice, my tone like a knife, "Otherwise, I will really suspect that there are some less friendly intentions hidden behind your kindness."
He tilted his head to look at me, the faint smile on his lips making it hard to understand: "I have always been very friendly to you, Lingzhi. But remember what I said - next time you have something good, don't let outsiders take advantage of it."
"Nightingale, your behavior really puzzles me." I looked at him with a smile. "You know very well that I hunted this Lord-level plant myself. It was a personal mission. You should know that I have so many branches and tissues like garbage. What are you fussing about? Are you fussing about me not giving you a single piece?"
Nightingale, cigarette in hand, lazily leaned against the wall, his eyes looking at me with an ambiguous expression. He slowly blew out a smoke ring and chuckled, "Hey, kid, so I should thank you for not throwing the whole plant away as fertilizer?"
I didn't get angry. With my hands in my pockets, I slowly replied, "Since you know I hunted it, you should know that these branches and leaves are worthless to me. Why do you care that I didn't give you a piece? Or are you, a great Nightingale, jealous of others' gains?"
He snorted softly, his eyes sweeping across the bulging outline of my backpack, as if he could see straight through to what was inside. He slowly withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "I'm not jealous, but I am curious. You're carrying this around on the street, aren't you afraid someone will just hack your backpack apart?"
I smiled, took a step towards him, and lowered my voice: "Afraid? You should know that anyone who wants to kill me has to have the ability to do so."
He lowered his head, smiled, and put out his cigarette, a hint of unpredictable emotion in his eyes. He seemed to want to say something, but stopped himself, finally saying, "Don't be so arrogant, kid. You're a member of Shadow Mist now, so don't let people target my team's name."