The Legendary Mechanic, page 210
Ember and his people had fled with their powers and vanished without a trace, only leaving the Silvers behind, who were hugging each other while shivering. They were meaningless to Ember now, so they had been abandoned. Not only did that make it easier for them to escape, it would also calm the Dragon Guards down.
At this time, the graphite barrier was dismissed and fell onto the ground. This meant that Ember was already far away, and the aircraft had left the area of his power.
“He ran so fast.” Herlous was surprised. As he was about to make the order of continuing the chase, Han Xiao suddenly raised his hand, stopped him, and said, “Don’t chase anymore. No point.”
“Why? Is it okay to let them escape?”
“Just say we can’t catch them.” Han Xiao’s eyes sparkled. “Didn’t you guys notice? These brutes have really helped us!”
They were stunned before looking over at where Han Xiao was pointing at to see the Silvers on the ground. Then, they realized, and surprise appeared on their faces.
That’s right! Our hiring mission is to rescue the Silvers!
After so many things, the Silvers had finally been rescued in a strange way. Furthermore, they were in Han Xiao’s hands. Han Xiao was not going to let go of this opportunity. The difficult part of rescuing the Silvers was Horlaide, and this part had been solved just like that. He almost wanted to thank DarkStar.
Han Xiao’s words were even more useful than the Guard Captain Wilsander. They all listened to him and stopped the chase. Very soon, the other players came in aircrafts, protecting the Silvers again.
Wilsander requested for communication. “The other brutes are all captured. The people you’re chasing are the only ones left. How’s it going?”
Han Xiao shook his head. “They escaped. There was a very strong Super.”
“Why are you guys the only ones with a problem? If this gets out, these outsiders will doubt the authority of us Dragon Guards. More and more people will challenge us, threatening the security of Floating Dragon Island, destroying the peace of the residents. The long balance will be broken, and the world will turn into chaos. I don’t even dare imagine it. When Lord Ames returns, my position in her heart will collapse.” Wilsander complained nonstop.
Han Xiao’s mouth twitched. Don’t you have any idea? Your impression in Ames’ heart was collapsed from the start…
He did not have the heart to break Wilsander’s fantasy; they would not be playmates if he did. Actually, creatures at their grade were the same as parameciums in Ames’ eyes, and her subordinates were just domestic parameciums…
Han Xiao cut off Wilsander’s complaints and said, “Don’t worry, I know who they are.”
At this time, a new idea surfaced in his mind. The reason that Ember did not have fears was because they kept things confidential. However, he did not know that his identity had been revealed by Han Xiao, and when his identity was exposed, he would definitely be very confused. Not knowing where he exposed any information, he would never be able to guess what was unique about Han Xiao.
Since he was the only one that knew about this intel, he could take advantage of it, revealing DarkStar’s identity to Floating Dragon Island. Coincidentally, Ames had not been in a good mood recently. If someone beyond grade A targeted DarkStar, even Han Xiao would pity them.
DarkStar doesn’t want to cause trouble? No problem, I will help them cause tons of trouble. I’m a man who wore the red scarf before after all. Helping people is something I should do.
Because of Mutation Disaster, DarkStar would definitely be his enemy, so he was very happy about this plan.
Furthermore, Han Xiao made a new discovery. Even Ember was sent out. These Silvers definitely have a big secret, and DarkStar is trying to do something huge!
He asked the still horrified Silvers, and after that, he caught a few key points. Firstly, DarkStar did not want to rescue all the Silvers but a certain one. Secondly, this person had definitely been in contact with DarkStar before, or they would not have exchanged code word. This person was likely a secret employee, and even his friends did not know his identity. Thirdly, one of the two Silver that died was DarkStar’s target, so Ember had just retreated temporarily. It definitely did not mean that he had given up. Fourthly, this was probably not the first time that a similar operation had been carried out.
By connecting these points, Han Xiao smelled a conspiracy. It was so confidential and cautious—this thing was definitely very important to DarkStar. He was suddenly very motivated. If he could break DarkStar’s plan secretly, not only would he anger them, he might even profit from it.
Furthermore, he was in the shadows, and the enemy was under the light. This was his biggest advantage.
The only problem was… he did not know what DarkStar wanted to do. There was a serious lack of intel.
…
The guards cleaned up the ruins of the slave market. Unconscious people were carried aside, and Horlaide’s eyes opened slowly. He had finally awoken.
Horlaide looked up. He was still lost and confused. Then, he stared directly at the ruins before him, slowly coming to recognize this familiar outline. His mouth gradually opened wide, and his expression turned horrified.
Then, an almost deafening scream soared into the sky!
“Argh!”
The guards beside hastily covered their eyes and felt shocked. “Tsk, this high note is comparable to a Psychic Blast.”
After he finished screaming, Horlaide fell flat on the ground. His heart was twitching, and he almost suffocated.
He still remembered the last thing that he had seen before turning unconscious. He had been sitting in his luxurious chair, sipping on a drink, and feeling excited about the huge sum of money that he was going to receive. Alas, now, his home was gone, and he had suddenly become broke. He had fallen from Heaven to Hell in an instant.
His composure collapsed! Horlaide’s luxurious shirt was covered in dust. He was in a mess. He hastily grabbed one guards from the side and asked with a trembling voice, “What has happened? Why did my home turn into this!”
The guard described what had happened. Knowing the enemies had been captured, Horlaide’s eyes sparkled, and he hastily asked, “Then what about my slaves? Where are they? Give them back to me now!”
At this time, a voice full of justice appeared from the side.
“Horlaide, don’t worry. I will definitely catch back all the slaves for you, minimizing your damages!”
Horlaide turned and looked over immediately. He was very surprised.
The owner of the voice was Han Xiao, he walked over with wide strides, and behind them followed all the slaves, including the Silvers.
This group of slaves had all been rescued by the guards. Han Xiao had just discussed with Wilsander and received the authority over the slaves, so he had gathered all of them.
“These are all my slaves.” Horlaide was overjoyed.
Han Xiao’s face was filled with justice, he patted his own chest and said, “Don’t worry, if the slaves are found, I will return them to you immediately. We are colleagues after all.”
“Found? You have already brought the slaves, quickly return them to me.” Horlaide was confused.
Han Xiao widened his eyes, looked around, and said, “Where are the slaves? Tell me, I will definitely catch them for you.”
“Stop playing dumb, right behind you!” Horlaide was agitated.
“Behind me?” Han Xiao looked back with confused, then shook his head, and said, “Only those wearing cuffs and collars are slaves. I only see a group of free people. Where are the slaves you’re talking about?”
Now Horlaide understood Han Xiao’s intention. His expression changed instantly, and his lungs almost exploded out of rage.
Chapter 380. Released |
The brutes had snatched the slaves, so they no longer belonged to Horlaide. Then, the slaves had been rescued by Floating Dragon. Han Xiao had unlocked all of the slaves’ shackles, so no one could prove that they had once been slaves, and no one could object if he said that they were free people.
Horlaide could not defend himself. When slaves were lost, they could only be caught back, but he did not have the authority. The only way was to bribe and request the guards to do it. However, Guard Captain Wilsander was standing right by the side at this time, with no intention of intervention, clearly in favor of Han Xiao position. With approval from the Guard Captain, who would dare act?
Horlaide saw Theon among the guards. Theon trembled and hurriedly retreated to the back of the crowd. Seeing this, Horlaide knew that he could not rely on Theon—this guy was completely fearful of Black Star’s people.
Looking at Han Xiao’s calm expression, Horlaide was furious, but for the slaves, he could only endure that anger. No longer proud, he came to Han Xiao. With a voice that only two of them could hear, he said angrily, “Alright, you win. You only need the Silvers, right? They’re yours. The other slaves have nothing to do with you. I can buy them back, give me a price.”
Han Xiao had the upper hand, and Horlaide could only endure the pain and give up the Silvers. He was ready to make a huge sacrifice and exchange for other slaves, otherwise his business would be done for.
“I just said, there are only free men here.” Han Xiao shrugged.
Horlaide got the wrong idea. His expression turned livid, and he said, “Don’t go too far! You want all the slaves, but the Head Butler won’t let you get away with it!”
“Take it all? Hehehe, don’t you understand? They are not slaves anymore,” Han Xiao said coldly.
“Are-are you insane‽” Horlaide said in a shocking tone. He had thought Han Xiao wanted more money, but now he understood. Han Xiao was planning to let all the slaves go, really giving them freedom. It was too wasteful. He found it difficult to understand. What did Han Xiao want to get out of saving those unrelated slaves for free‽
At this time, an aircraft landed. Head Butler Jenny and her people rushed to the scene. Horlaide’s eyes lit up, as if he had found someone to rely on. He gave Han Xiao a stare and hastily ran up to Jenny.
“Head Butler, I—I hope to have my slaves back…” Horlaide explained what was going on and complained, “That newly joined Black Star wants to release my slaves, how can he do that? He’s disrespecting you.”
“I know.” Jenny nodded lightly and walked toward Han Xiao.
Horlaide immediately felt confident, he followed behind and kept sneering at Han Xiao.
Jenny came to the front of Han Xiao and said, “Black Star, you did a good job. If you had not disrupted the enemies’ actions, they might have succeeded. It would have been a heavy blow for the Dragon Guards’ prestige, and it is just when the Dragon Emperor is not at home. You did well. I will add this contribution to your file, increasing your trust authority. People who make contributions will receive physical reward. You can ask for monetary reward or something else…”
She paused and added, “Although it’s a little late… Welcome to Floating Dragon.”
_____________
+300 Floating Dragon Reputation.
Current relationship: Neutral (700/1000)
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Han Xiao nodded, not surprised by Jenny’s attitude at all. When he was chatting with Wilsander earlier, Jenny had joined the communication channel as well. He had contacted Jenny privately long ago and achieved a consensus. Only Horlaide had been in the dark, still thinking that he had found a life-saving straw.
The more Horlaide listened, the more he felt something was wrong. Why did Jenny not sound like she was helping him but was praising Han Xiao? He suddenly could not sit still any longer. So, he carefully cut in and said, “Head Butler, about the slaves…”
Jenny glanced at him and said, ” We only buy and sell slaves; we never catch them ourselves. Since they are free, let them go.”
As always, Jenny handled official things the official way. Floating Dragon was a neutral organization, and they would at most partake in the slave trade as an intermediary business. They would not catch slaves themselves.
Since Han Xiao was the hero of this case, she would take care of this, giving him a suitable amount of privileges, agreeing to Han Xiao’s actions. Moreover, the profit of the slave business was basic, and every year, Horlaide also corrupted part of the sales numbers. She had always known but just did not bother, so that day, she had no reason to speak up for Horlaide. ( NovelFull )
Horlaide was stunned. A sense of indignation echoed in his chest, almost exploding it. Looking at Han Xiao’s mocking expression, he said uncontrollably, “I suspect that the attack was led by Black Star in the first place in order to save the Silvers. Yes, it must be so. The brutes were all his hired helpers, and by the way, he also let go of a group of them. That group was certainly his people!”
The more Horlaide spoke, the more agitated he became. Although it was a flash of insight, he felt that it was a very logical guess.
Han Xiao raised his eyebrows and said casually, “We are colleagues, how can you frame me?”
Although Horlaide dumped the pot to him, which was a very malicious act, this guess did not make sense at all because they had an alibi, and it came from Jenny.
Jenny had been unsettled by this new guy, so she had arranged people to monitor them secretly, and this time, that became the most powerful piece of evidence! Therefore, Jenny was completely unaffected. She frowned and said, “That’s it, Horlaide. You’re attempting to frame your colleague for nothing. You’re temporarily suspended, and when you’ve calmed down, I’ll give you a new job.”
Horlaide’s heart turned cold. Knowing that the situation had not been fixed, he gnashed his teeth in hatred. Suddenly, he remembered that he had dealt with Han Xiao earlier with this method too, and Han Xiao took revenge with the same method. This time, he became the helpless party. A sense of weakness flooded his body. His eyes rolled, and he fell straight down, passing out once again.
Anyway, nothing could be changed, so he might as well sleep for a while longer. That way, he would not die from the anger from being laughed at by those around him.
Not caring about Horlaide, Han Xiao coughed and said, “Jenny, I…”
“You should call me Head… Forget it, call me by my name then.” A strange look flashed by Jenny’s face. Usually, only boss Ames, Wilsander, and Haier called her by her name because her style made her subordinates fear her. This was the first time that she had heard a subordinate call her by her name, so she felt a little strange.
“I know the identity of the people who fled. They are not ordinary brutes…” Han Xiao kept his voice low and said, “They come from DarkStar.”
Jenny’s eyes focused, and she said with a low voice, “When you’re done with the things here, immediately find me to do a detailed report.”
Then, Jennie hurriedly left with her people, leaving only the logistics group there to clean the ruins.
Han Xiao and others came to the side. All rescued slaves were staring at him with different looks on their faces. They finally had their freedom, and they did not want to lose it again. They were not sure how they were going to be arranged next.
Han Xiao stepped out of the crowd, looked around, and said, “My name is Black Star, leader of Black Star Mercenary Group. Remember my name. I gave you freedom, so you owe me. Maybe, if one day we meet again, I might need your help. Now, go.”
All the slaves froze. One asked while trembling, “We… Can we really leave?”
Han Xiao waved his hand and signaled that they could go at any time.
A man carefully walked away, looking back every few steps. Eventually, after a few dozen meters, he found that no one had stopped him. He was overjoyed.
“We’re really free!” The crowd could not believe that freedom had come so easily.
The slave that walked out first did not run away immediately. Instead, he turned around with a face of gratitude and gave Han Xiao a native sign of appreciation. He shouted, “Black Star, I will remember this name.”
One by one, the slaves left with gratitude, showing Han Xiao a variety of etiquettes. Han Xiao did not feel much, but the players behind him felt a sense of accomplishment and comfort. They held their heads high and felt that they had done a good thing.
Herlous was the most empathetic. He patted Han Xiao on the shoulder and praised, “Beautifully done.”
All members looked at the figure of Han Xiao with eyes full of goodwill, and at this moment, their approval of Han Xiao increased. To have the players love a character, in addition to strength, there was another condition, charm, and approval. Han Xiao had been creating a very positive image in the eyes of the players, and the act of releasing the slaves made his image increase once again.
Bun-Hit-Dog recorded this scene faithfully.
Han Xiao turned around. Surprisingly, there were several slaves of the same race who remained in place and did not leave.
“Why don’t you go?”
These few people obviously knew each other. They looked somewhat similar to one another, They exchanged looks, and one of them said, “Us brothers were once mercenaries, but when we followed a small mercenary group and carried out a mission, we were met with danger. Most of the members died, and only the few of us here were fortunate enough to escape. However, we were then caught by the slaver and imprisoned for more than a year. Our team has long been destroyed, and we have no place to go. We hope that you can take us, give us a job. You are our savior, so we are more than willing to work for you.”
Chapter 381. One Step Ahead (1) |
Han Xiao was quite surprised. He had initially only wanted to let the slaves go, so he had thought all the slaves would be in a hurry to leave. He honestly did not expect someone to stay voluntarily. He asked in detail and decided to take in those three people.
The three Volga brothers were Tamihalatinians, a small civilization in the Shattered Star Ring. Its advancement was similar to Sunil before the disaster, able to navigate the universe to a certain extent. They belonged to the Magic-type civilization, focused on the spiritual branch. Their race specialty was mind communication, and through one look at each other’s eyes, the exchange of information could be completed, omitting speech to a certain extent. This had the strongest effect between close siblings.
