Buying the Case and Returning the Pearl
He deliberately grabbed her neck to enter combat mode.
Hearing his words, the smuggler's henchmen all froze, looking hesitant.
This way, he could see her panel data.
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[Entering combat mode, assessing...]
[Based on your level, you will see the following information about the enemy:]
[Name]: Pei Li
[Total Level]: lv.1 Civilian
[Health]: 50/50 (Healthy)
[Attributes]:
Strength—3
Dexterity—3
Constitution—4
Charisma—2
Willpower—2
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She looked small and weak, indeed her attributes were much lower than his.
Seeing this, he immediately activated the [Security] job skill [Bully the Weak].
[Bully the Weak]: Use verbal abuse, intimidation, and threats to perform an attribute check. If your main attribute is higher than the opponent's, the check succeeds.
Li Aozhi's main attribute was [Charisma], at a whopping 13 points, so the check passed directly.
Although his strength was only 4 points, he could still lift a small woman off the ground.
The smuggler's pupils shrank. Noticing Li Aozhi's pale skin, she quickly realized something and forced a smile:
"Oh, you're with the resistance—misunderstanding! This is all a misunderstanding! If you had said so earlier, we live off the scraps from the resistance. I swear on my great-grandmother's grave, I had no intention of offending you."
Li Aozhi glanced at the four middle-aged men, snorted coldly. In a real fight, his combat skills were enough to handle them.
But that wasn't worth it. If someone tipped off Rule Four, he wouldn't make it to the border.
He could handle one or two agents, but he wasn't a [Warrior]. Plus, law enforcement had guns, and he'd be lucky to avoid getting shot on the spot.
He muttered about the 'ultimate humiliation' by Rule Four.
Using the name of the infamous border resistance guerrilla 'Rose Army' and his pale skin, combined with an unusual smuggling destination, he was easily believed.
Li Aozhi let go, and Pei Li fell to the ground with a thud. Rubbing her butt, she hadn't even stood up when he threw her another 2000 Debbies.
"Keep quiet. I have confidential matters. Get me out of the city quickly. If anything happens to me, heh... Delina just took the army north last month, you think about it!"
The last part was made up. According to the timeline, Rose Army's northern campaign led by Delina wouldn't start until next March, and Yaoguang City wasn't even in the attack plan.
It was a complete lie, but lies can be credible when told by the right person at the right time.
Rose Army was known for being ruthless, unscrupulous, and anti-Frost. Most members were stateless refugees.
Coincidentally, Li Aozhi's pale skin was very similar to that of a stateless refugee.
Thinking this, the smuggler felt a chill.
'Even if it's not true, I'll accept it. Better safe than sorry. If I delay the Rose Army and face retaliation, they are worse than Rule Four. Besides, he paid extra, indicating his urgency and willingness to spend money to avoid trouble.'
Using a mix of threats and incentives, the smuggler nodded hurriedly, took the money, and discussed briefly with her subordinates. They didn't dare to hike the price, just wanting to get rid of this troublemaker quickly.
Li Aozhi stayed quiet, closing his eyes to rest while thinking about what to do once he reached the outside world.
Frost was officially marked as "least recommended for beginners" by the game developers.
Beyond Rule Four, gender discrimination, and the notorious Rose Army, Frost had many bottom-line challenging events, poor resources, terrible gaming experience, and obnoxious locals.
As a noble Red Arrow Empire citizen, Li Aozhi's knowledge of Frost came from Baidu and female colleagues on the streaming platform.
"The four nations of Azure Star each have their own traits. Red Arrow is authoritarian but provides a good life through monetary power and military strength. It's best for competitive, pure-hearted players."
"Tianhuan is extreme, under military dictatorship, constantly waging wars for resources. The plot is straightforward and easy for players to integrate and grow."
"Zhengxu has good welfare, attracting big companies to invest and develop. The social pace is slow, with excellent benefits, great for older players to retire. But in wars, the country lacks the ability to face enemies directly."
"Frost, although resource-poor and full of conflicts, has an advantage that other countries don't."
Recalling that information, Li Aozhi's eyes brightened, forming a plan to become a [Starfall Master].
Soon, a truck transporting hazardous chemicals left Jianlin County. The driver, with a cigarette in his mouth, didn't light it, resting his hands on the steering wheel. The bustling county receded, replaced by lush forests and mountains, with automated robots working in the dense farmlands. The harmony between machinery and nature was evident.
Under the guidance of technology, everything seemed beautiful.
The hemisphere light barrier generator in the sky emitted a fixed frequency of sunlight. As the truck moved further away from the county, the light grew dim.
The driver suddenly shouted to the co-driver:
"Get the coat out."
After a turn, the enticing green scenery abruptly ended. Snowflakes fell from the sky, and the rich black soil seamlessly transitioned into desert.
Cold, gloomy, desolate.
In the air, a huge barrier descended. On the endless desert peak, an 80-meter-high concrete wall stood, connected to the translucent barrier. Fierce auto-cannons aimed inside and outside, ready to shred anyone attempting to cross the wire and dragon's teeth obstacles.
Under this massive curtain-like wall, a lonely checkpoint stopped the truck.
"Halt!"
A guard shouted, rifle in hand, slamming his mechanical fist on the window, then opened his chrome-plated palm. Artificial muscles and neural links intact, he rubbed his fingers together:
"Papers and money, or I'll count you overweight."
The driver was prepared, taking out the documents, 2000 Debbies in cash, and a pack of cigarettes, respectfully handing them to the guard.
Corruption at Frost's border checkpoints was blatant. Although the guards were mostly male, they didn't show any leniency to male long-haul drivers.
The guard took the money and couldn't hide his joy when he saw the cigarette pack. He glanced at the documents, tossed them back, and asked nonchalantly:
"What are you carrying?" The guard asked casually while operating his portable computer.
"Chemicals. Dibutyl phthalate. It's toxic and flammable."
The driver cautiously explained.
"What, planning to make a bomb?" The guard squinted.
"No, no, it's just a regular plasticizer." The driver quickly clarified.
"Oh?" The guard raised an eyebrow, turned to look at the truck's tank, and activated his subcutaneous life detection chip, circling the tank.
He inspected the tank, which was twelve meters long and three meters in diameter. The chip's calculations indicated it could hold at least 27 people if they had oxygen tanks and protective suits.
The life detection chip didn't pick up any signals.
But for some reason, the guard still felt something was off.
"This stuff is toxic, boss," the driver reminded.
The guard glanced at the co-driver, who was bundled up in a coat, and casually asked:
"Afraid of the cold?"
Before the co-driver could speak, the driver quickly said:
"He's got kidney deficiency. He went on a drinking binge and got privately interrogated by Rule Four's female officers for two days. He can't handle the cold near the barrier."
"I see," the guard understood, not doubting it.
Those crazy women from Rule Four were unpredictable. Any other reason would have made him suspicious.
The driver noticed the barrier wasn't lowering and felt puzzled and nervous.
"What's the problem?"
The mechanical hand reached into the truck again.
The implication was clear: more money was needed.
The driver was about to have the co-driver get more cash when a QR code popped up on the guard's hand.
"Less cash, more e-payment."
The guard whispered:
"Rose Army seems to have taken over a mint. Fake cash will flood the market soon; it's not safe."
The driver realized, quickly using his terminal to pay. The guard took the payment and waved them through. The high wall twisted open, revealing a deep tunnel.
The driver turned on the headlights and drove in slowly. After some time, thick frost covered the windows. The dense fog locked the space, and the road ahead glowed faintly in the yellow light.
After about half an hour, the driver suddenly stopped, turning to the man in the passenger seat:
"We're here. Give me back the coat."
"Seriously? Can't even part with a coat?"
"Quit whining. There's no sunlight here. Can't you see?" The driver snapped, "It'll freeze you to death. I suggest finding a hole to hide in once you get out. But don't rush to any fire you see; it's probably bandits."
"Alright, alright."
Li Aozhi rubbed his disguised face, took off the coat, and picked up his luggage. He thought for a moment, then took out his terminal and handed it to the driver.
"Old man, can I trade this for a pack of cigarettes?"
"That junk terminal? It's worth one pack!"
"No, no, you misunderstand. I only want the empty pack; you keep the cigarettes."