Chapter 154: Straight Hook Fishing

In a small Villa within the Inuit Hub, many Metal Crates were neatly arranged. Prismatic Yellow-Eyed Remnants patrolled the area to prevent any trespassers from approaching.

On the central table, various cuts of meat tumbled endlessly in a pot of boiling red liquid, sending curling wisps of steam into the air.

"This stuff is actually really good..." someone muttered with their head lowered, continuously stuffing food into their mouth and letting out occasional grunts of praise.

The other two sitting nearby chimed in with agreement.

Buzz—

A nearby Smart Terminal vibrated. He glanced at it, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and declared loudly, "Get ready, brothers. A Fat Sheep is coming to our door."

"Yes!"

...

Inside the Tyron Tower, Li Yu and the Second-hand Dealer had just arrived. After paying the required fee, they sent the Metal Crate in for testing.

These words seemed to genuinely comfort Li Yu. He let out a long sigh. "With your assurance, I can put my mind at ease. After all, this is what I have saved up..."

Leaving his sentence half-finished, Li Yu shook his head and did not continue, giving the other party infinite room for imagination.

The Second-hand Dealer sneered inwardly. 'Alone, in a rush to leave, having saved up for a long time... Combining these details with the man's somewhat aged appearance, all the clues point to one conclusion.'

This was a tragic figure who had wandered the Interstellar space for a long time, finally scraping together enough to afford the modulation of a B-grade Gene Chain, and was now impatient to purchase the materials.

He was indeed a massive Fat Sheep. How much profit could be made just from selling Gene Chain materials? The real prize was the pile of Star Coins the man had saved up for the modulation itself—at least five billion Star Coins.

It was rare to run into such a Naïve and Sweet fool.

Before long, the Metal Crate was pushed back out, and the Tyron Tower's testing report was delivered to both of them.

Li Yu could not understand the massive string of technical jargon and data, but his eyes landed on the final sentence—

Upon testing... the flesh specimen is an amalgamation of flesh from the tail of a Swift Thunder Beast.

'Peyton seems to be quite capable,' Li Yu mused inwardly. Outwardly, however, he flew into a rage, grabbing the Second-hand Dealer and slamming him against the wall.

They were in a private Lounge, so there was no one else around.

"You lied to me!" Li Yu roared. "Do you think I am stupid? I checked the data before coming here. This kind of tail flesh is inferior material!"

"It would require at least ten times the normal amount to successfully modulate a Gene Chain."

The Second-hand Dealer sneered in his heart. 'Who are you trying to scare? This is Tyron Tower. Do you really dare to kill me?'

However, he wore an expression of complete disbelief. "How is that possible? How could it be synthesized from a tail!"

"Your Excellency, I absolutely had no intention of deceiving you. You have not even paid me yet."

Hearing this, Li Yu seemed to realize his rashness. He forcefully threw the man to the ground. A cold glint flashed in the Second-hand Dealer's eyes.

'Damn you, using so much force. Just wait and see how I am going to torture you later!'

"Even if I have not paid, you still wasted my time," Li Yu snorted coldly, turning around to leave.

"Wait!" the Second-hand Dealer hurriedly called out.

Li Yu glared back at him. "What else do you want!?"

The Second-hand Dealer offered a sincere explanation, "There must be a misunderstanding. If I truly intended to deceive you, why would I bring you here for testing?"

"This..." Li Yu suddenly put on a contemplative expression.

"I really did not know. Even I was deceived! Come with me, I will definitely give you a proper explanation!" the Second-hand Dealer said, gnashing his teeth.

"Come with you?" Li Yu appropriately feigned confusion, though internally he finally understood. 'So that was his goal all along.'

The Second-hand Dealer had set up all this groundwork just to deliver this exact line.

The Second-hand Dealer continued, "That is right... Someone supplied me with inferior materials, and I need you to be my witness. Do not worry, the responsibility for this lies with me. My Boss runs his business on honesty, and he will absolutely punish whoever did this!"

'Good... very good...' Li Yu truly wanted to agree on the spot. However... wouldn't it seem too fake if he agreed so easily?

He pondered for a moment before hesitatingly saying, "Forget it. Too much time has already been wasted. I need to leave."

With that, he started walking toward the door.

Watching Li Yu's retreating back, the Second-hand Dealer grew anxious. This scheme was something he had cooked up on the spot.

Because he did not have a detailed plan, he was momentarily at a loss for a reason to make Li Yu stay after being rejected.

'Fuck, you piece of trash, say something! If you do not speak up soon, I am actually going to leave,' Li Yu thought.

Li Yu began to wonder if he had overestimated this Second-hand Dealer's IQ. 'I should have just agreed to go with him. Is this guy seriously out of excuses now?'

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. Li Yu had already slowed his pace as much as possible, but he could not exactly moonwalk out the door in slow motion—that would be too obvious.

Fortunately, just as he was about to cross the threshold, the Second-hand Dealer finally spoke up, "Wait a minute, my Bo..."

"My Boss will definitely give you a discount to compensate you for your lost time!"

"A discount?" Li Yu sighed in relief internally, projecting a mix of suspicion and temptation. "Really?"

The Second-hand Dealer patted his chest in guarantee. "Of course it is true. My Boss has always believed in honesty in business. Since this was our fault to begin with, we will certainly compensate you."

"Then..." Li Yu nodded hesitantly. "Alright..."

The Second-hand Dealer finally breathed a sigh of relief, the smile on his face growing even more radiant.

'I thought this Old Fellow was going to cause some Unexpected Trouble,' he thought. 'Thank goodness I am quick-witted and reacted fast.'

Following the Second-hand Dealer, Li Yu left the Tyron Tower and headed to the South Hub of the Inuit Hub.

It was a secluded street, surrounded by prismatic high-rises that made the area feel rather cramped.

Nestled in the middle was a Villa. It looked quite ordinary, perfectly matching the architectural style of the Amethyst Civilization.

The entrance featured a solid alloy door, which was currently opening slowly. The Second-hand Dealer gradually became visibly excited.

Dozens of Prismatic Yellow-Eyed Remnants wearing simple Armor stood inside, armed with various Guns. Some held close-combat Weapons like Mechanical Longblades and mechanical chainsaws, all itching for action.

The man leading them wore no Armor at all. He appeared much more muscular than the other Remnants, and a faint, inexplicable smile played on his lips, exuding a chilling aura.

"Boss, I brought him..." the Second-hand Dealer said excitedly.

"Scram!" The Boss kicked the Second-hand Dealer flying and roared, "How do I normally teach you?! When doing business, we must adhere to three principles!"

"Honesty, honesty, and above all else, fucking honesty!"

"You have made me lose all face!"

The Second-hand Dealer was utterly bewildered. After a moment, he realized what was happening. 'Ah... I have not brought him into the Villa yet. If we strike out here, we could easily draw the attention of the Inuit Hub guards.'

He immediately prostrated himself on the ground and wailed, "I am sorry, Boss! It is all my fault! I am sorry!"

Li Yu was quite Speechless. This group was surprisingly good at acting. After brief consideration, he stepped forward and spoke with righteous indignation, "This is not his fault. He was deceived by someone else as well."

The Second-hand Dealer froze. He never expected this guy to be foolish enough to speak up for him.

The surrounding Prismatic Yellow-Eyed Remnants all stared at Li Yu as if looking at a complete idiot.

The Boss was also taken aback for a second before replying, "That is indeed true. Esteemed guest, let us step inside the Villa to talk properly. I will definitely ensure you are well compensated."

Li Yu nodded and walked straight into the Villa, completely ignoring the amused, predatory gazes of the crowd.

Hum!

The heavy alloy doors clamped shut, mechanical locks engaging layer by layer to seal the entrance tightly.

The Prismatic Yellow-Eyed Remnants subtly closed in from all directions, encircling Li Yu with cold sneers on their faces.

The Boss finally turned around, looking at Li Yu with a mocking half-smile.

"What is wrong?" Li Yu asked, his face a picture of innocent confusion.

"What is wrong?" The Second-hand Dealer mimicked Li Yu's confused expression, repeating his words before bursting into uproarious laughter. The other Prismatic Yellow-Eyed Remnants quickly joined in.

For a moment, the entire Villa was filled with a joyful, bustling atmosphere.

"What is so funny? Tell me so I can laugh too..." Li Yu crossed his arms and tilted his head inquisitively.

The Boss vaguely sensed that something was off and shot a meaningful glance into a corner. Meanwhile, the oblivious Second-hand Dealer continued laughing uproariously:

"I am laughing because we ran into such an Easy Mark today! I am laughing because he actually believed my words so easily..."

"I am laughing because—"

Suddenly, purplish-red Electric Arcs flashed. The Second-hand Dealer felt a rushing gust of wind blow past, whipping his hair around as a numb, tingling sensation spread throughout his body.

His pupils constricted. Without him even noticing, Li Yu had already appeared right in front of him, looking at him with keen interest. Li Yu asked with feigned curiosity:

"This Easy Mark you are talking about... wouldn't happen to be me, would it?"

A wave of sheer terror washed over the Second-hand Dealer. Trembling uncontrollably, he looked toward his Boss in the distance, his eyes filled with despair.

He instinctively nodded, then violently shook his head, stammering, "N-no... no... not you..."

"Not me... well, that is good then..." Li Yu nodded, seeming to breathe a sigh of relief. The Second-hand Dealer also released a long breath, his limbs going weak.

But immediately after, his vision began to violently spin upside down. 'What is happening? What is everyone else looking so horrified at? Huh... whose body is that? How is it still standing without a head...'

Boundless darkness and pain swallowed him whole. Even in death, the Second-hand Dealer never figured out who was incredible enough to remain standing after being decapitated.

"Attack!" the Boss finally roared.

Boom!!

A deafening explosion suddenly erupted overhead. Moving at blistering speed, several Energy Missiles were already hurtling toward Li Yu.

Rumble—

A chain of violent explosions completely engulfed the spot where Li Yu had been standing. The staggering Energy Fluctuation clearly displayed the sheer destructive power of the blast.

Tracing the trajectory upward, several Prismatic Yellow-Eyed Remnants were peering down from the second floor. Three of them were hoisting massive Cannon Barrels over their shoulders.

The Villa was quite spacious, but it was still battered by the shockwaves. Although the Energy Missiles did not produce smoke or dust, several large craters had been blown into the metal floor.

The Boss's expression eased significantly. Li Yu's calm and collected demeanor earlier had genuinely struck fear into his heart.

But taking three Energy Missiles point-blank without wearing any Armor? Even if a C-Tier Lifeform didn't die instantly, they would still be critically injured.

However, as the Energy Ripples gradually dissipated, a lone figure remained standing in the exact same spot. His entire body was now encased in an intricate Armor interwoven with platinum patterns. The earlier bombardment had not even managed to singe the cape draped over his back.

"How is that possible?! Fire! Keep firing!" the Boss shouted, his expression shifting drastically.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Energy Missiles rained down one after another. But despite the Boss's desperate hopes, not a single explosion occurred.

The missiles seemed to be drawn in by an invisible force, steadily shrinking in mid-air until they all gathered in the palm of Li Yu's hand, condensing into a dazzling energy bead the size of a pigeon egg.

The Boss swallowed hard. Staring at Li Yu, who hadn't moved an inch, an overwhelming sense of dread gripped his heart.

"I have a question..." Li Yu said, tossing the energy bead lightly in his hand. Just as he spoke, the Boss roared out:

"Second Brother, Third Brother!"

"Coming!"

Two figures vaulted down from the second floor at lightning speed. Both wore standard-issue Armor and wielded glowing Thermal Cutting Blades, slashing straight toward Li Yu's head.

Li Yu swept a glance over the duo before bursting into motion. He unleashed a blindingly fast roundhouse kick that struck like a golden whip, slamming brutally into the chest of the figure on the left. The sickening sound of bones shattering echoed clearly.

Crack!!

The immense kinetic force sent the man flying. He crashed heavily against the wall, blasting apart a large shower of metal fragments—it was hard to tell whether they belonged to the wall or his Armor.

The spot where his Armor had taken the hit was completely caved in.

"Third Brother!" the Boss cried out in grief. He whipped his head around, looking toward Second Brother with a shred of hope, but what he saw only drove him into deeper despair.

Li Yu had simply tilted his head slightly. The Thermal Cutting Blade meant for his skull landed squarely where his neck met his shoulder.

Sparks flew wildly. The Thermal Cutting Blade vibrated at a terrifyingly high frequency, fully utilizing its Cyclical Vibration Function, but unfortunately, it was completely useless.

A thin, purple screen of light completely blocked the attack.

Clack-clack-clack!

The Ship-breaking Blade rapidly assembled into its base form. Without even activating its thermal enhancement, Li Yu swung it lightly.

The seemingly heavy Armor on Second Brother was sliced open like wet paper. Blood sprayed across the floor, yet not a single drop managed to stain the Titan Symbiotic Armor.

How could the Boss not realize he had kicked a solid iron plate by now? What C-Tier Lifeform? This monster was clearly a B-Tier Lifeform!

Originally, selling materials for a B-grade Gene Chain was supposed to be the perfect way to precisely filter their targets.

After all, those purchasing B-grade Gene Chain materials were almost exclusively C-Tier Lifeforms who had managed to save up a considerable fortune.

Rich but lacking absolute strength—the perfect Fat Sheep. Their Stronghold boasted three C-Tier Lifeforms, so logically, dealing with one buyer should have been a walk in the park.

But... who could have expected to run into a freak like this? The Boss gritted his teeth, turning to flee immediately. 'Second Brother, Third Brother, I will definitely avenge you!'

Unfortunately, there was no way Li Yu was going to let him escape. Purplish-red Electric Arcs flashed, spreading through the void before striking the Boss dead on.

The intense electricity forced his corporeal form into violent spasms. He collapsed to the ground, twitching and wailing endlessly.

Normally, he shouldn't have been this useless; he should have been able to put up at least a token resistance. Regrettably, Li Yu had utterly shattered his courage, leaving him subconsciously convinced that resistance was futile.

The Titan Symbiotic Armor peeled back layer by layer. Li Yu walked over to the Boss, kicked his mouth open, and shoved the dazzling energy crystal straight down into his stomach.

The Boss's face contorted in abject terror. That little bead was the highly compressed form of several Energy Missiles! If it detonated inside his stomach, absolutely nothing of him would be left.

"I ask... you answer..." Li Yu's shadow enveloped the Boss. His courage completely shattered, the Boss nodded frantically.