Chapter 567: Information Network

The Talkative Small Light Group was about to rebut, but when it looked up, it saw the black‑haired Cheng Shuili that it had in its mouth.

It froze.

After realizing, it immediately, at the fastest speed of its life, shrank itself into a corner, dimming its light a bit, striving to lower its presence.

The Leader Light Group gave it a sour glance, then greeted it with exaggerated enthusiasm.

Since cooperating with that human, the Game Coins they earn have multiplied exponentially, and now even this obscure little system can live in a mansion and enjoy the entertainment devices other systems have developed.

It never dared to imagine this before.

Those items were always allocated only to the few systems with early serial numbers; other than them, the rest of the small systems had never even seen them.

Thinking of this, the light on the Leader Light Group's face grew even brighter, and even its voice took on a hint of flattery:

【Guest! You're here! Please come in, please come in! Is there new business to cooperate on? Or are you dissatisfied with previous service? We guarantee after‑sales! After‑sales guaranteed!】

Cheng Shuili looked at its demeanor, her mouth corner twitching slightly.

Last time she came, she was trembling for fear of being caught by the Chief Commander; this time she's so enthusiastic?

Cheng Shuili had no time for small talk and got straight to the point: "I'm here this time to inquire about something."

The Leader Light Group immediately leaned in: 【Please, please! Anything we know, we'll tell you everything, leave nothing unsaid!】

Cheng Shuili's gaze swept over the few nosy little light groups behind it, and she lowered her voice to ask:

"Does the Northern Star Boss have a… fragment in his hand? About this size," she gestured, then added, "It looks like flame; do you have it?"

The Leader system was stunned.

It had never even seen the Northern Star Boss's face, yet this human asked whether it knew about the thing in the Boss's hand!

The Leader system thought about its recent life, then about the other systems it had swayed, and finally said: 【It will take time, but I will definitely find out for you!】

Cheng Shuili gave a slight smile, satisfied.

Since the Bronze Furnace left, these little systems lost their backbone. She had been helping them manage and operate during this period, and indeed she hadn't been wrong.

Just in case, Cheng Shuili repeated: "Can you get to the bottom of it?"

The Leader Light Group puffed out its non‑existent chest, its light brightening a bit:

【Of course! Don't think we're just small systems; we have our connections! Many of the systems under those big systems owe us Game Coins! Getting them to help gather information is just a matter of words.】

The Talkative Small Light Group in the corner couldn't help but whisper: 【Exactly, exactly, we've got money now, lent out a lot of Game Coins, and they have to give us face…】

After a glare from the Leader Light Group, it shrank back again.

Cheng Shuili watched these smug little light groups and suddenly found it a bit amusing.

Having money makes a difference; even the linked systems can't escape the custom.

"How long will that take?" she asked.

The Leader Light Group thought and said: 【Since it's something the Northern Star Boss has in his hand, it should take considerable time. So… give me seven days, and I guarantee I'll find out for you!】

"Seven days?" Cheng Shuili raised an eyebrow. "Fine."

She had already waited a long time; this moment made no difference.

The Leader Light Group rubbed its tiny short hands, and before it could speak, Cheng Shuili immediately opened the panel and acted.

The next second, a crisp Game Coin receipt chime rang from the Leader Light Group.

It looked down briefly, its light trembling.

Two hundred thousand, another two hundred thousand arrived.

【…You really are…】

For a moment it could not find words to describe.

Cheng Shuili didn't linger; with matters here concluded, it was time for her scheduled negotiation with the Rat King.

The Game Coins spent by Zhuansheng Shengrui, plus mental loss fees and idle‑time costs, the Rat King must cough them up!

She turned and stepped into the Light Gate, her figure vanishing within the ripples.

The few light groups stared at each other in bewilderment.

The Talkative Small Light Group muttered softly: "Why do I feel… she's plotting some big scheme again?"

The Leader Light Group was silent for a few seconds, then sighed.

"Never mind what she's scheming; as long as we get paid, the work's done, and following her is far happier than following the Northern Star Boss."

It turned around and waved its tiny short hands at the companions behind it:

【Start work, start work! Find those indebted systems and gather intel! Ask if they know about Flame Fragments! The key is whether the Northern Star Boss has any!】

Several little light groups chattered busily, their lights flickering, while a huge Communication Light Screen slowly unfolded behind them.

The Talkative Small Light Group, while busy, whispered softly:

"Seven days… this money wasn't easy to earn…"

A neighboring light group nudged it: "Stop complaining! Remember when we couldn't even see any entertainment devices before!"

The Talkative Small Light Group thought about it, found it reasonable, and shut up to bury its head in hard work.

The Light Screen flickered even faster.

…

When they saw the Rat King again, not only Cheng Shuili but also Su Rui, who was by her side, felt that the old man seemed much more aged.

The Rat King sat on his gold‑inlaid, jade‑set chair, and upon seeing Cheng Shuili enter, his gaze became extremely complex.

Resentment, envy, irritation, fear, but mostly fatigue; a glance at him was no different from a palette.

This week's disaster was more complex than a flood, so the Eternal Life Bottle in Cheng Shuili's hand was called into use again.

Although the Rat King wielded great power, he valued his clan members immensely.

For those clan members, he once again turned to Cheng Shuili.

"You've come." The Rat King's voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't slept properly in a long time.

Cheng Shuili sat down opposite him, Su Rui instinctively stood behind her, her eyes vigilantly fixed on the few Rat People guards around.

"I'm here." Cheng Shuili nodded, her tone calm as if chatting about everyday matters, "Is the throne still comfortable to sit on?"

The Rat King's eye twitched; this woman, the moment she opened her mouth, jabbed his lung tube.

"Speak," he inhaled deeply, striving to maintain his remaining dignity, "What do you want?"

Cheng Shuili smiled, and that smile sent a chill down the Rat King's spine.

"What I want is simple." She extended three fingers, "First, the 7.4 million Game Coin spent on Zhuansheng Shengrui; you pay that."

The Rat King's eyelids flickered.

7.4 million? Does it really need that much?

He instinctively wanted to argue, but seeing Cheng Shuili's terrifyingly calm eyes, he swallowed his words again.

Since he came to ask her, he indeed had to show some attitude; it's just a bit of Game Coin, nothing much.

"Second," Cheng Shuili withdrew a finger, "mental loss fee, lost‑work fee, and the efficiency loss caused by my Shang Xin during this period; round it up, add 2.6 million, making a total of 10 million."