Chapter 568: Bargaining Chip

Rat King's whiskers twitched.

Ten million? That's asking for a king's ransom!

However…

Still just game coins, nothing much.

"Third," Cheng Shuili withdrew her last finger, "Give me that fragment in your hand."

This won't do.

Rat King's face showed no special expression; the fragment matter had long been an unspoken secret; Cheng Shuili coming for it was inevitable.

If Cheng Shuili could really gather all fragments, for him it would actually be a good thing.

Without disaster, he certainly wouldn't have to come so embarrassedly begging Cheng Shuili for his people.

Just handing over the last thing in his hand that could restrain the other side, Rat King is unwilling.

Cheng Shuili watched the complex expression flit across Rat King's wrinkled face, her mind clear as a mirror.

This old thing, even at this point still scheming.

She also wasn't in a hurry, leaning back on the chair, tone leisurely: "Unwilling?"

Rat King's eye corner twitched again.

This woman, how does she know everything?

"I know what you're thinking." Cheng Shuili said, "The fragment is your last card; play it and you'll have no leverage left. But—"

She paused, her gaze locked on Rat King's cloudy eyes:

"Do you think you still have leverage?"

"This disaster is already so severe; the next will only be worse." Cheng Shuili said slowly, "You came to beg me this time; we still have something to negotiate. But if you keep this attitude, next time there'll be nothing to negotiate."

Every word Cheng Shuili spoke was like a knife, precisely stabbing Rat King's most painful spot.

His breathing grew rapid, fingers gripping the chair's armrests tightly, knuckles turning white.

Su Rui stood behind Cheng Shuili, watching Rat King's furious yet fearful look, feeling great inside. Lao Da truly lives up to being Lao Da; a few words silenced this old thing so he couldn't speak.

"You—" Rat King gritted his teeth, squeezing out a sentence from between his teeth: "What exactly do you want?"

Cheng Shuili smiled faintly; that smile in Rat King's eyes was downright more terrifying than a demon.

"What I want, I've already made clear." She extended three fingers again: "Ten million game coins, plus the fragment. Exchange—"

She deliberately paused, whetting Rat King's appetite, then slowly said: "Exchange for a path to survival for your rat clan."

Rat King's body stiffened.

"What do you mean?"

"Before gathering all fragments, I'm willing to resolve all disasters for you."

Cheng Shuili showed a smile: "Of course, not free, but I only want game coins. Rat King, you've been king so long, monopolizing both legal and illegal trades, your stash of game coins surely isn't small?"

She looked at Rat King's expression, smiled again: "These things are external possessions; the lives of those old folks following you are what truly matter."

"Aren't you afraid we'll end up in mutual destruction?" Rat King clenched his teeth: "The person behind you can be reborn; can't my old comrades be reborn too?"

"If I'd rather give the game coins to those systems, not to you?"

Cheng Shuili's smile deepened.

"You can try." She said, tone light, like chatting: "Su Rui can revert to her original form because I was lucky; if you go, you'd likely only get back a skeleton. Just like the laborers in your arms factory, you say your old comrades—would they really be willing?"

Cheng Shuili is not someone who discriminates against the Bone Aunt Clan, but these beastmen of Rat King, high and mighty, really look down on them.

This is karma, retribution isn't pleasant, huh?

Rat King stalled, completely lost his temper.

How can this human see so clearly?

Every word Cheng Shuili said he wanted to refute, but each word he couldn't refute.

Yeah, what can he do?

Give game coins to the systems? Never mind whether those systems accept beastmen's business; even if they do, reincarnating as a skeleton frame, which of his old comrades would be willing?

Follow him enjoying spicy food a lifetime, ending up like those numb, wandering skeleton laborers in his arms factory?

Just thinking of that scene makes his chest ache.

Rat King raised his head, his cloudy eyes full of reluctance, but more so resignation.

He pulled out a palm-sized wooden box from his bosom, placed it on the table.

The box is old, edges worn shiny, obviously he's carried it close to his body for a long time.

"The fragment is here." His voice hoarse like sandpaper on wood, "Ten million game coins, I'll have the little mouse deliver it to your safe zone."

Cheng Shuili didn't immediately take the box, just looked at it.

"You're not going to open and look?" Rat King asked.

"No need." Cheng Shuili said, "You wouldn't dare cheat me."

Rat King's mouth corner twitched, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.

Su Rui stepped forward, took the box, she knew inside was precious, so she was extra careful.

Cheng Shuili stood up.

"Pleasant cooperation." She said, "When disaster comes next time, remember to find me. Still the old rule: game coins in place, things will definitely get done."

Rat King leaned against the chair back, no intention to rise and see guests out.

Cheng Shuili didn't mind either, bringing Su Rui away in big strides.

Perhaps starting off well with Rat King, news from the little system side quickly came over.

Yes, and it's right in Northern Star Boss's hands.

Cheng Shuili saw the message, curled her lips, finally relaxed.

What comes next is just waiting—waiting to get a grasp of all the minor systems, waiting for Cheng Shuili to also be able to call the shots on the system side, that is, the moment when she shows her hand to Beichen.

In the days that followed, Cheng Shuili led a very fulfilling life.

During the day she handled security zone affairs, patrolled the farmlands, checked the defenses, and occasionally accompanied Su Rui for a hot pot meal; since her resurrection, this person's enthusiasm for food has reached a new height, to the point of wishing to eat eight meals a day.

At night she maintained contact through 001 and those few light groups, directing them to continue infiltrating the system's interior.

"We've subdued two more minor systems today." Talkative Small Light Group reported excitedly on the light screen, "They can't pay back the game coins they owe us, so they've agreed to work for us!"

"Good." Cheng Shuili nodded, "Keep them watching their respective superiors, and report any abnormalities at any time."

【Understood!】

A few more days passed.

"We've taken down the three systems under Zhinü!" the Leader Light Group reported, voice brimming with barely contained pride, "They say Zhinü has been overwhelmed lately and simply has no time to manage things below."

Cheng Shuili's lips curled up slightly.

"How about the Taibai side?"

{We've also taken down several! Taibai does want to manage them, but he has too many systems under him to keep up. }

"Good, keep at it."

Cheng Shuili replied with a sentence, then shut down the panel, picked up her drink, and tipped her head back to down it.

The long darkness is finally about to come to an end.