IAO raised his hand and interrupted her again, "Three hundred million for each family."
"Humiliate him how? Hang him behind the flying car, drag him around the planet for a circuit, and stream it live across the universe? Or let him mate with Mao Qi? Or simply transform him into a Mao Qi alien?" Itheri stared intently at IAO.
"Those are good ideas, but I've already announced at the concert—I'll tow away the artificial constant star that his ancestors bought with their blood and sweat, right in front of all the people of Konglu Star."
"Tow away... a constant star?" Turquoise Pool confirmed the task.
"Exactly," IAO nodded, "and it must be done in front of him."
"Doesn't that break the law?" Li Changzhou asked.
IAO lit another "cigar," "That's why I'm asking you to do it, not my subordinates."
Li Changzhou knew the task might be difficult, but he never expected it to be this hard, to tow away a constant star?
Fortunately, the words 'artificial' gave him a glimmer of hope.
"What do you think?" he asked Itheri, a local.
"You're asking me?" Itheri was a bit surprised, but after thinking, she said, "I think it's worth a try. Since it's an artificial constant star, it naturally has a control system. If we hack into Konglu Star's internal system, we could control and fly away with the artificial constant star."
In fact, no matter how difficult or bizarre, Li Changzhou and his team didn't have the leeway to refuse—it was a game task.
However.
"Your Excellency IAO," Li Changzhou began slowly, "is your true purpose in teaching Konglu Star a lesson really for Sisi?"
IAO•One Second Gap stared at Li Changzhou.
After three seconds, he took a puff from his "cigar" and said,
"Worthy of the Cosmic People, it's not just your bodies that are strong. Very well, we may have more opportunities for cooperation in the future, and I don't want our relationship to start with lies and deceit."
...
After clarifying the task, the group left IAO's mansion.
"Mr. Li, this means we are now acquainted." Turquoise Pool said with a smile, extending her pale, slender hand.
"Pleased to meet you." Li Changzhou shook her hand, which was delicate to the touch, with her fingertips gently scratching his wrist.
The radiant beauty winked at him.
Letting go of her hand, Li Changzhou then turned to Bi, who was standing with arms folded: "What are you looking at?"
Li Changzhou abandoned the idea of greeting her and said, "I've arranged to meet with my crew at the bar."
"We'll join you. Until we've towed away the constant star of Konglu Star, we are a team," she stated.
"Then who is the Captain?" Itheri asked, as it was crucial—who wasn't the Captain might be tasked with the most dangerous jobs.
"Of course, it's me." Bi stood tall, though her chest, still developing, was yet to have much curvature.
"I have no objections," Li Changzhou was the first to agree, "I'll follow the Captain's orders in everything."
"Hmph," Bi expressed satisfaction.
Turquoise Pool just smiled without a word, knowing he was just humoring a child.
Itheri didn't say anything either. As a crew member, one must obey the Captain's commands in serious matters;
Unsure if they were really fish, rodents, or frogs—since they only looked similar, and Li Changzhou only knew these animals—so he referred to them in such a way.
Regardless of their actual species, the sight of a fish-like alien on the grill would make any normal Earthling lose their appetite.
On the main street of the commercial district, a group of different aliens was marching, holding wooden signs.
"Projecting images cannot comfort you!"
"We need companions who don't disappear even without energy! What we need is the warmth of a body!"
Itheri glanced at them: "Anti-mechanism, there are those on every planet nowadays, I didn't expect they'd have their power even on a One Second Gap family's planet."
"Anti-mechanism? What other 'isms' are there?" Turquoise Pool inquired curiously.
"The biggest 'ism' now is 'Victorism,' many people worship It as a god—I mean a real omnipotent god. The stupid thing is, 'Victor' is not really the 'Victor' nowadays, and they don't know 'Victor's' name, appearance, they rely on imagination to conduct their worship rituals."
"No wonder the Saint allows IAO to wreak havoc," Li Changzhou said, "I'm also curious about the real identity of 'Victor'."
"What you should be concerned about now is how to tow away the constant star." Itheri reminded him to stay grounded and earn properly to buy her a flying car.
The group fell silent as the anti-mechanists and robots upholding order started arguing, making the street so noisy that nothing else could be heard.
Just then, Turquoise Pool quietly asked Li Changzhou, "How did you know IAO had other motives?"
"As a man—or shall we say, a male—he only glanced at you twice. Would such a clear-hearted man really spend so much money for a female star?"
Turquoise Pool's beautiful face bore a teasing smile.
"For a female star, no, but for face, yes." Her tone carried a hint of flirtation.
"If he cares so much about face, why would he conflict with a minor Star Lord?" Li Changzhou said.
"Challenging 'Victor'—it's not surprising he would do something like this."
"But he also said, 'To 'Victor,' we are all ordinary people,' proving he's quite level-headed, not someone whose mind is clouded with heat," Li Changzhou said.