"You shouldn't ask me what I need you to do, but rather what I can help you with," Bai Ye said. "You need to understand that not everyone is qualified to work for me."
Yimi remained silent. He admitted Bai Ye was strong, stronger than himself, but the arrogance in his tone was astounding.
"Then what can you help me with?" Yimi challenged.
Bai Ye leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs on the table, and looked at Yimi. "William Macbeth, the King of Despair!"
Yimi froze, then exclaimed in shock, "How do you know about the King of Despair?"
"I know much more," Bai Ye said. "Blood Fighting Stream technique and Blood Freeze technique. You're a member of the secret society Libra, aren't you?"
This time, Yimi was thoroughly stunned. His abilities were no ordinary matter; they were also from a high-level region, and Yimi was confident that not many people knew about the existence of the Blood Realm region. Yet, Bai Ye not only knew about it but also accurately revealed the origin of his abilities.
"Do you want the King of Despair's abilities?" Bai Ye asked.
Yimi immediately stepped forward and slammed his palms on the table. "Yes!"
As the table vibrated, Bai Ye let out a low curse. His legs slipped from the table, and he lost his balance, falling backward onto his back.
*Bang!*
The next moment, Bai Ye sprawled on the floor, staring blankly at the ceiling.
The boss, carrying dishes, walked by and glanced down at Bai Ye. "The chair is broken. Remember to pay for it."
Yimi: "..."
Bai Ye: "..."
Yimi felt like he had caused trouble.
Bai Ye felt embarrassed, a perfect demonstration of "looking cool for less than three seconds."
After getting a new chair, Bai Ye no longer dared to cross his legs. He sat properly and said, "William Macbeth isn't the King of Despair; he's a fake. No, that's not quite right. It's more accurate to say the King of Despair is possessing him."
Yimi looked surprised. "Huh?"
"I'll tell you how to find the King of Despair and obtain his abilities," Bai Ye continued.
Yimi pondered for a moment. "As I said, what do you need me to do? I don't believe in free lunches."
"Not yet," Bai Ye replied. "I'll help you become stronger, and I'll help you improve your position within the Hidden Dragon Society. But 'not yet' doesn't mean 'never'."
"So, when you need me to do something, I must do it, and I won't have the right to refuse, is that it?" Yimi asked.
"No, you have the right to refuse," Bai Ye suddenly leaned closer to Yimi and whispered in his ear, "as long as you don't fear death."
"If I'm giving you something, I should expect something in return," Bai Ye said, returning to his seat. "I'm feeding you because I want you to be a loyal dog, not a traitor."
"Understood, or not understood, I need you to give me an answer."
Yimi was silent for a moment. "Understood!"
"Very well. I will tell you how to find the King of Despair, and this is just the beginning," Bai Ye said. "When do you plan to leave the City of Ruins?"
"I have no particular needs here. I was just passing through the City of Ruins anyway. Since all the important matters here are concluded, I'll leave directly," Yimi replied.
"Stay for two more days," Bai Ye urged. "The City of Ruins is about to become very lively."
"Oh? Crystal people?" Yimi inquired.
Bai Ye smiled. "Yes."
Yimi didn't find it particularly interesting, but since Bai Ye insisted, he didn't mind staying for two more days.
"I'll see you by the wall in two days."
Bai Ye was so certain that the City of Ruins would descend into chaos in two days because...
Allen had a falling out with the Rhine Corporation!
Although Allen was not one of the leaders of the androids, he had a good relationship with the owner of the hunting ground. While the owner didn't seem prominent, like Li Chengjie, he was one of the leaders of the androids in the slums and had connections with some androids in the affluent districts. Moreover, despite Li Chengjie's greater fame, the owner held more practical power.
Furthermore, Allen had considerable renown among androids. His great-grandfather was one of the earliest androids to break away from the Rhine Corporation and was their leader at the time.
This time, Allen had discovered the Rhine Corporation's conspiracy. With the owner's support, Allen had negotiated with the Rhine Corporation on behalf of the androids.
Unfortunately, the negotiations broke down immediately.
Allen's demands were simple: continued equal dialogue and coexistence between androids and humans.
Of course, the Rhine Corporation could never agree to this. They had grown accustomed to enslaving androids. If they were to live as equals, would the Rhine Corporation have to risk hunting themselves?
Moreover, this issue had been debated for years with no resolution, so Allen wasn't particularly insistent.
As a compromise, Allen hoped to maintain the current status quo.
But the Rhine Corporation still refused. Life crystals were crucial to them, and the energy they contained was immense. These were the things that could end the Wasteland Era, and they would never let them fall into other hands. Therefore, while outwardly agreeing to Allen's demands, they also insisted on Allen handing over the life crystals.
Allen naturally refused. Without the life crystals, the Rhine Corporation couldn't conduct their experiments on crystal people. And even if they claimed to only extract energy, who would believe that?
Thus, the negotiations devolved into a complete breakdown.
After the breakdown, war was inevitable.
It's worth noting that in Bai Ye's past life memories, the Rhine Corporation had initiated the conflict. Upon discovering that their plan had been exposed, they decided to spare no effort and use their crystal people army to suppress the androids. Those who obeyed would be imprisoned, and those who disobeyed would be expelled from the affluent districts.
However, this time, due to the loss of the life crystals, the Rhine Corporation hesitated to act rashly. They were accustomed to being in a superior position, and their attitude towards Allen remained harsh, but they genuinely hadn't intended to resort to force.
But after the crystal people matter was exposed, not only the androids in the slums were dissatisfied, but also those in the affluent districts. They worked themselves to death for the Rhine Corporation, only to have them develop something to replace them!
As a result, the leaders of the androids in the affluent districts secretly contacted the owner, who in turn contacted other leaders in the slums. A consensus was reached, and they decided to attack the affluent districts and overthrow the Rhine Corporation.
There were minor changes in the process, but Bai Ye wasn't overly concerned, as the outcome was essentially the same as in his memories. The Rhine Corporation initiating the attack had merely shifted to the androids making the first move. The core objective remained the same: overthrow the Rhine Corporation, after which, according to Bai Ye's past life memories, the Rhine Corporation would completely withdraw from the City of Ruins.
Of course, this was contingent on the androids winning the war.
And this was what Bai Ye needed to do!
Bai Ye had to help Allen win this war!
...