Buying the Case aurning the Pearl

  He deliberately grabbed her o enter bat mode.

  Hearing his words, the smuggler’s hen all froze, lookiant.

  This way, he could see her panel data.

  -------------------------------------

  [Entering bat mode, assessing...]

  [Based on your level, you will see the following information about the enemy:]

  [Name]: Pei Li

  [Total Level]: lv.1 Civilian

  [Health]: 50/50 (Healthy)

  [Attributes]:

  Strength—3

  Dexterity—3

  stitution—4

  Charisma—2

  Willpower—2

  -------------------------------------

  She looked small and weak, indeed her attributes were much lower than his.

  Seeing this, he immediately activated the [Security] job skill [Bully the Weak].

  [Bully the Weak]: Use verbal abuse, intimidation, and threats to perform an attribute check. If your main attribute is higher than the oppo's, the check succeeds.

  Li Aozhi's main attribute was [Charisma], at a whopping 13 points, so the check passed directly.

  Although his strength was only 4 points, he could still lift a small woman off the ground.

  The smuggler's pupils shrank. Notig Li Aozhi's pale skin, she quickly realized something and forced a smile:

  "Oh, you're with the resistance—misuanding! This is all a misuanding! If you had said so earlier, we live off the scraps from the resistance. I swear on my great-grandmrave, I had no iion of offending you."

  Li Aozhi g the four middle-aged men, snorted coldly. In a real fight, his bat skills were enough to hahem.

  But that wasn't worth it. If someoipped off Rule Four, he wouldn’t make it to the border.

  He could handle one or two agents, but he wasn’t a [Warrior]. Plus, w enfort had guns, and he’d be lucky to avoid getting shot on the spot.

  He muttered about the 'ultimate humiliation' by Rule Four.

  Using the name of the infamous border resistance guerril 'Rose Army' and his pale skin, bined with an unusual smuggliination, he was easily believed.

  Li Aozhi let go, and Pei Li fell to the ground with a thud. Rubbing her butt, she hadn’t even stood up whehrew her another 2000 Debbies.

  "Keep quiet. I have fidential matters. Get me out of the city quickly. If anything happens to me, heh... Delina just took the army north st month, you think about it!"

  The st part was made up. Acc to the timeline, Rose Army’s northern campaign led by Delina wouldn’t start until March, and Yaoguang City wasn’t even ia.

  It was a plete lie, but lies be credible when told by the right person at the right time.

  Rose Army was known for being ruthless, unscrupulous, and anti-Frost. Most members were stateless refugees.

  tally, Li Aozhi’s pale skin was very simir to that of a stateless refugee.

  Thinking this, the smuggler felt a chill.

  'Even if it’s not true, I’ll accept it. Better safe than sorry. If I dey the Rose Army and face retaliation, they are worse than Rule Four. Besides, he paid extra, indig his urgend willio spend moo avoid trouble.'

  Using a mix of threats and iives, the smuggler nodded hurriedly, took the money, and discussed briefly with her subordihey didn’t dare to hike the price, just wanting to get rid of this troublemaker quickly.

  Li Aozhi stayed quiet, closing his eyes to rest while thinking about what to do once he reached the outside world.

  Frost was officially marked as "least reended finners" by the game developers.

  Beyond Rule Fender discrimination, and the notorious Rose Army, Frost had many bottom-line challengis, poor resources, terrible gaming experience, and obnoxious locals.

  As a noble Red Arrow Empire citizen, Li Aozhi's knowledge of Frost came from Baidu and female colleagues oreaming ptform.

  "The four nations of Azure Star each have their own traits. Red Arrow is authoritarian but provides a good life through moary power and military strength. It’s best for petitive, pure-hearted pyers."

  "Tianhuan is extreme, under military dictatorship, stantly waging wars for resources. The plot is straightforward and easy for pyers to ie and grow."

  "Zhengxu has good welfare, attrag big pao i and develop. The social pace is slow, with excellent bes, great for older pyers to retire. But in wars, the try cks the ability to faemies directly."

  "Frost, although resource-poor and full of flicts, has an advahat other tries don’t."

  Recalling that information, Li Aozhi's eyes brightened, f a pn to bee a [Starfall Master].

  Soon, a truck transp hazardous chemicals left Jianlin ty. The driver, with a cigarette in his mouth, didn’t light it, resting his hands oeering wheel. The bustling ty receded, repced by lush forests and mountains, with automated robots w in the dense farmnds. The harmoween maery and nature was evident.

  Uhe guidance of teology, everything seemed beautiful.

  The hemisphere light barrier geor in the sky emitted a fixed frequency of sunlight. As the truck moved further away from the ty, the light grew dim.

  The driver suddenly shouted to the co-driver:

  "Get the coat out."

  After a turn, the entig green sery abruptly ended. Snowfkes fell from the sky, and the rich bck soil seamlessly transitioned into desert.

  Cold, gloomy, desote.

  In the air, a huge barrier desded. On the endless desert peak, an 80-meter-high crete wall stood, ected to the translut barrier. Fierce auto-ons aimed inside and outside, ready to shred aempting to cross the wire and dragon’s teeth obstacles.

  Uhis massive curtain-like wall, a lonely checkpoint stopped the truck.

  "Halt!"

  A guard shouted, rifle in hand, smming his meical fist on the window, then opened his e-pted palm. Artificial muscles and neural links intact, he rubbed his fiogether:

  "Papers and money, or I’ll t you ht."

  The driver repared, taking out the dots, 2000 Debbies in cash, and a pack of cigarettes, respectfully handing them to the guard.

  Corruption at Frost’s border checkpoints was btant. Although the guards were mostly male, they didn’t show any lenienale long-haul drivers.

  The guard took the money and couldn’t hide his joy when he saw the cigarette pack. He g the dots, tossed them back, and asked nontly:

  "What are you carrying?" The guard asked casually while operating his portable puter.

  "Chemicals. Dibutyl phthate. It’s toxid fmmable."

  The driver cautiously expined.

  "nning to make a bomb?" The guard squinted.

  "No, no, it's just a regur psticizer." The driver quickly crified.

  "Oh?" The guard raised an eyebrow, turo look at the truck's tank, and activated his subeous life dete chip, cirg the tank.

  He ied the tank, which was twelve meters long and three meters in diameter. The chip's calcutions indicated it could hold at least 27 people if they had oxygen tanks and protective suits.

  The life dete chip didn’t pick up any signals.

  But for some reason, the guard still felt something was off.

  "This stuff is toxic, boss," the driver reminded.

  The guard g the co-driver, who was bundled up in a coat, and casually asked:

  "Afraid of the cold?"

  Before the co-driver could speak, the driver quickly said:

  "He's got kidney deficy. He went on a drinking binge and got privately interrogated by Rule Four’s female officers for two days. He 't hahe cold he barrier."

  "I see," the guard uood, not doubting it.

  Those crazy women from Rule Four were uable. Any other reason would have made him suspicious.

  The driver noticed the barrier wasn’t l a puzzled and nervous.

  "What's the problem?"

  The meical hand reached into the truck again.

  The implication was clear: more money was needed.

  The driver was about to have the co-driver get more cash when a QR code popped up on the guard’s hand.

  "Less cash, more e-payment."

  The guard whispered:

  "Rose Army seems to have taken over a mint. Fake cash will flood the market soon; it’s not safe."

  The driver realized, quickly using his terminal to pay. The guard took the payment and waved them through. The high wall twisted open, revealing a deep tunnel.

  The driver turned on the headlights and drove in slowly. After some time, thick frost covered the windows. The dense fog locked the space, and the road ahead glowed faintly in the yellow light.

  After about half an hour, the driver suddenly stopped, turning to the man in the passenger seat:

  "We’re here. Give me back the coat."

  "Seriously? ’t even part with a coat?"

  "Quit whining. There’s no sunlight here. ’t you see?" The driver snapped, "It’ll freeze you to death. I suggest finding a hole to hide in once you get out. But don’t rush to any fire you see; it’s probably bandits."

  "Alright, alright."

  Li Aozhi rubbed his disguised face, took off the coat, and picked up his luggage. He thought for a moment, then took out his terminal and ha to the driver.

  "Old man, I trade this for a pack of cigarettes?"

  "That junk terminal? It’s worth one pack!"

  "No, no, you misuand. I only want the empty pack; you keep the cigarettes."