Global Mining.

Chapter 956 Lord's Assessment
As Michael descended, the Sirens' questioning voices immediately echoed across the island: "Who?"

"The Angel of Death, Michael, has come to visit Evil Spirit Island and all the heroes of the sea."

Siren: "Please!"

As Michael landed in the plaza, several bearded men stood like a two-meter-high human wall, giving Michael a sense of oppression, as if he were facing an NBA player's defense where he couldn't even see the basket.

Redbeard said coldly, "If I remember correctly, you should be the Empire's First Sage, right? How did you become such a wretched sight?"

Michael laughed, "Only this ghostly appearance fits the deathly atmosphere of Spirit Island."

The siren asked knowingly, "What do you want to do here?"

Michael pulled out the Death Lord's Token: "The rumors circulating these past two days about the Shadow Banking business of Evil Spirit Island, and its appearance off the coast of Black Iron City and Gem City, have piqued my interest. I want to bring Evil Spirit Island under the Empire's control..."

The siren was taken aback: "So, you want to be the lord of Ghost Island?"

The bandits laughed: "So you really have a leader parachuted in! How dare you? Believe me or not, we'll slap you into the sea!"

Michael calmly replied, "Without the Empire's tacit approval, it would be difficult for the banking business on Evil Spirit Island to grow significantly. What do you think, Miss Aziza?"

Aziza asked in surprise, "The First Sage knows me?"

Michael laughed and said, "The Pearl of the Sea is actually very famous, it just hasn't been recognized by the Empire yet."

Redbeard said in a deep voice, "Our shadow banking system is inherently opposed to the Empire. The Empire is too busy trying to eliminate us, so how could it possibly condone this?"

Michael sighed, "Actually, many secret shadow banks can't be eradicated! The imperial power center can't effectively manage the nobles below them either, and it's common for nobles to secretly contact pirates to engage in shady businesses. Since we can't eliminate them, why not join them? Cooperation and mutual benefit are better than harming each other, right?"

The siren asked, "How can we cooperate for mutual benefit?"

Michael said, "The logic of the Empire's cooperation is to use a well-managed shadow bank to eliminate those uncontrolled shadow banks. In return, the Empire will grant our island a high degree of freedom, and I will not interfere with your business. I will even try to help you attract business. When the Empire has any needs, you can consider fulfilling them. Of course, to show my sincerity as the lord, I will bring in business with shared interests and will never betray the interests of Evil Spirit Island."

Redbeard chuckled: "So you want to invest in bank stocks?"

Michael solemnly replied, "Yes, with the tacit approval of the Empire and my business acumen, I am qualified to invest."

The bearded men laughed: "Then you should go do some sales to prove your qualifications!"

Michael hurriedly asked the Sirens, "What does the goddess mean?"

Siren laughed and said, "I am actually very interested in cooperating with the Empire, but the people here are all partners in our island's banks, and their opinions are my opinions."

Michael immediately said, "I have one request: Goddess, give me a copy of your bank deposit slip so I can go and solicit business—"

Before he could finish speaking, the bandits burst into laughter: "Using our deposit certificates to solicit business? Any sales clerk could do that. What kind of ability is that?"

"It's not that you have the ability because you're a lord, but that you have the ability to be a lord. If you have the ability, go find the empire's connections. Don't try to get things done by relying on our power. Do you understand?"

Michael was stunned!

Sariel was shocked: "What's going on? Beard and Aziza had just agreed, why are they disagreeing now?"

Gabriel was taken aback: "Perhaps it's just that he doesn't trust the boss and doesn't agree to give it to him?"

Michael had to explain, "But my client is different. He's in prison, and nobody else can contact him, but I can."

The pirates laughed again: "They're all in prison, yet any jailer can contact them. Is that considered a skill?"

"We have quite a few brothers in prisons in various cities, so there's no one we can't contact."

Michael had no choice but to lay his cards on the table: "It's the Divine Prison! Bishop Sherlock! I believe no one could possibly have connections with the Divine Prison Guards, right?"

Everyone was stunned, and the scene fell silent instantly.

Michael suddenly found himself enjoying this American-style short comedy, which started with mockery and then shocked the audience: "Any more objections?"

Redbeard sneered: "We also have people in the realm of gods!"

The chat group erupted in chaos!
Michael was also startled: "Who?"

Redbeard laughed, "I'm not telling you! If you're so capable, find out who he is."

The bearded men snapped out of their daze: "That's right! Let's not make things difficult for this kid. As long as he finds our person in the God Realm, we'll give him a copy of the deposit slip, how about that?"

Redbeard laughed: "Alright, let's do it that way."

The siren laughed and said, "Very well, after all, he is the first sage of the empire. Let us see the first sage's abilities."

Michael was unbelievable. Fortunately, I was mentally prepared for the difficulty level of a lord: "I will show you my abilities. Time is precious, so I'll set off now."

The Siren exclaimed in surprise, "First Sage, you've just arrived? Won't you take a look around the island?"

They've already toured everything in Sariel Raphael's live stream...

"Once I become a lord, I will naturally be able to visit."

After saying that, he took off into the air.

Raziel sighed, "Boss, I'm currently on a redemption mission with Bala. Am I supposed to go back to the God Realm to find her now?"

Michael said in a deep voice, "The person the pirate knows is probably also a pirate, possibly the first pirate king who died. If we ask around in the divine realm, we should be able to find him. As for your atonement mission, hand over the soul handcuffs to me, and I will take over and preside over it. She shouldn't run away."

Sariel was taken aback: "Last month there was also a rumor that a pirate king appeared in the form of an undead. If he's already an undead, how can he be qualified to go to the realm of gods?"

Michael said, "Let's prepare for both possibilities. Raziel should go back to the realm of the gods. The others should look for other money-saving businesses and see which nobles are corrupt and suspicious and hiding money. Bala's atonement mission also involves the corruption of noble officials, so I can dig deeper from there."

Sariel Raphael sighed, “Which nobleman isn’t corrupt? We’re all on the island, not in the city, so we can’t move.”

Michael said, "Then let's go with Xiao Mei. Xiao Mei is a guardian deity now. Go check on the nobles."

Metatron was also helpless: "Boss, I think you're really anxious. The Guardian God is the church, and it doesn't handle administration. It has no right to investigate nobles. If it does, it will definitely be reported and impeached."

Sila asked, "Should we use the power of players worldwide to recruit those who triggered the noble corruption quest?"

Michael nodded: "That makes sense. As long as a player triggers the relevant quest, we will use him as a starting point and help him advance the quest."

……

Evil Spirit Island. With the value of the pirate treasure fully assessed, the band of bearded men, clutching a stack of gleaming gold contracts and deposit slips, departed with a chorus of cannon salutes.

Princes Salier and Raphael also emerged from the house where they were hiding.

At this moment, Aziza was still chatting with the Sirens and hadn't left yet. Sariel decided to try and extract some information from her: "Miss Aziza, this Sage Michael is our friend, and we know about the situation. May I ask who your pirates' contact is in the divine realm?"

Aziza said sadly, "Actually, I don't know either, but I think it might be my grandfather! My grandfather went to heaven right in front of me!"

He really was a pirate king!?
Sariel hurriedly asked, "But last month, there were also rumors about who that undead pirate king was?"

Aziza sighed, "My grandfather had a split personality, with both good and bad sides. That ghost was the bad side of my grandfather, clinging to his obsession. I wonder what he's doing now." (Note: Chapter 203)
Michael suddenly understood: "So that's how it is!"

Sariel then asked, "And what was your grandfather's name?"

Aziza laughed and said, "I don't remember very well! Besides, this was the lord test given to the First Sage by my uncles! I also want to know if the First Sage is qualified, and it might not even be my grandfather."

Sariel sighed, "They won't even give us the most crucial name. Who knows what the first Pirate King's name was?"

Michael was also at a loss: "Butler, is it possible to find out?"

Butler: "This is not from the previous version. I will check the existing database slowly."

Raziel said, "Boss, now that the mission is confirmed, don't waste your time flying back. Just drown in the sea and come back. After you're resurrected, come find me to take over my shift. I'll go back to the God Realm right away."

Michael: "I'll die after she finishes speaking."

Aziza continued, "Well then, Sister Siren, now that everything's done here, I should get going to promote our bank's business. I guarantee that within a day, the legend of our shadow bank will be circulating in the taverns of all five cities."

The siren chuckled: "Take care, little Sasha!"

Aziza said helplessly, "Sister, that's a disgusting way those uncles address me."

The siren laughed, "But I think it's cute..."

It seems we really can't get any information out of them.

Michael sighed helplessly, "I feel disgusted too, I want to drown..."

……

After exchanging the soul shackles with the resurrected Michael, Raziel returned to the realm of the gods.

I first asked some NPCs on the street, but to no avail. Then I went to the tavern in the divine realm to inquire, but there was still no news. Theoretically, a tavern should be an intelligence center in a city, but I've been AFK since the start of Raziel, and my affinity with the tavern isn't high enough.

The only acquaintance was the guard who had been cultivated at the prison gate in the past two days, but the guard was also unaware: "The souls that go to the realm of gods have all reformed and washed away their sins. I don't have the authority to find out his current identity based on the title of the first generation pirate king."

Raziel was truly in a dilemma: "Boss, I suddenly feel that finding people is even harder than finding money. Doesn't anyone have any other ideas?"

Xila suddenly laughed: "If Dachun were faced with this kind of task, what would he do?"

Gabriel laughed and said, "Why did you suddenly think of Da Chun? Did you have an idea?"

Sila was furious: "It's you, you bitch, who thinks of fucking everything!"

Raziel retorted irritably, "We're the game developers, are we supposed to ask an amateur player?"

Sila scoffed: "Is there a world's number one amateur player? Besides, according to Sariel's logic, anything bad must be related to Da Chun. It's possible that Da Chun also knows the Pirate King. Why don't Raziel use his disguised law enforcement officer identity to release him from prison and let him find the Pirate King?"

Sariel was anxious: "How can we let him out? He's like a cockroach trapped in a glass jar; we can't let him out even the slightest opening."

Xila laughed and said, "Then why don't you go directly to Dachun's prison and ask him?"

Raziel was at his wit's end: "It's nighttime in the Eastern time zone right now, he shouldn't be online. I'll go look for him around dinnertime, that would seem more natural."

Sila was taken aback: "We have to wait this long? What will you be doing all this time?"

Raziel suddenly laughed wearily: "I stayed up all night preparing for this law enforcement officer exam and haven't slept since. I'm going to catch up on some sleep. Remind me before dinner..."

Uriel said irritably, "You've only been up all night, how can you possibly sleep?"

Raziel laughed and said, "Uriel, aren't you going to sleep? You don't have anything to do in Ironflame Village anyway."

Uriel said in a deep voice, "This is very interesting! The battle sounds emitted by this black dragon guardian are very special, they don't sound like the roars of dragons at all. I'm recording the whole thing."

Just then, Gabriel exclaimed with a mixture of surprise and joy: "I'm going to be resurrected!! A countdown suddenly appeared on the screen!"

Sila laughed and said, "It's not easy. You've been dead for six days, haven't you?"

Gabriel was practically weeping with joy: "I feel like I've been dead for six years! That damned Da Chun, I just went in to explore his dream, and ended up being swallowed by that evil dragon baron—"

Michael said with relief, "I discovered that the corrupt nobles were short of manpower, and Gabriel's resurrection came at just the right time."

Gabriel retorted angrily, "What are you saying, boss? While I was away, my Oak City was polluted by curry and littered with trash tents. The first thing I did was clean it all up!"

Before the countdown had even finished, a majestic voice came from Gabriel's screen: "Oak Sage, you've had enough rest."

Gabriel asked in surprise, "Whose voice is that?"

Michael was stunned: "It looks like the Emperor?"

The next moment, Gabriel's screen suddenly lit up, displaying an eye-opening effect. He vaguely saw a group of doctors and several people in black surrounding him; it seemed he was on an operating table?

System notification: Attention! Your body has been modified and equipped with the "Imperial Ancient Crystal Core," resulting in a qualitative leap in your strength!

Gabriel screamed in terror: "I've been modified?"

The screen returned to normal, and Gabriel finally recognized the men in black: "You are... palace spies? You're the ones who modified me?"

The man in black said in a deep voice, "Ms. Gabriel, the Oak Sage, you have abused the power of the Dream Angel, resulting in severe damage to your soul and leaving you unconscious for many days. We had to modify you to awaken you. But now is not the time for you to rest. The Empire has granted you even stronger abilities because it needs you to return to the Empire to investigate the incident of the Forgalo Warship going out of control in the desert. Let's go."

Gabriel was bewildered: "The Forgello airship is out of control?"

Sariel panicked: "Dachun! It must have been Dachun who did it!"

(End of this chapter)