I chose the safe house, and the Human Alliance regretted it.

"If we can't even protect ourselves, how dare our shop claim to be a peacemaker?"

The words echoed in her ears.

She opened her mouth, as if to say something, but found that her throat felt like it was blocked by something.

This man possessed a composure she had never seen before.

It's not an act of putting on a brave face; it's a kind of "it doesn't matter if the sky falls" kind of confidence that comes from the bottom of one's heart.

"You..." Zi Jin finally spoke, "You're that confident?"

Wang Wei did not answer.

He glanced at the time.

"Your father will be here soon," he said.

Zi Jin was taken aback.

She glanced instinctively at the communicator on her wrist; the remaining time for her father's starship to arrive—

Not a single point off!

........

3:15 PM.

Above Imperial Star City, a dark gold starship slowly entered the energy shield.

There were no markings on the ship, but everyone in the city recognized it—it was the city lord's vehicle.

Instead of heading towards the city lord's mansion, the starship changed direction and headed straight for the commercial street.

Outside the "No Cheating on the Poor" store, the queue had already been cleared out by Wang Wei.

Bai Lu led Li An up to the second floor.

Wang Wei leaned back in the suspension chair, closed his eyes to rest, and gently tapped his fingers on the armrest.

"Here I am." He opened his eyes.

Zi Jin's expression hardened, and he subconsciously looked towards the door.

The next second, the door was pushed open.

A burly middle-aged man walked in, wearing a dark purple suit with the emblem of Imperial Star City embroidered on his chest.

His face was resolute, and his brows exuded an imposing aura.

Zi Chen. City Lord of Emperor Star City, father of Zi Jin, a genuine tenth-tier Origin Venerable.

Zi Jin quickly stood up: "Father."

Zi Chen glanced at her, then at Wang Wei on the sofa, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the two.

"You go out first," Zi Chen said to Zi Jin.

Zi Jin was taken aback. He looked at Wang Wei, then at his father, and hesitated for a moment.

"Sister Zijin, let me show you to the second floor." Bai Lu poked her head out from the stairs at some point, just in time to get out of the predicament.

Zi Jin took a deep breath and followed Bai Lu upstairs.

Only two people remained in the lobby on the first floor.

Zi Chen did not sit down.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking Wang Wei up and down.

The young man was much younger than he had imagined, but those eyes—those eyes were so deep, as deep as a bottomless abyss.

He tried to sense Wang Wei's presence, but couldn't sense anything.

This person was right in front of him, yet he felt like he was nothing at all.

Zi Chen's heart sank.

He had lived for hundreds of years and seen countless powerful figures, but he had never felt this way before.

He finally understood why the empire had agreed to that deal.

It's not that Wang Wei is begging the empire, it's that the empire needs Wang Wei.

"Sit down." Wang Wei gestured to the sofa opposite him, his tone as casual as if he were greeting an old friend.

Zi Chen hesitated for a moment, then sat down.

He hadn't sat so "casually" in front of others in a long time.

"The Empire has agreed to a deal for one hundred million vials of energy liquid," Zi Chen stated bluntly, "but verification is required first."

Wang Wei nodded, signaling him to continue.

"The Empire will pay ten million vials of energy fluid first. You will provide a list of one thousand individuals whose consciousness has been corrupted by the Keloid silicon-based race."

Zi Chen's voice was calm and steady, "After the Empire verifies that everything is correct, the remaining 90 million cigarettes will be paid. If the list is incorrect, the transaction will be terminated, and these 10 million cigarettes will be given to the shop owner as a token of the Empire's sincerity."

Wang Wei did not answer immediately.

Ten million vials of energy liquid is no small amount for him.

But the real target is the 10 billion branches of the Kailo tribe.

This deal was intended to build credibility and force the Kylo family to comply!

"Okay," Wang Wei nodded. "That makes perfect sense."

Zi Chen breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He raised his wrist and said into the communicator, "Move in."

The shop door opened again.

A group of servants dressed in the uniforms of the city lord's mansion filed in, each carrying a sealed metal box.

The boxes were stacked in the corner, layer upon layer, and soon formed a small mountain.

"Ten million vials of energy liquid, please count them, shopkeeper," Zi Chen said.

Wang Wei glanced at it but did not get up.

He waved his hand, "No need."

Then, he picked up a pen from the coffee table and pulled out a sheet of white paper.

Wang Wei began writing his name.

He wrote very quickly, the pen nib scratching on the paper.

The first name is Chaoxi (朝西).

The second one is Wood.

Thirdly, a tribute.

Fourth, puff pastry.

Fifth, close the door.

Sixth, creation

……

Zi Chen's brows furrowed slightly.

These names don't look like those of respectable people at all.

But Wang Wei wrote with flowing ease, completing the work in one go. In less than fifteen minutes, both sides of the two sheets of white paper were densely covered with his name.

One thousand.

Wang Wei handed the paper to Zi Chen: "Take this and check it."

Zi Chen took the paper, glanced at it, and his eyelids twitched.

These names… He took a deep breath and refrained from asking.

Since Wang Wei dared to give it, he must have his reasons.

The Empire has invested countless resources in the infiltration of the Kylos, but has never been able to pinpoint specific individuals.

If all one thousand names are real, then Wang Wei's value is immeasurable.

"One day." Zi Chen stood up. "Give the shop owner an answer one day later."

"Take care." Wang Wei did not get up to see the guest off.

Zi Chen walked to the door, then suddenly stopped and turned his head: "Has the Kailuo clan contacted the shop owner?"

"Of course." Wang Wei smiled. "Our shop is open for business, and everyone who comes is a customer."

Zi Chen's pupils contracted slightly.

He remained silent for a moment, then pushed open the door and left.

Zi Jin walked down the stairs, followed by Bai Lu and Li An.

Her gaze lingered for a few seconds in the direction her father had left, then turned to Wang Wei.

"Are you done talking?"

"Hmm." Wang Wei nodded. "Your father is more straightforward than you."

Zi Jin's face darkened.

Is this saying she's being slow and indecisive?

"Let's go." Zi Jin took Li An's hand. "Li An, let's go back."

Li An glanced at Wang Wei, then at Zi Jin.

"Big brother, I will come to see you again." Li An's voice was very soft.

"Okay." Wang Wei squatted down and patted her head. "Cultivate diligently. I'll wait until you become stronger."

Li An nodded vigorously and followed Zi Jin out.

Only Wang Wei and Bai Lu remained in the store.

Bai Lu stood in the shop, staring blankly at the mountain of metal boxes.

Ten million vials of energy liquid were piled up in front of her.

"What are you thinking about?" Wang Wei's voice pulled her back to reality.

Bai Lu snapped out of her daze and, almost without thinking, asked, "Are you sleeping at my place again tonight?"

As soon as she said it, she realized she had made a mistake.

Her face flushed instantly, burning from her neck all the way to her ears.

"I...I didn't mean that...I meant..." Bai Lu stammered, unsure how to explain.

She covered her face, turned and ran out, shouting, "I'll come back tomorrow!"

The door was pushed open and then closed again, and the footsteps quickly faded into the distance.

Wang Wei paused for a moment, then laughed.

He didn't chase after them, nor did he offer any explanation.

He didn't mind.

But tonight, he has another big client.

Night fell.

The nights in Imperial Star City are more lively than the days.

The commercial street was brightly lit, and holographic GGs intertwined in the night sky to form a dazzling light curtain.

Inside the shop, Wang Wei poured himself a glass of wine and sipped it alone.

He had already exchanged all ten million vials of energy liquid piled up in the corner for safety points.

A total of 100 trillion safety points!

The numbers on the panel jumped to a new high, but he wasn't in a hurry to get promoted.

He is waiting.

The commercial street was bustling with people, filled with laughter and cheerful conversation.

Time passed by, second by second.

As night fell, the crowds thinned out and the streets returned to silence.

"Squeak—"

The shop door was pushed open.

A person walked in.

He was wearing a dark gray cloak with the hood pulled low, obscuring his face.

His steps were very light, without making a sound.

Wang Wei opened his eyes.

The door closed automatically.

The lights inside the shop were off, with only a faint glow coming in from the outside lights.

The newcomer slowly removed his hood, revealing the face of a middle-aged man.

He has an ordinary face, the kind of ordinary that you would never notice in a crowd.

But his eyes were like two dry wells, unfathomable.

"What's your decision?" Wang Wei asked.

The visitor nodded.

"My clan agrees." The voice was hoarse. "Ten billion vials of energy liquid. A buyout of the infiltration list."

Wang Wei's lips curled up slightly.

"Where's the money?"

"How can you guarantee that the list won't be leaked again?" The man held up one finger. "Today you gave Zichen a list of a thousand people, which violates our agreement."

Wang Wei said nonchalantly, "There's no agreement until the money is in hand."

The newcomer frowned slightly.

"Full payment is required for the buyout to be valid," Wang Wei stated firmly.

"This is a small business, so we don't offer credit," he added. "By the way, Zi Chen will be back tomorrow after the Empire's verification is complete, and I'll give him the whole list then."

The visitor remained silent for a moment.

"Okay." He nodded. "Full payment."

After speaking, the newcomer stared at Wang Wei with icy eyes.

Wang Wei did not avoid that gaze; he even smiled.

His smile is so irritating.

"Come with me," the person said through gritted teeth.

He turned around and walked towards the door first.

He stopped at the door without turning around.

"Shopkeeper, aren't you afraid of retaliation from the humans?" His voice was hoarse. "We are mortal enemies with the humans. If you help us, you are making an enemy of the entire human race."

Wang Wei smiled.

"I am a businessman, and in a businessman's eyes there is no such thing as race or nationality," he said softly. "Whoever does business with this store is our customer."

He paused.

"As for revenge—" Wang Wei sneered, "Go ahead and try."

The visitor remained silent for a moment.

It must be said that Wang Wei's words dispelled his concerns.

"Let's go," he said in a low voice, "those 10 billion vials of energy are at the star base..."