Qianyuan: My crew comes from the world of anime.

Instead of directly taking away the artifact stored inside, the logbook asked him if he wanted to submit a task.

If he clicks 'No', does that mean the item is inside?

"..."

Forget it, Luo Tianming thought for a moment:

This thing is a complete hot potato. Even a hamster collector would find it troublesome to keep taking up storage space. If you really want to collect it, wait until you have an unlimited inventory.

He immediately clicked the 'Submit Task' button, and the task disappeared. His available balance instantly increased by 10 recruitment tickets.

——!

He can finally go and buy the items that have been refreshed in the store!

He immediately opened the 'Business is Business' page, but his attention was drawn to another message that suddenly popped up.

log:

[Since you have completed the limited-time task and submitted what the dedicated customer service representative wanted, your favorability rating has increased.]

My feelings for you have now evolved from 'just strangers' to 'I care a little'...

Luo Tianming felt like a million grass mud horses were galloping through his mind.

So you really do have a 'favorability system'? Is this some kind of Galaga game?!

Chapter 37 Favorability

Luo Tianming felt he had run out of things to say; he felt that this system was just messing with him.

He had never heard of any system's artificial intelligence having such a thing, especially since the other one was clearly an 'artificial idiot'... He scoffed at the so-called 'favorability system'.

But curiosity still prompted him to write:

【customer service?】

【…】

Logbook:

【Oh, it's too early to talk about that now, darling~~? If you can complete one more task to raise your affection level to 'Secretly Falling in Love,' you can touch my inductive charging port, then continuously stimulate my motherboard circuitry, and finally leave burning solder spots on me with a soldering iron.】

"..."

What is this garbage?!

Luo Tianming resisted the urge to throw out the captain's logbook and wrote on it:

[Be normal! I just want to ask you, what's the point of this 'favorability' system? If it's just about changing how you speak, then change it back right now!]

【…】

Logbook: [Hi~ There are benefits to increasing 'favorability', such as—you can now make a reasonable request to your personal customer service representative, like asking me to perform a talent, or you can tell me what products you want~]

Luo Tianming: "..."

He was about to close the door in disgust when he saw the words "Desired Item" written on it.

Luo Tianming: [A commodity? You can get your hands on that?]

Log: [Of course not... Dear customer, I'm just a lowly customer service representative. But if you have a request, I can slightly modify the backend data to add the items you want to the next refresh.]

Luo Tianming: [Would a lowly customer service representative threaten me?]

Log: [Customer service is a high-pressure job. To prevent some idle guys from using customer service as chat partners, I gave the customer service girls a little bit of 'privilege' to prevent people from constantly asking you pointless questions like, 'Want to form a band?']

"..."

Okay, dear~ Is there anything you'd like to buy?

The subtext is: If you have something to say, say it; otherwise, hang up quickly.

He thought for a moment about what he needed right now...

So he wrote:

Could you get me some fragments of those special recruitment tickets from before?

Log: [Hi~ No problem. Are you satisfied with this 'service'? If satisfied, please give five stars; if not, please give one star.]

"..."

Luo Tianming's pen hovered outside the frame, and finally he wrote:

What would happen if I gave it one star?

【…】

Log: [Honey~ Since your favorability rating has increased, I'll give you a little voltage boost.]

Luo Tianming: "..."

If he remembers correctly, the safe voltage for the human body should be 36 volts... 40 volts is exactly 4 volts above the safe voltage. Although it won't kill anyone, it's enough to show the customer service representative's malice.

Fortunately, having completed the limited-time task, the system gave Luo Tianming a lot of recruitment coupons, and now he can take a good look at the items in the shop.

What he wants most is definitely a shuttle-type drone.

This thing can make up for the lack of sonar systems as the only detection means in submarines. With this thing, we won't be able to be attacked by a disguised 'thalamus' like last time.

The price of five recruitment tickets makes it seem somewhat expensive, especially compared to another item in the same price range—the [Anti-ship Missile Stinger].

This is something he really wants, as it can greatly compensate for the lack of firepower on the Nautilus. The only drawback is that it requires one 'recruitment ticket' to replenish the firepower after each launch.

"..."

He only has ten recruitment tickets, and if he buys these two, he won't have any more tickets to buy the others.

The "business is business" system seems to look down on other secondary relics brought out from alien ruins.

"..."

After much deliberation, Luo Tianming gritted his teeth and bought the drones and anti-ship missiles.

Compared to the improvements brought by the other two aspects, the increase in submarine strength is obviously the most tangible benefit.

Nothing beats the allure of living in the moment...

As he wrote the word 'buy', suddenly—he felt as if something had appeared on the Nautilus in front of him?

Luo Tianming stretched out his hand: a liquid crystal display screen he had never seen before opened on the bridge floor, and on the side of Levi's elbow, which she hadn't noticed, there was a joystick covered by a transparent protective cover.

"..."

It seems that when he bought the Nautilus, the system conveniently installed drones and anti-ship missiles on it.

Alright... at least he doesn't have to worry about explaining the origins of these things to others, and then about loading them onto the ship.

However, this also raises a new problem:

It will be difficult to find someone else to maintain this ship in the future.

The cleaning of the ship's hull is not a big deal, but if there were a senior engineer like Wohlheim, he would probably be able to tell at a glance that there are weapons and devices on the ship that do not belong to the Alliance.

"..."

It seems they urgently need an engineer.

As for where this manpower would come from, Luo Tianming had already figured it out.

He looked at the mission that was just a hair's breadth away from completion: [Mission: Tomb Raider]

-

In order not to arouse suspicion from the Alliance, Luo Tianming steered the Nautilus along the road for another whole day before finally heading towards the military station.

This time, before he even reported to the control tower, they had already sent him a signal... instructing him to connect to the secretive No. 8 military receiving airlock.

"..."

As soon as the airlock was opened, Luo Tianming saw Staff Officer Migra with her eyelashes fluttering.

She stood behind a man who wasn't very tall. Despite his short stature, the imposing presence emanating from the middle-aged man was not to be underestimated.

Or rather—the imposing presence of a colonel rank emanating from the two stripes and three gold stars on his shoulders.

Luo Tianming stood at the airlock and silently saluted: "Colonel Ivan."

He retorted, looking at Luo Tianming with the scrutinizing gaze of a superior, "Lieutenant, how well have you accomplished our mission?"

Luo Tianming glanced at Migra, whose eyes seemed to hold a kind of embarrassment at the sight.

He quickly realized the reason for the expression on her face:

The Alliance, seeing that he returned so quickly (in less than two days), probably assumed that he had failed his mission and escaped.

"..."

Luo Tianming stood at attention and said, "I have lived up to everyone's expectations... I have brought back the alien artifact. Please have the scientists prepare to open and verify it."

"...!"

His words instantly drew an incredulous look from Migra. Her big eyes blinked rapidly, as if she thought she had misheard.

Colonel Ivan, however, was much calmer. Realizing he had been too harsh, he chuckled and said, "Oh, I wonder what kind of alien artifact our lieutenant has brought us?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Tianming shook his head: "No, sir—what I brought is not any of the ones you are familiar with."

"...!!"

Everyone was shocked by these words.

Chapter 38 Internal Secrets

The news of an alien artifact never seen before quickly astonished everyone present.

Even Colonel Ivan said in disbelief, "Lieutenant, you really didn't see wrong, did you... there's another kind of artifact we haven't discovered?"

"Could they have mistaken something else for a divine artifact?"

The scientists around them were clearly skeptical as well. They wondered how the Alliance, which had been studying these alien ruins for so many years, could have missed such a powerful artifact.

Some people said they wanted to open the box and inspect the goods right now... Of course, Luo Tianming would not allow that.

It doesn't matter how much these people want to court death, as long as they don't drag their own boats down with them.

Luo Tianming was naturally confident about the effects of the divine artifact, and he said confidently:

"There is no mistake—its characteristics are completely different from the previous four artifacts. Based on its characteristics, I named it the 'Faraday Artifact'."

"Colonel, it is very dangerous. If you want to demonstrate its effects, please find a safe area first."

He then had Levi bring over the safe containing the artifact.

Colonel Ivan's eyes were filled with worry as they were escorted to the shipyard by a fire brigade. The empty environment there was more suitable for handling unexpected situations.

Immediately afterwards, Luo Tianming and the others, along with Colonel Ivan, arrived at the glass panoramic curtain wall of the shipyard.

A soldier fully armed, wearing armor with three-centimeter-thick lead plates, nodded under everyone's gaze... Then he lifted the lid, and everyone saw an octagonal cage emitting a dark green light inside the box.

The scientists huddled together, whispering amongst themselves. Colonel Ivan asked Luo Tianming, who was standing nearby, "Lieutenant Luo, what are the characteristics of this new artifact?"

Luo Tianming: "Colonel, please move away from that microphone..."

As soon as he finished speaking, a group of scientists exclaimed in surprise.

The blue-white electric current exploded in the air like wildly dancing electric snakes the moment the Faraday artifact touched the air, and everyone was stunned by the sight.

However, Luo Tianming knew that this was nothing... He silently pulled Colonel Ivan away from the microphone.

Immediately afterwards, everyone saw a mosaic-like light wave spread rapidly, affecting all the electronic components it touched.

The microphone that Luo Tianming used to pull Colonel Ivan away sparked and ignited the entire microphone.

Chaos ensued:

"What happened?!"

"power failure?!"

"No, we've been attacked!"

"Oh my god, all these instruments have crashed!"

"..."

The scientists around him were in a state of chaos. Colonel Ivan, who had been pulled away by Luo Tianming, turned around and gave him a grateful look.