This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 316 - 172: Red River Starfall Fisherman Li Ming

Chapter 316: Chapter 172: Red River Starfall Fisherman Li Ming

Ya Ro held the smart terminal and gestured to Li Ming, "The Land of Stars is located near the Red River Star Stream, with several asteroid belts causing high magnetic interference; it’s almost impossible to communicate with the outside world."

"Only the owners of the Floating Islands can contact the outside world."

Li Ming glanced over, took out his smart terminal, and joined the local network. A vast amount of information continuously refreshed—purchases, sales, and even on-the-spot team formations, giving Li Ming a sense of déjà vu.

After putting away the smart terminal, he couldn’t help but ask, "Who built these Floating Islands initially?"

"That... I’m not quite sure." Ya Ro shook his head. "Anyway, the ownership of the Floating Islands changes constantly, but damaging them is forbidden, or else the major powers of the Land of Stars would unite in attack."

Li Ming appeared contemplative.

"Let’s keep a low profile." Ya Ro approached and whispered, "The Star Hunters must already know we’ve arrived in the Land of Stars. Even though it’s the Collector’s territory here, the leader of the Star Hunters is also an A-level Life Form."

They had killed Atom and arrived on Duke Bai Ye’s vehicle. The shipyard’s discreetness was only relative; they definitely wouldn’t dare hide anything from the Star Hunters.

Li Ming nodded and then asked, "Is there anywhere here where we could get a large amount of metal materials?"

"A large amount of metal materials?" Ya Ro asked cluelessly. After thinking, he asked, "Would scrap work?"

"Scrap?" Li Ming pondered, "That could work."

"Red River Starfall." Ya Ro uttered an unfamiliar term, then quickly explained, "The Land of Stars is on the edge of the Red River Star Stream, which is incredibly long and passes through numerous Star Clusters."

"Every so often, a Starfall erupts, like meteors bursting forth from the Red River Star Stream, spewing out debris and even relics of civilizations; many people make a fortune from it."

"Red River Starfall..." Li Ming thought about that sprawling red river stretching into the depths of space, and asked, "Where do all those things come from?"

Ya Ro also shook his head, "Who knows? The Red River Star Stream is incredibly dangerous; no one dares to delve into it."

Li Ming appeared thoughtful. Ya Ro glanced at him and shook his head, "However, to get a ticket, you must own a Floating Island."

"Huh?" Li Ming frowned.

"The Land of Stars has already been divided among various A-level Life Forms; they wouldn’t just expose their benefits to others," Ya Ro spoke quietly.

"The owners of the Floating Islands are mostly their people, and only their people are allowed to reap the benefits."

"Each Floating Island has gravity clamps that allow them to capture a vast amount of stuff in the Red River Starfall."

"I see..." Li Ming frowned, while Ya Ro said helplessly, "Yeah, don’t even think about it."

Li Ming gave a noncommittal response, then suddenly asked, "Did you say we could do business here?"

"That’s right." Ya Ro said, puzzled.

"Where can we rent shop space?"

Ya Ro was slightly stunned, surprised, "You want to open a shop?"

Li Ming shook his head mysteriously, "No, I want to go fishing."

Ya Ro, speechless, led the way. This area was a well-known trade zone in the Land of Stars.

Prohibited items rarely seen in ordinary civilizations were readily available here, with many slaves shackled in chains brazenly displayed on the streets for selection.

The area had few rules; one was that conflicts were not allowed inside shops.

This rule promoted trade in the area, but it also resulted in extraordinarily high shop rental prices.

"At least a one-year lease, no deposit required, and no refunds." A fat pig-man, reeking of a stench, lay lazily on a huge metal chair, without even opening his eyes.

All the buildings on the Floating Island were owned by the Collector, divided into zones, and pricey.

The best core area had no vacancies. A slightly less prime three-story shop had just become available.

"Five million for a year, paid in full up front," the pig-man casually quoted without a glance.

Li Ming was taken aback by the rent; five million a year was indeed a steep price.

However, this was the Land of Stars, the most chaotic place, and these buildings had some safety features, which naturally made them exceedingly expensive.

Ya Ro looked at Li Ming and nodded, "Let’s take this one."

The pig-man sat up with effort, entering the process familiarly, asking them for their names.

"Azure Dragon." Li Ming simply stated his name. The pig-man cared not for its authenticity, recording their current appearance into the data, and reminded them:

"Remember the facial features on the Mimic Mask. If you change your face, we won’t recognize you."

Then he threw them a crystal card, which served as the key.

The whole process was brief and crude, filled with too many loopholes.

Crossing several blocks, the group arrived in front of their rented shop. The walls were covered in gray-brown stains, but at least the building was made from metal materials.

The door plaque was a black screen, which seemed adjustable—a nice touch.

On either side were "Small Armor Specialty Store" and "Old Saber’s Potion Shop."

There was no shortage of pedestrians on this street. Here, in the absence of various regulatory bodies, as long as one’s skills far surpassed others, no matter how high the price, no one would interfere.

Using the key card to open the door, they were welcomed by a pungent smell of blood. The first floor was empty, with spatters of blood all over the ground.

"Damn, these people are getting lazier, not even cleaning up," Ya Ro cursed.

Li Ming then said, "Didn’t you mention that conflicts are not allowed inside the shops?"

"That’s the rule," Ya Ro hesitated. "Officially, that’s the case, but if the enemy is too powerful and kills without a trace, and the body gets cleaned up..."

"The island guard will deem it a disappearance; A-level Life Forms wouldn’t have time to look into such matters."