This is really not mechanical ascension
Chapter 329 - 178: The Devil That Plays With Human Hearts_2

Chapter 329: Chapter 178: The Devil That Plays With Human Hearts_2

Even though most of the stuff is useless junk, it doesn’t cost anything.

And when everything is over, the majority of the items will end up in the Collector’s pocket.

The scoundrels milling about in the Land of Stars don’t have much eye for value; whatever price the Collector sets, they’ll accept without much fuss as they didn’t expend much effort anyway.

Over time, the Collector’s accumulation can only be described as terrifying.

"No wonder there are thousands of Mother Ores..." Li Ming marveled, following the conclusion of the Red River Starfall, the Floating Islands of the Land of Stars also returned to their original locations.

This wasn’t anything major, merely a minor episode in the Land of Stars.

Li Ming’s Floating Island was secured by gravity capture devices holding onto the wreckage and ruins, waiting for processing.

Meanwhile, Blake and his group were on pins and needles, not sure whether to leave or stay.

"Shall we continue our chat?" Li Ming took the initiative to ask as he led them back to the room.

Ya Ro also wanted to follow, but was stopped by Li Ming and could only watch eagerly.

"Thank you for saving our lives just now," Blake began with words of gratitude.

Li Ming chuckled, with a hint of teasing, "You guys are from the interstellar alliance; if you really died here, I’d have a hard time explaining it."

Blake’s face reddened with embarrassment, and the others exchanged glances, their plans having gone nothing like they had anticipated.

Their target had suddenly become their lifesaver; how were they supposed to proceed?

Blake hesitated, then gritted his teeth, "Blake is not an ungrateful person, but as for Kay..."

"You can’t take Kay with you for now," Li Ming interrupted, shaking his head, "The price I want, you can’t afford."

"Then at least name a price," Blake said.

"Ten billion Star Coins, Black Hole Network transaction," Li Ming said bluntly.

"You!" The color of someone behind Blake’s face deepened as if they wanted to say something, but the anger choked them until their face was beet red.

The gratitude for saving their lives was right there, and they simply couldn’t lash out.

Blake too felt terribly uncomfortable and could only smile wryly, "Sir, keeping him is of no use to you, and this price is really not negotiable."

He could already imagine the outrage he’d face if he actually reported this price to his superiors.

Li Ming found it quite amusing; these men were quite interesting. Having spared them the Collector’s wrath, they appeared completely baffled.

They were too sheepish to talk tough, caught in a dilemma.

It was always easier to handle those with a sense of morality.

Kay was indeed of little significance to him, but as bait for the interstellar alliance, quite useful.

The interstellar alliance was indeed a colossal entity, and even though its anti-raider division was just a part, the resources they could muster were impressive.

With this bait, they would continue to make contact.

He could also take advantage of their resources for many things, such as a B-grade gene seed or certain intelligence.

Of course, if they really offered him ten billion, a one-time deal was also a possibility.

"To be honest with you, I’ve come to appreciate Kay over this period of time. Let him stick with me for a while. When he feels like leaving, I’ll contact you," Li Ming implied it was time for them to go.

Blake was at a loss for words, already sensing that Li Ming’s intention to keep Kay wasn’t for the latter’s own sake but for some plan involving them.

But there was nothing he could do but say, "That’s, okay..."

"Let’s exchange contact information and keep in touch," Li Ming further suggested.

Blake’s face looked even more pained, questioning whether he could refuse if, in the future, Li Ming asked for information or the like.

After exchanging contact information, Blake left with a heavy heart.

Seeing them go, Ya Ro finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, Kay had remained silent throughout the process, even though he knew that Blake and the others might be the ones taking him away, he didn’t show any extreme reactions.

It was only after Blake and his group had left that he finally opened his mouth to ask Ya Ro, "Aren’t you one of them? Why deliberately conceal your identity?"

Ya Ro opened his mouth, a look of helplessness on his face, "I have no choice."

Kay looked thoughtful, then suddenly strode towards Li Ming’s room.

"What are you doing?" Ya Ro’s face twitched, and he hurriedly followed.

Li Ming emerged from his room, coming face-to-face with Kay, and an anxious Ya Ro, he raised his eyebrows.

"Do you want the Evolution Theory and the Secret Record of Liberation?" Kay asked with a solemn expression.

"Oh." Li Ming became interested, let the two into the room, and after closing the door, he asked with interest, "You had firmly refused before, what made you change your mind?"

"I’ve learned from you," Kay replied, looking down his nose at him, because under the Mimic Mask, his vertical pupils were just a bit above his nose.

"You’ve demonstrated your worth, making the Collector value you highly, and you even took the opportunity to eliminate the Star Hunter, a hidden threat," Kay analyzed:

"Moreover, this is an initiative you’ve taken, and afterward, you might even rely on the Collector’s power to do many things. You don’t mind possibly being under the threat of the Collector, there’s a give and take."

"I am already an exiled noble. Apart from my identity, the most valuable things are my gene sequence, Evolution Theory, and Secret Record of Liberation."

"Given the situation, what else do I have to lose? It’s better to use these things to exchange for as many benefits for myself as possible."

Ya Ro, listening to Kay’s lengthy discourse, looked at him in amazement.

And Li Ming’s smile grew more intense, "Interesting, so what do you want to exchange for?"

"Release me to the Interstellar Alliance, and when necessary, I might need your help," Kay said firmly.

"What help?" Li Ming stroked his chin.

"Revenge!" Kay clenched his teeth, "I want revenge, I want back what is mine, I want those people to die with nowhere to lay their bodies!"

"Very well." Li Ming clapped his hands, Kay’s expression flickered, "You’ve agreed?"

"Since you want to learn, let me teach you another thing, don’t expose your needs to anyone prematurely," Li Ming replied indifferently:

"For example, this time, your desire for revenge is too obvious, and this is your weakness."

"Now that I know your weakness, I can threaten you. If you don’t give me what I want, I will keep treating you like this, not killing you, just keeping you by my side, preventing you from doing anything, wasting time."

"A person desperate for revenge, yet unable to do anything about it, must be very tormenting."

Kay panicked, struggling to maintain composure, "The Interstellar Alliance will keep negotiating with you, there’s no need to keep me."

Li Ming laughed, "But people are greedy, I might want more, or perhaps, I simply enjoy the cruelty."

"Also, how long can you maintain your burning desire for revenge before it’s extinguished?"

Kay fell silent. He had already recognized this point. Although he had always worn the gene inhibitor, the days spent doing nothing but following orders were very comfortable, even making him feel a certain nostalgia.

"So, whatever you want to do, don’t casually reveal it to others unless you already have a plan," Li Ming added.

"I’ve learned," Kay said with a nod, exhaling a long breath and then appearing somewhat invigorated, "So you’ve agreed?"

His words carried a bit of reverence.

Li Ming grinned, "Agreed, agreed to what? You didn’t understand my point, I am threatening you."

"Hand over the Evolution Theory, and I can unlock the gene inhibitor for you, so you can develop the gene seed. It’s a painful process, and I believe that during this painful process, you will make your desire for revenge burn fiercer and fiercer."

Ya Ro’s mouth twitched uncontrollably, watching Kay intently for fear that he might suddenly snap.

Kay clearly hadn’t reacted at first, then his face revealed a complex mixture of emotions. After a long silence, he finally spoke in a hoarse voice, "Fine, I agree."

Li Ming tossed out a USB drive, simultaneously unlocking the gene inhibitor on Kay’s body, cautioning, "We are both under the Collector’s detention right now, don’t even think about leaving this place, otherwise, I can’t save you."

"I understand," Kay replied expressionlessly, turning around to leave.