Chapter 130: The Art of Sham

“Alright, who were that One-Eye and the Bald Man from earlier? They seem pretty high and mighty?” Yang Bo nodded and packed up his stuff. He was familiar with the Tiger-Faced King at least, knowing he wasn’t from the Alliance.

“Two pirate leaders. Their warship got blown up, now they’re hiding here like dogs, waiting to escape when it’s safer.” The Tiger-Faced King answered honestly, unsure if Yang Bo was testing him with this question.

The two arrived at an exit in the underground, and in a spacious area, the Tiger-Faced King had his subordinates keep watch from afar.

“Brother, be honest, where did you get this?” The Tiger-Faced King pointed at the Energy Core container in Yang Bo’s hand.

“Of course I stole it. But you can forget about keeping that Energy Core; you know how easy it is to sell.” Yang Bo replied calmly.

“You’ve got some skills, brother. Could you let me know if you get more in the future?” The Tiger-Faced King praised Yang Bo with a thumbs up.

“Heh, does the King really think I came here to do a deal?” Yang Bo knew how cunning the Tiger-Faced King could be and laughed in response.

The Tiger-Faced King was stunned. “Brother, you’re not saying…?”

“Heh, does the King think we’re Mutants or humans?” Yang Bo said meaningfully.

The Tiger-Faced King’s mind raced. The main energy room of Base 16 had been opened, and the Energy Core reserves were missing, though there was still some in the reactor.

The Tiger-Faced King had been pondering these past few days: What happened to the previous group? It seemed someone from the Alliance had entered first, but then his men had forcibly broken into the main energy room. Why did that group still take control of the mech?

But that wasn’t right. An outsider couldn’t control the mech!

Or had they brought the mech into the base first? The resources of this group were too vast.

“The Grey Ash Organization isn’t one to mess with.” The Tiger-Faced King decided to feel things out.

“Heh, King, what if our people have already gone inside?” Yang Bo chuckled, leaving the hint before walking away.

The Tiger-Faced King’s spirit jolted. He wanted to call out to Yang Bo, but didn’t know how to start. Right, had that organization already planted people inside, setting up an ambush? “King, if you want to work together, be careful. Many in your Mutant Tribe are working for someone else.” Yang Bo left these final words before departing.

Why did Yang Bo leave?

Because there was no damn information! No layout details, no insider intel—so why stay? To catch a fish, you need some bait.

He didn’t boldly barge in, invisible from the front. Anyone daring to do business here wasn’t going to be simple.

First, scout the surroundings. Maybe there’s a weak point? After all, they were in a mountain.

But as for air vents or water pipes, forget it. Technology here can recycle everything.

Yang Bo wandered around. Actually, he wasn’t the only one. Others were also wandering, mostly Mutants. It seemed he wasn’t the only one trying to fish in troubled waters.

After circling once, he found nothing. That didn’t surprise him. If there was an opening, the Mutants would have discovered it long ago.

“Looks like I’ll have to go head-on.” Yang Bo muttered to himself.

“Brother, are you planning how to escape once you make your move?” Just as Yang Bo was about to test things head-on, the Tiger-Faced King came up.

Yang Bo’s expression didn’t change at the question. “King, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“Heh, I had someone follow you. You’ve been walking around like you’re looking for an exit strategy after getting your hands on something. I know this place well. I’ve been stationed here for over a hundred years, dealing with the Grey Ash Organization for many of them. There’s no one more familiar with this place than me.” The Tiger-Faced King grinned.

Yang Bo, hearing this, raised his eyebrows. Oh? So, this guy was also sent here by someone.

“Heh. Looks like our intel was right. Otherwise, why would I be dealing with you?” Yang Bo’s words were deliberately ambiguous.

“Brother, it seems your intel isn’t that thorough. Though I was sent, I stopped listening to them long ago. I’ve wiped out several groups sent before me.” The Tiger-Faced King laughed.

Yang Bo grew curious. Who sent this guy? He then asked, “King, don’t you think it’d be better if we bypass the Grey Ash Organization and deal directly with the Alliance?”

“Who are you?!” The Tiger-Faced King’s face darkened at those words.

“Why so tense, my King? Couldn’t Mutants govern themselves, even if only part of them? Some of you could talk directly with the Alliance to secure supplies, while the rest could be left to your discretion. Their goods would still go through you to reach the Alliance. You wouldn’t even have to lift a finger, and you’d be raking in profits.” Yang Bo wasn’t worried at all. If this guy misunderstood him, so be it.

The Tiger-Faced King was shocked. He couldn’t figure out where this kid came from. Immediately, he said, “How can we trust you?”

“You’ll see soon.” Yang Bo left him with that line and walked away.

The Tiger-Faced King’s curiosity piqued. He may have been sent by another nation, but if what Yang Bo said was true, that the Mutants could govern themselves and negotiate with the Alliance… What kind of opportunity was that? They could establish cities, territories, and even build massive trade networks.

The Tiger-Faced King wasn’t a native Mutant. He was well-educated, with big ideas. Without those, he wouldn’t have pulled off so many crafty maneuvers.

But he didn’t know Yang Bo’s background. Could Yang Bo be someone from the Alliance?

That didn’t fit either. The Alliance’s internal councils had vetoed several attempts to invade Green Demon Planet. Too many families, institutions, and companies were involved. As long as a full invasion didn’t happen, the planet’s resources remained in their control.

If the Alliance takes over, those same resources would become a free-for-all, split among the participants. And sending troops here wasn’t ideal unless no one cared about casualties or the environment.

The Tiger-Faced King was itching with curiosity. Meanwhile, Yang Bo activated his invisibility, preparing to head in for a closer look.

Yang Bo decided to trail behind a group led by the Bald Pirate Leader.

The Bald Pirate and the One-Eyed Pirate wandered around, followed by seven or eight others.

The entrance they came through was twelve meters high and five meters wide. After inspecting it, Yang Bo realized it could easily accommodate a Ninth-Generation Mech.

Once inside, the walls were lined with metal. How thick it was, Yang Bo couldn’t tell. Whether they had defensive armor embedded was unknown too.

The passage was thirty meters long. Beyond it lay a wide hall. Atop the hall were two laser cannon turrets. Judging by appearances, they were manually operated, but it wasn’t clear how many people were inside. The turrets were protected by defensive armor.

“No wonder the Mutants haven’t caused any trouble here.” Yang Bo observed. These were heavy-duty laser cannons, even bigger than those in Base 16.

The group removed their helmets once inside the passage. It was obvious there was some recognition system in place or perhaps a superpowered evolutionist with memory abilities acting as a living facial recognition system.