Chapter 265: Interests

“Every time headquarters gives me a task, I’m on edge, afraid those bastards set a trap for me.” The Fat Boss shook his head with a bitter smile.

Yang Bo, hearing this, deliberately asked in surprise, “Aren’t you all supposed to be family?”

“Large families, big powers, and sects are all the same. Only the most outstanding survive to lead the family or sect forward.”

“It’s better for internal competition to be fierce than to let another power wipe you out,” the Fat Boss explained as he ate.

“After I escaped from Pado Planet last time, someone from my family went there and now they’re missing. According to the news we have, they were probably killed. We were lucky to escape. Otherwise, we would’ve been the first to suffer at the hands of those maniacs from Red Earl.”

“Because of business, my family has access to a lot of information. Whenever an extremist organization gains power, the first thing they do is target all family members. A group of elite family members died on Pado Planet.”

“Who would’ve thought Red Earl’s Extremist Organization would double back? It was a matter of luck. No matter how talented you are, in situations like these, you’re powerless. If you’re lucky, you make it out alive. If not, you don’t even know where you’ll die.”

“That relative of mine took over ten trusted subordinates, and now all of them are missing,” the Fat Boss added, speaking about his family.

Yang Bo, feigning shock, looked at his boss, who nodded, “During the last mission on Mining Planet, I suspected the whole thing was a trap aimed at me. There was no proof, though. I almost got caught up in it.”

“Don’t your family elders intervene?” Yang Bo asked, still pretending.

“No one sympathizes with failures, not even in the family. Especially if someone’s dead, what use is there for the elders to get involved? Kill another promising family member?”

“You can’t even imagine the cruelty of internal competition within big forces. When you notice familiar faces missing at family gatherings, it usually means they’re gone for good.” The Fat Boss spoke calmly, but his words left Yang Bo visibly shaken.

“Can I just not join a sect?” Yang Bo asked, looking terrified.

“Even though competition is tough within sects, powers, and families, having backing means not just anyone can push you around,” Zhou Rui smiled softly at Yang Bo and explained.

Yang Bo looked puzzled, “But I don’t plan on doing anything bad. If something happens, my boss will handle it.”

“What if your boss isn’t around? Or something happens and he can’t look out for you?” Zhou Rui’s words made the Fat Boss roll his eyes.

Seeing the Fat Boss’ expression, Yang Bo secretly chuckled. Since the two were putting on a show for him, might as well play along. Fortunately, his role only required him to act clueless.

Yang Bo admitted Zhou Rui made a good point. When out in the world, you shouldn’t rely on just one source. The Fat Boss was a connection worth considering.

No one can predict what might happen midway. Having multiple connections is always good when out in the world.

Of course, Yang Bo had more than just one option. He didn’t just have a sect, but also connections in the Bounty Hunter Guild and knew people in the Free Mercenary Guild. Worst case, he could return to Green Demon Planet and live like a lord, having a grand time.

“That’s a good point,” Yang Bo nodded seriously, playing along.

The Fat Boss, hearing Yang Bo’s words, couldn’t help but laugh, “Joining a sect is a good thing. Assistant Zhou, you didn’t need to put me down like that.”

“Yang Bo, if you ever have any problems, feel free to ask me. I’ve gone through a lot more in the family than you, so I can offer some advice,” the Fat Boss added, turning to Yang Bo.

Zhou Rui nodded when she heard the Fat Boss, “Our President values you a lot; that’s why I’ve been sent to take care of your daily affairs. So in the future, whatever you need, just let me know. If I can’t solve it, the President can. And let me tell you, our President is no ordinary person.”

Zhou Rui glanced at the Fat Boss, “At the very least, our network of connections is stronger than your boss’s.”

The Fat Boss wanted to argue but knew he couldn’t.

After all, his family couldn’t compare to the Bounty Hunter Guild. The Bounty Hunter Guild was an international organization.

However, his family didn’t rely on the Bounty Hunter Guild for income. Their businesses rarely crossed paths with the Guild, so there wasn’t much competition.

“Thank you very much, then.” Yang Bo found Zhou Rui’s attempts to put on a serious face amusing. Just wait until I blow your cover. Let’s see who gets embarrassed.

The Fat Boss then asked on Yang Bo’s behalf, “Who from the Thief Sect is coming? Do we need to keep an eye out for anything?”

“Not sure. There’s very little information on the Thief Sect, though I’ve heard all three major nations’ intelligence agencies have disciples from the Thief Sect.”

“But the Thief Sect’s disciples won’t interfere in any conflicts. They mainly prevent others from stealing from the intelligence departments.”

“Even some mechas…!” Zhou Rui added, sharing what she knew.

Yang Bo simply nodded at her words. He didn’t fully trust Zhou Rui’s information. Everyone’s out for themselves. Trusting someone blindly would be laughable. It’s better to approach everything with suspicion.

This came from hard lessons Yang Bo learned in his previous life when searching for jobs. After being scammed repeatedly, he realized it didn’t matter how good the middleman or factory supervisor’s promises sounded. Only when payday arrived would you see the truth.

Some bosses would treat you like a brother when you were working, but the moment you asked for money, they’d act like you were an enemy.

Worse were those who listened to the middleman and ended up sent God-knows-where, never to be heard from again.

The meal went on for quite some time. The key point was that no one knew who exactly was coming. Whoever did arrive, the message was clear: Watch what you say. Keep your secrets to yourself.

Zhou Rui also advised Yang Bo to be discreet about his superpower and keep it from outsiders as much as possible.

After the meal, Yang Bo washed his plate and returned to his room to continue practicing his skills.

Once Yang Bo was back in his room, Zhou Rui and the Fat Boss started arguing. “You’re part of a family. Can’t you speak a bit more carefully? You scared Yang Bo!”

“What I say is none of your business. Mind your own affairs. Yang Bo’s still my company’s employee. He’s even…!” The Fat Boss snapped, though he quickly caught himself before finishing the sentence.

Zhou Rui smirked at his half-spoken words, “And don’t forget, he’s also a member of the Bounty Hunter Guild. You might as well name your price. I need to know if Yang Bo has other abilities.”

“Absolutely not!” the Fat Boss refused immediately.

“We’re on the same side now. Don’t forget he’s also set to join the Thief Sect. If his talent is high enough, he might not need to join in the first place.”

“Plus, the secret you’re trying to keep won’t last long. After all, Yang Bo belongs to our guild now. We’ll find out eventually.”

“It’d be better to share the information and make a deal. As a family member, you should understand how to make the right choice,” Zhou Rui’s voice was calm, but each word hit home with the Fat Boss.

The Fat Boss was conflicted. He had initially joined the Bounty Hunter Guild to grow stronger using their resources.

He also had another thought. If Yang Bo’s future talent was too out of this world, it could attract attention. Outsiders were manageable, but he feared some shameless people within his family.

The Fat Boss wasn’t particularly powerful in his family. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up in this remote Capital Star.

Zhou Rui said what she did because she believed the Fat Boss was just like her. All she had to do was put herself in his shoes.

“There’s nothing that can’t be exchanged, as long as the price is right.” Zhou Rui continued speaking.

“I want a set of Energy Suit with at least 98% compatibility, along with weapons,” the Fat Boss finally said after some thought.

“Do you even know how valuable a 98% compatible energy suit is? It’s nearly impossible to find one that fits! You’d have to go to the headquarters of our Bounty Hunter Guild to have any chance. The local branch doesn’t have access to many pieces like that,” Zhou Rui replied, irritated.

The Fat Boss sneered, “That’s just my first condition.”

“If I dared name a price, it’s naturally worth it.”

“The second condition is that I want to meet your President and form an alliance with him.”

Zhou Rui looked at the Fat Boss with surprise, her voice filled with disbelief, “Is Yang Bo’s information that valuable? You think our President would form an alliance with you?”

“What do you think? If I could handle this myself, would I sell the information to you? If it weren’t for those dogs in my family, I wouldn’t even be dealing with outsiders like you.” The Fat Boss chuckled coldly.

Zhou Rui, curious, asked, “What happened with your family?”

“It’s nothing. The family is just in decline, and some guys are still living in past glories… doing dirty work for others. Anyway, if you can’t make the decision, find someone who can,” the Fat Boss replied.

“I’ll give you an answer by dinner,” Zhou Rui felt a bit hesitant; the price the Fat Boss named was really high.

The key issue was finding the energy suit with 98% compatibility. It wasn’t easy.

Finding suits with over 90% compatibility was simple, but anything over 98% was tough.

More importantly, only the user could know how compatible the suit was. The Bounty Hunter Guild would have to transport suit after suit for the Fat Boss to try. Aside from the suit’s value, the time and costs to ship them back and forth would be a huge headache.

“I’ll be waiting for your good news.” The Fat Boss stood up, cleaned up the table, and walked away.

Yang Bo entered the game again. At the respawn point, he bought a rope and 500 rounds of ammunition. The gun he hid earlier, so he could now carry more ammo. Having the gun on him limited how much ammo he could carry. He set off.

“700 rounds in total and one roll of rope.” He reached the farm.

“It’s time to get to work.” Yang Bo had already scouted the farm’s landscape. The middle held the main farm building. The surrounding area used to be for grazing grass and orchards. Yang Bo chose a spot on a nearby hill, about 300 meters away.

At the base of the hill, Yang Bo began to wrap the purchased rope around the trees.

Soon enough, he’d set up a simple defense.

Then he scouted the terrain again, to make sure he had escape routes planned.

“Too bad there’s no mini hydrogen bombs,” Yang Bo couldn’t help but miss the tiny bombs from the mecha game.

He had hoarded a large stock of them but hadn’t found the right time to sell.

“If I had just two mini hydrogen bombs now, this would be a breeze.”

He checked his equipment once more. His character was the most valuable; the gun and ammo were practically worthless.

From the hilltop, Yang Bo aimed his scope at a zombie dog near the farm gate.

With a dull thud, the zombie dog’s head exploded.

Tracking +2!

A message flashed in his head.

A nearby zombie sheep heard the sound and let out a strange noise.

It bolted for the gate. There might have been an iron gate or fence there at some point, but it had long since rotted away, leaving only concrete walls on each side.

“Looks like trouble!” Yang Bo watched as at least half the farm’s zombie sheep rushed out.

He quickly fired again, a bullet passing through the skull of a zombie sheep.

Charge +2!

The message boosted Yang Bo’s spirits.

He continuously fired, the soft sound of shots ringing out.

Unfortunately, the noise attracted the zombie sheep. A whole horde began charging up the hill.

Luckily, the base of this hill had been abandoned for years. Tall grass and bushes slowed the sheep’s momentum.

It only delayed them, though. As this happened, Yang Bo kept firing and reloading.

Each magazine held 35 rounds, and in about 20 seconds, he emptied each one.

After 200 shots, Yang Bo knew it was time to run. A huge mob of zombie sheep had already made it past the ropes he set up.

He sprinted for several kilometers before the sheep were left behind.

“This method is too slow. How long will it take to kill a few thousand zombie sheep?”

“The physical boost from Charge is obvious. I can feel the strength increase.” The growth brought by the Charging Skill made Yang Bo feel excited, like his body was brimming with power.

“What if I just set everything on fire?”

“But setting a fire would be tricky. Cutting grass would take forever. In the mecha game, the mechs did the mowing. No idea how long a Bionic Puppet would take.”

“I’ll scout the area again and figure out a plan. These zombies barely have any intelligence, after all.” With that resolve, Yang Bo decided to rest before heading back to recheck the layout.