Chapter 578 - 532: Shi Ming’s "Win-Win" Method
Phew~
On an uninhabited planet on the outskirts of the First Civilization Cosmic Country, Bai Yimo and Blast River Rock spent three long, pleasant hours together.
Afterward, as they lingered in the afterglow, Bai Yimo sensed a message from Shi Ming.
[Shi Ming: My capable employee, have you arrived at the First Civilization Cosmic Country? Project an image of you using your Nirvana Skill, "Desire," for me.]
[Bai Yimo: ???]
Bai Yimo was completely baffled.
She had long known that the news of her possessing the numbered Nirvana Skill [Desire] couldn’t be hidden from this so-called boss of hers, but now he wasn’t even pretending anymore, was he?
’Demanding a recording of my skill directly? You gave me the cold shoulder when you first invited me, and now you’re being this forward?’
However,
’Why should I agree to that?’
Things that come too easily are rarely cherished. That’s just how men are. Take this stone man, Blast River Rock, for example. Only after being "trained" by her, the progenitor of desire demons, did he become so completely devoted.
’You want a recording of me using my skill? Fine.’
’Beg me.’
While she was sharing an intimate moment with Blast River Rock, lost in their tenderness, she was also thinking about how to refuse Shi Ming. Before she could come up with the right words, she sensed another message from him.
[Shi Ming: Let’s make this quick. Five hundred thousand Cosmic Crystals.]
’Five hundred thousand Cosmic Crystals?’
That was even more effective than her own "All-or-Nothing Gamble," making her stop thinking altogether.
’My dear boss, why didn’t you say so sooner?’
Within the First Civilization Cosmic Country, Cosmic Crystals weren’t as useful as Civilization Stones, but they could be exchanged for Civilization Stones in the Divine Treasure Vault. Such a massive amount was equivalent to half the net worth of a Marshal-rank Nirvana Powerhouse. Bai Yimo had just escaped from the depths of the Cave of the Stars, and even though she had now joined Assassination Star, it would be impossible to accumulate such a vast sum of Cosmic Crystals in a short time.
’This boss of mine has struck it rich again.’
She tickled the side of Blast River Rock’s head with the tips of her hair, giggling softly. Meanwhile, her consciousness was linked to the star-chain on her wrist, discussing the deal with Shi Ming.
For a Nirvana Powerhouse, multitasking was a basic skill.
[Bai Yimo: Hehe, of course.]
[Bai Yimo: However, Desire takes many forms. Which kind of image would you like? Do you want the gluttonous feast that represents "Appetite," the All-or-Nothing Gamble that represents "Wealth," or the Chaotic Hell that represents "Wrath"?]
[Bai Yimo: Or... do you want the "Forgetful Paradise" that represents "Lust"?]
The star-chain communicator could be controlled by Bai Yimo’s consciousness, showing no outward signs while she communicated with Shi Ming. Without a deliberate probe, even if Blast River Rock had reached the threshold of a Sealed King, he would have found it difficult to notice, let alone now when he was only a Marshal-rank.
A short while later, Shi Ming’s reply came.
[Shi Ming: Whatever.]
Bai Yimo was a little irritated.
’What does he mean, "whatever"?’
But never mind. For the sake of 500,000 Cosmic Crystals, she wouldn’t argue with her so-called boss. Using the lingering waves of their intimacy, she briefly displayed her skill, recorded a short clip, and sent it over via the star-chain.
Blast River Rock lowered his head, responding to her.
"Mo Ji..."
"Hm?"
"The night on this planet... it’s so beautiful."
...
...
...
[Respected Heir of the Gods:]
[You have once again accepted the W-rank commission: Find the Numbered One.]
[Please submit the genuine intelligence required by the employer for this commission. Based on the principles of fairness and impartiality, the Mercenary Terminal will first determine if the intelligence meets the employer’s needs and execute different operations based on the result.]
[Match: Swift settlement.]
[Dispute: The Mercenary Terminal will conduct second and third judgments from other dimensions.]
[No Match: Your submission will be rejected.]
Before the Mercenary Terminal, Shi Ming presented the clip of Bai Yimo using her numbered skill on Planet N1921. It was a genuine display of the skill, and it even recorded the time and location, qualifying it as authentic intelligence.
[Intelligence submitted.]
[Terminal judgment in progress...]
[(Soothing music)]
Shi Ming waited patiently. With his previous experience and his Regent-level authority, he had a deeper understanding of the Mercenary Terminal’s operational logic.
Soon, the judgment was complete—
[Respected Heir of the Gods, after intelligent analysis by the Mercenary Terminal system, the intelligence you submitted meets the employer’s requirements. As an X-rank authority holder, you are entitled to express settlement. The terminal will now settle the payment for this intelligence. Please wait.]
Two hundred thousand Civilization Stones teleported out, one by one.
The shimmering, pale images had turned into a shimmering, pale fortune. After setting aside the 500,000 Cosmic Crystals promised to Bai Yimo (convertible to 5,000 Civilization Stones), he was keeping the lion’s share of the commission’s reward for himself!
"A win-win! It’s a win-win!"
Shi Ming was in a great mood.
As the holder of an A-rank "All-Beings" title, Bai Yimo couldn’t accept or complete a W-rank commission, even with her numbered Nirvana skill. Only through Shi Ming’s authority could the [W-rank commission: Find the Numbered One] be completed by exploiting the bug for a third time. With that, Shi Ming’s dwindling supply of Civilization Stones was replenished.
His plan to empty the Divine Treasure Vault had inched forward.
’The [Forerunner] title is no longer available.’
’Ordinary senior and Marshal-rank Nirvana Powerhouses don’t have that many Cosmic Crystals to begin with. Even if I use the All-Beings title to get them to donate, they probably can’t offer much.’
’Only Nirvana Powerhouses like Sealed Kings, Pillar Stones, and Pseudo-Gods, who control and can mobilize more resources, have more that can be squeezed out of them.’
’Hmm, it’s about time for the second volume of *A Traveler’s Guide to Exploring the First Civilization Cosmic Country: Seeking Lost Treasures (Pay-to-Win Edition)* to come out. Those Pillar Stones and Pseudo-Gods have accumulated tons of Cosmic Crystals but can’t convert them efficiently. They’d be better off working with me.’
’I get Cosmic Crystals, you get authority and progress.’
’A win-win.’
Shi Ming blinked and entered [Lost Kingdom], a community forum built on a terminal similar to the Nexus Society’s.
Just as he’d hoped, the community was buzzing with discussion about a new strategy discovered by an ordinary Nirvana Powerhouse named "Dark Star."
That was his alt account.
The hidden C-rank title [Ore Scholar], far superior to any A-rank title, had been "accidentally" unlocked. One only needed to collect 17 types of ore unique to the First Civilization Cosmic Country to obtain this C-rank title.
After equipping this title, one could keenly sense remnant ore veins in the Cosmic Country within a certain range! These were rare veins that hadn’t been developed for over a hundred thousand years. Discovering just one meant a hefty profit.
Across the Cosmic Country, the ore veins on its billions of planets were innumerable.
Shi Ming couldn’t possibly dig them all up one by one.
He might as well outsource this resource to the explorers from the Holy Hall and the Nirvana Powerhouse "miners."
He could make a profit by privately selling the rare ores to help them unlock the [Ore Scholar] title,
and after the "miners" finished excavating the veins, Shi Ming could buy back the ore and make another profit!
The "miners" would gain glory, Shi Ming would gain wealth, and the Cosmic Country would be developed and become more prosperous!
A multi-win situation!