Li Chen, who had been about to investigate the whereabouts of Eternal Gold, suddenly sensed that the faint presences trailing behind him had vanished.

‘Hm? I was planning to play around with those little chicks for a bit longer, so why did they disappear all of a sudden?’

He stopped in his tracks and frowned in confusion.

‘Could it be that the auction staff noticed something was off with them? But I haven’t even reported anything to the authorities yet…’

Rubbing his chin, Li Chen pondered the matter, but the image that surfaced in his mind was that warm-hearted member of the Judicators who had helped earlier.

‘Uh… don’t tell me they got dealt with by that kind big sister?’

The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed and an expression appeared on his face that made it unclear whether he should laugh or cry.

To be honest, although he had a good impression of that high-tier mercenary who was friendly in attitude and seemed bold and generous, Li Chen actually did not want to have any further dealings with that woman.

If possible, he did not even want to see her again for the rest of his life.

It was not that Li Chen was cold-blooded or heartless, nor was it because he harbored hatred toward that good younger sister who had stabbed him, to the point of even implicating her subordinates.

‘It’s just that… I’ve already severed all ties with them.’

There was a trace of regret in Li Chen’s eyes, but it was only regret.

Ten years had passed.

Since transmigrating into this world, Li Chen had learned many things.

He understood that there was no such thing as absolute perfection in this world.

Even though he had activated the player panel and seemed capable of successfully realizing the lofty ambitions he once held, now that he already had a place to belong and had obtained what he truly wanted—the person he loved—he should not be greedily reaching for more.

‘In this world, no one is truly indispensable to anyone else.’

That childhood sweetheart whom he once had to personally support and teach martial techniques to had long since become a legendary mercenary who appeared on the news headlines every day.

‘So, I only need to cherish the person right in front of me.’

Li Chen reluctantly swept his gaze across rows upon rows of exquisite items on display, among which were many treasures that, if they fell into his hands, could completely reshape everything about the Hive City as it currently stood, yet he still chose to let them go without hesitation.

With the legendary mercenary group Judicators already present, would other major conglomerates and corporations really stay away?

The blood-soaked chaos of the underworld, with all its turbulence and strife, was clearly surging beneath the surface of this grand auction and the bloody scent contained within it had already been detected by certain insiders with particularly keen noses.

Glancing at the many ordinary Upper Hive citizens who were still immersed in the exorbitant value of the treasures, pointing and commenting excitedly, Li Chen sighed inwardly, hoping that his analysis was wrong and that the overt and covert struggles among those Uppermost Hive behemoths were nothing more than his own imagination.

‘But according to the intelligence I’ve gathered so far…’

The theft of newly developed pharmaceutical patents belonging to the Montmorency Consortium, the lawsuit Solares had filed against Montmorency mentioned in daily intelligence reports…

And even the original owner of the Eternal Gold he was currently searching for—the original client of the Midnight Aurora mercenary group—Faust Investment, which operated under the Schufestan family, was merely the tip of the iceberg of that obscure truth lurking beneath the surface.

‘Fortunately, Xiao Wei’s Upper Hive honorary citizen status is about to be approved. With that layer of identity, becoming a player on the board is still far out of reach, but staying out of it entirely and avoiding the fate of a chess piece is guaranteed.’

My wife really is number one in the world!

‘Hmph, when I get home tonight, I’ll definitely have to properly reward her~ But how exactly should I reward her? A kiss? A hug?’

Splash!

Just as Li Chen was thinking about how to properly ‘reward’ Bai Wei once he got home, several figures in the hall suddenly erupted into a fierce argument.

“Hey, look over there, it seems like someone’s arguing?”

“No idea, but judging by how they’re dressed, they look like mercenary warriors? Maybe they’re arguing over profit distribution from consigned auction items?”

“Tsk tsk, just look at how uncouth and inelegant they are. They must be from the Lower City. Oh, maybe there are even a few Lower Hive trash among them~”

‘A mercenary group? Could it be them?’

Recalling the purpose of his trip, Li Chen followed the surrounding mocking voices and looked over.

“So how much usable capital do we still have on our books?”

In the opulent and luxurious hall, among the well-dressed guests, several figures wearing tactical vests and carrying weapons looked exceptionally out of place.

Like pets that had wandered into a jungle by mistake, whether it was the bearing they exuded with every movement or the noise they made while arguing red-faced, the overall atmosphere they created stood in stark contrast to everyone else around them.

They did not belong here.

‘So it really is them.’

Matching the appearance of those individuals one by one with the intelligence he had purchased from Miss Weasel, Li Chen immediately recognized their identities.

The three-star mercenary group Midnight Aurora.

Looking at those companions who were described in the files as high-spirited and united, yet were now arguing with each other until their faces were flushed, Li Chen’s mood became complicated.

Perhaps this was the eventual destination of most mercenary groups.

He was no exception.

“Captain…”

A woman with a miserable expression rummaged through the heavy pack on her back and after a long while finally pulled out a few scattered items.

“Sniffle… my terminal was confiscated by the risk management department of Faust Investment a few days ago. I… I can’t even connect to SkyNet right now.”

“So what you’re saying is that we can’t even log into the mercenary group account now?”

A woman with a haggard face and a depressed demeanor was struck as if by lightning upon hearing this, freezing in place for a long while before asking in a dazed voice.

‘That woman was… the former vice-captain who had succeeded the old captain after his death on an expedition, Tang Li?’

But the valiant sixth-tier martial artist described in the information Li Chen had obtained was nowhere to be seen. Standing in the auction hall now was nothing more than a walking corpse that still possessed a body but had lost its soul.

“Heh heh…”

Tang Li let out a bitter laugh and pursed her lips in self-mockery.

“If someone had told me a few months ago that a dignified sixth-tier martial artist, one who followed the internal cultivation path and had evolved their genetic level to the very peak, with martial skills refined to perfection, would end up so poor that she couldn’t even connect to SkyNet, unable to even check her own account balance, I would’ve laughed so hard my teeth would ache.”

Hearing that sorrowful complaint, Li Chen’s pupils shrank.

Yes, who could have imagined it?

Yet now, that once-unthinkable scene was playing out vividly right before Li Chen’s eyes.

“Y-yes, that’s how it is.”

The female member glanced awkwardly at the onlookers around them, who had grown interested due to their argument and were now watching them and she lowered her head in embarrassment.

In the past, her pride as a martial artist would never have allowed her to bow her head to anyone.

But now…

She was willing to cast aside everything—dignity, honor, even, even her companions—if it meant preserving the meager assets she had left… she was willing to do anything.

“It’s all my fault.”

Unaware of the change in her subordinate’s expression, Tang Li muttered to herself.

“We… we shouldn’t have accepted that commission from Faust Investment in the first place. Surveying the outer environment, promising that once we had results everyone could register as Upper Hive citizens and finally leave behind a life of licking blood off the blade… Big Sis, if you were still alive, what would you do?”

‘Big Sis—that must be the old captain.’

Looking at the utterly lost Tang Li, Li Chen seemed to understand something.

Indeed, many mercenary groups might look impressive on the surface, brimming with talent and even possessing top-tier warriors internally.

But once a few key core members were gone, they would collapse into a pile of loose sand.

After all, this was the Hive City.

In this miserable world where betrayal was treated as a daily routine and loyalty was regarded as a legendary fairy tale, once the leader who could suppress the ambitions of surrounding wolves and tigers was gone, internal disintegration was the norm.

“Forget it. This captain position—whoever wants it can take it.”

Closing her eyes, Tang Li turned her head away, seemingly unwilling to say anything more to her comrades.

The confusion in her heart seemed to have already overwhelmed her reason.

But martial artists should not be confused.

Even when facing a desperate situation, even when confronting an invincible enemy, they should press forward decisively, without hesitation, fighting until death.

Tang Li was not afraid of death, but now she understood that in the Hive City, there were many things far more terrifying than death.

In a daze, she even recalled a scene from many years ago, when she had just started out, made a name for herself on the streets of the Lower City and was so excited she could hardly contain herself after being scouted by an agent to move into the commercial district, while an old gang leader had looked at her with a meaningful gaze.

At the time, Tang Li had only thought that the old boss was jealous.

After all, no matter how imposing or powerful the Lower City gangs were, they were still just the Lower City.

And how much difference was there between the Lower City and the trash of the Lower Hive?

She was not trash.

She was a martial artist with dreams, talent and power. How could she possibly squeeze into the Lower City and wait to die alongside those abandoned wastes?

“I was too naive.”

Covering her eyes, Tang Li no longer had the courage to face her other team members.

Tap, tap.

The sound of footsteps approached.

“Miss Tang Li?” A gentle voice sounded beside the weary mercenary captain’s ear. She turned her head and saw a handsome man in a well-tailored suit, smiling as he met her gaze.

‘Damn it…’

The person Tang Li least wanted to see right now was this man.

“Hello, may I ask… how many assets do you still have on hand that can be used to repay debts?”

Although the man spoke politely, the implication behind his words ignited a surge of anger in Tang Li’s heart.

“Y-you…”

She glared at the man, the aura of a high-tier martial artist erupting from her body.

“My apologies, Miss Tang.”

However, faced with Tang Li’s furious glare and imposing presence, the man showed not the slightest fear. He merely smiled disdainfully and then, as if mentioning some trivial piece of information, said casually, “I forgot to inform you earlier. The Upper Hive citizen status I applied for was approved by City Hall yesterday. In other words, starting today…”

The man tapped his screen and an electronic certificate appeared before their eyes.

“I am now a proud Upper Hive citizen.”

‘An Upper Hive citizen?’

Li Chen, who had been silently observing from the side and calculating how to intervene in a way that would maximize his benefits—ideally acquiring the mercenary group’s assets like Eternal Gold without even going through the auction—raised an eyebrow and looked at the man.

Compared to the ‘honorary citizen’ status his fiancée had obtained, the so-called ‘Upper Hive citizen’ status was nothing special—at most, it granted the right to reside in the Upper Hive, own legal assets, engage in commercial trade, sign contracts, enter into marriage and other basic rights.

But to residents of the Lower City, it was already a dream worthy of ancestral blessings.

“H-how is that possible?”

Tang Li, the mercenary captain, simply could not believe it. The goal they had once risked their lives for outside the Hive City, braving countless dangers while excavating ruins, had been achieved by this man in front of her—this man who was useless beyond his face?

“Hey, don’t go too far!”

A team member who had previously been wary of onlookers and afraid to speak loudly now had her face filled with righteous indignation.

“Back then, if it weren’t for the old captain saving you from the gangs, you might still be forced to entertain clients or act as breeding stock in some alley!”

The warm smile on the man’s face froze.

Then, his handsome features darkened and a trace of killing intent flashed through his gloomy eyes.

“Insulting the reputation of an Upper Hive citizen comes at a price.”

“Shut up!”

Seeing that the man was about to explode in anger, Tang Li hurriedly reached out and pressed her companion’s head down, then bowed deeply and humbly to that man who was not even a martial artist.

“S-sorry, sir, we were wrong. Could you, for the sake of your relationship with the old captain, persuade that woman…”

Smack~

A crisp slap rang out and Tang Li’s cheek immediately swelled red.

“Relationship? What relationship?”

With his arms crossed, the man looked down on her from above and sneered disdainfully.

“Just you people think you’re worthy of mentioning Lady Laura’s name? She is the former vice president of Faust Investment and the current senior adjudicator of City Hall. Compared to you lowborn trash from the Lower City… you’re not even in the same league. Tsk, anyway, hurry up and liquidate your remaining assets to repay your debts and then…”

Staring deeply at Tang Li’s tightly pressed lips and humiliated expression, the man smiled smugly.

“Get back to where you belong. For example, for example, the Lower City.”

With that, the man coldly left the mercenaries’ line of sight.

“Damn it.”

Tang Li clenched her fists, her face full of anger yet utterly powerless and stomped her foot.

“Money, money…”

“Um.”

A voice interrupted Tang Li’s thoughts.

“If you’re short on money, I actually have a way.”

‘Who?’

Tang Li raised her head in confusion, only to see a face she would never forget for the rest of her life.