dognovel Chapter 311 All expenses will be paid by the City Lord's Mansion!
Chapter 311 All expenses will be paid by the City Lord's Mansion!
Chen You frowned as he looked at the red warning box that popped up on his retina.
Absolutely equivalent exchange?
What exactly is a starpatch?
What kind of new trick is this to force people to spend money?
He tried to take a step forward.
[Ding! Move one step, deducting 1 starpoint. Current starpoint balance: 0.]
[Warning: Insufficient star fragments. 100 health points deducted.]
The health bar twitched almost imperceptibly.
Chen You has high HP and defense, so this amount of damage isn't even considered a scratch, but this disgusting mechanism makes him extremely annoyed.
The problem is that this is a clone of myself, so I can't heal!
He looked up and his gaze locked onto the figure in front of the huge mechanical control panel not far away.
He was a burly man with extremely robust, dark brown skin.
He was wearing a very vintage jumpsuit and had gray curly hair.
At this moment, the big man was facing away from Chen You, frantically rubbing his hands on the dense array of buttons and levers on the control panel.
The movements, the rhythm, the shaking of the shoulders—it was just like someone spinning DJ sets wildly in a nightclub.
Chen You didn't advance any further, but shouted at the big man.
"Ahem, buddy."
The burly man abruptly stopped what he was doing and turned around.
"An outsider?" The burly man sized up Chen You, his gaze lingering for a second on Chen You's magnificent [Ink Abyss Star River Robe], before letting out a cold snort.
"Judging by your appearance, you don't even have a single stardust. You still dare to enter the mining area? Aren't you afraid of being sucked dry by the rules here?"
"What are star plates?" Chen You asked.
The burly man crossed his arms, striking a powerfully imposing, muscular pose with his chin held high.
"Star chips are the only hard currency in this mining area! They are a high-end product that our ancestors transformed using the energy here."
"Here, only starplates can allow you to move normally!"
"This is such a rip-off?" Chen You raised an eyebrow.
Isn't this just a disguised form of a paid map?
"Rules are rules," the burly man said proudly.
"My name is Buck, and I'm the outer supervisor for this mining area. I think you're alright, so I'll just give you a heads-up."
"No star tokens? Get out of here now. Otherwise, once your health points are depleted, even a god can't save you."
"How do I obtain star fragments?" Chen You didn't bother with pleasantries and went straight to the point.
"The Quartermaster's Office in Hidden Star City." Buck crossed his arms. "Use your reputation points to exchange. One reputation point can be exchanged for ten star fragments."
Chen You frowned again and glanced at the task.
The main quest rewards 5000 reputation points in Hidden Star City, but it's still ongoing and can't be completed.
"Can I buy it with gold coins?" Chen You habitually pulled out a handful of gold coins.
The gold coins clinked together, making a crisp sound.
Buck's expression didn't change at all.
"Rules are rules. Gold coins are just scrap metal here."
"The ironclad rule set by our ancestors is that only prestige can prove your contribution to Hidden Star City."
"Can you make an exception?" Chen You pulled out another handful of gold coins and slammed them onto the control panel.
"Put away your stinking money," Buck scoffed.
"I, Buck Brian, a three-time outstanding employee of Star City, will never tolerate such an insult."
"If you don't have a star card, get out of here."
Chen You looked at this muscular man who was unyielding and felt a headache coming on.
Going back to town to grind reputation is too time-consuming.
Chen You opened his backpack and scanned it with his eyes.
The deputy city lord's order belongs to Thousand Light City, so it's unlikely to be recognized here.
His gaze fell on a worn-out book.
The "holy relic" obtained from Sander.
Five years of simulation, three years of real combat: Inside information of Xinghai Mine (Top Secret Edition)
Chen You took out the book and casually tossed it onto the control panel.
"Do you recognize this?"
Buck glanced at it casually.
The next second, his big eyes widened suddenly.
He stretched out his thick fingers and touched the tattered cover of the book.
"This...this is..." Buck's voice trembled. "A sacred relic left by our ancestors! Where did you get it?"
"The city lord gave it to me." Chen You said calmly. "Now, may I go in?"
Buck took a deep breath, and his attitude made a complete 180-degree turn.
He picked up the book with both hands and respectfully handed it back to Chen You.
"So you're a special envoy with high-level authority." Buck bowed deeply.
"Please forgive my rudeness just now. According to the third edition of the employee handbook, the holder of this sacred object has the right to use all facilities inside the mine free of charge."
Chen You raised an eyebrow.
Is this tattered book really that useful?
"So, you mean I don't need that star chart anymore?"
"No, the rules are the underlying logic and cannot be changed." Buck turned around and quickly pressed a few buttons on the control panel.
"But I can enable the 'company-funded reimbursement' mode for you."
A card slot pops out from the control panel.
"Please refresh the manual."
Chen You held the book and swiped it across the card slot.
"Beep—Check-in successful."
A mechanical sound rang out.
The red warning box on Chen You's retina instantly turned green.
[Ding! Internal access to Hidden Star City has been granted.]
[Status: Business trip at company expense.]
All star fragments you consume within the Hidden Star Mine will be reimbursed by the Hidden Star City Finance Department.
Chen You almost burst out laughing when he saw the notification.
I never thought I could get something for free?
Chen You put away the book "Five Years of Simulation, Three Years of Real Combat" and cleared his throat.
"Now that the permissions are confirmed, tell me what the current situation is?"
Buck sighed, his face twitched, and his expression became serious.
"My lord, you may not know this, but a major problem has recently arisen deep within this mine."
"Everyone was peacefully mining star marrow, but a few months ago, a strange energy fluctuation suddenly erupted from the power room."
"What kind of fluctuation?"
"A very infectious... rhythm," Buck gestured, still shaken.
"That force not only infected the miners at the bottom, but even mutated the old mining machinery."
"They attack anyone they see now, and they keep playing deafening electronic music on repeat."
Chen You raised an eyebrow.
Electronic music?
It seems that all of this is related to that Star Neptune.
He pulled the broken turntable part from his backpack and handed it directly to Buck.
"Is the rhythm you're talking about related to this thing?"
Buck took the parts with both hands and examined them closely.
He even stuck out his tongue and licked the oil residue on the edge of the part.
"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" Buck spat out the engine oil, his brow furrowed.
"Sir, this thing... I'm just an external supervisor. I usually just rub the control panel and clock in. I really don't know what this thing is for."
"However," Buck changed the subject, pointing to the dark passage deep inside the mine.
"If you want to find out the truth, you have to go to the power room. The source of the mutation must be there."
Chen You nodded and put the parts back into his backpack.
"Alright, let's start the fight."
Buck perked up, immediately straightened his back, and made a perfectly standard "please" gesture.
"Sir, this way please!"
He walked to the control panel and slammed down a large red button.
With a loud "click," a thick metal wall next to the control panel slowly rose, revealing a dark and deep passage.
A pungent, rusty smell wafted from the passageway.
Just as Chen You took a step, Buck suddenly jumped out from behind and blocked his way.
"My lord, it's dangerous inside. Let me scout ahead for you!"
Buck, with a righteous and awe-inspiring expression, casually pulled out two glowing batons from under the control panel and led the way like a traffic policeman.
Chen You's lips twitched.
"Aren't you the external supervisor? Aren't you afraid of having your salary docked for leaving your post without permission?"
Buck waved his glow stick and turned back with a fawning smile.
"You flatter me, sir. It is my great honor to serve the special envoy who carries the sacred relic."
"Moreover... the finances of Cangxing City are almost bankrupt, and I haven't received my salary in a long time."
Chen You remained silent.
Is this a ploy to seduce me?