Tao Yu had some guesses at the bottom of his heart, and after hearing the words of the dojo master, he became completely certain of who the 'noble' seeking him out was.
Wino!
The Inner City survivor he had teamed up with for the first time entering the Abyss, the one who had been captured and parasitized by an Alien yet had somehow managed to survive by clinging to life.
Now it seemed that he had been rescued.
With such severe injuries, and now able to jump around, the medical standards of Inner City were indeed high.
"Self-rescue? It looks like he's probably still in the Alien nest. It's been over a month now, hasn't he? He hasn't gone back yet?"
Tao Yu sighed.
"No, after all, even newcomers among the Inner City's Alien-implanted Pioneers, with the strength gained from early resources, are quite strong. Surviving a few more months is not a big problem, but it can't go on indefinitely."
Liu Yi smiled, knowing that Tao Yu understood who it was.
"Ah, Brother Wino, sigh, we even teamed up before, and got along quite well, it's a pity."
Tao Yu looked somewhat regretful and sorry.
Back then, that screw-up had been jealous of his own lack of talent and had given him a fierce cold shoulder. He had almost forgotten about it, and now here he came out of the blue looking for him, tsk~
"Got along quite well?"
The dojo master raised his eyebrow and didn't say much else, but after pondering for a moment, he said,
"Recently, he has gained some fame in our circles. The place where he's trapped must be very dangerous, and no one from Inner City is willing to risk going to rescue him.
"So he's been gathering people from the new Development Zone in Outer City, using both carrot and stick, and he's already put together a group."
Having said this, he gave Tao Yu another glance.
"He's probably had his eye on you for a while, but you haven't come back. After all, with Grade A talent, 'Dynamic Vision,' forming combat capabilities quickly, and strong early-warning abilities."
Tao Yu understood Wino's situation from this.
Whether Inner City or Outer City, both places are quite pragmatic.
Wino could still be envious of him, his talent was truly not high, being saved must have cost a pretty penny, and it was uncertain whether his family was still willing to invest in him.
Even if he had a few friends, those willing to risk pulling him out of trouble would be few, unless there were sufficient benefits on the other side.
"There's definitely an Alien Queen, and the Python Alien as well as the Aliens he has nurtured, ugh~"
Thinking of these things gave Tao Yu goosebumps.
Even with his current strength, facing an attack from a large swarm of ordinary Aliens, he would have to run for his life first; and if that included Python Aliens and Aliens parasitizing Wino, the risk was indeed very high.
With enough ammunition, enough manpower, a well-trained group could barely try, but the casualty rates and cost-effectiveness were hard to predict.
Almost out of favor, Heaven knows how much money he could still offer, trying to get something for nothing...
"He's even sought help from gangs like the Wild Wolf Gang, tsk tsk~, maybe the recent skirmish between the Wild Wolf Gang and the Skull Gang is his doing behind the scenes."
Where interests weren't involved, Tao Yu also didn't take verbal advantage, pretending to express deep regret.
Then he took the initiative to say,
"The dojo master mentioned it briefly before; actually, if you had said earlier that you were looking for someone, Wino big brother and I used to get along quite well."
Tao Yu's words made Advisor Jin's corner of the mouth twitch. It was only because the employer had said it might be necessary to be a bit tough that they had acted that way. There should be some displeasure about it.
But of course, he would not say that out loud. Instead, he apologized once more for the previous rudeness, and only then did he speak,
"Does this mean young brother Tao has agreed?"
"If the compensation is right, everything can be arranged. Advisor Jin, you're aware of the risks involved. I'm risking my life here. If something unfortunate happens, I want to be able to leave something behind for my family."
Tao Yu's firm statement made Advisor Jin's teeth hurt a bit.
Does this mean that not only does the compensation need to be sufficient, but it also has to be paid in advance?
"Well, asking for payment before discussing the strategy doesn't seem quite right, does it? After all, you're an Inner City aristocrat."
"Hey, it's precisely because I'm dealing with Inner City big shots that I can't afford to welch on debts, right?"
Tao Yu's counterargument left Advisor Jin somewhat speechless.
It sounded reasonable, but that isn't right, is it? How could they let him make demands as the stronger party?
"Everything is negotiable, as long as we share a common goal, there won't be a problem."
Advisor Jin hesitated, not daring to make any sweeping promises.
"That's more like it. Let's sit down and have a good talk, everything can be resolved. Tao Yu is our Dojo's prodigy and will soon become a True Disciple. We can't mistreat him."
Liu Yi then spoke up to bolster Tao Yu's position.
It was obvious that these words from the Wanliu Dojo's dojo master added more pressure on Advisor Jin.
Does Wanliu Dojo want to dip its hand in these troubled waters? Tsk...
Looks like they really need to shed some 'blood' for this.
"Advisor Jin, let's be clear, you can tell Wino big brother directly, we mud-leggers from the Outer City can only climb up by risking our lives, and we don't mind laying them on the line.
"But I didn't come by my Grade A talent easily; I'm the hope for my entire family. My life's on the line, and it's gotta be for a good price."
Tao Yu spoke with righteousness, yet his words were both reasonable and appropriate.
After all, he's dealing with Inner City aristocrats. For the sake of saving their skins, they should be able to offer up some decent benefits, don't you think?
In any case, get the payment first and the benefits in hand, then see.
As for going or not?
I'm a man of my word; I take people's money to deal with their disasters.
But if the employer dies before the job, there's nothing that can be done about not going, is there...