143: Xiao Jiao's sales promotion

【Instance Upgrade Complete: Deceptive Tavern (★★★☆)】

【Survivors: 2】

【Clearance Objective Achieved: Win to the End】

【Special Ending Achieved: Beat Boss William? (Strikethrough) Help Boss William Quit His Gambling Addiction!】

【Special Title Acquired: Lie Recognizer (Blue)】

【Achievement Unlocked: MVP】

【Clearance Treasure Chest Acquired (★★★☆)】

【Points Settlement in Progress——】

By the end of the instance, Cheng Zhen had forgotten how many rounds he had won.

The waitstaff had almost shredded the cards, the Bartender was close to cramping from shaking, and Boss William couldn't even manage a fake smile anymore, looking completely 'tired and ready for destruction.'

It seems his gambling addiction was cured quite successfully!

Cheng Zhen felt the golden light of merit behind him shine even brighter.

However, perhaps because he didn't use a Star-Up Card, this instance's star rating was lower, and the boss battle wasn't very difficult, so he gained fewer points.

Using a Double Card felt a bit wasteful, so Cheng Zhen switched to a [Rating Score Card], earning him 160 points.

Xiao Jiao was also waiting nearby for the clearance settlement; after the tracking effect on him was lifted, he relaxed considerably.

"Thank you, Guangzi Ge! Thanks to you, I also escaped the pursuit."

Xiao Jiao said with gratitude, then completed the transaction with Cheng Zhen according to their agreement.

With the [Blazing Dominator] in hand, Cheng Zhen inspected it thoroughly, found no issues, and was very satisfied.

"Then..."

Xiao Jiao was about to say goodbye when Cheng Zhen spoke up—

"Then, can you clearly state your purpose in approaching me?"

Xiao Jiao was stunned: "Eh? What do you mean, Guangzi Ge? Isn't this just a transaction between us?"

"It is a transaction." Cheng Zhen nodded, "But I still want to understand the matters beyond the transaction."

"What could I possibly have going on? I just wanted to find a powerful backer, plain and simple..."

Xiao Jiao still tried to muddle through, but Cheng Zhen interrupted him: "Your statements before we confirmed the transaction don't fully explain your actions."

"Eliminating all enemies can indeed protect oneself, but the premise is that one can truly kill all of them."

"No matter how you look at it, inviting those well-known powerhouses or seeking help from a large guild should be more reliable than me, a newcomer."

"Moreover, the guides I, a newcomer, publish are mainly focused on game mechanics, not on combat prowess. Someone being hunted should actively seek the protection of high-combat individuals, not someone to help them clear an instance."

"Judging by your performance just now, you didn't display exceptionally strong combat power. And since you and Wei Si cleared the last instance together, you should naturally have some understanding of his combat power."

"For you to confidently let a newcomer with unproven combat ability deal with two experienced fighters in such a situation, isn't your heart a bit too big?"

"You seemed not at all worried that if I lost, they would kill you too, yet your actions clearly showed you were so afraid of death. Such Before and After is truly contradictory."

Xiao Jiao nodded: "Mhm, mhm, anything else that seemed off?"

"Plenty! You knew Wei Si's intentions, yet you showed no vigilance when he sat next to you; when Boss William was about to win all your dice, you looked scared but weren't anxious or urgent, I bet you had more chips hidden away... Hey, are you taking acting lessons here?"

Cheng Zhen couldn't continue halfway through, looking with a face full of black lines at Xiao Jiao, who was diligently taking notes with a pen and paper.

"Oh, guidance from a big shot is so rare, so of course, I should keep it firmly in mind!"

Xiao Jiao said with a grin: "Perhaps I should also learn from those NPCs; they looked like they were about to pee their pants when they were dragged off for drinks!"

"So, can you explain yourself clearly now?" Cheng Zhen's hand touched his newly purchased staff.

"Guangzi Ge, the settlement space can't be used for combat... Hey, hey, hey, no, no, no, I'll talk, I'll talk, I'll talk!"

Seeing Cheng Zhen put away his staff and pull out an unfamiliar purple glowing doll item, Xiao Jiao thought it was something like a [Cursed Doll] and quickly begged for mercy.

"Guangzi Ge, although I have a tiny bit of selfish motive, I promise you, I absolutely have no intention of tricking or harming you. I'm hoping to connect with you and gain a big client!"

Xiao Jiao first stated his position: "To be honest, when I first sold the scepter, I did plan to exchange it for a set of equipment and then buy a [Elimination Card]. But I didn't expect to accidentally run into a super dark horse like you, so this is an unexpected pleasant surprise!"

Cheng Zhen frowned: "Client? What do you mean?"

"Naturally, it means a transaction partner!"

Xiao Jiao, like an insurance agent, pulled out a card and handed it to Cheng Zhen: "This is our guild's contact information, and our guild's main business is—intelligence trading!"

"Some time ago, several guilds were frantically trying to find out about you, Guangzi Ge! Especially a certain big client, who offered a high price to know about you!"

"Looking for me?"

Cheng Zhen frowned, seemingly thinking of something, and his gaze towards Xiao Jiao subtly cooled.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Jiao quickly waved his hands: "Brother, don't misunderstand! I admit, we paparazzi are a bit annoying, but we just want to earn some money."

"We haven't done anything harmful, and the person who used points to lock onto you... has nothing to do with us, okay!"

Cheng Zhen was slightly surprised.

They actually knew about him being locked on due to a points transaction?

Did they also know about him being targeted with a star-up card?

"Brother, do you want to know clues about that person?"

Before Cheng Zhen could ask, Xiao Jiao skillfully pulled out a price list and handed it to Cheng Zhen.

"Not only the person who locked onto you, but also the 'big client' who targeted you, we have all their information!"

"This includes, but is not limited to, his skills, his guild's strategy plan for this year, the reasons for repeatedly targeting you, and the guild's recent bidding and development intentions..."

"If Guangzi Ge purchases this [Full Intelligence Package C], not only will you get an 8.8% discount on your first purchase, but we can also give you a bonus piece of information—about that 'big client,' his most, most, most desired treasure!"