14: desire

"Halt! Who goes there? Is the Steward's office a place you're allowed to enter?"

At the entrance of Bachm's office, two fully armed Guards crossed their halberds, blocking Chen Feng's path with eyes full of haughty disdain.

"I have monumental news to report to the Steward!" Chen Feng showed no fear. Instead, he puffed out his chest, his face contorted into a forced expression of fanaticism and urgency. His voice even cracked with "excitement." "It's about the C-13 Mining Area! If you delay the Steward's important business, can you take responsibility for the consequences?"

The two Guards exchanged a look, both seeing hesitation in the other's eyes.

The C-13 Mining Area—this name had been a hot topic around the Steward lately.

"Wait here." One of the Guards didn't dare to be negligent and turned to go inside and report.

Soon, he came back out and gave Chen Feng a complicated look. "The Steward says you may enter."

Chen Feng took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The office was filled with the scent of expensive cigars mixed with tanned leather. The obese Bachm leaned back in his oversized chair, sizing him up with a scrutinizing gaze.

"734," Bachm spoke slowly, "you said you have monumental news? Let's hear it."

"Steward!" Chen Feng took two steps forward, but then, as if remembering something, he stopped, his face showing a look of extreme internal struggle.

He didn't report any findings. Instead, like a gambler about to hit the table but with empty pockets, he rubbed his hands together, his face a mask of longing and indecision.

"Steward... about that... is the reward for the C-13 Mining Area real? As long as there's a discovery... can I really get a tenfold share of the profits?" His voice was low, filled with greedy probing.

Bachm smiled.

He leaned back in his chair, his portly body tilting forward slightly, like a spider watching its prey hover at the edge of a trap.

"Of course it's real." Bachm's tone became amiable. "When has I, Bachm, ever lied? However... that place is very dangerous."

"Yes! It's too dangerous!" Chen Feng replied immediately as if he had found a kindred spirit, his face written with "fear." "I heard that of the exploration teams that went in before, hardly anyone came out in one piece! This... if I lose my life for that reward... it's not worth it, not worth it at all!"

While he spoke of it not being worth it, the greed in his eyes was practically overflowing.

This performance of playing hard to get hit Bachm's sweet spot perfectly. What he feared most wasn't Chen Feng's greed, but that Chen Feng wasn't greedy enough.

"So, you're here to refuse my 'invitation'?" Bachm sighed with feigned disappointment.

"No, no, no! Of course not!" Chen Feng waved his hands hurriedly, explaining eagerly, "I just feel that if I'm going to take such a huge risk, I should... I should have some sort of guarantee, right?"

"Oh? What kind of guarantee do you want?" Bachm's interest deepened.

"Think about it, Steward," Chen Feng began counting on his fingers, "I finally managed to fix that robot. The terrain in the C-13 Mining Area is complex. If it gets bumped or scratched, repairs will cost a fortune! Plus, the energy interference in there is so strong, the power consumption will definitely be high! I... I really..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his rogue-like "no benefits, no work" expression was displayed to the fullest.

Instead of being angry, Bachm let out a delighted laugh.

"Hahaha! You're a clever one, kid!" He stood up from his seat, walked to a safe, and entered the code.

"You have a point!"

"Clang!"

He took two high-purity energy blocks shimmering with a faint blue light out of the safe and tossed them casually onto the table.

"These two will be an advance on your fuel. Additionally, I'll approve a brand-new official 'pioneer-3 model' maintenance toolkit for you. It'll be enough for you to strip that hunk of iron down and rebuild it!"

Chen Feng's eyes "lit up" instantly, and his breathing became heavy.

"This... how could I possibly..."

"Take it!" Bachm's tone brooked no argument; he enjoyed the feeling of buying people's loyalty with resources. "Not only that!"

He took a sealed data chip out of a drawer.

"This is official geological survey data from the early years of the C-13 Mining Area. Though it's a bit outdated, it's better than you wandering around like a headless fly. Which areas have stable geology and which have risks of cave-ins are all clearly marked."

Bachm patted Chen Feng on the shoulder, his voice full of enticement.

"734, I have high hopes for you. As long as you can find anything of value in there, I promise that in addition to the company's rewards, I will personally give you a bounty large enough to last you a lifetime!"

"Thank you, Steward! Thank you, Steward!"

Chen Feng pretended to receive the data chip like a precious treasure. He took a cursory glance at it on his terminal, and seeing the marked rich ore zones and safe routes, the "greed" and "ecstasy" in his eyes reached a peak.

He knew that ninety percent of this data was fake, or rather, it concealed the most critical danger information.

But that didn't matter.

What mattered was that he had obtained the "script" he needed.

When Chen Feng returned to the dormitory carrying a batch of precious supplies that other Mine Slaves would consider a fortune, under the "envious, jealous, and hateful" gazes of the monitoring Guards, the news of him receiving a heavy reward from the Steward and heading to C-13 for treasure hunting spread through the entire mining area as if it had wings.

"Number 734" completely solidified his status as "Steward Bachm's top favorite"... High up on a distant patrol tower.

Reno slowly lowered the binoculars in his hand.

He had clearly seen everything that happened in Bachm's office—Chen Feng's fawning smile, his blatant greed, and the way Bachm "intimately" patted his shoulder.

Reno's brows were knit tightly together.

A few days ago, the calmness, wisdom, and iron-fisted resolve displayed by this Number 734 had caused a ripple in his long-numbed heart, making him feel that this slave might truly be different from the others.

But looking at it now... in the end, he was just a slightly smarter slave driven by self-interest.

He had become another one of Bachm's dogs.

Reno's eyes returned to their usual coldness and numbness, even adding a hint of disappointment and vigilance... The moment he returned to his single dormitory and closed the door.

All the greed and ecstasy on Chen Feng's face receded like a tide, leaving only an icy calm.

He neatly placed the two high-purity energy blocks and the maintenance toolkit on the table, his cold gaze scrutinizing these "baits."

The more generous Bachm was, the deeper the trap in the C-13 Mining Area was being dug.

The time left for him to prepare was running out.