16: Chapter 16 The Hot Potato NPC

The situation on the bottom floor was even worse, dark and damp.

Not many people were locked up here, but none of them were pushovers.

As Fu Haoran walked along, he felt like he had entered a large carnivore exhibit, and he was the piece of fresh meat walking around.

Those gazes scraped back and forth over Fu Haoran.

Don't misunderstand; they weren't thinking about attacking him, but rather a group of 1s seeing a 0 enter, dying to swallow him whole.

Fu Haoran swore to the heavens that he had only ever seen so many 1s in the Sichuan region.

In just this short while, there were already prisoners sticking their hands into their pockets, doing unspeakable things.

Fu Haoran didn't want to stay for even another second, yet he couldn't leave immediately.

But he couldn't just walk away.

"This is the last floor. If I can't find anyone here, I'll really have to pick the best of the worst from that bunch of brutes upstairs. What a damn waste!"

Fu Haoran gritted his teeth, forced himself to ignore the discomfort, and steeled himself to check the attribute panels of the prisoners one by one.

He muttered to himself: "Give me someone whose attributes meet my requirements. Even if the other stats are trash, I'll accept it!"

[Strength: 23, Intelligence: 7, Skill: Assassination Mastery]

[Strength: 15, Intelligence: 19, Skill: Stealth]

[Strength: 16, Intelligence: 19, Skill: Deception]

...The stats were significantly higher, but they still didn't catch Fu Haoran's eye.

Just as he was about to reach the end and prepared to settle for someone, a golden-black, ridiculously flashy panel suddenly exploded before his eyes in the second before he turned around!

It would be easy to miss if one didn't look carefully.

"Could this be a Golden Legend?"

Fu Haoran hurriedly checked the details.

[Legendary Character]

[Yuri Razumov]

[Intelligence: 55]

[Specialized Skills]

[False Accounting (Master): Can create fake accounts that even Inquisition auditors cannot detect, tax evasion efficiency +300%]

[Black Market Manipulation (Grandmaster): Possesses contact maps for smuggling networks across three star systems, black market transaction costs -60%]

[Capital Plunder (Master): Once used financial means to hollow out the noble treasury of a small Hive City]

[Legal Loopholes (Expert): Proficient in every gap of the Imperial Tax Law and "Planetary Management Act"]

[Traits]

[Greedy: Demands extremely high commissions]

[Survival Master: Can find profit gaps in any desperate situation, efficiency +30% in high-pressure environments]

[Hates Nobles: harbors deep-seated hatred for the old ruling class due to being abandoned, all skill effects +50% when opposing nobles]

[Current Status: Feared for knowing too many secrets, sentenced to 200 years of hard labor, has served 11 years]

[Loyalty: -100]

[System Warning: Recruiting this person will immediately enrage Horn and the noble forces behind him, potentially triggering a chain of retaliation]

Fu Haoran's heart skipped a beat.

The person inside was so thin he was almost unrecognizable, his shoulders as narrow as bamboo poles, his face covered in wrinkles, looking sickly. His broken glasses were barely tied to his ears with thick wire, and his prison uniform was covered in oil and stains, making him look like he was about to die.

Only his eyes were shockingly bright.

Hearing footsteps, the person in the cell raised his head. Through the broken lenses, he stared at Fu Haoran with a half-smile. There was no trace of subservience or provocation in his gaze, a world of difference from the prisoners before him.

Upon seeing the Governor's emblem on Fu Haoran's epaulet, he scoffed, and a hoarse voice came from his mouth:

"Yo, the new Governor? Let me guess, here in the dungeon to hunt for treasure?"

Fu Haoran was a bit surprised; he hadn't expected the other party to guess correctly right away.

"Tsk tsk, looks like I guessed right. No need to be surprised. If you knew who I was, you wouldn't be waiting for me to speak."

"Let me see, you look like a fresh face, an outsider?"

"Looks like you must be choked by the rules of those noble lords, having goods you can't sell, right?"

Fu Haoran was slightly shaken.

This person saw through his predicament at a glance.

Yuri leaned closer to the bars, lowered his voice, and said slowly: "The fat man Calvin from the Energy Bureau demands a 10% kickback before he'll sign a power supply agreement."

"The head of the Silver Thorn Chamber of Commerce is Countess Martha's white glove, and they specialize in preying on outsiders like you."

"As for the black market... you won't get any benefits there either, because the black market is just a money-laundering ground for the nobles."

With every word he said, Fu Haoran's expression darkened.

Because these were all the truth.

Yuri leaned back against the wall and said lazily: "Let me out."

"Not only can I help you open up all the channels, but I can also tell you... where the former Governor Lothar von Drake's escape fund, worth 10 billion throne coins, is hidden."

"Of course, after finding the fund, I want a 30% commission."

10 billion?

Fu Haoran admitted he was tempted.

That was 10 billion throne coins; throne coins themselves were the Empire's official hard currency.

100 million throne coins could equip the Guards regiment soldiers with Bolters and basic armor; 1 billion could buy 3 Leman Russ Tanks.

5 billion was enough to support this planet's food shortage and military expenses for 3 years.

10 billion was enough to order a frigate from the Adeptus Mechanicus!

This temptation, no one could resist it.

Before Fu Haoran could speak, the Warden next to him raised his hand and slammed his power hammer against the cage bars, cursing:

"Shut up, you swindler! Last time you tricked me into spending a month's salary to buy you alcohol, and I didn't get a damn thing in return!"

The Warden turned to Fu Haoran and said: "Don't believe this old man. He is a complete con artist; every Warden here has been swindled by him!"

"There isn't a word of truth in his mouth!"

Fu Haoran's mouth twitched, but he was ecstatic inside.

To be able to swindle alcohol money from a Warden in a hellish prison like this?

If this isn't talent, then what is?!

What's more, every skill on Yuri's panel—[False Accounting], [Black Market Manipulation], [Capital Plunder]—was exactly what he desperately needed right now!

"This person," Fu Haoran pointed to the cage, "I want him."

The Warden was stunned: "My lord, are you sure? Yuri is..."

"I am sure."

...

Soon, Horn received the news.

"What, he actually wants that old fox Yuri!"

"No! Anyone else is fine, but not this Yuri!"

Just as the subordinate was about to leave, Horn stared at the back of Fu Haoran walking toward Yuri's cell on the surveillance screen and suddenly had an idea.

"Wait."

Horn's eyes were playful.

"Tell the Governor, since he insists on having this person, I can give him to him."

"But he must sign a 'Special Prisoner Custody Transfer Agreement,' clearly written in black and white, that all subsequent actions and liabilities of Yuri Razumov will be fully borne by the Governors Mansion."

Horn calculated clearly: Yuri was a ticking time bomb who knew too many secrets. Keeping him in his own hands would only invite trouble if he were silenced one day.

It was better to toss this hot potato to this short-lived Governor.

Once Yuri "accidentally" died outside, or caused some trouble for the Governor... all the blame would be borne by the short-lived Governor himself, who signed the agreement.

...

Fu Haoran thought there would be some haggling next.

However, in less than half an hour, the paperwork was done.

"This is too smooth to be normal."

Fu Haoran didn't believe the judge, who had been at daggers drawn with him earlier, would be so agreeable.

"It seems the first NPC I recruited is a hot potato. No matter, I'll deal with whatever comes."

"Anyway, I've been behind on taxes for three hundred years; more debt doesn't weigh me down."