The Almighty Ring

Caught off guard, Jiang Fei asked, “Come again?”

Being the stronger person, there was no reason for him to chase after the two locals and have them punished for what they did. But he had never expected them to be so apologetic.

“Please accept our apology. To redeem ourselves from our previous heinous behavior, do allow us to pay for all your expenses over the next two days you spend on Hyur. Of course, the ladies as well,” Rais pleaded.

Kaa’lna laughed. “Hah… so there are really rich folks walking about in the domains of the Trade Federation! To think that someone wants to foot our bills!”

“Ehrm… Miss, I do hope you would forgive the both of us for our mistreatment of you earlier. We did not know that you’re not from around here. We actually thought… well…” said Lucius, awkwardly refusing to finish the sentence.

“It’s water under the bridge. I do not need your money. I already have someone else for that,” said Jiang Fei, brushing off their offer.

Truly, he did not harbor any ill-feelings towards the two aliens in front of him, nor did he particularly like them either.

Realizing that Jiang Fei was about to turn his back on them and leave, Rais yelped, “Please wait!”

He came here to befriend Jiang Fei and did not want this conversation to end without him offering something to facilitate their friendship.

“What’s wrong?”

“You are new here, yes? I’ve just realized that you have been roaming about for half a day and have not spent any time in a single establishment. Perhaps, if you would allow us, let us be your guides. It’s the least we can do as an apology,” said Rais, with a smile that was both humble and suggestive at the same time.

“Hmm…”

Jiang Fei thought about his offer carefully. He did not want to agree, but there was some truth to Rais’ words. Jiang Fei had indeed spent half a day walking around, and had yet to spot anything that piqued his interest. These two were obviously familiar with the planet, perhaps they could take him on a fun tour.

Jiang Fei smiled as he said, “I accept that offer! Looks like you’ve got something to do for us now!”

Only after Jiang Fei accepted his spur-of-the-moment idea did Rais ask, “Great! How may we address you, sir?”

Of course, Rais already knew Jiang Fei’s name, but he also knew that he would be throwing himself under the bus if he didn’t ask for it. Though they were prodigals, Rais and Lucius were both smart enough not to trip themselves up when it came to seizing a golden opportunity.

“My name is Jiang Fei. These two are Kaa’lna and Sarila.”

“An honor! Mr. Jiang Fei, my name is Rais, and this is my friend, Lucius.”

“Good to know. I assume you two are familiar with this planet. If you know anywhere that is generally fun to be at, you can tell me now.”

“Mhm… a fun place…”

Rais gave it some thought. Hyur was famous for being an R&R spot for weary warriors. With its women and entertainment, what place was better than Hyur to relieve one’s lethargy?

However, Jiang Fei had two otherworldly girls with him, so naturally, he had no need to visit any of the famous brothels there. For Rais’ own sake, he would not even mention it.

Whether or not Jiang Fei might actually like the idea of going to a brothel, the two girls with him surely would not approve. A sudden change in the situation would surely spell doom for Rais and his budding friendship with Jiang Fei.

Lucius chimed in, “Might I suggest we grab a bite first?”

“I’m not hungry. How about the two of you?” asked Jiang Fei, turning to Kaa’lna and Sarila.

Kaa’lna shook her head while Sarila started to purr like a kitten.

“I’m not hungry for food. As long as I am with you, the only thing I hunger for is for your loving embrace,” moaned Sarila.

The girl was obviously madly drunk in love. It seemed to Jiang Fei that if she continued to behave like that, then even the air around a refuse center could smell like a field of daffodils to her.

Lucius offered an alternative idea, “Alright, if you are not craving any food, we should go to the City of the Mass! There’s a major card game going on today!”

Besides always looking for ways to satisfy his insatiable lust, Lucius was a gambler at heart. Knowing about gambling events was just one of his many fortes.

Jiang Fei repeated the name, “City of the Mass?”

“That’s a great idea! We should go there! The game is a big one! Many people will be attending!” said Rais.

If Lucius had not mentioned the event, even Rais would have forgotten about it. The card game they were talking about was a prestigious event hosted for the top players on the planet.

Such an event was so exclusive that only the top ranking members of the Trade Federation could participate. People like Rais and Lucius would be considered lucky to even be amongst the spectators.

“Sounds good. Let’s go.”

Jiang Fei had no interest in a card game but since there was going to be top brass playing, he decided to go with the flow. He had just defected into the Trade Federation, and it was only right for him to know who he would be reporting to. Someday, he would join the army, he might as well recognize important individuals.

“If you would please follow me. The City of the Mass is not in this area. We need to use the teleportation hub at the east of this city,” Rais explained.

“Where, in general, is the City of the Mass?” asked Jiang Fei.

“In general? Well, the City of the Mass is in the main capital of Hyur—Prisdt, the City of Desire.”

The party then reached the hub and teleported to Prisdt in a flash of light.

“Not even the fastest public transportation is quicker than instant teleportation. If only these were available on Earth, everything would be so much simpler,” Jiang Fei huffed.

It was nothing but wishful thinking since he knew how the teleportation system works. In order to be used by the public, teleportation consumes a large amount of power, even amongst advanced civilizations.

It was most commonly used by the military or by the richest of the rich. Nevertheless, it would seem that the Trade Federation were ruled by the richest, and they could afford to install teleportation hubs here, there, and everywhere.

Rais gestured as he invited Jiang Fei to continue out of the hub and into the street, “Mr. Jiang Fei, if you would.”

As he stepped out, Jiang Fei was met with an immensely large, golden structure that pierced through the clouds. The building was called The City of the Mass, a landmark of Prisdt, the City of Desire.

For some, it was a heavenly place to be, for others, the complete opposite—hell. Here, you could do whatever you want, as long as you have pockets deep enough to afford it. As long as you could fork out the money, one could even evade the law.

A large doorman stopped the party from proceeding. “Excuse me.”

“What do you want?” barked Rais.

“Invitation.”

Rais glared at the doorman. “Invitation? Do you not know who I am? Do I look like someone that needs to be invited?”

“My apologies, Master Rais. Tonight’s event is for VVIPs only. Without an invitation, none can enter the building.”

Obviously, the doorman knew Rais all too well. However, to uphold security at an event hosted for VVIPs, no one was allowed to enter without an invitation.

“Are you not going to let me in?” snarled Rais.

He brought Jiang Fei there to witness a large card game event. It was more than shameful for him to be stopped from even getting past the front door!

Lucius stepped in and said, “Come now, do we really need invitations?”

“Master Lucius, I’m afraid you do. Today’s event is too grand. Like I said, no one is allowed in without an invitation,” said the doorman, turning around and closing the door.

Lucius howled angrily, “Dammit! How could you not give me face with this?! Call your manager! I will have a word with him!”