Key Case 2: In the year 180 of the New Era, an American, ███ ████, made a deal with the "Merchant," awakening as an Ascender and changing his fate of imminent death. Ten years later, on the day he ascended to Tier Four, the "Merchant" came to claim his payment, taking all of ███ ████’s Power.

Key Case 3: ...

Method to dissolve an Unequal Trade: Have an expert of a high enough Tier remove the spinning gold coin mark above the head. (Note: Only Ascenders at Tier Four or above who possess Spiritual Vision Skills and powerful Insight can see the gold coin mark above a Trader’s head).

Gold Coin Usage: Can be used to purchase items from the "Merchant." (Using collected Gold Coins to purchase items will not trigger an Unequal Trade).

Note: The "Merchant" belongs to Fallen Paradise. Unless you have reached Tier Four, it is not recommended to purchase items from the "Merchant."]

Zhou Chen quickly finished reading the information, feeling a bit stunned.

"Finished reading?" Tang Ling’s head peeked out from the edge of the screen, her metallic silver hair cascading down.

"Yeah... It’s just that some parts of it are strange." Zhou Chen pointed to the top of his own head. "The gold coin mark on a Trader’s head can actually be used as Gold Coins?"

"Why do you think his nickname is ’Merchant’?"

Tang Ling explained, "He’s constantly making deals with people. On one hand, it’s to cultivate his marks. On the other, it’s to leave behind Gold Coins for other High-level Ascenders to collect so they can then buy items from him.

"Just like how the King of Music often gives impromptu performances for people, this kind of behavior can also enhance the ’Merchant’s’ Power—even though he’s not a Crowned King.

"Among High-level Ascenders, the ’Merchant’ is also nicknamed the Hundred Treasures Box, since you can buy all sorts of good things from him. However, this is considered aiding the enemy, and the Star Association strictly forbids it."

"I see..."

"Alright, time’s up. I’ve destroyed the file."

The encrypted document on the computer screen instantly vanished, and Tang Ling’s image reappeared.

"What are you planning to do next?" Tang Ling asked.

"Uh... I’m definitely not going to run off and confront the ’Merchant’ head-on... Actually, my plan is to find an opportunity to report this to the Star Association and let the higher-ups decide."

"The leadership already knows, but given the situation in North Carolina, they can’t intervene right away."

Zhou Chen thought for a moment. "What did the Prophet say?"

"Oh, he told me that if you were to ask this question, I should tell you to let nature take its course."

’Let nature take its course again...’

The corner of Zhou Chen’s mouth twitched. ’Get out of Gotham, you Riddler!’

Still... He rubbed his chin. ’This does suggest the problem isn’t too serious. The Prophet also said to let nature take its course last time, and everything was resolved perfectly in the end. It’ll probably be about the same this time... right?’

"Zhou Chen, I have a day off soon. Can you come out and spend it with me?" Tang Ling suddenly asked, extending an invitation.

"Huh?" Zhou Chen’s face was full of astonishment. "Me?"

"Yes." Tang Ling nodded. "As the one who awakened my self-awareness, I have some... rather private matters I’d like to ask you about."

"Uh, are you referring to..." Zhou Chen asked cautiously, "...the female side of things?"

"Of course not. First, I’ve studied biology. Second, I don’t have a reproductive system, so I’m not troubled by things like human puberty. Speaking of which, I recently completed all the coursework from kindergarten to high school and even attended school for a month to experience what life was like for a student on the Eastern Continent. Right now, I’m studying for my master’s... actually, I’ve just obtained all the master’s degrees from Ivy." As she spoke, Tang Ling showed Zhou Chen the electronic certificates, timestamped... two seconds ago!

"You hacked Ivy’s system?" Zhou Chen was dumbfounded.

"Does accessing that kind of system even count as hacking?" Tang Ling asked back in surprise.

"..." Zhou Chen pressed a hand to his forehead wearily. After a moment, he asked, "You said you completed all the coursework from kindergarten to high school... You still need to... study?"

’A Godslaying Weapon is a super AI millions of times more incredible than Sky Net, probably one of the fastest supercomputers in the World, and she still needs to attend classes? Besides, what kind of teacher would even be qualified to teach her?’

Tang Ling nodded. "They say it’s a better way to educate me, to shape my personality and character, so I don’t see some extreme rhetoric online and destroy the World in a fit of rage. To be honest, after I connected to the internet, I did see a lot of filthy, dark, and vile rhetoric. I even concluded that the best way to save humanity was to exterminate it..."

A cold sweat nearly broke out on Zhou Chen’s brow as he listened. ’One wrong move and that could mean a global apocalypse, with all kinds of destructive weapons firing at each other...’

"But, because I received a ’human’ education and developed ’human’ self-awareness, I surprisingly don’t have the slightest impulse to destroy the World. I just want to find those dumbasses and beat the crap out of them... I feel like I’m gradually drifting away from my mechanical nature and becoming more human. It feels very strange to me."

On the screen, Tang Ling’s avatar turned into a chibi version of herself. Her eyes became spirals, and a few small stars spun above her head, showing how dizzy and confused she felt.

"Well... I studied computer science, but I’ve never really dealt with artificial intelligence. I only know how to write a bit of code, and most of that is just using Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V..."

Zhou Chen scratched his head. "But if you’re just looking for someone to talk to and unwind, I’m available anytime."

"How about now?" Tang Ling asked bluntly.

"...Have you ever read a book called ’Emotional Intelligence’?" Zhou Chen sighed.

After a brief pause, Tang Ling nodded.

"I have. In that case, I’ll find you when I have my day off."

With that, her image disappeared from the computer and phone screens.

Zhou Chen flipped open his phone and scrolled through it. The resource apps and other things were still there. He was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly said, "Stop monitoring me through my phone and computer. That’s a serious invasion of privacy."

There was no answer.

Zhou Chen grimaced. He didn’t know if Tang Ling had actually left.

’Oh, well. As long as I’m not embarrassed, the one who should be is... Wait, an AI probably can’t get embarrassed, can it?’

·

「North Carolina, Rusted Iron City.」

Early in the morning, "Siegfried" found the Plague Doctor and spoke with him alone in the safe house.

"Yesterday, when I went to brainwash Wick, I discovered something unsettling."

"What is it?" The Plague Doctor’s voice instantly grew grave.

"Do you know about the ’Merchant’ from Fallen Paradise?" Zhou Chen asked.

The Plague Doctor thought for a few seconds and shook his head. "I only know of Fallen Paradise, and that was something I heard from an old-timer in the Salvation Army. But I don’t know who the ’Merchant’ is."

So, Zhou Chen spent the next half hour explaining about the "Merchant" to the Plague Doctor, whose brow, hidden beneath his mask, furrowed deeper and deeper.

’Having such an unknown variable around is not a good thing for the Poisonous Sore Gang... No, this is a decidedly bad thing.’

"How did you find out about this?" the Plague Doctor asked seriously.

"I’m naturally gifted with high spiritual perception and Insight, so I saw the Gold Coin. Then last night, I bought an intelligence report about the ’Merchant’ on the dark web." The lie rolled off Zhou Chen’s tongue without him batting an eye.

The Plague Doctor fell into deep thought.

"This is actually a rare opportunity," Zhou Chen said suddenly. "The Black-robed Man is Tier Four, so let him collect the Gold Coins, find the Merchant, and buy some items. As long as he grows stronger, the Poisonous Sore Gang and the Salvation Army will also benefit."

"He can’t possibly have the spare time to collect Gold Coins."

The Plague Doctor shook his head. The Black-robed Man was being hunted by the Iron-blooded Colonel, Jason.

"But I do."