078. Li Aozi Calls It Efficiency
Nikita glanced at his terminal. His contact had already sent him the message.
"Kalmets has made our country poor and weak. Both Dad and Julian have lost their jobs and honor."
Rosa sighed:
"But if Kalmets didn't provide money, wouldn't it be us who died? Or should we consider the majority, sacrificing ourselves to help the nation and the majority get through hard times?"
"Shh! That's [Society]'s ideology. Don't say it carelessly."
Nikita quickly stopped her and then asked:
"Where did you hear such things?"
"The neighbors, the streets, people coming and going—everyone's saying it."
"Oh, so it wasn't a [Society] citizen saying it. That's fine."
Nikita said, half-mockingly:
"[Society] citizens have no self-awareness. They're just cells. Without [Society], they're nothing, so they rely on [Society] and keep promoting contributions to the collective."
"But aren't we the same?" Rosa laughed. "Don't mock them, Dad. Didn't you just agree with that idea?"
While the father and daughter argued, Li Aozi's figure quietly stood outside the door, leaning against the wall, listening to their conversation.
"It's different… Letting some people die to keep the country stable—if I were Kalmets, I'd do it. Because in this kind of crisis, the elderly are useless and should be the ones to die."
Nikita paused, then explained:
"Civilization and [Society] are different. [Society] is a monster, a beast. Civilization is just an abstract concept. We can immigrate, undergo genetic surgery, or adopt beliefs. [Society] doesn't have that capability. It's not the same."
"Maybe so—but to me, 'Narrative' and [Society] are about the same."
Rosa said softly:
"Civilization drains the marrow; Society drinks the blood—both are a bunch of villains…"
"Don't say that to anyone. Without narrative-level civilizations, the universe would be done for."
"So, Dad, would you choose Narrative or Society?"
"I'd choose family, which means I'd choose myself."
"You just said you hate Kalmets. Isn't Kalmets thinking about people like you with that petty mindset…"
"Rosa, that's not the same."
Nikita sighed, noticing the firewood running low. Checking the time, he stood up, making an excuse:
"It'll get really cold later. I'll go gather some firewood and see if I can find any warm clothes. Eat your porridge, sit by the fire, and wrap up in my coat to sleep."
"Be careful."
Nikita left with worry. After a few steps, a thought echoed in his mind:
[Did your daughter just lecture you?]
He turned and saw Li Aozi, without a head, leaning against his doorway.
"You! You followed me?" Nikita's blood pressure spiked as he staggered forward, pinning Li Aozi against the wall. "You spied on me!? On my family?!"
"Calm down, Nikita, my friend." Li Aozi raised his hands. "I'm not interested in your family. I was just curious why you didn't use the ammonium money I gave you to buy some nutritious food."
"Are you brain-dead? Do you think she could hold on to any decent food?"
"True enough."
Li Aozi stroked his nonexistent chin:
"Did your son-in-law go missing?"
"None of your business." When it came to family, Nikita didn't mince words with Li Aozi.
"Give me his name and description. I can help you find him."
"You?" Nikita looked at Li Aozi in surprise. "What's your angle?"
"Don't get me wrong; this isn't free charity." Li Aozi said, "Your daughter's showing symptoms of the Abyss's curse, meaning her bloodline is closest to that ancestor. Without a doubt, her child would be an exceptionally strong warrior."
"You're after my grandson, aren't you?!"
"Relax. I treat my people well. Even pigs in a farm don't live this comfortably."
Li Aozi shrugged:
"At the very least, I'm part of a narrative-level civilization. The education and living conditions are better than here, right?"
He gestured to the crumbling apartment building.
Nikita was speechless.
Li Aozi raised his hand, showing the yellow glow on his wrist and the porcelain-like texture of his skin, revealing his Elai Spirit identity. Nikita's resolve wavered.
"Your grandson would be useful to me. Don't worry, I won't brainwash him. He'll get time off, a good salary, and you can see him whenever you want."
Seeing Nikita hesitate, Li Aozi continued:
"If you're still unsure, Red King's priest should be nearby. How about we make a formal contract with their main deity? After all, they oversee capital contracts, more reliable than law."
[[Charisma] check passed; Nikita trusts your words.]
"No, I'd rather not deal with Viral.Z people anymore."
Nikita shook his head and told Li Aozi:
"My son-in-law's name is Julian, a tall, sharp blonde half-elf with blue eyes."
"Any other details?" Li Aozi asked knowingly.
"Julian has a cousin named Jacob in Viral.Z's industrial district. I've gone there a few times without finding him. If you happen to notice anything, ask if he's been in touch recently."
Nikita finished, lifting his terminal and transferring the information directly to Li Aozi:
"Here's the lineage of Kalmets Shieldcrest's family. He has three children. Contrary to the public 'two sons and a daughter' story, his children often face assassination attempts, so they mix in with aides' kids to confuse the public. In reality: two daughters, one son."
"Let me make this clear—it won't be easy."
"The eldest daughter, Flora Shieldcrest, is six years old. She's a delicate young lady who cries at the slightest sound. Be sure to keep her calm if you make a move and take her robot caretaker along."
"The second daughter, Merly Shieldcrest, is five, disabled from birth. Half of her body is already cybernetic. You'd need a life support system and a hacker to erase her tracking software."
"The youngest son, Frey Shieldcrest, is only three months old but is being raised as Kalmets's successor. He has tight security and is a natural psychic. If you approach him with ill intent, he'll read your mind directly. His psychic cries could be heard throughout Merdelo Tower, so you'd need a high-level [Medium] to shield you."
Since he'd decided to entrust his future grandchild, Nikita wanted to thoroughly test this man's capability.
In reality, even without this, a direct attack could let them kidnap the children and escape.
But to execute it flawlessly without exposure would require meticulous effort.
With such a complex set of requirements, there's no way he could complete it quickly.
The robot caretaker would test his skills.
The hacker would test Leoz's financial resources.
The Medium would assess his moral qualities; if unfit, they wouldn't cooperate.
Not only that, but drawing it out would also give Li Aozi more time to search for Julian, increasing the chances of finding him.
Nikita folded his arms and said coolly:
"Once you've gathered everything, we'll make our move—"
Before he could finish, Li Aozi raised his hand, cutting through the air.
Thud.
A spherical nanny robot dropped to the ground, rolling a few times before lying still, bearing the Shieldcrest family crest.
A hacker with bloodshot eyes was feverishly writing code, drooling slightly—a clear sign this job wasn't cheap.
A slender, alluring Medium stepped gracefully from a spatial tear, winking at Li Aozi.
"I'll look into your son-in-law's whereabouts later."
Li Aozi said:
"Let's head to Merdelo Tower and snatch those three kids."