986 Follow the Vine to Get to the Melon (1/2)

(TL: The title is a Chinese idiom which means to follow the clues.)

Everyone's expression changed after hearing Sheyan's answer.

It's one thing to go up against a powerful party, it's another to go up against a powerful party with the support of their realm behind them.

But Sheyan said calmly, ”Don't worry, it's not such a bad thing. Realms should not be able to directly involve themselves in the fight between contestants- just like Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. If Stockholm party's actions really had the shadow of their realm behind them, I don't think our Noah Realm C would stay quiet. A promising and powerful team like ours should be afforded more opportunities and benefits by the realm, just like the way the United States Congress would allocate higher annual funding to special forces compared to ordinary troops.”

The others felt that Sheyan's words had their merits. At that point, the bus stopped and Sheyan stood up. Although he was still affected by the maggot-like energy remnant, his back was straight, and his eyes shone with a peculiar excitement.

How could he not feel excited at the prospect of going up against such a formidable enemy?

Sheyan slowly stepped off the bus with a slight unsteadiness in his gait. He looked up and saw the huge building of Cyberdyne Systems towering majestically in front of him. Sheyan's heart was filled with a complex emotion. The last time he was here, he did not even dare look straight at that building. Now, although the building still gave off a tremendous pressure, he was already trying to figure out how to squeeze out more benefits from it.

The streets of Los Angeles were still full of people and noises. Rows of colorful but outdated windows lined the streets. On the streets, there were quite a number of people who were listening to a walkman while dancing along to the rhythm.

Mogensha whistled at a woman who looked like Sheva Alomar and walked up to her for a chat. Zi walked towards a display window. Although her expression remained cold and aloof, her eyes burned with lust...no, with desire.

Sheyan moved a little closer and heard her mumble, ”A vintage Prada handbag, 1978 edition! Wow, a limited edition Chloe, and is that the special Hermes Birkin bag?”

Meanwhile, Reef looked enamoured with the antique lighters in an antique shop. His eyes were shining as he checked the merchandises on display.

Sheyan's gaze fell on Sanzi who was still staring at him. He sighed helplessly and said, ”Now why do I feel like we're the ones from a rich family instead?”

”Brother Reef, even if you get something you like here, you may not be able to bring it back to the nightmare realm. Even if it can be brought back to the nightmare realm, it certainly can't be brought back into the real world,” Sanzi could not resist telling Reef.

Reef's reply turned Sanzi speechless. ”Ignorance truly is bliss. These beauties are so rare in the real world that they might as well have gone extinct. Having them in your possession, even for a few seconds, is a great pleasure!”

Sheyan and Sanzi could say nothing to that. It could be seen from this that the gap between the rich and the poor was present everywhere, even in the cold-blooded nightmare realm.

***********

After Sheyan's third angry roar, the group finally left the shopping street and headed straight for the Bassaterre Steakhouse that was a hundred metres away from Cyberdyne Systems, albeit a little reluctantly.

Mr. Vincent's vehicle was luckily parked outside the steakhouse - Sheyan could recognise it at a glance. This wasn't yet the era when SUV's were so popular that their annual market share could top 60%, so Vincent's cross country jeep really stood out in the crowded parking lot. It looked a lot older than before due to the torment of the wind and the sun, as well as the owner's neglect.

Sheyan looked around, but unfortunately could not find Mr. Vincent among the many diners. Since Sheyan he had been arrested here before and Jinkuang was in his usual slumbering state, the task of gathering information naturally fell on Sanzi's shoulders. He had a frightening amount of Charm after all.

Zi unsurprisingly expressed a strong displeasure towards the cracked leather stools, greasy floor, and the thick grease on the tables. When Sheyan suggested a cup of coffee, she simply asked for a glass of water, which ended up serving more as a decoration than a drink. Zi thought that the food and drinks here were probably all tasted by cockroaches before they got to be tasted by humans.

”Vincent? Oh, you're talking about that guy with the large beard. He hasn't been here for a week, and I don't think he'll ever come back.”