Chapter 15: The Empire's Frontier: Intelligence, Opportunity
The flames were burning in the old gasoline barrels, which were full of rust and had several holes. The flames lit up the dim streets around.
Like the deep environment here, the people here are very uncomfortable, in all senses.
But most of the people here have implants, all of which are inferior, junk with different workmanship, creaking low-quality transmission shafts, and rusty mechanical shells with various blasphemous patterns.
Even those who don't have implants have all kinds of disgusting blasphemous tattoos, and they are all dressed in different styles. They are not good, law-abiding citizens of the Empire.
It must be said that all the lawbreakers, cultists and heretics are quite honest, allowing you to clearly see them from a long distance, and then determine their identities in a millisecond, and then consider whether to shoot.
Vito came to the door of a bar. There is a bar on this dark street deep underground.
The shop sign was lit up with striking purple lights, and the purple halo illuminated the dim illusion around. The darkness was shrouded in a strange purple, which made it more psychedelic and strange, like.
Vito still remembered the purple-skinned chick, which was really exciting. How long had he not seen her? A few years? Or a few months? Every time he was with her, Vito felt that time was confused.
He laughed, then shrugged, rubbed his neck, and pushed open the door of the bar with "Silver Snake Bar" written in Low Gothic.
Vito walked into the bar. This was a well-cared-for bar. Unlike the chaotic and dilapidated low-nest abandoned industrial complex buildings outside, everything here was well organized.
Complete wine tables, clean floors and walls with tapestries and decorations, and of course, the iconic silver snake logo embedded on the bar table.
I have to say that as a low-nest bar, its integrity and decoration are a bit out of place, but in fact, the business here is very hot, and there are many people sitting here.
Most of them are locals, and without exception, they all carry weapons and show their identities in the most direct way.
Vito looked at them and looked at everyone with his peripheral vision. The one with the snake tattoo and the hammer tattoo, and the one with the blooming flower tattoo?
He guessed correctly that these customers who were hostile to each other were probably members of the three gangs.
It's really interesting that these low-nest gang members can sit together reluctantly, well, at least they are drinking in the same bar, and they didn't draw their guns to shoot each other.
Vito smiled jokingly and walked to the bar, to the female bartender who was wiping the wine glass, she looked at the wine glass in her hand with her eyes downcast.
Long eyelashes and delicate braids hanging on the face, and wearing some kind of strange mask on the face. Some kind of mask, gas mask or something?
It's really interesting. The air here doesn't seem to be difficult to breathe, at least it's not unacceptable to most people who come to the Low Nest, but she wears a filter?
Vito leaned on the bar, looking at the beauty in front of him with a playful smile, and the cold female bartender also looked at him. After a moment, she put the wine glass in front of him, "What would you like to drink?"
Vito smiled and took out a few imperial gold coins from his arms, "A good one, not a ditch product, and don't mix water." "Of course."
The female bartender took a glass of golden orange wine from the wine rack and filled a glass for Vito.
The latter raised the wine glass and looked at it, then nodded slightly with satisfaction, "Golden Pirate? It's really interesting. This is a kind of wine that can't be on the table in the empire, but because."
"Because it's only drunk by pirates and heretics, but it tastes good."
The female bartender said with her hands on her hips. Vito smiled slightly, drank a sip of the golden orange wine, and then took out a few gold coins and put them on the table. There was also a big thing in the gold coins, a pendant, a silver snake pendant.
The female bartender looked at the pendant in silence for a moment, then raised her eyes to look at Vito, who shrugged naturally, "Pour yourself a glass, this wine is indeed good, and Antonio, I have a question mark for you."
The female bartender smiled softly and skillfully filled another glass. She took the glass and drank a sip without clinking glasses with Vito, who shrugged helplessly and then drank a sip himself.
"What is your relationship with Antonio?" "Partnership, I helped him with something, so he is also helping me with something now. To be precise, he thinks you can help me, Miss Silver Snake."
Silver Snake leaned on the table and approached Vito, looking into Vito's eyes with her silver-gray eyes, and the latter also looked directly into those eyes, as if opening his mind and letting him examine his soul.
Miss Silver Snake withdrew herself after a moment, took out a wine glass from under the table and started to wipe it, "Tell me, what can I guarantee if I don't report it."
Vito turned his head and looked at the group of customers behind him. Most of them were noisy and used all kinds of crude and impolite words, but after all, this is Low Nest, what else can you expect?
"It's really interesting that the members of these three gangs can coexist peacefully here."
"Coexist peacefully? No, this is a neutral bar, no one can use knives or guns on my territory."
"And then they listen to you?"
Vito smiled charmingly and raised his wine glass to salute Silver Snake, who shrugged slightly, picked up the wine glass and looked at the crystal structure in it, "This is a place for intelligence and negotiation."
"Vito Constantine, just call me Vito, no need to add Mr., I guess it's not popular here, right?"
Silver Snake turned his head and looked at Vito with his extremely charming eyes, then turned his head back, "The three low-nest kings don't intend to destroy the only neutral zone, disrupt negotiations and consultations, or get intelligence to trap each other."
"It looks like you sell information to three parties, Silver Snake." "As long as the conditions are right, Vito, now tell me, how can I help you? I guess you are not here to drink."
"Indeed." Vito took another sip of wine, "Although this wine is really good, yes, I am here for news."
"A few weeks ago, a shuttle crashed on Owen-4, and then its survivors came to Victoria Prime. Do you mind telling me their whereabouts?"
Vito smiled, and Silver Snake looked at him with a strange look and put the wine glass back on the shelf.
"They came to the Lower Nest, one person." "One? I heard there were six." "Is it strange? This is the Lower Nest." "Of course not, please continue."
"They came here, they all had coiled snake tattoos, the Pious came to see them, and then they followed the Pious left, if I'm not mistaken, they are still here in the hands of the Pious."
Vito touched his chin, thoughtfully, "Are you sure they are from the Pious?" "Although they don't look like people from the Lower Nest, but yes, I can see that if you want to find them, you need to ask the Pious for people, I guess that's not easy."
The young inquisitor looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, and then smiled, it was not a fake smile, "Then what do you suggest I do?" "Gain their trust, the Pious attaches great importance to this, Vito, but I think this opportunity"
Silver Snake stopped, she raised her eyes and watched several young people from the Pious rush into the bar, they whispered something, and then all the Pious people in the bar got up and left, and they all looked quite angry.
Vito smiled, "Here comes the chance."
Silver Snake looked at Vito with admiration in her eyes, she crossed her arms and shrugged slightly, "Then I wish you good luck, Vito, I have already returned Antonio's favor."
"Don't worry, we will meet again." Vito drank the wine, Silver Snake looked at her with some confusion and suspicion, "If you want to find me again to exchange information, you'd better bring something valuable, Vito."
He waved his hand and walked towards the exit of the bar.