Chapter 743: The Prisoner in the Mobile Prison
The clamor in the tavern had completely vanished at some unknown point.
Everyone who heard those words stopped their movements, looking toward the bar in shock or suspicion.
The aloofness and doubt on Raynor's face froze instantly, then transformed into a heavy, almost tangible sharpness.
He set down his glass, leaning forward slightly. His voice was lowered, but carried an oppressive weight: "A biological cluster? Be clear. What kind of organisms? How many? Where's the proof?"
"The specific biological classification is unknown, but its energy signature exhibits a highly consumptive and aggressively expansive pattern. As for proof..." Valerie took a delicate, portable projection device from her folder and projected a processed, dynamic star map above the bar between them.
A constantly pulsating red dot, representing a high concentration of biomass, was clearly closing in on the icon representing Mar Sara, accompanied by a scrolling stream of simplified data.
"This is an illustration of the macroscopic trend. The detailed detection data is consortium property and cannot be fully disclosed. But I can guarantee that the credibility of this intelligence is based on multiple cross-verifications."
Raynor stared fixedly at the star map, his complexion turning extremely grim.
Certain deeply buried memories were violently pried open. The nauseating buzzing and the sound of chitinous carapace scraping against each other from the Zerg seemed to vaguely echo in his ears again.
He was all too familiar with this ominous omen.
"Why are you telling me?" Raynor's voice was hoarse, his eyes locking onto Valerie with complexity, intertwining the gravity of the threat, extreme distrust of the intelligence source, and a trace of struggle he had to take seriously. "Goodwill from the Earth Sphere? Or is this part of your so-called 'assessment'?"
"Informing you of the risk is based on the most basic moral bottom line and the principle of risk aversion in long-term commercial investments. We do not wish for a potential future market to be reduced to ruins before our assessment is complete." Valerie put away the projector, her expression returning to a professional calm.
"Secondly," she pushed the folder toward Raynor, which contained a concise draft of a letter of intent for cooperation, "this can also be seen as a show of 'sincerity.' We are looking for local partners who deeply understand the local environment and possess the capability to handle complex situations, to cooperate in terms of security and intelligence support. Raynor's 'Raiders' are on our preliminary list. If you are willing to provide safe harbor and operational convenience for myself and a small technical assessment team during this period, we can provide a considerable amount of resources, paid in the form of an advance commission, to help you... fortify your doors and windows, and stockpile ammunition."
Raynor's gaze swept over the truly tempting figure on the letter of intent, then looked at Valerie, and glanced again at the silent steel guard behind her.
A mysterious woman from the Earth Sphere, bearing a startling early warning and a lucrative contract, appearing on the eve of a possible Zerg return.
It didn't feel like a coincidence; it felt more like a meticulously designed, irresistible, yet bone-chilling trap.
"You want to tag along with us?" Raynor asked slowly, every word seemingly squeezed through his teeth. "When we might have to fight tooth and nail against those bugs? Just for your 'risk assessment'?"
"First-hand field observation is the foundation of any reliable assessment, especially to examine the true quality of a partner in a crisis situation. This is in both of our interests." Valerie's reasoning sounded impeccable. "My security team and I will not interfere with your decisions and command. We will only conduct limited, necessary follow-up observations and recordings, and we retain the basic right to self-defense in extreme circumstances. You can consider us... an important asset that you temporarily need to watch over, proving it can hold its value through the storm."
Raynor remained silent for a long time, his fingers unconsciously tapping the hard surface of the bar.
The shadow of the Swarm and the label of the Earth Sphere intertwined, causing him double the unease.
However, he could not ignore the authenticity of that early warning, and the resources provided by the other party seemed particularly precious in the face of a possible impending doom.
"...I've received the warning. I'll go verify it." Finally, Raynor spoke hoarsely. He didn't touch the letter of intent, but his tone was no longer a pure rejection.
"Whatever your motives are, for this... thanks." He glanced at the dimming sky outside the window, as if he could already see the faint Swarm on the horizon.
"If your information is true, then staying here is just waiting to die. As for your 'cooperation'..." He turned his head back, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "Want to tag along? Fine. But don't expect special treatment. On Mar Sara, especially when we might have to face the bugs, everyone has to prove they aren't a burden and won't stab anyone in the back. Especially people bearing the mark of the Earth Sphere. Your 'steel dolls' better be as capable of fighting as they look."
"Very fair, Mr. Raynor." Valerie stood up and calmly retrieved the folder. "We will use our actions to prove our 'value' and 'harmlessness.' I look forward to our upcoming... cooperation."
She nodded slightly, saying no more. Taking her guard, she walked calmly toward the door amidst the oppressive and complex silence in the tavern.
Just as her fingers were about to touch the door handle, the somewhat dilapidated door of the tavern was forcefully pushed open from the outside with a loud bang. A figure matching her guard in size, carrying a somewhat fierce aura, blocked the doorway against the dim light from outside.
The newcomer wore a suit of mottled, battle-scarred yet well-maintained blue CMC power armor. His massive frame almost filled the doorframe.
He swaggered in, the heavy footsteps of his power armor making the floorboards tremble slightly. With a hiss, the helmet visor retracted upwards, revealing a weather-beaten, stubbled face. An unlit cigar was clamped in the corner of his mouth, and his eyes held a mix of cynicism and a fierce, violent aura.
The already solemn atmosphere in the tavern stagnated. Everyone's gaze shifted from Valerie to this new, uninvited guest.
Some of the older patrons seemed to recognize him, their faces revealing expressions of surprise or wariness.
The burly man paid no attention to the stares cast his way, or rather, he was already accustomed to them.
His eyes swept across the slightly dim tavern and instantly locked onto Raynor by the bar.
He grinned, pulling out a smile that was hard to define as either friendly or provocative, and walked straight through the center of the tavern with thumping steps. Wherever he passed, people subconsciously made way for him.
Valerie stopped at the door, stepping sideways to clear the path while making an extremely subtle hand gesture to signal her guard to remain still.
Her gaze calmly and rapidly evaluated this newly arrived burly man, who was clearly acquainted with Raynor and absolutely not an ordinary character. She decided to stay a moment longer to observe this unexpected variable.