He, The Scumbag, Has Turned Over A New Leaf. - Chapter 15

The figure flashed by in an instant. Ivan did not pay much attention to it, pushing open his room door and thinking that perhaps his eyes had played a trick on him.

Inside the room, Tovis was already fast asleep on the modest-sized bed. Ivan moved quietly into the bathroom. After the exhaustion of a ten-hour flight had finally faded, his mild obsessive-compulsive nature flared up. He drew hot water and enjoyed a comfortable bath.

When Ivan emerged, the sky outside was brightening with the pale light of dawn. Ivan climbed onto the bed, lay on the outer edge, and closed his eyes, doing his best to ignore the radiating body heat from the Zerg beside him.

After a full meal and a good rest, Ivan drifted back into dreams. It was only when Pinzi Star was flooded with scorching sunlight that he finally woke up. The jet lag from the immense distance between planets had finally vanished.

Golden morning light streamed through the window, washing over Ivan. The lingering heat of late summer touched his skin. He opened his eyes to find Tovis already gone. He crawled sluggishly out of bed, stretched, and headed to the bathroom. After a quick rinse, feeling refreshed, Ivan went downstairs to find food. As he reached the stairs, he paused, his eyes widening at the sight below.

The lobby of the guesthouse was even livelier this morning than it had been the night before.

Huba Luo and his male spouse were sitting in the dining area, a plate of the egg-fried rice Ivan had recommended the previous evening still in front of them. It seemed the dish was destined to be Kele’s new favorite. In the center of the lobby sat Yin Sa, the current head of the Doer-ye family, along with the incredibly formidable-looking Jieli. A bit further away, Lotte and Tovis were eating breakfast. Ivan took in the scene calmly, stepping down the stairs one by one. Before he could join them, a shrill, cheerful voice rang out from the entrance.

“Fanfan! Did you miss me?”

Ace’s cavalier voice grew louder as he approached, leading his retinue from the Kingsby family. Recalling their last encounter, Ivan felt a flicker of complicated emotion. He grabbed a plate of pasta from the front desk and walked toward Tovis, retorting, “Long time no see. Not at all.”

Tovis gave Ivan a surprised look. In his memory, Ivan had always cared deeply about this “like-minded” friend. He was genuinely puzzled by Ivan’s dismissive attitude, but before he could dwell on it, Ivan had already sat down beside him.

Ace, accompanied by his own competitors, approached Ivan with a mock-hurt expression. “You really do not give me any face, do you?”

Ivan just smiled and focused on his steaming pasta. Lotte politely greeted Ace, while Tovis continued his breakfast without even looking up. Ace, finding no amusement, grew bored and went to order his own meal. For a brief moment, the four great noble families of Harley Star existed in temporary harmony. That was until the conflict began.

Yin Sa scanned the room, his gaze falling on Huba Luo. His eyes darkened with malice as he stood up and said, “Are you here to compete for the mining rights or to play house? You even brought a male along. Such a fragile thing in such a dangerous place, what if something were to happen?”

Everyone could hear the malice in Yin Sa’s words, especially since the injury to Huba Luo’s spouse a few days prior had been orchestrated by Yin Sa himself. Huba Luo’s expression turned fierce, and he was about to react when Kele reached out and gripped his wrist.

Kele’s voice was soft and gentle. “A-Luo, this is delicious. I have never eaten anything this good before. Thank you for bringing me out.”

With his spouse’s soft hand resting on his, Huba Luo’s rage dissipated. A rare smile softened his stern, fierce face. “If you like it, I will learn to make it. I will cook it for you when we return to Harley Star.”

“Okay.” Kele looked even happier, a faint flush appearing on his pale cheeks as he savored the lingering taste of the fried rice.

“Tch.” Yin Sa, denied the spectacle he had hoped for, looked bored.

Ace chimed in then. “What is wrong with bringing a male? Did he eat your rice?” He set down the highly recommended egg-fried rice, a sarcastic smile on his face. He let his gaze drift lazily between Yin Sa and Jieli. “At least he is better than certain Zergs who cannot match with a male and have to resort to messing with other females.”

“Ace!” Yin Sa ground his teeth, his gaze fixed on Ace with murderous intent. Ace ignored him, sat down, and continued eating his plate of ordinary fried rice with gusto.

Ivan watched the drama unfold with amusement, but Lotte leaned over and whispered, “We need to go inspect the site.”

Ivan was puzzled. Tovis, however, seemed to know exactly what was happening; he stood up immediately after Lotte finished speaking and walked away. Ivan had no choice but to follow. The other Zergs in the lobby watched their group leave with thoughtful expressions.

Once outside, the wind roared and yellow sand swirled in the air. The guesthouse acted like a protective shield, separating the interior from the chaotic world outside. Lotte handed out masks, and Ivan put his on so he could finally open his eyes. Fighting against the gale, they reached the edge of the mine pit.

The pit was over ten meters deep, with large machinery operating at the bottom. Pinzi Star had many such pits, yet even with all the labor and resources, the actual yield was sparse. Even so, the extraction rights for the planet remained highly sought after. They were standing there today for those rights, though this year promised to be different.

As Ivan stood before the massive pit, Lotte said, “The mineral yield is declining every year. These rights are barely worth fighting for, yet this competition is incredibly dangerous. Since we had no intention of winning the rights anyway, perhaps we should just withdraw.”

Tovis added, “Do not worry about the promise made to the Kingsby family. I have a way to resolve it. The risks of this competition are unpredictable; it is better to quit.”

Ivan grew even more confused by their insistence.

Lotte explained, “Unlike previous years, this year’s competition is divided into three stages. The first tests familiarity with Pinzi Star and the mining area. The second is a martial combat test, where each family sends one female. The third stage is the most dangerous: each family selects two participants to enter the undeveloped mountains ahead. The first to retrieve a mineral sample wins the extraction rights.”

Pinzi Star had undeveloped areas that were perilous and steep. Usually, it took thousands of female Zergs months to map these areas safely. Sending a few participants into these regions for a competition was dangerously irrational.

“If the third stage decides the winner, what is the point of the first two?” Ivan asked.

Lotte replied, “The first two stages are not meaningless; they are crucial. The participants for the third stage are chosen by the winners of the first two.”

I see. Ivan finally understood. Just as he hesitated about whether to withdraw, a cheer erupted from the pit below, indicating they had struck something.

Ivan squinted, trying to get a better look, but Lotte stepped forward and whispered into his ear, “Huba Luo contacted me last night. He said he is willing to meet.”

“Oh?”

So he had not been imagining things; the figure he saw last night really was Lotte. Ivan was intrigued. Huba Luo had previously refused to meet, but agreeing now, just a day before the competition, felt suspicious.

“Could it be a trap?” Tovis frowned.

Ivan smiled. “It is fine. Let us meet him. We are not direct rivals to the Huba family, so he likely has no reason to harm us.”

Lotte shared the time and place. At 10:00 PM that evening, in the guesthouse’s third-floor conference room, Ivan and Lotte waited for a while before Huba Luo finally arrived, showing no remorse as he said, “Sorry for the wait.”

“It does not matter.” Ivan did not care for formalities. He watched Huba Luo, waiting for him to get to the point.

Huba Luo was impatient and cut straight to the chase. “I contacted you because I have a piece of news to share. The value of this information far outweighs the output of this low-yield mining district.”

“Oh?” Ivan asked with interest. “If that is the case, why would the Huba family want to share it with us?”

Huba Luo replied, “Naturally, there are conditions.”

“I am listening.”

“I want you to cooperate with me to eliminate Yin Sa during the competition.” Huba Luo’s expression turned vicious as he spoke in a cold, icy tone.