Published: February 13, 2025
The meeting location for the Dark Alliance was in a satellite city about several dozen kilometers outside Divine Artisan City. It was almost in a straight line from where Ye Zhongming had just completed his mission, only separated by Divine Artisan City in between.
The satellite city was home to a few Tarros Red Dwarfs, mostly those who had positions here and would return to Divine Artisan City to reunite with their families during their rest periods. The majority of the inhabitants were from other races.
This small city wasn't particularly large and had a singular function; it was essentially a material processing factory. Various materials purchased from outside would be processed here, undergoing the first stage of manufacturing according to the standards set by the dwarves.
Due to its characteristics, the satellite city did not lack commercial activity like Divine Artisan City. Several shops and hotels could be found throughout the small town since those associated with the dwarves couldn't always afford the long-distance transport of materials for every procurement.
This provided other forces the opportunity to establish a presence here.
The place chosen by the Dark Alliance was a shop's basement, which, upon entering, revealed a hidden gem. The area might not have been as large as previous meeting locations, but it was equally exquisite and splendid, starkly contrasting with the dwarves' rugged style.
This indirectly indicated that there was no direct relationship between the Dark Alliance and the dwarves.
Ye Zhongming arrived late. The small gatherings that had previously taken place had already concluded, and most of the ordinary members had achieved their objectives. Some who had completed missions and received substantial Moon Age Gold or rewards had not yet left, while others were focused on the task list, researching their next goals, or observing other members to see if there were potential collaborations.
Many people showed great respect when they saw Ye Zhongming enter, greeting him solemnly. In the Dark Alliance, aside from the founders, Ye Zhongming represented the highest position that all members could aspire to.
“Sorry to keep everyone waiting,” Ye Zhongming said upon noticing that all the founders and senior members were present and waiting for him.
“I was held up by some matters.” After a brief explanation, Ye Zhongming didn't say anything further.
The others wore masks, so he couldn't see their expressions and naturally couldn't know if they had any objections regarding his tardiness.
The second founder presided over the meeting, starting by summarizing the tasks the Dark Alliance had undertaken during this period, as this was the foundation of the organization.
After that, several pieces of intelligence were presented for trading. Ye Zhongming listened intently, finding the transaction amounts very enticing.
The higher the value of the intelligence, the clearer it was to the upper echelons; it could potentially bring back hundreds or thousands of times the investment. So even though Ye Zhongming didn’t know the specifics of the intelligence, he couldn’t help but feel a bit envious.
After the intelligence trading, there were tasks that were individually commissioned, which could not be made public or were beyond the capabilities of ordinary members to complete.
Ye Zhongming longed for the rewards on offer, but he realized he currently lacked the capability to complete most of the tasks, leaving him with only envy.
Perhaps hearing Ye Zhongming’s yearning, the last task that came up was actually related to him. It involved customizing a complete set of renyi level equipment, based on the previously agreed highest price, with increased compensation based on the specially modified performance.
Ye Zhongming’s happiness lasted only a few seconds before he calmed down.
He pondered whether this was a form of testing or even a trap for him.
What kind of person could manufacture a complete set of renyi level equipment? It could be an outstanding dwarf craftsman or someone else. If it were the latter, then the value would be immeasurable. Even with the good reputation of the Dark Alliance, Ye Zhongming wouldn’t dare to assume he wouldn't be tempted.