Chapter 661: Plan to integrate
"Let’s see. How about a week from now?" Lin Mo grinned as he stared at the shifting expression of Vespera.
Letting her out of the isolation doesn’t mean giving her freedom. Naturally, he also won’t restore her strength. But to fully convert her to convenience, his plan was to place her in the store, turn her into a staff and let her witness and interact with the very ’natives’ she had despised.
It was the ultimate immersion therapy.
Vespera frowned, not expecting Lin Mo to truly respond to her question, "A week..."
"Mhm. Unless you want to stay here and wait until I hand you over to the High Priest." Lin Mo grinned. Since her capture was made public through the Bulletin Board, the High Priest had expressed, more than once, his desire to acquire her for study. If she didn’t become cooperative, Lin Mo would naturally not waste his time interrogating her.
But now, after more than a week of captivity, she had pretty much accepted her current situation. Her freedom could only be granted by him. And with just one word, she could very well be delivered on a dissection table of the Poison Demon Cult.
"No... I understand. A week. I can endure it." Vespera hurriedly replied, looking one part terrified and two parts panicked. "But will you truly... let me go?"
Lin Mo didn’t answer her and simply put on a meaningful smile. This female Severance Stage Dreilling is a smart woman, he doesn’t need to elaborate everything to her.
And sure enough, his expression put her into a state of frantic calculation.
She was a Mind-Weaver, accustomed to dominating the psyches of entire populations, yet here she was, desperately trying to read the whims of a man who looked at her like a slightly defective piece of inventory.
"I will... I will prove my utility," Vespera finally uttered, bowing her head. The gesture felt alien to her aristocratic spine, but the alternative, the High Priest’s dissection table, was a horror she could not entertain. She had seen the fate of those who ended up at that table, after all. No amount of pride would be enough if her body got opened up, cut and studied like how she used to unravel other races’ minds for her mind cultivation.
"I possess knowledge of the Convergence Engine’s schematics, where it will be deployed and how to effectively stop it. I also know how to effectively deal with the Flesh-Shaper’s absurd physical evolutions. I can tell you more about our Highland Realm. And if you want, I can–"
As Lin Mo continued to listen to what sounded like a plea and utter surrender, he put a hand forward. He knew where her words were going. However, it also surprised him. It’s not like she was thoroughly mindbroken, yet she’s willing to do anything just to prevent him from sending her to the High Priest.
But putting himself in her shoes, Lin Mo somewhat agreed to her conclusion. Appeasing him was a lot better than acting more defiant. Furthermore, Lin Mo might’ve isolated her but he treated her well.
Of course, she might also think he was quite soft-hearted and she was just going to bide her time until an opportunity arose but that concern was insignificant to Lin Mo.
He was confident he could rehabilitate and integrate her into the ’Dao of Convenience’ that he accidentally created.
"All of that is standard data extraction, Lady Vespera," Lin Mo interrupted smoothly, raising a hand. Having decided on what to do with her, he’ll keep calling her that way to foster goodwill or whatever interpretation she will arrive at.
"I expect that as a baseline. I would love to continue chatting with you to exchange knowledge between our realms. Wouldn’t that be the ideal outcome?"
Vespera unconsciously nodded. At the moment, his words carried a lot of persuasion. But that’s only because of how he dealt with her for the past week. If he talked like this during her initial capture, she’d never believe him.
"Anyway, I might not be able to promise you freedom but at the very least, I can let you out of here. What do you think, Lady Vespera?"
"That’s..." She understood. Letting her out only meant putting her out of isolation. She’s still going to be a prisoner. Fated to be unable to step outside this place.
"To truly earn your place in this establishment, you must learn the core tenet of our existence. You must learn how to spread our convenience."
Vespera’s head snapped up, her mercury-like eyes widening. "Spread your convenience? Do you intend to make me a slave? To work for you?"
"We don’t use the ’S’ word here. It’s terrible for public relations," Lin Mo chided gently, waving his finger. "Let’s just say, I’m giving you a chance to see our world with your own eyes."
"I am offering you an internship. A probationary employment period. You will be assigned to the main floor. You will learn to greet patrons, restock shelves, and perhaps, if your performance evaluations are satisfactory, assist in operating the [Divine Barter & Appraisal Terminal]."
The absurdity of the proposition struck Vespera like a physical blow. She, a High Noble of the Highland Realm, a peak Severance Stage entity destined for the Apex, was being told to stack colorful packets of dried noodles for the very natives she had come to conquer.
It was a humiliation so profound it transcended anger. It was a complete dismantling of her ego.
"You... you would put me on display?" She whispered as her voice trembled. She was feeling humiliated but what other choice did she have?
"I am putting you to work," Lin Mo corrected. "Our patrons will undoubtedly find it... convenient... to be served by the very entity that once sought to enslave them. It is a brilliant marketing narrative. ’From Conqueror to Cashier: The Power of the Divine Convenience Store.’ It writes itself."
Saying such bullshit made Lin Mo cringe inwardly but he had to put on that act in front of her. Besides, if he’s successful with this, she could eventually turn into an ally.
In the future, he would surely transform an Anchor into their own forward base to counter-invade. It’s just not the right time yet. They’re still too weak and the realm is still divided.
He learned from Jin Cheng recently that the Highland Anchor the Violethaven Temple explored remained unconquered. As for their plan to contact the Dreilling or whoever’s in charge of it, there’s still no sign of communication.
As for those poor Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators that they gathered through the Vanguard Accords, hundreds of soul lamps were getting extinguished each day.
And that only meant, they’re falling like flies inside it. It was quite tragic.
—
After leaving Vespera to ponder over his offer overnight, Lin Mo returned to the second floor, waiting for the arrival of the Sect Master Lin Yuanzhi.
His commission from yesterday should be delivered soon. And he’s going to temper his body tonight while the store upgrades to the next tier throughout the night.
However, he found someone already waiting upstairs for him.
"Qingyan." Although surprised, a natural smile formed on his face upon seeing the woman. He even instinctively rubbed the ring on his finger.
Likewise, upon seeing his visage, the Verdant Sky Pavilion Emissary and first Official Distributor of the store lit up.
As for the reason for her return, Lin Mo didn’t think much of it. After all, he told her that she’s welcome to visit anytime.
"Lin Mo, you’ve been busy. I’ve been waiting here for half an hour." Yu Qingyan’s lips curved up as she watched him take a seat opposite hers.
Although she was expecting more, seeing him sit across from her, completely unharmed and exuding that familiar, grounding aura, was enough to soothe the quiet ache of the northern winds.
Her gaze instinctively drifted to his right hand, where the [Twin-Frost Resonance Ring] still perfectly sat on his finger.
"I see the North hasn’t frozen your sense of timing, Qingyan," Lin Mo said, his voice dropping its usual professional cadence for something warmer. "You are just in time. You’ll get the chance to see the store’s transformation tonight."
"Transformation? Is this the one where your store magically expands?" Yu Qingyan’s serene smile curved up into a playful smirk. The ring on her finger pulsed with a sudden spike of excitement that got transmitted to Lin Mo’s mind.
"Mhm. That’s it. It’ll happen after the store hours. You can wait here or join Meiyu and the others."
"Huh? What about you?"
"Well, I’ll have something to do. I told you about it, right? My prodigious assistant got me this body-tempering manual. It’s in preparation for my return to the tower." Lin Mo didn’t hide it from her, considering the change in their relationship and the ring that allowed them to sense each other, she’d definitely worry if the feedback suddenly switched to his painful agony as he tempered his body.
Yu Qingyan’s delicate brows knitted together as a hint of concern flashed on her face, "You’re really..."
He reached for her hand and squeezed it, "Really what? Reckless? Perhaps I am but you can trust me. It’s not like it’s going to be a tribulation, no? I want to complete that tower. And in the future, I can adjust its limitations so you can also climb it again. The reward for completing it is worth it."
