NOVEL NEXT 037. Performance is an Art
- Performance is an Art
Fight or not?
Li Aozzi prided himself on being a skillful player, not a fool who fights everyone he meets.
His primary attribute, [Charisma], was as high as 21 points, effectively 27 points. In terms of highest attribute, he shouldn't be much different from his opponent.
It's fine dealing with others, but Nimotin was an exception.
As an advanced veteran Alpha-tier [Assassin], her [Dexterity] and [Strength] attributes were at least 30 points each, with at least 4 combat specialties.
Li Aozzi remembered [Assassin] players despairingly finding out Nimotin had a total of 18 combat specialties.
In the storyline, Nimotin was hesitant, pushed around by others, politically inept, and missed several opportunities to capture enemies.
But against players, she hit hard. Despite being an extraordinary being herself, she would call for backup and artillery support, driving [Assassin] players to despair.
Their bodies couldn't withstand three rounds of 105mm artillery bombardment, and single combat was almost unwinnable. If it were Li Aozzi, with less than 100 health points, Nimotin could easily kill him with one hit.
Eventually, it was no surprise that players analyzed her attack patterns in detail, ultimately defeating her through meticulous planning.
In a random encounter, Li Aozzi could avoid her; she couldn't catch him right away.
But in this situation, she was coming directly for him, with full equipment and personnel.
Not easy to handle.
Li Aozzi was torn: Fight or not?
Fighting wouldn't benefit him. He was already high-level and didn't need the experience from these small fry—it would also delay his tasks.
Most importantly, he didn't have a reliable way to kill her.
Not fighting meant she would relentlessly pursue him. [Assassins] had tracking abilities akin to bloodhounds, making them incredibly annoying.
"What a bother..."
Although Li Aozzi found the situation troublesome, he was more puzzled:
"How did Nimotin get lured here? In the elite ranks of the Special Operations Bureau, she usually suppresses riots and uprisings... Could it be that the Rose Army really has an intelligence network here? Nimotin came following the Rose Army members."
Rose Army... intelligence network...
Nuo Mi, Jane Neria, Rose Army guerrilla members...
That wanderer named Benny headed north to join the Rose Army...
The Abyss Humanitarian recently took in Nuo Mi in the past few months, and it takes at least two months to travel from Law IV headquarters through the wastelands to the border city...
Li Aozzi was bewildered. After careful analysis, he suddenly realized something.
"No way."
Li Aozzi smirked:
"Nuo Mi, could she be the Rose Army's intelligence agent?"
If that's true... then the Frost Republic is truly rotten.
For a country with 40,000 registered players, such an obvious storyline wasn't uncovered.
Nuo Mi, hiding under the chassis of the roughly assembled car, mouthed to him through the gaps:
"Don't panic, except for the leading woman, we can handle the rest."
She hung upside down under the chassis, adjusting the vehicle settings.
"Wait, I'll start the car, you create a distraction, and we'll leave directly."
It's possible... but Li Aozzi didn't want to waste time here.
Where is this? The outer world!
The climate and terrain were unpredictable, with potential storms and heavy snow.
But once in the car, with Nuo Mi's driving skills and the dim light of the outer world, they could definitely shake them off.
Nimotin didn't give him time to think. The armed personnel surrounded the car, and Li Aozzi slowly stepped out, raising his hands to show he was unarmed.
He needed to buy time for Nuo Mi and cover for her.
The flashlight's white beam shone on his face, his black hair blowing in the wind, revealing his handsome features.
The agents around Nimotin immediately whistled, whispering:
"Hey, he's quite good-looking."
"How does he compare to the last celebrity?"
"This one's clearly better! Look at those delicate collarbones, though his skin is too pale—the features are really beautiful."
"Those gray eyes are like crystals, I love them, I want to dig them out..."
Nimotin didn't bother with such comments, nor did she want to correct this behavior—Law IV's lower-level female agents were always arrogant; it was normal.
To be honest, without such perks and power, why would women join this notorious, hard-working, and dirty organization?
Who would want to stay in an office, comfortably stealing wages, instead of coming out to shoot and kill, traveling all over?
Agent Yavanna was a bit displeased, staring at Li Aozzi.
Li Aozzi had excellent hearing, and these comments meant nothing to him. Players were always chatting nonsensically on forums; he'd seen all sorts of bizarre statements.
He raised his hands high, speaking deeply:
"Ladies, I'm Li Aozzi, unarmed. I admit setting fire to the village bank, but it was to drive away an evil demon—I haven't betrayed the motherland! There's only one sun in my heart, President Karish. Please don't arrest me immediately, I have my reasons..."
"Save your words for the interrogation."
Nimotin waved her hand:
"Break his legs and take him away."
She wasn't one to show mercy, but Li Aozzi's appearance was pleasing, his words sincere and composed, with an unflinching attitude. His tattered clothes couldn't hide his calm demeanor, full of Alpha charm, making her feel comfortable. Seeing his cooperation, she decided not to make it difficult for him.
However, when it came to the Rose Army, she didn't want any complications.
Hearing her command, her subordinates pulled the triggers without hesitation. Several rifle barrels aimed at Li Aozzi's legs, about to fire when Li Aozzi suddenly spoke:
"Ladies, don't you want to know the whereabouts of the Rose Army?"
"Stop."
Nimotin raised her hand, walking forward with interest. The pressure of an Alpha-tier extraordinary enveloped Li Aozzi like a force field. A bone-chilling cold surged up his spine, entering his brain, causing him to shudder—this was a pure physiological reaction. When humans faced cruelty, natural enemies, or predators, the genetic instinct for vigilance and fear was activated, urging him to flee.
"You're quite interesting, Mr. Li Aozzi, more charming than many of our domestic men—honestly, if your skin weren't so pale, you'd look like an Easterner."
Nimotin, standing 197 cm tall, with a slender yet muscular build typical of an [Assassin], bent down, lifting Li Aozzi's chin with her gloved right hand, her blue eyes meeting his:
"I've suspected you from the beginning. You don't look like a Rose Army lackey."
"I haven't betrayed the great motherland and the holy female leaders!" Li Aozzi declared firmly, his chin coated with a layer of cold frost.
Nimotin was using her energy to infiltrate his nerves. [Assassins] weren't as specialized as [Warriors] in using energy, but they excelled in meticulous operations with it.
As the energy flowed into his blood vessels, Li Aozzi's facial temperature dropped. He couldn't control his facial expressions, a common interrogation technique of Law IV—[Expression Collapse].
In primitive times, human ancestors survived by huddling together, hunting cooperatively. Cooperation required enhancing communication efficiency. Over time, those who could easily express emotions and intentions through facial expressions and eye contact succeeded in hunting, passing down their genes with rich expressions capable of conveying inner emotions through mere eye movements and facial muscles.
No matter how someone lies, even if they can control their heart rate through long-term practice, the key is controlling facial expressions to perform.
[Expression Collapse] was an effective technique, revealing even the best spies under Law IV agents' energy infiltration.
Nimotin believed in this technique, continually mentioning other countries, ethnicities, and social trivia to test Li Aozzi's reactions.
However, Li Aozzi just stared at her, his gaze firm, expression serious, repeatedly stating:
"I, Li Aozzi, am steadfast and loyal, never betraying the great motherland!"
Low EQ: Which motherland?
High EQ: I am Li Aozzi.