SWNOVELXO Chapter 123: Chapter 123
Kurohane had successfully acquired Cosmo, the telepathic dog, who promptly became Kurohane's number one minion. For no other reason, a dog with a Russian accent was clearly more favored by Kurohane than Yondu and Malekith! On Cosmo's space suit, there was a radio communication device. His telepathic abilities allowed him to directly control the sound output of the communication device. As for the Russian accent, it was quite reasonable; Cosmo's English came from standard textbooks. This accent was originally taught by the Soviets, so having an accent was entirely normal!
Moreover, Kurohane also understood why no one dared to provoke Tivan; he could be such a unique existence in the Galaxy. Besides being a truly neutral merchant, more importantly, this person's superpowers were immortality and precognition. As long as he lived long enough, he would eventually make a name for himself. Then, whenever other forces wanted to come and wipe out Knowhere, Tivan could clearly state their battle plans. This led all those forces to believe that Tivan had spies within their organizations, fearing they would be trapped, so they abandoned their plans to finish off the Collector.
Thus, more and more forces ceased their actions, and Collector Tivan became a renowned figure in the Galaxy. Yet in the eyes of the major powers, everyone simply needed a gray area for buffering. Tivan also had no ambition and remained in Knowhere for long periods without venturing out, so they let him be!
"Until Thanos, this unscrupulous fellow, appeared; even though his battle plan was exposed by Tivan, he still brought the Black Order directly to his doorstep. He destroyed his collection, plundered his Infinity Stone, and then killed him himself. Empiricism kills!" Kurohane realized, a flash of destructive imagery crossing his mind.
Furthermore, this precognition ability could only foretell situations unfavorable to Tivan himself. For instance, Kurohane's arrival to see him today posed no harm according to his premonitions; instead, it was beneficial to him. Because Kurohane didn't assign Tivan any other tasks; he continued doing what he was already doing. Moreover, Kurohane promised Tivan that he would handle anyone who dared to cause trouble in Knowhere from now on. He would definitely collect all fines and compensation, and anyone who dared to mess around in Knowhere would only face death! Now, Knowhere truly had its own armed forces, and they were a top-tier force in the Galaxy!
Therefore, Tivan felt no threat from Kurohane whatsoever; Kurohane asked for nothing but to take a dog. "With this level of protection money collection, if announced, there would be many races in the universe who would need Kurohane's protection!"
This was also something Kurohane had long planned; the essence of Knowhere was to conduct business in a gray area. If Kurohane truly wiped out Tivan's "customers" in one swoop, and criminals stopped coming, where would he find so many unfortunate people in the future? A steady stream was in Kurohane's best interest!
"The rules of a place apply in that place; you cannot use a Ming Dynasty sword to kill an official from the Qing Dynasty. That makes no sense, and the system will not recognize this kind of righteous action," Kurohane noted in his mind, a strange yet apt metaphor.
As for the red-skinned alien assistant named Carina, she no longer wished to be Tivan's slave. She wanted to follow Kurohane, this big boss. Tivan did not refuse. As a meeting gift, a superpowered dog was clearly not enough. But a beautiful maid had that flavor! He immediately nodded in agreement; he wasn't short of assistants like her, he could just recruit another one after giving this one to Kurohane!
Kurohane also did not refuse; his subordinates were already male-dominated, and they might look impressive and powerful when going out. But the entire spaceship was filled with male hormones, which might change his sexual orientation, and that would be the end of it! So Carina, the poor soul who was shattered into pieces in the original plot because she touched the Power Stone with her bare hands, found her new life in Kurohane's organization—Kurohane's personal secretary! As for her specific job, it was to be the pretty face by Kurohane's side!
Kurohane and his group prepared to set up a base in Knowhere. The generous Collector funded Kurohane with a beautifully decorated villa. This was top-tier accommodation in Knowhere, and since it was Tivan's private property, no one disturbed them at all.
After Kurohane entered the room with Cosmo and Carina, just as Kurohane was about to chat with his new employees, Dou Er Dun—the blue-faced Yondu—pushed the door open and entered, immediately bringing up the personal electronic terminal in his hand. A worried expression was etched on his face.
"Boss, I just got news that Quill has been captured by the new type of Xandar military forces. He's going to be locked up in the Kyln maximum-security prison. Do you still stand by your opinion?" Yondu's voice was slightly choked, a mix of anger and concern.
Every Ravager had special intelligence sources. Yondu's informant on Xandar had sent him information about Star-Lord. However, since information delivery also took time, Star-Lord should already be in prison by now!
"Don't worry, being locked up in prison might not be a bad thing for Quill. After his lower body is torn apart," Kurohane said casually, grinning, a sly glint in his eyes, "he'll know that illegal and criminal things cannot be done, and maybe he'll turn over a new leaf!"
Kurohane wasn't worried about Star-Lord at all. The Kyln prison was full of talented people who were also good at talking. Escaping from prison was not difficult for them at all; he just needed to wait a bit. "The 'Sha Diaos' of the Galaxy Dance Troupe will automatically respawn in Knowhere, then he can get another Power Stone. Why not?" he thought amusingly, a grand plan beginning to form.
However, Yondu didn't think so; he felt heartache for his own son. If Star-Lord was truly ruined in prison... "No, he has to go and save Quill!" Yondu thought, determination burning in his eyes. Offending Xandar was not a big deal. After all, Ronan the Accuser of the Kree had set his sights on that planet; what was there to fear from a planet that would sooner or later be destroyed!
"Boss, I want to..."
"No, you don't need to!" Kurohane was in a terrible mood; this was the first time in his life he had an alien female secretary. He hadn't even said a word, and this blue-faced old man had already ruined the atmosphere! His tone was cold, a little annoyed.
"Don't just stand there; go and recruit people quickly. The higher their bounty, the better, especially those who are particularly wicked." Kurohane added, his voice returning to a commanding mode.
"Aren't we deceiving people?" Yondu asked, slightly bewildered, his eyebrows raised.
"This is called punishing evil and promoting good, upholding justice on behalf of heaven! Everyone should kill evil creatures and disbelievers! What morality are you talking about with a bunch of cold-blooded criminals? Poisoning, murder, snatching, sneak attacks—as long as it's done against criminals, go right ahead! I won't regulate or demand anything, but if you do those things to innocent people, then wash your ass and go to jail!"
Kurohane said a lot in one breath, then kicked Yondu out the door with one foot, a powerful kick. As he did so, he threw the Yaka Arrow and brainwave amplifier at his face, then slammed the door shut!
He turned and looked at his female secretary with a pleasing expression, then spoke softly, "Go take a bath first, it's already dark!"
"Yes, Boss." Carina replied.