Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Warlord

37. Lord of War

He was that kind of man.

Unlike the previous name, Tang Xiao was not afraid of him; in fact, he was looking forward to what this man’s arrival would bring to the Fourth Civilization.

Yet, the appearance of this name made Tang Xiao smile bitterly.

If he were to stick to his former worldview and values, he would never have identified with such a person. But now, standing from the perspective of an administrator of the Fourth Civilization, he had no choice but to rely on the power of such a man.

Indeed, even he himself was drifting further and further down a dark path.

Perhaps, this was only the beginning.

Returning to the mothership, Tang Xiao sat at his desk in his office and instructed the mainframe to bring him a pot of hot coffee and two cups. He placed them on the table and waited quietly for the man’s arrival.

A moment later, a polite knock sounded. After Tang Xiao gave the order to enter, the door opened, and a man in his thirties walked in.

He was dressed meticulously in a black suit with a dark red tie. His hairline was somewhat high, revealing a broad forehead, yet his hair was groomed perfectly. His eyes, set deep within their sockets and filled with a sense of melancholy, remained fixed on Tang Xiao the moment he entered the room.

Tang Xiao looked at him with a smile. Yuri Orlov—the "Lord of War."

"Greetings, Administrator." Yuri offered a humble smile. He walked forward deferentially, took Tang Xiao’s hand in both of his, and simultaneously pressed a business card into his palm. "My name is Yuri Orlov, a simple businessman."

Tang Xiao glanced at the card. It bore the name Yuri Orlov and included a phone number that would likely never connect in this galaxy.

"I’ve looked at what you’re after: weapons, markets, and demand. Three words, simple and clear, aren't they?" Tang Xiao said.

"Very simple, yet very difficult. But I like this place, you know. A massive market, urgent demand. If one day everyone in this galaxy has a Kalashnikov in their hands—oh, that would be simply wonderful." Yuri sat down on the sofa in front of Tang Xiao and laughed.

"Why did you choose the arms trade instead of… well, you know, things like tobacco or automobiles?" Tang Xiao asked.

"Well, there is demand, so there is business. People always need to eat, so some go into the food business. But you know, people are always fighting. Throughout our entire history, there has never been a single day of total peace. Even our Fourth Civilization went through the war of three catastrophes before arriving here, didn't it? Therefore, the demand for war is even greater than the demand for food," Yuri said, spreading his hands.

"In that case..." Tang Xiao gestured. A T-850 standing nearby brought over a brand-new Type 21 assault rifle, placed it on the table, and tossed an instruction manual next to it.

Tang Xiao pointed at the items. "Can you sell this rifle for me?"

Yuri didn't speak. He simply picked up the rifle and began to fiddle with it expertly. "A fine weapon. 5.56mm caliber, gas-operated automatic structure, rotating bolt, aperture sights. Although it lacks a magazine, judging by this length, a standard 30-round magazine would be the most appropriate choice."

*Click.* He pulled the bolt back and aimed the rifle at the T-850 in a firing stance. Then, he suddenly laughed, tossed the rifle back to the T-850, and tore the instruction manual in half before throwing it into the trash.

"However, we don't need these things," Yuri said with a smile. "You don't care how good this gun is, how precise it is, or how durable it is. What you care about is how many people are using this gun, and... how many people die under its bullets. And most importantly..."

"Go on."

"If you can buy this gun, I will help you arm an army," Yuri said, cutting straight to the point.

"What does that have to do with this rifle?"

"Because..." Yuri chuckled, leaning closer to Tang Xiao. "Heh heh heh... because you really... really need an army, hahahaha."

He sat back on the sofa and couldn't help but laugh heartily, though it was unclear whether he was laughing at Tang Xiao or at himself.

"War, war never changes," Tang Xiao said, a sudden flash of inspiration hitting him.

"War, war never changes..." Yuri repeated, shaking his head with a smile. "I like that phrase. You will be a good administrator—at least, the kind I like. So, what do you want me to bring you?"

The smile on Tang Xiao’s face turned slightly sinister. "I want every single thing in this galaxy that is capable of killing, and then, I will use these things to carve out a living space that belongs to our Fourth Civilization."

"Oh~~~ then you will need to stock up on many, many more bullets," Yuri said, catching the implication.

"I hope we have a pleasant cooperation." This time, Tang Xiao initiated the handshake.

Yuri took his hand with both of his in a humble manner. "A pleasant cooperation, Administrator. Oh, by the way, I have a brother, Vitaly Orlov. I always work with him. I hope you can wake him up as well; he won't refuse. How does that saying go? Brothers in arms."

"I will make sure to sign you both up for the Galactic Standard Language crash course, the two of you together," Tang Xiao said, his smile growing increasingly wicked.

"Well, screw learning, but who would turn down money? So, a study group—ah, wonderful, hahahaha. I shall take my leave now, Administrator." Yuri spread his hands, smiled at Tang Xiao, and turned to exit the office.

Tang Xiao watched his back and offered a bitter smile. "It seems I have brought another dangerous person into this galaxy." He picked up the coffee pot, poured himself a cup of now-lukewarm coffee, and downed it in one gulp.

He then opened the list of recruitable characters. Sure enough, the name Vitaly Orlov had appeared among the Legendary-tier characters. Seeing this name, he had an epiphany: since Vitaly Orlov’s abilities clearly did not warrant the "Legendary" label, there could only be one explanation—

All characters in the Legendary tier were those from films, television, and games. Some might have abilities inferior to Master or even Elite tiers, but as long as they originated from film or games, they were categorized as Legendary.

If that was the case, what were the two tiers that followed? Tang Xiao looked at the two question marks that followed, his mind filled with countless conjectures.