After leaving the little girl's lounge with Raven, Loren returned to his own Room 105.
Taking off his black coat, he comfortably lay down on the bed, silently thinking to himself.
Not bad at all, another perfect commission completed...
"Master, judging from that Marcus Rhine's reaction, he likely has major trouble on his hands."
"Yesterday, the people he was trying to avoid weren't us, but other factions."
"This means there are other forces who want to capture him."
Raven's voice calmly echoed in the lounge.
"Don't be so tense, Raven."
"Judging by his act of defecting from the Federation, it's perfectly normal for him to have major trouble."
The only difference was, some people could resolve their troubles, while others couldn't...
Even I found it so difficult to catch him, so for others wanting to capture this Mr. Marcus Rhine, it would be even harder.
He felt Raven's worry was unnecessary.
"Master, what I mean is, your action of carrying him into this combat fortress has exposed him to the eyes of many factions..."
"Hmm..." Loren seemed to realize something.
He had brought this Federation fugitive, who wanted to hide in the endless natural scenic area, into a semi-public place like the Interstellar Hunter Association.
"Why didn't you remind me last night?" Loren looked at Raven and asked.
"In that situation last night, if I had reminded you, would you have listened?" Raven asked with a look of disdain.
True... I had already caught the guy, was I supposed to just let him go? That doesn't fit my style.
"It's not a big problem, that Mr. Marcus Rhine will figure something out." Loren said, feeling somewhat guilty.
Just at that moment, an incredulous shout came from the room next door.
"What?! I'm currently inside the Interstellar Hunter Association in Radiant Flow Main City?!?!" It was the voice of that Mr. Marcus Rhine.
This shout carried despair and confusion.
Hearing this sound, Loren silently pulled down the brim of his hat, pretending nothing had happened.
Can only blame you for not being willing to believe me last night. I actually didn't want to knock you out either...
Not my business, I'm just an Interstellar Hunter, what bad intentions could I possibly have...
It's all the work of fate, yes, that's it...
Having reasoned it out to himself, Loren contentedly closed his eyes.
Having not rested all night, he began to fall into a deep sleep.
Seeing this, Raven silently sighed.
Master, you're becoming more and more like a lawless rogue...
Federal Calendar 7708, October 19th, afternoon.
Loren was awakened by a knocking sound.
He slowly got up from the bed, put on his black coat, then turned and went to the washroom to splash some water on his face.
When Loren walked out of the washroom, Raven skillfully flew onto Loren's shoulder and spoke:
"It's that Mr. Marcus Rhine knocking."
Loren walked to the lounge door and opened it.
"Something the matter, Mr. Marcus Rhine?"
Marcus Rhine looked up at this powerful Interstellar Hunter, his expression extremely complex.
After a long moment, he spoke gloomily:
"Mr. Loren, to make a long story short, it's because I possess a crucial piece of technology."
"Ever since arriving in the Radiant Flow Star Domain, I've been constantly hiding and evading."
"Yesterday, I intended to secretly go to a laboratory located underground in the natural scenic area."
"But due to some... accidents, I was exposed to the gaze of various factions."
At this point, this Mr. Marcus Rhine's gaze became extremely resentful, staring straight at Loren.
Loren's expression remained unchanged. "And then? What do you plan to do next?"
"In about half an hour, the legendary Chief of the Star Traveler Society will come to pick me up and take me to a safe place."
"I will once again disappear from the sight of many factions."
Saying this, he let out another deep sigh.
"Because what I'm doing is too dangerous, this time, I still cannot bring my adorable daughter with me."
"Therefore, I would like to ask you to protect my daughter for half a month. After half a month, someone will come to take her to an absolutely safe place."
"Oh? You should know that when I brought you into the room next door, the commission between me and the little one was already concluded, right?" Loren asked flatly.
"Of course, this is a new commission, Mr. Loren."
Marcus Rhine seemed to have anticipated this scene and wasn't surprised.
"So, what price are you willing to pay?" Loren calmly looked at Marcus Rhine.
"A special can of mecha coating." Marcus Rhine said in a low voice.
"Oh?" Loren let out a light hum.
Then, under Loren's puzzled gaze, Marcus Rhine extended his right hand, which wore a spatial ring, in front of Loren.
The next instant, a white metal canister bearing a confidential marking appeared in the palm of that right hand.
The metal canister wasn't very large, only about the size of a regular beverage bottle on the market.
Staring at the canister in his hand, Marcus Rhine explained to Loren:
"Dark Matter Quantum Coating, mostly equipped on the Federation Military's high-end mechas."
"I believe you should have some understanding of this type of coating."
"This small canister's price on the black market is roughly between 1 to 2 million Spirit Stones."
"Its intrinsic value isn't actually that expensive; this small canister is only worth about 60,000 Spirit Stones. But in the eyes of certain schemers, this small canister is priceless."
"This one is unused."
"Since its manufacture, it has remained in its most pristine state, and those with ulterior motives can analyze a great deal from it."
Loren reached out and took the white metal canister from the other's hand, smiling as he said:
"Pleasure doing business, Mr. Marcus Rhine."
This was, so far, the most expensive commission he had ever accepted. These Federation scientists really had good stuff in their hands...
Loren couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"I leave it to you, Mr. Loren. Little Ayla's safety is in your hands." Marcus Rhine bowed to Loren.
"Don't worry. Although my reputation isn't the best, my credibility has always been good."
Loren spoke to comfort his client.
At this moment, Raven on Loren's shoulder somewhat abruptly asked a question:
"Why not let that Chief of the Star Traveler Society take Ayla Morningstar away together?"
Marcus Rhine stood up straight, looked at Raven, somewhat surprised—this level of intelligence?
He shook his head, dismissing the chaotic thoughts Raven had triggered in his mind, and answered Raven:
"The Star Traveler Society and I are merely using each other for mutual benefit. Moreover, what we're doing is too dangerous."
"Even a Legendary Psychic could potentially die."
"It's not a good thing for my daughter to follow me."