For a moment, Sampo was completely stunned. His brain practically froze.
He had imagined all sorts of collaborations with Pei Guang. He had even considered that Pei Guang might ask him to do something underhanded. He had expected that, if he wanted something done, he'd just do it first and throw the blame on him later.
But this?
Sampo's eyes welled up with fake tears. "My friend! You truly are my brother! I never thought you had such integrity! You could've just framed me outright, but instead, you actually asked for my permission? If I say no, would you really not do it?"
Pei Guang nodded seriously. "Of course. I respect my friends' decisions. Sure, we didn't start off on the best terms, but you've given me so much good stuff. As long as you're not my enemy, you're my friend."
Sampo was deeply moved. "My dearest friend! Just for that sincerity alone, go ahead—take my identity and do it! No, wait—you impersonating me and pinning the blame on me is even better! Whatever happens next, I'll handle it!"
At that moment, Sampo was already anticipating something truly delightful.
Going along himself to beat the guy up? No, no, no! That would be boring.
Having Pei Guang impersonate him, making all the evidence point toward him, and then standing his ground while confronting the company? Now that was peak enjoyment.
Of course, Sampo had no intention of lying in the process. If someone asked whether he was responsible, he would answer truthfully. Just like Pei Guang had done before—he would tell the truth so honestly that no one would believe it.
Sampo could already picture it—seeing the company employees getting led around in circles, unable to believe the truth even when it was staring them in the face. That thought alone sent a thrill of excitement through him.
Seeing Sampo's sincere expression, Pei Guang also spoke earnestly. "Good! If the company actually catches you and tries to make things difficult, just tell them the truth—it was me."
Sampo burst into laughter. "I get it! I get it! I, Sampo, swear that if I get caught, I will tell nothing but the truth. No lies, no exaggerations—just pure, honest facts."
Pei Guang nodded approvingly. "Excellent! Excellent! Now, my dear friend, we're about to take action. Do you need some time to establish an alibi?"
Sampo waved a hand dismissively. "No need. A friend of mine just arrived here for some business. I'll stick with him."
Pei Guang smiled. "That works. By the way, just one more question—do you need these next ten or so minutes? If not…"
Seeing Pei Guang pull out a bottle of coffee, Sampo's expression deepened. He picked it up, grinning. "Of course not. For our friendship—cheers!"
Sampo raised the bottle and downed it in one go. As the coffee took effect, he fell into a deep, baby-like sleep.
In his dreams, he saw a familiar figure—Black Commander laughing with his signature grin. In response, Sampo's sleeping face lit up with a smug smile.
(TL Note: A character from a chinese show that is basically a purple egg with an evil grin)
With Sampo asleep, Pei Guang wasted no time looting him. However, perhaps due to the short interval since his last looting session, all he managed to get this time were some basic firework effects.
Even so, getting a handful of them in one go left Pei Guang quite satisfied with Sampo's generosity.
Meanwhile, March 7th, who had been listening to their entire conversation, stared at Stelle in shock. "That's it? It's that easy?"
Stelle, eyes filled with wisdom, nodded sagely.
March 7th pressed on. "Aren't you going to share your thoughts?"
Stelle pondered for a moment before nodding again. "Thoughts."
March 7th: "…"
March 7th was speechless. Stelle was great in many ways, but sometimes, her brain really made her seem… not the brightest.
As for Pei Guang? After finishing up with Sampo, he happily retrieved the "Simulated Head" he had looted from Sampo the day before. Using it, he simulated Sampo's face and equipped it.
Once equipped, the flawless likeness of Sampo appeared on Pei Guang's face. Unfortunately, since this was just an item and not an actual disguise, it only replicated Sampo's signature sly grin—the facial expression itself wouldn't change.
After putting it on, Pei Guang turned to March 7th and Stelle. "Alright! You two should also get into disguise. We can't afford to be recognized. Tonight, we're going to ambush that company dog."
While Pei Guang and the others were on their way to their 'little business', Donatan was leading his subordinates through the company's asset evaluation procedures.
Meanwhile, Topaz was meeting with the full-time investor for the Aetherium Wars: Galactic Championship Festival. She knew this person was a Masked Fool, so she was extremely cautious during their conversation.
A well-dressed figure, wearing an ornate mask, greeted her. "Hello, Miss Topaz. I am the full-time investor for this year's Galactic Championship Festival—Giovanni di Giorgio da Epsilon, a humble investor from Epsilon. It is a great pleasure to collaborate with you, the former Galactic Championship winner."
Topaz responded politely. "Hello, my name is Topaz. Thank you, Mr. Giovanni, for your investment. May I ask…"
Before she could finish her sentence, she received a message.
"Apologies for the interruption. I have a friend named Sampo who has heard of my visit and would like to meet me. He's also eager to meet the renowned Miss Topaz. He is a very reliable person and will certainly help make this festival even more exciting. Would you…"
Hearing this, Topaz nodded. "Of course, that's not a problem. Your reputation is impeccable, so I trust that your friend is equally reliable."
Topaz didn't dislike the Masked Fools. Yes, they sought amusement wherever they went, but those capable of traversing the universe all had their own moral boundaries. Especially Giovanni—his Aesthetic of Elation was widely known.
With him around, other Masked Fools wouldn't be allowed to cause trouble. Of course, if someone wanted to indulge in the festivities with him, Giovanni was always happy to share the experience.